Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	heart_n	pure_a	sprinkle_v	1,554	5	10.8871	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58958	The Second and last collection of the late London ministers farewel sermons preached by Dr. Seaman, Dr. Bates, Mr. Caryll, [brace] Mr. Brooks, Mr. Venning, and Mr. Mead ; to which is added a farewell sermon preached at Dedham in Essex by Mr. Matthew Newcomen ; as also Mr. Lyes sermon at the conclusion of the last morning-exercise at All-hallows in Lumbard-street, being a summary rehearsal of the whole monthly-lectures.	Seaman, Lazarus, d. 1675.; Bates, William, 1625-1699.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.; Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.; Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.; Newcomen, Matthew, 1610?-1669.; Lye, Thomas, 1621-1684.	1663 (1663)	Wing S2257; ESTC R41075	195,536	326

the World oh ● would there were not See that 1 Tim. 6.3 4 ● where the Apostle acquaints you with such men saith he If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesom words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which 〈◊〉 according to godliness the wholsome Doctrine th● healing Word what then in the 4th Verse 〈◊〉 he He is proud knowing nothing but doating ●bout questions and strifes of words where●● Wines enter strife-railings evill surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth supposing that gain is godliness or as most read it that godliness is a gain a meer Trade to get money by from such withdraw thy self If you be not baptized they will tell you you are not a Christion and baptized you shall not be unless you pay for it they will tell you eat flesh you must not at such and such times but if you will pay for it you may they will tell you you must not sin by no meanes but if you will pay for it you may and have a pardon for i● when you have done such a one as they can give Oh I beseech you when ever any make use of Religion to get money by take heed of them saith the Apostle from those that make godliness a Trade to get money by withdraw thy self and know that godliness with contentment is great gain Doubtless godliness is the best Trade in the world if closely followed but the worst if worldlily followed but to take up a Profession of the Christian Religion meerly for pomp and state and to get gain oh ruefull is Christian Religion made use of for such ends as this Oh take heed therefore as ever you would stand fast in the Faith and hold fast the Profession thereof take heed of all and every sort of men that make use of Religion to get money by Secondly Take heed of the errour of the wicked lest you fall from your own stedfastness this advice you have from the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore believed seeing you know these things before beware lest you also being led away by the err● of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness the 〈◊〉 ●our of the wicked is like to make one as wic●● as they pray what was this errour of the wick●● it was this there were a generation of wicked men that said It was in vain to serve God for say they where is the promise of his coming onely Beloved it was as much as to say there were no reward for godliness nor no wages for ungodliness Oh take heed of this error of the wicked it is a wicked ●●rour and none but wicked ones hold it to wit The it is in vain to serve God therefore keep this still 〈◊〉 your hearts that Verily in keeping his Commandements there is great reward if there were no more but the very work it is a great honour to us that we may be servants to such a God but Beloved Be stedfast and unmoveable knowing that your la●●● shall not be in vain in the Lord. Mal. 3.13 there is the like instance Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet ye say what have we spoke● so much against thee this God is lwayes quarrelling with us and laying things to our charge what 〈◊〉 we said in the 14th Verse Ye s●id it is in 〈◊〉 serve God and what profit is it that we have kept 〈◊〉 Ordinances we have walked mournfully before 〈◊〉 Lord of Hosts and now we call the proud happy 〈◊〉 they that work wickedness are set up yea they 〈◊〉 tempt God are even delivered well now what 〈◊〉 lowes Then they that feared the Lord spake 〈◊〉 one to another as if they had said let not 〈◊〉 things take any thing off the edge of our affecti●● or quench any flame of our love did God ta●●●ny notice of this now that he had any such fri●● in the World yes saith he God hearkened and heard and a Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name and they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spares his own Son that serves him there is a time a coming the day will declare whether it be best serving God or the Devil well then Beloved as ever you would hold fast the Profession of your Faith take heed of the errour of the wicked never think it vain to serve God though you may loose by it for if you loose for him ye shall never loose by him Thirdly Would you hold fast the Profession of your Faith then lay up the word of Faith in a good and honest heart Luke 8.15 It is said there of the good ground they are they which having heard the Word keep it or hold it fast where do they lay it up now in a good and honest heart so that you must pull out his heart before that you can pull out the Word and will any man suffer his heart to be torn from him you will never hold it fast till you lay i● up in a good and honest heart if it be onely in the hands of a Bible is in your hands or in the head it will be gone but if it be in your hearts you will never let it go therefore observe saith he Having heard it they keep it and hold it fast in an honest and good heart and b●ing forth fruit with patience they had a great deal of sufferings to bring forth with patience for if they were not under suffering what 〈◊〉 were there of patience Well Beloved con●●●●● a little further as to this the connexion between the Verse preceding the Text and the Text saith he Let us draw near 〈◊〉 a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled with an evil Conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith the purity of the heart is the best preservative of the Faith 1 Tim. 3.9 holding the mystery of the Faith in a pure Conscience a good and honest heart will never part with the mystery of Faith Lastly Would you hold fast the Profession of your Faith then look much to and often consider Jesus Christ the Authour and finisher of your Faith David had got the faculty of walking with God and how was it saith he I will keep thy loving kindness before mine eyes that I may walk with thee Oh if we do but keep the loving kindness of God in Jesus Christ before our eyes we shall certainly keep the Faith saith the Apostle Having a High Priest over the House of God let us draw near and let us hold fast a High Priest that is Jesus Christ our great High Priest Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren be partakers of the Heavenly Calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Professi●● Christ

