say what comfort then may I have of the first work of the Spirit in me For as yet I have found none of these things I have not been thus humbled nor terrifyed nor had such experience as you speak of in that state under the spirit of bondage I answer though this be a work of the spirit yet it is not the principal justifying and saving work of the spirit yea the children of the Devil may come to have a greater measure of this then Gods own dear Children whom for the most part he will not affright nor afflict in that terrible manner as he doth some of them but the consequence of this is more to be accounted of then the measure to see whither that measure I have what ever it be leads me For if the measure were never so absolutely necessary to salvation then all Gods Children should have enough of it But I make a difference still between humiliation and humility which is a grace of it self and leads me along with comfort and Life Thus therefore I think of humiliation if I have so much of it as will bring me to see my danger and cause me to run to the medicine and City of refuge for help to hate sin for time to come and to set my self constantly in the ways and practice of holiness it is enough And so I say in the case of Repentance if a man have a sight of sin past and a heart firmly set against all sin for the time to come the greater and firmer this were the lesser measure of sorrow might suffice for sins fore-past As we see a wise Father would never beat his Child for faults that are past but for the prevention of that which is to come for we see in time of Correction the Child cryes out O I will never do so any more So God deals with us because our resolutions and promises are faint and fail and that without much mourning humiliation and Stripes we attain not this hatred of sins past and strength against them for time to come therefore it is that our humiliation and sorrow must be proportionable to that work which is to be done otherwise any measure of it were sufficient which fits us for the time to come But I will add there are indeed divers measures of it according unto which the conscience is wounded or eased when there is a tough melancholy humour that the powers of the soul are distracted good Duties omitted and the heart so much the more hardned When upon this the Lord le ts loose the band of the conscience oppressing the same with exceeding fears and terrours this the Lord uses as a wedge to cleave in sunder a hard piece of wood God then doth shew us because we would not plough our selves we shall be ploughed If we would judge our selves saith the Apostle we should not be judged and therefore the Church confesses and complains Psalm 129.2 That the ploughers ploughed upon her back and made deep furrows Why How came this she did not plough up her own fallow ground wherefore the Lord sent her other strangers and harsh ploughers that ploughed her soundly indeed Wherefore doth God thus deal with his Children because he is the great and most wise Husband-man who will not sow amongst thorns Therefore when he is about to sow the seed of Eternal Life in the soul which must take deep root and grow for ever he will have the ground throughly ploughed The way then to avoid these things that are so harsh and displeasing to flesh and blood is to take the Rod betimes and beat our selves for when we are slow and secure and omit this God doth do the work himself But yet God makes a difference of good education in those who have kept themselves from the common pollutions and gross sins of the times it pleaseth God saith comes into them they know not how nor the time Grace drops in by little and little now a little and then a little by degrees sin is more and more hated and the heart inflamed with a desire of good things in a conscionable Life But in a measure I say such must have had have or shall have fears and terrours so much as may keep them from sin and quicken them to go on constantly in the ways of holiness or when they fly out of the way they shall smart for it and be whipped home again yet for the main they find themselves as it were in Heaven they know not how But if a man have stuck deep and long in sin he must look for a greater measure of humiliation and fear and a more certain time of his calling there must be hawling and pulling such a man out of the fire with violence and he must not look to obtain peace and comfort with ease God will thunder and lighten in such a man's conscience in Mount Sinai before he speak peace unto him in Mount Zion A second time there is also of a great measure of humiliation which is though a man may be free from great gross sins and worldly pollutions when the Lord intends to shew the feeling of his mercy and the sense thereof to any in an extraordinary measure or to fit them for some high services then they shall be much humbled before as we see St. Paul was Act. 8.9 God did thunder upon him and beat him down in the High way to the ground being stricken with blindness for three days after Thus much shall suffice to have been spoken of the 15th verse touching the Spirit of Bondage and the spirit of Adoption The Apostle tells them they may thank God the spirit of fear thus came that hereafter they might partake of the Spirit of Adoption to fear no more he stirs them up as it were to be thankful because now they had obtained a better state Why what estate A very high one vers 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God ROM 8.16 The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God HAving spoken concerning the Spirit of Bondage and the Spirit of Adoption in the former verse the Apostle in these words that I have now read doth as it were stir up those unto thankfulness to whom he writes because they had now attained to a better state The Spirit it self bearing witness with their spirits that they are the children of God The thing then is to know our selves to be the children of God there must be sound evidences here then are two set down whose Testimony we cannot deny I will touch them as briefly as I can and so will make an end First the witness of our spirit Secondly the witness of God's Spirit with our spirits These are two Evidences not single but compounded wherein you see there may be some work of our spirit But some may say our spirit is deceitful how then can our own spirit work in this manner to
5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. p. 136 Sermon XVIII Rom. 5.1.2 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God p. 145 Sermon XIX Rom. 8.15 16. For ye have not received the spirit of Bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the Children of God p. 157 Sermon XX. Rom. 8.16 The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the Children of God p. 167 Speedy Conversion The only Means to prevent IMMINENT DESTRUCTION HEBREWS 4.7 Again he limiteth a certain Day saying in David to day after so long a time as it is said to day if you will hear his Voyce harden not your hearts I Have entered on these Words in the other Vniversity on a day of Publick Humiliation as being suitable to the occasion the chief matter of them being the Doctrine of the Conversion of a sinner For as much as God's Judgments are abroad upon the Earth and hang over our heads the only means to prevent and remove both temporal and eternal is our speedy conversion and return unto God Else he will whet his sword bend his bow and make it ready to our destruction Psal. 7.12 God did bear a deadly hatred against sin in the time of the Psalmist and so he doth still for his nature cannot be changed If we return not we are but dead men The eternal weight of God's wrath will be our portion both here and in the world to come if we repent not In the Words there are three observable Points though not expresly named yet if we weigh the Context sufficiently implied 1. Continuance in sin brings certain death it hinders us from entring into God's rest and out of it there is nothing but death Or For sin God's Judgments are on particular Nations and Persons 2. If particular Nations or Persons turn away from their evil courses no hurt shall come near them or if temporal calamities surprize them they shall be made beneficial unto them God takes no delight in the death of a sinner nor that he should despair of his mercy but would have us turn out of the broad way which leads to destruction 3. It behooves every one speedily to set about the work of conversion Esteem not this therefore a vain word I bring you those things whereon your life depends Obeying it you are made for ever neglecting it you are undone for ever Unless you embrace this Message God will bend his bow and make ready his arrow against you or rather the arrows which he hath drawn to the head he will let fly upon you Know therefore 1. That continuance in sin brings certain death There will be no way of escaping but by repentance by coming in speedily unto God The words of this Text are taken from Psal. 95. Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation and as in the Temptation in the Wilderness If when God calls us either to the doing of this or leaving that undone yet we are not moved but continue in our evil ways What 's the reason of it It 's because we harden our hearts against him The Word of God which is the power of God to salvation and a two-edged sword to sever between the joynts and the Marrow The strength of the Almighty encounters with our hard hearts and yet they remain like the stony and rockie ground whereon though the Word be plentifully sown yet it fastens no root there and though for a season it spring yet suddenly it fades and comes to nothing We may haply have a little motion by the Word yet there 's a rock in our souls a stone in our hearts and though we may sometimes seem to receive it with some affection and be made as it were Sermon-sick yet it holds but a while it betters us not Why because it 's not received as an ingrafted word Therefore saith St. James Receive with meekness the ingrafted word James 1.21 Let the word be ingrafted in thee one sprig of it is able to make thee grow up to everlasting life Be not content with the hearing of it but pray God it may be firmly rooted in your hearts this will cause a softning To day if you will hear his voyce harden not your hearts against Almighty God If you do expect him also to come against you in indignation Hearken what he saith by his Prophet I will search Jerusalem with candles and punish the men that are settled on their lees that say in their heart the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil Zeph. 1.12 Mark I will search Jerusalem with candles and punish those that are settled on their lees When a man is thus settled and resolved to go on in his sins to put the matter to the hazard come what will come there 's a kind of Atheism in the soul. For what do's he but in a manner reply when God tells him by his Minister that he is preparing the instruments of death against him do you think us such fools to believe it What does this but provoke God to swear that we shall never enter into his rest What 's the reason of this It 's because men are not shifted they have no change they are settled on their lees Moab hath been at ease from his youth he hath been setled and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel neither hath he gone into captivity Jer. 48.11 Consider we whether our security comes not from the same cause We have not been emptied from vessel to vessel we have always been at rest Why have we so little conversion There are two things hinder it the hardning of a mans heart against the Word and our setling our selves on our lees When we have no change in our condition we are secure we never see an evil day That makes us say with the Sensualists in the Prophet To morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa. 56.12 And this is that which slays the foolish person Wo to them that are at ease It were better for thee to be emptied from vessel to vessel to go into captivity For as long as a man continues thus in an unregenerate condition he can look for nothing but troubles certain Judgments must necessarily follow and as sure as God is in Heaven so sure may they expect misery on Earth and they shall receive the eternal weight of God's wrath treasured up against the day of wrath Therefore there is a necessity of our conversion if we will keep off either temporal or eternal wrath Our Saviour makes it the case of all impenitent sinners to be liable to wrath One Judgment befel the Galileans another
shall continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith It is called the joy of faith because it springs from that principle of rejoycing from that mother-grace that your rejoycing may be the more abundant The preaching of the Word whereby faith is wrought brings abundance of joy That place of St. Peter is remarkable 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Yet believing that is yet exercising the acts of faith which we too much neglect If we did exercise these acts every day we should have our Charter of joy renewed every day yet believing ye rejoyce 3. Pray and be thankful praise and thanksgiving are those fruits which fulfil all our joy When thou prayest thou conversest with God thou speakest with him face to face as Moses did He who can pray spiritually and pray hard unto God as Moses face shined when he talked with God so will thy soul thrive praying hard and being thankful There is no greater means than this to get this joy Psal. 33.1 Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praising is comely for the upright Upon this hangs all our comfort praise always brings rejoycing the one begets the other In Isaiah The comfort there that God's children receive is the changing of rayment Christ preaching the acceptable year of the Lord to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give to them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness Isa. 61.3 The ground of praise is joy one follows the other Observe God will give us the oyl of joy Christ was anointed with this oyl above his fellows Christ hath fulness of joy this oyl doth not come on his head alone but it trickles down unto the lower most hemm of his garment even upon all the lively members of his mystical body I will add in the last place when a man considers the great things which are given to him by God and what an estate we get by Christ. I have forgiveness of sins and Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven Psal. 32.1 Christ's blood is wine and my name is written in the book of life Do not rejoyce saith our Saviour because the Devils are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven Luk. 10.20 When I consider that I am not in the black Roll and it is my faith which strengthens me which makes me reckon Christ my chiefest wealth this makes me rejoyce in mine inheritance and in hope of the glory of God When I consider the great reward in the world to come this is a great cause of rejoycing and therefore God's children long for the coming of Christ it is made Tit. 2.13 a mark of those that shall be saved That they long for the appearance of Jesus Christ looking for and hastning unto the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. And in 2 Pet. 3.12 Looking for and hastning unto the coming of the day of God A longing expectation there is in all the creatures after the second coming of Christ They wait saith the Apostle for the manifestation of the Sons of God and presently he adds Not only they but we also that have the first fruits of the Spirit groan and long for the coming of that day Rom. 8.19.23 And therefore the last breath of the Scripture is breathed out in the confirmation of this hope Rev. 22.20 He that testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen even so be it come Lord Jesus There is a sweet Allegory to express this in Cant. ult 14 Make haste my beloved and be like the Hind and like the Roe Come Lord Jesus come quickly and come as the Hind and as the Roe and as a Hart upon the Mountain of spices Make haste and come quickly be swift and do not tarry and in a better place I cannot end FINIS THE SEAL OF SALVATION OR GOD's SPIRIT Witnessing with our Spirits THAT We are the Children of GOD. IN TWO SERMONS Preached at Great S. BARTHOLOMEWS by the most Reverend JAMES USHER late Arch-Bishop of ARMAGH Difficilia pulchra ROM 8.14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God LONDON Printed for Nathaniel Ranew at the King's Arms in S. Paul's Church Yard 1678. THE SEAL OF Salvation ROMANS 8.15 16. