things noted 1. The author of grace unto her I raised thee Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our salvation 2. The meanes of this grace the apples that grow upon Christ the appletree 3. The effect of this grace in her she commeth up out of the wildernesse 4. The instrumentall meanes for the application of meritorious grace that is faith in Jesus Christ she commeth up leaning upon her well-beloved 5. The opinion of others concerning her in this estate of grace 1. She is glorious and creates admiration in some 2. The hidden principle of life in her makes her not to be understood of others all say who is this Here are two great things hinted in the text 1. The misery that the elect are in by nature 2. The happy condition they are in by grace I might handdle the words in order and raise many profitable Doctrines from them But I will only pitch upon 3. which will comprehend all and not handle the text as the words lye in order but according to the order of the things contained in them The 3. I will pitch upon are these 1. That Gods gracious Saints and every one of them though they lye under a gracious ordination to eternall life yet are borne in a lost undone condition 1. They have need of raising 2. they are under not in the apple-tree there their mother brought them forth 2. That it is the Lord Jesus that helpeth his redeemed ones out of this condition I raised thee 3. That by the power of Jesus Christ the Spouse being raised comes up out of every wildernesse leaning upon her Beloved I shall begin with the first Doctrine Doct. 1. That the best of Gods Saints by nature were born in a lost condition in a state of disunion to Jesus Christ there their mother brought them forth there she brought them forth that bare them I say the best though they all of them lye under a saving ordination to eternall life and though many of them may be borne of holy and godly parents yet if you looke upon them as they are by Nature they are in a lost undone condition and had need of a raising Now for the prosecution of this Doctrine I shall 1. prove it by testimony of Scripture 2. I shall open it to you how it comes to passe that they are so borne 3. I shall make application of the Doctrine 1. That they are by Nature in a lost undone condition 1. In respect of finne 2. In respect of punishment Take that pregnant place for it Ephes 2. where the designe of the Apostle is plaine to advance Christ in the hearts of the beleeving Ephesians To this end 1. he discovers what need they had of him that he opens by setting out their sad and wofull condition without him 1. They were dead in trespasses and sins ver 7. 5. 2. They lived according to the Devils wil ruled and acted by him v. 2. 3. They were tainted with the lusts of the flesh and inclined to fulfill the lusts of the flesh and of the mind v. 3. 4. They were Gentiles in the flesh v. 11. 5. They were without Christ 6. Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel 7. Strangers from the Covenant of Promise 8. having no hope 9. Without God in the world ver 12. 10. Afar off irreconciled ver 13 14. 11. To summe up all in a word ver 3. The children of wrath by nature as well as others Children of wrath Active Actively inclined or disposed to nothing but that which will undoubtedly bring downe the wrath of God upon their soules And children of wrath Passive passively being originally so guilty that they deserve and in respect of themselves are liable to the eternall wrath of God And who are these ver 19. They were such as were quickned ver 1. such as v. 19. were now no more strangers and forraigners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God They were borne under the Apple-tree but raised up A second place is that knowne place Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me They are Davids words that man of God that man according to Gods owne heart yet he confesseth he was borne under the Apple-tree there his mother brought him forth he was shapen in iniquity yea in sinne did his mother conceive him I will add but that one place more Ez. 16. Where God setting out the native condition of his Church sets it out by the resemblance of a new borne infant For her parents her father was an Amorite and her mother an Hittite For her owne person In the day wherein she was borne her navell was not cut nor was she washed in water to supple her she was not salted at all nor swadled at all cast out into the open feild to the loathing of her person v. 3. 4. 5. Polluted in her blood v. 6. Yet she was one to whom God had said live v. 6. Whom God had beautified and adorned with speciall graces v. 8. with whom God had made a covenant and she was Gods claime v. 8. v. 9. I passe on to the 2. Question propounded viz. How it comes to passe that all the Saints of God are originally in a lost undone condition The words of the text answer this their mother brought them forth so Adam eat of the tree of forbidden fruit he fell that guilt cleaves to all our natures This the Apostle speaks fully to in the 5 chap. of the Epis to the Romans v. 12. By one man sinne entered into the world and death by sinne v. 15. Through the offence of one many were made dead v. 18. By the offence of one Judgment came upon all to Condemnation v. 19. By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Quest But here is the question started How the sinne of Adam should leave a defilement upon all his Children to the end of the world because The father hath eaten sowre grapes shall all the childrens teeth be set an edge My intention is not here to dispute like a sophister concerning those many questions about the propagation of Originall sin Quid quaeris apertam rimam Saith Augustine quum habes apertam Ianuam c. what need we seek for a rift for it to creep in when the Apostle hath shewed us an open door for it to come in with a full body he sayes by one man it came into the world not by imitation of his example as the Pelagians dream So he might have said per diabolum intravit that it entred in by the Devill as well as per unum hominem by one man but it entred propagatione carnali by carnal propagation what could be cleane that was borne of a woman M. Perkins sayes it may be done two wayes 1. Adam being a publique person carrying all us in his loynes and God ordering that what he received he should receive for himselfe and all his posterity hereupon Adam Sinning deprived
himselfe and all his pesterity So we became miserable God dealing like a judge depriving us for Adams sin of his Image which except he would he need never have stampt upon us not any wayes becomming by this act of judgement an author or maintainer of sinne thus we become guilty Imputative by imputation and privative God depriving us of his image by denying to restore it to us againe when we had once lost it 2. Another way is by carnall propagation Our mother the Hittite brought us forth our father the Canaanite begate us what can be cleane that is borne of a woman saith Job chap. 25. v. 4. As sweet oile powred into a fusty vessell saith M. Perkins loseth its purenesse and becometh infected by the vessell So the soule created good and put into a corrupt body and made one with it receives contagion thence only Christ who was borne of a woman was borne cleane and the reason for that was say the schoolmen Ab Adamo humanam accepit naturā non tanquam a principio agente sed tanquam a principio materiali His body was from Adam but not from the seed of Adam And thus you see how it comes to passe that our mother brings us forth under the Apple-tree in a poore lost undone condition there your mothers brought you forth that bare you Nor let any one thinke himselfe in a better condition because his parents have been elect ones what then Except a man be born again saith Christ he shall never enter into the Kingdome of God Joh. 3. 3. Whatsoever is borne of flesh Joh. 3. 3. is flesh Parents beget not grace but nature Though they have no sinne to communicate in respect of Gods grace justifying their persons and not seeing sinne in them so as to impute it to them yet they have sinne a body of death so holy Paul had he groned under it Rom. 7. Yea and if we say we Rom. 7. 23. have no sin we do but deceive our selves and there is no truth in us Saith the blessed Apostle who lives and sinneth not This question was propounded to Saint Austine How the Saints of God that had no sinne could convey sinne to their children he replies to it Vicissim ego interrogo c. Let me aske you saith he how one that is circumcised can beget one that is uncircumcised and how it comes to passe that when you sow your wheat in your field without any chaffe cleaving to it you should reap it with chaffe how one that is a baptized Christian can beget one that is an unbaptized heat hen you will answer Quia non facit generatio sed regeneratio Christianos M. Perkins saith God took this order in the creation that whatsoever evill Adam procured he should bring it not only on himself but all his posterity by virtue of which decree the propagation of sinne is continued without any interruption though Parents them-selves be borne anew by the spirit of God even as God hath set it in the order of nature that the wheat thrown pure into the ground should yet spring and grow so often as it is sowed with stalk eare blade And all this I conceive is the truth concerning the manner of conveyence of this sad legacy to all the Children of Adam Without fifting those Philosophicall and schoole questions about it I shall conclude this Particular with only this note of M. Perkins It may be this will not satisfy the minds of all if any be so curious that he hath a mind yet to seek further let them know there is another matter of more concernment for us to look unto when a mans house is on fire t is no time to enquire when and how and in what manner it came to be so but it will be our policy to use all means possible to quench it That it is so it is plain our soules are all undone by nature Do you ask how this thing could be first remedy it then enquire the manner how it came to passe quench the fire then aske how it came in thy dwelling Quid quaeris rimam in the mean time why seekest thou a crevis saith Austine Quum habes apertam Ianuam per unum hominem intravit peccatum hast thou not an open door doth not the Apostle say it entred in by one mans disobedience and death by it and so went over all So much therefore shall serve briefly to have spoken of the doctrinal part Give me leave to come now to an application of it in which the Lord give me an heart affected in speaking you eares and hearts truly affected in hearing The first part of my application shall be more notionall the other will bee more particular for the first 1. This may discover unto you the lying falshood of the Pelagian Doctrine and of diverse in these times that have been so unhappy as to rake up all the putrified dunghills of errors and vend them for new truths 1. The Maniches of old would confesse this but 1. Would have it to be the direct work of God and to this end made a God on purpose that should be such a principium mali carrying on the wicked designes in the world efficiently as their other God who was their principium boni was by their appointment to carry on good designes 2. Then they would but in part confess it they would have some to be borne cleane others defiled but even the best as you have heard were borne defiled there their mother brought them forth there she brought them forth that bare them The Pelagians denyed any Originall sinne by way of propagation but only by Imitation if say they the Child walks in its parents stepps or because we tread Adams path therefore we are defiled but this is false in the very day of our birth we were in a lost undone condition 3. From hence also may appeare the falsenesse of that opinion of the Anababtists of old and now in these dayes viz that Christ by his death Originale peccatum ex humanâ naturâ sustulit tooke away originall sin out of our natures they are the very words of Chemnitius repeating the error of the old Anabaptists concerning this point and this I perceive many people harping on even in this City especially those that have so good an opinion of Christs death that he as they dreame died for all pinch them a little and they will confesse that all shall not be saved but this is in regard for their actuall sins for their originall sinne Christ hath paid that score if now they can but stand upon their owne leggs and will but walke in their strength and keep their feet for the time to come then all shall be well But mistake not Christians your mother saith the text left you not raised but in a lost condition not your grandmother Eve but your immediate mother brought you forth there and left you there long since Christ died it was since that time that
