of natural things leaves thee but a natural man a well-polished Phil. 3. 8 9. natural man but the Knowledg of Christ makes thee a Saint the Knowledg of Jesus saves thee from thy sins the most exquisite Knowledg of all natural things leaves thee in thy sins but the Knowledg of Jesus Christ saves thee from thy sins And therefore saith Paul I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified Because Paul knew that no Knowledg would save himself and no Knowledg 1 Cor. 2. 2. he made others know would save them but the Knowledg of Jesus Christ and him crucified If all the men in the World were wounded and lay at the point of Death and there were but one herb in all the World that would heal them How would they all send abroad to know that one Herb and to know the virtue of it and how to use it and apply it How happy would they count themselves in the Knowledg of it My Beloved All the Men and Women in the World are wounded they are wounded to death and lye gasping for life and there is but one Herb in all the World that can heal and save them and that is Jesus Christ whose Divine nature did grow out of the bosom of God the Father from all Eternity and whose humane Nature did grow out of the sanctified Womb of the Virgin Oh! how precious should be the Knowledg of Jesus Christ then unto you Surely it is the greatest priviledg to know him 3. Grace begins in Knowledg in the Knowledg of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven as the stream begins in the spring for Knowledg is the spring of Grace the Knowledg of God is the spring of our Love to God the Knowledg of the Power and Truth of God is the spring of our Trust in God They that know thy name will trust in thee Psal 9. 10. Knowledg that saves us is not a bare notion of God it knows his power and therefore fears him knows his justice and therefore serves him knows his mercy and therefore trusts him knows his goodness and therefore loves him Reas 4. Because it is a Knowledg above the reach of Nature to know the Mysteries of Heaven is beyond the sphear of Nature and Reason They are foolishness to the natural man 1 Cor. 2. 14. neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Natural men cannot know supernatural Mysteries Carnal reason cannot apprehend spiritual Objects Surely they are some rare and stately things that stand thus aloft above the reach of Reason For mans Reason is an Eagle and flieth high and therefore these Mysteries of Heaven must needs be some high and glorious things which mans reason soaring upon its loftiest wings cannot attain unto Reas 5. Because few do know them we count that a great Priviledg which is committed but to a few and that 's the signification of the word Privilegium Reas 6. Because they are Mysteries i. e. hidden and secret things Now to know not plain and common things but to know Mysteries we count it a great Priviledg How did the Philosophers study to know the Mysteries and secrets of Nature and in what Honour were they had because they knew them What a priviledg is it then to know the Mysteries of Heaven And because they are such deep and rare Mysteries the Angels themselves desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to peep into them Reas 7. Because they are Mysteries of God and is it not a 1 Pet. 1. 1◠superlative priviledg to know the Mystiries of God A man counts it an high priviledg to be of a Kings Privy-Council and to know his Royal secrets What a point of Honour is it then to know the Mind and Mysteries of the great God and have his Divine secrets communicated to them God can do no more unless he should make us God They that know the Kings secrets are next unto the King himself So doth God make them that know his secrets next unto himself First God makes all his secrets immediately known to Christ and Christ is next to God and Christ made known his secrets to the Apostles and they are next to Christ Reas 8. Because the Mysteries of Heaven are lovely things to see to they are bright beauties and exquisite rarities to look upon God is a lovely and beauteous thing therefore saith David Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord. His beauty is such that if we could but see some little of it it would enamour and ravish our hearts 't would wrap us into such an Extasie and Admiration of him that all other even the most excellent things would appear to be but base to him For First God is the only satisfactory Object of mans Knowledg The Knowledg of all other things could you behold them all with one intuitive Act is but an hungry beggarly Knowledg a sick Knowledg till thou know him The soul of Man her Appetite is never filled nor satisfied till she know God When I read some Authors and view their Ignorance of God I cannot but sit down and say Oh! what a Priviledg is it to know God! I will give you an Instance Pliny A man of vast parts who writes the History of Nature Lib. 2. Cap. 7. Quisquis est Deus si modo est Alius c. Irridendum verò agere curam rerum humanarum illud quiequid est summum Ibidem Annè tam tristi atque multiplici