AN ELEGANT AND LIVELY DESCRIPTION OF Spirituall Life and Death DELIVERED In divers Sermons in Lincolnes-Inne November the 9. th M.DC XXIII vpon Iohn 5.25 BY John Preston then Bachellor of Divinitie and Chaplaine in Ordinarie to the Prince his Highnesse Ignatius Epistola 15. ad Romanos Mors est vita sine Christo. LONDON Printed by Tho Cotes for MICHAELL SPARKE at the blue Bible in Greene-Arbor 1632. AN Elegant and lively description of Spirituall DEATH and LIFE IOHN 5.25 Verily verily I say unto you that the houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare shall live THE Occasion of these words was this when as Christ had affirmed to the Iewes That God was his Father and the Iewes went about to kill him for it Hee proves what hee had said by this argument He that is able to give life to the dead is God or the Sonne of God But I am able to give life to the dead The houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and those that heare it shall live Therefore I am the Sonne of God In briefe these words shew Christs Divinity by the effects of it that hee can quicken the dead In these words we may consider these parts First the subject on which Christ doth exercise his Divinity and that is on dead men The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and shall live Secondly the instrument by which he doth it and that is by his word which is not meant onely the bare preaching and hearing of the word barely but such an inward commanding powerfull operative word that makes men doe that which is commanded them Such a word was spoken to Lazarus being dead Lazarus come forth and hee did it This word commands men and makes them to obey it Thirdly the time when hee will exercise his divinity the howre is comming and now is that is the time shall come when as it shall be abundantly revealed the fruite of the Gospel shall appeare more plentifully and fully hereafter but yet it is now beginning to appeare there is now some small fruit of it Lastly it is affirmed with an asseveration or oath Verily Verily I say unto you And these are the parts of this Text. Out of these words I purpose to shew you these three things First what the estate of all men is out of Christ. Secondly what we gaine by Christ. Thirdly what we must doe for Christ. First we will shew you what your estate is out of Christ for this will make you to prize him more And the point for this is That every man out of Christ is in a state of death or a dead man that is All men however they are borne living yet they are still dead men without the living Spirit the root is dead Hence are these places of Scripture Gen. 2.17 The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Math. 8.22 Let the dead bury their dead Ephes. 2.1 You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephe. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light The meaning is that all men are spiritually dead This will be of some moment to shew you that you are dead without Christ. Yee account it a gastly sight to see many dead men lye together it affects you much but to see a multitude of dead men walke and stand before us that affects us not The naturall death is but a picture or shadow of death but this spirituall death is death indeed As it is said spiritually of Christs flesh Iohn 6.55 That it iâ— meate indeed Now that you may know what this death is I will shew you First of all what death is Secondly how many kinds of death there are Thirdly the symptomes and signes of this death Fourthly the degrees of this death For the first what this death is it consists in two things First in death there is a privation of life then a man is dead when as the Soule is separated from the Body so a man is spiritually dead when as the soule is separated from the quickning Spirit of Grace and righteousnesse This is all our cases In us there dwels no good there is no Spirit of life within us the Soule is so out of order that the spirit is weary of it and forsakes it When the Body growes distempered and unfit for the Soule to use it then the Soule leaves it Even as when the instrument is quite out of tune a man layes it aside whiles it is in tune he playes on it So a man dwels in a house as long as it is habitable and fit to dwell in but when it becomes unhabitable he departs so as long as the body is a fit organ for the soule it keepes it when it becomes unfit it leaves it Even so the holy Ghost lives in the Soule of man as long as it is in good temper but being distempered by sinne the holy Ghost removes You may see it in Adam as soone as hee eate of the forbidden fruite the holy Ghost left him and hee lost his Originall righteousnesse Secondly in this death as there is a privation so there is also a positive evill quality in the soule whereby it is not onely voyd of goodnesse but made ill In the naturall death when as a man dyes there is another forme left in the body so in this spirituall death there is an evill habit left in the soules of men This you may see Heb. 9.14 where the workes you doe before regeneration are called Dead workes there would be a contradiction in calling them dead Workes if there were not another positive evill forme in man beside the absence of the quickning Spirit which forme is called Flesh in the Scriptures But it may be objected that sinne is a meere privation of good that it is a Non-ens therefore flesh cannot be said to be an operative quality and forme of sinne To this I answer that though all sinne bee a meere privation yet it is in an operative subject and thence it comes to passe that sinne is fruitfull in evill workes as for example take an horse and put out his eyes as long as hee stands still there is no error but if he begins to runne once he runnes amisse and the longer hee runnes the further he is out of the way wherein he should goe and all this because hee wants his eyes which should direct him So it is with sinne though it in its selfe bee but a meere privation yet it is seated in the soule which is alwaies active Anima nunquam otiosa The goodnesse that should inlighten us is taken away and there is a positive evill quality put into it that leads us on to evill Consider farther whence this death proceeds the originall of it is the understanding mind of man which is
thinkes and beleeves that the wayes of sinne are evill and that they are evill to him When God doth convince us that such a thing is evill and that it is evill to us then wee live and not before A man having a businesse to doe if all bee done but one thing this one thing crosseth all the rest but that being done our businesse is brought to passe so in this life a man having many offers of grace which doe not fully perswade him this is not enough if Gods helpe bee absent but when once hee speakes he doth fully convince and perswade us and makes us to continew As Sathan hahaving leave never gives over vexing man so the Spirit keepes us in good things where there is this life there the Spirit dwels But after what manner is this effectuall perswasion done I answer when as God gives an eare and speakes a voyce for it to heare he that hath an eare to heare saith Christ let him heare Wee then heare when as there is a disposition wrought within us when as we preach there are many that have hard hearts and nothing for to soften them therefore the words falls from them as raine from a stone but if there be a man that God will chuse he fits his heart and so hee is perswaded This is called the opening of the understanding Luke 24.45 hee opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures when wee speake to men we sow as it were upon fallow ground which will beare no Corne unlesse God plow it Those that saw the miracles of the Loaves esteemed them not because their hearts were hardned Ephe. 4.18 They are alienated from the life of God thorow the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their hearts that is they are not sensible of sinne and death the word or the threatnings when God takes away this hardnesse they are fit to harken then comes light the beginning of life which is the informing of the understanding to judge righteous judgement Those who have the life of Christ if hee speakes it quickens them It is the inward voyce that quickens seeke therefore to God earnestly that Christ would speake to your hearts yee heare and are not quickned because he speakes not And thus much for this second point that all in Christ are in a state of life We come now to the third point that may bee noted out of these words and it is this That the voyce of the Sonne of God is the onely meanes to translate men from death to life Men before are dead Christ by his voyce makes them living men This voyce is the onely meanes there is no voyce but this that is able for to do it that 's the scope of this Text. This proposition may bee resolved into two parts First nothing else is able Secondly this is able for to doe it As it is said of faith that it justifies and nothing else but it can justify so may it be said of this voyce that nothing else can translate men from death to life and this can doe it To translate from death to life is nothing else but effectually to perswade and change the heart now nothing else can thus perswade and alter the heart but this voyce of the Sonne of God God himselfe frames the heart it is as a curious framed locke none can picke it but hee that knowes the turning of it God onely fits the perswasions and turnings mens perswasions are as one that will unlocke a locke with a wrong key God onely can perswade Iapheth to dwell in the Tents of Shem I cannot doe it Esay 57.19 I create the fruite of the lippes that is I make them to bring comfort I create the fruite of the lippes for peace by my power That this is so you may see by divers reasons First that it is so see it by this we speaking to y e quickest often times they beleeve not but the others do the same sometimes beleeve sometimes not If man were the sole cause the word would have the same effect at all times Secondly this is life and God onely gives life it is as the breathing of life into a clod of earth It requires an almighty power to worke this in those that beleeve Eph. 1.19.20 The same power that raised up Christ from the dead raysed us up it is an almighty action to give this life Thirdly if it were not proper to Christ and his voyce to translate men from death to life hee should lose his chiefest soveraignty hee quickens whom hee will he hath compassion on whom hee will have compassion If men could translate men from death to life then it would not be proper to God to doe it Lastly as nothing else can doe it so the voyce of the Sonne of God is able for to doe it At the first creation all was made by the voyce of God hee saith Let there be light and there was light let him say to any man follow mee and he doth it Matth. 