was trodden on on earth His advancement hath not made him forget his owne flesh though it hath freed him from passion yet not from compassion towards us The Lion of the Tribe of Iudah will onely teare in pieces those that will not have him rule over them Hee will not shew his strength against those that prostrate themselves before him What should we learn from hence but to come boldly to the throne of Grace in all our grievances Shal our sinnes discourage us when hee appeares there onely for sinners Art thou bruised Be of good comfort he calleth thee concoale not thy wounds open all before him keep not Satans counsell Go to Christ though trembling as the poore woman if wee can but touch the h◅m of his garment we shall be healed and have a gracious answer Goe boldly to God in our flesh for this end that wee might goe boldly to him he is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone Never feare to go to God since we have such a Mediatour with him that is not onely our friend but our brother and husband Well might the Angells proclame from Heaven Behold we bring you tidings of joy well might the Apostle stir us up to rejoice in the Lord againe and againe he was well advised vpon what grounds he did it peace and joy are two maine fruits of his Kingdome Let the world be as it will if we cannot rejoyce in the world yet wee may rejoyce in the Lord. His presence maketh any condition comfortable Bee not afraid saith hee to his Disciples when they were afraid as if they had seene a Ghost it is I as if there were no cause of feare where he is present Let this stay us when wee feele our selves bruised Christ his course is first to wound then to heale No sound whole soule shall ever enter into heaven think in temptation CHRIST was tempted for mee according to my tryalls will be my Graces and Comforts If CHRIST bee so mercifull as not to break me I will not breake my selfe by despaire nor yeeld my selfe over to the roaring Lyon Satan to break me in pieces Thirdly see the contrary disposition of CHRIST and Satan and his instruments Satan setteth upon us when we are weakest as Simeon and Levi upon the Si◅hemites when they were sore But CHRIST will make up in us all the breaches sinne and Satan have made hee bindes up the broaken hearted and as a mother tendreth most the most diseased and weakest childe so doth CHRIST most mercifully incline to the weakest and likewise putteth an instinct into the weakest things to rely upon something stronger than themselves for support The Vine stayeth it selfe upon the Elme and the weakest creatures have oft the strongest shelters The consciousnesse of the churches weaknesse makes her willing to leane on her beloved and to hide her selfe under his wing But how shall we know whether wee are such as those that may expect mercy By bruising here is not meant those that are brought low onely by crosles but such as by thē are brought to see their sinne which bruiseth most of all When conscience is under the guilt of sinne then every judgement brings a report of GODS anger to the soule and all lesser troubles runne into this great trouble of conscience for sinne As all corrupt humours runne to the diseased and bruised part of the body And as every Creditor falls upon the Debtor when hee is once arrested so when conscience is once awaked all former sinnes and present crosses joyne together to make the bruise the more painfull Now he that is thus bruised will be content with nothing but w th mercy frō him that hath bruised him he hath wounded and he must heale 2. Againe a man truly bruised judgeth sinne the greatest evill and the favour of God the greatest good 3. Hee had rather heare of mercy than of a kingdome 4. Hee hath meane conceits of himselfe and thinketh hee is not worth the earth hee treads on 5. Towards others he is not censorious as being taken up at home but is full of sympathy and compassion to those that are under GODS hand 6. He thinketh those that walke in the comforts of GODS Spirit the happiest men of the world 7. He trembleth at the word of God and honoureth the very feet of those blessed instruments that bring peace unto him 8. Hee is more taken up with the inward exercises of a broken heart than with formality and yet carefull to use all sanctifyed meanes to convey comfort But how shall we come to have this temper First we must conceive of bruising either as a state into which God bringeth us or as a duty to be performed by us both are here meant we must joyn with GOD in bruising of our selves when hee humbles us let us humble our selves and not stand out against him for then hee will redouble his strokes and let us justifie CHRIST in all his chastisements knowing that all his dealing towards us is to cause us to returne into our owne hearts his work in bruising tendeth to our worke in bruising our selves Let us lament our owne untowardnesse and say Lord what