ever God and man to be an ordinance to heal the souls of his people surely then those that look up to him by the eye of faith wil receive healing of their souls as they did receive by looking upon the brazen serpent The very beholding of Christ hath a power to sanctify the heart And therefore if you would have holyness you must often look upon Christ set Christ in your eye be not only poring upon your Corruptions and looking downward into the blackness that there is in your spirits Many Christians are laboring under the burden of their corruptions a long time why because they spend their time and strength meerly in poring upon their corruptions and looking down to their corruptions But Oh Christian thou must look up set thy eye upon Christ the great ordinance and behold him as the great ordinance set up by God the Father for the conveyance of grace to the souls of beleevers and for the healing of al their souls and wounds and then there wil come healing virtue from him We read of the poor woman that had the bloody issue that spent al upon the Physitian shee did but come to Christ and touch the hem of his garment and then she was healed Surely Christ hath a great deal of virtue in him that the very touch did heal her and therefore he saith who hath touched me virtue went from him at the very touch of the hem of his garment Christ is the great ordinance and he is ful of virtue and excellency the looking upon him and touching of him brings virtue to the soul to heal the soul of its corruption Thirdly more particularly Christ brings sanctification unto the heart because the death of Christ is appointed by God to have an efficacy to mortify sin and corruption it is from application of the death of Christ filled with virtue and appointed by God for that end that it should have efficacy upon the heart to mortify corruption in the heart A man may resolve against his corruption he may vow and covenant against a sin he may strive and struggle against a sin he may pray against a sin he may fast to overcome his sin he may use all meanes that he thinks he can possibly use to overcome his sin and yet stil his sin not dead in him perhaps the meanes that he may use to restrain sin may keep down his sin but it wil never mortify his sin The application of the death of Christ that is appointed by God for Christ is appointed himself as the great ordinance But now more particularly I say that the way that is appointed by God for the mortifying of corruption it is the application of the death of Christ to the soul the virtue that comes from Christ as a dying Christ from Christ as a crucified Christ from Christ as a dead Christ to mortify corruption in the heart That is cleer from that place in Rom. 6. the begining What shal we say then shal we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid how shal we that are dead to sin live any longer therein dead a part of his coming know you not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death therefore we are buried into Baptism by his death And in vers 5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death Again in vers 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin The old man is crucified with him in his being crucified there is a virtue in Christs death for the crucifying of corruption that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin He doth not say that we might have some power against sin that sin might be restrained or that such a particular sin may be kept down but that the body of sin might be destroyed So that in the application of the death of Christ there is not only the overcoming of this particular sin but the Body of sin comes to be destroyed all those principles of sin in the soul with the connexion of them and joyning one to another as the Members are joyned in the Body they come to be destroyed that is though not wholly cast out and radicated yet the ruling power of them is taken away as soon as ever the soul is come to Christ the Body of sin hath a deadly stroke given to it There are many of you striving against this particular corruption somtimes one and somtimes another for those that are Gods Children their hearts are more inclined unto some sins than others and at somtime to some particular sin more than other It may be one labors under the burden of passion and another of unbelief and another of Pride and another of wantonness and divers particular corruptions they are laboring under It may be at some times you find one corruption stir and you strive against that and another time another corruption stirs and you spend your strength against that but now here 's the way to strike at the whol Body of Corruption at once If one shal go to cut down a Tree and stand chopping at one sprig and one branch and another branch the Tree may stand long enough for al that But now if he would get the Tree down he goes to the root and a few blows gets down all there So this is the wisdom of a Christian That when he comes to labor against any corruption he doth not spend his time so much against this or that particular corruption but strikes at the body of corruption and how gets he strength against that By applying the blood of Christ the death of Christ by faith against that and by this means the body of death comes to be destroyed And here is the reason that Christians in a little time grow so much and get so much power against their corruptions whereas others are a long time before they get any power at all Those that are not acquainted with the way of Christ you shall have one that hath been a notorious wretch a wicked person a swearer a Sabbath-breaker if it please God to bring him to the Word and reveal Christ to the soul you shall have a mighty change in this man in a week a great change that he doth not only leave off now drunkenness and then lying and then swearing and then Sabbath-breaking but all goes down together Why Because at one application of the death of Christ al the body of sin comes to be destroyed though not quite dead and withered As a Tree though it may be dead yet the Leaves may be green still So though there be not at first the withering of them yet there is the deadly stroke given and therefore the way to kill them is to renew the application of the death of Christ And indeed this should be the care of a Christian not to
