commit Adultery and slay Uriah and after that to number the people Ans He may erre through infirmity as a man in a Journey he propounds no other end but to goe on but yet he goes out of the way sometimes through ignorance and carelesnesse but then when he knows it he makes the more hast to get in again so a Christian he aims at a good course even wayes but sometimes through heedlesness or ignorance he falls into by wayes but when he knows it he makes hast to recover himselfe and the cause why he goes aside is because he doth not the Will of God but his own will Vse 1 Justifie the Doctrine of the perseverance of the Saints and confutes the contrary opinion of their Apostacy for every Christian doth the Will of God now he that doth the Will of God abides for ever such make Gods Will their meat and drink and so they lead an everlasting life they feed on everlasting food Joh. 6.26 they have neer union with Christ they are such as fulfill Gods Will and therefore he will fulfil their desire Vse 2. A ground of direction to all such as would find comfort in Life and Death if you follow the lusts of the World they will not last alwayes Conscience accuseth God will judge you Eccles 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth c. so Riches endure not always nor Honour therefore though a man now pride himselfe in his youth or riches or lusts why these will not hold time will come when you shall be weary of all these but would you abide for ever why this is the way doe Gods will and then thou chusest that part which shall never be taken from thee Luke 10. two last verses Psal 125.1 2. let a man be doing Gods Will he shall never dye there is no man but would have his Estate confirmed to perpetuity from age to age why all the lusts of the World continue but for a while but would you turne all to perpetuity be doing Gods Will and then you shall abide for ever so would you heal all the fleeting unstablenesse of our spirits sometimes you are much inlarged sometimes as much straitned sometimes you have vigour of Spirit and sometimes you are dull and quite out of frame what is the reason all this is because thou art out of the way and therefore the Star hath left thee as it did the Wise men when they went out of the way to Bethlehem to goe to Jerusalem even so when thou art in the way to Bethlehem to seek Châ—ist and give up thy selfe to such courses as leads to him why all this while the comfortable power of the Spirit shall goe with thee but when thou consultest with flesh and blood to satisfie any lust of the World the Star will leave thee till thou come into the way again so if you walke in the even wayes of God you shall find your selves always enlarged though sometimes more sometimes less yet alwayes so much as is sufficient for your present condition Vse 3 Of consolation to every obedient Christian that breaks off from his own will and sets himself with all his power to doe Gods Will and is grieved when he doth any thing against it why this is your comfort that is an everlasting way which leads to eternity He that doth the Will of God shall never see Death that is with fear or danger nay he shall stand as a Mountaine that shall not be shaken which is a great blessing for a poor Christian Obj. May not mountains be shaken and removed are they not shaken by Earthquakes so may not Christians be shaken and removed are they not tossed up and down in the World and never in a setled condition Ans Mountains may be shaken and removed Isa 54.10.11 and Christians may be tossed in their outward Estate but yet though Mountains remove and hills be shaken yet Gods loving kindnesse shall never depart from them Now from the scope the Apostle aims at observe thus much Doct. The disproportion that is betwixt the World and the lusts thereof and the Children of God that doe his Will ought to weane them all from the love of the World and the lusts thereof John 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth as who should say this meat is corruptible and you corruptible but that meat I give you is eternall and will nourish eternall life in you Quest Wherein stands the disproportion between the World and the lusts thereof and those that doe Gods Will 1 The World and the lusts thereof are transitory and fading neither continue at a stay nor last long but all perish But he that doth Gods Will the more he doth it the more he is strengthned and confirmed and supported to everlasting life 2 The World it selfe and all the things thereof are ordinarily bodily and sensuall and not heavenly take all the frame of the Creatures they are bodily things and all the comforts of them tends to sensuall life What will it profit a man to win the whole World and loose his own soul implying a man may have all the World and yet loose his own soul it never feeds a spirituall heavenly life but there is a spirituall eternall bread that feeds to everlasting life it is not for a body to nourish a spirit nor earthly things heavenly not can a transitory thing feed everlasting life Q. 1. Why should this disproportion wean us from the love of the World and the lusts thereof what is the ground 1 From the vanity that is found in all these things they are bodily and transitory it is impossible they should nourish heavenly and permanent life therefore godly men should withdraw their affections from them inordinately Isa 55.2 why doe you lay out your money for that which satisfieth not and for that which is not bread why doe you spend cost and pains about that which is not bread which will never satisfie your souls but your souls in the midst of them may be as Pharaohs lean Kine hungry and empty of grace void of good things Reas 2. From the corruption these things will put upon our spirits if we set our love and lust on them it will be as a running Issue which will empty us of all goodnesse either they will draw us from comming to the Ordinances I have married a wife and cannot come or secondly they will fill our hearts with cares when we come Ezek. 33. ult or else after we are gone they will choak the Word of God so that they draw away our hearts from spirituall food 2 There is a power in them to assimilate us to themselves what we feed on we are like unto feed on wild meats you will be wild men feed on grosse meats your spirits will be more grosse and dull feed on light meats your spirits will be more quick and agill so if a man feed on the World glut himself with the World he can relish nothing but the
