I have had Psal 77. 5. 6. so if any of you besecure ye may remember some thing or other that is past which may awaken you againe hath God never shewed you your damned estate heretofore were ye never sick heretofore and did you not see that if ye had dyed in that case ye had perisht ye may remember that now and awaken your selves and how if God should take you away in such a case as that It cannot be related what a blessing it is that we have a memory But let us come to the third thing and that is this when may the memory be said to be alive I answer there be two parts of the memories deadnesse towards God The first is an aptnesse to forget God and all his commands Secondly an aptnesse to remember those things that are not so good for us now when those two faults are rectified in some measure then the memory is alive towards God First There 's aptnesse in your memories to forget God and all his commands ye know God commands us to remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy Exod. 20. 8. how apt are we to forget it how commonly is it out of our minds so in the 78. Psalme and the 7. verse God sayes there he would not have us sorget his workes but that we should keepe his commandements now O how apt are we to let them leake out of our hearts we have a hellish art of forgetfulnesse how often doe we forget our selves herein and suffer the remembrance of God to be taken away from us ye have forgotten the exhortation that speakes to you as to Children Heb. 12. 5. how often doe we forget to keep our selves unspotted though we be told of the will of God yet any little thing is enough to put it out of our minds stay them not least my people forget it though we be told of our misery and the infinite danger we are in may be at the first it moves us a little but how soon doe we forget it and other things take us up now when this aptnesse is rectified in some measure when God hath a sound impresse on our minds that we must needs remember him and all the things that concerne our peace when there 's a Law in our mindes that we will not forget God as ye may see there in David Blesse thou the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Psal 103. 2. when our memory is sanctified and is made the good Treasury of our heart when the Lord hath lifted up our memory unto him then it is alive Secondly as by nature there 's an aptnesse in our memory to forget God so there 's an aptnesse to remember other things that either are not good for us or not so good we are apt to remember injuries nay one injury will be thought one more then many good turns so likewise idle tales we are apt to remember them whereas good things goe out in our hearts like sparkes in wet tinder We may see this in the hearing of the word the Apostle tearmes us forget sull hearers James 1. 25. if a tale be told us in a Sermon that we can remember how many are apt to carry that way whereas that which is wholesom and might doe us more good how apt we are we to forget that as a Divine sayes our memories are like strainers all the pure milke runneth through but if there be any drosse that stayes behinde or like a grate that lets the pure water run away and if there be any strawes and stickes and filth and mud and dregs that it holds so it is with our memories by nature trifles and toyes and worldly things them we are apt to remember like the Shepheard in York-shire that could remember all his flock he kept a thousand sheep and if one should but change one Sheep and put in another he could tell which it was But for gratious things our memories does soon forget them like Israel they soon forgot all the workes of God Psal 106. 13. now what is this but the corruption deadnes of our memories towards God may be we are apt to excuse it alas we have weak memories true if we were as weake memoryed in other things it were something but when we can remember our pleasures and profits and tales and any thing when we goe to buy weel 'e be sure to remember our selves there when to sell wee 'le be sure to remember our selves there that we will have to the worth if we can But in matters of God there we forget our selves this cannot be excused Now when this is rectified in some measure then our memory is alive when we will rather forget any thing else then God rather forget our selves in all the world then forget our duty towards God when this study is once set up soundly in the soule in some measure now the memory is alive Thus ye see the third thing Now for the fourth that this must needs be the life of the memory I prove it by arguments First because the memory hath hardly any other quickening then the quickening of the man whose memory it is so that when the mans mind is quickened together with his conscience and heart the memory is quickened too as the Prophet sayes I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me Psal 119. 93. that is my memory is quickened up to thy precepts because with them thou hast quickened me for we see commonly that the faculty of memory is much at one after conversion that it was before conversion if it were a weake memory before so it is after onely this as the strength of it was let out towards the world and sinne and selfe before so now the strength of it is in some measure let out towards the best things And therefore what can the life of the memory be but the aptnesse of a man to remember God Secondly because this is the onely practicall memory ye know a man may have an admirable memory to remember Sermons whole Chapters in the Bible and yet have a dead memory to God a Sanctified memory is a practicall memory as the Lord sayes remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy q. d. ye may remember still when the Sabbath is come I this is the Sabbath day that is not it that 's onely a contemplative memory But I would have you have a practicall memory not onely to remember the duty but remember for to doe it for as the contemplative understanding hath a faculty of conserving its species so the practicall understanding hath a faculty of conserving its species too as long as a man hath not this practicall memory it is nothing Because he remembred not to shew mercy Psal 109. 16. marke the Lord does not sinde fault with a man for not remembring of that duty for may be he did remember that I but he did not remember to doe his duty this is