Heb. 3. 17. one reason is given why the Lord Jesus became man and tooke part of flesh and bloud with us that he might be a faithfull High-priest 3. It was requisite that he should thus raise us that he might fulfill the Law for us Now the Law was to be fulfilled two wayes 1. Actively 2. Passively Neither could have been done without the Assumption of our flesh There is not such a contradiction between the Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Works as some ignorant Libertines would this day make God gave a Law and his Covenant was doe this and live this is that which we call the Covenant of Works man could not doe it What is Gods mind altered now no such matter God sayes Doe this and live still and if you doe not this you shall dye It was written long since that time Deut. 27. ver 26. Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them And all the people must say Amen to it now as well as they did then But herein is the Covenant of Grace more favourable The Covenant of Works sayes thou shalt personally doe them or dye The Covenant of Grace sayes thou shalt doe it or get Christ to doe it for thee the Covenant of Workes sayes I will take no baile no surety doe it or dye Durus est hic sermo an hard saying who can heare it The Covenant of Grace saith Get me Christs Baile and I will acquit thee if thou beleevest in him Therfore saith the Apostle Gal. 3. 10 11. As many as are of the workes of the Law that look to be justified by their owne workes by their owne righteousnesse in fulfilling the Law are under the curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the Law to doe them Look to it saith the Apostle if you look to be justified by obeying the Law in your owne persons take my word for it you have an hard taske But verse 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law But how was that it followes in the next words Being made a curse for us ver 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ Hee was to fulfill the Law Actively that he might fulfill what we through the weaknes of the flesh could not and in regard that he was to fulfill it for us it was requisite he should have our nature and as hee was to fulfill the Law Actively so in regard that his Elect by their past Transgressions had broken the Law of God Adam for himselfe and all his posterity and the body of death which he knew was to remaine after sanctification in his Elect ones would lay them open to hell He also was to fulfill the Law Passively for us therefore saith the Apostle He hath redeemed us from the eurse of the Law Now he tells you how that was verse 13. by being made a curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangs upon a tree Now hee could not have been in capacity of being subject to the curse of the Law by hanging upon the tree for us unlesse he had taken upon him our flesh Nay yet a Fourth Reason may be given why it was necessary that Jesus Christ should raise up his redeemed ones by the assuming their flesh viz. That he might be a mercifull High-Priest It is the Reason that the Apostle gives Hebr. 2. verse 17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to bee made like unto his brethren that hee might bee a mercifull and faithfull High-Priest in all things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people for in that hee himselfe suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted I shall adde nothing to it Thus he raised us by Assuming of our flesh which in order to our raising it was necessary for him to doe 3. He raised us Passione by his precious death upon the Crosse his falling was our rising his life our death The chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes wee are healed His owne bloud was the balme from Gilead as well as himselfe the Physitian there Now in order to the raising of his Elect ones it was requisite that he should dye 1. That he might satisfie 2. That he might conquer 1. That he might satisfie and purchase Remission He that will redeem any slave out of Captivity must pay the summe of Redemption-money required Now Death was that which could alone satisfie for the redeemed ones It was the Lords first Law In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die temporally and eternally Now a death must be paid or justice is not satisfied therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 9. 22. Without blood there is no remission he therefore dyed for our sinnes saith the Apostle he was our sacrifice 1 Cor. 4. 7. And he is no sacrifice till slaine This was typified by the slaying of beasts for sacrifices in the old Law which God required of all those that would obtain pardon And in regard that man had deserved hell as well as death Christ by dying that he might raise us and and make the face of God againe to shine upon us was content to suffer the withdrawings of his Fathers love and to feele as it were the paines of hell to raise us to the joyes of heaven Secondly as it was necessary in order to our raising that Christ should dye to the intent that he should satisfie for us so it was also necessary that he should dye that he might conquer for us This the Apostle fully expresseth Heb. 2. 14 15. Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himselfe tooke part of the same that through death he might destroy him that hath the power of death even the Devill and deliver them who through feare of death were all their life-time subject to bondage Christ was to lead Captivity captive to take away deaths sting and hels victory which he could not have done without wrastling with death himselfe had he not been deaths captive he had never been deaths conquerour Hee raised us by dying for us 4. He hath raised us Resurrectione by rising againe from the dead therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 4. 25. He was delivered to death for our offences and rose againe for our justification Now his Resurrection had and hath an influence upon raising his Elect ones 1. By witnessing to them Christs conquest for them and therefore the Apostle makes the worke of satisfaction for us to be proper to his death and the worke of our justification he appropriates to his Resurrection Rom. 4. 25. When he dyed he went downe that he might conquer but it was his comming up out of the grave that witnessed his conquest over death and hell It was in that day that this Song was sung O death where is thy sting O hell
thee 2. Thee that wert as low as others Adam left thee as deep in hell as any reprobate there Loe here the infinitenesse of free grace Two were in the same house yea grinding at the same mill of iniquity and thou art taken and the other is left possibly thou wert in thy wildest youth seeming to ride faster to hell than the other were that were thy brethren friends and acquaintance yet the Lord hath raised thee and let the others lye wallowing in their bloud he hath not said to them live 3. Thee that wert his Enemy Was ever dying love yea love in dying extended to an enemy before You have heard of two stories one of a Grecian the other of a Roman paire Theseus and Perithous Pilades and Orestes that would have dyed for their friends each for another but hath any offered to dye for his Enemy Moses would offer to have his name blotted out for his people that were Gods people and which he loved but would Moses have done it for a Philistine yet this hath Christ done O love ye the Lord all his Saints 4. Thee that never askt it He was found of them that sought it not Alas mankind lay as well without a tongue to aske as an hand to help themselves and behold Christ pitied them and amongst them thee his love declared from Eternity towards thee had not so much cause in thee as a poore prayer would have amounted to he was not moved by thy sighs and teares but by his owne infinite love 5. Lastly thee that hast still Rebellion in thee Christ said within himselfe when he dyed upon the Crosse Now is my heart-bloud powred out for as vile wretches as any are and for those that I know will requite my bleeding wounds my dying love with new speares and thornes thus he knew that thou wouldst doe in the time of thy unregeneracie yea and after thou shouldst be called too Who lives and sinnes not Now Christian lay these things to thy heart meditate of study out this love and see if thou hast not cause to say My soule and all that is within me my tongue and all that is without me praise the Lord. But O remember Christian Remember Burnt offering and sacrifice he doth not require but this he requires that thou shouldst doe his will O say Loe I come I am ready to do it But more particularly let me point thee out some particular duties that the Lord requires of thee in a poor answer to his rich Acts of eternall love First hath not he thought his glory too deare to lay aside for a while for thee nor his Word and Truth too dear to pawne for thee nor his bloud too deare to spill for thee hath he valued nothing in comparison of thee O doe thou value nothing in an equall ballance with him be willing to deny thy selfe for him who in every thing hath denyed himselfe for thee Thy Lusts cannot be so pleasing to thee as Christs glory was to him Be content to leave them Thy Honour cannot be so great as his was which he left for thee and became ignoble in our eyes Surely when wee saw him we esteemed him despised smitten of God and afflicted Isa 53. 4. But it was when hee was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities when the chastisement of our peace was upon him and that by his stripes we might be healed Thy Riches cannot be greater than his yet remember him O remember the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who though he was rich yet for your sake became poore that you through his Povertie might be made rich 2 Cor. 7. Thy life cannot be more deare than his yet he valued not his life for thee but powred out his bloud his precious bloud upon the Crosse that through his bloud thou mightest have remission purchased Learne hence Christian a lesson of self-deniall Be content to suffer for him who was content to suffer that he might raise thee value nothing in comparison of him This Lesson had Saint Paul learned Phil. 3. v. 7 8. What things were gaine to me I counted losse for Christ yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may win Christ c. ver 10. That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death Looke upon nothing in an equall ballance with him 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified Secondly hath Christ entred into a Covenant and given his word to his Father and kept his word with his Father for you O then learne of him Vow your selves to him and keep the vowes of your lips Say with David Psal 116. ver 16. Ah Lord truly we are thy servants we are thy servants and the sons of thy handmaids for thou hast loosed our bonds Say with David Psal 40. Mine eares hast thou opened and bored them Say Ah Lord we come to doe thy will Christ kept his word with his Father for you Ah keep your word with him pay him the vowes which you have made Thirdly Hath Christ to raise you taken upon him your flesh O then Take ye upon your selves his spirit He hath become for you the childe of man doe you become for him the children of God Be made partakers of the divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. Your Nature was full of imperfection and weaknesse the divine Nature is full of perfection and glory He hath raised you be raised put off your filthy rags and put on change of Raiment Fourthly Hath Christ died that he might raise you from the death of Sinne and from the power of the Second death O then dye to sinne Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry for which things c. The Apostle Saint Paul presseth the great duty of mortification from this very principle Likewise reckon yee also your selves to be dead to sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 11. and so on ver 12 13. Let not sinne therefore reigne in your mortall bodies c. Ah throw away the nailes that pierced your Christ Fifthly Did Christ rise from the dead that he might raise you from the death of sinne O then rise to newnesse of life The Apostle Saint Paul presseth this worke of Vivification also from Christs Resurrection Rom. 6. ver 4. We are buried with him by Baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father euen so we also should walke in newnesse of life and so all along that Chapter Sixthly Hath he
