such as are daily devising and consulting how to draw others from a good course Sometimes a carnall friend and sometime a cursed neighbour labours either by vile counsell or by discouragements of some devilish devices to draw a man from a holy course and from the power of godlinesse whatsoever he is judge him a Factor for the devill and as one that makes provision for his lusts I may fitly compare such wicked counsellers to the devils purveyors they bring all their provision to his Store-houses These vile wretches would stuffe our hearts with these cursed devices carnal reasons to withdraw us frō godlinesse oh tumble them all out and let not the purveyors of hell lay their lodging here nor take place in our hearts When our Saviour Christ told Peter Mat. 16.22 23. that he must goe to Ierusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and High-Priests and be slaine Peter tooke him aside and began to rebuke him saying Master pity or favour thy selfe these things shall not be unto thee here was the counsell of Peter or rather the devill in him But see how Christ shakes him off Get thee behinde me Sathan thou art an offence to mee because thou understandest not the things that are of God but of man So when carnall friends say Oh away with this too much praying and what needs all this strictnesse in sanctifying the Lords day and the like beware of such these are impes of darknesse and the devils Purveyors they would lay up their provision in your hearts that you may give entertainment to Sathan and therefore shake them off as Christ did Peter and say Get thee behinde mee Sathan As you tender your own happiness get your hearts fenced against all these cursed perswasions The fourth and last point from these words Doct. 4. is this Hee that maketh provision for his corruptions shall certainly bee over-come by them he that provides for sinne shall certainly be drawne to yeeld obedience to sinne The Doctrine is raised from the connexion of the words Make no provision for the flesh saith the Apostle for if you doe provide for them you will fulfill the lusts of the flesh In conclusion a provider for lust will bee a fulfiller of lust hee that gives way to occasions of sinne will be overtaken with occasions Can any man touch pitch and not be defiled No surely touching and defiling go both together so it was from the beginning and so it will bee to the end of the world See this in Eve Gen. 3. the only way for the devill to come upon her was to parley with her First he labours to make way for thought and meditation and therefore hee doth not speake any thing affirmatively but makes a question to fish out an occasion that hee might take advantage Yea saith hee hath God said ye shall not eate of every tree in the garden and shee said to him Of the fruit of the tree which is in the middest of the Garden God hath said Ye shall not eate lest yee die When the devill saw that shee was as it were discontented because she might not eate of it hee was glad of that and said Is the winde in that do ore then I have enough I tell thee saith hee Ye shall not die at all but when yee eate thereof you shall bee as Gods Thus shee tooke in from Sathan provision of his and so was overcome Another proofe is Iam. 1.15 Iam. 1.15 When lust hath conceived it bringeth sin and when sinne is finished it bringeth forth death Looke as it is with a fish when the fisher-man throwes in his baite first the fish lookes upon it then she followes it and afterward shee feeds upon it so the soule begins to looke after a lust and fixeth his meditations upon it and when lust hath conceived then it bringeth forth sinne In the conception of lust sinne is generated in the heart as it is with corne that is sowne in a field if the ground be fit for bearing first the earth warmes the seed secondly it conveyes a kind of moysture into it and at last it brings forth a blade and so growes up till it come to the Eare so it is with the soule the spawne of corruption is originall sinne but Meditation that warmes it and Consultation provides moysture to feed this distemper and this brings forth sin presently in practice and that brings forth death and damnation Our Saviour saith that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and Psal 7. Behold hee travelleth with iniquity and hath conceived mischiefe and brought forth falshood A man conceives a corruption thus When his own vile heart is stirred up to sinne then his minde is setled upon that thing and straight way he growes bigge of it as it is with a travelling woman at last it comes to the birth Meditation warmes sinne and Consultation makes the soule grow bigg of sinne and so men bring forth a cursed brood of abominations into the world It is notable in that of Samson first he comes to the Harlot then hee parlies with her hee sets his heart upon her hee fell asleep in her lap and at last he loseth his haire and his strength though hee had his pleasure for the while Though a man were as strong as Samson in grace if he will needs come as he did and dally with occasions my life for his hee shall lose his comfort and be overthrowne by his abominations But how comes this to passe that if