an heart have I that needs all this that none of this could bee spared Wee must lay siege to the hardnesse of our owne hearts and aggravate sinne all we can wee must looke on CHRIST who was bruised for us looke on him whom wee have pierced with our sinnes But all directions will not prevaile unlesse GOD by his Spirit convinceth us deeply setting our sinnes before us and driving us to a stand Then we wil make out for mercy Conviction will breed contrition and this humiliation Therefore desire GOD that hee would bring a cleere and a strong light into all the corners of our soules and accompany it with a spirit of power to lay our hearts low A set measure of bruising our selves cannot be prescribed yet it must be so farre as we may prize CHRIST above all and see that a Saviour must be had And secondly untill we reform that which is amisse though it be to the cutting off our right hand or pulling out our right eye There is a dangerous slighting of the worke of humiliation some alledging this for a pretence for their overly dealing with their owne hearts that CHRIST will not breake the bruised Reed But such must know that every sudden terrour and short griefe is not that which makes us bruised Reeds not a little hanging downe our heads like a Bulrush but a working our hearts to such a griefe as will make sinne more odious unto us than punishment Vntill we offer an holy violence against it else favouring our selves we make work for GOD to bruise us and for sharpe repentance afterwards It is dangerous I confesse in some cases with some spirits to press too much and too long this bruising because they may die under the wound and
Christs love and tender care over those that are humbled and besides the mercy that resteth in his owne brest hee workes the l◅ke impression in his Ministers and others to comfort the feeble minded and to beare with the weake Ministers by their calling are friends of the Bride and to bring Christ and his Spouse together and therefore ought upon all good occasions to lay open al the excellencies of Christ and amongst others as that hee is highly borne mighty one in whom all the treasures of wisedome are hid c so likewise gentle and of a good nature and of a gracious d◅sposition It cannot but cheere the heart of the spouse to consider in all her infirmities and miseries she is subject unto that shee hath a husband of a k◅nd disposition that knowes how to give the honour of milde usage to the weaker vessell That will be so farre frō rejecting her because she is weake that he will pity her the more And as hee is kinde at all times so especially when it is most seasonable he will speake to her heart especially in the wildernesse The more glory to God and the more comfort to a Christian soule ariseth from the beliefe and application of these things the more the enemy of Gods glory mans comfort labours to breed misperswasions of them that if hee cannot keepe men from heaven and bring them into that cursed condition he is in himselfe yet he may trouble them in their passage Some and none of the worst Sathan prevailes withall so farre as to neglect the meanes upon feare they should being so sinfull dishonour God and increase their sins so they lie smothering under this temptation as it were bound hand and foote by Sathan not daring to make out to Christ and yet are secretly upheld by a spirit of faith shewing it selfe in hidden sighes and groanes unto God These are abused by false representations of Christ all whose waies to such being wayes of mercy and all his thoughts thoughts of love The more Sathan is malicious in keeping the soule in darknesse the more care is to be had of establishing the soule upon that which will stay it Amongst other grounds to build our faith on as the free offer of grace to all that will receive it the gracious invitation of all that are weary and heauy lad◅n those that have nothing to buy withall The command binding to beleeve the danger of not beleeving being shut up prisoners thereby under the guilt of all other sinnes the sweet intreatie to beleeve and ordayning Embassadours to desire peace putting tender affections into them answerable to their calling ordaining Sacraments for the sealing of the covenant Besides these I say and such moving inducements this is one infusing vigor and strength into all the rest that they proceed from Christ a person authorized and from those bowels that moved him not only to become a mā but a curse for us hence it is that hee will not quench the smoaking wick or flax It addes strength to faith to consider that al expressions of love issue frō nature in Christ which is constant God knowes that as wee are prone to sinne so when conscience is throughly awaked wee are as prone to despaire for sinne and therefore hee would have us know that hee setteth himselfe in the Covenant of grace to triumph in CHRIST over the greatest evills and