in the midst of all those troubles and causes of disquietment you will meet with in the world for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the world while you have any thing to doe with it any converse in it yea any beeing in it You who are my disciples whom I have called out of the world you who are not of the world you shall have trouble trouble of all sorts inward outward corporall spirituall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But be of good chear Gather up your spirits Take heart to you nay more bee confident Bee bold and courageous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have overcome the world all the opposition of it I have taken out the sting of every cresse the venome out of every arrow I have overcome the world and what I have done is for you that 's implied If there bee any thing else needfull for the explication of the words you shall have it in the explication of the Doctrine In the words lie these Doctrines plaine 1. In the world Christs Disciples must look for trouble 2. In their trouble they may have peace 3. Christ hath taken care for their peace in the midst of trouble 4. Though the Disciples of Christ meet with trouble in the world yet they ought to be of good cheare 5. Christ's overcomming of the world is a sufficient ground of good cheare for the Saints in the midst of their earthly troubles I cannot runne through all these at large I shall summe up the most of them in one proposition of Doctrine and handle that more fully It is this Doct. That though in the world the true Disciples of Christ must look for troubles yet Jesus Christ hath taken such order that in the midst of their troubles in him they may have peace In the discoursing of this for the more full orderly handling of it I shall doe these things 1. I shall shew you what is meant by THE WORLD what that phrase implies 2. I shall shew you what is meant by troubles and what troubles the true disciples of Christ must looke for in the world 3. I shall shew you the grounds and from what causes Saints troubles in the world arise 4. I shall shew you what peace is and what kind of peace this is that in the Saints troubles they may have in Christ how it is in Christ and how the Saint may draw it out of Christ for himselfe 5. I shall shew you what order what paines Christ hath taken for the Saints peace in the midst of earthly troubles 6. Lastly I shall apply the Doctrine Of all these I shall speak briefely 1. What is meant by the world what doth our Saviour mean by that phrase In the world Shortly the world I conceive is usually made use of in Scripture and to bee taken in Scripture-phrase in one of these three senses First Sometimes for the men of the world and that either largely for all of all sorts without any respect as Joh. 18. 20. I have spoken openly to the world to hearers of all sorts so the Apostle saith Rom 5. 12. By one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne all were sinners and all must die Or more Restrictively for some particular sort or company of people in the world and so it is used diversly 1. Sometimes for many of all sorts as Joh. 12. 19. The world is gone after him that is many of all sorts are gone after him 2. Sometimes for the unregenerate onely in opposition to those that are borne againe not of flesh and bloud but of the spirit called and sanctified so Joh. 15. 18 19. If the world hate you you know that it hated me before it hated you c. It is put there in opposition to those that were chosen out of the world v. 19. so Joh. 16. 8. Christ saith that the spirit should reprove the world of sinne 3. Sometimes it is taken for the Reprobates onely not at large for those that were uncalled but yet might bee called but for those that neither were already nor yet ever should be called so Joh. 14. 17. it is said that the world cannot receive the spirit of truth not they had not yet received it but they could not receive it 4. Lastly It is sometimes taken for the Elect which live in the world though they bee the least considerable part of it and the least flock in it so it is taken 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinnes Surely the Arminians and Universalists themselves must grant that their bold assertion that the world in Scripture is no where taken for the world of the Elect must faile and be dasht in pieces upon that portion of Scripture unlesse they will hold universall Justification and Salvation too as well as universall Redemption That 's the first sense World is used in Scripture For the men of the world Secondly sometimes it is used for the things of the world and that either 1. For the whole fabrick of the creation Heaven and Earth and Sea c So it is taken Joh. 1. 10. The world was made by him the Apostle expounds that place Col. 1. 16. By him were all things created that are in Heaven and Earth visible and invisible c. or 2. Sometimes it is taken for the earth onely so saith Christ Joh. 16. 28. I leave the world that is the earthly part of the world for it followes I goe to the father 3. Sometimes it is taken for the vanities of this world whether the lust of the eyes or the lusts of the flesh or the pride of life according to Saint John's distribution of them 1 Joh. 2. 16. whether ticklings of pleasure or pompe and honour and greatnesse In this sense S. Paul useth it Gal. 6. 14. when hee tels us that the world is crucified to him and he unto the world 4. Sometimes for the profit and traffique of it so you shall find it 1 Cor. 7. 31. using the world as if you used it not it is expounded before where the Apostle advised that those that bought should bee as though they possessed not v. 30. This is a second sense Thirdly somtimes it is used for our state and present condition of life which is in the world so 1 Cor. 7. 3. The Apostle tells us that shee that is married careth for the things of this world that is of this life shee takes care how to live and maintaine her family c. You may in the Text and Doctrine take it in all three senses The Saints 1. While they have to doe with the men of the world in tradings and conversings while they have any thing to doe with them or Secondly 2. While they have any thing to do with the things of this world the pleasures or profits the businesses or tradings of it with any thing of it 3. Or finally While they are in this present life while they have a beeing on this side of
the Apostle told the beleeving Ephesians that they were Children of wrath by nature even as others Eph. 2. 3. Besides that Christ useth not to pay any debts by halves it were as good as nothing for Iesus Christ to pardon a reprobates Originall sin to whom he never intends to pardon all sinne yea Originall sinne doth not only remaine upon elected ones as an offence to God and laying upon them an obligation to death since Christ dyed untill their Iustification but even after Iustification there is a body of death it hath lost its condemning power and its raigning power but it yet cleaves to our flesh as Ivy to the tree so deep an impression it hath upon all our natures But this openeth a way to another question whether originall sin remaines in any of the elect after Justification the affirmative is truth but in regard that my text strikes not directly against the errour I shall passe it by and refer you to those that have defended the truth in it as Zanchi c. and leaving this first use shall proceed to some further application which shall be more Particular 1. By way of Instruction 2. By way of Examination and Tryall 3. By way of Exhortation 4. By way of Consolation Of all these in their order By way of Instruction We may hence learne first what a sad condition the most men of the world are in Ah! Lord how few are they whom thou hast chosen ever to obtaine eternall life and yet these are children of wrath by nature as well as others Poore creatures my heart trembles to thinke of you How many in this Congregation yet lye in a condition low enough and the Lord knowes whether ever to be raised yea or no. If a child should be borne with some naturall weaknesse in its armes or leggs and it should live six or ten or twenty years and yet not be able to use its limbs you would say it would be a very great hazard if ever that child did recover its limbs so as to have the strength and exercise of it it would be almost a miracle It was such a miracle that in the ninth of John when Jesus Christ had restored sight to one that was borne blind the Jewes would not beleeve it possible and ver 32. we find a positive determination upon the question Since the world began it was never heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind How many poore wretches that are come here into the presence of the Lord that were all borne blind deafe dead and have lived some ten some twenty some thirty yeares some more and all this time have continually had all the meanes that could be applyed to them for recovery and yet are in the same lost undone condition Ah my friends what can you neither stretch out hand nor foot nor tongue nor any member notwithstanding all the meanes of grace astoorded you for quickning Let me tell you it is ten thousand to one if you doe not perish for ever My friends It is a miracle a great miracle of mercy that any one poore wretch considering in what condition it is borne should ever come out of it The Jewes would hardly beleeve the report therefore they say Joh. 9. 19. Is this your sonne that was borne blind how then doth he now see We may say so concerning every one that hath any thing of God in him Was not this poore creature borne blind how doth he now see was not he borne lost How is he now raised but for those that in stead of growing better are growne ten times worse that have hardened their hearts and gone on in riot and wantonnesse and are yet in their bloud it is ten to one if ever the Lord say to them live they are growne to such a shamelesse impudence in wickednesse I dare not say there is no hope But let me sadly say there is small hope that ever the Lord should raise such wretches And if he doth not better ten thousand times better sinner had it been for thy soule that thou hadst never seen the light of the morning nor heard the voice of the Gospell in thine eares This is your condition the Lord awaken you Secondly From hence we may be instructed Whom we have cause to thanke that any of us are this day out of hell Who art thou O man that boasts thou art of good parentage or of a great birth harke in what language my Text speaks thy birth Thou wert borne under the Apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee If thy heavenly Father doth no more for thee than thy earthly mother woe to thee that ever thou wert borne What a boasting we have of pedegrees and great descents What a great word it is in the world I was better borne than you My father was such a Gentleman so great so rich c. My mother was of such or such an ancient Family O vanity vanity of vanities Poore creature thy mother brought thee forth under an Apple-tree The very heathen out of a meere rationall principle could scoffe at such brags Genus proavos quae non fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco Tully could retort to the Roman bragging of his descent Domus mea à me incipiet tua verò in te desinet My house shall have its Originall from me my Nobility and worth thy Noble Family shall have an end in thy Basenesse Christian what is thy birth consider it but in a spirituall notion the poorest wretch in the world is borne in as good a condition as thou art and thou in no better an estate towards God than he Suppose a man were borne of some great parentage and had no Lands no estate left him but could only boast of fumos nomina vana Catonum his fathers name and the smoake of his chimney Possibly he hath some gorgeous suit of apparell left him this he weares and glisters in for a while yet a little while and these teare and then he hath not a rag left him nor a penny to buy one to cover his nakednesse how contemptible would such a poore wretch be in every mans eyes And is not this the condition of the most of the great men gallants of the world they glister with an outside a little in the world their names are great their persons admired yet a little while and these weare out the men dye and lye downe in hell Ah! that those that glory would glory in this that God is their Father and Jesus Christ their portion Thus your Houses would have a beginning of Glory from you and their Glory should not end with you 2. Nor is the boasting of those much better that can boast of their Religious Parents I confesse it is the better of the two an heire of Glory being farre more noble than the greatest worldling and in regard that the Election of God runs much in a