Soul comes to be acquainted with the mistery of the Gospel that it hears the voice behind him as it were saying come to me And the Soul being inabled to answer to the cal and to come to Christ it doth now perform duties as much as it did before and makes conscience of them as much as it did before but now they come to do them in another manner than they did before and they come to be easie to them over that they were before and they come to have rest to their Souls notwithstanding their imperfections in duties When you went to prayer indeed somtimes when your Hearts were much inlarged in Prayer and your thoughts were taken up wholly with the duties that you were performing then you thought you had some comfort but when you had any wandring thoughts and distractions in Prayer then you rose up with a mighty troubled Spirit and could have no rest al the day long Now when you come to be acquainted with the mistery of God in Christ though there be many imperfections in your duties yet then you shal find rest unto your Souls notwithstanding all your imperfections But that wil come to be more clearly opened when we come to that and I wil give you rest Those that have labored under the righteousness of the Law and find it toylsome and exceeding burdensom to them Christ calls them to come to him that they may have rest The Burden under Sin Secondly Those that labor and are heavy laden under the weight and burden of their Sins The trouble of Conscience that is upon them for their Sins this is another thing besides the righteousness of the Law The other labor was from under duties but this labor is from the sense of the weight and burden of Sin and we are to know that this is a great labor and burden Oh! when the Soul comes to be under the burden of sin it works to purpose it labors then indeed The thoughts they gather together and conscience being awakened makes a great disturbance and causeth fears and tremblings in the Soul the heart of a man or woman that was before slugish dull heavy and dead when God comes to make it to be sensible of the evil of Sin then it is quickned enlivened and working You that Labor and are heavy laden you that feel the weight of Sin upon your Souls and know not what in the world to do Come you to me saith Christ and I will give you Rest The Burden of Corruption Thirdly You that labor under the power of any Corruption Not only under the Guilt of your Sins but under the power of Corruption that feel your Sins strong in you and you would fain get the mastery of them You that carry about with you such a weight as makes you to cry out with St. Paul Oh! Wretched man or Woman that I am who shal deliver me from this Body of Death You that would fain overcome those strong Corruptions that are in you and it is the great burden of your Souls that you cannot overcome them Come to me saith Christ and I wil give you rest from them also First you that labor under the burden of duties and find them toylesome Secondly you that labor under the guilt of Sin and find your Souls perplexed by it Thirdly You that labor under the power of any corruption and cannot overcome it Come to me and I wil give you Rest And then The Burden of Affliction Fourthly You that labor under any outward trouble or Affliction in this world All you that are in any sad condition that have any burdens upon you outwardly if you come to Christ he wil ease you of them though perhaps he will not take them from you though you may be under the affliction as before yet you shal have rest and ease in them Have you any burden of poverty Have you any Burden in your Children Have you any burden in your Yoke fellows Or burden by reason of weakness in Body if you will have rest you must go for it to Chirst Many when they are under any outward affliction they go no futher then the creature for rest Oh! if I had but good friends I should be happy or if I had but an Estate I should be wel But if thy poverty did work upon thy heart kindly it would drive thee to Chist and make thee to say true I am poor in this world but there is enough in Christ to make me Rich there is mercy enough in Christ to make my life comfortable to make me who am for the present in a miserable Condition happy for ever Those that are poor outwardly they should go to Christ if their poverty did drive them to Christ it were a good signe that the Lord did Sanctifie their poverty unto them Now because al these Burdens if they were handled distinctly The Burden of the righteousness of the Law The burden of the sense of the guilt of sin the burden of the power of sin And the Burden of outward afflictions in this world To open these fully and to shew how Christ cals those that are under these to himself would take up much time therefore I wil pitch upon the Second at present and handle that more throughly and that is the laboring under the burden of the guilt of Sin You that Labor under the burden of the Guilt of Sin Come to me and I wil give you Rest I wil not here stand to open unto you what the burden of the Guilt of Sin is then I should soon slip into an argument that I have at large heretofore opened to you out of the Evil of sin only thus much let us know that of al burdens in the world the burden of Sin it is the greatest it is that that is a burden to the very spirit of God God complaines that he is pressed under it as a Cart is pressed that is ful of sheaves it was that which pressed down the Angels to Hel to be reserved in Chains of darkness it was that which pressed down Christ and made him sweat drops of Blood And it is that that hath been a great weight and burden upon many thousands of Gods Saints it is that that the damned in Hel lies under now and must do so eternally Cursing Blaspheming of God It is that that makes the whole creation to groan and travel in pain However many people think â—lightly and meanly of it yet when the Lord doth lay it upon any Soul such a Soul doth find it to be a burden indeed CHAP. III. The Burden under Sin laid open in nine Particulars 1. When the Soul not only apprehendeth but is sensible of the Evil of Sin in the reality of it 2. Finds all the comfort that did attend Sin before to vanish and come to nothing 3. Looks upon it self as loathsome and is in Some measure bowed to God 4. Trembles at the least thoughts and Temptations to Sin 5. Feel Sin heaviest
them but they have arts to make their tankerds light as can be but now if they carried their water in tankards of Lead though the water were no heavier yet this would make it more burdensome so sickness poverty loss of estate they are burdensome to al that beare them but yet the corruption of sin when the heart is corrupted with sin that is as lead that makes it the greater burden and therefore sin in the heart is such a thing as makes al other things burdensome that are burdensome Though a man should loose al his estate in one night this might be some burden but he that hath sin upon him that makes al other burdens to be burdensome The Fifth property of the Burden of Corruption Fifthly Sin is a burden unto God himself much more to the saints God cries out that he is prest under sin as a Cart is pressed that is ful of sheaves it is a burden to the spirit of God and therefore it is said that the spiâ—it of God is greived and it must needs be a great burden to thy soul when thou seest and knowest it is a burden to thy father it is a burden to the spirit of God whereby thou art sealed to the day of redemption Is it not a burden to the heart of any ingenious spirit when he shal consider that that which I have done is a burden to my father to the spirit of grace any ingenious child it wil be a burden to him that he hath done any thing against his father now so long as thou hast any sin in thee thou art a burden to God and to the spirit of God The Sixth property of the burden of Corruption Sixthly As it is a burden to God so