enemies we feare and that his thoughts are not as our thoughts are that he is God and not man that there is heights and depths and breadths of mercy in him above all the depths of our sin and misery that wee should never bee in such a forlorne condition wherein there should be ground of despaire considering our sinnes bee the sins of men his mercy the mercy of an infinite GOD. But though it be a truth cleerer then the Sunne beames that a broken hearted sinner ought to embrace mercy so strongly enforced yet there is no truth that the heart shutteth it selfe more against then this especially in sense of misery when the soule is fittest for mercy untill the Holy spirit sprinkleth the conscience with the blood of Christ and sheddeth his love into the heart that so the blood of Christ in the conscience may cry lowder then the guilt of sinne for onely Gods Spirit can raise the conscience with comfort above guilt because he is only greater then the conscience Men may speake comfort but it is Christs Spirit that can onely comfort Peace is the fruit of the lips but yet created to bee so No creature can take off wrath from the conscience but he that set it on though all the prevailing arguments be used that can bee brought forth till the Holy Ghost effectually perswadeth by a divine kinde of rhetoricke which ought to raise up our hearts to him who is the comforter of his people that he would seale thē to our soules Now God dealing with mē as understanding creatures the manner which he useth in this powerfull worke upon their consciences is by way of friendly entercourse as intreaty and perswasion and discovery of his love in Christ and Christs gracious inclination thus even to the weakest and lowest of men And therefore because hee is pleased by such like motives to enter into the heart and settle a peace there we ought with reverence to regard all such sanctified helpes and among the rest this of making use of this comfortable description of Christ by God the Father in going boldly in all necessities to the throne of grace But wee must know this comfort is onely the portion of those that give up themselves to Christs government that are willing in all things to be disposed of by him For here we see in this Scripture both joyned together mercy to bruised reedes and yet government prevailing by degrees over corruptions Christ so favoureth weake ones as that he frameth their soules to a better condition then they are in Neither can it be otherwise but that a soule looking for mercy should submit it selfe at the same time to be guided Those relations of husband head shepheard c. imply not onely meeknesse and mercy but government likewise When we become Christ ans to purpose we live not exempt from all service but onely wee change our Lord. Therefore if any in an ill course of life snatch comforts before they are reached out unto them let them know they doe it at their owne perills It is as if some ignorant man should come into an Apothecaries shop stored with varietie of medicines of all sorts shold take what comes next to hād poyson perhaps in stead of Physicke There is no word of comfort in the whole booke of God intended for such as regard iniquity in their hearts though they doe not act it in their lives Their onely comfort is that the sentence of damnation is not executed and thereupon there is yet opportunity of safer thoughts
those the desire of whose soule is towards him hee that by his messengers desires us to bee reconciled will hee put us off when wee earnestly seeke it at his hand No doutblesse when hee prevents us by kindling holy desires in us hee is ready to meete us in his owne wayes When the Prodigall set himselfe to returne to his father his father stayes not for him but meets him in the way When hee prepares the heart to seeke he will cause his eare to heare He cannot finde in his heart to hide himselfe long from us If God should bring us into such a darke condition as that wee should see no light from himselfe or the creature then let us remember what he saith by the Prophet Esay Hee that is in darknesse and seeth no light no light of comfort no light of Gods countenance yet let him trust in the name of the Lord. Wee can never bee in such a condition wherin there will be just cause of utter despaire therfore let us doe as Marriners doe cast Anker in the darke CHRIST knows how to pitty us in this case Looke what comfort he felt from his Father in his breakings the like wee shall feele from himselfe in our bruising The sighes of a bruised heart carry in them some report as of our affection to CHRIST so of his care to us The eyes of our soules cannot be towards him but that he hath cast a gracious looke upon us first The least love wee have to him is but a reâ—…ion of his love first shining upon us As Christ did in his example whatsoever hee gives us in charge to doe so he suffered in his owne person whatsoever hee calleth us to suffer that he might the better learne to relieve and pitty us in our sufferings In his desertion in the Garden and upon the Crosse he was content to want that unspeakable solace in the presence of his father both to beare the wrath of the Lord for a time for us and likewise to know the better how to comfort us in our greatest extremities GOD seeth it fit we should taste of that cup of which his Sonne dranke so deepe that we should feele a little what sinne is and what his Sonnes love was but our comfort is that Christ dranke the dreggs of the cup for us and will succour us that our spirits utterly faile not under that little taste of his displeasure which wee may feele He became not onely a man but a curse a man of sorrowes for us Hee was broken that wee should not be broken he was troubled that wee should not be desperately troubled he became a curse that wee should not be accursed Whatsoever may bee wished for in an all-sufficient Comforter is all to be found in Christ. 1 Authoritie from the Father all power was given him 2 Strength in himselfe as having his name The mighty GOD 3 Wisedome and that from his owne experience how and when to helpe 4 Willingnesse as being flesh of our flesh bone of our bone Wee are now to take notice of diuers sorts of men that offend deeply against this mercifull disposition of Christ As 1. Such as goe on in ill courses of life upon this conceit as if it were in vaine to goe to CHRIST their lives have beene so ill when as so soone as wee looke to heaven all incouragements are ready to meet us and draw us forward Amongst others this is one allurement that CHRIST is ready to welcome us and leade us further None are damned in the Church but those that will Such as either enforce upon themselves hard conceits of CHRIST that they may have some shew of reason to fetch contentment from other things as that unprofitable servant that would needs take up a conceit that his Master was a hard man hereby to flatter himselfe in his unfruitfull courses in not improving that talent which he had 2. Such as take up a hope of their owne that Christ will suffer them to walke in the wayes to hell yet bring them to heaven whereas all coÌ„sort should draw us nearer to Christ else it is a lying comfort eyther in it selfe or in our application of it And 3. those that will east water themselves upon those sparkes which Christ labours to kindle in them because they will not be troubled with the light of them Such must know that the Lambe can be angry and they that will not come under his Scepter of Mercy shall be crushed in pieces by his Scepter of Power Though he will gratiously tender and maintaine the least sparke of true grace yet where hee findeth not a sparke of Grace but opposition to his Spirit striving with them his wrath once kindled shall burne to hell There is no juster provocation then when kindnesse is churlishly refused When God would have cured Babylon and she would not be cured then she was given up to destruction When Ierusalem would not bee gathered under the wing of Christ then their habitation is left desolate When Wisedome stretcheth out her hand and men refuse then Wisedome will laugh at mens destruction Salvation it selfe will not save those that spill the potion and cast away the plaister A pitifull case when this mercifull Saviour shall delight in Destruction when hee that made men shall have no mercy on them Oh say the Rebels of the time God hath not made usto damne us Yes if you will not meet Christ in the wayes of his mercy it is fit you should eate the fruit of your owne wayes and be filled with your owne devices This wil be the hel of hel whén men shal thinke that they have loved their sins more then their soules when they shall thinke what love and mercy hath beene almost inforced upon them and yet they would perish The more accessory wee are in pulling a judgment upon our selves the more the conscience wil be confounded in it selfe when they shall acknowledge Christ to be without all blame themselves without excuse If men appeale to their owne consciences they will tell them the Holy Spirit hath often knockt at their hearts as willing to have kindled some holy desires in them How else can they be said to resist the Holy Ghost but that the Spirit was readier to draw them to a further degree of goodnes then stood with their owne wills whereupon those in the Church that are damned are selfe-condemned before So that here we need not to rise to higher causes when men carry sufficient cause of their owne damnation in their owne bosomes 4 And the best of us all may offend against this mercifull disposition if wee bee not watchfull against that liberty our carnall dispositions will bee ready to take froÌ„ it Thus we reason If Christ will not quench the smoaking Flax what need we feare that any neglect of our part can bring us under a comfortlesse condition If Christ will not doe it what can Ans.