shake his Kingdom about his ears Sathan and Antichrist know that their Kingdom must down by the power and light of the Gospel and therefore Sathan and men of an Antichristian spirit do all they can to oppose and shew their hatred against the everlasting Gospel and this makes them to be in such a rage against the Gospel Quare 2. When the Gospel goes from a People what goes I shall give but a touch here 1 When the Gospel goes Peace Plenty and Trading goe 2 Chron. 15.3.5 and 6. compared Now for a long season Israel had been without the true God and without a teaching-Priest Why They had Priests but they were Jeroboam's Priests as you may see Chap. 13. ver 9. Have you not cast out the Priests of the Lord the Sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you Priests after the manner of the Nations of other Lands so that whosoever comes to consecrate himself with a young Bullock and 7 ●ams the same may be a Priest of them that are no Gods A little business will buy a Priesthood and so they are said to be without the true God without a teaching Priest and without Law Mark what follows And in those times there was no pence to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countrey and Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City for God did vex them with all adversity 2 Safety and security goes when the Gospel goes so in the Text but now cited The Ark was taken away and when that was taken away their strength and safety was gone When the Jews rejected the Gospel the Romans came and took away both their Place and Nation John 11.48 If we let him thus alone the Romans will come and take away both our place and Nation About fourty years after Titus Vespatian took away their City they cryed If we let this man alone the Romans will take away our Nations And this was the ready way to bring the Romans upon them 3 When the Gospel goes Civil Liberty goes When the Jews sleighted the Gospel and turned their backs upon it they quickly became Bondslaves to the Romans 4 When the Gospel goes the honour and glory splendour and beauty of a Nation goes It is the Gospel that is the honour and glory of a Nation and when that goes all the glory goes As old Eli said When the Ark was taken away the glory is departed from Israel 1 Sam. 4.22 Jer. 2.11 12 13. Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods but my People have changed their glory for that which doth not profit that is the Worship of God into the Traditions of men Wh●t is it that lifts up one Nation above another but the Gospel Above all Nations of the Earth England hath been lifted up to Heaven 5 When the Gospel goes all soul-happiness and blessedness goes The Gospel you know is the means appointed by God to bring Souls to an acquaintance with Christ to an acceptance of Christ to an interest in Christ to an assurance that he is theirs and they are his Now when this goes all soul-happiness and blessedness goes Lastly When the Gospel goes the special presence of God goes for that still goes with the Gospel There is a general presence of God as the Psalmist speaks Psal 139. Where shall I go from thy Spirit Whither shall I fly from thy presence I his presence of God reacheth from Heaven to Hell in that sense God is included in no place not excluded out of any place But alas What is this general presence When the Gospel goes the special presence of God goes This leads me by the hand to the third Quaery Quaerie 3. And that is this Whether God will remove the Gospel from England or no It is the fears of many but I humbly suppose no Whatsoever Darkness may be upon it yet that God will not remove it and if you please I will offer a few things that signifie something as to my own satisfaction and it may be so to you 1 The rooting that it hath got in the hearts of sinners and Saints in the Judgment Affections and Consciences both of Sinners and Saints Certainly it hath got so deep a root in the hearts of many thousands of Saints and Sinners that it shall not be in the power of Hell to raze it out 2 The glorious Anointings that are to be found upon many thousands of God's Servants in this Nation to preach the everlasting Gospel and who would be glad to preach upon the hardest terms keeping God and a good Conscience to preach it freely as the Apostles of old did And certainly God hath not laid in this Treasure that it should be turned into a heap of Confusion but that it should serve to the end for which he laid it in 3 The ineffectualness of all former Attempts and Designs to destroy the Gospel You know what endeavours of old there hath been to darken this Sun to put out the light of Heaven in the Marian days and in other days since them and yet it hath not been in Prisons Racks Flames Pillories nor any thing else to extinguish the glory of it And then 4 All Designs and Attempts to extinguish the everlasting Gospel have turned to the advancement flourishing and spreading of the Gospel 5 God never takes away the Gospel from a People till the Body of that People have thrust the everlasting Gospel from them when indeed they have been so bold as to thrust away the everlasting Gospel God hath been severe unto them But till the Body of a People have thrust away the everlasting Gospel God hath not taken it away from them 2 Chornicles the 36. Chapter and the fifteenth verse to the end God sent his Messengers early and late they abused and sleighted and scorned them till there was no remedy So in the 35. of Jeremiah from the first to the twelfth it is a famous Text for this So in the thirteenth Chapter of the Acts and the 45 46 and 47 Verses Because you have thought your selves unworthy of Salvation loe we turn to the Gentiles Till the Jews came to thrust away the everlasting Gospel the Lord continued it to them 6 The spreading of the everlasting Gospel is the special means appointed by God for the destruction of Antichrist First he is to be consumed by the Spirit of his Mouth then destroyed by the brightness of his coming the Spirit of Faith and Prayer in them that would be willing to lay down any thing rather then part with the Gospel God will not put his blessed Church to the blush he will not make them ashamed of their confidence 7 Are there not multitudes of the Children of Believers that fall under many Promises and will not God make good his Engagements to them I will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your Seed and the Seed of the Vpright shall be blessed

Cure so there can be no sweeter peace then when mercy and peace meet together and when Conscience and Pe●ce kisleth each other The former is the tast of Heaven the latter is the perambulation of Heaven both which the Believer shares in upon his Justification by Faith If Christ had peace who was made our sin● needs must the Believer have peace who is made the righteousness of God in him Secondly Sanctifying grace has a peace attending it and this peace differs from the former as the root from the fruit The peace of Justification is a radical peace the root of peace but the peace of Sanctification is the Bud the Blossom of the Tree The former flows from the Bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience the latte● from the conformity that is between the Word and Will between the Commands and the Conscience As many as walk according to this Rules grace be unto them and peace Gal. 6.16 So that peace is the frui of sanctifying grace Now as the bloud of the Paschal Lamb which was a token of peace was not to be struck on the Posts of the Egyptians but upon the Posts of the Israelites so neither is the bloud of sprinkling which brings perfect peace to be struck on the posts of the carnal sinner but on the post of the true Believer an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guil no grace no peace that is God's Law How can a sinner have peace in a state of sin when God and Conscience when Word and Conscience when Law and Conscience and all the Attributes of God are against the sinner No peace saith my God to the wicked Pray mark that Chapter it begins with peace and ends in no peace In vers 2. it 's said He shall enter into peace that is the Righteous In the last verse There is no peace to the wicked It 's the state of grace that 's the onely state of peace And thus I pass from the double grace desired grace and peace to the double Fountain discovered God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ But here 's a Question to be answered If Grace and Peace be from God the Father then how is it said to be from Christ and if from Christ how then from God the Father Answ It 's a known rule thar the transient exernal works of God are attributed to all the Three Persons in the Trinity the same Works that are attributed to the Father are also attributed to the Son and the same Works attributed to the Son the same also to the Father so grace and peace are here ascribed both to God the Father and to our Lord Jesus Christ that is they are both from mercy and from merit From mercy on God's part to us from merits on Christ's part for us They are from God the Father because he wills them to us from God the Son because he works them in us They are from God to Christ from Christ to us they are from God the Father originally and from Christ derivatively and to us actually God the Father is the Fountain of all grace and peace Christ as Mediator is the Conduit of all grace and peace Man in union to Christ is the Cistern into which these streams of grace and peace run God wills grace and peace to us and Christ works them in us God gives grace and peace to be applyed to the Creature this is from the love of the Father but the Application of this peace to the Soul is from the merit of Christ the Redeemer Thus you see there 's a double Spring of this double Blessing Time will not serve me further The onely Observation is That all the grace and peace which Believers share in is derived from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ these three things opened will clear this 1. That grace and peace are the Believer's priviledge 2. That the Fountain of this grace and peace is from God the Father 3. That it is not given out from God the Father but through Christ First That grace and peace are the Saints priviledge if grace is then peace is But grace is the priviledge of every Believer and that whether you look upon it as taken from the love and favour of God to us This is the Believers priviledge God can as well forget Christ at his right hand as cease his love and favour to the Soul of a Believer The Believers Title to all their blessings arises out of this never-failing love of God or if you take grace for the fruit of God's love to the Soul still it falls to the Believers priviledge Vocation Justification Adoption Pardon of Sin purging from Sins strength against Sin Holiness Love Faith Obedience Perseverance all these are the priviledges of every Believer nay a man cannot be a Believer without any one of them they are as essential to the being of a Christian as reason to the being of a man Secondly as grace so peace is the Believers priviledge There is peace Eternal peace Supernal peace Internal and peace External There is peace External this is peace with Men There is peace Supernal that is peace with God There is peace Internal that is peace with Conscience All these three are to be had upon Earth and then there 's peace Eternal and that is onely to be had in Heaven The Apostle here doth not exclude the former but chiefly intends the latter Peace with man is a good thing to be 〈◊〉 but peace with God and Conscience is 〈…〉 to be desired Peace with God is the 〈…〉 things both within and without both below and above both in time and Eternity so says Job If he gives peace who then can make trouble Now this peace is the Saints priviledge It is a Legacy left to every Believer by the last Will and Testament of a dying Redeemer Will you see a Copy of his Will then look in John 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the World giveth give I unto you There is it seems a peace in the Worlds power to give and there 's a peace of Christ's bestowing Now Christ would have us here not to mistake the World's peace for his for the difference is very great for first the World's peace is a false peace it is a counterfeit Coyn it has not the currant stamp of Heaven on it but the peace that Christ gives to a Believer is true peace and perfect peace Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee Secondly the Worlds peace is an outward peace It is but skin-deep it wets the mouth cannot wash the heart Prov. 14.13 In laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness The Worlds peace is but the shell of peace their Conscience lowres when their countenance laughs but the Peace that Christ gives is an inward and spiritual peace Psal 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time

changed your hearts renewed grace ratified and reconciled and your Conscience quieted How can you think of these things but must admire the love of the Father in giving this to you and the love of the Son in purchasing this for you All the grace and mercy that is given to us is by Christ purchased for us Grace and Peace are fruits of the redeeming bloud of Christ purchased Secondly Do not envy the conditions or possessions of the men of the world they have Riches and Honours Prosits and Pleasures but they neither have Grace nor Peace Therefore do not envy their happiness There is a story of a Romane that was condemned by the Court-Martial to die for breaking his ranke to steal a bunch of Grapes and as he was going to his Execution his fellow Souldiers laughed at him and others envyed at him that he should have Grapes and they none Now sayes he do not envy me for my bunch of Grapes for you would be loth to have them at the rate I must pay for them My Brethren You that are the Children of Grace and peace don't envy at the men of the world at their Riches their Comforts their Pleasures for I am sure you would be loth to have them at the price they pay for them for the end of these things are Death Thirdly Don't complain of the worst condition that the Providence of God shall cast you into in this world it may be you shall suffer hard things but remember so long as thy soul is secure never complain of hard things My Brethren As God your Father brought you into a state of Grace and Peace and thereby secured his love to your souls in Christ can you complain of hard things So let the joy of the Lord be your strength Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and again I say Rejoyce Phil. 4.4 The second Use is to such as have neither Gra●s nor Peace May I not say I speak to many such● I would I might not Are there not many that are without Grace and therefore must needs be without Peace They may have the world's peace but they have none of this Peace let me beg of you to get out of this graceless condition if you love your Souls don't live one day nor one hour nor one moment longer in a graceless state Oh that you would believe the words of a dying man for so I am to you and such words use to be remembred Oh remember this as a Testimony I leave with you that the love of Sin and lack of Grace will ruin and destroy every Soul at last But you will say How shall I get a share in this grace and peace I answer First Break off all your f●lse peace we can never have true peace with God when we content our selve with false peace you will never seek that peace which Christ hath purchased for you while you content your selves with that cursed peace which the Old man has wrought in you Oh therefore break off all false peace which is not the fruit of Grace Secondly Labour to see and be convinced of the miserable and of the naked condition your Souls be in for want of the righteousness of Christ for a covering without this oh Soul thou art miserable wretched poor and naked Be convinced also what a miserable thing it is to have God our Enemy God is the sinners Enemy it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Oh be convinced of thy nakedness without Christs righteousness and thy emptiness without his fulness Thirdly Labour to go out of your selves to Christ for grace and peace surely in the Lord shall one say I have righteousness and strength I there it 's to be found Labour for a thirsty frame of Soul for the promises run farr to such that he will fill the hungry with good things Go to Christ oh Soul begg pray never leave God till he hath given thee an interest in Christ for none can come to me except the Father draw him there is no pardon for the least sin out of Christ but there is pardon for the greatest sin in Christ one sin will damn the Soul out of Christ but no sin can hurt the Soul in Christ Oh go to Christ Soul never give rest to thy eyes nor slumber to thy lids till thou hast made peace with God in the bloud of Christ one sting of the fiery Serpent was mortal without looking upon the brazen Serpent So one sin will damn a Soul out of Christ but no sin can damn a Soul in Christ Thirdly To such as have grace but no sense of peace this is the counsel I would leave with all such Be much in the exercise of grace pray much believe much use grace much for the exercise and improving of grace will produce peace There are ten duties which are to