reasons and such intentives as draw on a lust woe be to them that put away all feare of judgement and so draw on lusts with the cords of vanity Vse 4. To teach us all to wean our selves from these lusts Young men I write unto you love not the World nor the things of the Werld and old men have nothing to doe with them refrain from them apply such corrosives such threatnings such promises Christs death and cut off all occasions of sin root it out challenge your hearts arraign them before God bring them as enemies to your souls and labour to cut them off utterly If any man love â—he world the love of the Father is not in him Doct. It is not the having but the love of the world that keeps our hearts from the love of the Father It is not the having of the World for Davids mountaine was strong Joseph had his will in Aegypt Abraham was rich but though they had the World yet they had not the love of the World Jam. 4.3 4. whosoever is a friend to the World is an enemy to God it is not the Lordship of the World but the friendship of the World that is enmity against God for the time shall come that they that take the Lambs part shall be Princes of the World and Saint James calls the love of the World Adultery as a woman that makes her selfe a friend to another man and bestows that love upon him which her Husband only should injoy is an enemy to her Husband so a man that is a friend to the World or to the lusts of it is an enemy to God alienated from him and he would have them know that there is no worldly covetous man but he knows that his love of the World is enmity against God it is the World that hinders you from the Word and Prayer and good duties Reas 1 From the amplitude of that love which we owe to God which cannot therefore be divided to others Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and minde and strength Mat. 22.37 then we must love the World no further than it may help us in his service and we may imploy it to his advantage if we love it more we sin against the great Commandement if we must love the Lord with all our heart and mind and strength then what sorry weake affection is due to the World even an heartless faint love all our love and vigour of our spirits is to be set on God now if a man love the World he cannot thus love God for if he love the World his first and chiefest care is for wealth and riches and then it may be he will a little look towards God first let me bury my Father first let me stock my Farm and try my Oxen and then if I have any time I will come to the Feast 2 A covetous or a lustfull or a proud man when he hath the World and the lusts thereof he is fully satisfied with his portion without God Psal 17.8 so Luk. 12.19 Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years he wraps up the comforts of his soul in these outward things if he have wealth or pleasure he is content without God the more he hath of the World the lesse he cares for God as the Moon when it is at the full it is most opposite to the Sun so is it with a worldly man 3 The love of the World will make a man part with God rather than with the World he will rather part with Grace and Heaven too than leave the World he will rather part with eternal life than his wealth as the young man in the Gospel Mat. 19. from 16. to 22. he had rather part with Christ and an expresse promise of heaven than part with his possessions so we see how the love of the World keeps us from the love of God Notable is that speech of Christ Mat. 6.24 No man can serve two Masters c. God and this World are as two Masters such is the amplitude of Gods service that he that serves God as he ought hath no time to serve the World No man that hath a servant but he looks that his whole time should be spent in his service so if we spend any time in the service of the World we cannot be servants to God Indeed if services be subordinate we may serve many so we may seek and take pains for the World but be sure it be in subordination to Gods service look that it may make you more free to Gods service Vse 1. To discourage any man from the love of the World there is no greater discouragement than to say If we love the World the love of the Father is not in us As if a Father come to a childe and say if you love such a young man or woman you cannot love me and I shall take you for my utter enemy and you shall never make it up againe would not any ingenuous childe rather than he would be an enemy to his Father part with any so when God saith If you love the World you cannot love me I shall look at you as my enemies were not this enough to make any christian out of love with the World therefore chuse whether you will love God or the World if you love the one you cannot love the other therefore it is not a matter of frugality or providence to love the World for I say If any man loves the World he makes the World his God therefore covetousnesse is called Idolatry Col. 3.5 a mans belly may be his God the love of the World is directly against God the love of God requires all your hearts souls and strength therefore no part to be set on the World Vse 2. It may exhort Christians to mortifie their love to the World you must either crucifie your love to the World or to God If you love the world you cannot love God if you love God you cannot love the world you cannot serve God and Mammon Motives 1 If a man can but withdraw his mind from the World he may be Master of the field in any temptation that befals him what is the World all that is in the world is either profit or pleasure or credit and we regard the World no further so that if thou beest weaned from thy profit or pleasure in meat or drink or Pastime if thou beest weaned from credit thou shalt bereave Satan of the weapons he fights against thee with for how doth he keep men back from Religion but that it will not stand with his credit and applause in the World what hinders them from holy duties but love to their profits and pleasures therefore could but a man wean himself from them he might easily overcome the wicked one how did Josephs Mr. work on him was it not from pleasure and if Joseph be content to leave the lusts of the flesh he
13.10 1 Tim. 1.5 and so hope 1 Joh. 3.3 patience is joyned with obedience and meeknesse springs from obedience and from the spiritual experience of a mans weaknesse and experience of Christs power in him springs humility so that all graces either spring from obedience or serve to it or accompany it so that even these very graces that are more in the understanding and speculation they either spring from obedience or help to obedience the Knowledge of a Christian is not unfruitful 2 Pet. 1.8 which shews that a Christians Knowledge brings forth fruits of obedience no gift a Christian hath but he considers what good he may do with it and if he see it not serviceable he regards it not so that if every grace do breed or nurse or accompany obedience then whosoever professes he knows God and doth not keep his Commandments there is no truth in such a man no true grace Vse 1 For tryal of the truth of our profession would you know the truth of your Grace of your Repentance of your Faith of your Humility You shall know it by your fruitfullnesse what use do you make of your Graces would you know whether your Repentance bee sound or your Love c. sound would you know this Why consider do they make you obedient and carefull to keep Gods Commandments as your Way your Treasure your Ornaments your Eye your Life if any grace bee fruitfull make you conscionable in the keeping of Gods Commandments that is a witnesse of the truth of that Grace a painted Tree bee it never so fair yet it bears no fruit but a living Tree brings forth fruit you have cause to suspect your Grace if it make you not fruitfull and carefull to please God if Grace make you obedient it is sincere but if a man hath never so many Gifts and