wee can beare the greatest the Spirit wil joyne his shoulders to help us to beare our infirmities The Lord will put his hand to heave us up You have heard of the patience of Iob saith ◅ames wee have heard likewise of his impatiency too But it pleased God mercifully to over-looke that It yeelds us comfort also in desolate conditions as contagious sicknesses and the like wherein wee are more immediately under Gods hand Then Christ hath a throne of Mercy at our beds side and numbers our teares and our groanes And to come to the matter we are now about The Sacrament it was ordained not for Angels but for Men and not for perfect men but for weake men and not for Christ who is truth it self to binde him but because we are ready by reason of our guilty unbeleeving hearts to call truth it selfe into questions Therefore it was not enough for his goodnesse to leave us many pretious promises but he giveth us seales to strengthen us and what though we are not so prepared as we should yet let us pray as Hezekias did The Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seeke the Lord God of his fathers if hee be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary Then wee come comfortably to this holy Sacrament with much fruit This should cary us through all duties with much chearefulnesse That if we hate our corruptions and strive against them they shall not be counted ours It is not I saith Saint Paul but sinne that dwelleth in me for what displeaseth us shall never hurt us and we shall bee esteemed of GOD to be that we love and desire and labour to be What wee desire to be we shall be and what wee desire truely to conquer wee shall conquer for God will fulfill the desire of them that feare him The desire is an earnest of the thing How little incouragement will cary us to the affaires of this life and yet all the helps GOD offers will hardly prevaile with our backward natures Whence are then discouragements not from the Father for hee hath bound himselfe in Covenant to pitty us as a father pittieth his children and to accept as a father our weake indeavors and what is wanting in the strength of duty he giveth us leave to take up in his gratious indulgēce wherby wee shall honour that grace wherein hee delighteth as much as in more perfect performances 2. Not from Christ for he by office will not quēch the smoaking flaxe 3. Not from the Spirit he helpes our infirmities and by office is a Comforter Discouragements then must come from our selues and Satan who labours to fasten on us a loathing of duty and among other causes of discouragement some are much vexed with scruples even against the best duties partly by distemper of body helped by Satans malice casting dust in their eyes in their way to heaven and partly from some remainder of ignorance which like darkness breedeth feares and as ignorance of other things so especially of this mercifull disposition in Christ. The perswasion of which would easily banish false fears they cōceive of him as one sitting at a catch for all advantages against thē wherein they may see how they wrong not onely thēselves but his goodness This scrupulosity for the most part is a signe of a godly soule as some weedes are of a good soile therefore are they the more to be pitied for it is a heavy affliction and the ground of it in most is not so much from trouble of cōscience as frō sicknes of fātasy the end of Christs comming was to free us from all such groundlesse seares 2. There is still in some such ignorance of that comfortable condition wee are in under the Covenant of Grace as by it they are much discouraged Therefore we must know that weaknesses do not breake covenant with GOD they doe not betweene husband and wife and shall wee make our selves more pitifull then Christ who maketh himselfe a patterne of love to all other husbands 2. Weaknesses do not debarre us from mercie nay they incline GOD the more Psal. 78. 39. Mercy is a part of the Churches joynture CHRIST marrics her in mercie The husbands be bound to beare with the wife as being the weaker vessell and shall wee thinke hee will exempt himselfe from his owne rule and not beare with his weake Spouse 3. If CHRIST should not bee mercifull to our infirmities hee should not haue a people to serve him Put case therefore wee bee very weake yet so long as wee are not found amongst malicious opposers and underminers of GODS truth let us not give way to despairing thoughts wee have a mercifull Saviour But lest we flatter our selves without groūd we must know that weaknesses are accounted either 1. imperfections cleaving to our best actions or 2. such actions as proceed from want of age in CHRIST whilest we are Babes or 3. from wāt of strength where there hath beene little meanes or 4. they are sudden indeliberate breakings out contrary to our generall bent and purpose