as occasion was offered bring forth out of their Treasuries new and old Who are they that cry down often preaching whatever colour they would seem to have be such as would cover their own shame by backbiting the diligence of any of their brethren Like the Fox in the Fable that because he wanted a taile himselfe to hide his own filthinesse perswaded the other beasts to cut off theirs too pleading forsooth O it is cumbersome and weighty and ye were better be without but the truth was it was onely to hide his own deformity which were it once in fashion to bee without tails should never be espied A worthy Divine cites an excellent admonition of Hierom to Calphurnius upon the like occasion to this That if he wanted teeth himselfe hee should not bee envious against them which were able to eat Beloved I doe urge an equality of labour upon all but this is most certain that we are bound every one of us to honor the Lord with all our strength and to study the edification and salvation of our peoples souls with all our might It is a shame that ever our people should meet together at Church and wee not take compassion upon them to quicken them with some word of exhortation or other The Evangelists note of our Saviour that when he saw a company about him he had compassion on them and taught them Mar. 6. 34. Whereupon was his Sermon in the mount but because hee saw a company about him Whereupon was that Sermon of our Saviour Matth. 13 It was because there was a company of people before him Certainly if we had compassion on our people we would doe so too If we were not too worldly and dead hearted our selves as we are we would never plead against it Many talk much of the Fathers O the Fathers the Fathers and they doe not love these upstart Divines but it were well they would learn of the Fathers Tertullian sayes there was never any publick meeting in his dayes but before the Congregatiō was dissolved they were fed with a Sermon Nay Babington a reverend Bishop among us That a Minister can no more enter into the Congregation without a Sermon and not be guilty then Aaron could enter into the Congregation at any time without death in case hee sounded not his Bells when he entred I might adde many other particulars concerning the manner of preaching wherein all Ministers should agree but these shall suffice for feare I want time 1. They should preach in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power 2. They should preach differencingly putting a distinction between the pretious and the vile 3. They should preach constantly and to the utmost of their endeavours This is the fourth thing wherein all Ministers should agree Fifthly they should agree in seeking of the Lord for a blessing on their labours they should be earnest with God in the behalfe of the people Alas how else doe they expect to convert any men unto God For when we preach what doe we doe We doe but as Gehezi who brought Elisha's staffe to raise the dead child Poore man he could not raise it for though he had Elisha's staffe he had not Elisha's spirit So my brethren we do but bring our Masters staffe and therefore we should intreat him to send down his Spirit otherwise the dead cannot stand up We trim up a Sermon put we trim it well nevertheles what is this but as the rigging of the sails and what will that doe except the wind blow So we should pray that the wind should blow upon our sails then the ship shall goe indeed as our Saviour Christ sayes The wind bloweth where it listeth Joh. 3. 8. The wind is free When we have preached all that ever we can yet the wind is free whether it will blow or no. The Spirit of God is not tied to blow upon our endeavours that they may have good successe What are Organs without breath What is Pauls planting or Apollos his watering without Gods giving of the increase The Apostle tels us it is just nothing 1 Cor. 3. 7. As a Divine makes the similitude when one heard what admirable victories Scanderbegs sword had wrought he would needs see it and when he saw it sayes he This is but an ordinary sword alas what can this doe Scanderbeg did him word I have sent thee my sword but I have the Arm that did all by it So beloved we have Christs sword but we have not Christs arm and therefore let us pray him that he would together with our preaching reach forth his arm and that will doe our people good without this poore Preachers are we all wee may cut at mens sins but they will never off without him wee may shew people the great things of the Gospel we may invite people to come in to lay hold on eternall life but O for Christs arme and therefore we should study as much how to pray as to preach The want of this is that which marres all May be we preach well but we are not earnest with God to give a blessing we doe not bewail the sins of our people we doe not lay to heart the things that provoke Almighty God wee doe not get into the case wherein God may prove all our pains Sixthly Ministers should all agree in the watching over the souls of men Preaching to and praying for our people is not the whole of a Ministers duty but wee should observe our people watch over them as the Apostle sayes Obey them that have the rule over you submit your selves for they watch for your souls Heb. 12. 17. And indeed how can we preach unto the purpose except we watch them that are committed to our charge as Solomon sayes Be thou diligent to know the estate of thy flockes and look well to thy Herds Pro. 27. 23. This was Pauls course to enquire into the estate of people how it fared with them This was the newes that he asked after his desire was to know how grace went forward in the Ephesians hearts I heare of your faith sayes he Eph. 1. 15. It seems he had been asking of it Thus Epaphras told him of the Colossians estate Thus he learned by some of the house of Chloe the state of the Corinthians Nay all men will enquire and hearken after the health of their friends parents if their children be at the University they will listen after them how they goe on in learning So should the Angels of every Church they should listen what courses are in their Town what sinnes break out what corruptions appeare what proficiency the good ones make who grow who decline who stand at a stay who goe aside and wax worse and worse that they may shape their preaching accordingly that their words be fitted in their mouth that they may apt their rebukes their exhortations their uses answerably For then will their Sermons be like Apples of Gold in Pictures