Ministerio non pollui credamus Dubitemusvè Ibidem Verùm in his Deos agere curam rerum humanarum credi ex usu vitae est Ibidem Verùm in his Deos agere curam rerum humanarum credi ex usu vitae est Paenasquè Maleficiis aliquandò seras occupato Deo in tanta mole nunquam autem irritas esse Ibid. and you would think he had fathom'd the very bottom of Nature yet when he comes to speak of God saith he God whosoever he be if haply there be any other but the World Again saith he That the chiefest Power whatsoever it is meaning God hath care of mankind or of mens affairs is a thing to be derided or scorn'd at What dreadful darkness is this How uncomfortable to us that we have no God to mind our Conditions or manage our Events And his Reason is this as poor as his Assertion Can we believe that he should not be polluted with so sordid or base and so trouble some a service As if the Sun cannot shine upon a dunghil but it must be defiled And yet afterwards he saith Howbeit to believe that the Gods have care of mens Estates is useful and expedient for this life Whether he speaks this being forced by Conviction or out of Pollicy to keep men within Bounds rather than of Faith
Saints that they may be more serious in their duties 2. The other evil in a slight and formal Communion with God in Duties is unthankfulness Duties of godliness are not only a debt to God but a reward to us Therefore in slightness there is not only unfaithfulness but unthankfulness Both the Majesty and Mercy of God is despised and can God be well pleased with such things 3. There is a third evil in a slight Communion with God in Duties and that is unfruitfulness we get nothing from God in duties we pray slightly and therefore get nothing by Prayer we hear the word slightly and therefore profit not by it Now that the Lord may cure his people of this slightness of heart and make their graces grow he useth this dispensation to leave them in want of assurance 6. God increaseth his Saints graces by terrors within he not only suspends their comforts but afflicts their souls he writes bitter things against them 1. These rowse them up to seek God They that see themselves lost will find a way to God They that have Hell-fire burning in them will value Heaven and pardon and the least drop of Gods love Oh! now promises are precious and Gods love neglected is now sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb Now they cry Come Lord Jesus come quickly 2. These fright them out of their dreams and carnal slumbers as the cry made at midnight that the Bridegroom cometh awoke the virgins out of their sleep Among the other diseases of the soul Divine desertions cure deadness and dulness of heart Sometimes living men are in a lifeless state their hearts are so benummed that they seem to lye among the dead They can hear the word carelesly and sleep out whole Sermons there is no vigour nor activity in their graces at home and therefore the Lord hangs their souls over the mouth of Hell and makes them drink of that red wine the dregs whereof the wicked of the earth shall Psal 75. 8. wring out and drink them that by this strong potion he may rowse them up and quicken their dull and drowsy spirits 3. These terrors work them more closely to Christ And for this cause God gives his People sad visions of sin and wrath he shakes the soul with Earth-quakes that she may stand faster upon her true Basis and Foundation These storms make their hearts gather in to Christ That I may be found in him saith Paul The soul must have some dry land to stand upon and when the flood of Gods terrors overflow the soul then she flyeth to Christ as Noah's Dove to the ark 7thly The Lord increaseth grace in his Saints by afflictions he makes them by marring them Divine Wisdom works by contraries he makes them shine brighter by their Eclipses and clears up their light by darkness Schola crucis Schola lucis And truly It is the property of true-born grace to grow the greater by the cross As the laurel tree is not smitten Plin. Nat. Hist l. 2. c. 55. nor blasted with lightning no more is heaven-born grace hurt by any afflictions but much bettered by them 1. God increaseth his Saints graces by sharp sicknesses by diseases unto death i. e. this startles mightily Oh Lord thou didst surprize me unprovided and if thy hand had cut me off with that disease my soul had been cut off from heaven for ever This enters deep upon the soul and strikes terrour upon the heart the Lord I hope shall never find me so again This stirs up thankfulness to the Lord that hath not only in this tryal saved me from the grave but also from Hell 2. Sicknesses deaden the Saints to the world They that in sicknesses are always leaving the world learn to dye unto the world They have death always in their eye They see themselves still upon the borders of the grave They are ever and anon lanching in eternity and this makes grace grow 3. Sicknesses are searchers Thou enquirest after mine iniquity Job 10. 