whilest our judgement is overcast with the cloud of a sudden temptation After which 1 we are sensible of our infirmity 2 we grieve or it 3 and from griefe complaine and with complaining strive and labour to reforme and in labouring get some ground of our corruption There be some almost invincible infirmities as forgetfulnesse heavinesse of spirit sudden passiōs feares c. which though naturall yet are for the most part tainted with sinne of these we are weary and would faine shake them off as a Sickman his Ague otherwise it is not to bee esteemed weaknesse so much as wilfulnesse and the more will the more sinne and little sins when God shall awake the conscience and set them in order before us will prove great burthens and not onely bruise a Reed but shake a Cedar Yet GODS children never sinne with full will because there is a contrary Law of the minde whereby the Dominion of sinne is broken which alwaies hath some secret working against the Law of sinne Yet there may bee so much will in a sinfull action as may wonderfully waste our comfort afterward and keepe us long upon the racke of a disquieted Conscience GOD in his fatherly dispensation suspending the sense of his love So much as we give way to our wils in sinning in such a measure of distance we set our selves from comfort Sin against conscience is as a theefe in the Candle which wasteth our joy and thereby weakneth our strength We must know therefore that wilfull breaches in Sanctificatiō wil much hinder the sense of our Iustification What course shall such take to recover their peace Such must give a sharp sentence against them selves and yet cast themselves upon GODS mercy in CHRIST as at their first conversion And now they had need to claspe
whatsoever the judgement shall say to the contrary there is no connaturall proportion betwixt an unsanctified hart and a sanctified judgment For the heart unaltered will not give leave to the judgement coldly and so berly to conclude what is best as the sick man whilst his aguish distemper corrupteth his taste he is rather desirous to please that then to hearken what the Physitian shall speake judgment hath not power over it selfe where the wil is unsubdued for the will and affections bribe it to give sentence for them when any profit or pleasure shall come in competition with that which the judgement in generall only shall thinke to be good and therefore it is for the most part in the power of the heart what the understanding shall judge and determine in particular things Where grace hath brought the heart under there unruly passions doe not cast such a mist before the understanding but that in particular it seeth that which is best and base respects springing from selfe-love doe not alter the case and byas the judgment into a contrary way but that which is good in it selfe shall be good unto us although it crosse our particular worldly interests The right conceiving of this hath an influence into practice which hath drawne me to a more full explanation this will teach us the right method of godlinesse to begin with judgement and then to begge of GOD together with illumination holy inclinations of our will and affections that so a perfect government may be set up in our hearts and that our knowledge may bee with al judgment that is w th experience and feeling when the judgement of CHRIST is set up in our judgements and thence by the Spirit of CHRIST brought into our hearts then it is in its proper place and throne and untill then truth doth us no good but helpeth to condemne us The life of a◅ Christiā is a regular life he that walketh by the rule of the new creature peace shall be upon him he that despiseth his way loveth to live at large seeking all liberty to the flesh shall dye And it is made good by Saint Paul If we live after the flesh we shall dye VVe learne likewise that men of an ill governed life have no true judgement no wicked man can bee a wise man And that without CHRISTS Spirit the soule is in confusion without beauty and form as all things were in the Chaos before the creatiō The whole soule is out of joynt till it be set in againe by him whose office is to restore all things The baser part of the soule which should bee subject ruleth all and keepeth under that little truth that is in the understanding holding it captive to base affections and Sathan by corruption getteth al the holds of the soule till CHRIST stronger then he commeth and driveth him out and taketh possession of all the powers and parts of soule and body to be weapons of righteousnes to serve him and then new Lords new Lawes CHRIST as a new Conquerour changeth the fundamentall lawes of old Adam and establisheth a government of his owne The second Conclusion is that this government is victorious The reasons are 1 Because CHRIST hath conquered all in his owne person first and hee is GOD over all blessed for evermore and therefore