field and give a slash a generall slash at one Corn of the field as though that would fetch down all the Corn No they apply it to the Corn to reap it down The preaching of a Generall Sermon is but a sickle now except it bee applyed to all the people it is not the way to reap in Gods harvest Preachers are called Christs seed-men The sower went out to sow his seed Luk. 8. 5. Now what does the seeds-man does hee onely bring in a sack of seed and powre it all on a heap in the field does hee think that every spot of ground will draw it unto it self No hee sprinkles it and disperses it abroad that every Lea may have its part Whence comes that foolish conceit that reading is Preaching a tenet which many hold the truth is it comes from hence because Generall preaching is made by most Ministers to serve the turn Now if this were Preaching reading were Preaching indeed But this is no preaching preaching is the opening of the Word of God and the applying of it according as every man hath need The not doing of this leaves poore people in their hardnesse and deadnesse of heart This is the first Generall Preaching is such a manner of preaching as leaves the heart dead Secondly Morall Preaching is a dead manner of preaching When Ministers preach honest matter but doe not goe to the quick they strike at the boughes They preach against Drunkennesse and intemperance and malice and hatred and tale-bearing and lying and covetousnesse and making of shews it is very good to preach against these things and wee must too and let them know they are farre from the Kingdome of God that live in these or any other such lusts But alas this is onely to strike at the boughes If we would awake the Conscience indeed wee must preach deeper then so The axe is laid at the roote of the tree Mat. 3. 10. John the Baptist was a lively Preacher now the Text shews hee did not onely strike at the boughes but hee laid his axe at the roote of the tree When Ministers preach onely good morall matter this kinde of preaching does not quicken First Because Morall preaching does not hit all many are very Morall people that have not one whit of grace in their hearts True this may hit some Paul told Felix of his intemperance and how that there was a day of Judgement to judge all such persons this made him tremble Felix trembled saith the Text Act. 24. 25. I say morall preaching may startle some but it does not startle all Many Heathens have been sober and temperate and true in their speeches and just in their dealings and loving in their carriages and painfull in their callings as Paul saith they have done by Nature the things contained in the Law Now yee know the Heathens are without grace and are not acquainted with God neither have they any communion with God Powre out thy wrath upon the Heathen that know thee not Jer. 10. 25. Mark they have no communion with God they doe not know Jesus Christ nor the mysteries of saving Grace So that a man may bee very finely morall and yet bee without grace Now then if a Minister should content himself with good morall teaching many would goe away and conclude well of their own estates though they have no grace Secondly Morall preaching those that it does hit it does them indeed some good but it does them not the good it never quickens them up unto eternall life it seemeth to civillize their lives and to reforme them a little but it never reneweth them neither does it put them into Jesus Christ Let a Drunkard heare hee is a damned wretch if hee do not give over his drunkennesse if this Sermon hit him what does hee say why then I will bee sober and I will never bee a drunkard more And I can tell you this is very rare too But suppose it bee hee may goe to hell for all this Suppose wee doe make all our people morall which were a fine thing if wee could but grant wee could this does not quicken them together with Christ No no a man must see his vile nature and loathe himself and bee made to deny himselfe to mortifie his carnall reason to put off his corrupt will to feele his cursed condition in himself to bee emptyed of himself that Christ may bee all in all to him that hee may bee led by the Spirit of Christ and guided by the word of Christ that hee may hang onely upon the promises of God in Christ that his minde may bee taken up with Christ and his thoughts and affections daily bee laboured to bee fixed upon the things above none are alive unto God but such Now Morall preaching will never doe this God-forbid I should speak against Morall preaching absolutely or against Morality it self it is a very good thing Who will not commend Abimelech for the integrity of his heart that hee pleaded before God Gen. 20. 5. Yee know how the Lord himself liked of it who will not say but that the young man in the Gospel was a very commendable man that had observed all these from his youth Nay the Text saith That Christ in some sense did love him Mark 10. 21. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar what an excellent thing Morality was O! saith he If thou wilt break off thy sins and bee righteous hee means Morall righteousnesse towards man if thou wilt shew mercy to the poore it may bee God will lengthen thy tranquillity Dan. 4. 27. The Prophet Esay tell the Moabites what a deale of good they might doe to themselves if they would but bee morally honest saith hee Take Counsell execute Judgement hide the outcasts let mine out-casts bee with thee Esa 16. 3. Q. d. If thou wilt bee kinde and loving to my people thou shalt fare the better When the King of Babylon punished the wickednesse of Tyre the Lord rewarded them very richly for it I have given him the Land of Egypt for his labour saith God because he wrought for mee Ezek. 29. 20. Morall goodnesse is commended of God as well as spirituall goodnesse in Jesus Christ Nay it is needfull that Ministers should insist very much in pressing of morall duties and the godly are to bee willing to hear such Sermons to look to just dealing to Civill honesty to justice between man and man How aboundant is the Scripture in urging this Theme it is thought by some there is no Divinity in this and such a Minister is not deep enough and why does hee stand so much upon such things as these which the light of nature calls for But these doe greatly erre the Holy Ghost is carefull to urge such duties as these to bee honest Walk honestly towards them that are without saith the Apostle 1 Thess 4. 12. Let us walk honestly as in the day saith hee Rom. 13. 13. Provide things honest in the sight of all men Rom. 12. 17. Nay