a man will provide for his flesh hee shall bee a slave to his lusts The Reasons are two How men become slaves to their lusts First in regard of sin it selfe because thereby we give great advantage to sinne Secondly in regard of Grace wee doe exceedingly hinder the worke of Grace which otherwise might be helpfull to us for the avoiding or sinne 1. By making provision for the flesh as I have shewed wee give much advantage to sinne and Sathan who lies at catch to foyle us in a Christian course by this meanes wee put a kinde of life into the lusts of the flesh wee doe what lies in us put strength into the hands of sinne that it may wound us by those occasions wee meddle withall We use to say in the phrase of Scripture that the Saints of God should blow up and kindle in their hearts the graces that are in them there is a way whereby they may doe it as S. Paul tels his schollers 2 Tim. 1.6 so there is way whereby corruption may be quickned and set on a light flame and that is done by Meditation which as it stirres up the soule marvellously to seeke to God for more grace so on the contrary it inflames corruption it is called the old man because it hath possession of all the whole frame of body and soule As it is with an old weake man naturally hee faints fals into a heavy sound and seemes to be clean
directions whatsoever Look as the Philistines dealt with the Arke so these carnall wretches deale with the Word of God when it comes to take away their distempers When the people of Israel brought the Arke of GOD into the Campe 1 Sam 4.8 they began to bee amazed and said There was never such a thing heard of therfore streng then your hands Oh Philistines lest wee become servants to the Hebrewes The Arke was a type of Christ if they would have beene ruled by Christ and received him they might have beene happy creatures but when the Arke comes to take away their sinnes presently they rebell and joyne hand in hand against him So it is with naughty deceitfull persons they crowd all together when the Word of God comes close and the Ministry of of the Gospell is keene and searcheth when a man doth not hover in generals supposing one may be a Christian and a prophane swearing lying person but pluckes away every corruption and cryes downe every lust then they arme themselves and Philistine-like bend their heads and hands together to overthrow that Word which crosseth their wickednes The resolution of these men is that of Ruth and Naomi nothing but death shall part us The contentious man will part with his estate rather than with his brangling so the covetous person bids adieu to conscience that hee may keepe his gold there is no dividing of them and their lusts Well if you will live in your sinnes here expect to be damned with them hereafter Some indeed will speak against their sinnes and confesse they doe evill and resolve to reforme all but how cold and faint are they in the worke ever and anon hankering after their distempers they have some secret haunts of heart which they still nourish they will desist a little but will not leave their corruptions they cannot endure to heare of an everlasting devorce betweene sinne and their soules Though sometimes the Word overpower him Conscience aweth him that he dare not bee with his lusts yet he will meet them as occasion serves and maintaine the old league and friendship stil As it is with servants in a family that intend marriage privately though their master separate them and put them out of the house that they cannot dwell together yet they will meet and conferre one with another sometimes So many that are tender over some old darling lust as privy pride secret selfe-love earthly mindednesse or the like hee is not able to part wholly with these but if reason force him and conscience presse him and of necessity hee must part with his profit and pleasure then with a sad heart hee layes them awhile aside and saith Away you must I must cozen no more nor over-reach no more but though he frownes thus and puts them from under his wings for the present yet hee will not endure them long out of his sight they shall not goe farre but hee must heare of them now and then and see them againe whatever comes of it When Pharaoh was battered by the hand of God and one judgement after another pursued him in so much that hee could not beare it out he was content at last to let the Children of Israel goe but goe not farre saith hee so say many in the world Sinne you and I must part pleasure and liberty I must needs leave you but goe not farre in the meane time let me heare from you as occasion serves Thus miserably doe men beguile their owne soules They will not deale throughly they will not deale keenly with their corruptions they doe but dally never intending that a totall separation should be made but onely some moderation or some connivence at sin though hee layeth some kinde of punishment upon it and snibb his corruption yet hee will not kill it he threatens his evils and strikes them in some measure but labors not to abandon them utterly so as never to have more society with them You shall commonly heare these men complaine of too hot preaching there is a reason in