over Sinne Death Hell Sathan the world c. And as he hath overcome them in himselfe so he overcomes them in our hearts and consciences Wee use to say Conscience maketh a man a King or a caitife because it is planted in us to judge for GOD either with us or against us Now if naturall conscience bee so forcible what will it be when besides it owne light it hath the light of divine truth put into it It will undoubtedly prevaile either to make us hold up our heads with boldnesse or abase us beneath our selves If it subject it selfe by grace to CHRISTS truth then it boldly overlookes Death Hell Iudgement and all spirituall enemies because then Christ sets up his Kingdome in the conscience and makes it a kind of Paradise The sharpest conflict which the soule hath is betweene the conscience and GODS Iustice now if the conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ hath prevailed over assaults fetcht from the justice of GOD as now satisfied by CHRIST it will prevaile over al other opposition whatsoever 2 We are to encounter with accursed and damned enemies therefore if they begin to fall before the spirit in us they shall fall if they rise up againe it is to have the greater fall 3 The spirit of truth to whose tuition CHRIST hath cōmitted his Church and the truth of the spirit which is the Scepter of CHRIST abide for ever therefore the soule begotten by the immortal feed of this spirit and this truth must not onely live for ever but likewise prevaile over all that oppose it for both the word and spirit are mighty in operation and if the ill spirit be never idle in those whom GOD delivereth up to him we cannot thinke that the Holy Spirit will bee idle in those whose leading and government is committed to him No as he dwelleth in them so he will drive out all that rise up against him untill hee be all in all What is spirituall is eternall truth is a beame of CHRISTS Spirit both in it selfe and as it is ingrafted into the soule there fore it and the grace though little wrought by it will prevaile a little thing in the hand of a Gyant will do great matters A little faith strengthned by CHRIST will worke wonders 4 To him that hath shall be given the victory over any corruption or temptation is a pledge of finall victory As Ioshua said when he set his foot upon the five Kings which hee conquered Thus God shall doe with all our enemies heaven is ours already onely we strive till we have full possession 5 CHRIST as King brings in a commanding light into the soule and bowes the necke and softens the Iron sinew of the inner man and where he begins to rule he rules for ever his Kingdome hath no end 6 The end of CHRISTS comming was to destroy the workes of the Devill both for us and in us And the end of the resurrection was as to seale unto us the assurance of his victorie So I to quicken our soules from death in sinne 2 to free our soules from such snares and sorrowes of spirituall death as accompany the guilt of sin 3 to raise them up more comfortable as the Sunne breakes forth more gloriously out of a thick cloud 4 to raise us out of particular slippes and failings stronger 5 to raise us out of all troublesome and darke conditions of this life And 6 at length to raise our bodies out of the dust For the same power that the Spirit shewed in raising CHRIST our Head from the sorrowes of
wherein hee getteth upon his bench and usurpeth a judgement over Christ and his wayes but GOD hath a day wherein he will set all straight and his judgement shall stand And the Saints shall have their time when they shall sit in judgment upon them that judge them now In the meane time CHRIST will rule in the middest of his enemies in the midst of our hearts It is therefore no signe of a good condition to ◅nde all quiet and nothing at oddes For can we think that corruption which is the elder in us and sathan the strong man that keepeth many holds in us will yeeld possession quietly No there is not so much as a thought of goodnesse discovered by him but he joyneth with corruption to kill it in the birth And as Pharaohs cruelty was especially against the male children so Sathans malice is especially against the most religious and manly resolutions This then wee are alwayes to expect that wheresoever Christ commeth there will be opposition when Christ was borne all Ierusalem was troubled so when Christ is borne in any man the soule is in an uproare and all because the heart is unwilling to yeeld up it selfe to Christ to rule it Wheresoever Christ commeth he breedeth division not only I between man and himselfe but 2 betweene man and man and 3 betweene Church and Church Of which disturbance Christ is no more the cause they Physicke is of trouble in a distempered body of which noysome humors are the proper cause for the end of Physicke is the peace of humors But Christ thinketh it fit that the thoughts of mens hearts should bee discovered