you that yee may bee saved I say Christ is anointed with him the Lord hath given him his Spirit in abundance hee hath enough spirit to infuse into all that lay hold upon him as John saith God hath not given the Spirit by measure unto him Joh. 3. 34. No hee hath the holy Spirit without measure hee hath all store of spirituall graces to afford to them that lack a Treasurie of all heavenly blessings to inrich all his poore distressed Members The Reasons of this Point why Christ onely hath the holy Spirit of God to give where hee will are three First Because there is none but hee that God is well-pleased in God is out with all the sonnes of men by reason of sin and wickednesse they are all hatefull unto him they are odious in his sight and the whole world cannot make him and them friends again that ever hee should give them grace and favour much lesse his holy Spirit There is none in whom God is well-pleased but in his Son This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Father and Holy Ghost Both came and rested upon him saying This is the onely Hee in whom I am well-pleased Mat. 3. 16 17. q. d. If yee get him to bee your Advocate take him and come unto mee with him then I will bee friends with you hee may help you with reconciliation with mee hee may get mee to give you my holy Spirit I am well-pleased in him and in none but him This is one Reason so that Christ onely can put his holy Spirit into thy heart and so send thee to his Father As Paul put a loving mediating letter in Onesimus his pocket and so sent him to his Master then hee will bee well-pleased with thee when thou haste Christs Letter of commendation about thee then thou mayest goe to God from day to day and bee accepted with him None can doe this for thee but onely Christ hee onely can put a mediating Letter in thy hand hee onely can give thee the intercessions of his holy Spirit Thousands goe to God in mans duties from day to day and because they are without this Christ hath not given them his holy Spirit therefore they are not accepted God is not pleased with them they pray without his spirit they cry God mercy without his spirit they seek to enter in without his spirit and so they are not admitted Now when a soule comes to Christ God is well-pleased with Christ and therefore Christ can give him this love-token Christ can give him the holy Spirit and so hee shall bee admitted into favour with God God is well-pleased in him As Pharaoh was in Joseph and therefore Joseph could present his Brethren unto Pharaoh Gen. 47. 2. If any bodie else had presented them they should never have found favour but Joseph could put acceptance upon them Pharaoh was well pleased in him So God is well pleased in his Son and therefore he can doe it and none but He. Secondly Another Reason is Because the Holy Spirit of God will never enter into man more except Gods Justice be satisfied God is resolved he will not put up those indignities that men offer unto him except they bring with them one in whom his wrath is appeased As Saint John sayes The Lambe slaine hath seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God Rev. 5. 6. That is hee hath satisfied Gods Justice and therefore he hath the Holy Spirit of God so given the Holy Spirit of God will goe to those men that he hath satisfied Gods justice for I say the Holy Spirit of God will not goe to any man without satisfaction if any one will shew him satisfaction then the Spirit of God will say I will goe where you will have mee onely let mee have satisfaction Now Beloved Christ onely can say to the Holy Spirit come a-long with me to this man here 's a satisfaction unto Justice Therefore he only hath the Spirit at his dispencing And therefore if any man would have Gods Holy Spirit he must bring the Lambe Divine slaine with him to God Lord here I have the Lamb slaine and now let me see thy face now let mee have thy Spirit as David said to Abner bring me Michol or never thinke to see my face 2 Sam. 3. 13. q. d. never come to me except thou bring mee my Michol with thee The bringing of Michol with him this might helpe him to see the Kings face So Beloved when a man getteth the Lord Jesus Christ and brings him with him to God this may helpe him to Gods Holy Spirit Bring him along with thee and thou shalt see my face thou shalt have my holy Spirit Neither will God send thee his Holy Spirit neither will the Holy Spirit come to thee otherwise Christ onely hath him to give Have Christ and have him Thirdly another Reason is why Christ hath the Holy Spirit to give Because he is flesh of our flesh and Bone of our Bone and wee may goe to him hee is the fittest to have him to give because he being man aswell as wee wee may make bold to goe to him My Brethren wee are not able to goe to God for any thing much lesse for his Spirit wee are not able to looke upon him immediately as a man is not able to looke upon the Sun-Beames in their strength specially if hee have sore eyes But let him get a Scarfe or a Cypresse and now hee may Now the Sun-beames will shine upon him through the Cypresse and not hurt him The Scarfe is able to convey unto him the Sunne-beames without dazling of him So beloved Christ is able to convey the Holy Spirit of God into any man our sore Consciences may look up to God through him he moderates Gods looke hee can make us looke God in the face in a comfortable manner Now we may aske any thing of him even his Holy Spirit and he will give him as the Apostle sayes By him we have boldnesse Eph. 3. 12. O beloved they are great things that we need We have need of such great matters that when the Conscience is awakened it can have no hope to obtaine that God should pardon such vile wrecthes as we that he should accept of such poore services as ours that he should love such filthy ones as wee are that he should give us a Kingdome and his owne Holy Spirit to enliven us to establish our hearts to be an earnest of Heaven to us how can we hope he will give us such infinite mercies Now the Lord hath put all these Blessings into the hands of his Sonne Jesus Christ that is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones Now we may boldly goe to him for them As Moses when his face shone Aaron was afraid to come neare him Exod. 34. 30. Therefore hee put a vaile over his face Now Aaron and others were able to come nigh him so before none were able to come to God for any thing
