a man Now this is an impure heart an impure conscience And to the pure every thing is pure but to the impure every thing is defiled That is when a man hath an impure conscience that is not washed effectually by the bloud of Christ through the power of the holy Ghost then his meat and his drinke and his bed and his recreations every thing defiles him every lawfull thing defiles him as well as unlawfull Now then thou mayst reason thus if I have seene God I have a pure heart What is that I have no more conscience of sinne That is I finde an exceeding great power of the Spirit that makes my conscience cleane that notwithstanding my frailties there is no guilt lying or soaking in my Conscence That is one thing The second expression there you shall see afterwards verse 10. that they are said to be sanctified sanctification in this place is not meant as you usually take sanctification that is for mortification and vivification as we say the killing of sin and the quickning of grace though that may be called sanctification too But sanctification in this place is in the same sense as I said before when the conscience is washed and cleansed from the guilt of sin as it is interpreted in the third expression in verse 2â— Let us draw neare with a true heart in the full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled that is our consciences sprinkled having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water An evill Conscience is an unbelieving Conscience for evill in the New Testament is ordinarily taken for unbeliefe Take heed saith the Apostle least there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe to draw back from the living God That evill conscience Judas had and Saul had For sin did lye on their consciences and was not washed Now saith he Let us draw neare with full assurance Full assurance is opposed to an evill Conscience and that cannot be if you take sanctification in that sense that you use to take it Now that is one thing wherever God manifests himselfe and reveals his glory in his Son to the Soule he gives that man a pure heart a good conscience he washeth that mans conscience by the bloud of his Son that is his Spirit applies the vertue of the bloud of his Sonne to our Soules and Consciences to make them pure and peaceable 2ly a pure heart for there are but two ways in 2 Aheart cleansed from the power of sin generall that it is taken in Scripture a pure heart is a heart cleansed also from the power of sinne that is a pure heart And indeed both are comprehended here in one word because wheresoever the one is the other is also For it is impossible for a man to have his Conscience made truly peaceable by the bloud of Christ but it will be made pure and holy also Therefore in that place in Heb. 12. VVithout holinesse it is impossible to see God I suppose it is meant of Personall holinesse of Reformation and amendment of life and not of the imputed holinesse of Christ and the washing of the conscience as I said before But you will say if it be so then no man can see Object God till he go to Heaven for no man is free from sinne in this World There are many Answers that godly men give to this Objection that I cannot stand on It is ture there is sinne and corruption left in the Answ Saints yet they are said to be a pure People People Saints pure notwithstanding the remainder of corruptions 1 They grow purer every day Simile of a pure language to have pure hearts Why Because they are growing every day purer and purer that is the reason they are purified As a godly man compares them to a Well when you throw dirt or any thing into a standing poole it makes it fouler and fouler but throw it into a Well and it workes it out it bubbles and is never quiet till all be out So the Saints have pure hearts because however foule things are working and stirring in them yet they are still stirring against them and get ground of them though they be not pure that is quite free from sinne yet they are purer every day then other Then some say and they say truly that a man 2 The streame of the heart is pure hath a pure heart though there be corruption there when the streame of the heart the very streame of the heart is pure and holy Some conceive and those godly men as I told you before that there is a coare in the heart of a godly man that is pure and holy without sinne Which godly men take to be that that is meant by Spirit so frequently in Scripture saith the Apostle I serve God in my Spirit Rom. 1. And I pray God to preserve your soule and body and spirit 1 Thess 5. And that Spirit they take to be the quintessence of the soule somthing more inward then the Soule There is somthing in a pure heart that opposeth sinne and opposeth temptation there is some non ultra in the heart of a godly man Sinne gets the advantage over his eyes and over his hand and over his tongue but there is a baracado in his heart that it can goe no farther As you see betweene two Women chiding and striving who shall have the last word and one replyes and the other replyes and at last one hath the