where is thy victory When the Prisoner is freed it is a signe the debt is paid or the Gaoler beaten It was a signe of both in Christ as that the debt was paid due to his Fathers justice so also that death and hell were beaten 2. Christs Resurrection had an influence upon our raising by quickning us Col. 2. 12. Buried with him in Baptisme wherein you are also risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead And being dead in your sinnes hath be quickned together with him c. Col. 3. 1. If then ye be risen with Christ seeke those things which are above and ver 2. Set your affections on things which are above c. We are risen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with him and this should quicken us and strength derived from Christs Resurrection by faith doth quicken the Saints of God to live to God as becomes the redeemed ones of the Lord. 3. It hath an influence upon our raising by being a pledge to us of our owne rising unto everlasting glorie to live with that Christ who was dead and is alive againe This the Apostle fully proves in that fifteenth Chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians from the thirteenth Verse to the five and twentieth Now I take by raising I raised thee not onely to be understoed of the work of Redemption but also all the privileges that from that worke of Redemption flow out of course to the servants of God being but as severall steps from one of which to another the Saint is raised till hee bee got to the toppe staire of glory Christ hath raised us by his owne rising from the pit of the grave 5. He hath raised us by his Ascension and sitting at the right hand of his Father Now Christs Ascension and sitting at the right hand of the Father hath an influence upon our raising these wayes 1. In going before hee provides a place for us Take this out of his owne mouth John 14. 2. I goe to prepare a place for you And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there you may be also Christ is now preparing Mansions for his redeemed ones for in his Fathers house are many Mansions never a Saint of his shall want a seat or a roome in glory 2. In going he hath raised us in being our Way He being ascended and with the Father wee have through him a way unto the Father John 14. verse 6. I am the way hee was the way by which the Father came to us he communicated himselfe unto us in and by and through the Lord Jesus Christ and hee is our way by which wee goe to God whatsoever we aske in his Name if we believe we shall receive it we shall receive it The Saint could not pray with comfort if he did not remember that Rev. 13. 8. There is an Angell that stands before the Throne to whom much Incense is given to offer up the prayers of his people unto God But knowing we have a friend in the Court we offer up our prayers with boldnes and a great confidence in his goodnesse 3. His Ascension hath an influence upon our raising in that wee know now we have an Advocate with the Father even Christ Alas with what comfort can the child of God whose conscience the Lord hath awakened to consider his daily sinnes and corruptions thinke upon God or look up unto God if he did not know Christ were with him But now that Christ is with his Father wee know 1 Joh. 2. 1. That if any man sinne wee have an Advocate with the Father even Christ the righteous Hebr. 7. 25. He is therefore able to save them to the utmost that come unto God through him because he ever liveth to make Intercession for them Rom. 8 27. yea and verse 34. Now Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand who also maketh Intercession for us Observe there how the Apostle gives Christ ascension and sitting at the hand of God as the proximate cause of our Intercessor his Death and Resurrection made him not our Intercessor his Death made him our Saviour his Resurrection our Conqueror but his Ascension and sitting at the right hand of God hath ultimately made him in a capacity to bee our Advocate and Intercessor Thus he hath raised us by Ascension Yea 4. His Ascension and sitting at the right hand of the Father hath an influence upon our raising in that now from thence he giveth gifts unto men Ephes 4. 8. When hee ascended up on high he led Captivity Captive and gave gifts unto men The Psalmist Psalme 68. 18. from whence that passage is taken saith he received gifts for men he received them from his Father Now saith the Apostle when hee led Captivity Captive he distributed these to men As Conquerors use when they have taken the spoile to deale it out in gifts What gifts The Apostle expounds it in part ver 11. He gave some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists In short I take to be meant by it all the gifts of Gods Spirit whether of common or speciall grace whether externall or internall gifts for the benefit of the Church and gifts for the benefit of our soules Nay the descending of the Spirit was a fruit of Christs Ascension See it Joh. 14. 16. John 16. 7. I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away the comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Now it is plaine that the internall gifts of the Spirit and workes of it are fruits of Christs Ascension as well as the more common and externall gifts given in the dayes of Pentecost from the 14. of Joh. ver 16. where Christ promiseth them that the comforter which upon his departure he would send to them should abide with them for ever And thus I have shewed you now what course the Lord Jesus Christ hath taken to raise his redeemed ones that had lost all their life and strength and comfort in Adam out of this their lost condition thus he did it meritoriously These were his acts for us But now to what purpose is all this for any soules wounds that there is Balme in Gilead that there is a Phisitian there without the Balme bee applyed to its soul 6. Lastly therefore as Christ hath meritoriously thus raised the whole number of the Elect ones so he Particularly and Actually raiseth each one of those whom hee hath purchased by his bloud by applying himselfe unto each of their soules Now for the manner of this Application the blessed Apostle describes it Rom. 8. 30. Moreover whom hee did predestinate them he also called and whom hee called them he also justified and
whom he justified them he also glorified under Predestination is included Redemption and Sanctification under Justification Now therfore a little to open this mysterie of our Redemption in the Application of it to the soules of them that shall be saved You have seen how there came to be Balme in Gilead and that there is a fulnesse and sufficiency in Christ Now what doth the poore Elect one want that it hath lost in Adam I conceive three things 1. Life 2. Strength 3. Light 1. Life It is a damned Creature in Adam it wants a way of salvation a pardon for its sinnes a righteousnesse to appeare in the sight of God 2. Adam hath left it a weak creature not able to do any thing that is good no not so much as to think a good thought it wants a strength to Act in so as to please God 3. Adam hath left it a comfortlesse creature without any light of Gods countenance shining upon it Now all these are purchased The first of them is necessary to give the first being to a Saint The second is necessary to preserve the Christians being The third ad bene esse for the comfortable being of all Christ is all to the Childe of of God Psalme 27. verse 1. But how doth Christ apply these to the soules of his redeemed ones 1. Saith the Apostle He calls them We say that in effectuall calling which is when God joynes the irresistable power of his Spirit with the outward preaching of the Word God doth these three things 1. Convince the soule of his elect vessell that is a child of wrath by Nature as well as others Ephes 2. 3. what a condition it is in by reason of its Originall and its Actuall sinnes 2. Humble the soule for its sinnes and discover unto the soule the insufficiency of all its owne righteousnesse that it is undone in its sinnes and undone in its righteousnesse and thirdly hee sayes to the soule Yet there is hope looke up to me and live I am as the brazen Serpent onely looke up and thou shalt live And that the soule may be able to look up with a true eye Christ gives faith to the soule to behold him come unto him and to receive him by a true resting and relying upon his Merits for salvation 2. And having thus Called the soule he then justifies it He hath in his Decree justified it from eternity hee hathmeritoriously justified it by his Death upon the Crosse but now hee doth actually and formally justifie it 1. By pardoning its sinnes and acquitting the soule from the obligation it till now lay under to death and forgetting the injury done to himselfe by any of its sinnes 2. By imputing the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ to the soule by which it appeares the sinner is pardoned not without a satisfaction first given to Justice 3. By accepting graciously the soule thus justified as perfectly righteous for the Lord Jesus Christs sake as if it had never sinned And the worke of true faith in this Justification is to lay hold upon it And thus now Christ applyes the merits of his Death to the soule in conveying life and pardon to it thus hee raiseth it saying to it in its bloud live But this is not all 2. The soule is weake and is not able to live an houre of it selfe Christ therefore in the next place in order to its more perfect raising sanctifies the soule which implyeth two things 1. He gives unto the soule new principles of grace 2. He gives the soule power to act these principles for as except from him we have nothing so without him we can doe nothing Joh. 15. 5. Which power being given the soule from above the soule is raised and becomes strong in the strength of Christ and sets upon works 1. Of Mortification to subdue the strong holds of Satan viz. the remainder of corruption in the soule 2. Of Vivification setting upon such Duties as God hath required of his redeemed ones being exercises of the grace which they have received from the Lord Jesus Christ he gives the soule power to live upon faith to love to desire him to delight in him to do and to suffer for him to be content with him c. Yea and thirdly In his due time he raises the soule to a comfortable life in giving it the sense of his love a perswasion of its Union with the Lord Jesus Christ peace in the inward man shining upon it with the light of his Countenance which is better to it than thousands of Gold and Silver This I say he does in his due time not to all nor continuing it constantly to any but according to his good pleasure thus making knowne to it the Redemption he hath purchased for it and the Justification of its soule which is past in heaven before 4. And lastly in his due time he will yet further raise the soule by taking it to himself and glorifying it with himselfe for ever He will come againe on purpose to raise the soules of his redeemed ones from the dust and to take them up to himself in glory that where he is there they may be also John 16. verse 3. Thus Christ hath meritoriously raised all his redeemed ones and will apply their Redemption with the fruits of it to them in his due time applying life to them by Vocation and Justification strength to them by Sanctification light and comfort to them by shining with the Light of his Countenance upon them and finally giving them Glorification hee shall then perfect his worke of raising us and wee shall live with him in the Highest Heavens for ever I have now done with the Doctrinall part so farre as to shew you 1. That it is Christ that raiseth his Elect ones 1. He is designed 2. He can doe it 3. Hee onely can 4. Hee hath done it meritoriously for all 5. Hee hath done it actually and formally for some and will doe it for the rest And so farre as to shew you the manner how he did it and doth it both in respect of his owne acts in relation to the fitting himselfe for the worke and in respect of his application of it to the soules of his servants If now you aske me the Reasons why and to what end he did it for the reasons of the particular Propositions I have given you them before Now for Reasons in the Generall I shall give you them in two words 1. The moving cause was his owne grace because he would 2. The finall cause was his own glory 1. The moving cause and reason was his owne grace and goodnesse This is the reason of all Gods acts of grace towards the Creature whether Election or Redemption or Vocation or Justification or Sanctification or Glorification the sole cause was in himselfe because he loved us and delighted in us for his owne Names sake c. Isa 43. 25. Deut. 7. 7. Hos 14. 4. His owne will was all the reason he