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God THe Apostle sets down in this Epistle a platform of Christian Doctrine whereupon all persons and Churcheâ— might safely build themselves shewing therein a sure way how those might come to the Lord Jesus Chrisâ— who are to obtain salvation by him which he delivers in three heads shewing 1. First how God will convince the world of sin 2. Secondly he discovereth to them what that righteousness is which without themselves is imputed to them 3. Thirdly he setteth forth that righteousness inherent and created in us by sanctification of the spirit with the effects thereof and Motives and Helps thereunto Answering that threefold work of the spirit in John 16. where Christ promiseth that when the comforter should come he should reprove â—he world of Sin of Righteousness of Judgment First he shews the Comforter shall work a conviction of Sin a making of a man as vile empty and naked as may be not a bare confession of sin only which a man may have and yet go to hell but such a conviction as stops a man's mouth that he hath not a word to speak but sees a sink of sin and abomination in himself such as the Apostle had Rom. 7.18 For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing To attain to this sight and measure of humiliation there must be a work of the spirit First therefore in the first Chapter the Apostle begins with the Gentiles who failing grosly in the duties of the first Table God had given over also to err in the breach of all the Duties of the second Table Then the next Chapter and most of the third he spends on the Jews they bragged of many excellent privileges they had above the Gentiles as to have the Law Circumcision to be leaders of others to have God among them and therefore despised the Gentiles The Apostle reproves them shewing that in condemning the Gentiles they condemn'd themselves they having a greater light of knowledge than the Gentiles which should have led them to the true and sincere practice of what they were instructed in Then he goes on and shews all naturally to be out of the way ver 19. and so concludes them to be under sin that every mouth may be stopped and all the world
them take them to whom they appertain viz. Whosoever shall fall upon this stone shall be broken But on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to peices If their own destruction will not take them off from touching the Lords anointed and from plucking the stars out of his hand let yet the Anguish and vexation that shall accompany their destruction either deter them or confound them For he hath said it who will make it good that there shall be a Resurrection both unto Gods truths and to such as bear Testimony thereunto Mean while let this satisfie such as are faithful whilst God and those that truly fear God prize faithful Ministers it matters not what the rest think of them As King David said in not much an unlike Case of those shall they be had in honour I have now done with the most famous Author of these Sermons of whom I may say as one very Learned saâ—d of Mr. Calvin That famous Man and never to be named without some Preface of Honour Or as another of a Learned and Godly Man God hath so provided that they who lived in Heaven whilst on Earth shall live on Earth whilst in Heaven That they shall leave their Names for a blessing when others leave them behind them for a curse or rather with the Apostle of Demetrius he hath a good Report of all men and of the truth it self A word now concerning these Sermons of his by occasion of the publishing whereof I have thus enlarged They are not so exact as his Immanuel or the Incarnation of the Son of God so accurately couched that you cannot find a word defective or redundant because they wanted his own hand for their publication but yet they are such wherein the Reader may discern much of the Gracious and Heavenly Spirit of this unparalleld Bishop They were preached ad populum in the Vniversity of Oxford the general Subject of them is Conversion or turning from Sin unto God and so mightily did the Lord bless them not only to the Edification and Consolation of very many but also to the Conversion of some as we have good cause to Judge I will say no more the Name of Doctor Vsher by which he is more known to some and the Name of the most Reverend and Learned Father of our Church Doctor James Usher late Arch Bishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland by which he is more known to others not only in these our Kingdomes but in foreign parts his great and good Name I say every wrere as oyntment poured forth prefixed before this Book though with some allay is enough to raise high Expectation of whatsoever cemeth after these words And is argument enough to invite the Reader to look within and read them over And then he will find the least siling of this Master Workmans Gold very precious Good Wine they say needs no bush and if this Wine was so sweet at first running I presume whosoever tasts it now though he have it but at the second or third hand will find it hath not altogether lost its strength nor will he repent his labour in reading these Sermons if he be one that desires to profit his soul more then to please his Palat. That out of this Phoenix the Lord would raise such successors as may by Pen Life and Doctrine do as this burning and shining Light hath done before them is the prayer but scarce the belief of him that prayeth for the Peace and Prosperity of Jerusalem and therein hopeth to have his share in the concurrent prayers of every Godly Reader Stanley Gower Dorchester October the third 1659 A TABLE Directing to the TEXTS of SCRIPTURE Handled in the Following SERMONS Sermon I. HEbrews 4.7 Again he limiteth a certain day saying in David to day after so long a time as it is said to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts pag. 1 Sermon II. Heb. 4.7 Again he limiteth a certain day saying in David to day after so little time as it is said to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts p. 8 Sermon III. Gal. 6.3 4. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself but let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another p. 16 Sermon IV. Ephes. 2.1 2 3. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince that ruleth in the Air the spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the Children of wrath even as others p. 24 Sermon V. Gal. 3.22 But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe p. 32 Sermon VI. Lament 5.16 Woe unto us that we have sinned p. 40 Sermon VII Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death p. 48 Sermon VIII Rev. 21.8 But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murtherers and whore-mongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death p. 55 Sermon IX Phil. 2.5 6 7 8. Let this mind be in you which also was in Jesus Christ who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion of a man he humbled himself unto the death even the death of the Cross. p. 65 Sermon X. Phil. 2.8 And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became Obedient unto the Death even the Death of the Cross. p. 92 Sermon XI John 1.12 But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name p. 82 Sermon XII Ephes. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the words of truth the Gospel of your Salvation in whom also after you believed you were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise p. 90 Sermon XIII 1 Cor. 11.29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body p. 99 Sermon XIV Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need p. 108 Sermon XV. Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. p. 117 Sermon XVI Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ p. 127 Sermon XVII Rom.
that we must forsake all the sinful lusts of the flesh This is that which makes Baptism to be Baptism indeed to us The other thing required is that we forsake all Rom. 6.2 It is not confined to the very act but it hath a perpetual effect all the dayes of thy life I add it never hath its full effect till the day of our death the abolition of the whole body of sin That which we seal is not compleat till then till we have final grace The water of Baptism quenches the fire of Purgatory for it is not accomplished till final grace is received We are now under the Physicians hands then shall we be cured Baptism is not done onely at the Font which is a thing deceives many for it runs through our whole life nor hath it consummation till our dying day till we receive final grace The force and efficacy of Baptism is for the washing away of sin to morrow as well as the day past the death of sin is not till the death of the body and therefore it s said we must be buried with him by Baptism into his death Now at our death we receive final grace till when this washing and the vertue thereof hath not its consummation Let no man therefore deceive you with vain words take heed of looking on your selves in these false glasses think it not an easy thing to get Heaven the way is strait and the passage narrow There must be a striving to enter there must be an ascending into Heaven a motion contrary to nature And therefore it 's folly to think we shall drop into Heaven there must be a going upward if ever we will come thither EPH. 2.1 2 3. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins where in times past you walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince that ruleth in the Air the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience Amongst whom also c. THE last time I declared unto you the duty that was necessarily required of us if we look to be saved that we must not onely take the matter speedily into consideration and not be deluded by our own hearts and the wiles of Satan but that we must not do it superficially or perfunctorily but must bring our selves to the true touchstone and not look upon our selves with false glasses because there is naturally in every one self-love and in these last and worst times men are apt to think better of themselves then they deserve If there be any beginning of goodness in them they think all is well when there is no greater danger in the World then being but half-Christians He thinks the half-Christian I mean that if he hath escaped the outward pollutions of the world through lust and be not so bad as formerly he hath been and not so bad as many men in the World are therefore he is well enough Whereas his end proves worse then his beginning This superficial repentance is but like the washing of a Hog the outside is onely wash't the swinish nature is not taken away There may be in this man some outward abstaining from the common gross sins of the World or those which he himself was subject unto but his disposition to sin is the same his nature is nothing changed there is no renovation no casting in a new mould which must be in us For it is not a little reforming will serve the turn no nor all the morality in the World nor all the common graces of Gods Spirit nor the outward change of the life they will not do unless we are quickned and have a new life wrought in us unless there be a supernatural working of Gods Spirit we can never enter into Heaven Therefore in this case it behoves every man to prove his own work Gal. 6.4 A thing men are hardly drawn unto to be exact examiners of themselves Coelo discendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Heathen himself could say to know a mans self is a heavenly saying and it 's an heavenly thing indeed if we have an Heavenly Master to teach us The Devil taught Socrates a lesson that brought him from the study of natural to moral Philosophy whereby he knew himself yet the Devil knew morality could never teach him the lesson indeed All the morality in the World cannot teach a man to escape Hell We must have a better instructor herein than the Devil or our selves the Lord of Heaven must do it if ever we will be brought to know our selves aright St. Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel one of the learnedst Doctors of the Pharisees and yet he could not teach him this When he studied the law he thought himâ—elf unblameable but coming to an higher and better Master he knows that in him that is in his flesh dwells no good thing Rom. 7. By self-examination a man may find many faults in himself but to find that which the Apostle afterwards found in himself to see the flesh a rottenness the sink of iniquity that is within him and to find himself so bad as indeed he is unless it please the Lord to open his eyes and to teach him he can never attain it Now we come to this place of the Apostle wherein we see the true glass of our selves the Spirit knows what we are better then our selves and the Spirit shews us that every man of us either was or is such as we are here set down to be We are first natural before we can be spiritual there is not a man but hath been or is yet a natural man and therefore see we the large description of a natural man before he is quickned before God which is rich in mercy enlivens him being dead in sins and saves him by grace in Christ. Thus is it with us all and thus must it be and we shall never be fit for grace till we know our selves thus far till we know our selves as far out of frame as the Spirit of truth declares us to be In this place of Scripture consider we 1. Who this carnal man is what they are which the Apostle speaks of to be dead in sins and that walk after the course of the World led by the Devil and have their conversation after the flesh Children of wrath These are big words and heavy things Consider first the subject of whom this is spoken Then follows the Praedicate or 2. What that ill news is which he delivers of them We begin with the first 1. Who they are of whom this is spoken and that is you You hath he quickned who were dead and ye in the words following that in times past walked after the course of the world and in the third verse more particularly Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past He speaks now in the first person as before in the second so that the subject is we all and ye all Not a man in