last word So there is somthing in the heart of a godly man that will have the last word As in a naturall man sinne hath the last word saith an Hypocrite I have a mind to over reach my Neighbour in such a bargaine thou wert not best to doe it saith enlightned conscience thou hearest the Preacher and hearest the Scripture say the contrary But I am resolved to doe it saith the Hypocrite then I will trouble thee saith the conscience Now there is no sinne that a Saint doth fall into but there is a coare in him that goes beyond As you see in an Onion you may pull off one scale and then another and another and at last you may come to the coare and can goe no farther Such a thing there is in a Saint this is that that is called the spirit the streame and quintessence of the Soule is holy and though there be corruption there yet there is something that is pure and holy and that coare will eat out the rest in time As to give you but one instance more looke upon your hearts as I speak and see how they agree with it take any corruption that a Saint falls into throughout the yeare there are many chidings and brawlings betweene grace and corruption I will have my will sayth corruption I will be vaine and fine and finer then my Neighbours saith grace I will not have it so But I will saith corruption I will have my will but if you
Dew of Heaven never sinks so deep as to come to that root Therefore as it is said in 1. Joh. 3. A man that is borne of God cannot sinne Why Because the Seed of God abides in him he hath a root in him So on the other side an Hypocrite he can doe nothing to purpose because there is a seed of sin in him there is a root there is a Coare at the heart that the Dew of Heaven never toucheth Therefore it is a signe that thou seest God aright when the impressions of it in thy Soule goe through and through that they soak into thy very soule as I may say and fetch out thy inward lusts Thirdly and lastly and there I shall leave at 3 They are universall this time these impressions are universall An Hypocrite or a wicked man in time may have some impressions upon his soule of some one thing of God or some few things As for instance Judas had an impression upon his heart and a sad one too of the Justice of God it made him goe and hang himselfe And so Saul and Pharaoh and others but that was but of one thing But now a Saint he hath impressions of all that is in God that is there is nothing in God but he hath a heart to answer it he hath as it were to speak with reverence a Coppy of God written on his soule he hath an impression of the love of God as well as of the feare of God of delight and trust in God and the like This is the difference betweene a Saint of God and an Hypocrite Therefore in Exod. 34. When Moses was so desirous to see God O Lord saith he let me see thy glory God revealed his glory and told him his name The Lord God the Lord mercifull gracious long suffering abundant in mercy keeping mercy for thousands Forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that wil not cleare the guilty visiting the sins of the Fathers upon the Children God tells him of visiting of wicked People What was this to Moses God would not tell him halfe his name but all Therefore he tells him what he was to the Saints The Lord gracious and mercifull long suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands And then he tels him what he would be to the wicked he would have the impression of the whole name of God upon Moses It is a signe thy apprehensions of God are true though they be weake and small when they be reall and thorow and universall The third thing is The Expressions or Effects of it but that I must leave till another time SERMON 3. Isaiah 6. 5. For mine eyes have seene the King the Lord of Hosts YOu remember the Lesson I doubt not that we are upon that The Saints have a peculiar priviledge above all others that they can even in this world see God They can see God in Jesus Christ I did open this and proved it and shewed you the last time how by the Word of God you might know whether ye have ever seene God in this manner whether God have ever bestowed this glorious priviledge upon any of you Three waye I tooke to shew it to you The first was by your apprehensions of God The second was by the impressions that those apprehensions of God have upon you The third thing which I am now to come to is by the Expressions of them or by their Effects If you would know whether you have seene God aright 3 By the expressions of them which are or no I say you may know it by the expressions of it How doth it set it selfe forth in thee It works something upon thee and that vents and shewes it selfe some way in thy heart and life Therefore I finde in Scripture especially in the Epistles of John where much is said of seeing God he brings the Saints usually to know the sight of God by outward expressions Because though it be cleare as I said yet it is so small that a St. cannot alway see it unlesse he consider the workings of it also upon his heart and life as well as his single apprehension