did it freely we buy without money or money-worth Isa 55. 1 2. 2. If you aske to what end hee did it It was his own glorie that he might get himselfe glory from poore dust and ashes that little thanke him for all this mercy declared to their souls He Predestinated Redeemed and Adopted us meerely to the praise of the glorie of his grace Ephes 1. verse 6. The end which he aimed at in Calling us was his glory Rom. 9. 23 24 25 26. If you aske me why God that could as well have been glorified in the damnation of poore wretches would chuse rather to be glorified in their salvation and bringing them to life I must run back again to the Fountaine againe meerly because so it pleased him because it was his will There wee must rest I shall now proceed to the Application of this mysterious sweet and precious Doctrine and it might be applyed severall wayes But I shall onely apply the consideration of it as offering you ground and matter First of Humiliation Secondly of Instruction Thirdly of Examination Fourthly of Exhortation Fiftly of Consolation Use 1 First of all for Humiliation Harke Christians is it so that thou wert so lost and undone that none but Jesus Christ could raise thee and hee hath done it when none else could and wil raise thee higher yet and this hee could not have done without taking thy flesh dying upon the Crosse suffering the bitternesse of his Fathers wrath consider then what cause thou hast to be humbled for thy sins 1. Considering that these were they put Christ to death 2 that by these since that time thou hast crucified the Lord of life 1. Consider that thy sins were those that put Christ to death Rom. 4. 25. He was delivered to death for our sinnes Me thinks every one when they heare of Christs Agony and bloudy Sweat of his Whippings Buffetings of his bitter Sufferings c. should be ready to cry out with Pilate Quid mali fecit What evill I pray hath he done Ah none Christian it was to raise thee thou wert dead lost undone he dyed to raise thee thou stolest the fruit he climbed the tree thou enjoyedst the sweetnesse of sinning and he for that was acquainted with the bitternesse of suffering He bore thy iniquity even thine and mine too if we be elected Certainly it was a great griefe of heart to David to remember that he had an hand in the bloud of Uriah that was surely the great transgression that hee complained of to be sure that heart-troubling sinne for which hee puts up that particular Petition Deliver mee from bloud-guiltinesse O God And questionlesse it was no small Trouble of Spirit to Paul afterwards to consider that he was one of them that were consenting to Stephens death Acts 7. 59 60. Chap. 8. verse 1. he afterwards repeats it with shame I was a persecuter Christian here is one murdered by cruell hands not an Uriah not a Stephen but hee that is worth ten thousand of these not an Abell yet his bloud troubled Cain all his life time but one whose bloud cries for better things than the bloud of Abell did here 's the Lambe of God slaine slaine by thy hands he was bruised for thine iniquities and his soule was made an Offering for thy sinnes Is it nothing to thee O Christian when Pilate was but about to condemne him his wife came startled in and cries Have nothing to doe with that just man and when Stephen charged the Jewes Acts 7. 52. for being the betrayers and murtherers of the Lord Jesus they apprehended it as a thing so hainous that they would not endure him beyond that word but were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth verse 54. Christians there is none of you here but your sinnes were the betrayers and murtheres of the Lord Jesus that Christ that had such eternall sure and unchangeable thoughts of love to your soules Ah! how great were those sins which could not be remitted without the bloud of the immaculate Lamb of God Me thinks every one of you should sit downe and say Ah Lord that ever I should be such a wretch so farre to provoke the fire of thy wrath that nothing could quench it but the bloud of thy Sonne that I should throw my selfe so deep into Hell that nothing could raise mee but the bloud-shedding of the deare Sonne of Gods love You have had to doe with that just man Christians not to doe with condemning him but even with the vildest acts of Barbarisme were done unto him your hypocrisie was the kisse that betrayed him the sinnes of your hands and feet were the nailes that fastened his hands and feet to the Crosse the sinnes of your body were the Spears that pierced his sacred side the sinnes of your soules were they that made his soule heavy to the death that caused the with-drawings of his Fathers love from him and made him in the heavinesse of his panged soule to cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me O sit downe goe alone weep and weep bitterly for him whom you have pierced for those stripes by which you are healed 2. But secondly if any thing will move your soules to make your head a Fountaine of water and your eyes Rivers of teares Consider That this Christ you have crucified even since his death upon the Crosse for you When the Apostle St. Peter Acts 2. had made a long Sermon of Christs love shewing the Auditors what Christ had done and what he was he summeth up all verse 36. God hath made that same Jesus whom yee have crucified both Lord and Christ Now saith the Text verse 37. When they heard this viz. that they had crucified this Christ they were pricked at the heart This Christ my beloved whom you have crucified by your youth sinnes and life sins this was he that was crucified for you O be pricked at the hearts at this saying Was it not enough that he once was pierced scoffed wounded crucified for you but must you againe crucifie him and which of you doe it not daily Causinus tels us a story of Clodoveyus one of the Kings of France that when he was converted from Paganisme to Christianity while Remigius the Bishop was reading in the Gospell concerning the Passion of our Saviour and the abuses he suffered from Judas and the rest of the Jewes he brake out into these words If I had been there with my Frenchmen I would have cut all their throats In the meane time not considering that by his daily sins he did as much as they had done Which of us is not condemning the crucifiers of Christ for their cruelty and in the meane time we condemne not our selves who by our daily sinnes make him to bleed againe afresh Ah let us judge our selves and sit downe and mourne we are they that have added to Christs bonds that have increased his wounds and the pangs of his grieved soule
is his greatest glory he will not give that to any other None shall share with him in his Spouses love he is a jealous Saviour The Spouse leanes upon her Beloved not Beloveds Thus I have done with my use of reproofe The next use is for examination here may every one try himselfe whether he be the Spouse of the Lord Jesus Christ or no Even by what hath been already said I will reduce it all to three heads First Examine thy selfe whether thou beest out of the wildernesse of sinne yea or no. Secondly Whether thou wert or art in any other wildernesse yea or no. Thirdly What was or is thy demeanour in these wildernesses thou hast been or art in and how hast thou come or dost thou come out Examine whether thou beest not in the wildernesse of sinne yea or no It was given as the Character of the Spouse to come out of this wildernesse O but how shall I know that will the soule say I will name two or three notes by which thou mayst suspect thy selfe as from probabilities 1. The wildernesse it is an incult place a place where the soyle was never tilled it is hard almost as a milstone the over-growne Trees were never pruned the unruly boughs never lopt the bushes never cut or stubbed dost thou find thy heart in such a condition that it is as hard as ever neither judgement breaks it nor mercy melts it the fallow ground of it is not plowed nor the seed of righteousnesse sowne in it Thy unruly lusts are not tamed thy life is as much overgrowne with sinne as ever it was thy sinnes were never yet cut off from the body of thy life O friend suspect thy selfe Thou mayest justly feare yea and know too that thou art not the Spouse of Christ thou art in the wildernesse in thy naturall estate Secondly The wildernesse is a barren place it brings forth no corne for the sickle no wholsome fruit no grapes for mans pallat for can a man gather grapes of thistles or figgs of thornes No pastures wholsome for the beasts The fire hath devoured the pastures of the wildernesse Joel 1. 19. And God complained that Nineveh was dry like a wildernesse Zeph. 2. 13. Art thou a barren and unfruitfull creature that dost nothing for God thy heart is a barren heart no seeds of good are sown there thy tongue is a barren tongue no good words come out thence thy whole soule a barren soule not a good action upon the record of thy life Indeed no soule can be barren the soule is of a working nature but sinfull works are unfruitfull workes in the Apostles language The unfruitfull workes of darknesse and what fruits had ye of those things whereof you are now ashamed Gods Spouse is a fruitfull creature Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering c. A barren soule is alwayes a wildernesse-soule Those that are borne of God bring forth fruits unto God Thirdly thou mayest know whether thou beest in the wildernesse or no by the company thou delightest in It is a knowne rule Noscitur ex socio qui non dignoscitur ex se He that is a wildernesse-creature loves wildernesse-company the Wolves and Beares and Foxes but he that is out keeps the company of men dost thou love the wildernesse-company the swinish drunkard the politike Fox the malitious Lyon the venomous lyer and slanderer the lascivious wanton more than the Children of God Oh suspect thy selfe By this we know saith John that we are translated from death to life if we love the Brethren Lazarus when he was raised from the grave we do not read he went to keep the dead men company againe those that God hath raised from the death of their sins live amongst living men and delight in living mens company Thus examine whether thou beest come out of the wildernesse of sin or no. Secondly As comming out of the wildernesse is a signe of the child of God so being in the wildernesse is likewise a note whereby thou mayest know thy selfe Gods Spouse comes out of one wildernesse into another out of the wildernesse of sinne into the wildernesse of sorrow and out of that to their Saviour Wouldest thou know whether thou art found or no Examine whether thou wert lost or no Wouldest thou know whether ever thou wert a beleever examine whether ever thou wert a penitent or not This is Gods ordinary way thence he complaines of his people that they would not repent that they might beleeve in him Dos thou find God in another manner of working in thy soule blesse God for it and if thy title be good to heaven which will be knowne by thy walking with God beleeve me God hath used thee kindly heaven hath cost thee cheaper then it costs many a poore soule and walke humbly before God because he hath not humbled thee under his mighty hand as he hath done many another poore creatures And though I would not condemne those that plead their title to heaven this way for feare I should condemne the generation of the righteous yet beleeve me I should suspect it in my owne cause They that goe out weeping and carry precious seed shall returne rejoycing and bring their sheaves with them 2. Examine thy selfe What other wildernesses thou meetest with Afflictions temptations c. I would not give this as an infallible marke yet God sayes whom he loves he chasteneth and scourgeth every child whom he receiveth and thence the Father drew out his Conclusion Unicum Deus habuit filium sine peccato nullum sine flagello God had one Sonne without sinne but none without a rod. But I know even the wicked sometimes begin their hell upon the earth and though I would suspect my selfe if I met with no afflictions yet I would not be glad to have a life full of crosses and afflictions my best evidence for heaven I rather named this for a preface to the next note 3. Examine how thou carriest thy selfe in the wildernesse there is a different carriage betwixt the child of God and the child of the Devill in afflictions the one sinkes into the grave with despaire the other lifts up his head to Sion with hope the one is prest to death under crosses the other above all crosses Cain cries my punishment is too heavy for me to beare Job cries though he should kill me yet I will trust in him The Reprobate cryes Who is the Lord that I should wait for him The Saint sayes I will patiently wait for the Lords Salvation the wicked man dyes the Saint leanes the eyes of the sinners faile that day but the Saints look up to Sion from whence comes their helpe that day 4. Examine How thou hast come out of thy wildernesse of thine owne strength or leaning Canst thou say That God knew thee in the wildernesse in the land of great drought Hos 13. 5. If thou thinkest thou camest out alone thou art there stil What
