but fall into the Lake that is below us if we were to aim so high But the Lord hath been pleased to descend to us in our mean capacity in the Flesh and fill up that immensurable gulfe of Justice by the infinite merits and sufferrings of his Son in our Flesh And now he invites us be requests us to come to him in his Son and have life VVe are not come to Mount Sinai that might not be touched that burnt with Fire and Tempest where there were terrible sights and intollerable noises I say such a God we might have had to do with â— consuming fire instead of instructing light A devouring fire instead of a healing Sun of Righteousnesse considering that there is nothing in us which is not fit and prepared fuel for everlasting burnings But we are come and that is the eternal wonder of Angels unto Mounâ— Sion to be Citizens in the City of God and fellow citizens with blessed Angels and glorified Spirits to Peace and Reconciliation with him who was our Judge And if you ask how this may be I answer because we have one Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant tâ— come to whose Blood cryeth louder for pardon of sinners then all mens transgression can cry for punishment of sinners Heb. 12. 18 19. 20. c. Let us then Consider the first step and deareâ— of Union with God it consists in Faith in Jesus Christ This is the first motion of the Souâ— in drawing near to God For as there is nâ— remission without Blood So no accesse to Goâ— without a Mediator For if you consider whaâ— is in Jesus Christ you will find that which wilâ— engage the desire of the heart as also thaâ— which will give boldnesse and confidence to acâ— that desire Eternal Life is promised and proposed in him he offers rest to weary souls anâ— hath it to give That which we ignorantly anâ—vainly seek elswhere here it is to be found For Personal Excellencies he is the chief infinitely beyond comparison And for Sutablenesse to us and our necessities all the Gospel an expression of it So that he is presented the most attractive drawing manner that can be imagined And then when the desires are inflamed yet if there be no Oyl of hope to feed it it will soon cool again Therefore take a view again and you may have boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus There was some kind of distance kept in the Old Testament none but the High Priest might enter into the Holiest Place But the entry of our High Priest into it that is into Heaven hath made it patent to all that come to him and apply his Blood There is a new and living way by the holy flesh of Christ consecrated and made of infinite value and use by the Divinity of his Person And therefore having such a one of our kindred so great with God we may draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith having our consciences sprinkled c. Heb. 10 18. 19 20. c. Now since the way is made plain to you and the entry is opened up in the Gospel Do you not find your hearts stir with in you to draw near to him Do you not find a necessity of making peace by such a Mediator O! that you knew the great distance between God and your Natures and what the hazard is Loe they that are far from thee shall perish Then certainly you would take hold of this invitation and be easily drawn unto Jesus Christ But unto you who have adventured to draw near for pardon of sin in Christ I would recommend unto you that you would draw yet nearer to God After that the partition wall of wrath and condemnation is removed yet there is much darknesse in your minds and corruption in our natures that separats from him I mean intercepts and disturbs that blessed communion you are called unto Therefore I would exhort you as James draw near to God and he will draw near to you ch 4. 8. And that wherein this most consists is in studying that purification of our natures that cleansing of our hearts from guile and our hands from offences by which our Souls may draw towards a resemblance of God This accesse and drawing near to God in assimilation and conformity of nature is the great designe of the Gospel Be ye holy for I am holy Now ye are agreed walk with him Amos 3. 3. As Enoch walked with God Gen. 5. 24. That is labour in all your conversation to set him before your eyes and to study to be well pleased with him in all things and to please him in all to conform your selves to his pleasure in every thing And this Communion in walking especially consists in that Communication of the Spirit with God in prayer This is the nearest and sweatest approach when the Soul is lifted up to God and is almost out of it self in him And this being the ordinary exercise and motion of the Soul it exceedingly advances in the first point of nearnesse that is in conformity with God Drawing often near in Communion with him in prayer makes the Souldraw towards his likenesse even as much converse of men together will make them like one another Now for the commendation of this It is good What greater evil can be imagined then separation from the greatest Good And what greater good then accession to the greatest Good Every thing is in so far happy and well as it is joyned with and enjoyeth that which is