towards eternal death Yet originally and as it affordeth a being to the Creature without which he could not be capable of everlasting life So it may properly be said to be part of Christs purchase and included within the compasse of this Covenant of Grace The next is the spiritual life For that was not firsi which is spiritual but that which is natural and afterward that which is spiritual 1 Cor. 15. 46. This spiritual life is the fruit of that regeneration or new birth whereby we are said to be born of God John 1. 13. And this birth is perfected when the seed of the word is quickned by the Spirit in the womb of Faith First the seed of this new birth must be the word of God Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever saith Saint Peter 1 Pet. 1. 23. 2ly this word must be quickned by the Spirit It is the Spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I spake unto you they are spirit and they are life saith the Son of God John 6. 63. And thirdly this word must be quickned by the Spirit in the womb of Faith Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God saith S. John 1 John 5. 1. And this may really be called a life for it shall never be overcome of death If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do morâ—ifâ—e the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8. 13. Live eternally for none can live this spiritual life this life of grace but he that is raised from the death of sin Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and Christ and shall reigne with him a thousand yeaos Rev. 20. 6. A thousand years Not according to the Millenaries account who dream of an earthly Kingdom to continue for a thousand years contrary to that of Christ himself My Kingdom is not of this World saith he John 18. 36. But whilest they contend for this earthly Kingdom doth it not appear that Their wisdom is earthly sensual c. According to that of St. James Jam. 3. 15. But a thousand years The thousand years of the great Sabbath that eternal Jubilee that shall be celebrated by the Saints of God in that everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 11. Verily this spiritual life is the greatest good that we can injoy in this World Whilest we live a meer natural life we live at the best but to our selves and we shall finde our selves but bad pay-masters He is an empty Vine that bringeth forth fruit unto himself saith the Lord by his Prophet Hosea 10. 1. But in serving our selves we commonly serve worse Masters then our selves For we serve sin also Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin saith our Lord Christ Joh. 8. 34. And the wages of sinne is death saith St. Paul Rom. 6. 23. Yea and in serving sin and our selves we serve the Devil too In time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the aire the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. And from such a cursed Master we can expect but a sorry reward The Devils wages is a Mark Rev. 13. 16. But he that receiveth that Mark The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb Rev. 14. 10. But being by this new birth or this spiritual life delivered from these bad Masters we are sure of a blessing For being made free from sin and become servants to God Ye have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. And the end everlasting life You see here that the end of this spiritual life is everlasting life But in regard that many do dis-relish and dislike this spiritual life as disquiet and uncomfortable therefore I shall desire you to take the peacefull life in your passage St. Paul exhorteth That supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. I will not deny but there are many enemies both spiritual and temporal that do continually endeavour to infest and molest this happy passage towards eternity But what hurt or hinderance can it be to a well resolved spirit though the Devil with all his smoaky legions do thunder forth their phantastick false alarums The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace saith that man of War Psal 29. 11. Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid saith Christ to his Disciples Joh. 14. 17. And he that said it is well able to perform it For he is the prince of peace Isa 9. 6. This is the peace of God and it is more then an ordinary peace It is a perfect and a perpetual peace an infinite and an inward peace First it is a perfect peace Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee saith that Evangelical Prophet to his and our God Isa 26. 3. Secondly it is a perpetual peace The Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee According to that of the same Prophet Isa 54. 10. Not so perfect and perpetual that it shall never be interrupted but so perfect and perpetual that it shall never be utterly overthrown Thirdly it is an infinite peace it passeth all understanding And fourthly it is an inward peace It keepeth your hearts and mindes The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and mindes saith the Apostle Phil. 4. 7. Yea and it is an outward peace also when a mans wayes please the Lord. he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him saith that wise man Prov. 16. 7. Or if they will not it shall be upon their own peril For his heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies Psal 112. 8. This is the peacefull life or the spiritual mans peacefull passage to eternal salvation or everlasting life which is the fourth and last degree and that which is expressed here in this Copy as the onely intire happinesse and perfection of all the former For the matter what