9.9 hee saith to the Publican sitting at the receipt of Custome follow me and hee left all and rose up and followed him Christ speaking to his eare and heart made him to follow him his speech was like the speech of Elias to Elisha hee followed him and could not chuse but doe it Christ speaking wee cannot but follow him But what is this voyce of the Sonne of God that translateth men from death to life I answer it is nothing else but an inward worke of the Spirit by which hee perswades men effectually to turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Sathan to God It must be understood of the effectuall working of the Spirit because who ever doth heare it lives this voyce reneweth and changeth men translating them from death to life Now this effectuall speaking consists in two things First in propounding the object the truth to the heart Secondly in the perswasion of the truth First the Gospel must be laid open to the heart all things necessary to salvation must be manifested to it then there must be light in the heart to apprehend these reasons which are propounded The Scripture propounds things by authority Then the holy Ghost doth kindle light to apprehend them which another doth not Marke how Moyses beginning his booke saith that in the beginning it was thus and thus God did he doth not perswade them by arguments to beleeve it so Iohn begins his Gospel without perswasions In the beginning was the word c. so the Apostles commission was Goe and preach that Christ is Come he that beleeved shall be saved he that beleeves not shall be damned The word of it selfe is sufficient authority when the Gospel it selfe is thus propounded then the holy Ghost kindles light And therefore this life begins when as the Gospel is propounded and light kindled then this life is wrought Now there
primū vivēs et ultimū moriens That which lives first and dies first The cause of life is the understanding inlightened to see the truth when the affections are right and the understanding is straight then wee live when it is darkned all goes out of order Iohn 1.4 speaking of Christ it is said that in him was life and the life was the light of men he was life because he was light he did inliven men because he did inlighten them therefore Ephe. 5.4 Awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light because light is the beginning of spirituall life Iames 1.18 Therefore it is said Of his owne will begot he them by the word of truth that is the word rectifies the understanding and opinion which is the first thing in this spirituall birth Ephe. 4.22.24 Put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts thereof and put on the new man which after God is created in holinesse and perfect righteousnesse The old man is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts that which is heere called deceitfull lusts c. in the originall signifies lusts proceeding from error and holinesse proceeding from truth lust proceeds from error in mistaking things for lust is nothing else but affection misplaced proceeding from error That holinesse in which God delighteth in which his Image consists comes from truth When Adam was alive he judged aright then the wheele and affections of his soule were right Being dead by reason of his fall he lost his sight he saw no beauty in the wayes of God and this is the case of all unregenerate men but when the Spirit rectifies the judgement convinceth them of sinne and righteousnesse then they begin to revive To be dead is to have the understanding darkned the judgement erronious to be alive is to have the understanding inlightened and the judgement rectified And thus much for the first what this death is We come now to the kindes of death which are three First there is a death of guiltinesse one that is guilty of any offence that is death by the Law is said to be but a dead man So every one by nature is a dead man bound over to death though he be not executed Secondly there is a death in sinne that is opposite to the life of sanctification Ephe. 2.1 you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sinnes there is a death for sinne that is contrary to the life of Glory Thirdly there is a death that is opposite to the life of joy in hell there is a life man is not quite extinguished but yet men in hell are said to be dead because they have no joy This death consists in the separating of God from the soule when God is separated from the soule then man dyes this death of sorrow God joynes himselfe to the soules of good and bad to those who are not sanctified he joynes himselfe in a common manner and thence it is they have common joy common comfort common civility to the godly he joynes himselfe in an extraordinary manner by which they have extraordinary joy now when God is separated from the soule then comes a perfect death see it in the separation of God from Christs humanity God withdrawing himselfe from him but for a time he cryeth out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me As God withdrawes himselfe more or lesse so is our joye our sorrow more or lesse Thus much for the kinds of this death We come now to the Symptomes or signes of this death and they are foure The first is this men are said to be dead when they understand nothing when as there is no reason extant in them when they see no more then dead men The life is nought else but the soule acted then a man is said to live when the understanding part is acted man is spiritually dead when as his understanding is darkned when as he sees or understands nothing of Gods waies because they are spirituall and he carnall But it may bee objected men doe understand things belonging to faith and repentance carnall men not yet sanctified have some understanding of these I answer that they may understand the materials belonging to Godlinesse as well as others but yet they relish them not they see them not with a spirituall eye Tit. 1.16 They are to every good worke reprobate they cannot judge aright of any good workes as to like approve and love them to see a beauty in them as they are good Rom. 8.7 the wisedome of the flesh is enmity with God for it is not subiect to the law of God the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meaning is not that they understand it nor but they like it not they relish it not they tast it not they thinke of Gods wayes that they are but folly 1 Cor. 2.14 They are at enmity with them they count them drosse The second symptome of death is want of motion where there is no motion there is death All men naturally want this motion they cannot judge or doe any thing by nature they may doe opus operatum but they cannot doe it in a holy manner their prayers their hearing receiving of the Sacrament and the like are dead workes without faith the principall of life however they may be faire in other mens eyes The third signe of a naturall death is sencelesnesse so men are spiritually dead when they are not affected with Gods judgements when they have hard hearts which cannot repent Rom. 2.5 when they have hearts as hard as a stone Ezek. 36.26 yet they may be affected with them as naturall men apprehend evill not from a quickning Spirit but from a selfe love Lastly in a naturall death there is a losse of that vigor and beauty in the face and countenance which is in living men So in men that are spiritually dead there is no beauty no vigor they have death in their faces they may have painted beauty which may be like the living as he said pictum putavi esse verum et verum putavi esse pictum they may bee much alike yet they have not that livelinesse and beauty as living men have Gods beauty the beauty of holinesse is not found in them But it may be objected they have many excellencies in them they know much they excell in morall vertues I answer they may have excellencies as a dead man may have Iewels and Chaines about him yet they are dead they have them but yet they are as Iewels of Gold in a Swines snoute they are as Swine their good things make them not men they are beautifull yet they are but dead men as the evill workes of good men make them not bad men so the good workes of evill men make them not good Thus much for the signes of this Death We come now to the degrees of this death in all these deaths