convenient for it Light is the perfection of the Earth remove it and what a disconsolat and unpleasant thing is it Now truely there is nothing suitable to the immortal Spirit of man but God And therefore all its happinesse or misery must be measured by the accesse or recesse Nearnesse or distance of that infinite Goodnesse Therefore is it any wonder that all they that go a whoring from him perish as every mans heart doeth For we are infinitly bound by Creation by many other bonds stronger then wedlock to consecrat and devote our selves wholly to God but this is treacherously broken Every man turns aside to vanity and lies and is guilty of heart whoredome from God and spiritual idolatry because the Affection that should be preserved chast for him is prostitute to every base object So then this divorcement of the Soul from God cannot but follow thereupon even an eternal ecclipse of true and real life and comfort And whoever draw back from the Fountain of Life and Salvation cannot but find elsewhere perdition and destruction Heb. 10. ult My beloved let us set this aside all other things which are the pursuites and endeavours of the most part of men Mens natural desires are carried towards Health Food Raiment Life and Liberty Peace and such like But the more rational sort of men seek after some shadow of Wisdom and Virtue Yet the generality of men both high and low have extravagant
particular antipathy against and refuse others But the Lord will not be so served As he will not share with the world and divide the Soul and service of man with Creatures so as Mâ—mmon should get part and he his part No if we choose the one we must refuse the other for so will he not suffer his Word and Commands to be divided There must be some universality in respect of the Gospel and the Law and a conjunction of these two or we cannot please him If Religion do not include the Gospel we are yet upon the old Covenant of Works according to which none can be justified If it do not include the Law in the Hands of a Mediator then we turn the Grace of god unto wantonness If it shut out Jesus Christ and have no use of him how can either we or our performances stand or be accepted before his holy eyes If it exclude the Law that Christ came to establish how can he be pleased with our religion Both of these offer an indignity to the Son of God The Sum then of Christian Religion is Believing and Sanctification of the spirit unto obedience that is the root and fountain this is the fruit and stream Justification of our persons and sanctification of our lives and hearts This is pure Religion and undefiled And therefore Isaiah sayes Wash you make you clean Cleanse in the only true fountain of Christs blood It is not your purifications of the Law your many washings with water and hysope It is not the blood of buls and goats can purge your consciences from dead works they do but purify your flesh but cannot wash your souls worse defiled This blood of Jâ—sus Christ is that clean water that he must sprinkle on you if you would be clean If you take any other water any other righteousness but his and wash thy self therewith suppose it be snow water that washeth cleanest thy most exact conversation yet he will plunge thee in the mire till thy own cloaths abhore thee Job 9. 30 31. Now when ye have washed your persons ye need not save to wash your feet sayes Christ your dayly conversation reform it in the vertue of that blood for we are not called to uncleanness but unto holiness And therefore Put away the evil of yoor doings c. God hath put away the guilt of your doings by Justification now put ye away the evil of your doings by Sanctification c. And if ye would know what Sanctification is Cease to do evil do not return to the old puddle to wallow in it Ye that are cleansed by this blood O! think how unbeseeming it is to you to defile your selves again with these things ye are cleansed from But now learn to do well ye are given up to Christ ye must be his Disciples and he will teach you Learn of me sayes Christ you need no other law almost but his example he is a visible and speaking law yet seek Judgement As ye ought to look on my example so especially ponder that word and rule of practice and behaviour that I have left behind me and given out as the law-giver of the redeemed have I redeemed you And should not I be the redeemmed and ransomed ones King Is there any society in the world wants a law order and government neither must ye who are delivered from bondage enfranchised and made free indeed Now ye should of all men most live by a law And when ye know that rule then apply it to your several vocations and callings let the Magistrat act according to it and every man according to it Religion consists not in a general notion but condescends to our particular practice to reform it You see then what we would presse upon your Consciences It is true religion that we would have you perswaded unto All men have some kind of Religion even Heathens who worship Idols but the true religion respects the true and living God Now what is it to worship the true and living God what is the service of him that may be called