it is that that makes us burdensome unto al that we converse with al and the more Corruption that remaines in our Hearts the more burdensome we are to all that we converse withal some there are though truly godly yet they have so much Corruption in them that they are burdensome to all that they converse withal as in a family take those that are passionate though they have godliness lies at the bottome yet how burdensome are they to those that converse with them others they have extream stout and stubborn Spirits others have sullen Hearts extream sullen spirits others have slight and vain spirits others proud and envious spirits and others Covetous now there is reason they should feel the burden themselves for others feel the Burden when it breaks forth from them and therefore it much more aggravates their Burden those that are truly godly that are overcome with passion when they think thus Oh! what a Wretched Heart have I that I should break forth into passion in such and such company Oh! what a Wretch am I that I should not only be burdensome to my self but to those that I converse withal I make no Question but I speak to many that have lamented their condition in this kind alone in that they have been so burdensome to others it is true I have been a Burden to such and such but the Lord knows it is much more a burden to mine own heart and to my self therefore the remaining part of Corruption is such a Burden to the godly because it is a burden to others whenas all the people of God should be useful in the places where they live they should live so as that all that live by them and with them should bless God for them this they should endeavor to do to live in such a manner as all that come neer them should bless God that ever they came neer or had converse with them The Seventh Property of the Burden of Corruption Seventhly This Burden is such a Burden as makes those that are godly to be burdensome to themselves yea even to be weary of their lives many times Why For their Corruption in them is a great deal more grievous then Death would be to them We use to express a thing that is very grievous to us and say it is death to us those that are godly can say so of their sin and that is one Reason that Paul gave that Name to his sin a Body of Death Oh! Wretched Man that I am who shal deliver me from this Body of Death Why because the remaining Corruption that then was in his Heart was as Death to him so it is with the Saints the Corruption that remaines in their hearts it is Death to them and they can appeal unto God and speak thus in his presence The bitterness of death would not be so much to me a thousand parts as this Corruption that is in my heart Oh! this Corruption that is in my heart that overcomes me after so many resolutions so many Prayers so many Sacraments so many ingagements it is that which makes me weary of my life as Rebeccah said if Jacob should marry a Wife of the Daughters of Heth it would make her weary of her Life so saith the godly this remaining Corruption in my Heart makes me weary of my Life what shal I do that carry such a Body of Death about me so as I do There are many Men and Women that in a discontented mood say they are weary of their lives but this is in a discontented mood but when could you say so in respect of your Hearts when did you say I lookt into my Heart and I saw a great deal of sin Corruption worldliness Pride Passion and the like and this is that which makes me weary of my Life The truth is the great thing that makes the people of God to be willing to die is this because they know when they die they shal be delivered from this Burden and therefore when Death comes they entertaine it willingly because they know they shal sin against God no more There is many of you when you have lived a long time in sickness and poverty and are in great straites many waies you think if Death should come to me I could be willing to die because then I should suffer no such things as now I do I but that is no argument of Grace but this is an argument of Grace that because of the great burden of Corruption that thou carryest about in thy Soul therefore thou would'st be willing to die The Eighth property of the Burden of Corruption Eightly Sin is a grievous Burden while we have it and makes us weary of our Lives and yet it is such a Burden as we must certainly carry about with us such a Body as we know we shal never be freed from wholly while we live in this world it is true we may be freed from it in a great measure Christ saith come to me and you shal have Rest that is some Rest for the present and whole Rest in the Life to come but we cannot be wholly freed from this Burden whilst we are in this World And thus much for the properties of this Burden what
that God aymes at the execution of his just judgment upon them thereby 7. God doth it for this reason that the Saints may long more after heaven therefore it is that the Lord in the ordering of his providence workes so that they should be kept under the burden of Corruption in this world that they might long to be in heaven with their father and that when they come to heaven they might know the difference between heaven and earth between their state there in heaven and their state here on earth Thus though corruption may be a great burden to us while we live here in this world yet the Lord hath many great ends and purposes to suffer thee a poor creature to be under remaining corruption and therefore thou canst not draw any such argument God loves me not for if he loved me he would deliver me from this corruption I have been praying a longtime to be delivered and yet I am not delivered do not gather any such arguments from it you know Paul prayed once and again and al the answer he had was my grace shal be sufficient for thee so though thou prayest under the burden of corruption again and again yet if once God say thus to thy soul my grace shal be sufficient for thee thy corruption shal not crush thee and undo thee but I wil sstrengthen thee this wil be sufficient Now from al this that hath been said you may by way of consequence see First a great deal of difference between the sins of the Godly and the sins of the Wicked the wicked they sin and the godly sin too we use to say we are al sinners but it is to the one a burden to the other a delight Secondly You may see from hence also one reason why the Saints of God go on sometimes so sadly in their wayes thou dost not know what burdens they are under But you wil say we are better we do not feele it No they have not so much sin as thou hast they have got some grace thou hast none they have in some degrees mortified their sins thou hast not yea they have their sins pardoned thou hast not but yet though they have some assurance that the guilt of their Sin is removed yet the very remaining of the Corruptions of their hearts is their burden Object You wil say Why should it be so burdensome if they know the guilt of their Sin to be forgiven Answ I beseech you observe it there is a deale of difference between a carnal heart and a Godly heart one that hath a carnal