this Congregation but is or was as bad as the holy Ghost here makes him But 2. To come to that which is delivered of him he is one not quickned dead in sins no better then nature made him that corrupt nature which he hath from Adam till he is thus spiritually enlivened Now he 's described 1. By the quality of his person 2. By his company Even as others Thou mayst think thy self better then another man but thou art no better never a barrel the better herring as we say Even as others thou art not so alone but as bad as the worst not a man more evil in his nature then thou art When thou goest to Hell perhaps some difference there may be in your several punishments according to your several acts of Rebellion but yet you shall all come short of the Glory of God And for matter of quickning you are all alike 1. First concerning their quality And this is declared 1. By their general disposiâ—ion they are dead in trespasses and sins Dead and therefore unable and indisposed to the works of a spiritual living man Besides not onely indisposed and unable thereto but dead in trespasses and sins For the separation of the Soul from God is a more dangerous death than the separation of the Soul from the Body and this is the reason why St. John calls damnation the second death Rev. 20.14 reckoning in comparison the naturall death for none Accordingly also speaketh the learned Patriarch of Alexandria St. Cyril Tom. 6. p. 415. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is not properly death which separateth Soul from the body but that which separateth God from the Soul God is the life of the Soul but he that is separated from life is dead being deprived of alacrity and cheerfulness as of life He lies rotting in his own filth like a rotten carkass and stinking carrion in the nostrils of the Almighty so loathsome is he all which is drawn from Original sin Not onely dis-enabled to any good but prone to all sin and iniquity 2. By his particular conversation And that appears in the verse following Where in times past ye walked How Not according to the word and will of God not according to his rule but they walked after three other wicked rules A dead man then hath his walk you see a strange thing in the dead but who directs him in his course These three the World the Flesh and the Devil the worst guides that may be yet if we look to the conversation of a natural man we see these are his Pilots which are here set down 1. The World Wherein times past ye walked after the course of the World He swims along with the stream of the World Nor will he be singular not such a precise one as some few are but do as the World doth run amain whither that carries him See the state of a natural man He 's apt to be brought into the slavery of the World This is his first guide Then follows 2. The Second which is the Devil The Devil leads him as well as the World According to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience In stead of having the Spirit of God to be led by he 's posted by the Spirit of Satan and the lusts of his Father the Devil he will do He hath not an heart to resist the vilest lusts the Devil shall perswade him to When Satan once fills his heart he hath no heart to any thing else then to follow him 3. There remains the Flesh his guide too and that 's not left out v. 3. Amongst whom we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind So that you see the three guides of a natural man and he is as bad as these three can make him and till the stronger man comes and pulls him out in this condition he remains and in this natural estate he is a son of disobedience We see then the state of disobedience described to be wretchedness 3. This further appears by that which must follow which is cursedness Rebellion and wretchedness going before cursedness will follow For God will not be abused nor suffer a Rebel to go unpunished Therefore saith the Apostle We are by nature the Children of wrath Being the natural sons of disobedience we may well conclude we are the Children of wrath If we can well learn these two things of our selves how deep we are in sin and how the wrath of God is due to us for our sins then we may see what we are by Nature Thus much concerning the quality of a natural man Next follows 2. His company Even as others By nature we are the Children of wrath even as others That is to say we go in that broad wide way that leads to damnation that way we all naturally rush into though we may think it otherwise and think our selves better yet we are deceived For it is with us even as with others Naturally we are in the same state that the worst men in the World are so that we see the glass of a natural man or of a man that hath made some beginnings till Christ come and quicken him Q. See we then who it is spoken of to be dead men that are rotten and stinking as bad as the World the Flesh and the Devil can make them Who should these be A. I answer it 's you you hath he quickned And ye wherein ye walked c. But who are they The Ephesians perhaps that were in times past Heathens I hope it belongs not to us They were Gentiles and Pagans that knew not Christ v. 12. Aliens to the Commonweal of Israel strangers to the covenant of promise having no hope without God in the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Text renders it Atheists and therefore they might well be so But I hope it 's not thus with me I was never a Pagan or Heathen I was born of Christian Parents and am of the Church But put away these conceits Look on the 3d. v. Amongst whom we also had our conversation and wherein ye your selves c. It 's not onely spoken of you Gentiles but verified of us also As if he had said here as Gal. 2. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles He paints out not onely you the Gentiles in such ugly colours but we Jews also we of the Common-wealth of Israel We before we were quickned were in the same state that you are described to be in Obj. Oh but the Apostle may do this out of fellowship and to avoid envy as it were making himself a party with them as Ezra did cap. 9. that included himself in the number of the offenders though he had no hand in the offence O our God saith he what shall we say Our evil deeds
aside filthy nasty or excrementitious sin The word was used in the Ceremonies of the Jews and thereby we may see what was taught concerning sin Deut. 23.12 13. Thou shalt have a place without the camp whither thou shall goe c. Though the comparison be homely yet it shews the filthiness of the sin that it is a very excrement Thou shalt have a paddle and it shall be that when thou wilt ease thy self thou shalt dig therewith c. And thou shalt cover that which cometh from thee But what did God care for these things No it was to teach them a higher matter As the reason following implies For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the Camp God would thereby shew them that those things at which every man stoppeth his nose are not so filthy to man as a sin is unto God So that you see how the case stands with a sinful man Sin defiles him it pollutes him 2. And then in the next place It makes Gods soul to hate and abhor him It 's true some sins there are that every man imagineth to be shameful and filthy but we see all sin is so to God 't is filthiness of Flesh and Spirit A man may hate carnality fleshly filthiness peradventure also he may hate covetousness but pride and prodigality that he may get as he thinks credit by that he cannot maintain the reputation of a Gentleman without them A miserable thing that a man should account that a garnish of the soul which doth defile and pollute it If a man should take the excrements of a beast to adorn himself would not we think him an Ass Well when we thus defile our selves by sin God cannot endure us he is forced to turn from us he abhors us And that 's the next woe 2. When thou hast made thy self such a Black Soul such a Dunghil such a Sty then God must be gone he cannot endure to dwell there It stands not with his honour and with the purity of his nature to dwell in such a polluted heart there must now be a divorce Holiness becomes his House for ever His delight is in the Saints Psal. 93.5 Psal. 16.3 Rev. 15.3 He is King of the Saints he will not be in a Sty When thou hast thus polluted and defiled thy soul God and thou must presently part God puts thee off and thou puttest God off too We read in that place before alledged Eph. 2.12 that before they knew Christ they were without God in the world c. Atheists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in cap. 4. v. 18. Having their understanding darkned and being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them The presence of God is the life of our souls and we having through sin and ignorance banisht God we become strangers until the time of our ingrafting into Christ we are aliens from the life of God whereupon comes a mutual kind of abhorring one another God abhors us and we vile and filthy wretches abhor God again There is enmity betwixt God and us and between all that belongs to God and all that belongs to us There 's an enmity betwixt God and us and observe the expression of it Levit. 26.15 If you shall despise my statutes or if your souls shall abhor my judgments so that you will not do my commandments c. See here how we begin to abhor God and then for judgment on such persons v. 30. My soul shall abhor you We are not behind hand with God in this abhorring Zach. 11.8 My soul loathed them and their soul abhorred me When we begin to abhor God Gods soul also abhors us When a man hath such a polluted soul he becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hater of God and hated of him When thou hast such a stinking soul God must needs loath it as a most loathsome thing and so thou art not behind God neither Thy filthiness makes God abhor thee and thou abhorrest him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haters of God is one of the titles of natural men drenched in sin Rom. 1.30 And this is thy case by hating thou art hated of God Nor is this all the enmity There is enmity also betwixt all that belongs to God and all that belongs to us Gods children and the wicked have ever an enmity betwixt them such an enmity as will never be reconciled It 's set down in Prov. 29.27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just and he that is upright in his way is an abomination to the wicked Just as it is between God and the seed of the Serpent so it is between both the seeds A wicked man is an abomination to the just and an upright man is an abomination to the wicked There is a pale of abomination set between them so that this is the second woe We come now to the third 3. And the third woe is that which immediately follows Gods leaving of us When we have polluted our selves with sin and God by reason thereof abhors us and turns from us then are there others ready presently to take up the room so soon as God departs the Devil steps in and becomes thy God He was thy God by Creation this by usurpation He was thy Father that would have given thee every good thing but now thou art Fatherless or rather worse thou hast the Devil for thy Father and better is it to be without one When the Devil is thy Father his works thou must do When the Spirit of God departed from Saul presently the evil Spirit entred into him 1 Sam. 16.14 If the good Spirit be gone out the evil Spirit soon comes in he comes and takes possession and is therefore called The God of this world And while we are in that state we walk after the course of him that worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 We would account it a terrible thing for our selves or any of our children to be possessed of a Devil but what it is to be possessed of this Devil thou knowest not It 's not half so bad to have a Legion possess thy Body as to have but one to possess thy Soul He becomes thy God and thou must do his work he will tyrannize over thee What a fearful thing therefore is this that as soon as God departs from us and forsakes us and we him that the Devil should presently come in his room and take up the heart Mark that place in Eph. 2.2 Where in times past ye walked according to the course of the world according c. Assoon as God leaves a man what a fearful company assail him They all concur together the World the Flesh and the Devil These take Gods place The world is like the tide when a man hath the tide with him he hath great advantage of him that rows against the tide But here is the Devil too The world is as a swift current and besides this comes the Devil and fills the
not to terrifie and affright men but by forewarning them to keep them thence For after I have shewn you the danger I shall shew a way to escape it and how the Lord Jesus was given to us to deliver us from this danger But if you will not hear but will try conclusions with God then you must to your proper place to the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone A Lake 't is a River a flaming River as Tophet is described to be a lake burning with fire and brimstone a Metaphor taken from the judgment of God on Sodom and Gomorrah as in that place of St. Jude before mentioned as also in 2 Pet. 2.6 where 't is said God turned the Cities of Sodom into ashes making them an example to all them that should after live ungodly Mark the judgement of God upon these abominable men the place where they dwelt is destroyed with fire and the scituation is turn'd into a lake full of filthy bituminous stuff called Lacus Asphaltites which was made by their burnings And this is made an instance of the vengeance of God and an Emblem of eternal fire therefore said he you shall have your portion with Sodom Nay shall I speak a greater word with Christ and tell you that though they were so abominable that the lake was denominated from them yet it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah than for you if you repent not while you may but go on to despise Gods grace But can there be a greater sin than the sin of Sodom I answer yes For make the worst of the sin of Sodom it is but a sin against nature but thy impenitency is a sin against grace and against the Gospel and therefore deserves a hotter hell and an higher measure of judgment in this burning pit But what is this second death 2. Sure it hath reference to some first death or other going before A man would as it is commonly thought think that this second death is opposed to that first death which is the harbinger to the second and separates the soul from the body but it 's far otherwise That alas is but a petty thing and deserves not to be put in the number of deaths The second death in the Text hath relation to the first Resurrection Rev. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath his portion in the first Resurrection on such the second death shall have no power The first death is that from whence we are acquitted by the first Resurrection and that is the death for that is a kind of death as St. Paul speaking of a wicked and voluptuous Widow saith she is dead while she liveth and the time shall come and now is when they that are dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live And again Let the dead bury their dead So that the first Resurrection is when a man hearing the voice of the Minister is rouzed up from the sleep of sin and carnal security and the first death is the opposite thereunto So that the death of the body is no death at all for if it were then this were the third death For there would be a death of sin a death of the body and a death of body and soul This death of the body is but a flea-biting in comparison of the other two This second death is the separation of the body and soul from God and this death is the wages of sin and God must not will not lye in arrear to sin but will pay its wages to the full All the afflictions a wicked man meeteth withal here are but as Gods press-money and part of payment of that greater sum But when he dies the whole sum comes to be paid Before he did but sip of the Cup of Gods wrath but he must then drink up the dregs of it down to the bottom and this is the second death it 's called death Now death is a destruction of the parts compounded a man being compounded of body and soul both are by this death eternally destroyed That death like Sampson pulling down the pillars whereby it was sustained pulled down the house draws down the Tabernacles of our bodies pulls Body and Soul in sunder A thing which hath little hurt in it self were it not for the sting of it which makes it fearful To dye is esteemed far worse than to be dead in regard of the pangs that are in dying to which death puts an end This temporal death is in an instant but this other eternal whereby we are ever dying and never dead for by it we are punished with an everlasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess. 1.9 and that from the presence of the Lord by the glory of his power Then which piece I have no need to add more for as much as can be said of men and Angels is fully comprehended in it The Apostle terms this a fearful thing indeed Heb. 2.15 whereon if a man but think if he hath his wits about him he would for fear of it be all his life long subject to bondage He would scarce draw any free breath but would still be in bondage and drudgery till he were delivered Thus I have declared the nature of the place and of this second death That I may now go farther know that this Lake and this place is the place that the Lord hath provided for his enemies It is the Lords slaughter-house it s called a place of torments Luke 16. vers 24 28. a place wherein God will shew the accomplishment of his wrath and revenge upon his enemies Those mine enemies that would not have me to reign over them bring them forth and slay them before my face Luke 19.27 Those vessels of wrath those Rebels the King is inraged and his wrath is as the roaring of a Lyon which makes all the beasts of the Forrest to tremble Prov. 19.12 And where there is the wrath of such a King the issue thereof must needs be death Prov. 16.14 The wrath of a King is as a messenger of death How much more fearful is the wrath of the King of Kings God hath sharp arrows and he sets a wicked man as his Butt to shoot at to shew his strength and the fierceness of his wrath See the expression of Job in this case The arrows of the Almighty stick fast in me and the venome thereof hath drunk up my spirits In so few words there could not be an higher expression of the wrath of God First that God should make thee a Butt and that thou shouldst be shot at and that by Gods arrows And then they are not shot by a child but as the man is so is his strength by the Almighty by his bow wherein he draws the arrow to the head And then again these arrows are poyson'd arrows and such poyson as shall drink up all thy soul and spirit Oh what a fearful thing is it to fall into the hands of such a
his Angels the strongest of creatures for the punishment of principalities and powers And if it can master Angels think not but that God hath a fire to rost thy soul. It is the soul that is in Hell onely till the day of judgment though the body be not there A man would think that the soul did not suffer but Philosophy tells us that the soul suffers mediante corpore in and by the body Therefore 't is a rule in Divinity that whatsoever God doth by means he can do without means Though the body be not there but the soul only yet God is able nay doth make the soul as well feel grief without the body as he doth by means of the body 3. But now besides thy fellow prisonerâ— in that cursed Gaol consider who are thy tormentors thou that dost continue in impenitency Now thy tormentors are these three 1. The Devil 2. Thy self 3. God Almighty 1. The Devil who is thy deadly enemy a bloody-minded adversary a murthering and merciless-minded Spirit a murtherer from the beginning a merciless tormentor who being in plagues and torments and thereby even at his wits end would fain ease himself in tormenting thee When the Devil as we read was dispossessed of a child wherein he was he rends and tears leaves him foaming that there was little hope of life in him Mar. 9.20 But now when a man shall be delivered into the hands of this merciless Spirit when God shall say to the Devil take him do what thou wilt with him do thy worst to him When thou shalt be thus put into the hands of one that hates thee and delights in thy ruine how will he tear thee into pieces How will he torment thee In how desperate and wretched a case will thy soul and body be But the tormentor within thee is far more heavy painful and grievous Mar. 9.44 46 48. That never dying worm within the sting of a guilty and wounded conscience this like a sharp dagger is still stabbing thee at the very heart This by a reflecting act upon it self will cause thee to revenge Gods quarrel on thy self and as a musket over-charged beats back on the shooter so will it most furiously return upon thee This is that that smote David when 't is said Davids heart smote him Sam. 24.10 A man needs no other fire nor other worm to torment him then that within him Which as the worms on the carkass gnaws on a wretched soul. But there is a greater tormentor then both these behind and that is 3. God himself he is highly offended and inraged at thee and therefore comes and takes the matter into his own hand and will himself be executioner of his fury There is a passage in the Thess. To this purpose which methinks is more then can be spoken by men or Angels Epist. 2. cap. 1. v. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Mark that God whom thou hast so highly provoked to wrath hath a strong hand and glorious power He shewed the glory of his power in the making the world and all things in it and all that infinite power which he hath manifested in the creation of heaven and earth shall be engaged in the tormenting of a sinner Were there a man that should lay a target of brass or a target of steel on a block and should then cleave all in sunder at a blow this would sufficiently manifest his strength So doth God make manifest his power in crushing thee to pieces There are still new charges and discharges against sinners to make his power therein manifest What if God willing to make his power known saith the Apostle Rom. 9.22 suffered a while the vessels prepared to destruction God will manifest his power by the strength of his stroke on those that rebel against him Hence proceedeth weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth which is a Metaphor taken from one either that hath a great coldness on him or from the symptoms of a Fever Add to all that hath been said these two things 1. The torment shall be everlasting you shall desire to die Rev. 9.6 that your torments may have end And here you may expect that I should say something of the eternity of the torments of the damned but I am not able nor any one else sufficiently to express it It shall continue ten thousand thousand years after that an hundred thousand times ten thousand and yet be no nearer end then at the first beginning Thou must think of it seriously thy self and pray to God to reveal it to thy soul for none else sufficiently can 2. But besides as it is everlasting so is it unabateable If a man were cast into a fire the fire coming about him would in short time blunt his senses and take away his feeling and besides the materials of the fire would soon spend and wast But it is not so here here is not the least abatement of the horror nor the least inch of torment taken away throughout all eternity It was a poor request of Dives one would think that Lazarus would dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue Luk. 16.14 A cold comfort but one drop of water for the present which would soon be dried and yet that is denied him he must have no abatement of his torment Nor is there any abatement of thy feeling but thou art kept in full strength and as long as God is God shall Tophet burn and thou feel it Obj. But may some say this is preaching indeed this would affright a man and make him go hang himself sooner then be converted Sol. True should God let loose the cord of our conscience it were the way such would be the terrours of it to make a man find another cord did not God restrain him I desire not by this to hurt you but to save you I am a messenger not sent from Abraham Luk. 16.27 as Dives entreated but from the God of Abraham to forewarn you that you come not to that place of torment But now Beloved there is a way to escape this misery and that is by Jesus Christ Mat. 1.21 He was for this end called Jesus because he saves his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 And consequently from wrath Which how it is done I shall shew in a word and that is 1. By Christ Jesus offered for us And 2. By Christ Jesus offered to us By Christ offered for us he must die for us and if there be any death more cursed then other that death must he die if any more painful that must he suffer Thus he undertakes thy cause and suffers what for sin was due to thee And then being offered for us he is offered to us as we may see in the Sacrament where there are two acts of the Minister the one the breaking the bread the other the offering it to the people Thou hast as good
able to see it Every man may say in generalities I am a sinner yet to say and know himself to be such a sinner as indeed he is to stand in such need that he cannot do This one would think to be a matter of sense but unless God's Spirit open our eyes we can never see our selves to be such sinners as we are or else what is the reason that the child of God cries out more against his sin and the weight thereof after his conversion than he did before What are his sins greater or more than they were formerly No but his Light is greater his eyes are opened and now he sees more clearly what sin is When the Sun shines and its rays come in what a number of motes do we discover which before we saw not Not as if the Sun-beams made them or the Sun raised the dust no there are here as many motes and as much dust flying about as if the Sun shined here What is the matter then Why this the Sun discovers them to us So that here is the point Our sins in our souls are as motes in the air and are not more than they were before conversion but we cannot see them till the glorious beams of God's Spirit shine upon us The sight of sin and of the danger that comes by it is the work of God's Spirit The Spirit discovers sin unto us Joh. 16.8 When the Spirit cometh he shall convince the world of sin the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit shall convince them And the same word is used Heb. 11.1 where Faith is said to be the evidence of things not seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heretofore we had a slight imagination of our sins but to have our mouth stopped and to be convinced is not a work of flesh and blood but of God's Spirit Rom. 3.19 Till we are awakened by his Spirit we cannot see nor feel the mountains and heaps of sins that lie upon our souls Thou art dead in sin Rom. 8. Thou art in bondage and to know it is a work of the Spirit not of nature The spirit of bondage what is that Why however we are all bond men until the Son hath made us free in a woful estate slaves to sin and Satan yet till God's Spirit convince us and shew it us and make us know it we shall sleep secure are not afraid but think our selves the freest men in the world and see not this to be a time of need This therefore is the first preparative when God brings his people by Mount Sinai Heb. 12.18 For you are not come unto the Mountain that may be touched and that burned by fire nor unto the blackness and darkness and tempest so Gal. 4.25 Mount Sinai is made a figure of the Law which begets bondage Not that Mount which might be touched and that burn'd with fire where was the sound of the Trumpet and voice of words such a sound as never before was heard nor never will be till one day we shall hear the same The sound of the Trumpet which sounded at the delivery of the Law Exod. 19.19 where it is described for when the voice of the Trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder that Moses heard it was such a noise a great noise at first but it grew higher and higher and at last it came to that heighth that it was almost incomprehensible then Moses spake And what spake he The Holy Ghost sets not down what he spake in that place Look in Heb. 12.21 So terrible was the voice that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Such a kind of lightning and loud voice this was the Lord commands such a voice as this Esay 58.1 Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins When God shall sound with the voice of the Trumpet of his holy word of his Law and shew thee that thou art a trayterous Rebel and there is an Execution gone out against thee body and goods when God sounds thus to a deaf ear of a carnal man then cometh the spirit of bondage of necessity on him which shews that we have a time of need The Law must have this operation before thou comest to the Throne of grace None will flie to the City of Refuge till the revenger of blood be hard at his heels Nor any to Christ till he sees his want Thus the Lord makes us know our need by turning the edge of his Axe towards us Offenders when they are brought to the bar at Westminster for Treason have the edge of the Axe turned from them but whâ—n they have received the sentence of condemnation and are carried back to the Tower the edge of the Axe is turned towards them Thus is it here The Law turns the edge of God's Axe towards us and therefore it 's said of S. Peter's Hearers Acts 2.38 That they were pricked to the heart The Law puts the point of God's sword to our very breasts as it were and brings us to see that we stand in great need of a pardon This is the first preparative when God enlightens our minds to see our dangerous estate and then there must of necessity follow fear and desire to be rid of this condition for the will and affections always follow the temper of the mind And hence when a man hath a false perswasion that he is in a good case that he is safe and well what works it but pride presumption confidence and security So on the contrary when this perswasion appears to be delusion contrary effects must follow If a man be in health and jollity and on a sudden be proclaimed a Traytor that he must lose his life and goods is it possible it should be thus and he not wrought on nor have any alteration So when news comes from the Law that thou art a dead man and everlastingly must perish the Law then works wrath that is it manifests unto us the wrath of God When it is thus there follows a shaking and trembling and it 's impossible but with Moses thou shouldst exceedingly quake and tremble 2. For all this there is a Throne of Grace erected God hath not forgotten to be merciful though thy sins be never so great This is the next preparative for faith namely the discovery and acknowledgment of the Gospel of Christ Jesus We see in in Ezra 10.2 We have trespassed against our God and have taken strange wives of the people of the Land yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing we have trespassed What then must we be the subjects of God's wrath No Yet notwithstanding though we have committed this great offence there is hope in Israel concerning this thing What though we have provoked God to indignation must we be the matter for his wrath to work on No There is balm in Gilead Jer 8. ult Is there no balm in Gilead Is there