Therefore saith he in one place by this you shall know that you have seene God if ye confesse Christ And in another place If yee love the Brethren c. Now there are these foure or five cleare things in Scripture that demonstrate a man to be one that hath seene God The first is this If thou hast seene God certainly the Lord hath purified thy heart the Lord hath given thee a pure 1 Purity of heart heart For saith Christ in his first Sermon Blessed are the pure in heart For they shall see God And in Heb. 12. Without holinesse it is impossible to see God Matthew 5. that is a cleare generall rule And therefore I say thou mayest then read if thou or I be a Man or a Woman to whom God hath not given a pure heart if God have not purified thy heart certainly as yet thou hast not seene God For if any man saith he hath seene God or that he walke in the light and yet live in sin he is a Lyar and there is no truth in him at all you are to give no credit to him at all al his apprehensions are but fancies Now the question will be what is the purifying of the heart Or how may I know that BELOVED according to the language of the What meant by a pure heart Scripture I find that by a pure heart is meant two things First by a pure heart is not ordinarily meant as 1 The conscience purified from guilt of sinne you take it for the killing of sinne in the soule I say not ordinarily But the chiefe meaning of the purifying of the heart is to have the conscience for the heart is taken for the conscience to have the conscience purified and washed from the guilt of sinne Therefore in Act. 15. say the Apostles and Elders Why should we doe thus and thus with them Seeing their hearts are purified by faith as well as ours That is seeing they believe in Jesus Christ and thereby have peace of conscience setled in their hearts To cleare and open this a little to you There Conscience purified What are three expressions that the holy Ghost useth in Heb. 10. that open this Heb. 10. 2. A pure heart in this sence is a man that hath no conscience of sinne that is the Scripture language one that hath no conscience of sinne Not as it is commonly in your sence one that makes no conscience of sinning one that continues in sinne But one that hath no conscience of sinne That is one whose conscience is not stained with the guilt of sinne but by the bloud of Christ there is a perfect peace setled within him Peace and joy in believing For that it is to have conscience of sinne when alway upon the least infirmitie there is guilt heaped upon the conscience of
brother doth good and I strive and cannot doe so much as he therfore I am discouraged and will doe none at all that is emulation Emulation is taken in a good sence sometimes to do good before another but not to be discouraged because another can doe more good A Ninth thing is there is a constant sweetnesse 9. There is a sweetnesse in his heart to all Saints in the soul towards all the Saints where there is a humble heart I cannot expresse this sweetnesse but a little by the contrary 2 Cor. 12. 20. sayth the Apostle I am afraid when I come among you I shall find this and this among the rest he names swellings Now a swelling a boile or a plague sore where a swelling or any tumour is there is continuall aches and stitches and prickings and uneasinesse and the partie cannot sleep or wag or stir but is ankward and unquiet in his body So it is in the soul where there is pride there is swellings it is puffed up and blowne as a bladder And where there are swellings in the heart so much swelling so much uneasinesse and unquyet The Lord humble thee and me for it there are in our hearts stitches and aches many times towards this and that Saint I am unquyet I find fault with this and that and the other man I wrangle with him and I think the fault is in him but the swelling is in mine owne heart for we finde by experience if the Lord prick that bladder and let downe that swelling the heart will be sweet as a nut and looke on all Saints with joy Whereas take a proud professor put him into what assemblie of Saints you will he is alway jangling and wrangling there is a swelling and plague sore and prickings in the heart in Ephes 4. It is called bitternesse The Apostle may allude to a feaver when people are in a feaver there is a bitternesse on the tongue the man can take nothing in while he is in that disposition he is angrie with every thing his wife and his children cannot speake to him VVhat is the reason Not because his wife is not a loving wife and his children good children but there is a bitter humour on his tongue and the disease puts him into that aukardnesse So where there is pride in the heart there is bitternesse to the Saints we are mooved with this Saint and displeased with that and fall out with the other and we are well no where we like no way in Gods Kingdome but the reason is there is a bitternesse on thy tongue and there is a swelling in thee Therefore a humble heart hath the gallantest life of any man in the World it is full of sweetnesse there is no bitternesse