but now the Lord hath put a vaile of flesh upon himselfe by incarnating his owne Son now we may make bold The use of this is First Is it so that Christ hath the seven Spirits of God Then what hath he not He is an all sufficient Saviour He is Gods Steward God hath put all his goods into his hands No man can be assured of any thing that is good but by comming unto him All things are delivered to me of my Father Mat. 11. 27. That is I have all my fathers goods in my hand Favour Pardon Mercy Grace Comfort Heaven it selfe yea and his holy Spirit and all I have the distributing of them all He is the store-house whither all needy soules are to goe He is full of all manner of good things as John saies Of his fulnesse have we al received Joh. 1. 1â— Looke what grace any of the Saints have they have it all of him he is Gods Conduit-pipe the Lord opens himselfe only in him he is the tap he lets out Gods Blessings and Graces and Spirit like a sluce Hee is the Lord Treasurer of Heaven and Earth As Joseph in Egypt if any one would have Corne they must goe to Joseph for it if they came to Pharaoh but for a pecke or a gallon presently he sent them to Joseph so the Lord sends all that will have any drop of mercy to his Sonne if yee will not goe to my Sonne yee shall not have one drop yee shall dye in your sinnes This is my welbeloved Sonne sayes hee looke yee heare him hearken to him obey him be ruled by him bow down unto him doe as he bids you if ye anger him and will not stoop unto him if your hearts will not burst if your minds will not off from the world and other things and be wholly intent unto him if yee slight him and suffer vain things to draw away your affections and thoughts and meditations from him there is no redemption for you No Salvation but onely by beleeving in his name he hath all the seven Spirits of God no Spirit of Grace at all can be had but onely of him he was the Rocke that Moses must stand on that the glory of Gods goodnesse might passe before him Secondly Another use is hath Christ the seven Spirits of God then wee are without excuse if wee be without the Holy Spirit of God Christ hath him to give and yet how few will seeke him of Jesus Christ as Christ sayes Yee will not come unto me that yee might have life Joh. 5. 40. That is if yee would come unto me I would make your dead hearts to live I would quicken you to all goodnesse I would powre my Holy Spirit upon you But you will not come unto me for it This makes us without excuse That Christ hath the Spirit in him for all that have a minde to him and wee have no minde How few among you to this very day have gotten yet Gods Holy Spirit Yee pray but yee have not the spirit of supplieation to pray by to lift up your hearts to enliven your desires to be able to wrestle with God to any purpose no Spirit of grace stirring in you When ye come to the house of God ye heare Sermons but the Holy Ghost does not fall upon you to make them effectuall and mightie in operation to convert you to God to knocke off your base lusts yee are dead in all holy duties voide of all Heavenly graces dull to every good thing even as the Body without the spirit is dead Nay the Spirit of the world dwelleth in most men tying and glving them to the things here below and will not let them savor and rellish the things of Heaven Whereby they cannot cease from sinne nor work the works of God Rare is that man now-a-dayes that hath the Holy Spirit of God remaining in him in any measure nay if people were asked whether they have the Spirit of God yea or no their owne Conscience could answer No they have not they never felt any such Divine ghuest their earthlinesse and lumpishnesse of heart in all the ordinances of God their unaquaintednesse with God their unsettlednesse and nakednesse and blindnesse in all the wayes of peace plainely does declare it and yet they will not come unto Christ that they might have life he hath the seven Spirits of God and yet they cannot finde in their hearts to be instant and earnest with him when Pharaoh appointed Joseph to distribute corne to all comers Goe to Joseph sayes he Gen. 41. 55. the Text sayes all Countries came to Joseph for Corne because the famine was sore in all lands But God hath appointed his own Sonne to be a dispencer of the Spirit and there is a sore want of the spirit every where in all Townes and Parishes and yet hardly any will come in Certainely this is the condemnation that men intend their pleasure and their profits and every outward thing and never seeke to Jesus to have the Holy Spirit of God For First many of us have hard hearts that cannot melt at our owne sinnes nor the publike provocations whereby God is provoked nor the generall calamities of the Church our hearts are like a stone and wee are not affected nor can be affected no relenting at the Word no bleeding in any other good dutie nothing moves us the spirit could soften yea and take the stone away and Christ saies hee would give him unto us if we did desire him I will put a new Spirit within you and take the stony heart out of the flesh Ezek. 11. 19. Hee hath spirit enough in him to doe it and yet we will not sue to him but in a feigned manner and so a hard heart possesseth us still which marres all our familie-duties and all that wee doe in the publike assemblies nothing comes of all that wee doe If our foolish hearts would come downe to be fervent after Christ this might be be remedied He hath the seven Spirits of God for the nonce But a spirit of slumber bewitches us and and nothing can awaken us to this very day Never was there a more hard-hearted time never more hard-hearted Christians nummed and past feeling wishing indeed the things mought be mended but never putting forth our hand to have them mended Secondly scarce any of us can pray but in a blunt-hearted-wise our prayers never stirre Heaven never give so much as a lift to any of our lusts neither are they any whit answerable to the miseries that are on us whether Personall or Nationall the spirit could helpe us and enlarge us as Paul saies of the good Romans Yee have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby yee cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. and Christ hath this Spirit in his hand to give But we would rather sit woulding and yawning then be downe on our knees before God Every one almost hath heavy things that he is consciencious of terrible guiltines horrible