Graces if they lead him not to obedience truly they are but counterfeit and there is no true Grace in him Isa 47.10 if they caused them to rebell there is no truth in them if any Grace leave you more corrupt or lesse fruitfull there is no truth in you Vse 2 It exhorts us to a conscionable diligent keeping of Gods Commandments hereby we shall keep our profession true our Consciences void of offence and shall have an evidence that we know Christ if a man say he knows God and yet keep not his Commandments his profession is not true but he that both saith so and doth so his profession is sincere 2 It will keep your Consciences in Peace when your Conscience checks you not but bears you witnesse that you desire to do Gods will in truth this brings great Peace 3 It keeps your Grace sound the more fruitfull and the more obedient the more doth Grace increase a Christian that lets his Grace lye at rest it grows rusty and hee may doubt of the truth of his Grace if any mettal lye up and rust we may suspect whether it be right or no but if it be kept with continual use we suspect it not take a Christian that doth not exercise himself in Grace he grows so rusty that he suspects the truth of his Grace but put thy grace to employment let it be in continual use and thou shalt easily see it is good metal and currant the employment of Graces proves the truth of them therefore as we desire to keep our profession true or our conscience clean or our graces sound keep in a daily course of obedience always be doing good and that from Gods Commandment Vse 3 Of Consolation to all such as take a good course and labour to keep Gods Commandments who may sometimes suspect all their grace is counterfeit and there is no sincerity in them why if there be no sincerity in you you do not keep Gods Commandments as your way but you cannot say but you would gladly finde your hearts keeping them as your way and you endeavour it and it is the grief of your souls when you go out of the way do you keep them as your treasure and ornament and apple of your eye and life Why then there is truth of grace in you truth of sincerity though not of Perfection you must not look to keep them without sin but if you desire to keep them as the most precious thing as your treasure your ornament your life the apple of your eye though a man may sometimes have a moat fall into his eye but in this case do not say your Graces are counterfeit for if they were counterfeit you would not keep Gods Commandments Psalm 36.1 Wickednesse saith to the wicked there is no fear of God before his eyes how doth that appear to David vers 4. he sets himself in no good way he is in a bad way and goes on therein and such a one it is plain he hath no fear of God before his eyes by their fruits he knows them if you set your selves in no good way your profession cannot be true but if the way you take be good and if not thou dost not take it up why if it be thus your profession is true and your grace sound it is a question whether Solomon fell finally or his graces were true or no you may know his repentance was true because he found his lust to women as bitter as death Eccles 7.6 7. well then if an Adulterous or Idolatrous Wife were as bitter as death to him then it is an evident sign if he looked at his transgression as death he looked at the Commandment as life and therefore his repentance was sincere so then if a man finde his sin as as bitter as death it is a sign his repentance is true But yet we must here distinguish between the horror of sin and sin it self the horror of sin may be as bitter to us as death but not the sin it self as Judas the horror of sin was so bitter to him that for it he hanged himself but had Judas been troubled with the sin of his conscience as he was with the horror of his conscience he would not have gone about to help one sin by another had he hated sin for it self he would have hated Murther as sin So would you know whether it be horror of sin or sin that troubles you If it be horror you will seek to drive it away by sin as some do by merry company and merry Books this is a plain signe that sin troubles them not for then they would not seek to help one sin by another but if a man look at the breach of the Law as the losse of his way it troubles him as much as the losing of his Treasure it is as a moat in his eye he had as lieve part with his life if it bee thus with thee thou mayest have comfort thy profession is true thy conscience clear thy profession sound and sincere 1 JOHN 2.5 6. But he that keepeth his Word in him is the love of God perfect indeed c. THe words
stand out against him God hath not given him liberty to pursue us unto death but if we stand out against him he will fly from us So it was with our Saviour first he tempted him about his Son-ship If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread then he tempted him to presumption to cast himselfe down from the Pinacle of the Temple and then he tempted him with the glory of the World All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me but because our Saviour still resisted his temptations and Satan could not prevail he departed if a man stand out strongly Satan flies indeed if a man yield never so little he makes use of the least advantage and will presse it but if you stand fast and yield not he will be gone from you his very pride and insolency makes him scorne to trouble himselfe with any Creature he disdains to be overcome by him therefore he will depart Thus Joseph was strongly assaulted Gen. 39.9 but he resists and answers with much affection How can I doe this great wickednesse and sin against God He had long resisted and stood out against the temptations of his Mistresse and therefore she no more solicites him with that thing but takes another course falsly to accuse him to his Master and so caused him to be cast into prison 2. A Young-man may not onely put him to flight but he may also spoyl Satan that is he may take advantage by his assaults to grow more wary more holy more obedient more fruitfull and so he spoils Satan if a Christian enrich his spirit by the temptations he meets with he makes a spoile of Satan the riches of the Souldier is the spoil of the Enemy when young men stand fast and make a spoil of Satan and grow more humble and meek and obedient they shall so much the more overcome Satan Job was strongly tempted by Satan to blaspheme God but yet he stands fast and not onely so but takes occasion to blesse God Job 1.21 so when Satan tempts him by his wife see how he answers Job 2.10 Michal tempts David by deriding him when he danced before the Ark but he grew more zealous by it 2 Sam. 6.20 21. so John 3.26 They would have stirred up John to emulate Christ but that stirred him up to magnifie him more than ever he did before and give the most honourable Testimony of him Q. How come young men to overcome Satan 1. By the bloud of the Lamb his power is queld by the death of Christ 2. By the power of the Word that dwells in them v. 14. 