and land upon land by right or by wrong But because he knoweth not that It is God onely that maketh poor and maketh rich that bringeth low and lifteth up as in 1 Sam. 2. 7. Because he knoweth not that A mans life or the happiness of mans a life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth as Luke 12. 15. Which our Saviour maketh plain by the Parable immediatly following Because he knoweth not that They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition as in the 1 Tim. 6. 9. That he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and at his end shall be a fool as Jer. 17. 11. Peradventure he knows that these things are so written but he is not so wise as to consider or perswade himself of the truth thereof Would the temporizing fool depend upon the arm of flesh and wave still as the blast bloweth like a Reed shaken with every winde If he did know That the Lord changeth not as Mal. 3 6. Would any prophane person blaspheme the name of God contemne his Ordinances corrupt his truth or pollute his sabbaths If he did know that He is an holy God and a jealous God c. Iosh 24. 19. Durst the private Thief the secret Adulterer or the swinelike drunkard loose themselves in their base abominations their filthy deeds of darknesse If they knew that Darknesse hideth not from God and that darknesse and light are both alike to him as Psalm 139. 12. Or that nothing is secret that shall not be manifest neither any thing hid that shall not be known come abroad according to that of our Saviour Luke 8. 17. Or in a word durst any wicked Reprobate whatsoever delight and live in or by his odious and Soul-damning sins If he knew that The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodlinesse unrighteousnesse of men According to that of the Apostle Rom. 1. 18. But this ignorant Infidel will again alledge That there are many men that know as much of these things as any man can tell them and yet they continue in their sinnes neverthelesse Truely of all fools they are the greatest and most ridiculous that will make themselves enemies to God and slaves to the Devil and that knowingly and willingly Yet this proveth nothing to the contrary but that ignorance is the cause of sinne I conceive it will not be denied but that the Jews especially the Scribes and Pharisees were knowing men both in the Law the Prophets insomuch that they could not be ignorant that the Messias should come into the world Neverthelesse when he was come they cried out incessantly to have him Crucified Now albeit the death of the Messias was the greatest mercie that ever the Lord vouchsafed to the sons of men yet it was a most abominable sin in those that practised and procured it Thou couldest have no power at all against me saith our Saviour unto Pilate except it were given thee from above Therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sinne John 19. 11. And those great sins which were committed in order to his death were carried on by ignorance as St. Peter affirmeth to the Jews saying Ye denied the holy one and the just and desired a murderer to be granted unto you and killed the Prince of life whom God hath raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses Acts 3. 14 15. And now brethren I wote that through ignorance ye did it as did also your Rulers verse 17. And to this very purpose is that of Saint Paul we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery saith he even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have Crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 7 8. And can any man imagine that if Judas the Traitour had not been ignorant of the true value of his Lord and Master that ever he would have sold him for thirty pieces of silver and afterward have hanged himself upon the consideration of his bad bargain But this ignorant wretch will alledge yet further That he can say the Lords prayer the Creed the ten Commandments and he hopeth that this will be sufficient to save the Soul of a man that is altogether unlearned Truely I cannot deny the sanctified use of the Lords prayer as some do in these dayes for it is a very compleat and compendious form or pattern of prayer prescribed by the wisdom of God and therefore not to be rejected by the pride of man Yet many there are that do but onely say it and that without either benefit or comfort for there are many thousands that do not rightly understand so much as why they call God their Father That which we call the Apostles Creed containeth the substance or History of the Gospel But being barely or simply considered without particular application it will furnish us but with a bare Historical faith The Devils believe it and tremble neverthelesse And as for the ten Commandments they may shew him his transgression and so assure him of his damnation But they can never bring him to Heaven or so much as one step towards it unlesse they lead him to Christ and there leave him For there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 12. But his concluding and conquering Allegation as he conceiveth will be this He is confident that he shall do well enough yet For did not Paul tell Timothy That he was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious but he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbelief 1 Tim. 1. 13. Now the sins that he committeth are likewise ignorantly in unbelief And why should not he finde mercie as well as Paul Doubtlesse he shall if he ceaseth not to follow Paul's example But Paul obeyed Gods calling and conversion and was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision Acts 26. 19. And in reference thereunto instead of persecuting as in time past he preached the Gâ—spel which once he destroyed Gal. 1. 23. Whereas this wilfull wretch is still as ignorant in the truth as ever he was and so he is like to continue For though thou shouldest bray a fool in a morter among Wheat with a Pestel yet will not his foolishnesse depart from him saith the wise man Prov. 27. 22. These with many other blinde allegations he hath for ignorance will seldom or never be put to silence Neither is he without his evidence And it is this He believeth that he shall easily say Lord have mercie upon me at the last hour And then he doubteth not but all will he well enough For doth not the Prophet say That whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lond shall be saved