listeth compare Iohn 3.8 the Spirit breatheth where it listeth with Iohn 6.44 No man can come unto mee unlesse the Father draw him draw him that is not as a sheepe is lead with a bough for Christ doth not say no man will come but no man can come except the Father draw him compell him as it were by force not perswade him by intreaties that is unlesse he changeth and taketh away his wolvish will But it will be objected that God drawes every man I answer that the context concludes against this For Christ doth bring this in to shew the reason why many did not receive his Doctrine and he concludes with this that men therefore doe not receive it because God doth not draw them None can come unto me except my Father draw them I will answer one objection more and so conclude If wee are dead to what end is the law given why are wee commanded to doe thus and thus if we be dead To this I answer that the Law is given to this end to shew us our weaknesse and to leade us unto Christ it is not given us to keepe exactly for that is impossible it was impossible to keepe it through the weaknesse of the flesh Rom. 8.3 the Law was therefore given that wee might know our weaknesse not that we should keepe it but that Christs righteousnesse might be fulfilled in us by faith Gal. 3.24 the Law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be Iustified through faith That is the end of the Law But it will be objected that in as much as we are commanded to doe things impossible mans nature is destroyed for man is a free creature Secondly the command implies an absurdity and impossibility to bid a man doe that which he cannot doe to bid a man that is in a deepe Well bound hand and foote to come out himselfe is foolish yee may blame him for falling in it is absurd to bid him come out To this I answer that there is a difference betweene the externall binding and the bonds wherewith a man is fettered by sinne There is an externall impediment which a man cannot remove when hee is fettered in the Well but there is no externall impediment when as men are bound in the chaines of sin When wee command you to doe thus and thus all the businesse is with the will we rather say men will not then they cannot come There is liberty when as a man hath eligibile or non eligibile when hee hath a thing in his owne choyse when there is no impediment when hee may argue both wayes If a man out of the perversnesse of his nature doth it not it is not compulsory but free a beasts action is free because he cannot reason on both sides but man when he considers arguments on both sides when he can say doe not doe such a thing but doe such a thing when he can conceive arguments on both sides he is free there is no such externall impediment in him as to bid one in darknesse to doe a thing of the light or one bound hand and foote in a pit to come out since the chiefe impediment here is in the depraved wils of men which God doth rectify and change by his grace Spirit through the use of meanes If then every man out of Christ bee in an estate of death let every man examine himselfe and consider whether he be a dead man or no this is the great quere or question in this mutability and incertainety of things Let us make the life to come sure our life is uncertaine here but have wee this spirituall life are wee living men then we are happy but are we dead then he that is not partaker of the first resurrection shall not be partaker of the second It is too late to begin to live when we are dying certainly naturall death is a time of spending not of getting or inquiring after life If yee deferre this search while yee are in health when yee lye on your deaths bed when you shall see heaven and hell immediately presented unto you this question will hold you solicitous and then you shall see that this spirituall life is the life indeed The time of this naturall life is not long the Candle burnes not long if it burne out yet it is oftner blowne out than burnt out men oftner fall downe than come downe from the tree of life this Tabernacle is often throwne downe before it fals downe therefore in this short life make your selves sure of eternall life Now there are two things which hinder this search and inquiry after spirituall life The first is a false opinion men thinke themselves in the waies of life being in the waies of death they thinke there is a greater latitude in the Gospell than there is The second is men are not at leysure there are millions of businesses in their heads so that they cannot hearken to the whisperings of conscience they have no spare time to be wise unto salvation It will be our wisedome therefore to consider our end Deut. 32.29 To helpe you therefore in this Quere whether you are dead or alive Consider first if ever you have beene dead Secondly if ye have beene dead whether yee are made alive First I say consider whether yee have bin dead or no I meane whether sinne hath bin made alive in you that you might dye Rom. 7.9 10. I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sinne revived and I dyed that is the Commandement awakens my sinnes and they being alive I dyed sinne when it affrights not a mans conscience then hee is dead when it wounds the conscience then he is alive The Law being brought to the soule by the Spirit yee see the rectitude of the Commandement and your owne obliquity and crookednesse sinne is alive and yee dye Peter preaching to the Iewes Act. 2. recites to them their sinnes in crucifying the Lord of glory which sinne was made alive and pricked them at their hearts Sinne was dead in David till Nathan and the Law came unto him afterward hee lived and was humbled Luke 5. Peter seeing Christs divinity by the draught of Fishes cries out Depart from mee Lord for I am a sinfull man hee had sinnes in him before but they were dead then they were made alive Paul he had sinnes that were dead in him but when the outward light which was but a tipe of his light within did shine about him then hee dies and his sinnes were made alive So Iosephs brethren had sins but they were not made alive till they were put in prison then their sinne in selling their brother Ioseph lived and they dyed Hath sinne ever bin alive in you by the commandement to slay you that is hath it bred such an apprehension in you as of death not a sigh or two for a day that is no slaying of you but yee must apprehend
sinne as death as one that is to be executed forthwith apprehends death so must you apprehend sinne then it is a signe that there is life within you Secondly are yee made alive againe Is there such a change in you as if yee were other creatures as if yee lived an other life Where this life is it works an alteration and a change gives us another being makes us to bee no more the same men whoever is in Christ is a new creature it workes a generall change from death to life it makes all our actions to be rigorous like the actions of living men Old â—hings passe away all things become new it makes men leade a new life If old aquaintance â—nd lustes would draw us away we answer â—hat we are dead that we live no moe to these â—hat now we have not our owne wills Christ â—ives in us and workes in us Gal. 2.20 It is not that live but Christ lives in me The same mind â—ill be in us that was in Christ Iesus Phil. 2.5 â—ow if ye desire to know whether Christ live â—n you or no or whether you are in an estate â—f death you must see whether you have these â—wo things which are in every one in whom â—hrist liveth first see whether you live to him â—e died that we should not live to our selves but him alone In morall things the end and prinâ—â—ple are all one Before Christ lived in you 〈◊〉 you did was from your selves ye were your â—wne principle and end but Christ living in â—â—u there is another end ye eye Christ ye â—â—oke to him all that ye doe is done in sinceriâ—â— it is done for him and from him But how can Christ bee the end of our calâ—â—â—gs eating drinking and recreations I answer that of every action Christ must be â—â—e end yee must doe as a man in a journey â—â—ough every 〈◊〉 treaâ—es he thinkes not of 〈◊〉 journeys end yet the generall ayme of 〈…〉 must be for that â—nd and that causeth every step so in all yee doe the generaâ— end must be Christ. Secondly if Christ live in you your hearâ— cleave to him as to the Principle of life the child to the dug or the element to its natâ—rall place What ever our life is wee cleave it Some place their life in their credit take â—way it and they dye others in riches take â—way them and they perish What ever is yoâ—â— god if it be taken away you perish Therforâ— Iohn 6.68 when Christ demaunds of the twelâ—â— whether they would likewise goe away Petâ—â— makes this answer Lord whither shall we gâ—â— thou hast the words of eternall life Thirdly ye may know what life ye live the food that feeds it Oyle feeds the Lamp fuell the fire If your life be fed with the dutiâ— of obedience then ye live If yee keepe 〈◊〉 Commandements yee shall live in them saiâ—â— Christ you shall live in them as in your prâ—per element as the Fish in the water eveâ—â— motion out of it is to death There are twâ— sorts of men to whom this triall doth bâ—long The first are those who have a name they lâ—â—â— and yet are dead like the Church of Sardis Râ—â—â— 3.1 The second to whom this belongeth are thâ—â— who are dead indeed The first of these are like the Angels tâ—â—â— take bodies and doe actions they are not tâ—â—â— living men though they appeare to be Now the signes that Characterise these dead men from those that are truly living are five taken from the signes of the fained life in the Spirits that have true bodies but onely in appearing whereby they are distinguished from bodies that truly live First Angels that take Assumed bodies eate and drinke and are not nourished as the Angels that came to Lot and Abraham and had created bodies So these dead men doe all the actions that living men doe they heare they pray they read but they turne it not into flesh and blood because there is no life in them they are not the stronger for hearing or any thing they doe they thrive not as those that have the Boulimia they eate and drinke not because there is an Atrophy in their bodies Wee preach to men yet they are the same this yeare they were the last they have a name to live and yet they live not they turne not the meanes to flesh and nourishment it is a signe of a living man that he growes That which is said of a good will that it makes use of every thing may be said of grace It turnes all the passages of Gods providence into nourishment stormes as well as faire gales helpe a living man to the haven Affliction prosperity all put him on and helpe him forwards Take one not having this life doe what yee will hee thrives not as an unthrift put him to what trade yee will he thrives not hee is still on the losing hand so these men prosperity adversity helpe them not put any thing to a dead man to doe he doth it not so these men the Word and Sacrament helpes them not because they are dead Secondly