heart if he can be eased from the burden of conscience he is no more troubled but now a gracious heart though he be first burdened with the apprehension of the guilt of sin that burden be removed yet there remaining a body of death there is another burden stil upon him so that the very remaining of some corruption is a greater burden unto him then al thy corruption that is in the ful strength of it and together with thy corruption al the guilt that is upon thee only thou art dead in sin and dost not feel it if a whole building fal down those that are buried in the grave they would not feel it but al you that are alive if it should fal down would feele it so the wicked have the burden of their corruption in the ful strength of it in the guilt of it upon them and they feel it not for they are dead but the Godly though they have the guilt of Sin removed yet the very least sin remaining in them is a burden though they have mortified their sin and do it every day yet the remaining of sin is a great burden to them And hence you may see the reason of the watchfulness of the Saints over their spirits why they spend so much time and rise so early to heare the word what is the reason you wil say they know that if they do not Labor under the burden of their Corruptions to a void sin it wil be a greater burden to Labor under the burden of sin afterwards Now you do not watch over sin because you do not know what a grievous burden sin is when they Labor under it but such a one as feels the Burden of Sin the Lord be merciful to me I had thought saith he my Back would have broke under the Burden of sin And therefore David Praies for the healing of the bones that were broken and that is the Reason of the watchfulness and carefulness of the Saints under this burden Now the maine thing that hath been intended in al that I have said about this Burden is this That I might point out those whom Christ cals to himself that you might be prepared to hearken to the invitation of Christ to come to him for Rest though we are not come to that yet take notice that there is Rest in Christ for all these from under all these Burdens And so much for the Burden of the remaining part of Corruption in the Hearts of the Saints CHAP. XVIII Of the burden of outward afflictions and the grievousness thereof laid open in three Particulars 1. In themselves they are a part of the curse of the Law 2. They hinder much in doing Service to God 3. They often help forward many strong Temptations Why God wil have his Saints to be under this Burden Namely 1. Because he wil have his Servants to honor and obey him meerly out of Love 2. Because he knoweth that thus their Corruptions may be best mortified 3. To be a Stumbling-block to the wicked THe next Burden is The Burden of affliction the Burden of outward afflictions Poverty disgrace sickness or any kind of trouble in this world you shal find these things to be very Burdensom to you Now Christ cals such as Labor under this Burden to come to him and promiseth to give them Rest Christ hath a tender affection towards poor Creatures under outward burdens towards all those that the Father hath given to him especially when they are Burdened with outward affliction and the Gospel hath in it abundance of refreshments to help and ease sinners that feel the Burden of afflictions in this world no such way of ease and Rest unto them as by the Grace of God in Christ as we shal open more fully when we come to the promise Now the burden of affliction is very grievous to many the Burden of poverty disgrace sickness or the like those whom God lets prosper in their waies little think what burdens are upon their Brethren how many in these daies are there of our Brethren that groan under these Burdens though we do not feel them We know not how soon we may be brought under them and therefore it wil be very seasonable to shew the Rest that we have in Christ even from under these Burdens I have spent some time in opening the grievousness of other Burdens now this burden of
keep from the acting of sin so much as to find that the death of Christ is applied to him And hence you never read of any such thing as mortification in any Heathen Author in the World the mortification of corruption is a Riddle to all Heathen Writers in the World The mortifying of corruption and the mortifying of their own hearts this is a peculiar expression of the Gospel and indeed it is peculiar to Beleevers Many men through good Education are so restrained that they are very fair in their course others as they come to more understanding the vanity of their youth being overcome there is not that prophaneness committed by them as heretofore I but what is this to mortification of the body of death that is in their hearts this is only peculiar to a Christian and it is from the application of the death of Christ the application of a Christ dying of a Christ crucifying of a Christ shedding his blood for sin this hath a virtue to mortifie sin There is a great deal of difference between a mortified lust and a restrained lust a mortified sin and a restrained sin The difference lies in this one thing for I must not go out to handle the Point but only this one thing take it by the way When a lust is mortified there is not only a ceasing from the act of it but there is now an unsuitableness between the heart and the sin whereas there may be much restraint of sin and yet stil there may remain a suitableness between the disposition of the heart and the sin only they dare not commit it but when sin is mortified the heart is so changed that there is an unsuitableness wrought between the heart and corruption now and this mortification of the body of sin is by the death of Christ Fourthly Christ is our sanctification and he only because it is by him that the spiritual curse that is upon every mans heart naturally is taken away it is Christ only that doth deliver the soul from the spiritual curse that is upon every mans heart naturally You know this is the condition of man by nature he is under the curse of the Law Cursed is the man that abideth not in al things that is written in the Law to do it But now we apprehend ordinarily this curse to be either in outward misery or else in hel fire cursed eternally but we are to know that one branch of this curse is that that is upon the souls of men here There is a spiritual curse that is upon the souls of men by the fal of Adam and that is God giving them up unto themselves unto the lusts of their own heart unto their own counsel and wayes Now I confess as it is in the curse of outward afflictions in this world it is in some degree upon some and in a further degree upon others but al are under it naturally so this spiritual death is executed in some degrees upon some and in more degrees upon others but every soule is in some measure in some degree or other given up to the lust of its owne heart there is a final degree of giving the soul up to the lusts of its own heart somtime but there is in every one a measure a degree of this and the reason of the prevailing of the corruption of mens hearts may appear