of grace the thing that he doth is he presents unto the Father Christ bleeding gasping dying buried and conquering death and when he presents Christ to him he opens his case and confesses his sin to the full and says Lord this is my case As a beggar when he comes to ask an alms of you he will make a preface and tell you his extremity Sir I am in great want I have nor tasted a bit of bread in so many days and unless you help me by your charity I am utterly undone Now when these two concur that there is true need in the beggar and liberality in him of whom he begs it encourages the beggar to be importunate and he prevails you may know when the beggar hath need by his tone accent or language The needy beggars tone and accent is different from the sturdy beggars that hath no need but yet though the beggar be in great misery if he see a churlish Nabal go by him he hath no heart to beg and follows him not nor begs so hard because he hath but little hope to attain any thing from him But I say let both these meet together first that the beggar is in great need then that he of whom he begs is very liberal it makes him beg hard but now cannot he pray without book Think not that I speak against praying by the book you are deceived if you think so but there must be words taken to us besides which perhaps a book will not yield us A beggars need will make him speak and he will not hide his sores but if he hath any sore more ugly or worse than another he will uncover it good Sir behold my woful and distressed case he lays all open to provoke pity So when thou comest before God in confession canst thou not find out words to open thy self to Almighty God not one word whereby thou mayst unlap thy sores and beseech him to look on thee with an eye of pity I must not mince my sins but amplifie and aggravate them that God may be moved to pardon me till we do thus we cannot expect that God should forgive us A great ado there is about auricular confession but it 's a meer bable It were better to cry out our sins at the high Cross than the confess in a Priests ear Thou whisperest in the Priest's ear what if he never tell it or if he do art thou the better Come and pour out thy heart and soul before Almighty God confess thy self to him as David did for that hath a promise made to it Psal. 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou may be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest Why so Why one main cause why we should confess sin is to justifie God When a sinner confesses I am a child of wrath and of death if thou castest me into hell as justly thou mayst I have received but my due when a man does thus as the King's Attourney may frame a Bill of Inditement against himself he justifies Almighty God He gives God the honour of that justice which at the present he executes in pouring horrour into the conscience of the sinner and hath farther in store in providing the Lake of fire and brimstone for the impenitent Thus did David Against thee against thee c. Now when we have thus aggravated our misery comes the other part of begging to cry for mercy with earnestness and here 's the power of the Spirit It 's one thing for a man to pray and another thing for a man to say a prayer but to pray and cry for mercy as David did in good earnest to wrestle with God to say Lord My life lies in it I will never give thee over I will not go with a denial this is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is the work of God's Spirit I named you a place in Jude ver 20. where the Apostle exhorts but ye beloved build up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost there 's the prayer of the faithful to pray in the Holy Ghost And in the Ephesians we read of an Armour provided for all the parts of a man's body yet will not serve the turn unless prayer come in as the chief Ephes. 6.18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance c. This is the prayer of faith that procures forgiveness of sins we must pray in faith and in the Spirit that is the language which God understands He knoweth the meaning of the Spirit and knoweth none else but that Many men are wondrously deceived in that which they call the Spirit of prayer One thinks it is a faculty to set out ones desires in fair words shewing earnestness and speaking much in an extemporary prayer This we think commendable yet this is not the Spirit of prayer One that shall never come to Heaven may be more ready in this than the child of God for it is a matter of skill and exercise the Spirit of prayer is another thing The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought the Spirit it self makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 What shall we think then that the Holy Ghost groans or speaks in prayer No but it makes us groan and though we speak not a word yet it so enlarges our hearts as that we send up a volley of sighs and groans which reach the Throne of grace And this is the Spirit of prayer when with these sighs and groans I beg as it were for my life This is that ardent affection the Scripture speaks of A cold prayer will never get forgiveness of sins it 's the prayer of faith which prevails The prayer of the people availeth much if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fervent In the Ancient Churches those that were possessed with an evil spirit were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that caught them up and made them do actions not sutable to their nature Prayer is a fire from Heaven which if thou hast it will carry all Heaven before it there is nothing in the world so strong as a Christian thus praying Prayers that are kindled with such a zeal are compared to Jacobs wrestling with the Angel Hos. 12.4 whereby he had power over the Angel The Prophet expounds what this wrestling was he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with him This is the wrestling with God when thou fillest Heaven with thy sighs and sobs and bedewest thy couch with thy tears as David did and hast thy resolution with Jacob I will not let thee go except thou bless me God loves this kind of boldness in a beggar that he will not go away without an answer As the poor Widow in the Parable that would not give over her suit
so that the Judge though he feared not God nor cared for man by reason of her importunity granted her desire Mark the other thing in the Apostle he bids us pray with the Spirit and with perseverance and he that cometh thus hath a promise made to it He that calleth on the Name of the Lord shall be saved Call on me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee it 's set down fully Matth. 6.7 Ask and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be as opened One would think this were idem per idem but it is not so He bids us ask and it shall be given seek and you shall find c. There is a promise annexed to asking seeking and knocking but it is also proved by universal experience for every one that asketh c. It 's very man's case never any man did it yet that hath lost his labour in not attaining what he asked If thou hast it not yet thou shalt have it in the end it is so fair a petition to ask to have thy sins pardoned that God would be friends with thee and that Christ would make thee love him and that God would be thy God that God delights in it This is the point then Suppose God answer not presently yet knock still seek still that is perseverance the thing whereby it is distinguished from temporary asking The hypocrite will pray in a time of need and adversity but his prayer is not constant Job 27.10 Will the hypocrite always call upon God If they come and seek God and he will not answer as Saul did they will try the Devil God would not answer Saul and he presently goes to the Devil It 's not so with God's children they pray and pray and wait still they pray with the Spirit and with perseverance God deals not always alike with his children but differently sometimes he answers presently sometimes he makes them wait his leisure Psal. 32.5 I said I would confess my sins says David and my transgressions and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin so Dan. 9.21 When he set himself to seek God even while he was speaking and praying the man Gabriel appeared unto him and touched him about the time of the evening oblation Before the word was out of his mouth God was at his heart and presently sends him a dispatch The like we see in Esay 65.24 Mark what a promise there is It shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear This is a great encouragement but it may be God will not always do this and what 's the reason Why he hath a wonderful great delight to be wrestled withal and to hear the words of his own Spirit nothing is more delightful to him than this when the Spirit is earnest and will not give over I will not let thee go unless thou bless me Gen. 32.26 It 's said in the Canticles honey is under the lips of the Church Cant. 4.11 Why so it's because there is no honey sweeter to the palate than spiritual prayer to God And therefore God delays to answer thee because he would have more of it If the Musicians come and play at our doors or windows if we delight not in their Musick we throw them out money presently that they may be gone but if the Musick please us we forbear to give them money because we would keep them longer for we like the Musick So the Lord loves and delights in the sweet words of his children and therefore puts them off and answers them not presently Now God's children let him deny them never so long yet they will never leave knocking and begging they will pray and they will wait still till they receive an answer Many will pray to God as prayer is a duty but few use it as a means to attain a blessing Those who come to God in the use of it as a means to attain what they would have they will pray and not give over they will expect an Answer and never give over petitioning till they receive it ROM 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ c. HAving declared unto you the nature of faith and that point which concerns the practice of it in our near approach unto God I am now come to shew unto you the fruits and benefits Christians receive from this Mother-grace and that the Apostle sets down in these words He sets down 1. The Mother-Grace it self together with its principal benefit Justification or reconciliation with God that whereas we were afar off we are made near and of enemies made friends of God Then 2. There are the daughters or hand-maids of this grace For when we are justified by Faith then 1. We have peace with God that peace of conscience which passeth all understanding then 2. We have free access by faith unto the Throne of grace so that we need not look for any other Mediators Christ hath made way for us to God so that we may go boldly to the Throne of grace and find help at any time of need 3. There follows a joyful hope that a Christian hath by it a taste of Heaven before he come to enjoy it We rejoyce in hope saith the Apostle hope being as firm a thing as faith faith makes things absent as present hope hath patience with it and would have us wait We shall be sure of it but yet we must wait patiently 4. Not only rejoycing in hope but even in that which spoils a natural man's joy as in crosses troubles afflictions for even these are made the matter of this man's joy not delectable objects only Not in time to come after afflictions but in afflictions so as that which spoils the joy of a natural man is fuel to kindle this man's joy Now concerning justification by faith though it be an ordinary point yet there is nothing more needs Explication than to know how a man shall be justified by Faith It is easily spoken hardly explicated Therefore in this mother-Grace I shall shew you 1. What faith is that doth justifie And 2. What this justification is For it is not so easie a matter neither 1. Concerning the nature of faith I have spoken sufficiently already wherein it consists but yet notwithstanding there is a certain thing as like this faith as may be and yet comes short of it Many there are who are like the foolish Virgins that thought they were well enough and thought they should come time enough So many think verily that they have faith yea and perchance go with such a perswasion to their very graves and think they have grace and that they labour after Christ and lay hold on him and are free from worldly pollutions so as that they have a
Kingdom Luk. 12.32 We are all the children of God but it doth not appear what we shall be when he appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 He shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body We are here sons but yet but in a strange Country no body knoweth what he is and therefore he meets with many affronts The King when he was in France went for an attendant on the Duke and is he troubled at it No he knew that the world knew it not they knew not what he was and therefore he is not troubled at it So is it with children of God but when they shall appear they shall be advanced and their enemies ashamed By the way let not the people of God be discouraged by the taunts jeers and reproaches of wicked men they know not what you are and therefore make light of you as they did of Christ himself Well besides what we have in reversion the very present hope of it works wonderful joy in the heart of a Christian. David did not live to see the glory of Solomon's Temple but he made provision for it and cast the model of it and he took much delight in the contemplation of what it would be The consideration of these hopes makes my flesh rest in hope and my heart rejoyce Psal. 16.9 The consideration of the resurrection made David's heart rejoyce The consideration of that which is to come should bring abundance of joy unto a Christian these are strange things not like the joy of a natural man for his heart is sad in the midst of laughter Prov. 34.13 but these rejoyce with a joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Here are some sparks some beginnings of the glory of heaven and of that great joy which we shall have hereafter but I cannot speak of these things in an hour But forasmuch as the Devil transforms himself into an Angel of light there is no work of God's Spirit in the hearts of his children but Satan like an Ape labours to imitate in the hearts of wicked men to make them secure we must know that there are joys in some who are not regenerate They that receive the Word on the Rock received it with joy The Word if it be apprehended and hath but the least footing brings joy with it But now to know how I may get this joy how beneficial a thing is it to have such a comfort on earth as to know that I have this true joy and to be able to distinguish this joy from the false joy from the flashes those fleeting joys of the wicked which are but as the crackling of thorns under a pot Eccles. 