be the sphere of grace in activity and in performing of them we shall have peace First make Religion your business the main design of your lives be Christians to purpose be not only Christians by the bye but let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ. Phil. 1.27 Secondly Put forth renewed Acts of Faith 〈◊〉 Christ every day and remember it 's as much your duty to believe in Christ to day as if you had never believed before Oh live by Faith every day and this will bring peace to you Thirdly Maintain a constant Communion with God daily this Communion with God is man● chief good the happiness of a Child is in communion with his Father and the happiness of 〈◊〉 Wife is in communion with her Husband and this is the happiness of a Believers Soul communion with God the Father through Christ our Head and Husband The seed of peace its true it is low● in the Soul in Union but then it takes root downward and brings forth fruit upward Spiritual peace will never be obtained if communion with God be not maintained that gives comfort in the midst of all sorrows and satisfies all doubts and reco●pences all wants Lo this is the fruit of communion with God Fourthly Be good at all times but of all best in bad times many Christians lose their peace by remitting of their grace and let loose their reins of Religion to avoid the censures of a crooked generation A Christians zeal should be like the Winter fire that burns the hottest when the Air is coolest or like the Lilly that looketh beautiful though among Thorns so should a Child of God though among sinners Fifthly In all conditions chuse sufferings rather then sinning If ever you would have peace choose suffering rather then sinning he that value●● peace with God or peace with Conscience he must make this his choyce thus Daniel rather chose to be cast●o Lions then to lose the peace of his Conscience the three Children chose rather to burn in the Furnace then bow to the Image One said He would rather go to Hell free from sin

when as they who stand fast do even force a good Testimony from their Enemies So it was the unhappy chance of Cranmer the Papists did perswade him to subscribe and did he get any honour by it No truly they did upbraid him and reproach him and so he had dyed in a raving condition had not the Lord been merciful to him I remember a speech of St. Austin about drinking of Healths Oh! say they 't is upon the King's Birth-day and we cannot avoid it If we deny it say they we shall be reproached and scorned of men He gives them many Answers to it but one as I remember was this God will so work that if you will not comply with them they in their hearts will honour you and whereas if you did comply with them they would dishonour you and say you are base spirited That is one thing of this Point that keeping close to Jesus Christ will get you this Reward you shall walk with him in the white of honour they shall walk in the white of honour with his People and it may be with the World too 2 They shall walk in white in the white of peace and joy and inward comfort I shewed you in the opening of the Text how the Scripture calls that walking in white Then the Point is this What ever becomes of the other white of honour in the World they shall be sure of this that abundance of peace and joy and comfort shall possess their souls that keep their garments white they shall walk in the inward white of joy and peace with Jesus Christ and this is a blessed Reward Indeed now this joy this white of joy arises in the Soul three ways 1. From the Testimony of their own Consciences Oh! they who have a good Testimony from their own Consciences walk in white 2 Cor. 1.12 We have this for our rejoycing the Testimony of our Consciences that in all simplicity and godly sincerity we have our conversation in Heaven that is walking in white this is our rejoycing our Conscience speaks well of us and kindly to us and who is able to express the sweetness of this thing None can know what this is but they that have it as it is said of the New Name written upon the white Stone Rev. 2 1● 'T is a thing beyond expression what the joy an● peace of a good Conscience is Now this I say that our white Garments and our walking in white ariseth from the Testimony of our Consciences 2. As from the Testimony of our Consciences so from that Testimony which is greater than out Consciences the Spirit the shedding abroad of Divine Love thus it is with those that do not defile their Garments but endure any thing rather then defile their Garments Rom. 5.3 4 5. And not onely so but we glory in Tribulations knowing Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed and whence was all this because of the Holy Ghost which was given to us this causeth joy unspeakable The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God This Witness doth cause wonderful joy much more then the witnesses of our own Consciences 3. This ioy doth arise from that well-grounded hope which that Soul hath that keeps himself clean hope of enjoying Heaven at last hope of future glory is our present joy Rom. 5.2 By whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand and joyce in hope of the glory of God Now they who keep their Garments white have good ground of hope of the love of God therefore this must needs cause them to walk comfor ably as they who have this hope purifie themselves so they who purifie themselves have good ground of this hope and therein great cause to rejoyce Pet. 1.5 6. Who are kept by the power of God brough Faith unto Salvation ready to be revealed in ●e last times wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for 〈◊〉 season if need be ye are in heaviness through many emptations We walk in white in the hope we have of that In●eritance Now lay these three things together ●f they who keep their Garments undefiled have ●he Testimony of their own Consciences and the ●estimony of the Spirit shedding the Love of God ●n their hearts and a well-grounded hope of fu●ure ●lory how can it be but these must walk in white ●ith Jesus Christ that is in comfort and joy of ●e Spirit and of their own spirits Thus David walked he had abundance of joy up●n the Conscience of his own integrity and keeping his heart and hands clean from those iniquities ●is enemies charged him with Ps 3. The Lord shall ●udge his people Judge me O Lord according to my ●ighteousness and according to mine integrity that is in ●●e He appeals to the Lord the Lord shall judge ●is people Judge me O Lord according to my ●ighteousness Thus he appeals to God himself he ●ad so much confidence and his heart gave him ●hat he kept himself from those iniquities So Job walkt in white though his Friends blackt him exceedingly yet he walked in white in his Conscience Job 16.19 Behold my Witness is in Heaven and my Record is on high I have not onely a Witness in my Conscience but my Witness is above He walked in white notwithstanding all his afflictions from God and his Friends Hezekiah walkt in this white when death 〈◊〉 him in the face Lord thou knowest I have we upright with thee I need not stay in the proof of the thing let 〈◊〉 make some Use and Improvement of it Vse Is this blessed reward to those who ke●● their garments white to walk in the white of peac● and joy then here we see the happiness of all tho●● who are true to Christ and his wayes Psal 119. ● Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in th● Law of the Lord. 'T is just in the Language of 〈◊〉 Text they indeed shall walk in white it is a grea● part of our blessedness to have peace of conscience and inward joy Oh how much better is it that the peace and joy of this world and the comforts of this world Prov. 15.13 A merry heart or as another Translation saith A good Conscience and indeed a merry heart and a good Conscience do but one explain the other a merry heart or a good Conscience is a continual Feast Here is no● surfeiting in this feast but a continual Musick co●tinual joy and comfort oh how blessed are the● who are undefiled in the way That which Christ said of the Lilly Solomon 〈◊〉 all his glory was not arrayed like one of these so may I say of the Lilly-white soul that keeps himself white in the world who keeps himself white i● matter of practice and worship Solomon in all 〈◊〉 glory was not arrayed like one of these Lilly-white ones Oh the Rivers of Consolations that flow to them that keep themselves out of