6. saith Job and searchest after my sin When God smites our bodies he searcheth our hearts and makes enquiry in our lives and now saith the soul Let us search and try Lam. 3. 40. our ways When God is searching VS it is high time for VS to search our selves and this also makes grace to grow 4. Sicknesses dig Wells of godly sorrows in the heart They are as it were Gods Mattocks and Spades whereby he delves deep into the center of the heart and digs Wells of repentance which send forth streams of confession of sin which before would not run because they had no vent being covered and stopt with the earth of lust and hardness and worldliness upon them but now they find a passage When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the Psal 32. 3. 4. 5. day long for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me and my moysture is turned into the drought of summer I acknowledged my sin unto thee and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin 2. By poverty and narrowness of estate Many men must Aquilone maxime gaudent densiores ab afflatucjus laetioresque materiae firmioris Plin. Nat. Hist l. 17. c. 2. Jer. 6. 22. be kept short and bare that they may thrive in grace Pliny saith That trees generally like best that stand to the North-wind It causeth them to spread thick and more flourishing and makes the Timber more strong and solid The Lord threatneth the Jews with a people from the North-Countrey the Chaldean Army which should carry them captive into Babylon The North wind winnowed them and fanned all their Idolatry They flourished gallantly in Religion after the North wind had blown upon them 1. The cold blasts of poverty correct pride and moderate high thoughts Make a man poor and you make him humble Pride is an absolute enemy to grace and prosperity is the seminary of pride The North-wind of poverty cools the courage and tames the spirits of men and now they know God and themselves Their Plumes fall and now they will digest a reproof and sit upon even ground with the lower Saints When the world frowns upon them they seek the smiles of God before they were too high for him 2. Poverty teacheth them to pray they can now fall upon their knees those that never called upon God learn now to visit the Throne of grace and cry Lord Give us this day our daily bread Nay they long for the spirit of Adoption crying Abba Father Nay those that have prayed in their fulness now pray feelingly They can go to God in sense of wants before they did not hear nor feel their own Prayers In their prosperity they did not care what Prayers they put off God with Now they set the highest rate upon Prayer for they are fain to live upon Prayer An hungry belly makes a Saint hungry after Ordinances and after Gods Presence When a mans debts and poverty make
to go to the Sacrament unsanctified and unprepared as he tempted the Israelites to long for flesh when it was death to long for it While the flesh was yet between their teeth ere it was chewed Numb 11. 33. the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague 4. Satan tempts from duty by plausable reasonings Thus Satan tempts a soul to leave duty and bid farewel to Prayer and Sacraments and Sermons Why so I am not the better by Prayer nor Hearing nor Reading nay methinks I am far the worse and therefore I 'le never hear more nor attend Sacraments more for my condemnation will be the greater To this I answer and observe arm your self thus Answ 1. It is better to perish in duty than out of duty Whatever comes on thee let God find thee doing his will be the event what it will Let death take thee praying and hearing let death take thee waiting upon God for Faith and Grace It is better for thee it should be so because thou art doing thy Masters will And therefore say I 'le pray and dye praying though I be never heard because praying is my duty and for Gods Glory Let me dye in a duty that glorifieth him 2. Thou canst never perish in duties if thou art found in them in Obedience to God thou mayst be like to perish in thy own sense but thou shalt never perish I say if thou art found in them in Obedience to God Obedience never went without success God will lose himself as soon as he will let obedience lose it self Duty may lose a soul but Obedience to God in duty never yet lost a soul to this day 3. It is but a may be if thou perish in duty and in ordinances It is a shall be unto thee to perish out of duty for duty is thy food thou must live by duty If a man eat food it may be he may perish though he doth eat but if he will not take food at all he shall perish so it may be thou mayst perish in praying and hearing and receiving Sacraments but thou shalt certainly perish in the neglect of these 4. God will at last speak to thee in duty for it is his way wherein he will be found God speaks not at first 1. To shew us the worth of the mercy As when a man is hardly intreated to part with a thing it is because it is a thing of some value a mean gift he will part with at the first word or it may be without asking So God gives mean things as riches and honours in this life to men without asking to them that never call upon his name But spiritual mercies as peace of soul joy and assurance of his love these he doth not give suddenly and casily not because he is hard to be intreated for he doth purpose to give them before we ask him but to shew us the worth of those rare and matchless mercies of what value they are of 2. To strengthen and breathe our faith As wrestling doth add strength to arms and body so praying and praying again doth strengthen faith as use and exercise in running strengthens the lungs and lengthens the breath so by much praying faith is well breathed Jacob by wrestling all night is stronger to wrestle in the morning the Angel said Let me go for the Gen. 32. 