7.6 for theirs is but as a blaze that suddenly goeth out Now if thou wouldst know thy joy aright and whether it differ from that counterfeit joy which flesh and blood and the Devil suggests Look to the things that go before and produce this joy 1. The first thing that goeth before true joy and produceth it is an opening unto Christ when he knocks at the door of thy heart As in that famous place in Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me There is if thou open a sweet and familiar communication between Christ and thee he communicates himself at dinner and supper A man comes not melancholy to meals Christ will come and make merry with thee he will sup with thee familiarly But how is it with thee Hath Christ knocked and thou hast given him a slieveless answer and hast thou joy it is a false joy But when Christ knocks at the door of thy heart there must be an opening the door on thy part when he knocks by his Word and Spirit And dost thou give such an answer as the Spouse in the Canticles Cant. 5. I am come into my garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my myrrhe with my spice I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey Now Christ coming to Supper knockt at the door and would bring in a great deal of joy I sleep saith the Spouse but my heart waketh it is the voice of my well-beloved that knocketh saying Open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my Vndefiled When God comes and wooes us and desires to communicate himself unto us and desires us to put off our cloaths dost thou look for comfort if thou openest not At last I opened to my Beloved vers 6. But he had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer When thou givest not Christ entertainment when he comes thou mayest seek and not meet with him â—t is observed that the Keepers of the Wall are the greatest strikers Those whom God hath set to be Watchmen instead of comforting they smite vers 7. The Watch-men that went about the City they found me they smote me they wounded me they took my vail from me She gets raps from them who should protect her because she did not entertain Christ if thou findest any comfort after Christ hath knocked and thou hast opened unto him then it is true joy and thou mayest make much of it 2. If it be true joy there goeth faith before it for being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So that the exercising of the acts of faith is a spiritual means to raise comforts in our souls Joh. 6. I had need to speak of this for there is want of the exercises of faith Is it enough think you â—o have faith once exercised He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him It is not enough to eat once a year A man will not be in good liking that eats but once a year but a man must eat once a day at least A Christian should feed on Christ every day make him his ordinary food renewing every day the acts of faith receive Christ crucified by faith every day If a Christian would consider that God offers Christ unto him every day and thou renewest thy faith and claspest him every day it would be a special way whereby joy should be raised in the soul. It is said in Rom. 15.13 We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Thus when thou hast exercised the acts of faith in believing and then upon that rejoycest then it is seasonable and true joy and not the counterfeit joy of the wicked when it arises and springs from believing when that procureth it it likewise distinguishes it from all false joys The Apostle tells us Philip. 1.24 Having this confidence I know that I
become guilty before God This is the end of the first part This being done in the latter end of the Chapter he proceeds to speak of the second work of the Comforter To convince the world of righteousness but on what grounds Because I go to my Father and ye see me no more that is he shall assure the conscience that now there is a righteousness of better things purchased for us that Christ was wounded arraigned and condemned for us that he was imprisoned but now he is free who was our surety yea and that he is not free as one escaped who hath broken prison and run away for then he could not have stayed in Heaven no more than Adam could stay in Paradise after his fall but now that Christ remains in Heaven perfectly and for ever reconciled with the Father this is a sure sign to us that the debt is payed and everlasting peace and righteousness brought in for our salvation This the Apostle enlargeth and shews this to be that righteousness which Adam had and which we must trust all unto And this he doth unto the sixth Chapter From whence the Apostle goes on to the third point convincin the world of judgment and of righteousness unto the ninth Chapter which are two words signifying one and the same thing but because he had named righteousness before which was the righteousness of justification without a man in Christ Jesus he calls the third judgment which is that integrity which is inherent bred and created in us to wit sanctification as we may see in Esay 42.3 where it is said of Christ A bruised reed shall be not break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench till he bring forth judgment unto victory Where he shews judgment to be a beginning of righteousness in sanctification even such a one as can never be extinguished So Job 27.2 The word is taken where Job expostulateth the matter As the Lord liveth who hath taken away my judgment c. all the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrils my lips shall not speak wickedness nor my tongue deceit God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I will hold fast and will not let it go c. Here you see by judgment is meant integrity and that righteousness which is created and inherent in us so that the substance of that place in Esay is that God will never give over so to advance and make effectual that weak righteousness and sanctification begun in us until it shall prevail against and master all our sins and corruptions making it in the end a victorious sanctification And the ground hereof is for the Prince of this world is judged he is like one manacled whose strength and power is limited So that now though he be strong yet he is cast out by a stronger than he so that he cannot nor shall he ever rule again as in times past This strain of Doctrine the Apostle follows in this Epistle shewing that as the righteousness of Justification by the blood of Christ is a thing without us so the righteousness of Sanctification is a thing created and inherent in us and the ground of the witness of our spirits as we shall shew in its own place So that the blood of Christ doth two things unto us in Justification it covers our sins and in Sanctification it heals our sins and sores that if there be any proud or dead flesh it eateth it out and then heals the wound Therefore the Apostle says You are not under the Law but under Grace He that sees the Law is satisfied by another and all to be of free grace he will not much stand on any thing in himself for his Justification but as a poor beggar be content all should be of mere grace Therefore he concludes Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace After this the Apostle goes on to other particulars shewing divers things especially the twelfth Verse of this Chapter where he drives unto the point of sanctification as though he should say you are freed from the Law indeed as it is a Judge of Life and Death but yet the Law must be your Counsellors you are debtors of thankfulness seeing whence you are escaped that you may not live after the flesh and then he proceeds to shew them how they should walk that seeing they had received the spirit they should walk after the spirit now that they had received that which should subdue and mortifie the flesh and the lusts thereof they should be no more as dead men but quick and lively in operation by living after the spirit otherwise they could not be the Sons of God vers 16. and he comes to the words that I have now read For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father for the spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Where the Apostle shews the ground of our Union and Communion with Christ because having his spirit we are of necessity his as S. John speaks 1 Joh. 3.24 Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath giveâ— us What ties together and makes one things far asunder but the same spirit and life in both so that spirit which is in Christ a full running over fountain descending down and being also infused into us unites us unto him yea that spirit communicated unto me in some measure which is in him such fulness that spirit doth tie me as fast unto Christ as any joynt ties member to member and so makes Christ to dwell in my heart as the Apostle speaks to this purpose Ephes. 2.21 That thus by one spirit we are built up and made the Temple of God and come to be the Habitation of God through the spirit so that by this means we are unseparably knit and united unto him for what iâ— it makes one member to be a member to another not the nearness of joyning or lying one to or upon another but the same quickening spirit and life which is in both and which causeth a like motion for otherwise if the same life were not in that member it would be dead and of no use to the other so that it is the same spirit and life in the things conjoyned which unites them together yet to explain this more as I have often in the like case said Imagine a man were as high as Heaven the same spirit and life being diffused into all his parts what is it now that can cause his toe to stir there being such a huge distance betwixt the head and it Even that self-same life which is in the head being in it no sooner doth the head will the toe to stir but it moves So is it with us
that very spirit which is in Christ being in us thereby we are united unto him grow in him live in him and he in us rejoyce in him and so are kept and preserved to be glorified with him He is the second Adam from whom we receive the influence of all good things showring down and distilling the graces of his spirit upon the least of all his members That look as it was said of Aaron who was a type of the second Adam and of that holy Oyl representing the graces of his spirit Which did not only run down his head and beard but the skirts of his garment also and all his rich attire about Psal. 133.2 So when I see the Oyl of Christ's graces and spirit not only rest upon the head but also descend and run down upon the lowest of his members making me now as one of them in some sort another man than I was or my natural state could make me by the same spirit I know I am united unto Christ. To this purpose is that which Christ to stands upon in Joh. 6. unto the Jews where speaking of the eating of his flesh and that bread of life which came down from heaven lest they should be mistaken he adds It is the spirit that quickneth the flâ—sh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life So that we see it is the spirit that gives a being to a thing And therefore the Apostle proceeds to shew As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God Rom. 8.13 That look as Christ is the â—â—ue natural Son of God so we as truly by conveyance of the same spirit into us are his Sons by Adoption and so heirs with God yea and joynt heirs with Christ this he begins to shew vers 13. So that being in this excellent estate they were not only servants and friends a most high Prerogative but they were now the Sons of God having the spirit of Adoption whereby they might boldly call God Father In which Verse the Apostle opposeth the spirit of bondage which doth make a man fear again unto the spirit of Adoption which frees a man from fear Now two things may be observed hence 1. The order the spirit of God keeps e'er it comforts it shakes and makes us fear This the Apostle speaks to Heb. 2.14 where he shews that the end of Christ's coming was That because the children were partakers of flesh and blood he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject unto bondage The first work then of the comforter is to put a man in fear 2. Here is shewed that until the spirit doth work this fear the heart will not stoop The Obstinacy is great yea so great that if hell gates were open ready to swallow up a man he would not yield until the spirit set in to convince the heart Therefore St. John tells us Joh. 16. That when the spirit it come he will reprove the world of sin that is he will convince and shew a man that he is but a bond-man and so from this sight he makes us to fear No man must think this strange that God deals with men at first after this harsh manner to kill them as it were before he make them alive nor be discouraged as if God had now cast them off as none of his For this bondage and spirit of fear is a work of God's spirit and a preparative to the rest yet it is but a common work of the spirit and such a one that unless more follow it can afford us no comfort But why then doth God suffer his children to be first terrified with this fear I answer That in two respects this is the best and wisest course to deal with us or else many would put off the matter and never attain a sense of mercy First in respect of God's glory Secondly in regard of our good First in respect of God's glory and that first because as in the work of Creation so in the work of Redemption God will have the praise of all his attributes for as in the work of Creation there appeared the infinite wisdom goodness power justice mercy of God and the like so will he in the work of our Redemption have all these appear in their strength and brightness and when we see and acknowledge these things to be in Gâ—d in the highest perfection hereby we honour him as on the contrary when we will not see and acknowledge the excellency of God's infinite attributes we dishonour him yea and I may safely add that the work of Redemption was a greater work than the work of Creation for therein appeared all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge in the conveying of it unto the Church Herein appeared first infinite Wisdom in ordering the matter so as to find out such a way for the Redemption of Mankind as no created understanding could possibly imagine or think of And secondly for the Mercy of God there could be none comparable to this in not sparing his own Son the Son of his Love that so he might spare us who had so grievously provoked him And thirdly there could not be so much Justice seen in any thing as in sparing us not to spare his Son in laying his Son's head as it were upon the block and chopping it off indeed the death unto which he gave his Son was not only more vile than the loss of his head but far more painful and terrible to nature the death on the Cross in renting and tearing that blessed body of his even as the Veil of the temple was rent which was a type of him so was he rent and tore and broke for us when he made his soul an offering for sin This was the perfection of Justice And thus was he just as the Apostle speaks and the Justifyer of him him that believeth in Jesus God would have Justice and Mercy meet and kiss each other and that for two reasons for the magnifying of his Justice and for the magnifying of his Mercy First For the magnifying of his Justice The spirit must first become a spirit of bondage and fear for the magnifying of God's Justice Thus the Prophet David having sinned was driven to this practice Psal. 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest Thus he a holy man was brought to confess his sin to give God the glory of his Justice And so to this end that a man might pass through or by as it were the gates of hell unto heaven the Lord will have his Justice extended to the full for which cause lessening or altogether for a time abstracting all sight of mercy he turns the