the pudd●●● of this world If you keep your selves from the puddles of the world from the dung of the wo●● ye shall have Rivers of joy flowing into your souls I may say to all such as Solomon saith Eccles 11.9 Go thy way it is a familiar speaking to them Go thy way blessed soul eat thy bread with joy though the world feed thee with the bread of adversity and though the world give thee nothing but the water of affliction yet let thy garments be alwayes white though the world cloath thee in mourning and cause thee to prophesie in sackcloth with the Witnesses yet be of good comfort O Lilly-white soul for God now accepteth thy works now drink thy Wine with a merry heart thy labour thy ambitious labour is that whether present or absent thou mayest be accepted of him thou hast the fruits of thy labour the Lord accepts thy works therefore rejoyce in it Here is the happiness to those who keep themselves clean from a defiled and a defiling world 2. This Point gives us an account why the servants of Christ stand so strictly upon their terms with the world even while some call it peevishness others ignorance others wilful stubbornness What is the reason The reason is because they understand in some measure and have had experience in some measure what it is to walk with Christ in white and it hath left such a relish upon their souls that they would not lose it for all the dainty morsels of this world they had rather indeed walk with Christ in white then walk with the world in scarlet therefore they must stand upon their terms Prov. 10.32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable The lips are instruments of Speech not faculties of knowledge Ay but 〈◊〉 is a great deal of commerce and converse be●●●● the Speech and the Understanding and a rig●●ous man will speak nothing with his lips but w● he understands therefore he is said to understa●● The lips of the righteous know what is accepta●●● To whom The lips of the righteous know what is 〈◊〉 ceptable to God for they are acquainted with 〈◊〉 Rule and God hath shewed them his Coven●● he hath shewed them the pattern of his House a●● the way of his Worship now because they a●● pretty well skilled and know what is acceptab● to God therefore they will run any hazard undergo any affliction rather then do any thing that will not please God or be hurtful to their own consciences they are afraid of losing their peace and comfort and joy with God therefore they will not let go the wayes of God as Job saith Job 27.6 I 〈◊〉 hold fast my integrity and my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live as if he had said You my friends have reproached me but I am resolved my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live The Heart or Conscience is a busie faculty and hath many offices it records what we do and come as a witness the Conscience is judge of what 〈◊〉 do and accordingly reproves what we do am●● therefore saith Job I 'le take care of this I am more afraid of the report of conscience then of any m● whatsoever therefore I will not do any thing 〈◊〉 may cause my conscience to reproach me as 〈◊〉 as I live This is upon the heart of Gods peop●● they are resolved let men reproach and rail aga●● them as much as they will their hearts shall not reproach them 3. In the third place let it be a word of Caution and Admonition to all at this day to take heed of defiling their garments If you defile your garments Christ will pronounce another sentence he will pronounce a sentence against you he hath threatnings for those who defile their garments in the place of rewards for those who keep them clean They who defile their garments shall walk in garments of black in the black of dishonour as Job saith I walk all day mourning without the Sun the Sun of righteousness shall not shine upon them Oh what bitter and sowre things have many tasted for defiling their garments when for favour of men or to please men they have stained their own garments What sad bitter things hath been upon them how hath conscience risen up against them Oh take heed of the After-claps of conscience I may say take heed of the Thunder-claps of conscience for they will come upon you one time or other if you defile your garments As they who to please men defile their garments often fall into their displeasure whose favour they sought so oftentimes such fall into displeasure with themselves or to be sure they shall at last there is many a one lives under the dis-favour of his own conscience many a one that his conscience will not give him a good word or good look whence hath it been they have defiled their garments They who venture to do things displeasing to God shall not long be pleasing to themselves The story speaks of Francis Spira that to plea● men to save an estate he defiled his garments● and he presently fell into rebuk of himself and lived under the rebuke of his Conscience a long time Job 8.15 speaks of the Hypocrite ● his hope shall be cut off The word signifies to loath so some translate it His hope shall be a loathing to him he shall loath his hope There is a two-fold loathing First a loathing to repentance that is a gracious loathing a loathing our selves for our sins against God And there is a loathing of despair and that is the loathing there meant the Hypocrite shall loath his own hope that is he shall loath it despairingly 'T is an affliction to be loathed by men but 't is a dreadfull judgement to be loathed of our selves despairingly this is the suburbs of hell for this will be the portion of the damned for ever for their vanity for their madnesse 't is next to the Regions of Hell for their worm dyeth not and that is the worm of Conscience Oh therefore take heed Conscience may be silent yea it may flatter for a time but when Conscience is provok'd it will speak yea thunder There is no such thundering-Preacher in the world as Conscience is The Thundering of Mount Sinai is not like the thundering of our Conscience Fourthly and lastly Let it be for Exhortation and incouragement for Christ here makes it an incouragement so let this be an incouragement to keep our garments undefiled the remembrance that we shall walk with him in white in the white of peace● and joy in this world Who would not walk in th●● white Who would not be among those who keep their garments white in the midst of a defiled and defiling world Let me give you but a three-fold Consider●aion to stir you up to an exceeding Exactness and Carefulnesse not to defile your garments seeing there is such a reward promised such a Habit of White promised as this

them by the Scriptures and judge what foundation and warrant they have from the Scriptures and accordingly receive them or receive them not It is observable in 1 Thes 5. When the Apostle sayes Despise not Prophesyings in the next words he sayes Prove all things and hold fast that which is good as if he should say Though I would not have you despise Prophesying and Preachers yet I would not have you to take things upon trust in matters of Religion but prove all things and hold fast that which is good 3. If you would be able to hold fast the truths that you have heard and received get a clear and distinct and certain knowledge of what is truth that which you would hold fast get a clear assured knowledge that it is the truth of God 2 Tim. 3.14 Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of if a man would continue in the things that he hath learned he must be assured of them that they are the truths of God But how shall a man be assured that such and such things are the truths of God He may know this first by the consonancy of them to the word of God secondly by the power of them on his own heart to convince or humble and quicken it 4. If you would be inabled to hold fast the truths you have heard and received then get a high valuation and esteem of the truths