in some measure by this It is strange to see that notwithstanding al the convictions of conscience telling men of the dangerousness of their wayes that it wil never be peace in the end that they wil rue it at the last and their consciences give them many a secret nip yet they goe on stil notwithstanding the terror in the Law many times nay notwithstanding the hand of God hath bin strong upon them and they have cryed out against their sins and promised against them and notwithstanding that they find that their sins do destroy the very health of their bodies waste their Estates take away their good names and thereby loose al their friends yet they are not able to overcome it As the Scripture speakes of some that have eyes ful of adultery they cannot cease to sin Now sometimes they plead this as an excuse for their sin and say they would fain leave it but they cannot and they think this is a sufficient excuse for their sin an excuse no this their cannot may be from the spiritual curse that is upon their souls because the curse of God is in a high degre upon their hearts giving them up in just judgment unto the lusts of their own hearts And this I take in some part to be the meaning of that place in 1. Cor. 15.56 verse The strength of sin is the Law Now spiritually the meaning of it is this that al the strength that sin hath to condemn one to kil one to bring death it is by the Law that I take to be the special scope of those words But there is included likewise in that expression thus much that the law of God giues a strength to sin How you wil say doth the Law of God give a strength to sin Thus there is the justice of God in his Law by virtue of the Law of God and the justice of God in it man is given up unto his sin and so his sin comes to have a power and strength over him the strength of sin it is the Law the Law requires this the justice of God in the Law requires this That those that do forsake God should be forsaken of him that those that give their hearts up to satisfie themselves in any way of sin that they should be given up to that sin So the strength of sin is the Law the Law makes sin to be so much the stronger that way Now therefore how should the soul come to be deliuered from the strength of sin the Law must be satisfied the Law must be taken off the strength of the Law must be taken away and none can take that away but Christ Christ takes away the strength of the Law but the Law is not executed upon Christ so as he was to be given up but the text saith he was made sin he came to take our sin upon him it was as neere as might be though he was not capable of having the execution of the Law upon him but the scripture saith he was â—ade sin for us that indeed is a very great meaning of this place though acknowledging of sin and suffering for sin be the cheif meaning of the place yet it hath besides very much of this in it Fifthly Christ is our sanctification by being the head of the second Covenant and so through our mistical union with him there is a virtue of holiness conveyed from him by being the head of the second Covenant and we being members of him as the head we come to have the virtue of holiness to be drawn from him As it was in Adam how come we
Impressions with and without Word 4. Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7. Humane Reason 8. Judicial Astrology Delivered in Sermons on 2. Pet. 1.19 2 Christ in Travel Wherein 1. The Travel of his soul 2. The first and after effects of his Death 3 His Assurance of Issue 4. And his satisfaction therein Are opened and cleered in Sermons on Isa 53.11 3 A Lifting up for the Cast-down in case of 1. Great sin 2. Weakness of Grace 3. Miscarriage of Duties 4. Want of Assurance 5. Affliction 6 Temptation 7. Desertion 8. Unserviceableness 9 Discouragements from the Condition it self Delivered in thirteen Sermons on Psalm 42.11 His Four Sermons concerning 4 Sin against the Holy Ghost 5 Sins of Infirmitie 6 The false Apostle tried and discovered 7 The good and means of Establishment 8 The great things Faith can do 9 The great things Faith can suffer 10 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 11 Satans power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of his People under Temptation 12 Thankfulness required in every Condition 13 Grace for Grace 14 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 15 Evangelical Repentance 16 The Spiritual Life c. 17 The Woman of Canaan 18 The Saints Hiding-place c. 19 Christs Coming c. 20 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 22 Grace and Love beyond Gifts Mr. Brightman on the Revelation Clows Chyrurgery Marks of Salvation Christians Engagement for the Gospel by John Goodwin Great Church Ordinance of Baptism Mr. Loves Case containing his Petitions Narrative and Speech Twelve Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded 1 Gospel Reconciliation Or Christs Trumpet of Peace to the World Wherein is Opened Gods exceeding willingness to be Reconciled to Man And Gods sending his Embassadors to that End From 2 Cor. 5.19 20 21. 2 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment on Phil. 4.11 Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2 It is an Holy art and Mystery 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 3 Gospel-Worship on Levit. 10.3 Wherein is shewed 1 The right manner of the Worship of God in General And particularly In hearing the Word Receiving the Lords supper prayer 4 Gospel-Conversation on Phil. 1 17 Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the Light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those Men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal 17.14 5 A Treatise of Earthly-mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly-mindedness is 2. The great Evil thereof on Phil. 3. part of he 19. vers Also to the same Book is joyned A Treatise of Heavenly-mindedness and walking with God on Gen. 5.24 and on Phil. 3 20. 6 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eighth ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 8 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat 9 The Evil of Evils or the exceeding sinfulness of sin on Job 16.21 10 Precious Faith on 2 Pet. 1.1 11 Of Hope on 1 John 3.3 12 Of Walking by Faith on 2 Cor. 5.7 Mr. Burroughs his fifty nine Sermons on Matth. 