26. day breaketh and he said I will not let thee go till thou bless me He grew stronger and stronger I will not let thee go he was stronger at last than at the first 3. To keep us in the exercise of some other graces He doth not at first give us assurance of his love to keep us in the exercise of Prayer and longing after his loving-kindness He doth not presently as soon as we ask him Crown us with victory over a temptation that he might keep us in the exercise of humility and self-loathing he denieth us for a while some one comfort or grace for the exercise of another For this thing saith Paul I be sought the Lord thrice that it might 2 Cor. 12. 8 9. depart from me And he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness 4. To let us know that the grace or comfort we ask is his gift of grace of free grace not a debt unto our persons or our prayers that when we have prayed never so long yet he gives freely 5. To discipline us in humble obedience and waiting on him to teach us our place that we may know our selves that it is our duty to wait upon him as long as he pleases and that we may understand his greatness and distance above us God will keep up his place in the hearts of his people and therefore will make them wait long before he gives in the things they pray for Yet I say for all this God will at last speak unto thee in duty for it is his way wherein he will be found He bids thee pray therefore thou shalt speed in Prayer He bids thee hear therefore thou shall meet him one time or other in hearing his word When God seeth a Saint resolves to pray for a mercy promised as soon as ever he begins to pray for it God resolves to bestow it though he doth not manifest it to thee after many a prayer that he will give it See Dan. 9. 23 At the beginning of thy supplications the Commandment came forth that is God hath revealed to us Angels and to me especially the secret of his Counsel concerning the Restauration of Jerusalem Isa 65. 24. and the Duration thereof even to the Messiah 6. Sometimes such is Satans depth a Saint doth sin out of love to Christ You would think this very strange yet it is very true a Saint I say doth commit some sins out of love to Christ Thus Peter sinned fearfully when Christ told them that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the Matth. 16. 21 22. elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed Peter took him and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Peter took him that is took him by the hand and led him aside as they use to do who would talk familiarly with a friend or took him that is embraced him be it far from thee that is thou hast deserved no such shameful death this shall not be unto thee that is we will not suffer thee to go to Jerusalem to be slain or let not this be Peter did all this out of his love to Jesus Christ yet Christ called him Vers 23. Satan So again when Christ washed his Disciples feet Peter would John 13 8. not let Christ wash his feet Thou shalt never wash my feet This was out of love and respect to Christ Peter thought Christ too good to wash his feet and therefore put
he poor soul is as brag and brisk of his little Tenement as he that hath his hundreds and indeed a little grace is a great deal in respect of nothing There 's a vast difference between the least entity and nothing Contradiction which is between ens and nonens is the greatest opposition There is a far greater difference between little and nothing than between little and great for there is some proportion between a little and great but there is no proportion at all between nothing and little between no being and little being because in that which is not there is nothing to answer the Being of that which is though it be never so little 3. Because a new unexperienced Convert thinks he can do a great deal with what he hath As a man that 's in health seeing a log or a burden lying before him thinks that he can easily lift it till he comes to try and a young spark that feels some blood in his veins and vigour in his sinews thinks that he is able to beat or cope with a man of great stature So a young Saint thinks that he is able to do great matters Matth. 20. 