of God Such as David had Psal 119.12 The Law of thy mouth is better unto me then thousands of Gold and Silver Better in it self all the Gold and Silver in the world all the riches in the world will never do a man so much good as that and better in my estimation I value it more I had rather part with all then with the Word A man that is of this mind he will hold fast the truth Oh that there were such a heart in every one of you as to say The words of Gods mouth they are better then Estate and better then liberty and better then Wife and Children if there were such a heart in us this would inable us to hold fast the truths of God and part with all rather then them 5. If you would hold fast the truth that you have received and heard then make conscience to practice according to what you know make conscience to obey the truths of God obedience is the sinue of constancy Christ saith Luke 6.44 Whosoever heares these Sayings of mine and doth them he is like a man which built his House and digged deep and laid the foundation upon a Rock and when the flood arose and the streams beat vehemently upon that House it could not shake it Mark ye it could not be shaken the conscionable practical hearer and receiver of the truth of God he is the man that is like to hold out and to hold fast the Word he that hath been a careless hearer and never made conscience to hear for obedience and practice he is blown over presently it is a sad passage I have met with in that Reverend man Mr. Hildersham and to me it seems to have much weight in it What hopes sayes he can we have of many of our hearers in England who are willing to give the World a hearing and outwardly profess it but what hope can we have but that if a time of triall come they will turn Papists or profain or any thing for they never loved the Word when they heard it and they never obeyed the Word but lived in known sins they take up a form of godliness and hate the power of it what hope but that if a time of tryal come these will fall from the truths 6. If you would be able to hold fast the truth that you have heard and received then take heed of receiving the least truth of God take heed I say of knowing and willing forsaking the least truth and knowing and willing giving way to the least errour as the committing of the least sin may render a man abominable unto God as you find in Levit. 11.43 You shall not make your selves abominable with any creeping thing that is with the eating of any creeping thing Now this was one of the least Commandements that God gave out for the not eating of such and such things and yet by transgressing this the people might make themselves abominable the committing of the least sin may make a man abominable to God so the embracing of the least errour and the forsaking of the least truth may make a man abominable to God the least truth forsaken knowingly and the least errour imbraced knowingly becomes a great sin and a little errour makes way for a greater if once a man gives way to one errour a thousand will follow after If we would hold fast the whole body of truth we must take heed we forsake not the least truth if we forsake God and his truths whether in lesser matters or greater and if we turn back again to Popery and conform to the Papists in lesser matters saith Mr. Hildersham know of a certainty that Popery shall return again 7. If you would hold fast the truths you have heard and received then shun all such persons as would go about to draw you off from the truth of God shun all Seducers confer not with them have nothing to do with them and their wayes Prov. 19.27 Cease my Son to hear the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge thou hast been instructed in the words of knowledge and if any would instruct thee otherwise and seek to draw thee off from the words of truth and knowledge have nothing to do with them Cease my Son to hear the Instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge Now my Brethren this advice I judge to be the more seasonable because it is in my apprehension that this present providence of God in taking off at one stroak so many of his Servants that have indeavoured in uprightness of heart to instruct you and the People of God from this work it is on my heart to think and fear this will give a great advantage to Seducers to seek to corrupt you and draw you off from the truth to their party When the Shepheards are smitten there is a great opportunity given to the Foxes and Wolves to make a prey of the flock when God makes it dark and night then all the Beasts of the Forrest do creep out as the Psalmist saith Psal 104.20 When there is a hight and Cloud on the Ordinances of God then all the Be●sts of the Forrest will go forth many will undertake to be your instructors and say here is Christ and there is Christ but believe them not remember the things that you have heard and received and hold them fast ce●se from the instructions of those that would turn you aside 8. And lastly If you would be able to hold fast the truths of God then commend your selves and

is the season for God to feed him with heavenly Manna Jacob had glorious Visions while he was flying from the wrath of his Brother when he had nothing but a heap of stones for his Pillow It was in the wilderness that God speakes to his Church Thus I told you of Mr. Glover a Prisoner who found no comfort in the time of his imprisonment but when he was going to the stake he cryed out He is come he is come meaning the Spirit the Comforter 4. Another Season of Comfort is after some special exercise of Grace godly sorrow for sin fresh actings in the pardon of sin and new engagements and Resolutions and Promises of more close walking with God after declining from him 5. Another Season of Comfort is After some great Trials and afflictions Light is then most pleasant when we new are come out of a dark place after Thunder comes Light●ing after a storme comes a calm God led his people first into the Wilderness and then into the Land of Canu●● 〈◊〉 is often so in God● Dispensations towards his people th●● greatest afflictions go before their greatest deliverance and therefore let not the Saints of God despair when they are at the lowest when they walk in darkness and see no light yet set them trust in the Lord. 6 Another Season of Comfort is When men are conscientiously diligent in their particular Callings then they walk with God To this I gave you an instance in the Shepherds they were faithful and diligent in their callings they were watching over their flocks by night and then the Angel comes and tells them Lo you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Luk. 2.11 A company of poor Shepherds keeping of their Sheep God appears unto them and manifesteth his comforting presence when the Scribes and Pharisees notwithstanding all their long prayers and their strict Rites and Ceremonies hear not a word of him 7 Another Season of Comfort is When we are either preparing for or in the spiritual act of some duty When grace is exercised to prepare the heart to pray and in attendance upon such an Ordinance then often times the Spirit of God is with them to let poor souls in their endeayours find acceptance with God Hannah had been praying to God but what melody did she find in her heart When Mary sate at Christs feet how doth Christ fill her heart with comfort sealing up her salvation to her I now come to close with some application Use of Information Use If it be the work of the Spirit of God to comfort the bea● of Christs Disciples then by way of Information I gather this That a poor soul is very hardly setled and satisfied in 〈◊〉 of comfort Sure it is a hard matter to comfort a poor 〈◊〉 when one of the persons of the blessed Trinity must be ●●ployed on purpose to do it This is an Office belong●●● the Holy Ghost when he is to be the Paraclete the com●●● of the Holy Ghost This sure is a hard matter to com●●● the wounded spirit when the soul is fully 〈…〉 spir●● 〈◊〉 bondage Oh! the hesitancies the jealousies the do●●● and fears the objections that a poor soul makes against 〈◊〉 spiritual peace and comfort now it