full of cursing and deceit and fraud under his tongue is mischief and vanity verse 7. Indeed it is a rare thing to hear a wicked man speak well For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh saith our Saviour Mat. 12. 34. But when the recollected Christian becometh so speechlesse That no corrupt communication will proceed out of his mouth but that he putteth away all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evll speaking with all malice And that he cannot suffer fornication and uncleanness and covetousness to be once named neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient According to the severall exhortations of the Apostle Ephe. 4. 29. 31. and 3 4. I say the loss of this and the like ungodly language is another evident symptom whereby we may pronounce such a one to be dead unto sin A third sign is loss of memory It is a sad thing to consider what an everlasting memory a carnall man hath concerning those things that are evill He can sooner forget a thousand great benefits then one small offence And so in all other particulars his memory may be called the ready Register by whom all his flesh-pleasing vices are entered upon record And when his opportunity will not license him to commit them it is no little recreation for him to remember them The children of Israel wept and said we remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely the Cucumbers and the Melons and the Leekes and the Onyons and the Garlick Numb 11. 4 5. But the children of Belial laugh and say we remember since we could have satiated our lusts with variety of strong flesh commanded the tongues and hands of so many tall fellows purchased so many acres by meer policy sate so many dayes and nights together at gameing caroused so many cups to a health and spent so many crowns at a sitting Thus they delight their memories in the contemplation of their own mischiefs As enemies to the crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things According to that of the Apostle Phil. 3. 18 19. But when any one of these unhappy heads shall so lose his memory as that he shall forget those delights which he conceived in the time of his former lewdness when the remembrance of all his fore-passed sins is become so grievous and offensive unto his soul that he can cordially and constantly cry out with the Apostle What fruit had I then in those things whereof I am now ashamed for the end of those things is death Rom. 6. 21. Truely we may be confident to say concerning such a man that he is dead unto sin The fourth and last is a most infallible sign And that is loss of motion When a man hath so utterly forsaken the love of sin that he can by no means be reduced or restored thereunto The divell can no longer seduce him The world cannot win him neither can the lusts of the flesh allure him so far forth as to afford them any hope of his future obedience I will not say but they may inforce their charming drugs upon him as if one should force drink into the mouth of a dead man But his soul doth so extreamly abhor all means of recovery that nothing will stay with him nothing can work upon him Haply the loss of Appetite may be restored by a skilfull Physitian so may the loss of speech and the loss of memory too Provided that the patient be willing to receive the medicine and that his body is able to assist it But when the patient will not obey or if his body cannot cooperate we say that such a man is absolutely a dead man Doubtless in every spirituall conflict the divell is very industrious to preserve his declining patient And to that purpose he presenteth him with his guilded pills and his perfumed potious his cordials and his restoratives in expectation of a speedy cure But when the soul perceiving his pretence so sets it self against his blind Receipts that nothing can move it nothing work upon it so as to return it to its former vomit Then that happy body that is the cabinet or companion to such a blessed soul may chearfully give thanks unto the Father which hath made him meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light having delivered him from the power of darknesse and translated him into the kingdom of his dear Son In whom he hath redemption through his blood even the forgivennesse of sins As in Collo 1. 12 13 14. This man is undoubtedly dead indeed unto sin And so consequently he is planted into Christ according to the likeness of his death And whosoever is planted into Christ according to the likeness of his death he is likewise planted into Christ according to the likeness of his resurrection as we have formerly observed out of those words of the Apostle Rom. 6. 5. But it may be demanded when a man may be said to be planted into Christ according to the likeness of his resurrection I answer when he is alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For as by the vertue of Christs death we are dead unto sin so by the vertue of his resurrection we are alive unto God Therefore 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 even so we also shâ—uld walk in newnesse of life Rom. 6. 4. And whosoever walketh in newness of life upon the true account of a new creature he onely is alive unto God in or through Jesus Christ our Lord. Again it may be demanded How a man may know and assure himself that he is planted into Christ according to the likes ness of his resurrection To which I answer That this he shall finde by his resemblance or likeness to this Tree of righteousness by which the Lord sets forth a true Beleever And therefore let him first consider if he be well rooted You know that when a tree is removed it may be said to be dead as in relation to that ground out of which it is taken And therefore that it may live again it is necessary that it be replanted And for that purpose the husbandman doth commonly make choice of a better and a more fertile soyl then that from which it did Naturally or Originally proceed That so it may be the more inriched and the better inabled to spread forth its root and to bring forth fruit accordingly And that it may appear to thrive and prosper the principall care to be taken is this That it be well rooted For the life of the plant consisteth in the root We are all by nature unprofitable shoots sprung from old Adam that degenerate shrub and have neither roote nor fatness nor fruit in our selves And therefore it is needfull that we be plucked from our corrupted stock and that