11.28 29 30. Are Printed A Godly aâ—d Fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the word of God at Dedham in Essex Mr Rogers on Naaman the Syrian his Disease and Ouâ—e Discovering the Leprosie of Sin and Self-love with the Cure viz. Self-denial and Faith Mr. Rogers his Treatise of Marriage The Wonders of the Loadstone By Samuel Ward of Ipswich An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew By Mr. Ward The Discipline of the Church in New-England By the Churches and Synod there The Wise Virgins Lamp Burning Or Gods sweet incomes of Love to a gracious Soul waiting for him Published by Mr. Thomas Weld late of New-England Twelve new Books in one Volum of Nich. Culpeper All called the Idea of Practical Physick 1 The art to preserve Health 2 The preternatural disorder of mans body and their Signs 3 Of Medicaments 4 Of the art of Healing 5 Of the general Cure of Diseases 6 Of External Diseases 7 Of Feavers 8 Of Head Diseases 9 Of middle Belly Diseases 10 Of Lower belly Diseases 11 Of Venemous Diseases 12 Of Childrens Diseases Thirty four Books of Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrologie formerly published The first Twenty four Books Are all called the Practice of Physick Wherein is plainly set forth The Nature Cause Differences and several sorts of Signs Together with the Cure of al Diseases in the Body of Man Being a Translation of the Works of that Learned and Renowned Doctor Lazarus Riverius now living Councellor and Physitian to the present King of France Above fifteen thousand of the said Books in Latin have been sold in a very few Years having been eight times printed though al the former Impressions wanted the Nature Causes Signs and Differences of the Diseases and had only the Medicines for the cure for them as plainly appears by the Authors Epistle 25. A Sure Guide to Physick and Chyrurgery That is to say The Arts of Healing by Medicine and Manual Operation Being an Anatomical Description of the whol body of Man and its parts with their Respective diseases demonstrated from the Fabrick and use of the said Parts In Six Books of Riolanus translated and adorned with an hundred eighty four Figures cut in Brass 26 Vesâ—ingus Anatomy of the Body of Man Wherein is exactly described the several Parts of the Body of Man illustrated with very many larger Brass Plates than ever was in English before 27 A Translation of the New dispensatory made by the Colledg of Physitians of London Whereunto is added The Key to Galens Method of Physick 28 The English Physitian enlarged being an Astrologo-Physical Discourse of the vulgar Herbs of this Nation wherein is shewed how to cure a mans self of most Diseases incident to Mans Body with such things as grow in England and for three pence charge Also in the same Book is shewed 1 The time of gathering al Herbs both Vulgarly and Astrologically 2 The way of drying and keeping them and their Juyces 3 The way of making and keeping al manner of useful Compounds made of those Herbs The way of mixing the Medicines according to the Cause and Mixture of the Disease and the part of the Body afflicted 29 A Directory for Midwives or a Guide for Women Newly enlarged by the Author in every sheet and illustrated with divers new Plates 30 Galens Art of Physick with a large Comment 31 New Method both of studying and practising Physick 32 A
Christ there is no returne of any guilt if Christ doth undertake for them that come to him though Christ doth undertake for what is past and what is to come yet as it is with a malefactor though perhaps he hath his pardon and be received into Favor yet he may think there is some alteration again but now the guilt that was upon thee shall never return upon thee again Though a man hath a pardon if he do not carry himself wel the former Guilt returnes again but when once the Soul is pardoned the former Guilt never returnes again the Lord wil blot out all their sinnes and remember them no more As when you cast a thing out of your Ship into the bottom of the Sea you never look for it again so it is with God all your sins shall be cast into the bottom of the Sea and shal be so far from you as the Guilt of them shall never come more to you when once you are come to Christ IX Ninthly There is not only deliverance from guiltiness our justification is not only privative but it is a clothing of the Soul with the Righteousness of Christ we have a perfect Righteousness that is the great Mediator of the new covenant here is a righteousness that I am not only pardoned but I have a perfect Righteousness to stand before the great God withal X. Yea Tenthly and Lastly The Rest we have in Christ is this that we are sure upon our coming to him that the great work of the day of judgment shal be the solemnity of our absolution the solemnity of thy pardon One of the great works that God intends to do at the great day of judgment it is certainly this to make thy pardon to be solemnized by men and Angels thou hast now thy pardon but the great work of God at that day shall be the solemnity of the absolution and pardon of the Saints then shal their sins be put away anew as the Scripture speakes and in the time of refreshment then shal your sins be done away they are done away before but then they shall be done away before men and Angels thou shalt not fear at the day of Judgment that God shal come and upbraid thee with thy sins al the while thou wentest under the guilt of sin what was more terrible to thy Soul than the thoughts of the day of Judgment Oh how can I stand before the Holy God at the great day and have all these sins charged upon me No come to me saith Christ and you shal never need to fear that great day of judgment any more for the great work of that day shal be to make your pardon to be solemnized so that you need not to fear any longer the day of Judgment but to long for that day and if the great day of judgment be not terrible yet the Particular day of Judgment may be terrible the Lord hath a Particular day of Judgment for every Soul in which God doth cast every man one way or other but then there shal be a great day of Judgment wherein all the world shal solemnly be judged Now then lay al these together Christ undertakes Christ satisfies the justice of his Father Christ satisfies the wrath of his Father Christ is an advocate at the Right hand of his Father Christ sprinkles thy Conscience with his own blood and thou standest as perfect in the point of justification as Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the Guilt of thy sins shal never return again And Christ undertakes for thee that thou shalt not come into Condemnation And thou hast a perfect Righteousness besides thy freedom from Death Christ clothes thee with his righteousness and so God the Father looks upon thee and Christ doth assure thee that the great work of the day of judgment shal be to solemnize thy pardon Thus saith Christ come to me all you that lie under the sence of the Guilt of your sins come to me and you shall have rest here I make all this good to you and all this rest is in thy coming to Jesus Christ all the rest in the world is worth nothing to this O therefore let us be willing to indure any trouble it is no great matter what trouble we indure in this World so we may come to Christ and this is but one branch this is but the easing of the Soul from the first Burden and yet even this to the Soul of a beleever will God make good if God give thee but a heart to make al these things real to thy Soul thou maiest depart in peace and go away and bless God and even say with the Psalmist in Psalm 116. And now my Soul return unto thy Rest The words are in the original Rests and now my Soul return unto thy rests Oh here are rests ten several rests for a Laden Soul that is under the guilt of sin do not think it much that we that are the Ministers of the Gospel should speak to you about the