begins to take comfort then it doubts again now he believeth and takes courage but anon he is afraid there is a great deal adoe to fasten comfort upon a poor soul 2 Cor. 1.21 22. What a heap of words are there together and it is all little enough to comfort a poor soul Now he that establisheth us with you on Christ and hath annointed us is God and hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts It is not without much tugging and drawing that the soul is first brought to beleeve and then when it doth believe it is a hard thing to perswade it that it doth believe There is a strange kind of squemishness upon the heart he thinks that there is no comfort to be taken that doth belong to him Luther says It is a harder thing to comfort a troubled Conscience than to raise the dead Surely it must be as hard when nothing but the sau●● power must do it The soul is hardly convinced but all the glad ridings of the Gospel are golden streams and all the Promises are 〈◊〉 pleasant Fancies without any Reality but that these things should belong to him this he cannot believe for want of Faith So that the Spirit of God is fain to come in and end the controversie before the soul will be satisfied 2. If it be the work of the Spirit of God to comfort the hearts of his people then all the comfort of Christless and graceless souls is nothing worth there is no true peace for they are not the Disciples of Christ which are the prop●● subjects of this comfort they will not hearken to 〈◊〉 nor learn of Christ but they cast his words behind their back and break his bands a sunder Those that do not learn Christs precepts and follow Christs Canons and obey Christs Commands they are none of Christs Disciples and to be sure they have not the 〈◊〉 of Christ which is the Efficient ●n this 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the root there cannot be the fruit for this inward peace 〈◊〉 the fruit of the spirit And therefore what comfort they have it is either a sinful comfort which to be sure will end in sorrow or else at best it is but a carnal comfort which wil soon vanish like the crackling of thorns under a Pot There is no peace saith God to the wicked there is no peace with God as long as you are at peace with sin 3. Here they are stumbled with the riddle that the people of God should be sorrowing yet always rejoycing as sorrowing yet always rejoycing the carnal world think this to be a contradiction though they be troubled without yet they have peace within though they have matter of sorrow in respect of outward affliction yet they have fellowship with the holy Ghost the Comforter which gives peace in affliction joy in sorrow light in darkness which fils them with joy unspeakable and full of glory Secondly If the holy Ghost be the only Comforter of the hearts of Gods people then let me exhort every one of you to labour for an interest in this Comforter Friends I beseech you be restless till you have got some evidence of the Comforter in your souls by the inhabitation of the Spirit in your hearts without you have an interest in Christ there is no comfort no true comfort to be expected no comfort in prosperity no comfort in adversity no comfort in life nor in death no peace with your consciences Men may make a shift to keep themselves at quiet for the present by lulling conscience they may have a kind of peace from a false principle Ah but what wil you do when storms arise wh●● wil you do

when death affliction comes Jonas lay quietly asleep till the storm came O my Friends we must shortly lie a dying the Lord knows how soon O what wil you do for comfort in a dying hour all other comforts may forsake you before that time you may meet with sorrow heavy afflictions so that all your friends in the world wil not do you good your friends may fail your hearts may fail then no comfort but the comfort of the Holy Ghost will do you good the time may come that all your friends may pr●●●● miserable comforters when God comes to 〈◊〉 with the so●● to set sin home upon the conscience to lay sin before us then what will you do We are all guilty of sins of omission and sins of commission when these come to be changed upon the soul what will you then do Then no plaister of comfort wil stick but those of the Spirits laying on unless the Spirit seal up the pardon of sin the love of God to the soul nothing will be quiet and comfort the soul however men may be merry for a time yet there is a time of sorrow that will come when they shall reflect upon their ways when they shall see nothing but sin behind them and terrors before them Oh! what amazement will seize upon their souls they have no interest in God in Christ they have no interest in the Promises there is nothing that will comfort you unless you have an interest in the Spirit But then what shall I do that I may get this comforting Spirit into my Soul First Thirst earnestly after it The promise is made to those that thirst after it Isa 44.3 Thirst after him in his convincings in his humblings in his sanctifying mercy Oh let the desire and longing of thy soul run out this way no matter for an Estate no matter for friends and outward comforts if thou hast the Spirit of God thou hast that is paramount to all outward comforts Secondly Pray earnestly for the Spirit You are not so willing to give your children what they want as God is to give his Spirit to them that ask it Cry mightily Lord give me thy Spirit and cry to the Spirit and say as Laban to Jacob Come in so pray the Spirit so come into thy Soul Thirdly If you would have this Comforter to come and abide with you You must resolve to become Christs Disciples It is only for such that Christ prays that God would send the Comforter you must hearken and obey him and follow him wheresoever he goeth You know the terms upon which you must be Christs Disciple Matth. 16 24. He must deny himself and take up his Cross and daily follow Christ He 〈◊〉 deny him-self There is two selfs in a man nay three selfs and they must be denied but however 〈…〉 two must be denied if you intend to be Christs Disciple 1 A mans righteous self If any thing that we are that we have or can do from our works or duties any thing of our own all must be denied in point of Justification 2 Sinful self A mans corruptions must be denied pride passion and love to the world 3 Natural self Friends Estates Relations Credit and Honor and outward comforts these may be denied you may be called to part with them but if they come in competition with Christ they must be denied 2 You must take up the Cross of Christ rather then forsake his honour or disobey his commands You must resolve to follow Christ wheresoever he shall lead you either in a way of active or passive obedience you must take up Christs load you must undergo his burden Now Christians are you resolved upon this now sit down and consider what it will cost you to be Christians and if you would have the best you must be contented with the worst and if you are resolved upon this then you are the true Disciples of Christ and you are under the promise of his comfort and Christ is praying the Father to send you another Comforter who shall abide with you for ever The second use of Exhortation 2 Use Is of Exhortation wherein I shall apply my self to the true Disciples of Christ those that have had communion with Christ in his sanctifying presence labour after communion with him in his comforting presence To all others that are without the Spirit of God I may say as Jehu to Jehoram What hast thou to do with these things Labour to be convinced of the need and want of Christ but such as have been partakers of the Spirit of Christ as a sanctifying spirit labour after communion with him as a comforting spirit and to this end I shall stir you up to this 1 By way of Motive 2 By way of Comfort First By way of Motive Though you have some comsort it is but little in comparison of what you may have and in comparison of what you may stand in need of though a Saint would not change the saddest hour of his life for the sweetest hour in his former condition If the Saints of God did enjoy the comforts that they