otherwise grace is no more grace saith Saint Paul Rom. 11. 6. It is the nature of grace to be free we are justified freely by his grace saith the same Apostle Rom. 3. 24. If we shall look upon Gods words and works we shall finde that it is the will of God to give us his onely begotten Son Christ Jesus together with all his benefits and blessings altogether freely without cost without desert without assistance and without seeking First without our cost or charge Thou hast not brought me the small cattel of thy burnt-offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an offering nor wearied thee with Incense Thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with money neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins saith the Lord Isa 43. 23 24 25. Now this obliteration or remission of sins is part of Christs purchase and we cannot receive the one without the other No Christ no forgivenesse of sins In him we have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of sins saith St. Paul Eph. 1. 7. Neither did Christ himself set his own graces to sale when he stood cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water But this he spake of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive John 7. 37 38. 39. Secondly God giveth his Son with all his benefits c. without our desert We our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour saith St. Paul Tit. 3. 3. 4 5 6. And to the Ephesians God who is rich in mercie for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 4. 5 6 7. All this he did for us when we were dead in sins And alas what can sinfull dead men deserve Thirdly he vouchsafeth us his Son Jesus Christ with all his graces and blessings without our assistance For if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life Rom. 5. 17 18. And if freely and meerly by one then without our Assistance Fourthly and lastly God gives us Christ without our seeking When we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid our faces as it were from him he was despised and we esteemed him not saith the Prophet Isa 53. 2 3. The lost sheep sought not the Shepheard but the Shepheard sought his lost sheep Luke 15. 4. c. I am found of him that sought me not saith the Lord our Redeemer Isa 65. 1. Thus you see that it is the nature of grace to give altoger freely And therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace Rom. 4. 16. For to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt Rom. 4. 4. By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. And this I conceive to be a second and a solid reason why God requireth nothing but Faith Because whatsoever had been required with or besides Faith it would have been destructive to the very nature of this Covenant of Grace THe fifth branch growing in this Paradise this Eden of the Covenant of Grace is the prevention freedom from destruction should not perish should not be destroyed I conceive it will not be denied by any sound Christian but that Adams transgression against the Covenant of works did draw an universal guilt and punishment over the face of the whole earth Insomuch that every man woman proceeding from Adam after a natural generation is become guilty of his sin and by that means liable to his penalty First we are all polluted by his sinne Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one saith Job Job 14. 4. Behold saith David I was shapen in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me Psal 51. 5. And St. Paul tells us That the children of God by grace were the children of wrath by nature Eph. 2. 3. And it is onely sin that subjecteth us to Gods wrath Col. 3. 5 6. And secondly as Adams corrupted nature hath ingaged us in his damnable sin so hath his sin likewise exposed us to his deadly punishment For as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned or in whom all have sinned saith St. Paul Rom. 5. 12. Thus we see that the contagion or the infection of Adams sin and likewise the certainty of his punishment are both become universal And therefore this Hereditary corruptition hath put us into a perishing condition although we had no sin of our own to answer for But then if we shall consider all our sins both original and actual our sins of omission and our sins of commission together with their several circumstances and aggravations Who can forbear to cry out with Saint Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. The body of this death or the power of this death And verily we shall perceive the power of this death to be far more dangerous then ordinarily it is conceived to be If we shall consider it according to the several sorts or degrees of death Which we finde to be four viz. The spiritual death the cordial death the natural death and the eternal death The spiritual death is that whereby we are said to be dead in sin Eph. 2. 1. And therefore St. Paul tells us The widow that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth 1 Tim. 5. 6. And thus the Spirit to the Angel