gave thee comfort in the depths of sorrow what thy merry company did thy duties do it If any thing did it but thy Christ I feare thou art still in the Wildernesse when thou didst mourne as one that mourneth for his onely begotten sonne dist thou look upon him whom thou hadst pierced there is nothing but the blood of Christ can give a cordiall to a fainting soule nothing but the hand-kerchiefe of free grace that can wipe thine eyes nothing but the blotting out of the hand-writing which was written in Gods Booke and thy owne conscience against thee that can make thy heart leave trembling and thy knees leave beating together for terror Thou canst not come out alone if ever thou camest out it was leaning 5. Examine thy selfe How thou hast carried thy selfe since thou camest out How hast thou beene since thou wert humbled and lost in the wildernesse of sorrow What effects hath the wildernesse of sorrow wrought upon thee Hath thy sorrow beene like the sorrow of Achan that thou hast been onely sorry because thou hast been under an Attachment of wrath Or like Ahab renting his cloathes putting on his sack-cloth and going softly 2 Chron. 22. Or like Pharoah saying I have sinned Exod. Or like Balaam saying I have sinned I will returne back againe when he might have had more thanks for his labour and never have come there he had checks enough Art thou worse when thou commest out of the wildernesse of affliction that wee may brand thee with Ahaz his Brand This was that King Ahaz Or doest thou come out of thy Afflictions leaning with thy weak faith strengthened and thy strong faith confirmed Hast thou lost no graines but got in the fire Is thy gold as good weight now as before it is a good signe it is good then But I hasten to the next Use which may be to informe us First The sad condition that all unbeleevers are in Secondly The joyfull condition that all the Children of God are in Thirdly The great love of God that he would send Christ to seeke us up in the wildernesse and give his hand to poore creatures to lead them out And lastly If in every wildernesse wee must leane upon the Lord Jesus Christ It may informe us what need wee have at all times to walke close with the Lord Christ First here see the sad condition that all men and women by nature are in that have not the Lord Jesus Christ It consists in two things First They are in a wildernesse Sinne is a wildernesse Now which of you friends but would thinke himselfe as good as a dead man if he were in the midst of an Arabian desert that he could not see any possibilitie of getting out nor any comfort he could enjoy there terror on every side comfort on no side the Lyons and beasts of prey of every hand ready to devour him and it is well if he can keepe his flesh for food for himselfe for he can get no provision for his body nothing except he would eate the barke of trees or the parched grasse What man would not tremble to thinke of one that should be condemned to such an axile Doe not your hearts pittie as oft as you think of those poore men that were left but halfe a yeare in Greenland And yet O Lord How few pittie themselves O poore creatures Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur the Story is thy owne apply it therefore You that are in your sinnes are all in a sad wildernesse the judgements of God like the beasts of prey are ready to swallow you up on every hand 't is a miracle of mercy you are not in hell there is but a thread betwixt you and death the Sword of Gods wrath hangs over your head while you are at your Drunken Banquets of sinne Oh! what comfort what joy can can you have in the wildernesse friends that when you lye downe at night you know not but you may wake in the morning past Repentance even with Hell flames about you as the Lord lives there is but a haires breadth betwixt you and Hell 2. Consider That you have no one to helpe you out of any wildernesse if Christ be not yours nothing is yours what will you doe in a stormy day of Affliction when you shall cry unto God and he shall say unto you as he once said to the roaring Isralites Jud. 10. 14. Goe and cry unto the gods which you have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation Cry unto your Gold now unto your Lusts now trust your Riches now make you a golden Calfe See if it will now save you O think You that live in sinne and love and delight in sinne what shall I doe in a sad day of sicknesse when the feare of the grave shall surround me and the terrors of Hell shall make me afraid What shall I leane upon when these comforts shall be no comforts when I shall say to all creature-enjoyments miserable comforters are you all Where shall I warme me when these flashes will be out when the sparkes of pleasure and profit shall be choakt and kill'd with the dust and ashes of my grave Heare yee this all yee That kinde a fire that compasse your selves about with sparkes walke in the light of your fire and in the sparkes that you have kindled This shall ye have at the Lords hand you shall lye downe in sorrow Your pleasurable sinnes are but as sparks Sirs What will you doe when your sparkes are out They are as we say of a short flame but a Widdowes joy for a moment Take heed that when your sparks are out you blow not your nailes in hell Take heed that your sparkes doe not kindle everlasting burnings for you What will you doe in a wildernesse of Affliction how will you come out what will you come out What will yee leane upon Secondly This may serve to informe us of the happpy condition of Gods children and that è contrario in a just position to the others misery O lift up your heads yee righteous and be glad yee upright in heart Your happinesse consists in these two things First You are out of the wildernesse out of the danger of Hell and those that can spell in their thoughts but that word hell will know it to be a mercy to be out of the feare of it You are out of the wildernesse O blesse that God that hath helpt you out 't is a great happinesse to be delivered of feares beleeve me Did the wicked men seriously thinke what a weight of wrath they lye under what a cloud of bloud hangs over their heads they would pray till all their knees were melted though they were all steele to be delivered from it Hold up your hands that you have escaped a drowning that you feare not the wild beasts that belong to the wildernesse Gods dreadfull judgements you dare meet the Lyon and the Beare and they dare not set
righteous with God to render trouble to them that trouble him we presse God with our sinnes as a cart is prest with sheaves it is his owne similitude no wonder if hee lades us with troubles to the breaking of our hearts when wee take such liberty to break his lawes I am not of their mind that think Saints troubles come not upon them for their sinnes that they come not as law demands for satisfaction I grant that they may come medicinally or meerly for the exercise of faith or patience or some other graces I also easily grant Whether wee may call them punishments or no though I see no solid reason against the affirmative in that nicety I will not dispute but this is sure enough If the Saint were not a sinner hee should not bee a sufferer neither in body nor in spirit nor in his estate nor his relations Death with all the appurtenances of it death both in the egge and bird is sinnes wages sinnes off-spring Saints by their sinnings by their inconstant and uneven walkings are causes of their own sufferings causes of their owne miseries A third head of causes for the Saints troubles may be the world And that 1. In respect of the incertainty of its comforts 1 Joh. 2. 17. The world passeth away and againe 1 Cor. 7. 31. The fashion of this world passeth away Job complaines that his welfare past away as a cloud Job 30. 15. Take what you will of the world it passeth away our friends passe away One generation goeth and another commeth Our prosperity passeth away Job's sunshines had a cloud came over them Riches take themselves the wings of the morning and flie away Now hence of course ariseth trouble when the heart of the creature is fixt upon a Relation and the Generation passeth the parent dies the husband wife child friend or what ever the Relation be it is gone Man goeth to his long home the mourners of course goe about the streets the affection remaines but the object being gone the spirit is disquieted the heart dissetled c. and so for other things Trouble followes of course upon the flitting and passing away of what the heart was let out after 2. The world is also a cause of the Saints troubles In respect of the ill nature of its inhabitants the malice of them Joh. 15. 19. Because you are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you The world is very selfish in its love it loves none but its own If yee were of the world the world would love its owne The world cares for none but those that are it 's owne it hateth Christ and all that claime kinred of him all that are in relation to him Joh. 15. 18. it hated Christ before it hated the Saints but hating him it hateth those that are flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones Eph. 5. 30. Thus you see various causes of the Saints troubles and so I have dispatched the third thing I promised you The fourth followes What peace is that that the Saint may have in Christ in the midst of this worlds troubles how is it in Christ and what paines hath Christ taken concerning it and how may the Saint get this peace and find it out in Christ and draw it from Christ To this I shall answer and first wee must enquire what peace is Pax est concordia Peace is an agreement say some tranquillitas ordinis a quiet of order saith Aquinas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because it drawes into an unity unio cordium rerum an union of hearts and actions say others tranquilla constitutio animorum ac rerum say others a quiet composure of differing spirits and actions Mutuus consensus say others a mutuall consent betwixt persons All amount to the same peace is a quiet composed frame of spirit amongst divers parties Now as there are many different parties in the world to agree and many different cases upon which agreements may bee so there are different sorts of peace There is an outward peace or an inward peace a peace with men and a peace with God peace with men may be either Politicall with Princes and subjects of different Kingdomes or amongst the subjects of the same Kingdome or betwixt the head and members of the same body politick or amongst men of the same City and Corporation contrary to forrain or civill warres and dissentions Or it may be domestick which is an agreement betwixt Husband and Wife Parents and Children Governours or Servants of the same family or more private betwixt party and party call'd pax sociorum the friendship and agreement of friends and companions c. All these now are the worlds peaces which Christ puts in opposition to his peace Ioh. 14. 27. Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you There is a peace that is properly called Christ's peace It was Christ's legacy hee left it by his last will and testament to his Disciples and Saints hee distinguiguisheth it from all other peace whatsoever Now in generall this is the peace that the Saints may find in Christ in the midst of this worlds troubles it is Christs peace But more particularly what is that what peace is that that the world cannot give that Christs peace This is that peace with God which is nothing else than mutuus consensus Dei hominis an agreement betwixt God and man the Creator and the creature it may be considered in the root and in the fruit in the cause and in the effect in the originall and in the coppy 1. The originall is our Justification in foro Dei in Gods Court A peace betwixt God and the soule by vertue of an Act of Oblivion that the Lord hath passed in Heaven concerning all the sinners sinnes hee hath said I will remember your sinnes no more hee makes them as if they never had beene now upon the passing this Act there is an agreement concluded betwixt God and the sinner the differing parties are one the peace is made and entered in the rolls of heaven God looks upon the sinner no more as his enemy but as his sonne daughter friend in the nearest relation to him From hence ariseth 2. A piece of conscience which is nothing else but the agreement of the sinner within himselfe Conscience that is Gods agent in the soule proclaims no more warre bids no more defiance the man is at peace with himselfe hee dare say to himselfe conscience is it peace and his conscience shall make him answer it is peace Now this peace is but the sealing up of the other in the court of the mans own bosome A coppy of the other taken out by faith according to that Rom. 5. 1. Beeing justified by faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ this is also Christ's peace Now this peace with God whether considered in the originall