Religion indeed Should we be the prescrivers of it No certainly he must carve solely in that or else it cannot please him Therefore To the Law and to the Testemony if ye speak not according to this and worship not according to this word of God it is because there is no light into you Ye may have a religion before men pure and undefiled but if it be not so before God and the father I pray you to what purpose is it I am sure it is all lost labour nay it is labour with loss instead of gain O that ye were perswaded to look and search the Scriptures Think ye to have eternal life out of them and think ye to have eternal life by them who do not labour to know the way of it set down there Every on of you have a different model of religion according to your fancies and breedings according as your lusts will suffer you The rule that the most part walk by is the course and example of the world Is not this darknesse and grosse darkness Others model their duties according to their ability they will do all they can do with ease and without troubling themselves and they think God may be well pleased with that I pray you consider and hear the word of the Lord and Law of your God hath he set down here the rule and perfect patern of true Religion and will ye never so much own it as to examine yours according to it the scriptures are the touch-stone If you would not have a counterfeit Religion deceiving you in the end when ye have trusted to it I pray you try it by the word of God Oh that this principle were once sunk into your hearts I may not walk at randome if I please my self and satisfy my own will if that be not also Gods will I shall have neither gain nor comfort of it his will is manifested in his word I will search and find what God hath required of me for if I be not certain of his will I may be doing all my dayes and sweating out my life and yet losse my pains and oyl I say this word of the Lord that Isaiah calls to the people to hear V. 10. will at length judge you Your Religion will be tryed in the day of accompts according to it not according to your rules and methods ye have prescribed unto your selves Now if ye in the mean time shall judge your selves according to another rule and abâ—olve your selves and in the end God shall judge you according to this word and condemn you were ye not fools in neglecting this word The whole will of God concerning your duty may be summed up in two John hath one of them 1 Jo. 3. 23. And this is his Commandment that we shoud believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandment And Paul hath another to
thou hast spent thy substance on the Physicians and in vain come to me I can heal that desperate Disease by a word I create peace when natural Causes have given it over I create it of nothing I will keep you in perfect peace You have then here three things of special concernment in these times and all times â— blessednesse a perfect peace attainable the way of it and the Fountain of it The Fountaiâ— of it the preserver of it is God himself Thâ— way to attain it is trusting in God and stayinâ— on him This sweetnesse of peace is in Goâ— the Tree of Life Faith puts to its hand anâ— plucks the Fruit of the Tree Hope and Dependance on God is a kind of tasting of thaâ— Fruit and eating of it and then followeth thiâ— perfect peace as the delightful relish and sweetnesse that the Soul finds in God upon tastinâ— how gracious he is God himself is the life oâ— our souls the fountain of living waters the life anâ— light of men Faith and trusting in God drawâ— out of this Fountain out of this deep well oâ— Salvation and staying on God drinks of it tilâ— the soul be refreshed with peace and tranquility such as passeth Natural Understanding Christ Jesus is the Tree of Life that grows iâ— the Gaâ—den of God trusting in him by Faith implants a Soul in him roots a Soul in him bâ— vertue of which Union it springs up and grow into a living Branch by staying and depending upon him we live by him and hence spring this blessed and sweet Fruit of peace of soul anâ— conseience which grows upon the confidencâ— of the soul placed in God as the stalk by whicâ— it is united to the Tree Trusting and stayinâ— upon God is the souls casting its Anchor upon him in the midst of the waves and storms of sin wrath and trouble The poor beaten sinner casts an Anchor within the Vail on that sure ground of immutable Promises in Jesus Christ And then it rests and quiets it self at that Anchor enjoyes peace in the midst of the storm there is a great calm it is not moved or not greatly moved as if it were a fair day David flieth unto God as his refuge Anchor 's upon the Name of the Lord Psal 62. 