Law loose to have its course And thus as in the work of Redemption he would have the height of Justice appear so would he have it appear in the application of our Redemption that Justice should not be swallowed up of Mercy But even as that woman 2 King 4. Who had nothing to pay was threatned by her Creditors to take away her two Sons to put them in prison So though we have nothing to pay the Law is let loose upon us to threaten Imprisonment and Damnation to affright and terrifie us and all for the magnifying of God's Justice which also we satisfie not by what we suffer yet it is meet we should acknowledge and learn thereby more highly to value the suffering of our Saviour But farther God hath set forth many terrible threatnings in his Word against sinners shall all these be to no purpose The wicked they are insensible of them must they therefore be in vain Some people there must be on whom they shall work Shall a Lyon roar saith the Prophet and we not be afraid Amos 3.8 Since then those who should will not some there be who must tremble and those even of God's own dear Children This the Prophet excellently sets forth Isa. 66.2 where the Lord sheweth who he will regard But to this man will I look even to him that is of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word So that you see even some of his own must tremble and be thus humbled of necessity and that it is not without a just cause that God doth deal with his own Children after this manner though it be sharp in the experience We must fear tremble and be humbled and then we shall receive a spirit not to fear again That vain courage which some brag they have so as not to fear Death is not it which is meant here fâ—â— alas such braggers out of ignorance of the thing and desire to be out of misery in this Life may embrace Death unwillingly hoping it may put an end to their sorrows But this spirit not to fear again is such a spirit that assures me of the forgiveness of all my sins shewing me my freedome by Christ Jesus from Hell and eternal Damnation making me live a holy Life and from hence not to fear and so sealing me up unto the day of Redemption as you shall hear more when we come to speak of the witness of the spirit This now is for the glory of Gods Justice Secondly it is requisite that the comforter should first work in men a fear for the glory of Gods mercy which would never be so sweet relish so well nor be so highly esteemed of by us if the awful terrour of Justice had not formerly made us smart As we may see in that parable whereunto our Saviour likeneth the Kingdom of Heaven of the man that owed ten thousand Talents unto the King his master he shews him mercy and forgives him all but what did he first Why first he requires the whole debt of him and because he had nothing to pay he commands him his Wife and Children and all that he had to be sold that payment might be made first he would have him pincht throughly that he might know much he was indebted and in that case how great that favour was which he received in having all that he owed forgiven him Thus a King many times casts men in Prison suffers the sentence of condemnation to pass on them and perhaps orders them to be brought to the place of execution before he pardons them and then mercy is mercy indeed and so God deals with us many times he puts his Children in fear shews them how much they owe him how unable they are to pay casts them into prison and threatens condemnation in Hell for ever after which when mercy comes to the Soul then it appears to be wonderful mercy indeed even the riches of exceeding mercy Why do so many find no savour in the Gospel Is it because there is no sweetness or matter of delight in it No it is because such have had no tast of the Law and of the spirit of bondage they have not smarted nor found a sense of the bitterness of sin nor of that just punishment that is due unto the same Even as the King will suffer the Law to pass on some greivous malefactor for high Treason bring him to the place of Execution and lay his head on the block before a pardon he produced as we have had experience in the Country of a man who otherwise would not cry nor shed a tear for any thing Despising Death and not affraid to meet an host of men Such a one having now at an instant a pardon brought from the King how wonderfully doth it work upon him causing softness of heart and tears to flow from his eyes when nothing else could whilest the wonder of this mercy which now appeareth so sweet and seaâ—onable is beheld and admired he is so struck that he knows not what to say for this cause therefore God shews us first a Spirit of bondage to prepare us to relish mercy and then he gives a Spirit of Adoption not to fear again And thus by this order the one is magnifyed and highly esteemed by the foregoing sense of the other If therefore this terrour and fear be hard and troublesome unto us yet if it be for Gods glory let us endure If he will give me over to a wounded terrified conscience to fears tremblings astonishments yea or to draw me into the fire it self or any other punishment so we see he dealt with his Church of old he brought her through the fire and water before she came into a wealthy place Psal. 66.12 Since it is for his glory I must be contended But what do I say He gets nothing by us of all that we do all is for our selves our Acknowledgments of him make him no stronger wiser juster or better then he is but in glorifying of him we do glorify our selves and so pass from glory to glory until we come to be fully transformed into his Image And herein consists our happiness in acknowledging of his wonderful Attributes that by the reflex and knowledge of them we grow up in them as much as may be God was as glorious powerful wise just happy and good before the World was made as now and if the case be put concerning glorifying of him the three persons of the Trinity were only fit and worthy of so great honour not we as we may read Prov. 8.30 There wisdom shews how it was with the Father before all time and that they did mutually solace themselves in the contemplations of one anothers glory Then says Wisdom Was I by him as one brought up with him and I was dayly his Delight rejoycing always before him and in 17 John There we read the same thing in effect where Christ prays And now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the
testifie I answer In this place our Spirit is as it were an evidence of God from heaven as a loud token given assuring me upon good grounds that I have not mis-applyed the promises but though God do write bitter things against me yet that I love him still and cleave unto him that for all this I know that I still hunger and thirst after Righteousness that I will not be beaten off nor receive an ill report of my Lord and Saviour that I rest wait fear and trust in him still When thus our valour and faith is tryed then comes the same spirit and seals with our spirit that we are the children of God When our seal is first put then God seals with our spirit the same thing by his spirit To this effect is that in 1 Joh. 3.8 we read three Witnesses are set down the Spirit the Water aand the Blood and these three agree in one These three witness that we have everlasting life and that our names are written in heaven How do these three agree with these two Witnesses very well St. John he ranks them according to the order of their clearest evidence first the Spirit then the Water then the Blood the Apostle here he ranks them according to their natural being first our spirit in Justification and Sanctification and then God's spirit For the spirit of all other this is the clearest evidence and when this is bright and manifest there needs no more the thing is sealed So the Testimony of Water is a clear evidence whereby is meant Sanctification this is put next unto the Spirit for when the Spirit is silent yet this may speak for though I have many wants and imperfections in me yet if my spirit can testifie unto me that I have a desire to please God in all things that I resolve upon and set up his service as the pitch of all my utmost endeavours that with allowance I willingly cherish no corruption but set my self against all sin this Water will comfort and hold up a man from sinking as we see in all the sore tryals of Job Job 28.2 Still he stood upon the integrity of his own spirit and would not let that go though he were sore beaten of the Almighty and slandered for a wicked person But the water may be muddy and the strugling of the flesh and spirit so strong that we happily shall not be able to judge which is master What then Then faith lays hold of the blood in Justification which though it be the darkest testimony yet is as sure as any of the other Now in comparing of these witnesses together in St. John and in my text I rank the water and the blood with the testimony of our spirit And the Spirit mentioned in St. John and in my Text to be all one not as though we wrought them but we believe them to be so If a man ask how I know that I am sanctified the answer must be I believe and know it to be so the work producing these things in me comes of God but for the work of discerning this is certain how our affections stand in this case it comes of us but yet to come nearer the matter The testimony of our spirit I conceive to be when a man hath taken a survey of those excellent things belonging unto Justification and Sanctification when according to the substantial truths which I know in the Word I observe and follow as fast as I can what is there commanded when I take the Candle of the Word and with the bright burning lamp search into the Word what is there to be done and so bring it home to my self thereby mortifying my corruptions this is the ground-work of the witness of our Spirit First as in the blood with my spirit I must see what is needful to be done in order unto Justification what free promises of invitation belong thereunto I must see how God justifies a sinner what conditions on our part are required in Justification I must see what footings and grounds for life and what way of hope there is for a graceless man to be saved yea even for the worst person that may be In this case a man must not look for any thing in himself as a cause Christ must not be had by exchange but received as free gift as the Apostle speaks Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is of faith that it may be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed I must there bring unto the receiving of Christ a bare hand It must be of grace God for this cause will make us let fall every thing before we shall take hold of him Though qualified with humiliations I must let all fall not trusting unto it as to make me the worthier to receive Christ as some think When thus at first for my Justification I received Christ I must let any thing I have fall to lay hold of him that then he may find us thus naked as it were in our blood and in this sort God will take us that all may be of mere grace Another thing the Apostle adds and that is that the promise may be sure If any thing in us might be as a cause or help to our Justification a man should never be sure therefore it is all of grace that the promise might be sure As though God should say I care for nothing else bring me my Son and shew me him and then all is well And in this case you see he doth not name hope or love or any other grace but faith for the nature of faith is to let fall all things in laying hold on Christ In Justification faith is a sufferer only but in Sanctification it works and purgeth the whole man and so witnesses the certainty and truth of our Sanctification and so the assurance of Salvation Hence from the nature hereof in this work the Apostle in 2 Pet. 1.1 writes to them who had obtained like precious faith In this case it is alike to all in vertue in this work whatsoever the measure be And I may liken it thus St. Paul you know writes With these hands I get my living Now though strong hands may work more than weak hands and so earn a great deal more yet a beggar who holds out his hand may receive more than he or any other could earn So faith justifies only receiving not working as we may see Joh. 1.12 But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his Name Received him that is believe in him How Come and take him How as it is in Rev. 22. And let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely Now when I see that God keeps open house come who will without denying entertainment to any and when God's spirit hath wrought the will in me what lets me now to receive
be married to me if we refuse the Son takes it wonderfully ill Therefore Psal. 2.12 he says Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all those that put their trust in him So in the Hebrews God swore that because of infidelity those unbelieving Jews should never enter into his rest All the rest of the threatnings of the Law were not backed with an oath there was some secret reservation of mercy unto them upon the satisfaction of Divine Justice but here there is no reservation God hath sworn such shall never come into Heaven Look not for a third thing in God now as a mitigation of his oath it cannot be he hath sworn that an unbeliever shall never enter into his Rest. These five things are the grounds of Faith even unto the worst and unworthiest persons that may be and by all or some of them he creates Faith in us which once wrought in the heart by the spirit of God secretly and we discerning the same this is the witness of our spirit Now our spirit having viewed all these things and the promises upon which they are grounded thus it witnesseth as if one should demand of a man Are these things presented to thy view true Yes will he say true as true as the Gospel then the next thing is is all good and profitable O yes says he all is very good and desirable then the upshot is I but is this good for thee If your soul answer now Yes very good to me if then thou accept of this and wrap and fold thy self in the promises thou canst not wind thy self out of comfort and assurance to be Christ Jesus for pray what makes up a match but the consent of two agreeing so the consent of two parties agreeing upon this message makes up the match betwixt us and Christ uniting and knitting us unto him There are also being now incorporated other means to make us grow up him by which time discovers what manner of ingrafting we have had into him for we see four or five scions are ingrafted into a stock yet some of them may not be incorporated with the stock but wither So many are by the Word and Sacraments admitted as retainers and believers of the promises who shrink and hold not out because they never were throughly incorporated into Christ but imperfectly joyned unto him But howsoever all that come to life must pass this way if they look for sound comfort And thus much shall suffice for the witness of our Spirit in Justification But the testimony of our spirit goes further wherein I might shew how in sanctification our spirit saith Lord prove me if there be any evil in me and lead me in the way everlasting he loves the Brethren and desires to fear God as Nehemiah pleads Nehem. 