31 32. Sweetnesse of Christ to the soule that tasts him p. 1. p. 48. T TEmptations a Saints wildernesse why p. 3. p. 10. How the soule in them leanes and comes out of them leaning on Christ p. 3. p. 54 55. Thankfulnesse how highly the duty of Saints p. 1. p. 71 72 73. Motives to it p. 2. p. 68 69. Traditionall faith nothing p. 1. p. 64 65. Trial of our selvs whether we be in the state of nature or grace how it may be made p. 1. p. 43 44. Notes of Triall whether we be raised or no. p. 2. p. 57 58. Whether we be the Spouses of Christ or no. p. 3. p. 76 77 78 79 80 81. V VNbeleevers sad condition opened p. 3. p. 83 84. They are exhorted to look out for a part in Christ p. 3. p. 93. 94 95. W WEaknesse of the soule how helpt by Christ p. 2. p. 43. Wearinesse in the soule that will leane on Christ p. 3. p. 27 28. Wellbeloved of the soule who p. 3. p. 26. Will of man doth not first stir in the soule for God p. 3. p. 71 72. Wildernesse what it meanes what manner of place it is opened in six particulars p. 3. p. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. 76 77. Saints may dwell in a sixfold Wildernesse p. 3. p. 5 6 7 8. Wildernesse company what it is p. 3. p. 78. How sad a condition it is to be in the wildernesse p. 3. p. 84. Willingnesse how and when in us p. 3. p. 17 18 19. willingnes in the soul that comes to Christ how p. 3. p. 21. An Index of the severall Contents of each Sermon in the following Treatise In the first Sermon and Part. THe words considered Relatively Absolutely p. 4 5. Severall senses of the words given by Expositors declared and rejected with reasons for the rejection p. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. The true sense given according to the Authors judgement with his reasons for it p. 16 17 18 19. The words analysed 19 20. 3 Doctrines propounded to be insisted upon 21. 1. Doct. The best of Gods Saints by nature were borne in a lost condition 22 23. The doctrine proved by Scripture ibid. 24. Adams sin how it goes over all and how all are Originally defiled ib. 25 26. How Christ came to be free of this guilt 29. Saints beget not Saints why 28 29. St. Austines and Mr. Perkins his opinion 28 29. Mr. Perkins his counsell to such as are inquisitive to know how Originall sin came to bee propagated 29 30. 1. Use of the Doctrine to discover the errors of Pelagians Manichees Anabaptists and Universalists 30 31 32. Christ by his death hath not taken Originall sinne out of our nature 32. Christ payeth no debts by halves for any 33. Christ useth not to do things to no purpose 33. 2 Use for Instruction 34. 1. What a sad condition most men and women are in 34. It is a miracle if withered sinners be saved 34. 2. Whom we have cause to thank that wee are this day out of hell 36. Not our Noble Parentage there is a great deale of bragging of that in the world to little purpose 36 37. Vain-glorying will have an end in hell 37 38. Religious Parentage best most noble most to be gloryed in 38 39. but not enough 39. It was the Jewes brag 39 40. Parents faith wants a way of conveyance to save our soules 40. This made plain by a familiar instance 40. 3. Br. From hence we may be instructed what a soule-cheating-Principle it is of Libertanisme to say we have no need of Repentance c. If we be elected we shall be saved if not damned 41. 3. Use Let us try our selves whether wee bee not yet in a state of disunion to Christ 4â— 43. 4. Notes of Triall 43 44. 1 Note If none have done more for us than our Mother hath done we are yet in the state of Nature 43. Mothers convey Nature 43. Nature is either corrupted or refined neither enough 45 46. 2. Note If we have not tasted of the fruit of the Apple-tree we are yet but under it 47. Christ is the Apple-tree ib. 1. The Apple if tasted is sweet 48. Christ sweet to Saints 48 49. High thoughts of Christ argue a spirituall tast of him ib. 2. The tasted Apple is cordiall 50. 1 In taste 2. In smell ib. Christ how cordial to swooning Saints ib. No Cordiall to unbeleevers ib. 50 51 52. 3. Tasted Apples are nutritive 53. Soules that have tasted Christ will from him draw nourishment 54. 4. The tasted Apple is diffusive of its vertue 54 55. 3. Note of Triall If thou hast pluckt the fruit of the Apple-tree thou hast a hand to do it 56. Faith is the hand 57. This hand must be 1 True 2 Perfect 3 Lively 58 59. Painted hands pluck no fruit ib. Faith how perfect is necessary 58 59. Dead hands pluck nothing 59 60. Faith is lively Internally Externally 60. It must be given us from above 62. Perswasions various Natural Moral Traditionall Diabolicall c. 63 64 65. All these good for nothing ib. Nature's Legacy of faith 63. Natures faith is sickly ib. Morall perswasions nothing 64. Legacies of faith from Parents will not bring heaven and Christ 65. Most men believe there is a God and Christ c. because their Father taught them so and their Mother so learnt them their Catechisme 65. This was the good womans Religion 65. Most believe as their Fathers believed 65 66. True faith is the gift of God 68. it is grounded upon divine perswasion What that is c. 68 69. Use 4. Exhortation in severall Branches 70 71 72 73 74. 1 Br. To perswade Saints to thankfull hearts what cause they have 71 72. 2 Br. Put on Bowells of mercy to other lost undone soules 73 74. We pitty bodies but not souls 74 75 76 3 Br. The consideration of this Doctrine cals to Saints for humble hearts 77 78 79. Use 5. It may bee applyed to give us a ground 1 of Consolation 2 of Hope 80 81 82. Hope for those yet in the state of Nature 81. Hope for Saints concerning their friends yet in the state of Nature 82 83. An Index of the severall things contained in the second part 2 Doct. It is the Lord Jesus Christ that helps his redeemed ones out of their lost condition 4. The Doctrine inlarged in five particulars 4 5 6 7 8 c. 1. Christ was assigned to doe it 5 6 7 8 c. The Covenant of Grace was made betwixt the Father and Christ personally and us representatively in him 6. God in laying our Redemption on Christs shoulders laid help on one that was mighty 7 8. 2. Christ alone was able to goe through with the work of our Redemption 8 9. Reason for it ib. Angels Creatures man could not do it 9 10. Foure things necessary to accomplish our Redemption which alone could be found in Christ page 12. 1. One that could
dye 12. 2. One that had the offending nature 12. 3. One that could merit by death ib. 4. One that could pay an infinite satisfaction 13. The Riddle of mans Redemption solved 14. 3. Christ hath done the work of our Redemption 14 15. Christ hath raised all Intentionally and Moritoriously whom his Father elected some also Actually and formally 16 17. 4. Christ will raise all his chosen ones actually and formally 17 18. Pardon is to come out of course to all the Elect 18. Christs and his Fathers power are united and joyntly engaged for his Elects salvation 18 19. 5. Christ hath raised and will raise his Elect How he hath already and will yet further do it 20 21. 22 23. 1. By entring into a Covenant and engaging his word for them 20 21 22. The justice of God in charging our debts on Christ cleared by his voluntary engagement for us 21 22. How the Father is well pleased and satisfied in Christ as Mediator 23 24 25. Till Christ came God the Father had nothing but Christs word for the paiment of our debts 25. 2. How Christ raised us by assuming our flesh 26 27. That was necessary in order to our redemption 1 That he might suffer 2 That the same Nature might suffer 3 That righteousnesse might be fulfilled 4 That he might fulfill the Law for us 27 28. The Govenant of Grace and Works how they differ how the latter is more favourable 28. Christ was to be a mercifull high Priest 30 31. 3. Christ raised his Saints by his suffering How and why that was necessary 31 32. 1. That he might satisfie ib. 2. That he might conquer for us 32 33. 4. Christ raised us by his resurrection 33 34 35. What influences Christs Resurrection had upon our raising 33 34 35. 1. It witnesseth Christs Conquest for us 33. 2. It quickens us 34. 3. It is a pledge to us of our rising to glory 35. 5 Christ hath raised his Elect by his Ascension 35 36. What influence that act of Christs had on our raising 35 36 37. 1. In going before hee provides a place for us 36. 2. He is by that our Way to the Father 36. 3. Hee is by that our Advocate with the Father 37 38. 4. In that ascending up on high hee gave gifts to men 38. Elect ones Naturally want three things 1 Life 2 Strength 3 Light 40 41. 1. Christ first calls the soule effectually in that work he usually 1 Convinceth the soule of its misery 2 Humbles it 3 Gives it hope This is the first meanes of Application of the purchased Redemption to the soule 41 42. 2. He justifies the soule What that is Three things God doth in justification 1. He pardons the soules sins 2. He imputes Christs Righteousnesse unto it 3. He accepts it 42 43. By these two acts the soule hath life given it ib. Weaknesse of the soule how helped by Christ 43. 1. Christ gives the soule new principles of Grace ib. 2. He gives the soule power to act those Principles ib. 3. How Christ will in his owne time raise up the soules of his Saints to a sight of their salvation 44. 4. Christ will at last fully raise them up by taking them to glory 44. Why Christ undertook the work of our Redemption 46 47. The moving cause was his own grace The finall cause his owne glory 46 47. The Application of the Doctrine variously à 47. ad 83. 1. Use For Humiliation 47 48. For our sins and that from hence upon a double ground 1. To consider that our sins put Christ to death 48 49. 2. That by any renewing sinnes we should againe crucifie the Lord of life 47 48 49 50 51 52. 2. Use For Instruction in foure Branches 1. Br. How much hath Christ loved us 53. 2. Br. Christ is a compleat Saviour he hath left us nothing to doe but to beleeve all is done 55. 3. Br. Christ is highly needfull to every poore soule 55 56. 4. Br. All the Elect and Redeemed ones are highly indebted to Christ 56 57. 3 Use For Triall whether wee bee yet raised or no. 57. 58. 2 Notes of Triall ib. 1. N. If we be raised it is by Christs act 57 58. 2. N. It is in Christs Method of Application 59. What that is ibid. 4. Use Of Exhortation 1. To Naturall men 2. To Saints 61 62 63 c. 1. Let poore undone creatures look for a portion in Christ 61 62 63. Men are not so sensible of soule-diseases as of bodily sicknesses 62. 4. Directions for such poor creatures 62 63 64. 1. How they may speak with Christ ib. 2. What his Fee is ibid. The condition is Bring nothing ib. 3. How they must use his Balme 64. 4. VVhat rules of Dyet must be observed after taking it 66. The second part of the Exhortation turn'd to Beleevers 67. Saints exhorted to thank fulnesse 67 68. From the consideration 1. Of the person of their Redeemer in three particulars 68 69. 2. Of the act and manner of their Redemption in three things 69 70. 3. Of the Object of this act opened in five particulars 71 72 73. He hath done it that was 1. Infinitely above thee 2. In no need of thee 3. The offended Creator He raised thee 1. Out of a low condition 2. To a glorious condition 3. By his own falling He raised Thee 1. Not others Angels Great persons 2. That wert as low as others Thee 3. That wert his enemy 4. That never ask'd it before it was done 5. That hast still rebellion in thee p. 68 69 70 71 72 73. Particular exhortations to believers to the performance of severall duties All which are inforced from Christs severall acts of grace in raising us 74 75 76 77 78 c. 1. Value nothing in an equall ballance with Christ 74. 2. Vow your selves to God and keep your vowes 76. 3. Beleevers as Christ hath taken upon him their nature should likewise strive to be made partakers of his Nature 76. 4. From Christs death they should learne to die to sin 77. 5. From Christs resurrection they should learn to rise to newnesse of life 77 78. 6. From Christs ascension Beleevers should learne to ascend by setting their affections on heavenly things 78. 7. Let Christ be in you the hopes of glory ibid. 5. Vse This doctrine affords consolation for believers 1. Against their outward poverty 79. 2. Against their feares because of their many and great sins 80. 3. Against their daily back slidings ib. 4. Against their present sadnes ib. 5. Against their feares of falling away 80 81. Belevers from hence may be comforted with hope 1. Concerning such of their frends as are no◠yet raised 81. 2. Concerning such as are full of terror and sadnes 81. 82. A Branch of instruction added that was forgotten in its order viz. How much Christ deserves our cleaving 〈◊〉 him in saddest conditions 82 83. An Index of the severall contents of the third part Doct. 3. The