the motions of the Spirits that take Assumed bodies is not from any inward principall not from the motion of life within so the actions of men that are not alive are not from the principles of life they are not vitall motions but as in other actions the Wheeles goe as long as the spring is up that moves them so the actions of men that are dead as long as the springs are up the influence continues they move When they are sick and apprehend death then they will doe many things but these being gone their goodnesse is ended whilst they deepely apprehend some accident they will be good that being gone and forgotten their goodnesse ends Many whiles they have good acquaintance and are in good company will be good but when they are gone their goodnesse ceaseth These men have golden outsides they seeme to have the Kings stamp upon their actions yet they are but counterfaite they pay God in counterfaite Coyne not in currant mony their actions have a forme of religion but yet the power is wanting all they doe is but a meere formality their Prayers their Sabath keeping are but in shew those actions and duties that have most power and life in them they doe least of all relish they tast them not because they have no life in them In generall all the actions that men wanting life doe they are but dead works they may bee deceived with them for a time but when death comes they shall finde them to be but dead Remigius a judge of Laurence tels this story that the Divell in those parts did use to give money to Witches which did appeare to bee good coyne seemed to be currant money at first but being laid up a while it then appeared to be nothing but dryed leaves so the Divell deceives men now hee makes them to do outward actions which have a
that are most sweetest unto you Thirdly dead men are sencelesse like Idols that the Psalmist speakes of they have eyes and see not eares and heare not mouthes and speake not feet and walke not they have sences to discerne but there is yet an inward eye they want they see no beauty in the wayes of God therefore they thinke there is no such matter because they have eyes see it not they have mouthes and tast it not they relish it not they smell no sweet savour from the graces of the Saints when as the graces of the Saints have a sweet savour like an oyntment powred out Cant. 1.2 So for feeling they feele not they are not sencible of the judgements or threatnings the Law nor the Gospell move them not they have hard and insensible harts the more insensible they are it is a signe they are ever dead the more sensible we are of the threatnings or promises the more life is in us Lastly dead men are speechlesse there is no breath in them Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh The dry and empty channell drives not the Mill but a full streame sets it on worke If the heart bee full of life the tongue is full of good speeches Prov. 10. The words of the righteous are as fined silver because there is a treasure within them but the words of the wicked are nothing worth because their hearts are evill As it is said of evill men that their tongues are set on fire of hell so the tongues of the righteous are set on fire by heaven Esay 19.18 they speake the language of Canaan In hypocrites there is loquacity as blasing meteors and in Saints there is sometimes an indisposition by reason of some sinnes which make them like to springs which are dammed up with stones and mudde Yet judge not of them by such fits but take them as they are in their ordinary course the mouth speaketh out of the abundance of the heart Every man is delighted in some genious operations in things that are sutable to him if there be aboundance of life aboundance of grace within a man he delights to speake of it as all men are severally disposed such are their speeches Now all these are privative signes of death I will adde one more that is positive Fiftly looke what life a man lives he drawes to him the things that nourish it and expelleth that which hinders it If a man bee alive to sinne he drawes that which is sinfull but holinesse and the meanes of grace hee expels as contrary to him What doth satisfy his lusts that he doth he may doe good for a time but he is quickly sicke of it But I doe much good I abstaine from much evill may some say To this I answer that if one member lives it is a signe that the whole body lives so if one mortall sinne live in you it is a signe you are dead Truth of grace cannot stand with one mortall sinne unrepented unsubdued one disease kils a man as well as an hundred so one living lust kils you Doth any lust live and reigne in them it kils them But what is it to live and to reigne I answer when a man ceaseth to maintaine warre with his lust and resists it not when a man layes downe the weapons when he seeth his lust is naturall to him and therefore yeelds unto it then sinne reignes in him There is no man that lives the life of grace but hee hath this property that hee strives against all sinne to the utmost not in shew but in sincerity he strives against the occasions of sinne though they foyle him hee still maintaines warre against them and so they live and reigne not in him 2 If every man out of Christ be in an estate of death let us not deferre repentance but doe it whilst wee may Repentance makes a dead man to be a living man What is it that makes you deferre repentance yee thinke yee can change your courses sorrow when you list therefore ye deferre it If men be dead and repentance puts as it were a new soule into thē makes them to passe from death to life then is it not so easy a thing Suppose yee had Ezekiahs warning is it in your power to make your selves live no it is beyond your power God onely can doe it Every man lyes before God as that clod of earth out of which Adam was made God must breathe life into him else hee continues dead God doth not breathe life into all He quickens whom he will It is your wisedome therefore to waite on him in his Ordinances if you have good motions begun in you presse them forwards they are ofsprings of life Thinke seriously am I dead or alive If dead why then say it s not in my power to quicken me its onely in God to doe it and he doth this but in few those whom he quickneth are but as Grapes after the Vintage or as the Olives after the beating how then shall I bee in the number Give your selves no rest know that it is God that breatheth and then depend on him Make that use of the doctrine of election with care and more solicitude to looke to your selves Phil. 2. God workes both the will and the deed of his good pleasure worke out therefore your salvation with feare and Trembling If repentance be a passage from death to life if it bee such a change then labour for to get it The Spirit doth not alwayes strive with men yee are not alwayes the same yee will sticke in the sand grow worse and worse if yee grow not better and better No more power have you to change your selves than the Blackamore hath to change his skinne or the Leopard his spots the time will come when you shall say as Spira did O how doe I desire faith would God I had but one drop of it and for ought we know he had it not Thirdly learne hence to judge of naturall men for all the excellency they have yet they are but dead men If a man be dead we doe not regard his beauty all excellencies in naturall men are but dead It is a hinderance in the wayes of God to over-valew outward excellencies and to despise others that want these trappings let us say for all these excellencies yet he is but a dead man we knowe none after the flesh any more 2. Cor. 5.16 Againe for your delight in them know that this death doth differ from naturall death for these dead men are active ready to corrupt others they have an influence that doth dead those who are conversant with them sinne communicates as well as grace Nothing so great a quench-cole as the company of bad men there is an operative vertue in them to quench mens zeale as the dropping of water will quench the fire though they cannot wholly extinguish it being once kindled Fourthly if all out of
Christ are dead learne to judge of the Ordinances of God and the meanes of salvation let us not undervalue nor overvalue them the Ordinances cannot bring life not the Word nor Sacraments If yee are sicke and send for the Minister hee cannot quicken you the Ordinance is but a creature and cannot give life If we speake to the eare and Christ speake not to the heart it is nothing Let your eyes bee fixed on Christ beseech him to put life into you pray to God for a blessing the Ordinances are but dead Trunkes as Pens without Inke Conduit pipes without water Learne then that God doth convay life by the Ordinances that they themselves cannot give life therefore doe not overvalew them Yet know withall that God doth worke but by his Ordinances the Spirit breathes not in Taverns nor Playhouses but in the Church assemblies Act. 10. whiles Peter was preaching to Cornelius and his family the Spirit fell upon them so the Spirit fell on others by laying the Apostles hands on them the Ordinances are the Vehiculum of the Spirit give what is just to them and no more give them neither too little nor too much Neglect not the Sacrament ye know not what yee doe when yee neglect it yee thinke that yee eate and drinke your owne damnation if yee receive it unreverently Absence from it is a sinne as well as the remisse and negligent receiving of it Sickenesse and death yee feare why then doe you neglect the Sacrament why doe you receive it unworthily Whence are those Epidemicall diseases amongst us the cause of them is from hence that yee neglect the Sacrament that yee receive it unworthily 1. Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe Consider the danger of neglecting the Sacrament he that came not to the Passeover must be cut off from the children of Israel the same Equity remaines still in the Sacrament the cause of that was because he was to come up with the rest to remember the death of the first borne of Egypt and the redemption from their bondage hee being passed over thereby It is now the same sinne to neglect the Sacrament the Equity still remaines Are yee to strong in faith as yee need it not To bee absent from the word yee thinke it a sinne so is it to bee absent from the Sacrament nothing can excuse you If a master bid his servant doe a thing and he goes and is drunken so that he cannot doe it will it excuse him If you have made your selves unfit to receive the Sacrament by committing any grosse sinnes the unfitnesse will not excuse you If a man hath occasion to ride a journey if he misse one day he will take the next so ye if yee misse the Sacrament once be sure to take it the next time It is devided here that so if yee misse once yee may receive it the next time take heed therefore how yee neglect it The end of the Sacrament is to worship God to set forth Christs death it is the cheifest part of Gods worship therefore give it the cheifest respect Now from hence see the necessity of this life of grace how can yee come to the Sacrament if yee are dead men Labour therefore for this life of grace And thus much for the first poynt that all men out of Christ are in a state of death We come now to the second and that is this That all in Christ are in a state of life Our scope is to shew you what you are out of Christ and what benefits yee receive by being in Christ we cannot goe throughout all particulars but wee will take the greatest life and death the one the greatest good the other the greatest evill All in Christ are living men this is the great benefit because death is the greatest evill therefore by the rule of contraries life must be the greatest good Farther men prize nothing so much as life this experience sheweth and Sathan himselfe could tell that skinne for skinne and all that a man hath he will give for his life Iob. 1. Beyond experience God himselfe threatens death to Adam as the greatest evill The day that thou eatest of it thou shalt dye the death Gen. 3. Now all that live this life are living men and have all things pertaining to life 2. Pet. 1.2 they have all that pertaines to life and godlinesse that is all things necessary for the nourishment and cherishing of them life were else unhappy take beasts and plants they having all belonging to their life are happy and they are said to live take any naturall life when as a man hath food and rayment and recreation hee is said to live A man lives when he hath life and all that appertaines unto it I will divide this Doctrine into two parts and I will shew you two things First that there is such a life as this Secondly what this life is First that there is such a life as this It is needfull to shew you that there is such a life because it is a hidden life God hides these spirituall things as he hid Christ under a Carpenters sonne so he hides the glorious mysteries of the Sacrament under the base elements of Bread and Wine he hides the wisedome of God under the foolishnesse of preaching he hides those whom the world is not worthy of under sheepes Skinnes and Goates Skinnes Heb. 11. Col. 3.3 Our lives are hid with Christ in God But from whom is this hidden I answer that it is hidden from naturall men as Colours from a blind man they are there and he sees them not But with what is this hidden I answer that it is hidden First with this naturall life wee see it not because wee have this life it is hid as the Sap in the roote or water in the spring Secondly it is hidden with a base outside 2. Cor. 6. The Saints are as poore as despised as having nothing Christ had a base outside there was no forme or beauty in him that wee should desire him and so have the Saints being conformable to him they are like other men for their outsides Thirdly it is hidden with mis-reports thus Christ himselfe was hidden he was counted a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners one casting out divels by Belzebub and therefore hee became a stumbling blocke unto many The Saints are likewise misrepresented they are evill spoken of they are presented to mens understanding otherwise than they are There are a generation of men that pervert the strait waies of God Act. 13.10 that is they make them seeme crooked though they are straight notwithstanding they pervert them as a crooked as a false glasse doth pervert a face that is beautifull representing it in another shape or as a sticke that is halfe in the water and halfe out seemes to be crooked yet it is straight in it selfe But in what is it hidden
I answer that it is hidden in Christ as in the fountaine as in the heart and soule as in the subject wherein it dwels Men what ever they professe beleeve not this because it is a hidden life what course then shall wee take to make you beleeve it The Scriptures you will not deny yet you will bee as hard to beleeve them as you will be to beleeve there is such a life We will therefore say something without the Scriptures to perswade you that there is such a life as this First there is a life of the soule that it lives as the Angels they move act and understand though they eate not there is therefore a life besides this common life Secondly consider the matter of the soule then yee shall see that the soule lives such a life as Angels doe The soules of good men leade such a life as good Angels doe the soules of bad men such a life as bad Angels The life of beasts depends on the compacture and Temperature of the substance as the Harmony doth upon the true extent of every string With the soule of man it is otherwise the soule lives first and then causeth the body to live it is otherwise in beasts their soules and bodies live together Besides it is certaine that the soule shall live when as the body is laid aside then it lives another life from the body therefore it lives another life in the body The higher faculties of the soule the Vnderstanding and Will are not placed and seated in the body as other faculties are the visive faculty must have an eye to see the hearing faculty must have an eare to heare and so the rest of the faculties must have their organs but the Vnderstanding hath no such organ it onely useth those things that are presented to it by the phansy Our sight feeling and hearing perish when their organs perish but the superior faculties of the soule weare not away but the elder the body is the younger they are The soule lives now in the object now in the subject it lives in the things it is occupied about as the Angels are said to be where they worke because they have no bodies as we have to make them be locally there so the soule it also lives where it is occupied as if it be occupied about heavenly things then wee are said to have our conversation in heaven Take the understanding and faculties of reason they sway not men but the Ideaes truthes and opinions that dwell in this understanding sway men There are three lives in man there is the life of plants of Beasts or sence and the life of reason I may adde a fourth and that is this spirituall life which is an higher life of the soule Where there is an evill life there is death but where there is a good life there is this spirituall life See it in the effects for these are but speculations First ye see by experience that there is a generation of men that live not a common life delight not in vaine pleasures sports and honors there is no life without some delights their delights and life is not in outward things abroad they have a retired and inward life at home Secondly there are no Acts but for some end there are men who make not themselves their end if they did they might then take other courses going with the streame If then they make not themselves their end then they make God their end they live not to themselves but to the Lord 1. Thessalo 3.8 Thirdly they care not what they lose to get advantage to God they are content to be despised contemned to suffer Torments imprisonments and death they are content to doe that which is the ruine of their lives which they would not doe had they not a more speciall life within them 2 Cor. 4.11 Wee which live are alwayes given up to death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might bee made manifest in our mortall flesh That is for this cause God suffered his Children to be in danger that men might know that they live an other life and have other comforts this appeares by their readinesse to be exposed to death all which shewes that there are some that leade an other life But it will be objected that the superstitious and those of another religion will suffer death as well as the Saints and morrall philosophers are retired as well as the Saints and those who have but common graces live this life as well as the Saints therefore these experiences prove not the poynt sufficiently I answer that it is true that superstition doth worke much like religion morrall vertue doth many things like true holinesse and Common grace doth much like true grace yet it is no good Argument to say that because a dreaming man dreames that hee sees therefore a living man that doth see doth but as he A picture is like a living man yet it followes not that a living man is dead because the picture is dead it is no Argument to say that because morrall vertue doth many things like true holinesse therefore true holinesse doth them not They may bee like in many things yet not in all things the cause of all deceit is because we cannot discerne of things alike therefore I will shew you how these differ First superstition makes men suffer much as well as true religion yet they doe it out of a false opinion the other from faith the one doe it being helped by the holy Ghost the other have a supernaturall helpe from Sathan that extendeth nature beyond his speare the one doth it from grace the other from delusion the outward acts are alike but the inward principles differ Secondly morrall vertue and Christian holinesse differ in working the last is done of a suddaine A man is made a living man suddainely though there are some previous dispositions yet the soule is suddenly infused after this manner the Saints passe from death to life Others have their actions by frequent acts and education they are moulded to it by little and little Thirdly in morrall men the change is never generall there is no new birth in them but in the Saints all things are new Fourthly morallity doth never change nature but grace doth the most wilde man in a countrey the unlikeliest man of all others religion makes him a Lambe of a Lyon though it were unprobable Fiftly what did morrall men they went by divers wayes to the same center themselves were their end Epicures thought one way the best the Stoicks another but the Saints seeke a happinesse in denying themselves which helpes to perfect them Lastly common and true grace have many things alike yet they differ in this true grace doth things as a man doth naturall living actions as a man eates and drinkes with willingnesse and propensnesse connaturally and readily so doth not the other Those who have onely common grace doe all from respects and by-ends