1.11 Be attentive to the prayer of thy servant and of thy servants who desire to fear thy name This is the warrant that I am partaker of that inward true washing and not of that outward only of the Hog which being kept clean and in good company will be clean till there be an occasion offered of wallowing in the mire again But when I find that though there were neither Heaven to reward me nor Hell to punish me if opportunity were offered yet my heart riseth against sin because of him who hath forbidden it this is a sure evidence and testifies that I am a child of God This is for the first thing in bringing of a man in to survey the promises belonging to Justification and Sanctification wherein our spirit seeing it self to have interest doth truly and on sound judgment witness the assurance of our Salvation Secondly when I find Christ drawing me and changing my nature that upon the former reasonings view and laying hold of Christ making me now have supernatural thoughts and delights for this a man may have then certainly my spirit may conclude that I am blessed for saith the Scripture Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to come unto thee But some like Dreamers do dream of this only I know not on what grounds but do I this waking with my whole soul doth my spirit testifie it upon good grounds why then I may rest upon it it is as sure as may be Thus much is the testimony of our spirit Now it is clear how faith is wrought briefly two ways which the Lord useth to bring a man to the survey of those grounds upon which our spirit doth witness First he works upon the understanding Secondly On the will and affections It is a strange thing to consider how this work is begun and finished so that we may say hereof as the Lord poseth Job in Job 38.37 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts Or who hath given understanding to the heart And in another place Where is the way where light dwelleth and as for darkness where is the place thereof First God enlightens the understanding with the thunderings of the Law when he shews a man such a sight as he could not have believed and convinceth hem in general that his estate is not good that without mercy Hell attends him this is a flash of Lightning from Mount Sinai Secondly comes a Thunder-clap laying all down laying flat the will and affections dejecting a man so that this first secret work of faith is a captivating of the understanding will and affections Now the act both of the understanding and the will is set forth in this case Hebr. 11.13 These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off were perswaded of them and embraced them c. In this Scripture is set down the two hands and arms of faith First believing Christ out of sight Secondly laying hold and embracing the promises They in the old Testament did not receive Christ in the flesh and so are said to look afar off as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom ye having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce c. But the Apostle adds they were perswaded of the promises and embraced them This is the work of the spirit upon the understanding convincing the soul of sin shewing there is a remedy tells the soul all is marvellous true that God hath revealed in his word and then draws to this conclusion Christ came to save sinners whereof I am chief therefore he came to save me Yet all this while the will may be stubborn and rebellious and the affections disordered therefore here comes in the second arm of faith not only being perswaded of the word as a word of truth but as a good promise of good things to me so that here is another degree of the working of the spirit to compel the will and affections so sweetly grace having removed that perversness and disorder which governed them before Now this gentle enforcing and often
beating upon the will again and again what the understanding hath rightly conceived this at last works upon the will and moves it for we see the wickedest man in the world lays hold on the worst things as good and profitable unto him so when the best thing is presented to the will as the best thing and the necessity thereof urged by dangers ensuing inevitably if I will not then it apprehends that and says of it as Peter at the Transfiguration It is good for us to be here and let us build Tabernacles Hence you see what faith is in this working An act of the understanding forcing in that way of conviction which we mentioned the will and affections And thus when the understanding is captivated and the will brought to be willing then the first act of faith is past From whence we proceed to the second which is the running to the City of Refuge the application and believing of the promises and so to the apprehending of Christ surveying of the promises belonging to justification and sanctification and bringing them home to the soul from whence comes the witness of our spirit Before we come yet to speak of God's spirit witnessing with our spirit because betwixt this work there may be many times and is an interposing trial ere the spirit of God witness with our spirit we will first touch that When our spirit hath thus witnessed in Justification and Sanctification God may now write bitter things against me seem to cast me off and wound me with the wounds of an enemy remove the sense of the light of his countenance from me what then is to be done why yet I will trust in him though he kill me sure I am I have loved and esteemed the words of his mouth more than mine appointed food as Job speaks I have laid hold of Christ Jesus by the promises and believe them I have desired and do desire to fear him and yield obedience to all his Commandments if I must needs die I will yet wait on him and die at his feet Look here is the strength of faith Christ had faith without feeling when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me When sense is marvellous low then faith is at the strongest Here we must walk and live by faith we shall have sense and sight enough in another world The Apostle tells us Now we walk by faith and not by sight and by faith we stand As we may see a pattern of the woman of Canaan Matth. 15.22 First she was repulsed as a stranger yet she goes on then she was called a dog she might now have been discouraged so as to have given over her suit but see this is the nature of Faith to pick comfort out of discouragements to see out of a very small hole those things which raise and bring consolation she catches at this quickly Am I a dog why yet it is well for the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their Master's Table Thus Faith grew stronger in her and when this trial was past Christ says unto her O woman not O dog now great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt And thus have I done with the testimony of our spirit Then from our believing of God in general believing and applying the promises and valourous trustings of God and restings upon God taking him at his word comes the testimony of Gods spirit witnessing with our spirit that we are the children of God I say this being done and God having let us see what his strength in us is he will not let us stand long in this uncomfortable state but will come again and speak peace to us that we may live in his sight as if he should say what hast thou believed me so on my bare word Hast thou honoured me so as to lay the blame and fault of all my trials on thy self for thy sins clearing my Justice in all things hast thou honoured me so as to magnifie mercy to wait and hope on it for all this hast thou trusted me so as to remain faithful in all thy miseries Then the Lord puts unto the witness of our spirit the seal of his spirit as we may read Ephes. 1.13 Says the Apostle In whom also ye trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gopel of your Salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance c. Here is the difference betwixt faith and sense faith takes hold of general promises draws then down to particulars applies them and makes them her own lives and walks by them squaring the whole life by them in all things But sense is another thing even that which is mentioned Psalm 35.3 When there is a full report made to the soul of its assured happiness Say unto my soul I am thy salvation When a man hath thus been gathered home by glorifying him and believing his truth then comes a special evidence to the soul with an unwonted joy and saith I am thy salvation which in effect is that which Christ in another place speaks John 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him And as it is in the Canticles 1.2 Then he will kiss us with the kisses of his mouth so as we shall be able to say My beloved is mine and I am his When God hath heard us cry awhile till we be throughly humbled then he takes us up into his arms and dandles us So that a meditation of the word being past a man having viewed his Charter and the promises surveying Heaven the priviledges of Believers and the glory that is to come then comes in the Spirit and makes up a third with which comes joy unspeakable and glorious in such a measure that for the present we can neither wish nor desire any thing else the soul resting wonderfully ravished and contented This cannot nor shall not always continue but at sometimes we shall have it yet it remains always so as it can never finally be taken away as our Saviours promise is John 16 22. And ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you This is the root of all consolation that God will not forsake for ever But will at last come again and have compassion on us according to the multitude of his mercies But here some may Object What Doth the spirit never seal but upon some such hard tryals after the witness of our Spirit I answer the sealing of Gods Spirit with our Spirit is not always tyed to hard foregoing tryals immediately for a man may be surveying Heaven and the glory to come or praying earnestly with a tender and melting heart applying the promises and wrastling with God and at the same time Gods seal many times may be and
Christ. If we would have comfort therefore let us mark the knocking of the spirit and not grieve him by withstanding holy motions and then we shall find him sealing up our salvation witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God Men you see wait for the wind and not the wind for them otherwise they may wait long enough before they reach home so must we watch the knocking 's of Christ and let him in that his spirit may seal us up to the day of Redemption Thirdly Another thing the true witness of the spirit leaves behind it is Love It makes a man more inflam'd with love to God If a man do not love God more after such an enlightening it is false and counterfeit Psalm 116. I will love thee dearly O Lord my God because thou hast heard my voice And says the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us And therefore if we be obedient Sons we will shew it in loving and honouring our Father more and more as the Prophet speaks Malach. 6. A Son honoureth his Father and a servant his Master if then I be a Father where is mine honour These are the trials before and after a true illumination to try it from the counterfeit which that we may always find and observe in our selves Let us pray O Lord our God c. FINIS A TABLE TO THE SERMONS A ACceptation and Affiance two acts of Faith 95 Active Obedience See Obedience Aggravations of sin 37 A temporary Believer desires Christ only in Affliction 119 120 Assurance no part of justifying faith 97. It is attainable 150. Why so many Christians want it 141 B. BAptism what it obliges to 23. It hath not its full effect till the day of our death ibid. To believe is a hard matter 22 96 To believe is our duty 88 Five words or Scripture-ways that God uses to perswade sinners to Believe in Christ viz. General Proclamation 86. Special invitations 87. Entreaties 87. Commands 88. Threatnings 89 To Believe is to come to Christ 111 It is exprest by Hungring and Thirsting 113 A Believer's case like the Beggars 114 A true Believer distinguished from a Temporary 1. by the ground of his desires 119. 2. by his desiring Grace as well as Mercy 122. 3. by his Love to God 122 A Believer's privilege 150 C. GOd Calls sinners to Christ by five words 86 Christ's equality with God 68. It renders his Humiliation the greater and more meritorious 68 Christ's Humiliation the extent degrees and particulars of it 69 72. Part of his Humiliation to be God's Servant 74. He was a Servant on earth in respect of men 70. Vsed and valued at the rate of a bondman 71 Christ's sufferings the more meritorious because voluntary 74 Christ's Active Obedience in the course of his life 74. his Humiliation and sufferings from his Conception to his death described 75 c. Christ's death described in the Accursedness of it 78. in the shame of it 78. in the painfulness of it 78 Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved 80. yet he suffered in his Soul immediately from God 80 Whether Christ takes away all the sins of the world 83 Christ's being offered for us no comfort unless he be offered to us 66 That Christ died sufficiently for all is an improper speech 66 To receive Christ what 84. Christ offered freely 83 86. He that hath a will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him 86 Christ the proper and immediate Object of justifying Faith 93. Christ loved and valued above all by true believers 96. Christ and the Cross go together in this life 96 Christ very compassionaee 111 Christ is our peace 149 To be a Christian indeed is no easie maâ—ter 96 Civil Righteousness See Morality Men deceived by Comparing themselves with others 20. and with themselves 20 The Conditions of Faith and Obedience required hinder not the freedom of Gospel Grace 80 92 Confession of sin necessary and why 114 Carnal Confidence as to our spiritual estate dangerous the vain grounds of it discovered 19 Conscience one of the Tormentors in Hell 62 Peace of Conscience See Peace Conviction necessary to Conversion 17 33 Conviction a work of Gods Spirit 109 Two hindrances of Conversion 2 A limited time for it 4 Crucifying a Cursed Shameful Painful death 77. The manner of it 79 The Curse follows sin 40 The Curses attending an unregenerate man in this life 48 c. The Curses on his Soul 51 The Curses at his death 53 Custom in sin hardens the heart 12 D. DAy of grace limited 45 15. The folly and danger of neglecting it 13 Death the wages of sin 45. The comprehensiveness of the word Death 48 Death terrible 45. The terribleness of Bodily Death set forth in three particulars 53 c. What the first and second Death is 48 The Death of Christ described 78 c. Death-bed Repentance See Repentance Deferring Repentance dangerous 7. The reasons of Carnal mens Deferring Râ—pentance 9 c. The vanity of them ibid. Desires after Christ may be stronger in Tâ—mporaries than in true believers 119 120 The Devil takes possession of those whom God leaves 43 44 The Reason of Christians Doubting 141 E WHat use to make of the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation 15 Encouragements for sinners to come to Christ 86 Examination of a mans self See Self-Examination F. FAith why required to the receiving of Christ since he is a free gift 84 Faith consists not in a mans being perswaded that God is his God and that his sins are pardoned 86 91. It s proper and immediate Object is not that forgiveness of sins but Christ 93 Faith must have a ground for it out of the word 91. What Faith justifies 118 c. Faith justifies not as a vertue but in respect of its object 93. Faith justifies not as a Habit but as an act 132. The Acts of Faith 94. By what sins the Acts of Faith are hindred 92. How those obstructions are removed ibid. Faith an instrument to receive Justification not to procure it 135 140 Why Faith chosen for an instrument of justification rather than any othâ—r grace 141. A weak Faith justifies as much as a strong 140. yet a strong Faith is to be laboured for and why 140 How Faith alone justifies 140 Faith may be certainly known There may be Faith where there is no feeling 90 96 113 128. Faith strongest when sense least 147 Encouragements to Faith 86 Carnal Fear its sinfulness and danger 56 57 Men apt to Flatter themselves as to their spiritual estate 18 Five false glasses that cause this self Flattery 18 c. Forgiveness of sins not a distinct thing from Imputation of Righteousness 85 c. Forgiveness is properly of sins past only 125. It is one continued act 131. and therefore may be prayed for by a justified person ibid. Forgiveness frees from guilt and punishment 133 God forsakes none till they forsake him 44 True believers forsake