wanting to thee Goe sell all that thou hast Christian let me tell thee all this self-Righteousnes must be sold not lost but slighted If thou hast no more than a Bridled nature it is not enough the young man went away from Christ sorrowfull Mar. 10. The Pharisee went away not justified Luke 18. ver 14. Nay secondly if thou hast no more than a refined Nature it is nothing though it be seven times refined It is a piece of Nature That there is a God Nature revealeth it to men and that this God is a spirit and that Si Deus est animus c. Hic tibi praecipuè sit pura mente colendus Seeing God is a spirit he must 1. Be worshipped 2. Be worshipped sincerely Cato could say so this is all but Nature the finest of Nature Thou mayest pray in thy Family Morning and Evening the Heathen would doe as much they would cry to their Penates yes thou mayest doe it and without the Common-prayer Booke too I doe not read that they had one in use to worship their Idols with Nature had given them a tongue to speak their wants without a Tutor and yet be a wretch under the Apple-tree The Pharisee would be so far from being ashamed to pray in his Family that he would not be ashamed to come and pray in the Temple Luke 18. v. 10 11. He fasted twice a weeke They fasted often Mat. 9. 14. They were strict observers of the Sabbath how many quarrels had they with our Lord Jesus Christ for healing for his Disciples but plucking of eares of corne on the Sabbath day Here was Nature seven times purified and yet for all this Christ tels his Disciples Mat. 5. 20. That except their righteousnesse exceeded the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees they should never enter into the Kingdome of God Tremble at this you that are lyers Sabbath-breakers prophane persons unjust in your Callings unconscionable in your walkings with God Tremble at this you that never pray in your Families in your Closets God never heares of you but when you come to Church and then to no purpose neither you are not yet raised nay far from it Flesh and bloud might have revealed this unto you This is the first Note Secondly know If you have not pluckt and tasted of the fruit of the Apple-tree you are still but under it You may remember I construed under the Apple-tree out of Jesus Christ If you have got no benefit by Jesus Christ you have no portion in him if you be not in him and if he be not in you It is the Apostles Note 2 Cor. 13. ver 5. Know you not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates The Apple is in the man that hath eat it Christ is in the soule by a spirituall union if the soule hath any part in him or shall ever have any benefit by him Free Grace is the fruit of this Apple-tree of Paradise Are the Graces of God in you but some may say how shall we know that The tasted Apple is 1. Sweet 2. Cordiall 3. Nutritive 4. Diffusive 1. Sweet Cant. 2. 3. As the Apple-tree amongst the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved amongst the Sonnes I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was pleasant to my taste The Spouse there compareth the Lord Jesus to an Apple-tree a rare Apple-tree as an Apple-tree amongst the trees of the wood Now he was not only an Apple-tree in himselfe a sweet Tree full of the Apples of Life and free Grace but he was an Apple-tree to her he was her beloved and shee sate downe under his shadow Now it was 1. With great delight 2. His fruit was sweet to her taste If Christ be in thee and thou beest in Christ Christ is very sweet to thee thou sittest under his shadow with great delight and his fruit is pleasant to thy tast 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you that beleeve he is precious His name to thy soule is as an ointment powred forth Cant. 1. 3. Why like an ointment powred forth Mar. 14. v. 3. Joh. 12. 3. When the box of ointment was broken and powred forth on Christs head the whole house was filled with the savour of it Is it thus with thy soule Christian Is Jesus Christ precious to thee Is his name to thy soule like an ointment powred forth Is thy whole heart filled with the sweet smell of Jesus Christ Art thou ravished with his love his incomprehensible his unfadomable love Is Christ in his Ordinances precious to thy soule that thou desirest the sincere milke of the word as the new borne babe desires the milke of the breasts Doth the very thinking of Christ ravish thy heart Doth the naming of him carry thy soule almost above it selfe in an extasie of love Is he like an Apple to thy tast that thy mouth is filled with the sweetnesse of his juice High thoughts of Jesus Christ argue that Jesus Christ is spiritually tasted by thy soule Art thou melted with his love It is a signe thou hast tasted of the fruit of the Apple-tree 2. The tasted Apple is cordiall Cant. 2. 5. Stay me with flaggons comfort me with Apples Cant. 7. 8. The smell of thy nose is like Apples It is spoken there of the Church Apples are cordiall in tast and comfortable in smel Try thy self by this Christian Is Christ cordiall to thy soul when thy soul is fainting swooning in the thoughts of thy self and thine owne wickednesse and vilenesse Doth it then comfort thee to remember Jesus Christ his love and merits Christ is no cordiall to wicked unbeleeving wretches it terrifieth them the more to remember Jesus Christ When the Lord hath awakened their consciences and startled them in their naturall condition tell them of Christ this adds fuell to the flame Why It is this Christ whom they have scorned abused crucified It is this Christ concerning whom they have said We will not have this Christ to raigne over us Now they thinke that they heare that scorned Christ ringing a dolefull peale in their eares Bring those mine enemies that said I should not rule over them and slay them before me But to the Beleever Christ is comfortable when he looks upon himselfe as a great sinner the naming of Christ comforts him Ah! saith he that is he that dyed for my sinnes and rose againe for my justification Rom. 5. 25. When he looks upon all his righteousnesse as a monstruous cloth and as filthy rags the naming of Christ is againe a cordiall to him Ah! saith the soule that is he that was made for me wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption When he looks upon himselfe as a debtor to an infinite justice the name of Christ is a cordiall againe that 's he saith the soule that hath paid the debt to infinite justice for me that for me hath satisfied his Fathers wrath that powred out his soule unto death and was Esa 53 4
5 6 11 12. numbred with the transgressors that bare the sinne of many and made intercession for the transgressor That same Christ is he that bore my griefs and carried my sorrowes that was smitten of God and afflicted that was wounded for my transgressions and bruised for mine iniquities the chastisement of my peace was upon him and by his stripes I am healed When he looks upon himselfe as a daily backslider renewing his sins as the dayes of his life and the mercies of his dayes are increased and is ready to swoone in these sad thoughts the name of Christ is a cordiall againe Ah! saith the soule that same Christ is that righteous one that is my advocate 1 Joh. 2. 1. with the Father and makes intercession for me When hee looks upon himselfe as unfit to doe any duty and upon all his prayers as poore livelesse heartlesse duties and considers the deadnesse dulnesse distraction vanity that constantly accompanies him and is ready to swoone in the thoughts of this the naming of Christ is a cordiall to him againe Ah! saith the Christian that is he that is the Angel that stands at the Altar having a golden Censer and to him there is given much incence that he should offer it up with the Prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which is before the throne Rev. 8. 3. Thus now try Christian whether thou hast tasted of the fruit of the Apple-tree is Jesus Christ a Cordiall to thy soule in soule-swoonings 3. The apple is Nutritive Eaten moderately and seasonably it affords nourishment and maintaines life and strength This is a plain consequence from the other were it not nutritive it would not be cordiall Try thy selfe by this Christian whether Christ be in thee yea or no If he be thou derivest strength from him and he maintaineth spiritual life in thee Observe that place Joh. 4. v. 14. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up to everlasting life Dost thou find that thy heart is growing that by a strength derived from Jesus Christ thou walkest and goest on from strength to strength Doest thou find that from a digestion of Jesus Christ's death resurrection and Ascension the fruits that grow upon that Apple-tree of free grace thou gettest strength against thy Corruptions against the Devels temptations that upon thy tasting of Christ thou growest in grace when thou tastest him afresh in the Sacrament if thou hast a part in him thou wilt find that he is Nutritive to thy soul thou wilt quicken thy life and increase thy strength by all the ordinances which hold out and set forth Jesus Christ unto thy soule God sayes that those that are of cleane hands shall grow stronger and stronger And that the Righteous shall grow up like the calves in the stall which grow apace and fat Nay thou wilt find not only a growth but that thou growest from that Nourishment that Christ Jesus affords thy soule that thou walkest in his strength and that all the strength of thy soule is purely derived from him not from thy owne indeavours and walkings Try therefore thy heart Christian if thou hast eaten of the Apples thou wilt find them Nutritive it will not be like the swallowing of a dry stone or stick that have no nourishing quality in them Lastly the Apple Eaten is diffusive the Vertue and Nutritive or comforting quality and juce of it diffuseth it selfe into all the body If thou hast tasted of Jesus Christ and hast swallowed the Apples of free grace the vertue of them diffuseth it selfe into thy whole soule and body Grace is in every veine of thee There is something of Jesus Christ in thy eyes face tongue hands and abundance of him in thy heart Thy head is full of thoughts of Christ and plottings and designes for Christ The wantonnes of thy eye is restrained by the law of Christ the vanity of thy tongue is taken away and the Lord hath made thee one of a pure lanquage thy hand is awed by Christ that it dare not stretch forth it selfe to doe any iniquity thy feet are guided by Christ His word is a light unto thy feet and a lanthorn unto thy paths And now for thy soule and inward man thy Understanding is full of the knowledge of Jesus Christ Yea thou hast determined with thy selfe to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Thou seest abundance of Christ in the rich dispensations of free and infinite grace Thy Will hath taken the oath of Allegeance to Jesus Christ Thy will is subordinated to his his will is thy law and thy will Thou art ready to do his will or suffer his will Thy Affections are wholly carried out to Christ him thou lovest desirest delightest in above all things in the world whatsoever In short It makes thee to present thy body as a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God this thou judgest thy reasonable service Thou art not conformed to the world but thou art transformed by the renewing of thy mind that thou mayest try and prove what that good and acceptable and perfect will of thy God is Rom. 12. 1. 2. Is it thus now with thee Christian is the vertue of the Apple thus diffused throughout thy whole Soule then thou mayest be of good comfort So I have done with the second note of Triall If thou hast not tasted of the fruit of the Apple-tree thou art yet but under it 3. A third note of Triall may be this Thou mayest be sure thou couldst not pluck and eate of the fruit of the Apple-tree without an hand to reach and a mouth to eate Christ is the Apple-tree faith is the hand without faith it is impossible to please God saith the Appostle to the Hebrewes He that beleeveth not is condemned already Therefore the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 5. sayes Examine your selves whether you be in the faith or no prove your selves And this goes before the next words Know yee not that Christ is in you except yee be reprobates Christ is in you except yee bee reprobates that is his position Now if you would know whether Christ bee in you or no you must examine whether you bee in the faith or no. In Scripture you shall frequently finde the worke of faith set downe as the Action of the feet comming to Christ Come unto me all yee Joh. 6. 35 37 45. that are weary and heavy laden who so commeth to mee hath everlasting life c. As the Action of the hand receiving Jesus Christ as the Action of the mouth eating the flesh and drinking the bloud of Christ All unbeleevers Joh. 6. 51 53 54. are yet out of Christ Nay more you must not onely have an hand but such an hand as will reach to this end 1 A true hand 2 A perfect hand 3 A lively hand 1 It must be a true hand A