1 2. And so he enjoys a perfect calm and tranquillity I shall not be moved because he is united to the Rock he is tyed to the firm Foundation Jesus Christ and no storm can dissolve this Union not because of the strength of that Rope of Faith it is but a weak Cord if Omnipotency did not compasse it about also And so we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation The poor wearied Traveller the Pilgrime sits down under the shadow of a Rock and this peace is his rest under it Faith lays him down and peace is his rest and sleep Faith in Jesus Christ is a motion towards him as the soulâ— proper place and center and therefore it is called a coming to him flying to him as the City of refuge It is the Souls flight out of it self and misery and sin within to apprehended Mercy and Grace and happinesse in Christ Now Hope is the Conjunction or Union of the Soul with him the Soul then staying and resting on him as in its proper place And so it enjoys perfect peace and rest in its place so that if ye remove it thence then ye offer violence to it These two things are of greatest importance to you to know What this perfect Peace is and what is the way to attain it The one is the Priviledge and Dignity the other is the Duty of a Christian and these two make him up what he is I would think that man perfectly blessed who is at peace with two things God and himself If a man be at peace with Creatures without him and be not at peace with himself but have warr within his own Mind that mans Peace is no Peace let be perfect peace A mans greatest enemy is within his own house And within indeed when it is in his bosome and soul When a mans Conscience is against him it is worse then a world beside Conscientia mille testes so I say it is mille hostes It is a thousand witnesses and a thousand enemies It were better to endure condemnation of any Judge of many Judges in the world then to sustain the conviction of a mans own Conscience When it accuseth who shall excuse Joh. 8. 9. Rom 2. 15. A merry spirit saith Solomon is a continual feast Prov. 15. 15. And what must a heart be which hath such a gnawing worm within it as an accusing Conscience to eat it out This is the worm of Hell that dies not out which makes Hâ—ll Hell indeed This indeed will be a painful Consumption a broken spirit dryeth up the bones it will eat up the marrow of the spirit and body Pro. 17. 22. What infirmity is there which a man cannot bear Poverty Famine Warr Pestilence Sickness name what you will but a wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18. 14. And there is reason for it for there is none to bear it A sound and whole Spirit can sustain infirmities but when that is wounded which should bear all the rest what is behind to bear it It is a burden to it self If a man have trouble and warr in this world yet there is often escaping from it A man may fly from his enemy but when thy enemy is within thee whither shall thou fly Thou cannot go from thy self thou carries about thee thy enemy thy tormenter But suppose a man were at peace within himself and cryed peace peace to himself yet if he be not at peace with God shall his peace be called peace Shall it not rather be named supine security If a man be at variance with himself and his Soul disquieted within there is more fear then danger if he be at peace with God It is but a false Alarme that shall end well But if he have peace in his owâ— bosom and yâ—t no agreement with God then destructions are certainly coming his dream of peace will have a terrible wakâ—ning A man may sleep soundly and his enemies round about him because he knoweth noâ— of it but he is in a worse estate â—or he that is in great fear and his enemies either none or far distant The one hath present dangâ—r â—â—d no 〈◊〉 the other present fear and no daâ—geâ— and which of these think ye bâ—st Sudden destruction awakes the one from sleep Ezâ—k 7 25. Their fear and destruction come both at once when it is now in vain to fear because it is past Hope Prov. 1. 27. Therefore the Lord swears thaâ— there is no peace to the wicked Isai 48. 22. What Do not they often cry peace to themselves and put the evil day far off No men are so without Bands in life and death as they they have made agâ—eement with Hell and Death and their
shining into the Soul that hath cleared them but their perpetual darknesse that blindeth them I say then in the Name of Jesus Christ that ye never knew the peace of God who knew not warr with God Ye know not love who have not known anger But this is the Souls true peace and tranquillity when it is once awakened to see its misery and danger How many Clouds overspread it what Tempests blow what Waves of Displeasure go over its head But when that peace which is made in the High Places breaketh thorow the Cloud with a Voice Son be of good comfort thy sins be forgiven thee when that Voice of the Spirit is uttered presently at its command the Wind and Waves obey the Soul is calmed as the Sea after a Storm It is not only untroubled but it is peaceable upon solid grounds because of the word which speaks peace in Christ The peace of the most of you is such as ye were born and Educated withal It is not a created peace a spoken peace the fruit of the lips and so no true peace Ye had not your peace from the word but ye brought it to the word Yâ— have no peace after trouble and so it is not the Lords peace The Christian may have peace in regard of his own Salvation and eternal things and in regard of all things that befalleth in â—ime The first is when the Conscience is sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ and getteth a good answer to all the challenges and accusations of Conscience and of the Law and Justice 1 Pet. 3. 