Restless condâ—on that you are in by reason of sin be willing that we should trouble you in a sinful way being we have so much rest to bring you to Do not think the Minister troubles you do not complain of the word that troubles mens consciences I appeal to you if there be any thing in Gods word to trouble mens Souls is there not again as much in Gods word to ease mens Souls and give Rest unto them Now this is Gods rest that is purchased by the blood of Christ our desire is that you might not cry Peace Peace unto your Souls when there is no peace and now when you hear but the beginning of the excellency that there is for the Soul in Christ Now you should even upon this cry to God Lord O that I might be partaker of this rest and still to desire to hear further and further of this blessed Rest that is to be had in Jesus Christ And thus much for the Rest that is to be had in Jesus Christ from the Burden of the guilt of sin CHAP. XXIX The deliverance from the Law by Christ set out 1. Privatively in five Particulars 2. Positively in five Points more THe next burden that was upon Laden sinners that Christ cals unto him it was the burden of the Law you that are under the burden of the Law come to me and I wil give you Rest I shewed in many Particulars wherein the burden of the Law consisted when I opened the former Point of the Load of sinners but now I am to come to shew how Christ doth deliver sinners from the burden of the law for so certainly he doth we are redeemed from the Law by Christ this is a great Point and the right understanding of this will help us exceeding much in the understanding of many truths in religion Wherefore first I shall shew you how far Christ hath not delivered us from the Law that is where it is where it is
eternal life it self and therefore there is rest in it it is so far from getting eternal life by it as it is rather eternal life it self then so much as any way to eternal life for this may be said though I performe duty it is true God hath taught me so much that now under the Gospel we must not think to get eternal life by our duty by our works this is popery yet it is the way to eternal life the way that tends to it it is via ad Regnum the way to the kingdom though not the cause of Raigning Nay I wil shew you a further thing then so the wayes of obedience and holiness in a Christians course they are rather eternal life it self then the way to it they have more excellency in them then being the way to life It is true it were a great deal of ease and rest to ones spirit to consider of holy duties but as the way to heaven if a man were going a journy and knew the ende of his journy should be very glorious to him if it were to receive a crown a kingdom though it were a boysterous day and stormy weather and the way were very foul he would not be troubled at it but he would account it very comfortable to know that he is in the right way for he thinks this wil lead me to my journeys end and when I come there that wil make amends for al. And the truth is there were ease and rest enough in the waies of God if God did reveale no more unto a soul then this these are the wayes that lead thee to life and salvation that lead thee to a kingdom to glory especially considering that before we were out of the way we were wandering in the wayes of death and destruction and God by his Almighty hand hath brought us into the right way When a man is going a Journy of great consequence and he is gone out of the way and God by his providence hath brought him into his right way O! what ease is in his spirit Before when he was out of the way what distraction and disquietness of heart but now when he comes into the way Oh! what ease and quiet is in his spirit so I say this were ease and rest enough of spirit to know that whereas before the soul was wandering in the path of death now it is in the path of life But I tel you further then so that when thou art performing of holy duties and exercising of the grace of God in the performance of those duties thou art not only in the way of eternal life but thou art in eternal life it self not only in the way to the kingdom but in the kingdom not only in the way to heaven but in heaven it is eternal life This is eternal life to know thee the true God and thy son whom thou hast sent into the world And that place in the Epistle of St. John he speakes of a murderer one that did hate his brother in the first of John 3.15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him Then it appeares that one that loves his brother and is Godly and gracious hath eternal life abiding in him for that must needs follow if this be the evil condition of a wicked man that hates his brother that he hath not eternal life abiding in him then by the rule of contraries it must needs be a truth that he that hath holiness and loves his brother he hath eternal life abiding in him and therefore such a one he hath eternal life already to come downe to him he is in heaven already So the scripture makes grace but the beginning of glory it is no other but the very beginning of heaven in the soul And therefore in that golden chain in Rom. 8.30 Whom God hath predestinated them he also hath called whom he hath called them he hath justified whom he hath justified them he hath also glorified Marke but where is the link of sanctification It is not whom he hath predestinated he hath called and whom he hath called he hath sanctified and whom he hath sanctified he hath glorified One would have thought the chain should have gon along in that linke but there is no mention of sanctification Why because sanctification is nothing else but glorification begun and glorification is nothing else but the perfecting of sanctification Now I beseech you observe this as a most special thing that belongs to a Christian the best duties that we performe are nothing else but the life of heaven to us nay the truth is it is the life of God And therefore it is said of ungodly men before they come to Christ they are strangers to the life of God therefore when thou art come to Christ thou hast the life of God in thee and the life of heaven in thee and the beginning of Glory Glory and eternal life thou doest live whilst thou art in performance of holy duties What is the happiness of heaven but for the Saints and Angels to be exercised in magnifying the riches of God and of Christ now thou beginnest it here and therefore if thou knowest what this is thou art not I say to look upon any duty that thou performest meerly as a duty but thou art to look upon it as a priviledg yea as part of thy wages That is a certain truth that Gods work it is wages and the improving of that principle would help us very much in our Christian course if thou didst live and account every duty that thou performest to God to be wages Oh! with what sweetness wouldest thou go on in the performance of those duties that God requires of thee thou art receiving thy wages when thou art performing of duties In Rom. 6. and the last The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ At the 22. verse it is thus But now being freed from sin and become servants unto God you have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. You have your fruit unto holiness it is the fruite unto holiness which is the gift of God and holiness it is nothing else but the gift of God and the beginning of eternal life the fulness of eternal life that indeed is the end of it but the fruit that you have for the present it is holiness and that holyness that is the gift of God it is the beginning of eternal life here in this world Then indeed is a christian wel improved in Evangelical obedience when he doth account duties to be mercies and when mercies are turned into duties as when we turne Gods mercies into duties that is an argument we receive Gods mercies from a Covenant of grace and there wil be linkes of Gods mercies towards