people that would not bee satisfied with what teaching they had in their own Synagogues Now I say if every Parish had its severall shining Starre this would not bee Fourthly When some Parishes have their Starres and many have not This casts in a bone of discord between Ministers for they that are idle and vain and scandalous will envy them that spend themselves in giving light Again the people of such Parishes have many times occasion of conversing together and falling into one anothers company Now how will this harden one anothers hearts when people shall say Gods blessing on our Ministers heart hee does not meddle or make with us wee may doe what wee will for all him who would dwell in such a Parish as yours is wee hear hee keeps a horrible stirre with you hee will not let you alone you cannot bee merry now and then but you are sure to heare of it hee is so strict forsooth and so precise you must have preaching forenoon and afternoon and there is such adoe to get precise Constables that you cannot bee quiet What a wofull thing is this how does this harden the Countries hearts The Use of this is first this shews what a miserable thing it is when a Land is darkened that hath but a few starres May bee here one and there one but most places are in darknesse and have none Beloved this is a sign of the wrath of God God is wroth with such a Land and powres his wrath upon such a people as the Prophet sayes Through the wrath of the Lord of Hoasts is the Land darkned Esa 9. 19. Again secondly you that have your stars shining among you how are you to blesse God when there are so many places in the world that have none Suppose the Harvest should bee comming and the earth hath great need of rain to plump up the eares the Corn is quite spoyled for want of rain if it doe not rain Alas our Corn will bee burnt up and prove little worth Now if God should rain upon your fields and not upon your Neighbours Your Closes and Leizes have raine but on the other side of the hedge there is none What a speciall mercy is this unto you As God sayes I have caused it to rain upon one City and caused it not to rain upon another one piece was rained upon and the piece whereupon it rained not withered Amos 4. 7. is not this a great mercy to the owner of that ground where the rain falls and does not fall else-where so my Brethren you that have the spirituall rain in your particular parishes what a mercy of God is it unto you when so many Parishes have not one drop of it Again thirdly let us take heed lest those few starres that yet bee set upon us and so wee bee all in darknesse wee have a little rain yet here and there some O let us repent and be more forward to bring forth more fruit if wee continue to provoke God with our unfruitfulnesse as wee doe that little shall be taken away from you When Gods Vineyard in Judah became barren and brought forth no grapes but wild ones What sayes God I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it Esa 5. 6. q. d. I will take away all the rainy clouds yee shall have clouds still but they shall be clouds without rain starres without light and heat Ministers that shall doe you no good this is a fearfull case and yet God will bring it upon us for a certain if wee doe not take heed There be six signs of all the starres vanishing away that God will take away those few starres those few godly Ministers away that are left First when people will not walk in the light while they have the light As our Saviour Christ sayes Yet a little while is the light with you walk while yee have the light lest darknesse come upon you Joh. 12. 35. q. d. yee have the light a little while the Lord lets you have it hee lets it stay with you a little while longer but if ye will not walk in the light the light shall bee gone and yee shall bee in darknesse this is an evident signe that the light will surely away from us what a deale of light is yet held before our faces and scarce any have a heart to walk in it When servants are idle and will not mend their cloathes in the day time at spare houres why should the Master allow them any candle so we have a day among us and people will not bestirre themselves they goe all rent and tottered in their garments they care not for doing of their businesse therefore the Lord will allow them no candle he will put out all the lights Secondly when people grow deader and deader when they forsake their first love they were once more earnest for heaven more tender in Conscience more eager for good things more lively in Prayer more zealous in holy duties but now they abate and slacken they are told of it and yet they doe not amend when it is once come to this passe the Lord will remove the faithfull Ministery of his Word To what end should he let it stay any longer as Christ sayes to Hphesus Remember from whence thou art falne and repent and doe the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candle-stick out of its place except thou repent Rev. 2. 5. this is another signe of the Ministeries departing away from us Candle and candle-stick will away for wee will not amend Wee have been told of our formality we have heard whole Sermons against our luke warmnesse and against our declinings and yet nothing wil fetch us up again Wee will not think soundly from whence wee are falne we will not bee perswaded to doe our first works our hearts are grown senselesse and nothing can pluck them up therefore how can wee hope but our candlestick will bee removed and quickly too Thirdly when people wax weary of Gods Ordinances they are even cloyed with them like the Israelites there in Amos when will the New Moon bee gone that wee may fell corn when will the Sabbath bee over that wee may set forth Wheat Amos 8. 5. q. d. here is such adoe with Lectures and Sermons wee can hardly have time for our Markets such adoe with the Sabbath it is so tedious so irksome wee are not able to hold out Prayers in the Family come so fast about and duties come so thick wee have hardly any space for our other businesses Ministers require so much of us Sermons are so strict Sacrifices are so often we can have no breathing thus people are cloyed they are full fed they care not much if they had lesse nay some will not stick to say it and others that in their hypocrisie will not say it yet they have no stomack no appetite there is so much Word that they are not able to
and therefore hee is a blasphemer of God that gets the name of it and lets the thing alone and therefore how shoud wee take heede how wee have the name for Religious people except wee bee Religious indeed and holy indeede and Heavenly indeede as Ambrose sayes nam â—it nomen inane crimen immane a bare name is a horrible blame unto any man whosoever he be Thirdly it is a flat lie when a man hath the name for a good Christian and hath not the thing signified by the Name this is a flat lie as God sayes Note it in a Booke that it may be for time to come for ever and ever that this is a rebellious people lying children children that will not heare the Law of the Lord Isaiah 30. 8. 