and hee is as well for the falling as the rising of many in Israel Thus the desperate madnesse of men is layd open that they had rather bee under the guidance of their owne lusts and by consequent of Satan himselfe to their endlesse destruction then put their feet into Christs setters and their neckes under his yoake whereas indeed Christs service is the only true libertie his yoake an easie yoake his burden but as the burden of wings to a bird that maketh her flie the higher Sathans government is rather a bondage then a government unto which Christ giveth up those that shake off his owne for then hee giveth Sathan and his factors power over them since they will not receive the truth in love take him Iesuite take him Sathan blind him and binde him lead him to perdition Those that take the most liberty to sinne are the most perfect slaves because most voluntarie slaves the will in everie thing is either the best or the worst the further men goe on in a wilfull course the deeper they sincke in rebellion and the more they crosse CHRIST doing what they will the more they shall one day suffer what they would not In the meane time they are prisoners in their owne soules bound over in their consciences to the judgement of him after death whose judgement they would none of in their lives And is it not equall that they should feele him a severe Iudge to condemne them whom they would not have a milde Iudge to rule them For Conclusion and generall application of all that hath beene spoken unto our selves We see the conflicting but yet sure and hopefull state of Gods people The victory lyeth not upon us but upon CHRIST who hath taken upon him as to conquer for us so to conquer in us The victory lyeth neither in our own strēgth to get nor in our enemies to defeat it If it lay upon us wee might justly feare But CHRIST will maintaine his owne government in us and take our part against our corruptions they are his Enemies as well as ours Let us therefore bee strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Let us not looke so much who are our enemies as who is our Iudge and Captaine not what they threaten but what he promiseth wee have more for us then against us What coward would not fight when he is sure of victory none are here overcome but he that will not sight Therefore when any base fainting seizeth upon us let us lay the blame where it is to bee layd Wee see here what wee may looke for from heaven O beloved it is a comfortable thing to conceive of CHRIST aright to know what love mercy strength we have layed up for us in the brest of CHRIST A good conceit of the Physitian we say is halfe the cure Let us not suffer Sathan to transforme Christ unto us to bee otherwise then he is to those that are his Let us make use of this his mercy and power everie day in our daily combats CHRIST will not leave us till he hath made us like himselfe all glorious within and without and presented us blamelesse before his Father What a comfort is this in our conflicts with our unruly hearts that it shall not alwaies be thus let us strive a little while and we shall bee happy for ever Let us thinke when wee are troubled with our sinnes that CHRIST hath this in charge of his Father That he shall not quench the smoaking slaxe untill hee hath subdued all This putteth a sheild into our hands to beat backe all the fiery darts of Sathan he will object thou art a great sinner we may answer CHRIST is a strong Saviour but he will object thou hast no faith no love Yes a sparke of faith and love but CHRIST will not regard that Yes he will not quench the smoaking flaxe But this is so little and weake that it will vanish and come to nought Nay but CHRIST will cherish it untill hee hath brought judgment to victory And thus much for our comfort we have already that even when we first beleeved we overcame God himself as it were by beleeving the pardon of all our sinnes notwithstanding the guilt of our owne consciences and his absolute justice Now having beene prevailers with GOD what shall stand against us if we can learne to make use of our faith O what a confusion is this to Sathan that hee should labour to blow out a poore sparke and yet should not bee able to quench it that a graine of Mustard seed should bee stronger then the gates of Hell that it should be able to remove mountaines of oppositions and temptations cast up by Sathan and our rebellious hearts between GOD and us Abimelech could not indure that it should bee said a Woman had slaine him and it must needs be a Torment to Sathan that a weake childe a woman and decrepit old man should by a spirit of faith put him to flight Since there is such comfort where there is a little truth of grace that it will be so victorious Let us oft try what GOD hath wrought in us search our good as well as our ill and be thankfull to GOD for the least measure of grace more then for any outward