all things Oh they are afraid lest sinne should bee smitten too hard and the devill tormented too much you shall hardly heare of a good heart that is sensible of sinne and his soule is tyred with it but he saith More of that Lord and yet more sharply I am afraid the Word will not come home and the Minister will not meet with my lusts nor pluck away my corruptions When Absolom rebelled against David hee gave this charge Deale kindly with the young man for my sake as who should say Hee must bee suppressed I grant it hee must bee subdued I deny not but slay him not doe not kill him by any meanes so men deale with their pride and covetousnesse loth they are to destroy them quite because they cannot live without them I hope a man may dally though not commit adultery I hope a man may pot it though not bee drunke I beseech you take notice what God commandeth If thy brother or thy friend which thou lovest as thy owne soule shall intice thee to Idolatry thou shalt not pity him but kill him This is the frame of a gracious heart indeed he is not content to have his corruptions onely touched at a word or two and away but he wil shew no mercy to them he will not spare his pride or earthly mindednesse but desires to see the death of all sin Brethren dwell in your meditations a while upon these things and knocke at one anothers doores Aske your owne hearts whether sinne be a burthen to you Am I content to part with my bosome delight my darling corruption am I content to yeeld up my whole man to GOD to serve him chearfully singly and constantly throughout my course If so goe home in peace and the GOD of heaven goe with thee if there be a Saint in heaven thou art one But if I leave my sins Object what shall become of my riches and honours all pleasure and contentment must then depart from me Answ Oh no you shall not lose your comforts but exchange them for better what profit is it to bee proud and dogged and snarling at Gods truth what advantageth it to cheat and use indirect courses these are all but lying vanities wee catch at the shadow and lose the substance What are riches without grace there is a woe in all that wealth and poyson in all that prosperity the best things here are but temporary and mutable who would part with an eternall inheritance that fadeth not away for them What is it to enjoy the creature for a season and be deprived of the Creator for ever You lose nothing by imbracing Christ but rubbish and filth that defiles and oppresseth you Hee that leaves father or mother or houses or lands for my sake saith Christ shall have a hundred fold here and everlasting happinesse hereafter The purchase you see is propounded therefore bring out every sinne and iniquity produce
Phil. 2.12 13 Let us worke out our salvation with feare and trembling for it is God that workes in us the will and the deed even of his owne good pleasure how ought wee daily to feare lest hee that now offers mercy never will offer it more and least hee that now perswades the heart will never perswade the heart more If all depends upon the Lord and wee have no grace except hee give it and if wee cannot maintaine our grace nor have any use of it except hee inable us then let us bee willing to stoope to him in all obedience and submission Is it so Vse 2. that we have daily need of strength and quickening from Christ then you see the fountain opened oh look up toward heaven upon all occasions and have resort to the Lord Jesus for the having and continuing of whatsoever grace may bee profitable and comfortable for you I would not have a Christian only lay hold upon Christ to be justified by him no no you must have your quickening grace from Christ for the performance of every action This is the excellency of a Christian to be all in all in Christ here in grace as hee would be hereafter in glory This is the reason why many Christians lay open their nakednesse and why they have so many weaknesses The ground is from hence wee have not recourse to Christ for grace as it is with a scanty garment a great part of the body is naked because the garment is not able to cover all so grace in our selves is marvellous scanty wee have little patience and are therefore peevish at every turne a little wisdome and little humility and therefore pride ever and anon lifts up the heart thus the mouthes of the wicked are opened and the Name of God is dishonoured by us and the reason is because wee doe not resort to Christ to increase our spirituall growth and to receive new strength and ability from him to helpe us in all duties that no offence may be seene in our lives and conversations as a man that hath a long garment is covered over from head to foote and as our Saviour counsels the Church of Laodicea saying Thou art wretched poore miserable blinde and naked and therefore come buy of mee gold tryed in the fire Rev. 3.17 18. that thou maist be rich and white rayment that thou maist be cloathed c. So if we would goe to Christ to have our garments lengthened how chearely and sweetly might wee walke beyond all exception of the devill himselfe Now it may be Quest some poore soule will bee ready to say oh it is true indeed I confesse there is grace