their holinesse is but by flashes and fits it continues not they are like violent motions quicke in the beginning and slower in the end the higher they goe the weaker they are But the motions and actions of the godly are as a stone falling downwards which moves faster and faster till it falles to the Center where it would bee Now we have done all this there is not yet sufficient said to make it sufficiently appeare that there is such a life of grace these and an hundred other Arguments and reasons will not make naturall men beleeve that many men live other lives than they But when they see the life of holinesse blase in their eyes they say it is but guilded over it is but hypocrisy These reasons may prepare and confirme but they cannot perswade we must therefore beleeve that there is such a life Iohn 3. Christ treats of this that there is such a life he tels Nicodemus that he must live it and be borne againe He wonders at it how it can be Christ therefore concludes in the 12. verse If I have told you earthly things and yee beleeve not how shall yee beleeve if I tell you of heavenly things that is it must bee beleeved that there is such a life sense beleeves it not yet it is easier to beleeve it because it is wrought on earth other things are harder than this to beleeve because they are wrought in heaven though this be wrought on earth yet it is hard to beleeve and must bee beleeved And thus much for the first part of the doctrine that there is such a life For the second what this life is yee may know one Contrary by another wee have shewed already what death that is contrary to it is by which yee may partly perceive what this life is yet we will give you some other signes how to know it This life is a reall life as reall as the other though this life doth not consist in eating and drinking as the other doth it is a life of faith it is not seene yet it is as reall as the common life as it appeares by comparing it with the cōmon life First in this common life of nature there must be temper of body disposition of instruments so in this life of grace there is a frame of heart and a composition of soule on which it doth depend there are humors and ingredients of this life and they are the things yee know there is a reality in this life as well as in the naturall life Secondly as the naturall life hath a temper of body hath divers mixtures so it abhorrs things that are hurtfull to it and desires things that cherish it so in this life of grace there is an appetite those that live they are carried to the things that helpe them they doe hunger after the word and that that builds them up they abhorre sinne and lust that would destroy them Thirdly as in the naturall life so in this there is a taste and palate that helps this appetite Rom. 12.2 Bee yee changed by the renewing of your minde that yee may prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God that is that yee may be able to discerne of it as the touchstone discernes of Gold or the taste and palate of meates Fourthly as in the other life there is hunger and thirst so is there in this men are sensible of paines and refreshings they are sensible of sinne judgement and threatnings which others are not being hard and dead Fiftly as the other life is fed with food so is this the food which a man eates is not presently turned into flesh and bloud that nourisheth but there is a nutritive faculty that nourisheth and turnes all wee eate into nourishment So the Saints they turne all the passages of Gods providence into nourishment they assimulate and turne all things to a good use there is a living and vitall faculty in them that sets them forwards Ephe 4.16 They being knit to Christ according to the effectuall power working in every part increase and edifye themselves in love Lastly as this common life hath beside other things that maintaine it some other indowments to helpe it out as company recreation riches and the like so hath this spirituall life it hath riches and friends it hath its heritage company habitation God is our habitation from everlasting with the same reality though not with the same visibility and so exposed to sence as the other The cause of this life is the holy Ghost who is to the soule as the soule is to the body he is the cause of it the end of all of it is the Lord all is done to God No other life is so this life is of God through God and for God when you finde such a reality in your actions tending to God when he is your ayme then yee live this life If this bee the condition of all that are in Christ to live and be quickned see what is expected from you to whom this talent is cōmitted every excellency is a talent it must not lye dead but be improved for our masters use the sinne is great if yee doe it not the neglect being of a greater thing the sinne is greater God sets a proportionable account on his benefits and expects a severe account from us if wee use them not Be exhorted then to live this life some live much in a short time Some never live this life one man may live more in one day than another man in a hundred for to live is nothing but to be stirring and doing 1 Tim. 5.6 those who live in pleasures are dead whilst they live so he that is occupied about riches or honors is dead all that time that men are occupied about riches and their estates about credit honors and the like making them their end that is a time of death yee have lived no longer than yee have acted duties of new obedience If you sommon up your lives according to this computation to how short a reckoning will they come A wise man speakes more in a few words than a foole doth in a multitude one peece of Gold hath more worth than a hundred peeces of Brasse as we say of an empty oration that there is a flood of words but a drop of water so if you consider your lives and see how long yee have lived in death bungling out the time you will see that yee have lived but little in a long time therefore now bee doing something redeeme the time be busy in doing or receiving good be still devising to doe something for God and to put it in execution spend your fat and sweetnesse for God and man weare out not rust out flame out not smother out burne out be not blowne out So did Christ so did Moses so did Paul making the Gospel to abound from Ierusalem to Illyricum so did David the text saith that he served his time he did not
I desire a life to swallow up this life not as a Gulfe swallowes that which is cast into it or as fire swallowes up the wood by consuming it but a life that swallowes it up as perfection swallowes up imperfection as the perfecting of a picture swallowes up the rude draught as perfect skill swallowes up bungling or as a manhood swallowes up childhood not extinguishing it but drowning it that it is not seene The life of grace being perfect swallowes up imperfection he that lives this life of grace hath the imperfections of this life swallowed up For example before wee live this life wee magnifie riches honours and Gugaes but the life of grace comming wee have other kinds of comforts then as a man that is to bee made a Prince contemnes the things hee before admired The weakenesses we are subject to are swallowed up in this life all sicknesse and trouble are swallowed up in this so are weaknesses and imperfections This should teach us to set a high prize upon this life of grace that wee dye no more if wee live it that it is a life indeed that it swallowes up this other life compare it with other lives it farre excels them Secondly this life of grace must needs bee more excellent than the common life because it makes a man a better man much better than he was this puts man into a better condition elevates him puts him into a condition equall to the Angels and beyond in some respects That yee may understand this yee must know that every thing is made better by mingling it with things that are better then it selfe as Silver mixed with Gold Water with Wine are made better There are two things required to make a thing better First that that thing with which it is mixed be of a better nature than the thing it selfe Secondly that there be a good union Nothing puts so high a degree of excellency into us as this that wee are united unto God this unity to God is the cheefest good Secondly this union betwixt God and us is a perfect union There are many unions as first there is a relative union such as is betweene man wife Secondly there are artificiall naturall unions as when two peeces of bords are put together so that one touch the other so when graine and graine of another sort are mixed together there is a nearer union than this when as water and water are mixed together nearer than this is the union that is betweene the soule and the body Such a union as this is there betweene us and Christ we are in him as the branches in the vine wee are knit to him this puts us into an higher degree of excellencie silver mixed with gold is better yet if we could take the spirits out of gold make silver take the nature and