22. When Christ asked the Sons of Zebedee Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with They say unto him we are able 4. Because their graces are fresh and lively and active therefore they think they are strong and great 5. The young Convert is unexperienced 1. He knows not what a great measure of grace is required to grapple with a little corruption A sin that is but little in compass hath a great deal of weight in it as a Bullet of Lead that is but little in circumference yet weighs heavy and weighty 2. Satan tempts young Converts by laying burdens upon them 1. To make the way of grace unpleasant to them 2. By laying burdens on them greater than their graces too heavy for their young graces to bear Grace at the first birth is but weak and tender a soul newly sanctified is like a glass you know a fly may walk upon a glass you have oftentimes seen a fly to go up and down being a light body whereas a great weight put upon it would break it and shatter it all to pieces So a light affliction may walk up and down upon a new Convert but a heavy one would break him Now Satan would lay heavy afflictions upon young Saints great burdens upon little Christians 2. He tempts the Saints a while after their Conversion to security lukewarmness and worldliness You seldom see a new convert troubled with these sins for then they are altogether upon the wing they are newly awakened out of sleep and therefore as a man that hath slept a long time and is awakened cannot suddenly fall asleep again so they having slept so long in the bed of nature and being awakened cannot in the morning of their conversion fall asleep presently again and they mind not the world they can do nothing but pray and hear and read and meditate for a while the business of the new life takes them up But I say Satan observes his time and when they have been up and spent a good part of the day then he tempts them to take a nap and after much exercise and glorious duties they fall asleep and grow secure Thus the Angel of the Church of Ephesus he left his first love And the Angel of the Church of Rev. 2. 4. Rev. 3. 15. Laodicea he became luke-warm and was neither hot nor cold 3. Satan tempts them into sin to the worst of sins that 's Satans delight to make the Saints sin as David to adultery 1. Satan brings a Saint into sin by making him confide in his habitual graces as if his inward grace were enough to carry him out against a temptation whereas hadst thou Adams grace without effectual assistance from God it could not uphold thee against one assault Thus he brought Peter upon the stage by making him presume upon his inherent love to Christ and so he fell and lost the day 2. Satan brings a Saint into sin by making him confide in his former experiences Because he hath overcome such a temptation and baffled such a lust therefore he thinks he can do it again or bear the shock of another temptation as strong But though former experience may be our comfort yet it is not our present support Our standing for the future depends not on the former experience but on renewing and corroborating grace from God 3. Satan tempts men into sin by representing the world to them in glory as Satan took Christ into an exceeding high Matth 4. 8. mountain and shewed him all the Kingdoms of the world and the Glory of them Satan can set a curious paint upon foul faces he sets a gloss upon the world and so men become covetous and self-seekers 4. By blowing up old lusts to sparkle afresh as fire almost out may be blown into a flame Like David was blown up 1 Sam. 25. 22. into a wild fire of Revenge that none of Nabals house should live 5. Satan tempts men into sin by perswading them it is for God by making you intend it for the Lord Thus when Israel made the golden calf and committed idolatry Aaron made Exod. 32. 5. proclamation and said To morrow is a feast to the Lord unto whom a feast should have been kept and to him they intended this their service see Satans depth they commit idolatry and pretend it for service to the Lord. Fourthly Satan tempts to duty You will think this a strange phrase that Satan should drive you to duty to pray or hear and that I should call doing duty a temptation 1. Thus Satan tempted Saul to duty to offer sacrifice he should not have offered sacrifice till Samuel came and Satan 1 Sam. 13. 8 9. tempted him to offer sacrifice before Samuel came Satan will tempt us to duty when it is not our duty when duty is a sin he will tempt us to it as sometimes Satan tempts to prayer when we should not neglect our calling sometimes Satan tempts to fasting when we should not neglect our bodies 2. So he will tempt us to duty so as to make duty a cloak for sin As the Israelites thought they might take liberty to sin as long as they served God in his new moons and sabbaths and sacrifices and thus it is with many amongst us they presume the rather to sin because they think to make amends for it afterwards by duty or by some good deeds as Prayer Confession Alms c. an horrible thing to think that God will be thus corrupted and made to wink at our sin But the greatest service will not excuse the least sin 3. He will tempt us to duty when it is death to do the duty Thus he tempts men to the sacrament when it is death