3. By the power of the Spirit that is stronger in them than he that is in the world 1 John 4.3 4. Vse 1. Since young men may and doe so overcome the World it must teach young men to make this their glory to be fighting this spiritual battell there is no gifts they should so much please themselves in as in this Prov. 20.29 What a shame is it for young men to shew their strength in powring down strong drink and spend their strength upon women what a pittifull thing is it for young men to strive to overcome one another in drinking and gaming c. nay were they valiant in war yet how much more honourable is it to fight the Lords battells to over-wrestle our lusts when a young man shall single out that grand Captain the Devill and foil him in war that is truly honourable if Satan in a speciall manner strive to overcome you then strive you most against him stand out against him resist him and yield not to him and examine what spirituall battells you have had with Satan if none then your case is not good Vse 2. May hearten the feeblest Christians not to be discouraged with conflicts many a soul saith my corruptions are so strong and my lusts so powerfull I shall never be able to stand out against them and overcome them why St. John writes here to young men whose corruptions were strong and violent and yet he saith You have overcome the wicked one Vse 3. Of reproof to old men and children if they doe not overcome children are not come to and old men are past the dints of lusts therefore they may be the more ashamed if they be given to voluptuousnesse and gluttony and gaming and lying and company-keeping Children and old men their bodies are dead to such lusts Vse 4. It exhorts all though we cannot put Satan to death or captivate him yet what we may doe let us doe in every temptation let us stand fast and put him to flight and labour by temptations to spoil him let his temptations make you more humble and fruitfull and obedient this is the greatest honour of a Christian thus to put Satan to flight and spoil him 1 JOHN 2.13 The latter end I write unto you Babes because you have known the Father WE have heard of old men and young men now we come to his Apostolical writing to Babes Doct. Little Children even Babes may know God as their Father For the proof of this 1. I will shew it by Examples 1 Sam. 3 1. though at first he knew not yet from that time forward he knew God 2 Chron. 34. see it in Josiah so Timothy it is said that he knew the Scripture of a childe 2 Tim. 2.15 Luke 1.15 and our Saviour bears testimony of little children Suffer little children to come unto me for to such belongs the Kingdome of Heaven Mark 10.14 and that they were little ones we may see in that he took them in his armes as we use to doe infants and whereas the Anabaptists say he means not of these but of such as are of years but little children in grace this cavill is vain for otherwise his reason had been in vain for he might have said it as well of Sheep as little Lambs for such are Gods Servants but yet he never mentions such but onely these little ones that is little children There are Three grounds of the Regeneration of little children 1. From the Originall Sin that they are born in for they that are capable of sin are also capable of grace for no subject is capable of sin but it is capable of grace and the greatest part of their sin is the privation of grace which they are capable of Luke 1.15 Psal 58.3 2. From their interest in the Covenant they enter into a Covenant with God even from their childhood as we may see they brought their young Babes to enter into a Covenant with God Deut. 29.10 to 14. and so are capabâ—e of grace Joel 2.15 16. In times of great dangers in the Land God required little children and Bâ—bes to humble themselves for breach of the Covenant which implies they were in a Covenant indeed the Ninivets made their Beasts fast and their Children but they were Heathen and were not within the Covenant 3. Children are capable of the seals
restrained it from any fellowship with them 2 As Chirurgions apply Corrosives so Christians to mortifie their lusts apply such Corrosives may subdue their lusts Rom. 8.13 If ye walk after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live either kill your lusts or else you will kill your souls therefore mortifie your lusts through the Spirit that you may live which is a notable Corrosive to mortifie them by the Spirit of God so another Corrosive is when a man applies the threatnings of God to his soul and against his Lusts if you shall lay to heart all the dangers of your lusts it will eat out the corruption of the flesh Another special Corrosive is the Death of Christ when we consider Christ dyed for us and we are dead in him how then should we live any longer to sin Rom. 6.1 to 6. 3 As Chirurgions cut off that Member that is thus mortified so Christians that they may not love their lusts must cut off those lusts and cast them away Matth. 18.8 9. were our lusts as near and precious to us as our right eye were they never so convenient or necessary even as our right hand though we should dis-inable our selves in our Callings yet cut them off it is better you should be lame in your businesse better you should goe with reproach and shame in the world than at length be cast body and soul into Hell fire cut off the members of sin which are as near and dear and necessary unto you as right eyes and hands in regard of your worldly employments yet away with them mortifie them Like to this phrase of Mortifying is the Crucifying of the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 they that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts they have crucified the whole body of sin partly in the affections which are not sinful in themselves but as they are inordinate but they keep in their affections and passions in such order that they sinne not in anger or joy or love c. and partly their lusts of the flesh also covetousnesse pride vanity wantonnesse they are crucified they look at all their lusts as Crucifying Christ and they look up to Christ for the pardon of sin and so also for the healing of sin for pardoning and healing goes together Hos 14.3 4. 1 Joh. 1.7 8. they that are Christs looking up to the vertue of Christs Death they find their lusts not only pardoned but healed crucifying of our lusts hath some resemblance with Christs Death as 1 They attach Christ seek him out and are content to give money rather than to find him so will a Christian doe in regard of his lusts 2 He layes them open as enemies to Caesar to the great God and desires vengeance on them 3 He considers that Christ is dead for him and he is crucified with Christ therefore what hath he to doe to live to the world or the lusts thereof Reas 1. Why all should be weaned from lusts from the enmity which these lusts have against God which is a sufficient motive to weane us from the world Gal. 5.17 if they be enemies to God then a Christian hath reason to hate them as enemies to his best friend and indeed he cannot love God and those lusts too He that loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him he is not fit for any duty he that loves the world cannot accomplish the will of the Father every lust hinders spiritual duties hearing of the Word Prayer receiving of the Sacrament any one lust