quality of it it would be much better Wee put on the spirit and quality of Christ when as wee live this life Lusts which are most contrary to this life puts us below men makes us worse than Beasts this life puts us beyond men and makes us equall with Angels All men desire some excellency which is done by adding something to them some desire wealth some learning some honour Consider then if yee live this life yee goe beyond all others nothing beyond Gods Image nothing better to be united to than God let this set the life of grace at a high rate in your affections men do it not therefore they despise religion in its selfe in those in whom it appeares Thirdly yee have this advantage in this life of grace it addes liberty to you it makes you to doe those things that otherwise yee could not doe it makes yee to pray to repent to beleeve and to doe those things without which there is no salvation Looke on Christ there are but few that can doe this there are few that can delight in God relish the word in its purity take pleasure in the company of the Saints comfort themselves in the Lord their God this life gives liberty which is an addition of some perfection it makes us to do things that we could not doe before and to doe them in another manner A man having gotten an Art hath liberty to doe those things which before he could not as one that hath gotten the Art of logicke or geometry can doe that which before he could not doe as one in health hath liberty to doe that which he could not doe being sicke water being hot hath liberty to heate which it could not before There is no liberty to doe holy actions but this liberty of the life of grace the Spirit of life addes liberty to doe the actions of life 2 Cor. 3.17 where the Spirit of God is there is liberty to doe things which before we could not doe as one having an Art can doe things that he could not doe before This though you prise it not while your mountaine is strong yet the time will come when yee will need liberty to pray repent and trust in God and then yee will finde the pretiousnesse of it this then sets a price upon this life of Grace and should make you to desire it Thirdly if it be a happy condition and that bee the priviledge of those who are in Christ that there is such a life for them let this teach men to seeke it to live this life of grace to get it if they have it not to confirme it if they have it to abstaine from lust the sicknesse of the soule and the meanes to quench this life take heed of estranging your selves from God who is the principle of this life take heed of dejections of mind the cloudings that damp this life This life is to be active to act much in the wayes of God when a man is cheerefull and vigorous hee lives a life of nature so in this life of grace he that hath a quicke and nimble sence and is forward and busy in good workes lives most hath most life he that rejoyceth most in God hath most comforts hath most life Take heed of the contraries Idlenesse sencelesnesse and barrennesse are contrary to life take heed of them take heed of sadnesse that rusts the wheeles of the soule whereas joy doth oyle them Doe all to further this life avoyd all that hinders it Labour now to be translated from death to life that which hinders us is that we thinke we are in a state of life when we are not Now yee may know whether yee are alive or no by seeing whether yee are dead or no But because yee may be certaine whether yee are alive or not I will give you some positive signes of life to know it First yee are translated from death to life yee are living men if ye love the Brethren 1 Ioh. 3.14 If a man be a living man he lives in another element then he did before Every living man converseth with those of
the same kind as every creature doth Sheepe with Sheepe Lyons with Lyons Doves with Doves so living men will converse with living men Not loving the brethren wee are in a state of death every creature must have an element to live in a new life must have a new element evill men out of their companies are as Fish out of the water every life hath a tast appetite a new life hath a new tast and judgement Pro. 29.27 an unjust man is an abomination to the just he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked that is one hates the things that the other loves he that is alive the things which before he loved he now hates he abhors the things that evill men delight in That which is a dogs meate is a sheepes poyson as the proverb it so that which wicked men delight in is as odious as poyson to the just To judge this life by see what your company and delights are nothing can bee lesse dissembled than company In his company man doth speake out of the abundance of the heart he then bewrayes himselfe what he is there is no dead man nor living man but hee is inward with the like no signe so much poynted at in the Scripture as this yee are translated from death to life if yee love the brethren 1 Ioh. 3.14 and Ioh. 13.35 By this shall all men know that yee are my disciples if yee love one another this rule will not deceive you Secondly yee may know whether yee live this life if yee contend for it that life which a man lives for it he will contend he will let any thing goe rather than it If yee live this life of grace yee will maintaine it and yee can doe no otherwise 1 Iohn 3.9 Hee that is borne of God cannot sinne to be borne of God is to leade a new life he that lives a new life admits not the things which tend to the destruction of it Compare this with the 1. Pet. 2.11 abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule hee that is borne of God sinnes not that is hee yeelds not to sinne with his good will but struggles against it as one in health strives against sickenesse resistes the disease and maintaines a warre against it But yet the best are foyled T is true yet they strive they never yeeld they maintaine a warre and this they doe not onely by discourse but there is a naturall instinct that puts them forwards they may be cast backe yet they returne againe they may have a sicknesse that takes away sence they may swound and be astonished for a time yet after they contend for life every evill man contends for his life he leads his life in some lust from which if he be drawne hee returnes againe as a thing that is lifted from the earth will fall downe to it againe hee reckons the wayes of God hard and opposite to him the wisedome of the Spirit is enmity to the flesh neyther can it be subject to the Law of God Rom. 8. it cannot but resists it Every creature labours to maintaine its being so evill men continuing in sinne strive naturally against all that would bring them out of this life of sinne so the Saints they live a life of grace and labour to maintaine it Iohn 6.68 Christ asking his Disciples whether they also would goe away Peter made this answer Lord whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life that is whiles we conceive thee to be the principle and fountaine of this life wee cannot depart from thee The Saints wil let go friends and life and all for this life Count therefore of others and judge of your selves by contesting for this life strive to maintaine it let all goe rather than it Thirdly yee may know whether yee have this life in you or not by the fruits of it as the tree is knowne by its fruites If the word turne the stocke into its owne nature ye know it by the fruites Gal. 5.25 If yee live in the Spirit yee will also walke in the Spirit that is if yee professe your selves holy men shew it by walking in the Spirit holy men will bee doing that which is good This is the surest triall our workes will not deceive us other things which consist in imagination may 1 Ioh. 3.10 In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Divill who doth not righteousnesse is not of God he that is of God doth not unrighteousnesse Consider then what your walke and your actions are and by them yee shall know this life But how shall wee know whether we walke in the Spirit or no I answer first that there are many by-walkes and if yee walke but in one of them yee walke in the flesh and not in the Spirit Iam. 1.26 If any man seeme to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his owne heart this mans religion is vaine that is hee that makes this sinne his trade and walkes ordinarily in it his religion is vaine Secondly yee may know it by the guides yee follow Evill men they follow three guides Ephe. 2.3 they follow first the world secondly the Divill thirdly the flesh Holy men have three contrary guides first the renewed part within secondly the holy Ghost thirdly the course of the Saints Go yee the broad way oportet Sanctos vadere per diverticula the Saints doe not so follow yee the streame fulfill yee the will of the flesh or of the Spirit what are your actions Ephe. 4.17 I charge you that you hence forth walke not as the Gentiles do in the vanity of their minds that is holy men may have vanity in their minds yet they walke not in it as others doe evill men may have holy thoughts yet they walke in the vanity of their minds and albeit that evill men walke not in all the wayes of sin yet they are dead there is but one way to hit the marke but there are a thousand by-wayes a holy man may stumble in the wayes of God and have some foyles but he leads not his life in sinne he strives against it hee that leades his life in any knowne sinne not resisting it and will doe it and not crosse himselfe in it is dead his religion is vaine But what actions are there that holy men doe but that wicked men and others doe them I answer that there is no good actions wee doe but they may bee dead workes as men may pray keepe the Sabbaths and yet they may bee but dead workes they may doe them for a shew yet they are dead A shaddow hath all the liniaments of a body yet it wants life so the workes of hypocrites they want life consider therefore whether your workes are living workes you may know it by these three signes First if they proceed from the fountaine of life they are not dead workes compare Gal.