9. that is they had the name of his children but they had not the thing signified by that name they would not doe as children should doe they would not bee ruled by their fathers Lawes therefore they are lying children they lie in bearing such a name the Lord notes it in a Booke that it might stand for ever and ever against them at the day of judgement this was nothing else but to lie before God you goe for my children what and will not doe as I bid you you lie in haveing the name of my children when a man shall have the name of a child of God or the name of a Minister of the Lord Jesus or the name of a Christian baptized into Christ hee had need to take heed what hee does for if he doe not answer this name hee does but play the Ananias to lie to the Holy Ghost Looke into thy generall calling looke into thy particular looke into thy carriage looke into thy manner of good duties whether thou doe behave thy selfe answerably to this holy name whereby thou art called knowing thou dost but lye to God if thou dost not Fourthly it is an unreasonable thing when a man hath not the thing there is no reason that hee should have the name when God gave Abram the name of Abraham hee told him there was a reason why hee should bee called by that name thy name shall bee called Abraham for a Father of many Nations have I made thee Genesis 17. 5. so it is an unreasonable thing why wee should have the name of Gods servants or Christians unlesse there bee some reason why wee should have the imposition of this name now when wee make it a bare title and doe not obey Christ nor make conscience of all his holy waies this is very unreasonable as Abigail reasoned about her Husbands name as his name is so is hee Nabal is his name and folly is with him 1 Samuel 25. 25. So my brethren as our name is so should we be if Christian be our name true Christianity should bee with us humility love meekenesse patience faith holinesse and all other parts of Christianity should be with us now if we have the name without these things intimated by the name this is a very unreasonable thing nay it is not onely unreasonable but also ridiculous who will not count the names that the Papists give to their blockish Friers ridiculous subtilissimus Doctor Doctor Angelicus Seraphicus these are ridiculous as a drunkard a Christian a whoremonger a Christian a worldling a Christian a vaine man a Christian what a ridiculous thing it is to call such the Saints of God strangers here on earth such as have their conversation in Heaven such as are buried together with Christ in his death such as are men of another World mortified justified sanctified crucified to themselves loving the things above and not the things that are here beneath If these things doe not agree with us what a ridiculous thing is it that wee should bee termed good Christians here bee Christians indeed this is a meere mockery Fifthly it is an impudent thing when we have a name to live and to be wrought upon by the word what an impudent thing is it if we doe not looke to it that wee be so indeed one would thinke wee should blush to thinke what a name wee have and how little wee make good our name between God and our owne soules When the men of Bethlehem said is not this Naomi O how she was ashamed of her selfe call me not Naomi call me Marah for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me Ruth 1. 20. so when wee are named Christians we should even blush call me not a Christian call me a wretch call me a vile creature a hell-hound a limme of the Devill a cursed sinner for the Almighty never yet turned my heart he never yet purified my Soule and life I never yet have resembled Christ to this very day I say the most of us should even be confounded to thinke what a name wee have I a Christian and doe no more good and live no better life I a Christian and not humbled not abased yet before God so dull to all goodnesse so carnall so dead to all Gods Ordinances so voide of all grace so sencelesse of my sinnes how can this be wee are impudent if wee have our name for naught our name may upbraide us the good opinions that others have of us may fill our faces with shame to thinke how short we come of it Sixthly it is an inexcusable thing if we have a name to be alive wee are without excuse if wee be not First because now out of our owne mouthes God will judge us wee said wee were his people wee tooke the name of his servants why then he will say why had I not your service why would you doe no more for me why were you coveteous why were you proud why were you hard-hearted why were you so carelesse of me you wore my livery you shrouded your selves under my name So the Lord did with the Jewes that had the name of his children and servants see how he judges them out of their owne mouth a Sonne honours his Father and a servant his Master if then I be a Father where is my honour and if I be a Master where is my feare Malachi 1. 6. q. d. you say I am your Father and I am your Master and I am your God well out of your owne mouthes I will judge you why then did you honour me no more why did yee regard mee no more yee cared not for mee yee did not looke after mee you had little or no heart after me your owne mouthes have even cast you Secondly ye can have no other excuse can you say you could not beleeve in my name ye could not forgoe such and such lusts at my command why then would you goe for my servants you should have said so plainely and not daily have come into my Courts as if you would obey me nor taken up the profession of my Worship as if you would goe through stitch with it why would you come to my Table
and therefore it awakens the soule to be earnest to please him in all things for the time to come the soule was dead and carelesse and drowzie and neglectfull of obedience goodnesse holinesse humility purenesse strictnesse precisenesse of walking it cared not for these things afore but when true repentance comes in it wheeles about the life of the soule towards God now the cares shall be to him now the endeavours make after him paines labours cautious watchfulnesse considerativenesse studious striveings and all 's active that way now so that if a man be still dead his repentance is false Againe to goe over all the duties of religion they all must be done with life to doe them with a dead heart is as good as not to doe them at all First prayer suppose we pray at Church and pray in our families and pray in our closets is this all to pray with a dead heart as if we cared not whether we sped or no no pullings of our heart downe before God no wrastlings with God for what we aske no liftings of our soules up no fastnings of our minds upon his presence no cryes no mournings no importunity but the heart as lumpish and unweldy as a stone is this praying no sayes David quicken us O Lord that we may call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. Secondly for hearing of the word It is not thy hearing of it so many times a weeke though thou must heare it as often as ever thou canst and those that will not no hearing as frequently as they may are high despisers of God his Ordinances but yet if thou hearest the word with a dead heart thy hearing is made as no hearing it is said of those primitive converts that they were pricked in their hearts as they were hearing Act. 2. 