afflictions come to me and you shal have Rest Now the spiritual afflictions have been spake of much in the handling of the former burden and yet may be somwhat more afterwards when I shal come to speak about spiritual desertions those kind of afflictions that many times are upon Christians and there is Rest unto their Souls in regard of them But for the present all that I shall say now is about outward afflictions come to me and you shall have Rest The afflictions of sickness and poverty and persecution and dishonor and trouble here in this world For we are to know that there is Rest in Christ even in regard of this and abundance of Rest Those that are acquainted with the mystery of godliness and the way of Gods Grace in Christ though they may meet with much trouble in this world yet they find abundance of Rest of spirit in Christ in regard of those troubles Indeed Christ did not say come to me and I will presently free you from all trouble that you cannot expect but come to me and this I will promise you that you shall have Rest in your spirits your condition may be as troublesome in regard of outward things here in this world as any but this I wil promise I will ingage my self for that you shall have Rest unto your souls in all conditions whatsoever that you shall be put into And is not this a blessed Rest Especially in regard of these times such times as these so ful of distractions when men are spoiled of their goods and persecuted and still we are afraid every day when all these outward comforts may be wrested from us This point perhaps may be to some more seasonable than to others what to tel some of the burden of the Law this is a spiritual thing and they have no Skil of it to have Rest from the trouble of the Guilt of sin this is spiritual and they have little Skil of that to have Rest from the remaining corruption in their hearts this is spiritual still and they have no skil of that neither I but now I come to speak of that which all of you will be sensible of in regard of outward afflictions I that is somwhat that the Hearts of all men wil say it were a good thing to be in Christ to have Rest in regard of outward afflictions Now it is the way of God to draw men to his Son in their own way to shew the good that is in his Son in that way which themselves are sensible of and those that are strangers to Christ may be sensible of this as to think that if that be made out that is here promised that indeed iâ— a blessed thing to be in Christ now that I shal open to you only I will give you one Scripture more for iâ— and then proceed to the opening of it It is in the 16. of John and the 33. These things have I spoken to you that in me ye might have peace in the world you shal have tribulation but be of good chear I have overcome the world This is a ful text Christ foresaw that his disciples should have a great deal of affliction in this world and this is spoken to them but a little before Christs death a little before Christ was to die and go from them he tels them of a great deal of affliction they should have in the world But saith Christ these things have I spoken in me ye shal have peace though ye have trouble in the world I will not free you from trouble but I wil give you peace to your Souls in those troubles in me ye shal have peace though in the world you have trouble and be of good chear I have overcome the world though you shall have troubles in the world yet I will give you Rest for I have overcome the world and therefore be of good chear for all the troubles that you shal meet withal shall not take away the peace of your spirits the Rest of your Souls So that then here the point that now we are to enter upon is That in Christ there is Rest in the midst of all afflictions of all troubles that we can meet withal in this world For First A beleever coming to Christ must needs have Rest whatsoever afflictions he meets withal for when he is come to Christ he may in him come to know that there is no affliction either doth or can befal him but is at the dispose of him that is his Father and the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and is not this a great deal of Rest To know that what comes unto me though there be such and such instruments evil instruments to bring trouble upon my estate or name or otherwise yet I know that all this is by the wise ordering and disposing of that God that is the Father of Jesus Christ and in him is now my Father Were it that you could be all assured of this now that you should never hence forward have any loss in your estate any sickness in your body any trouble in your family any way or should have no affliction ever befal you but it should be at the dispose of your owne father he should dispose of it and your Father a wise and Loving Father or take the deâ—rest Friend that ever was in the world and if I say you should be made sure of this from heaven that you shal never have any affliction in this world but it shal be by his dispose would not this bring rest into your hearts though you had a disquiet heart before Would there not be a great deal of calme quiet and rest upon your spirits I make no question but if such a voice should come from heaven and you should know it were a voice from heaven and not a delusion saying be of good comfort you that are so troubled for feare of losse and outward afflictions be of good comfort thou shalt never have any one minute of an hour of trouble and affliction more than thy tender father or mother shal be willing unto would not this give rest and quiet unto thy spirit Certainly hadst thou faith to know that al comes from thy father in Christ for when we are come to him he is our father in Christ and al that comes to us is from him through Christ thou couldst not but have rest and peace Secondly By comming to Christ there is rest from outward afflictions for in him there is the taking away of the curse it is Christ that hath taken away the curse of al afflictions and therefore there must needs be rest unto the soul tâ—rough Christ Faith in Christ â—eacheth beleevers to worme afflictions as I may so say to worm them that is to get out the worm that is there The trouble that eates the heart in affliction it is the worm of the Curse for al afflictions are part of the curse in themselves in their owne nature as