tolerated or lived in hinders all Spirituall duties Reas 2. From the enmity they have against our souls 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved as strangers and pilgrimes abstain from fleshly lusts which fight against your souls they fight against your souls and so fight that either you must kill them or they will kill your souls either mortifie them or they will mortifie your souls either captivate them or they will captivate your souls Therefore seeing they are so contrary to God and any Spiritual life and our own souls as we would not have our lusts hinder our peace with God and eat out our grace as we would maintain our communion with God and the life of our souls Love not the world nor the lusts of the world Vse 1. To teach us it is not enough for us to abstaine from outward gross sins but love not your lusts thou mayest refrain from the outward acts of sin but yet thy heart may be strongly affected towards sin and thou mayest delight therein if thou dost thou lovest the world and the things of the world therefore labour to cleanse your selves from secret lusts Circumcision was the cutting off the fore-skin of a secret member and yet God would have another Circumcision more secret and that is of the heart we must not content our selves with outward reformation but circumcise our hearts Levit. 3.3 4. God took speciall care that he might have all the Kidnies and Fat the Kidnies and Fat are our strongest desires and lusts why when we come to offer Sacrifice we must bring them before the Lord and burn them there is no savour so sweet in Gods nostrils as the burning of our strongest lusts the more our lusts stink in our nostrils the more sweet smelling savour it is to God so long as our lusts smel sweet in our nostrils so long we are loathsome to God Vse 2. It must teach us it is not enough to cut off some lusts but those that we love most a good husband that hates prodigality you shall not need to exhort him to frugality so prodigality cannot endure covetousnesse it hates basenesse and pinching he cannot abide it it is not his own lust so another he cares not for this pride and bravery so he may ly close at the pot or an Harlot why this is no great matter to cry out against those lusts that are not ours but it is a Christian duty not to love our own lusts covetousnesse is not thy lust but if prodigality be thy lust doe not thou cry out against covetousnesse and thou which art covetous doe not thou stand out against another mans prodigality but strive against thy own covetousnesse there are lusts which are to us as Eves apple fair to the eye such lusts as our souls lust after Rev. 18.14 look thou to these lusts which thy soul lusts after let them depart from thee Vse 3. This reproves our aptnesse to cherish and nourish our own lusts when we are commanded not to love them to mortifie them not to make provision for them if we then provide for them we are justly to be reproved Job 24.15 Prov. 7. Woe be to them that draw iniquity with the cords of vanity and sin as it were with Cart-roaps Isa 15.18 that take occasion to fulfill their sins that draw them on with Cart-roaps that give way to such
over-masters that temptation what made David fall but the lust of the flesh what made Peter deny his Master was it not fear of death what made Dâ—mas forsake Paul was it not love of the World so that there is no temptation but it is headed with the World if it be not pointed with the World it can doe little so that if the Prince of the World come and find nothing of the world in us or love to profit or pleasure or credit he can doe nothing as Christ when he saw he had no love to these things he had nothing to doe with him Vse 3 Of consolation to every soul who though he be busie in the World yet loves not the World it is not the having of the World nor the having of the lusts of the World that makes you enemies to God but the love of them so that you may have the World and the lusts thereof and yet have God too so that you love them not but desire to mortifie them and crucifie them let God see that your heart and strength and the vigour of your spirits be towards God not for your own lusts but for Gods service and then though a man have the World and many lusts in him against his will these doe not seperate him from the love of the Father 1 JOHN 2.16 For all that is in the World the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World IN the former ver the Apostle diswaded both old and young from the love of the World and the things of the World that is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life And he diswades them from this from a threefold reason 1 Love not the World for it evacuates the love of God in us verse 13. latter end 2 The lusts of the World are not of God but of the World verse 16. 3 The third reason why we should not love the World and the lusts thereof is from their nature and original they are not permanent but passe away Doct. All the sinfull dispositions and courses of the World are of these three sorts either the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye or the pride of life This Text is a sufficient warrant though there be no other such division in Scripture for every Word of God is perfect therefore all the sinfull dispositions and wayes of the World are either the lusts of the flesh of the eye or pride of life Lusts of the flesh are such as are stirred up by the flesh which being obtained our bodies find comfort such pleasure as we find in meat and drink or women in intemperancy or incontinency Lusts of the eye are such as satisfie the sences and that is called covetousnesse and they are called lusts of the eye because the eye is only satisfied with them Pride of life is the affecting of a mans own carnall excellency when he looks only at himself and hath an high conceit of himself Reas 1 From the observation of what the heart is set upon when it is drawn aside to any concupiscence either credit leads a man or profit and pleasure leads him Jam. 1.14 every man is drawn aside of his own concupiscence if to credit that is pride of life if to Profits that is lust of the eye if to Pleasure that is lust of the flesh Reas 2 From the answer of such objections as might be made against this Obj. 1 You may say there are many sins which fall not under this division as when a man grows contentious it may be neither for profit nor pleasure nor pride Ans No contention but springs from pride Prov. 13.10 a carnal affecting of his own excellency makes him contend Object 2 Atheisme or superstition no profit or pleasure or credit in it so prophanesse what profit or pleasure or credit in swearing Ans All the sins against the first table fall either under Atheisme or Superstition or Prophanesse and all these proceed from disobedience which is want of feare and reverence of God which is nothing else but pride doe you see any Creature neglect Religion surely it is from pride of heart Psal 10.3 4. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seeke after God so superstition comes from pride though it seems to be done in humility and devotion Col. 2. ult Micah 6.6 7 8. doe not come before him with your own inventions and think to please him for it is nothing but pride so for prophanenesse as swearing or Sabbath-breaking it comes from pride so when Pharaoh said who is God I know him not it proceeded from pride Exod. 9.17 so whensoever men breake off the bonds of Gods service and will not be held in this springs from pride of heart that they will not be subject to the Lord. Obj. Indulgence to Children as in David and Eli when they cannot find in their hearts to give them a bad speech doth this spring from pride or profit or pleasure is it not rather meeknesse and mildnesse Ans Such indulgence alwayes proceeds from pride thou hast honoured thy children above me 1 Sam. 2.29 when a man should raâ—her see God dishonoured than his Children or his Children honoured than God this is a great measure of pride Object 4. What say you to timerousnesse when out of very fear a man neglects Religion as Peter denyed his Master for fear it was neither for pleasure or profit or pride or whence comes Cains or Judas his despaire comes this from pride Ans This springs from pride of heart when a man grows so timerous for was it not for his self confidence that God left Peter to such basenesse of spirit and when he preferred his own pleasure and safety was not this a lust of the eye so Pilate what made him afraid of Caesar was it not love of his own safety did he not honour himselfe before God and was not that pride and from whence came Cains despair was it not from his pride against his Brother he envied his Brother and what was that but pride and for Judas his despair it is from pride of heart in that God is not in a mans heart if he find not comfort in himselfe he will not seek it in God but seek it rather in an halter this is pride this is pride that he cannot brook such horrours of conscience as God inflicts had he had an humble soul he would have contented himself and looked up to Christ for pardon as well as many that crucified him all basenesse of spirit and timerousnesse proceeds from pride that makes a man afraid to offend such great men it is because they would not loose their credit and honour and is not this pride aut servit humiliter aut superbe dominatur ejusdem spiritus est basely to serve or proudly to domineer Let us survey the whole Law of God and all sins will fall
to look upon a Maid Job 31.1 so for drink Prov. 23.31 Prov. 4.15 it is a notable means of mortification to withhold the blood and spirits from flowing into that member thereby in a good measure they stupifie it Secondly Use some course to stupifie that part Thirdly Cut it off would you mortifie lust Beware of all occasions if such meats or drinks wilt make you Gluttons or Drunkards meddle not with them and so you shall hinder influence to these lusts apply the death of Christ the threatnings of God and so when it begins to stupifie cut it off better it is to want all the sinful pleasures of this life than having of them to be cast into Hell 2 Refrain from bringing forth fruit of these lusts the more fruitful a Tree grows the more sap and strength it draws and strikes deeper into thee earth so let sin once grow fruitful bring forth acts it will get deeper hold and grow so rooted that it will reign in you if you avoyd all occasions and yeeld not to satisfie the least of them it will soon be gone if a strange Dogg comes in if you feed him he stands waiting for one piece after another but if you beat him he is gone where he may finde better entertainment so if lusts find that they can have no entertainment they cannot get one morsell no yeilding to them but repulsing they will be gone from you where they may finde better welcome 3 When thou findest any lust of the flesh arising in thee turn the strength of it to a Spiritual end A man hath an affection to meat or drink what saith Christ I have meat and drink that ye know not of though he were very faint and hungry yet when he saw a company come he attended not to his meat and drink but there was Spiritual food and that comforted and refreshed him so art thou troubled with lust after Women and God calls thee not to Marriage why turn the strength of thy affection to another that is white and ruddy the fairest of ten thousand The more you set your heart to consider how amiable and beautiful and excellent he is you shall finde he will so satisfie your heart that you will finde little content in any other thing besides As the Sun if it shine hot on a fire it puts it out so the love of Christ if it once shine in your hearts and fill your souls with light and joy unspeakable and glorious you shall finde all base Kitching lusts were they never so vehement the Sun of Righteousnesse will soon eat them out so for love of idlenesse and rest let but a Soul consider what comforts he ever found in the favour of God when his left hand was under him and when God held him up in his everlasting Arms do but consider how sweet was one hour of that inward peace you found then above all outward comforts you shall easily see that though your body should never finde rest more yet this inward peace will so satisfie you that you will be ready to say with Paul I have enough I have learned in all these to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-sufficient that I need not more Phil. 4.11 12. 4 Walk faithfully and constantly in your general and particular Callings the reason why a Christian grows carnal and sensual is because either in Gods Ordinances or his particular Calling hee was not spiritually minded walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5.16 be spiritual and heavenly in Prayer in hearing the Word in your Calling and you shall finde your lusts decay otherwise he that rusheth into occasions of sin needlesly he tempts the Devil to tempt him so that whereas the Devil might otherwise be much weakened and not so able to overcome if we invite occasions and rush into such places where Satan reigns we thrust Weapons into Satans hand and a man never ordinarily leads himself into temptation but he falls let Peter go into the High Priests Hall he shamefully denies his Master before he come out therefore take heed of running into occasions of sin 2 Refrain from the fruits of sin and grow Spiritually minded look after Spiritual objects when we are carried to Sensual objects when we are carried to delight in pleasures and pastimes why let us remember Blessed is the man that hath not walked c. Psal 1.1 2 3. but his delight is in the Law of the Lord he recreates himself his Soul in that such a man shall be as a tree planted by the rivers of water ever sucking sap and grace from the Ordinances that so he grows up but contrary such a one as runs into occasions and fullfills his â—â—sts he shall be as a barren Heath and parched Wildernesse his leaf and fruit blasted We come now to the second sort of lusts Doct. Young and old are to be weaned from any lusts of the eye By the lust of the Eye is meant Covetousnesse or inordinate desire of profit 1 Because the Eye makes us covet it as Achan Josh 7.21 2 Because the eye in some measure is glutted with the sight of it Obj. Why doth he not speak of lusts of the Ear for 2 Tim. 2.4 there is an itching Ear thus the Athenians Acts 17 21 and so some have a strong affection to Musick and never well without it this is a lust of the Ear and why is not this reckoned as well as the lust of the eye Aquinas makes this Objection and answers it thus That these lusts stand not so much on the bodily eye as the imagination but the man may as well desire curiosities by the Ear as the Eye make us covet what it sees Answ The answer therefore is the Eye is the seat of sundry Faculties 1 It may be referred to the Understanding and Imagination for that is in the Soul Psal 33.18 2 The hope of a man is translated to his Eye 2 Chron. 