and power enough in the Lord Jesus to be had and I have daily need to goe to Christ for succour and strength but how may I get this grace from Christ For answere hereof consider two things Ans First in what regard wee must put on Christ What it is to put on Christ Secondly by what meanes we may put on Christ and fetch vertue from him If we can apply this we may walke chearfully for ever after Now wee must put on Christ in three respects or three wayes 1. Put him on as a Saviour 1 that our sinnes may bee pardoned and that joy and peace may be continued to us for there is no pardon of sinne no assurance of Gods love no peace of conscience no joy in the holy Ghost but onely from Christ Luke 1.47 Luke 1.47 Elizabeth saith My soule rejoyceth in God my Saviour so though wee bee guilty in our lives of the breach of Gods Commandements and lyable to all his judgements threatned for the same yet let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ to save us and when wee are at odds with God by reason of our sinnes let us put on Christ as a peace-maker betweene him and us 2. Wee must put on Christ as a Prophet to teach us and as a Lord to cover all our sinnes and corruptions for us for he comes not onely to save us from sinne but to give us power to overcome all our sinnes as David saith Ps 51.12 Vphold me with thy free Spirit or as the word is in the Originall Lord stablish me with thy Kingly spirit Hee cals it free because Kings give great gifts freely as if hee had said My heart is very weake and my affections out of order and marvellously overcome good Lord give me that Kingly Spirit of thine and though I cannot command my heart Lord command thou it and though I cannot conquer these mighty lusts of mine Lord doe thou conquer them for mee Thanks be to God who hath given us victory 1 Cor. 15.57 through our Lord Iesus Christ saith the Apostle Rom. 8.37 for wee are more than conquerours through him that loved us onely here is the difference men conquer not without losse but we do Againe they are not sure of victory though they doe fight but wee are through Christ Heb. 2.14 For as much as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood Christ himselfe also tooke part with them that hee might destroy through death him which had the power of death which is the Devill See how the Lord Jesus did conquer all our enemies by his death and by his satisfying the justice of GOD and domineering over the power and malice of sinne and Hell for us Put on Christ dying therefore put yee on Christ a dying Saviour that by vertu of his death Sathan may bee subdued and brought under 3. Put on Christ as an anoynted Priest 3 that you may bee fitted for every duty which GOD requires at your hands Wee are made Priests to God the Father through Christ Rom. 1.8 I thanke my God through Iesus Christ It is a strange phrase as though the prayers and thankes of the Apostle were given up to GOD the Father in the vertue and power of Christ By whom you also as lively stones be made a spirituall house 1 Pet. 2.4 A spirituall house and holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall Sacrifices acceptable to God in Christ The Lord Jesus is the head stone of the corner and if wee would come to him as a living stone Vers 3. Verse 3. then wee shall bee made a royall Priesthood Onely thus much see how Christ did triumph over sinne and hell it was by the power of his resurrection therefore as before wee put on Christ dying Put on Christ rising so now wee must put on Christ rising it is he that hath the keyes of Hell and death therefore let our soules be enlarged to rise from the grave of sinne and to walke for ever in newnesse of life Some will object and say Quest Wee know there is comfort enough in the Lord Christ and he can conquer all our sinnes for us and wee ought to put him on daily but how may we doe this The meanes whereby we must put
to master them take thou away the inquity of thy servant free my soule from the dominion of these lusts teare them from mee doe what thou wilt with mee onely slay this corruption in thy servant Thus a gracious heart seekes nothing so much as the death of sinne that there might be a new nature and through-change wrought in him therefore hee argues thus Lord thou hast said that thou wilt take away the heart of stone thou hast promised to subdue a stubborne spirit and master a malicious vaine minde I beseech thee let it be according to thy good Word take away these distempers as thou art faithfull say Amen to the desires of thy servant and help me against my strong corruptions When the truth of Christ layes battery against a good mans heart the soule willingly lies under the blow and closeth with the rebuke saying more of the Lord there againe good Lord. A man that is troubled with the tooth-ach when the Tooth-drawer comes to apply his Instrument and hee findes hee hath hold of him he saith that is it pull it out leave nothing behinde So when the soule is under the power of some violent lust when the Word comes home to the conscience and meets with that distemper the soule saith Lord pull it out all that I may never see that pride more nor that covetousnesse more leave not