he curseth he takes not away their lives but their graces makes them wither in the inward man and so he comes to death Luk. 19. he that had ten Talents he that had most had more given him To practise a little is the way to get more The Talent is taken from him who did not use it and given to him that had most Talents There are two rewards for him that useth the Talent well First hee shall have more Secondly he shall be ruler over ten Cities he shall have comfort here and hereafter he shall have more comfort and grace See how he dealt with Nathaniel Iohn 1.50 Because he confessed Christ to be the Sonne of God and beleeved because Christ saw him under the Fig-tree which was but a small thing Christ tels him that he shall see greater things than these Ioh. 7.17 If any man will doe his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God that is if yee practise according to your knowledge you shall know more it shall be confirmed to you Let men know and not practice then Rom. 1.21.21 Because when they knew God they glorifie him not as God neyther are thankfull therefore God gives them up to uncleannesse thorow the lusts of their owne hearts to dishonour their owne bodies betweene themselves and to worship Idols as he dealt with the Gentiles So in the 2 Thessa. 2.9 Because they received not the love of the truth because they heard much and did not imbrace it God gave them up to strong delusions to beleeve lyes See it by experience when as men play with their knowledge God gives them up to heresies The Spirit of God will not strive long with them God hath commanded us not to cast Pearles before Swine and will hee himselfe doe it Consider what yee doe in every doctrine of salvation that is preached to you yee eyther relish it or not yee obey it or disobey it yee taste it or disrelish it If yee taste it not it is a savour of death unto death that is it brings death and leads to hell if yee savour it aright it brings to heaven There is no true doctrine but the not obeying of it bringeth something to your damnation When the savour of Christs knowledge is made manifest nor receiving it yee reject it and it brings a curse Heb. 6.7.8 The earth which drinketh in the raine which commeth oft upon it and brings forth hearbes meete for him by whom it is dressed receiveth a blesssing of God but that which bringeth forth thornes and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned that is the word is as raine it makes hearbs and weeds to grow if hearbs grow God doth prosper it more if it fals upon rockes it withers more and more God doth curse it It is not in the knowledge of divinity as in other sciences in them yee may neglect a yeare or two and get it againe but it is not so in this yee will not be able to returne againe yee are neare a curse yee cannot redeeme it See what followes in the neglecting of the Word in the 2 Chron. 36.15.16 God sent his messengers rising up early c. because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his Word and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord rose up against his people till there was no remedy Grace may stand with infirmities before they are revealed but being reveiled the light discerneth them If men refuse God indures it not Act. 17.30 The times of that ignorance God regarded not but now take heed the Gospel being reveiled God will beare no longer Before Iohn Baptist came the Axe was not laid to the roote of the tree but as soone as he came it was because then the Gospel was made knowne he revealed the truth When the truth is once revealed if men doe not then receive it God indures it not Heb. 3.13 To day if yee will heare my voyce harden not your hearts God will not stay longer than this day There is a day when it is we cannot prescribe after which God will not offer grace but commonly we see that men being of the age of discretion having the way shewed if they neglect it then they cōmonly perish God hath a secret time The Iewes had their day but because they accounted themselves unworthy of everlasting life Paul did turne from them to the Gentiles Act. 13.46 Saul had his day hee had common gifts and profited not therefore God forsooke him So Israel had their day but when they neglected it God bids Ieremiah not to pray for them Consider what you have heard of the Sacrament that yee may not absent your selves from it in the places wherein you are without weighty affaires which will excuse you before God so for the Sabbath you know it should bee kept because it is holy and if it be holy I would aske you this question whether it bee holy in whole or in part If all of it be holy it is not arbitrary it must be sequestred from common uses The vessels of the Sanctuary are said to be holy because they were not used but about holy things so the Temple is holy because it is a place set apart for Gods service so time is holy when it is bestowed on holy things holy thoughts holy duties consider that it is holy and that every part thereof is holy and then deny if you can that it is not to be sanctified Some men spend their time in idlenesse and gaming most in drunkennesse and disorder and not as they should Yee have heard of mortification yee have heard the doctrine of changing from death to life apply them and take heed how you heare yee that heard it negligently shall grow worse and worse The second meanes to heare profitably is that which is set downe in the 1 Thess. 2.13 that is to receive the Word not as the word of man but as the Word of God This makes the word of Christ effectuall to heare it as the Word of God that is consider whose word it is Consider the ground of it that it proceeds from God who is present God is there and we speake in his stead God spake to the Israelits in Mount Sinay and would have continued for any thing we know yet the people desired that Moyses should speake unto them Wee beseech you in the stead of Christ to be reconciled unto God This is of much moment to heare it as Gods Word morrall truths may build you up in morrall vertues and may be profitable to that purpose but they will not breed spirituall life that the Word onely doth being received as the Word of God Iohn 6.65 when as Christ demanded of the twelve whether they also would goe away Peter made this answer Lord whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life A man is not a
men see it so like religion as a sparke is like the fire they imbrace it All deceit is from similitude false wares having the same dye that true hath deceive the buiers so falling starres are like other starres When wee see some men that professe religion to be false hearted we thinke all are so wherefore Phil. 1.10 The Apostles prayes that they might abound in all knowledge and judgement to discerne of things that differ this proximity makes us deceived Fourthly false experiments hinder us much some experiments of the workes of God that should draw us nearer to him if wee make false use of them make us farther from him As if God afflict and restore againe or keepe us from affliction our hearts are hardened Exod. 8.15 when as the Froggs were removed Pharoah his heart was hardned rest made him harden his heart so many times it makes men slight the word and afflictions which God layes on them We may see this in Souldiers and Mariners none more ready to contemne dangers than they because they have often escaped they delude the workes of God that should draw them to salvation Rootes will make the weeds grow againe not being taken heed of The long suffering of God should draw us to repentance but it doth not so 2 Pet. 3.3 In the last time shall come mockers walking after their owne lusts and saying where is the promise of his comming for all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation that is men shall feele nothing apprehend nothing judgements being beleeved they second the Word being eluded they hinder us and it The fift impediment is ignorance men know not the wayes of God therefore they doe not imbrace them Ioh. 4.10 If thou hadst knowne the gift of God and who it is that speaketh to thee thou wouldest have asked of him There is enough in religion to make men love it if they knew it there is vertue in it there is beauty and profit in it Esa. 57. There is a peace in it all the wayes of it are wayes of pleasantnesse there is honour in it old age is honourable with righteousnesse But mens hearts are full of darkenesse they see not neyther doe they understand it 2 Pet. 2.12 They speake evill of the things they know not It s true they know the things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they know them not experimentally and really and that deceives them 1 Cor. 8.2 If any man thinke hee knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know One may know all things and yet know nothing as he should Ignorance deceives many it makes them to measure religion by a false rule and common opinion Acts 24.14 it is called heresy when yee iudge of it by externall shewes all basenesse is outwardly in religion it is like a costly thing covered with straw Christ was hid under a Carpenters Sonne preaching under the name of foolishnesse so our ignorance in attributing things to false causes keepes us off If the Gospel be hid it is hidden to those that perish there is a double ignorance privative and positive that is it by which the God of this world blinds men breeding a false perswasion of good and a good perswasion of evill The sixt impediment is in-consideration men doe not consider the things they might know if men would deduce one thing from another and doe that they know they might be brought to God Deut. 29.2.3 yee have seene saith Moyses all that the Lord did before your eyes in the Land of Egypt upon Pharoah and his servants yee have seene those great signes and miracles which he did yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and eares to heare untill this day that is yee have not profited because yee have not considered We thinke if that we had lived then wee had beleeved yet we see how few of them did beleeve we beleeve the Scriptures yet what inconsequency is there in mens lives because wee doe not consider things Consideration helpes to perfect mens actions it is a circular line one part helpes the other If we looke backe and examine our actions it helpes want of it hinders What is repentance but consideration Ier. 8.6 No man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done want of this keepes men from salvation 2 Chron. 6.37 If they bethinke themselves in the Land whither they are carried away and turne and pray unto me in their captivity saying We have sinned we have done amisse and dealt wickedly then I will heare So Ier. 8.6 God harkned whether any would say What have I done men goe on and consider not Hosea 4.11 Whoredome and new wine steale away their hearts that is it makes them not to consider Mark 6.52 They considered not the loaves therefore their hearts were hardned they were fearefull in the ship because they considered not the miracle of the loaves The seventh impediment is a certaine stifnesse and obfirmation of minde whereby a man is setled to continue in such a course that is pleasant to him and all that crosse him in it are enemies to him Rom. 8. the flesh is not subject to the Spirit it crosseth it one reckons not a man his enemy unlesse hee crosse him It must be so every creature as long as it hath a being opposeth that which is contrary to it so every man that delights himselfe in such or such a lust will not be circumcised cleansed and washed from it he will not have Christ reigne over him he will have his elbow roome Those men that are not translated from death to life they count the wayes of God eyther vanity or folly and will not submit unto them nor yet heare Christ voyce Now the meanes the helpes and wayes to breake through these impediments and to receive the Word with profit are these First to heare profitably that the voyce of the Sonne of God be not a common voyce but peculiar take that rule which is set downe Luk. 8.18 Take heed how you heare Christ gave that admonition to his hearers and I give it to you looke to your selves take heed how yee come to heare the Word doe it diligently the reason of this is added in the same verse for unto him that hath shall be given from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he seemed to have that is if yee heare and get a little knowledge yee shall have more he that yeeldeth some fruits shall bring forth more hee that doth some things shall doe more God will blesse you But from him that hath not shall bee taken even that which he seemed to have that is your hearts shall be hardned and that common knowledge which you have shall be taken away Ioh. 15.2 Every branch that beareth not fruite God cuts downe God lookes into a Congregation to see who doth make conscience of hearing those that doe he purgeth but those that profit not