20.12 sometimes pity Thine eye shall not spare Deut. 13. sometimes disdain expresseth it self in the eye sometimes pride Prov. 30. in a lofty look and the eye is put oft for the desire of the heart when the eye looks long after it Matth. 5.28 there is a desire that reacheth to something Psal 54. Psal 92.1 Mine eye also shall see my desire upon mine enemies not onely hopes but desires are ever in the eye It is true therefore that the desire of Melody is a lust of the flesh desire of news to satisfie curiosity affection of vain preaching tends to satisfie the pride of life for the lust of all outward senses as far as they satisfie the Senses and Body they belong to the lusts of the flesh but a longing earnest desire after profit is Covetousnesse which is a lust of the eye Q. 1. Wherein stands the lust of the eye A. Either when it is set on wrong objects or in excessive measure or to a wrong end and these the Scripture aims at if the
after another pitch one sin upon another till he be burthened with our sins and what parts and gifts and liberties God gives them they abuse to Gods dishonour And is not this monstrous rebellion for poor creatures to make God serve a wearisome service Wonder not therefore if he say Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft 1 Sam. 15.26 As a Witch gives her soul to the devil to have her own liberty for a while so rebellious sinners are at league with the devil and hel to serve their lusts whilst they live 2 As a witch makes the devil serve her all her life but at death she serves the devill So God shall serve them all their life time but at death they would serve God and then they will do him the best service they can Why do you think God will accept our service when we dye when we have made him serve us all our life time 2 To have Christ for our Prince is not onely to serve him but we must give him Princely service such service as becomes so royall a Prince Mal. 1.8 Serve not him with blinde and lame sacrifices but with the best and fattest crucifie your fattest and dearest lusts to him let him have your best parts and best affections righteous Abel brought to God the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof Gen. 4.4 So let God have our first years and the strength of your affections give not him your old decrepit age 2 Sam. 24.24 I will not offer to God saith David that which cost me nothing Araunah indeed gave them all freely to the King like a King If a man give to a King he must give as to a King he must give as a King Nay saith David if you as a King give those things to me must not I then who am a King give as a King to that King of Kings Let God have all you have give up your selves and all your families to him For application Would you know then whether you have life Why if you have Christ you have life and if you would know whether you have Christ or no you must consider God hath exalted him to be both Saviour and Prince Dost thou finde thy heart looking up to him for help in all thy miseries Then thou hast him as a Saviour If in cases when thou knowest not what to doe yet thy eyes are towards him Why this very looking towards him is of an healing nature as was the looking towards the brazen Serpent Numb 21.9 The Conies are but a feeble folk and yet they make their nests in a rock so it 's good for us in our distresses to have recourse to the rock that is higher then we Again consider are there any lusts in us that we desire to be spared in and would not be saved from Why then we have not Christ for our Saviour So consider Have we Christ for our Prince Do we subject every thought unto him Dost thou not entertain an evill thought if they rush in upon thee dost thou strive to thrust them out Then thou hast Christ for thy Prince But if thou findest evil thoughts in thy heart and sufferest them to rest in thee Dost thou make God to serve a wearisome service from moneth to moneth and year to year and over burthen his patience and mercy Then Christi not thine If thou lookest at him as thy Prince he should have the best service thou couldst afford him A third head of signes whereby we may know whether we have Christ or no is exprest in the text He that hath the Son hath life For we may as well argue from having of life that we have the Son as from the having of the Son that we have use they are reciprocall he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath life hath the Son This Life is fourfold Of Justification Of Sanctification Of Consolation and Of Glorification If we have good evidences of the three former we may have assurance of the latter The signes of life are of three sorts our spirituall life may be discerned three wayes By the causes By the effects By the properties For the causes the holy Ghost gives us three causes of our spirituall life which if we finde we may assure our selves that we have life and so consequently we have the Son 1 Cause of our spirituall life is Gods own good pleasure Of his owne will hath he begot us Jam. 1.18 This St. John proves by denying all other causes of our begetting to life John 13 Not of bloud that is not of parentage for godly parents may have wicked children though Gods commandement do much yet it is not from their good parentagâ— but from Gods pleasure in the covenant Nor of flesh that is not of corrupt nature nor of the will of men that is not of the will of our best friends that desire it and pray for it unlesse God set in with all those of his good pleasure he shall not have life Ezek. 16.6 It was od that said to us when we were in our bloud Live This is an evidenâ— signe of the life of grace Such a mans heart acknowledgeth all the grace he hath to be of Gods good pleasure Take a naturall man he thinks well of him elf that he hath alwayes had a good nature and towardly and hopefull and all his friends could say no lesse But now a regenerate Christian acknowlâ—dgâ—th that he had no heart to goodnesse by nature onely some outward correspondency towards his friends to please them but he acknowledgeth what Paul doth Gal. 1.15 16. When it pleased God to call me by his grace and to reveale Christ in me then I lived but not before A living soul never attributes any thing to his good nature or towardlinesse but when it pleaseth God to call him to his grace A second cause of life is a word of promise for all that are of Abraham are not the Children of Abraham onely the seed of promise such as are begot of a word of promise as Isaac was and least you should think it belongeth to Isaac onely he makes it common to all the elect that they are all children of promise Gal. 4.28 But yet Isaac had the peculiar in that even his birth was by promise to Abraham and Sarah But the Apostle would thereby inferre that all our spirituall birth is by a word of promise Here therefore try thy life thou sayst thou livest but what word of promise wert thou begot of Faith comes by hearing Rom 10 17. Gal. 3.5 There is some word of promise dispearsâ—d in the word preached which the soul layes hold of and is thereby knit to Christ by faith Indeed many a good soul cannot tell what word of promise he was first begot of yet sure it was by a word of promise and though thou dost not know this promise yet there is no Christian but he sustains himself by some promise which shews plainly that he was bred