a stumpe remaining Lord but free me wholly from this vile accursed condition It is a fine passage Zach. 13. one meetes him and askes him Zach. 13.6 Where hadst thou that wound It was wounded in the house of my friend saith hee the messenger of God spake friendly to me he wounded my heart fully I saw the coare comming out and this is a speciall meanes of divorcing the heart from sinne when it closeth with such truths as tend to the awaking of it But this is not all 6. For as the soule wisheth and welcomes such powerfull truths 6 so is it restlesse till GOD be pleased to worke this till it see every corruption and the frame of every sinne tottered It is restlesly looking and waiting upon God Oh when shall this once be Such a mans heart is broken such a wretched liver is reclaimed and such a proud spirit is brought low Lord will nothing prevaile with me The Irish-man being malicious and fearfull never thinkes his enemy killed till he hath cut off his head he will bee sure to leave him past all hope of recovery So a gracious heart never thinkes sinne mastered till it see the very life and blood of his corruptions removed till it see the strēgth and power of sinne subdued more or lesse within him Therefore it is that the Apostle cries out O wretchedmā that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Marke the waight of his complaint he doth not say who shal deliver me from this action of sinne but who shall deliver me from this body of sinne There is a body of pride there is a body covetousnesse and a body of anger which cleaves unto us Now a gracious heart is not content to be delivered from a tongue of pride haughty speeches and the like but Lord free mee from the body of pride and selfe-love from the frame and bent of this distempered spirit 7. Lastly 7 as the soule welcomes the truth that it may worke and is restlesse before it doe work so it is content that the Lord should bee pleased to worke upon sinne and subdue it upon the hardest termes in the world I remember the speech of a wise man having a cause in law that was like to bee out-bidden hee comes to his Lawyer and asks May such a thing be done who answered the thing may be accomplished it is possible why then said he let me have it done what ever it costs me So say thou Lord though I had as much pride as the devill I may bee humbled though I bee over-spred with sin as with a leprosie I may bee purged from my filthinesse It may be done Lord let it be done what ever it cost me If a man be covetous and if nothing but beggery will loose his heart from the world he ought to pray for a low estate and contentednesse with his condition If a man be unable to subdue the pride of his spirit there is no other way sometime to cure a man of this Timpany but with a desperate extremity there is no way to cure a proud heart but to blow upon its excellencies and lay all its honour in the dust This is harsh yet a gracious heart is content though it bee never so sharpe and cost never so deare though I bee the off-scouring of the world slighted and trampled upon by every one though I lie in the dust all my dayes and goe to the bottomelesse pit for the while I care not any thing rather than a proud heart Though I lose my parts and abilities am never so much loaden with disgraces free me from a lofty spirit and I care not This man now meanes in good earnest to part with his corruptions But what shall wee thinke of those that are content rather to part with their blood and lives than with their base corruptions I mean the prophane wretches of this age that are so sarre from being divorced from their sins that they are not willing to heare thereof or to have the Minister meddle therewith they will not endure the least reproofe to come neare them or touch them no meanes can prevaile to tear their distempers from their soules to plucke the cup from the drunkard or the pleasure from the Adulterer or greedinesse of gaine from the covetous worldling but upon the opposition to their lusts they are up in armes presently A man must beware how hee meddles with these things they will take away a mans credit and his life many times rather than they will suffer their corruptions to be removed by the power of the Word Iohn Baptist must rather lose his head than Herod his incestuous adultery Nay the league betweene these men and their lusts is so firme that they will not heare of any breach When the Prophet came early and late admonishing the people This is the good way Ier. 18.12 walke in it marke how they resolve We will walke in our owne wayes and follow our owne devices and as they resolved so they did for when he enformed them of their wicked courses and would have pluckt away their beloved corruptiōs They tooke hold upon their deceits saith the Text the phrase is strange Here is all the quarrell in the world betweene Gods faithfull Ministers and the people we come to pluck away your sinnes wee would pull downe a proud heart and subdue an unclean lascivious spirit but you take hold of your lusts you cling unto pride and will not part with it you nourish malice and hypocrisic in your soules in despight of God and his Ministers and all admonitions and