of the Church of Sardis Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Rev. 3. 1. The cordial death if I may so call it or the death of the heart is that which happeneth upon the sense or apprehension of some extream danger or distresse when discreet Abigail had told her husband Nabal of the danger he was in by reason of his churlish behaviour towards Davids young men The Text saith That his heart died within him and he became as a stone 1 Sam. 25. 37. And Pharaoh in the plague of locusts desired Moses and Aaron to intreat the Lord that he might take away that death onely Exod. 10. 17. The natural death consisteth in the dissolution of nature or the separation between the body and the Soul It is said That when Rachels Soul departed she died Gen. 35. 18. And when the widow of Zarephaths son was dead Elijah cried unto the Lord and said O Lord my God I pray thee let this Childes Soul come into him again And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah and the Soul of the Childe came into him again and he revived 1 King 17. 21 22. The last is eternal death consisting in those eternal torments which the damned shall be cast into upon that peremptory sentence Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25. 41. In these four sorts or degrees of death are comprehended all the discomforts mischiefs and miseries that mankinde can suffer or suspect whether they be spiritual temporal or eternal And now I shall prove that every one of them is the reward or punishment of sin First the spiritual death is the reward of sin Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned professing themselves to be wise they became fools And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and to four-footed beasts and creeping things Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleannesse through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves Rom. 1. 21 22 23 24. For this cause God gave them up to vile affections c. verse 26. Secondly the cordial death or the death of affliction trouble and distresse that is also the reward or the punishment of sin We grope for the wall like the blinde and we grope as if we had no eyes we stumble at noon day as in the night we are in desolate places as dead men We roar all like bears and mourn sore like doves we look for judgement but there is none for salvation but it is far off from us For our transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sins testifie against us for our transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them Isa 59. 10 11 12. Thirdly the natural death that is also the wages of sin And unto Adam God said Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying thou shalt not eat of it cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thg life Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth to thee and thou shalt eat the Herb of the field In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread untill thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Gen. 3. 17 18 19. And lastly eternal death is the punishment of sin And it shall come to passe that from one new Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord. And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me for their worm shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh Isa 66. 23 24. Thus we see that sin hath laid us open to every degree of death and destruction And verily the penalty annexed unto the breach of the Covenant of works that original rebellion importeth no otherwise In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Gen. 2. 17. Dying thou shalt die saith the original Thou shalt die every kinde of death And now if it be demanded how it may be said that we are redeemed from these miseries distresses and calamities by this Covenant of Grace I answer that Almighty God hath redeemed us from them by taking away the onely cause of them which we find here to be sin And that for and through the merits and mediation the sufferings and satisfaction of Jesus Christ his onely begotten Son whom he gave us and for us in this Covenant Provided alwayes that we receive him by faith according to the condition of this Covenant And here we may do well to take notice That the evil of sin is three-fold That is to say The guilt of sin The punishment of sin And the power of sin And it is necessary that all these be removed before we can certainly be said to be redeemed For where the guilt remaineth the punishment is not to be avoided and whilest the power continueth neither shall the guilt be forgotten nor the punishment forgiven You know that whosoever transgresseth the Law and is found guilty thereof he must suffer punishment according to the nature of his offence And whosoever committeth sinne transgresseth the Law For sin is the transgression of the Law 1 John 3. 4. Now where is that Soul that dares stand upon her own justification and plead Not guilty to the whole Law of God Or whether our own hearts condemne us or not God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things 1 John 3. 20. It is in vain for us to dissemble or conceal our iniquities For all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4. 13. Verily the Lord sees our sins before we commit them I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherâ—usly saith he and wast called a transgressour from the womb Isa 48. 8. And he that transgresseth the Law in the least particular he is cursed For it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. And being cursed he can expect no better then to be condemned unto eternal torments For the Son of Man sitting upon the throne of his glory shall say unto them Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Math. 25. 41. But being possessed of the Lord Jesus Chriâ—t by an effectual faith according to the tenour of this Covenant of Grace we are redeemed both from the Curse For Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal.