nor swelling but it is alway filled with love and joy when he sees the least Saint notwithstanding all his owne graces In the Tenth place as he is not easily offended 10. He is carefull not to offend other Saints with others for I might speake much of that so he is carefull of avoyding the least offence to others Indeed a humble heart you cannot easily provoke him A hand that is full of swellings if you touch it you provoke it and make it burne or else if it be whole you cannot easily chafe and distemper it And he is very carefull also of avoyding just offence to others and therefore he doth these two things First he will if need be abate much of his light 1 In abating of his own light in his practice for offence sake There is a lesson for these times It may be some doe thus but not the Generalitie of these times Pray Evodiach and beseech Syntiche that they be of the same mind in the Lord. A humble heart will abate of his light and knowledge Paul knew many things that he did not preach nor practise We have men that say this is my light let all the World say as they will this is my light and I must contend for the faith O this is contending for corruption when there is not respect to all the Saints and a doing of our utmost to avoid offence And Secondly when he must practice any thing 2. He is sorry that he must do that which offends them that offends them there is a kind of sorrow at his heart unspeakable sorrow that he must doe any thing that shall give them offence I mean the doing of good things and his conscience foreeth him to it but he is sorry for it that he must doe them A proud heart is glad and joyfull of any new nik or notion whereby he may provoke the Saints I know diverse such that live upon found conceits as Taylors invent new fashions and though they provoke the generalitie of other Saints yet it must out every weeke or fortnight it is not so with a humble heart he will see two steps before he will tread one as we say in VVales and when he sees it and must goe a step that crosseth the light and spirit of the Saints it makes his heart ake though he must obey God The Eleaventh is this a humble heart in his demeanour 11. He is gentle to other Saints in their infirmities to the Saints is very gentle towards the Saints in their Infirmities and falls Gall. 5. 1. If any one be fallen by infirmitie ye that are spiritual restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse He should be like a Phisitian or Chirurgeon that gently sets a bone Considering thy selfe When a man is rough to another he doth not consider himselfe what he hath been and what he may be how God may leave him or her to that corruption that he sees his brother or sister fall into it proceeds from a proud heart if a professor fall men are ready to say I expected no other I thought he was an Hypocrite and so farewell he No thou shouldst goe to him and with pitty and love labour to heale him it may be when you fall you will fall lower and worser then he This is the nature of an humble heart Another thing breiflly is this he is heartily 12. He is glad to doe any service for the Saints glad of any service he can doe for the Saints he rejoyceth in any service he can doe for the least Saint nay as he is glad to doe the service so he earnestly desires that his service may be accepted of the Saints he will blesse God if such a Saint will accept of such a service There is the strangest word one of them in the Book of God for ought I know Rom. 15. 30. I have oft wondred at it Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus sake and for the love of the spirit you would thinke there were some great businesse that you strive together with me in prayer to God for me Why what was the matter Paul did never more earnestly desire their prayers That I may be delivered from them that doe
7. Youâ— know how by the comparison of a man and his wife we are said to be dead to the law of God The meaning is not as though the substance and matter of the law were not eternall and a rule for all Saints doubtlesse it is in the New Testament as well as in the Old but the law as it is a contract a bond a bargaine as it is a Covenant of works betweene God and us it is perfectly fullfilled by Christ and we are dead to it we are free from it or delivered from it And that is the reason that in Heb. 12. It is sayd in Mount Sion we are come to the spirits of just men made perfect That is not of just men personally just in their dealings though that follow in a sort but the meaning is that every Saint that is in Jesus Christ is perfectly a just man or a just woman by reason of their morrtage with Jesus Christ who hath obtained a perfect righteousnesse or justice for them So in Rom. 3. You have there also a blessed place where the Apostle sayth we are saved not only by the mercie of God but by his righteousnesse Therfore it is three times repeated we are saved by the righteousnesse of God and againe by the righteousnesse and againe in Vers 2 c. the third time to declare I say at this time his righteousnesse What is the