might oh what blessed lives might they live but they are so full of trouble as if there were no holy Ghost the Comforter The people of God are oftentimes troubled without a cause as that holy man Why art thou cast down oh my soul He could not render a true account of his trouble he was sad but he could not tell why or wherefore 2 When there is cause they are apt to be troubled without measure In those cases where it is a sin not to be troubled at all the people of God are apt to be troubled overmuch as the Israelites in their bondage in Egypt It were a sin for them not to be troubled but they were so full of troubles that they could not hearken to Moses and Aaron and so the Disciples in the Text it were a sin for them not to be troubled for the absence of Christs body but so to be troubled as if God could not comfort them without him this was their weakness And to come to our case it were a sin to slight this Dispensation of God that is coming upon us if we should not be troubled for the loss of the Ministers of Jesus Christ but to mourn before God under the sense of this Dispensation to mourn so much as to think that when these are gone all is gone to be so much troubled as not to hearken to the words of the Text That we have a Comforter I remember an admirable expression of a child to his mother when his father was dead to shew That out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings God can manifest his praise Why Mother says the child though my Father be dead yet God is alive May I not say so to you Though your Ministers be as it were naturally dead yet is not God alive is not the Spirit of God alive Though you have some

that Ring As if a man in a Pulpit should come to shew what a brave Scholler he is this is to over-value Reason 2. Do not under-value Reason We have had a strange fancy that if a man that could not read English would but come and talke and preach to us he was far more desirable then a Black-Coat that hath been at University and learnt his root there as they say you will be glad of such as these This Learning hath spoiled all the world do you not know how many Schollers are Atheists and their learning made them the worse c. This is not the fault of their Reason had they more Reason they would improve it better It is want of Reason that makes them not Crucifie their Lusts Because corrupt men many times reprove that which is good will you therefore cast it off 2. For the Matter of Pauls Preaching and here observe 1. 'T is suitable to his hearers Faelix was a Judge though a corrupt one and so he reasons of Righteousnesse He and his Whore lived in Adultery and so he preaches of Temperance of Judgement to come know God will call thee to judgement Hence observe The Gospel is then preached aright when suted to hearers hearts conditions constitutions A man in the Pulpit ought not to shoot at random Paul speaks ad rem to his hearers suitably tells them of Righteousnesse Temperance Judgement to come 2. Consider it with Relation to his Scope which was to bring them unto Christ and what doth hee do He Preaches Grace Mercy and Peace no not a word of that but Righteousness Temperance Judgment to come Paul was a convincing Preacher hee knows his way to bring home Faelix and Drusilla to Christ was first to convince them of their sin and the wrath of God due to sin The whole summe of Pauls preaching is a preaching by way of conviction Sin and misery must be preached for this end that it may bring men unto Christ wee must not make men half dead and there leave them but bring them to the Chirurgion all our conviction is only for this end that you might be brought to Christ by Grace to Glory 3. For the Effects of Pauls preaching Paul preached and Faelix trembled doth not Drusylla tremble 'T is more then probable shee brought Paul to preach there that Drusylla had a months mind to hear what he had to say but Faelix trembled Hence observe Those that are first in enjoying may be last in receiving the Gospel Drusylla was a yet turns a wicked Apostate yet when come to hear a Sermon her Heathenish Husband Faelix that served the Devil instead of God trembled but not she Back-sliding Professors from the Truth are infinitely farther from melting under the Gospel then profane sinners that never heard of it A man had far better go and preach to Heathens then Apostates Then for the words Faelix Trembled Why There was Righteousness prosecuted and convinced Judgement to come threatned against him Now his knees begin to smite together now the Writing on the Wall now Faelix trembles Oh! poor soul wouldst thou not tremble at the hearing of the Preaching of Judgement to come submit to the Judge before he come wouldst thou not have thy Judge to condemn thee then Let him be now thy King to Rule thy Prophet to instruct thy Priest to reconcile Would you avoid the terrour of a Judgement to come Accept of the offer of a Christ coming coming did I say Nay he is come already Do but lay your ear close to that third of the Revelations and the twentieth you shall hear your Judge knocking which brings mee to The one and twentieth Sermon Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voyce and open the Door I will come in to him and will Sup with him and he with mee THese are the words of our blessed Saviour words Coyned as it were for the close of the morning Exercise A continued metaphor wherein you have 1. An Important thing of weight intimated in that particle Behold 2. The state of men in the visible Church implied though they profess a Christ high thoughts of him and obedience to him yet many most of them keep their hearts shut against him behold I stand without at the door 3. Christs dealing or transaction with the poor Creatures for opening their hearts to him and that in four things 1. His standing waiting or dancing attendance on the soul and the place where I stand at the door 2. His earnest desire and importunity of entrance and knock 3. His call and Invitation for where a hearing is injoyned there must needs bee a calling implyed 4. The Argument or Motive he uses to perswade poor Creatures to let him in 1. Ab honesto If he will but open I will come in and take my abode An admirable thing to have such a Tennant 2. A Jucundo I will sup with him I will vouchsafe him fellowship and communion 3. He shall sup with mee There shall bee mutual fellowship between him and mee what I have shall be his and what he hath shall be mine we will walk love and lodge together I will lodge with him and he shall lodge with mee 4. To whom this invitation is made to every one all if any man or woman that ●ave sleighted my Ministers voyce months or years if 〈◊〉 he will open I will come in 5. The Sinners Duty and Interest 1. The opening the heart when Christ knocks that 's his duty because Christs Invitation is his command 2. His Interest because then Christ will come in c. The Doctrine was When Christ knocks and calls at the doors of our hearts 't is our Duty and Interest to open admit and let him in These two questions were proposed and prosecuted 1. When or now is Christ said to knock and call at the hearts of sinners 2. How sinners are said to hear and open 1. How is Christ said to knock and call at the hearts of sinners 1. If you regard the means whereby hee knocks i. e. by natural light of conscience within or by the light of the Ministry and Gospel without 2. If you regard the manner of Christs knocking or calling 't is either externally by the Word Ordinances Providences his Rod hath a voice as well as his Word or internally by the Spirit of God that accompanies that Word by the means of Grace by the motions of his Spirit 2. How are sinners said to hear his voice and open 1. For hearing it must not be an external but an internal hearing a hearing of the heart through the heart it must be a particular distinguishing hearing it must know the voice of Christ it must be a sensible an humble satisfying hearing 2. For opening it is either 1. Sp●●●al opening at first when the door is shut those everlasting doors are at first open to entertain the King of Glory in our first Conversion 2. Progressive i.