First if it deserveth the right name of hatred it is impartial And therefore he that truely hateth sin he doth hate all manner of sin and in all manner of persons He must hate all manner of sin He may not hate riotousnesse and love covetousnesse hate swearing and love lying hate publick prophanesse and love private perfidiousnesse or the contrary I hate every false way saith good David Psal 119. 128. And to that purpose he prayeth unto his God saying Incline not my heart to any evil thing Psal 41. 4. Doubtlesse 't is hard to finde a man whose heart is not inclin'd to many evil things But wher 's that Soul amongst us that is not so wedded unto some bewitching lust some Dalila one bosom sin or other of which we are inclineable to say as Lot did sometime say concerning Zoar Is it not a little one Gen. 19. 20. Yet every sin is a transgression of the Law 1 Joh. 3. 4. And cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. And therefore the Prophet David Search me O God saith he and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Psal 139. 23 24. And the Apostle Paul Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. And likewise St. Jude exhorteth To hate even the Garment spotted by the flesh Jude 23. Alluding haply to those forbidden things of the Law whereby their very Garments were defiled And intimating to us under the Gospel That we ought to abstain even from all appearance of evil according to that of Paul 1 Thes 5. 22. And as we must hate sin in general so we must hate all sinne in every person A man would think there had been no great cause of offence for Jehosaphat to assist Ahab in the recovery of Ramoth Gilead They were both of the stock of Abraham joyned in affinity professed the same Religion the cause was just and the enemy an idolatrous Heathen Neverthelesse Jehu the Seer said unto Jehosaphat the King Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord 2 Chron. 19. 2. And are there not too many amongst us that do professe much detestation against the miscarriages of such as are either averse or unprofitable to our designs whereas a little affinity or friendship or faction or the like carnal complyance will easily over-rule us to approve and patronize the most abomiâ—able actions Like wicked Ahab who hated the saving truth in the mouth of Micaiah because it was contrary to his intention and imbraced a pernitious lye from the mouths of his false Prophets because it was agreeable to his present resolution as in the 2 Chron. 18. Yea such is the damnable deceitfulnesse of self-love that many of us are thereby bewitched to censure those sins most severely in others which we our selves are ten times more notoriously guilty of And thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which do such things and dost the same that thou shalt escape the judgement of God saith Paul Rom. 2. 3. Verily this carnal self-love must of necessity be turned into spiritual self-hatred either temporal or eternal For we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things as saith the same Apostle Rom. 2. 2. Nothing is so offensive unto God or so destructive to our selves as sin The pestilence in our bloud the poyson in our bowels and the sword in our sides all these together can but kill the body according to a temporary death But sin is of so desperate a strain that it destroyes both soul and body too and hurries them into eternal torments And therefore he that hateth not all sin and in all persons chiefly in himself his seeming hatred is Hypocrisie and his love to God and his own Soul is nothing bettter Therefore be not deceived God is not mocked Gal. 6. 7. Secondly hatred if 't is true and perfect it is impetuous or violent nothing will satisfie it but the death or the destruction of every thing whereon it resteth We finde that Esau hated his brother Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father had blessed him And Esau said in his heart the dayes of mourning for my father are at hand then will I slay my brother Jacob Genes 27. 41. And doubtlesse he had done as he intended had not the Lord his God preserved Jacob according to his power Gen. 32. 11. We likewise finde how that the sons of Jacob did hate their brother Joseph Gen. 37. 4. And they consulted together to slay him verse 20. And if we deal more kindly by our sins it is a sign we are but angry with them we do not hate them with a perfect hatred like that of David wherewith he did hate the haters of his God Do not I hate them O Lord saith he that hate thee And am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred Psal 139. 21 22. There are two great evils in and belonging unto every sin to wit the evil of iniquity Psal 32. 5. And the evil of punishment Lam. 3. 39. Whereof the first is essential and offensive to the spirit the second is accidental and offensive to the flesh And from hence it proceedeth that the spiritual man hateth sin for the iniquity thereof In reference to God But the carnal man is angry with sin onely because of the punishment thereof in relation to himself God is not in all his thoughts saith David Psal 10. 4. And therefore because he hateth not the iniquity which he ought to hate the punishment which he hateth shall fall upon him unto his confusion Gen. 4. 13. Whilest he which hateth that which God doth hate shall surely be approved of by God Rev. 2. 6. And therefore it will be of special use unto us to consider with what vehemency the Prophet David endeavoureth to aggravate the violence or the severity of his hatred against sin and sinners in his 101. Psalm Wherein he maketh divers protestations or promises unto this very purpose saying I will see no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the work of them that turn aside it shall not cleave to me verse 3. A froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person verse 4. Who so privily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer verse 5. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my hâ—use he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight verse 7. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the citie of the Lord verse 8. Thus