righteousnesse of God That is sayth he that he is just and a justifier of them that beleive in Jesus Christ It is just and righteous with God to save people that beleive in Jesus Christ VVhy so Because Jesus Christ hath fulfilled to a tittle all the law of God for them I shall give you but one word of Use and leave Vse 1. Upon what our Justification is built the reasons and the further inlarging of it till the afternoone And the word that I desire to make knowne to you from the Lord is this to instruct and helpe you a little to understand where your righteousnesse doth lie or upon what your Justification is buylt For this is the misery the generall misery of most Christians that they mislay their justification they doe lay it partly upon faith and partly upon their sanctification and holynesse And that is the reason that when a poore soul it may be is tempted to some sin and hath some strong lust he looseth his faith and his assurance and his peace of conscience because he grounds his Saint-ship and his justification upon his holinesse Now Beloved this is it that I would desire the Lord to bring you and me to to know that I am a just man only by the righteousnesse that is in Christ that the law is perfectly fulfilled for me by Jesus Christ and not partly by him and partly by me but only and perfectly by him and I am called just but only as or because I am unyted to him that hath gotten a perfect righteousnesse for me Then let me buyld my Justification upon that only and not upon what I am not upon my temper or upon my graces or my gifts or the like Take heed of that but let it be buylt wholly upon Jesus Christ his death and resurrection He was delivered for our offences and raysed againe for our Justification Let us buyld upon that that we may come to this temper once to have our justification We are not more or lesse justified by the good or evill we doe in a stock clearely in Jesus Christs hands that when we doe good we may not imagine that we are a jot the more justified or when we fall or faile in good we may not conceive that we are a jot more justified then before that though one day we have our hearts inlarged to doe good and to do more good in one day then it may be we did in a moneth before yet this goes not to the stock of my justification I am not one jot the more justified and sometimes God leaves the flesh and the remnants of sin that foile us I will mourne for it and be humbled for it as a transgression against my father but I am not a jot more unjustified then I was before in the sight of God in regard of the Covenant of works that Christ hath fulfilled So thus I would have you doe as your Merchants and Trades-men in your Cittie you have a certaine stock that you lock it may be in an iron chest and that stock is the quick as you call it and you have besides so many pounds or so many hundreds that you turne and wind about through all the year as you have occasion but from the stock the quick you will not lay any thing out of that you will not touch that but lay out in expences and wind and turne the rest Just so I would have it with you that seeing justification is only buylded on Christ and I have the word of faith to certifie me of it and the spirit of faith to shew it me within I would not have my good or evill to be an ingredient into that but leave that as a stock clearly in the hands of Jesus Christ Or as we see a maid or woman that spins shee holds one hand steddie and turnes about the wheele with the other so our justification we should hold it steddie for it is not buylt at all upon any thing that is in us but let us turne and wind the rest that is sanctification we must strive against sin and mourne for it but leave justification wholly to Christ for it is not buylt on me but is only by the death and resurrection of Christ Therfore as Christ sayth Luke 17. When we have done all the good we can say we are unprofitable servants I have not gotten one farthing to day nor in all my life to helpe to fulfill the law of God or to helpe to my justification that is only in the hands of Christ that is my quick my cash my stock and when thou failest and seest lusts and pride and wantonnesse arise in thee say this hath no influence to hinder my justification it is no ingredient into that that is buylt upon another thing it is wholly in Christ and his righteousnesse he hath fulfilled the law and I am just by marriage and by unyon with him Therefore I will goe and take my sins and mourne for them and desire God to cleanse me from them but I must hold the quick still hold justification untouched and unshaken and unmovable in the hands of Jesus Christ I shall leave the inlargment of this and other things till the afternoone SERMON II. Rom. 8. 4. That the righteousnesse of the law might be fullfilled in us who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit THere are three Lessons that wee should learne from these words The first is implied that The righteousnesse of the Law must be fulfilled Or Every man is bound to fulfill the Law of God That we have already