21. when the Spirit of God shines into the Soul with a new Light to discover these things that are freely given 1 Cor. 2. 12. And this is the Sealing of the Spirit after believing Eph. 1. 13. When a Soul hath put to its Seal by believing Gods word and hath acknowledged Gods Truth and Faithfulnesse in his word the Spirit Sealeth mutually the Believers Faith both by more Holinesse and the knowledge of it And how great peace is this when a Soul can look upon all its iniquities when they compasse about a man and outward trouble sharpeneth and setteth on edge inward challenges and yet the Soul will not fear it hath answers to them all in Christs Blood Psal 49. 5. This is a greater word then all the world can say Many mens fearlesnesse proceedeth from ignorance of sin their iniquities were never set in order before them but if once they compassed them about and wrath like a fiery wall compasse them about also so that there were no escaping Oh it would be more terrible then all the Armies of the world Ye would account little of a Kingdom ye would exchange it for such a word as David hath upon good grounds Now I say again the Soul that hath thus committed it self to him as a faithful keeper may have peace in all Estates and Conditions And this peace floweth from that other peace There is a peace which guards the heart and mind Phil. 4. 6 7. Opposed to carefulnesse and anxiety and this Paul is Examplar for I have learned in every estate therewith to be content to want and abound c. vers 11. The Soul of a Believer may be in an equal even Tenur and Disposition in all conditions It may possesse it self in patience Impatience and Anxiety makes a man not his own man he is not himself he injoys not himself he is a burden to himself and is his own tormenter But if Souls were stayed upon God certainly they would possesse themselves dwell securely within their own breasts We may find that the most part of men are exposed to all the floods and waves of the times They move inwardly as things are troubled outwardly Every thing addeth moment to their grief or joy Any Dispensation casteth the Ballance and either weights them down with discouragement or lifteth them up with vanity and lightnesse of mind But the Believers priviledge is to be unmoved in the midst of all the Tossings and Confusions of the times Psal 128. 1 2. Ye would be as Mount Zion if ye trusted in God No Dispensation should enter into the Soul to cast the Ballance upon you Ye might stand upon your Rock Jesus Christ and look about the Estates Persons Affairs and Minds of men as a troubled Sea fleeting tossed up and down and ye stand and not be moved or not greatly moved Ps 62. 2. And this is to be wise indeed If I would describe a wise man I would say he is one man beside him no man is one with himself but various inconstant changeable He is unwise who is unlike himself who changeth Persons according to Dispensations Wisdom is the stability of thy times and Faith is Wisdom it Establisheth as Mount Zion so as a man cometh out still one in prosperity not exalted in adversity not cast down in every Estate content and this is the man who is blessed indeed This werâ— wisdom to will the same thing and nill the same thing Semper idem velle atque idem nolle I need not saith Seneca add that exception that it be right which you desire for no one thing can universally and always please if it be not good and right So I say he were both wise and happy who had but one grief and one joy Should not a Believers mind be calm and â—erene seing the true Light hath shined it should be as the upper world where no blasts no storms or clouds are to ecclips the Sun or cloud it while our peace and tranquillity is borrowed from outward things certainly it must change But a Belâ—evers peace and tranquillity of mind having its rise from above from the unchangeable word of the Lord it needeth not to change according to the vicissitudes of Providence He needeth not to care before hand because there is one who careth for him And what needeth both to care He needeth not be disquieted or troubled after because it shall turn about to his good All things shall do so Rom. 8. 28. He needeth not be Anxious about future Events because he hath all his burden cast upon another by prayer and supplication VVhat needeth he then take a needlesse burden Prayer will do that which Care pretends and cannot do and that without trouble He needeth not be troubled when things are present for he cannot by his thought either add or diminish take away or prevent There is one good and necessary thing that his heart is upon and that cannot be taken from him And therefore all things else are indifferent and of small concernment to him Now what wanteth such a man of perfect peace who is reconciled to God and at peace within himself VVhen peace guardeth the Heart and Mind within compasseth it as a Castle or Garison to hold out all the vain Alarms of External things May not all the world be troubled about him VVhat though the Floods lift up their Voice if they come not into the