c. The second sort of these deluded Souls are such as ground their peace upon mistakes perswading themselves that God is as it were ingaged to defend and preserve them And why Because say they he is mercifull It is true indeed the Lord is very mercifull For so he proclaimeth himself Exod. 34. 6 7. But what is all that to thee He will by no means clear the guilty as in the same 7th vers God cannot be so mercifull as to be unjust his justice must be fully satisfied which thou art never able to perform And therefore unlesse the guilt of thy sins be washed away by the bloud of Jesus Christ thou hast no present interest in Gods mercy Thou art still in thy wickednesse And the wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57. 20 21. Now every one of these three sorts of peace is such a judgement as exposeth us to Gods just wrath and indignation For he that blesseth himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to add drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man c. Deut. 29. 19 20. But the fourth sort of peace is a safe peace And this is that which doth inseparably attend upon the person of our Lord. And for our better understanding and satisfaction in this particular we must know that this true peace must be grounded upon the assurance of that reconciliation which God in Christ hath concluded between himself and us For it pleased the father that in him should all fulnesse dwell And having made peace through the bloud of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the bodie of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight Colos 1. 19 20 21 22. Now whosoever hath been formerly sensible of that great emnity that was between God on the one part And his own corrupt sinfull nature and conversation on the other part And is now fully satisfied and assured by a lively faith That God was thus in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them As likewise the same Apostle 2 Corinth 5. 19. That Soul I say may confidently boast that she injoyes a safe and solid peace For that she is joyned unto the Lord of Hosts in an offensive and defensive league And is thereby impowred both to fight the good fight of faith and so to lay hold on eternal life as at 1 Tim. 6. 12. And also to resist the Devil and to make him flee as James 4. 7. By which we may perceive that this true peace consisteth not in an absolute freedom from war but in the assurance of Gods Almighty favour and protection Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee saith that Prophet unto the Lord Isa 26. 3. Not such a perfect peace as feeleth no interruption but such a perfect peace as feareth no dissolution He shall not be moved for ever saith the Psalmist Psal 112. 6. He may be moved by some violent incounter But it will not be long before he returneth unto his resting place Doubtlesse it maketh much for Gods glory to exercise his Souldiers in a continual warfare That so he may make bare his own holy arm in the eyes of all the Nations and that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God as Isa 52. 10. Verily the godly nor are nor ever shall be without adversaries Neither do they wrestle onely against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spiritual wickednesse in high places wherefore they take unto them the whole armour of God that they may be able to withstand in the evil day according to Saint Paul's direction Eph. 6. 12 13. And in truth the servant of Jesus Christ is still more doubtfull of some intestine treachery then of any forraign invasion And therefore he keepeth his heart with all diligence according to that word of command Prov. 4. 23. He placeth a strong century in that center And for his outworks He walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly he despiseth the gain of oppressions and shaketh his hands from holding of bribes he stoppeth his ears from hearing of bloud and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil according to those safe postures Isa 33. 15. And therefore he shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure His eye shall see the King in his beauty they shall behold the land that is very far off verse 16. 17. Briefly thus He shall rest securely and fare sufficiently He shall see the King in his Majesty and travail safely under his protection And in every conflict he is sure of conquest I can do all things through Christ which strenghteneth me saith he with St. Paul Phil. 4. 13. And therefore with the Prophet David he likewise concludeth saying I will love the Lord my strength The Lord is my Rock and my fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high Tower c. Psal 18. 1. c. This is the godly mans garrison and it is invincible And in this confidence I will both lay me down in peace and sleep saith he for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety as in Psal 4. 8. This indeed is a safe peace Such a peace as passeth all understanding And he belongeth to our Saviours guard For he shall keep our hearts and mindes through Christ Jesus Philip. 4. 7. And where this peace is quartered he provides to entertain his pleasant partner joy This is a compleat Courtier whose office most properly proclaims his Prince his presence Psal 16. 11. But being of that frolick disposition he is much mistaken and as much abused by some that seem to be his fellow servants For you shall hardly meet with one in forty but is deceived in this particular which we shall very easily maintain when we shall finde there are five sorts of joy whereof the first is a cursed joy The second is a counterfeit joy The third is a carelesse joy The fourth is a carnal joy And the fifth is a compleat joy The first I say is a cursed joy And this is when a man rejoyceth in any evil either against God or his Neighbour Their Soul delighteth in their abominations saith the Lord Isa 66. 3. Every sin hath some sweetnesse wherewith it delighteth the