of a promise which is fed by a promise Many times a word of grace and wise admonition sinks so deep into the heart as that it makes many a one amend his wicked wayes and take better courses and reform his life but this is no evident signe of spirituall life So an hypocrite may be so far convinced as to turn the stream of his life and yet without all power of godlinesse and the ground is we cannot receive life from the words or works of the Law it 's altogether impossible Gal. 3.21 All true spirituall life is from some word of promise that hath been dispenâ—ed to us in the Word The word of the Law may reclaim us from giving outward offence but yet without all respect or obedience to God But when we are quickened by a word of promise then the love of God constraineth us Obj. Is it not ordinary for the word of the Law to cast down and humble us before we can lay hold on a promise Answ True Yet this is not that which makes a man a new man this may reach to the reformation of many outward sins but yet it gives not spirituall life till we begin to think of and long after Christ and meditate and talk of him till at length the sight of Christ doth so work on us that we do not only long after him but we so receive him and imbrace him that we are inlightned by him A third cause of life is the Spirit of God John 3.6 There is a shedding abroad of the Spirit into the heart of every regenerate man that he hath not the same spirit he had before Now a mans spirit is the bent and inclination of the soul Eph. 4.23 Be ye renewed in the spirits of your minds The soul and the body is the same But there is another spirit they see other things they never saw before judge otherwise then they did before now they have new thoughts and judgements and affections so that their heart is far off from earthly things and let on spirituall things All things are become new A new heart new conference new imployment new company the whole man hath another frame of spirit in him He that finds it thus hath life For application Consider therefore how you finde your hearts speaking concerning your estates Do you finde indeed that sometimes you have had good motions cast in but before God was pleased to call you to his grace nothing did you good Doe you finde your life wrought by a spirit of promise Do you finde that you are renewed to a new inclination and frame of spirit then you have life Your life springs from true causes if not you have not life A second sort of signes of life is from the effects of spirituall life And 1 Justification or pardon of sins is a principall part of our spirituall life Psal 32.2 3. And this is called justification to life Rom. 5.18 Even as a condemned mans pardon is the life of the man so is the pardon of our sins the life of our souls Now the first effect flowing from the pardon of our sin is 1 Some inward peace of conscience some inward satisfaction that he never found before My sin is not pardoned at least not manifested so to be till I finde some measure of inward peace Rom. 5.1 What was it that burthened thy conscience but guilt of sin If therefore God say to my soul Son thy sins be forgiven thee upon this follows the tranquility of the mind and sometimes in that unspeakable manner that passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 Though this be not so ordinary yet they alwayes finde a secret peace and ease as if you had cast off milstones from the heart Isa 32.17 The effect of righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever if sin be pardoned peace and everlasting assurance follows A 2. effect of this life of Justification is that look as you see in a morall life no man hath received life but he strives to maintain it so that all that he hath will he give for his life So if thou hast received the life of the pardon of thy sins thou shalt finde a serious and constant care of preserving that life and peace so that you will let all go rather then the peace of your conscience Thy loving kindnesse is better then life Psal 63.4 And therefore if I finde a tender care in me to maintain my peace it 's a signe I have received life seeing I am so carefull to maintain it A man that hath been in a great debt and lately paid it he is carefull to run on the score no more so when God hath blotted out the score of our sins a Christian is very sollioitous to sin no more but that he may live an holy and spotlesse life all his dayes Notable is the example of Joseph Gen. 39. How shall I commit this great wickednesse and sin against God How shall I break my peace of conscience and run on a new score Sometimes indeed Gods children have received pardon of sins and yet afterwards turned Gods grace into wantonnesse but withall observe if they have been overtaken with some grievous lusts the losse of their peace and favour of God hath been more bitter to them then death it self and if the Lord give us hearts follicitous to maintain our peace it is a sign that he hath given us peace those sins are pardoned which we abhor it 's the nature of life to preserve it self and to expell what may be an enemy to life And this is a signe our peace is not counterfeit but sound if we be carefull to preserve it A 3. effect of our life of Justification is that which our Saviour gives Luke 7.47 Her sins which are many are forgiven her because she loves much He that loves much hath much forgiven him The love of God in some measure proportionable to the sin pardoned is a good evidence of the pardon of our sins Gods pardons are lively pardons they leave not a man as he was but whom he pardons them he heals This woman was a notorious Harlot her loving much shewed that her many sins were forgiven her according to the multitude and measure of sins pardoned such is the measure of our love to God and his Saints And indeed there is none hath so little forgiven him but he thinks it a great deal as indeed well he may and thinks himselfe bound to love God abundantly For application Consider therefore what peace thou hast Perhaps thou wilt say I have had peace all my life long but such peace is ill rooted it springs not from a word of God And 2 It 's fruitlesse Thou sayst thou hast peace but what care hast thou to maintain it and to expell thy sins which hinder thy peace And again if thou hast such peace where is thy love If that be wanting pardon of sin is wanting If thou wouldst have good ground of the pardon of thy sins try thy self