is plain that the Lord marrieth his church unto himself In regard that he calleth himself her husband and her his wife Thy maker is thy husband the Lord of hosts is his name and thy Redeemer the holy one of Israel the God of the whole earth shall he be called For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and a wife of youth Isa 54. 5. 6. And fourthly it is manifest that he marrieth his church unto himself In respect that he will have her called after his own name we finde that his holy Spirit directeth us to call him by the name of The Lord our righteousnesse Jere. 23. 6. And this is the name wherewith she shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse saith the same Spirit by the same Prophet Jer. 33. 16. And in that it is said this is the name wherewith she shall be called it is evident that she was not so called formerly And we know that there is no ingagement no relation whatsoever that can make a woman capable of any other name then what she formerly had but that of marriage onely Again the soul demands this question How is it that our gracious Lord vouchsafeth so great an honour to his church to own her according to that high degree of marriage And after some expostulation she thus resolves her self Surely it is to evidence unto us that intire Union that exceeding nearnesse that is between the Spirit of our Saviour and the dear souls of his beloved saints There is a near relation among countrymen and kindred Insomuch that Paul professed he could wish himself accursed for his kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9. 3. Yet we see they little deserved it at his hands Acts 24. 1 c. Some what more near then that is the relation among brethren Behold how good and how pleasant it is brethren to dwell together in Vnity saith David Psal 133. 1. Yet we finde that Cain killed his brother Abel Gen. 4. 8. And Esau intended the like to his brother Jacob Gen. 27. 41. There is also a near ingagement among friends A friend sticketh closer then a brother saith Solomon Prov. 18. 24. Yet we know that there is falshood in friendship Joab slew his great friend Absalom 2 Sam. 18. 14. And Judas abused that sweet attribute most basely Mat. 26. 50. But very strict and very binding are those Obligations between the parents and their children lo children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man so are children of the youth Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them they shall not be ashamed but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate Psal 127. 3 4 5. And therefore St. Paul Honour thy father and thy mother which is the first commandment with promise saith he Ephes 6. 2. Neverthelesse our Lord acquainteth us That the brother shall deliver up the brother to death and the father the child and the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death Mat. 10. 21. And have not we seen or credibly heard of the like unnatural actions performed in our dayes But so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies he that loveth his wife loveth himself No man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as Christ the Church saith Paul Ephes 5. 28 29. Here indeed is the right cordial relation that strict and strong Obligation that nothing should cancel but death He is not worthy of the name of man that forsaketh or abuseth his own wife No man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it There is the lovely shaddow of a tender compassion even as the Lord the church There is the true substance of a dear and dureable affection And therefore the main reason as the soul conceiveth why the Lord vouchsafeth this most acceptable expression of marriage is to shew us that integrity that exact and absolute Union and communion that is betwixt himself his church He that is joyned unto an harlot is one body saith the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 6. 16. Where Paul insinuateth that marriage is so strict a tie that the very abuse thereof is of an uniting quality But he that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit saith he verse 17. Now whatsoever is carnal is mortal and dubious but that which is spirituall is eternal and glorious O! saith that sweet and amorous soul that I were sure my Lord had such a love to me as that he would espouse me to himself I am perswaded now that he hath such a love unto his church in general But how shall I appropriate the same unto my self or how may I be sure that I shall thus in joy my gracious Lord For this is the circumstance wherein the soul desireth satisfaction And thereupon she listens to St. Paul The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Gala. 2. 20. True saith the tender soul if I were such a chosen vessel as was good St. Paul I might triumph with the like confidence yet after some debate within her self she thus replies why what had Paul but what he did receive Or what made him to differ was it not my Lord with whom there is no respect of persons as Paul himself saith Rom. 2. 11. Doubtlesse my God who onely can fit me for this preferment he looketh not upon the man but his Mediatour he regardeth not the metall but the stamp the image and superscription whose is that Surly if the image of Christ be graven in me it makes no matter either what I am or how I am called For there is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for we are all one in Christ Jesus Gala. 3. 28. And as neither nation nor sex nor any outward state or condition nor any other earthly distinction can make a difference in the sight of God so neither can sin exclude me from his favour For God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us saith St. Paul Rom. 3. 8. These things considered the Soul begins to be perswaded that her Lord both may and will love her as well as any other For now she sees ther 's no impediment that can destroy or contradict her hopes Yet still she 's sick of love nor can her minde receive or cure or comfort till she meets with such an argument of his affection towards her self in every degree as is both certain and infallible Therefore she cries and gives her Lord no rest until he openeth her understanding that she may learn this mystery of love That never any soul did love the Lord but the same soul was first beloved by him And this must