37. they onely got good by their hearing they heard the word with life so it is said of many of Christs hearers they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they laye upon him they preased upon him Luk. 5. 1. in another place it is said that they hung upon him they were attentive and eager to him our Saviour Christ says it is a very great judgement to be dull of hearing Matth. 13. 15. when people set as if the word did not concerne them when they heare without any motion or affection the word hardly joggeth their hearts it hardly shaketh their conscience at all the word does neither delight them nor wound them nor pierce them it heales none of their sinnes it cannot get betweene them and their lusts when they have heard a Sermon they goe away just as they came they sinde nothing now to doe it does not dragge them one jot more out of the world nor an inch neerer heaven their carriage is much at one as it was when they come home it cannot be perceived that ever they were at the word as earthly as ever as carnall as ever as backward to all goodnesse as ever this is no hearing at all Thirdly for sanctifying of the Lords day it is said of the Sabboth that we should call it our delight Isa 58. 13. that is we should keep it with life it should even quicken up our hearts to think it is coming we should be revived to consider Gods goodnesse that he would give us such a day seeing we have so much need of it when we have been six dayes about our owne businesse in the world that we should have a seventh given us of God lest we should be over head and ears in the world to take off our hearts now when this is no delight to us our hearts are dead to it we doe not sanctifie it indeed but prophane it as though it were not honorable and the house of the Lord. Fourthly for taking hold of an opportunity to doe good this is a duty too to be done with all life how glad should we be if there be any opportunity for us to shew our love to God or our hatred to sin we should be willing to ride or goe or be at charges nay we should deny our selves and lay downe our gaines and credits and goods and friends and all that we have at Christs Foot and blesse God that gives us such a price in our hands but now we have a dead heart to this what a horrible thing is this though we doe take the opportunity yet to goe about it as though we were sorry that God hath given it unto us this is meere folly as Solomon sayes Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a Foole to get wisedome seeing he hath no heart to it Proverbs 17. 16. Fifthly In one word for all the wayes of God there 's neere a one of them all that can be walkt in aright without a live heart as the Prophet sayes Lord turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy way Psal 119. 37. now when we goe dreamingly on as though we could not doe withall though the way be God's yet our going in it is stark naught and little better then not going in it at all and therefore the Lord accepts not of it when we humble our selves before God to hang downe our â—eads â—ike a bull-rush it 's naught it 's naugh the Lord cannot away with it when we conferre about the word or any gracious and Godly theme to speake as if we had no saveur of it no pleasure in it when our hearts would rather be on another subject and never lin till they have wound all good talke out if we speake one word to edification there shall be twenty to that one that shall serve to no other end but to the hardening of one another when Christ and the two disciples were communing together their hearts burned in them did not our hearts burne within us while he talked with us by the way Luk. 24. 32. that was talking with life But when our hearts are as cold as a flint this we may call talking but holy conference it cannot be termed Thus ye see a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all no grace is without life no duty can be done without life the reasons of this are First because this is all one as to have no grace at all though a man be a member of the congregation of the Lord though he have the seales of the covenant and professe the faith of Jesus and be as morall in his life as ever any of the heathen and as full of good duties as ever any hypocrite was and more too yet if he have not life yet he is but a tinckling cymball he hath no grace at all I meane no saving grace at all saving grace the Apostle cals it the grace of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. It is the grace of life it breeds life in him that hath it it makes him alive towards God it lets out the life of his heart in every good word and worke it makes him pray with life
to sinne we should be willing to ride or goe or be at charges nay we should be willing to deny our selves to lay downe our names and goods and friends and respects and all that we have at Christs foot and blesse God that gives us such a price in our hands But now to have a dead heart to this what a horrible thing is it though we doe take the opportunity yet to goe about it as though we were sorry that God hath given it unto us This is meere folly as Solomon sayes wherefore is there a price in the hand of a foole to get wisdome seeing he hath no heart to it Prov. 17. 16. But I will not repeat any more you see now that a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all I shewed you the reasons of this point but I will let them passe I come now to the uses And first this is for the reproof of the deadnesse that is now among us the Lord may say to us as he did unto Sardis I know thy workes thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead for notwithstanding the great means of life that the Lord hath placed among us O how does deadnesse of heart reigne we are like them the Prophets speakes of that drew nigh to God with their mouth and honoured him with their lips but their heart was far from him Matth. 15. 8. they had no heart to his holy worship So it is with most of us we draw nigh to God with our outward man but our heart is farre from him no heart to prayer no heart to the word we heare it peradventure but no heart to it at all how ordinarily doe we come to Gods house but heartlesnes hath dominion over the most of us the doctrine of the Gospell does not quicken up our hearts we deale with it as Phinehas his wife did with her Sonne when the women about her told her she had a Sonne the text sayes she did not regard it So what little regard have we of the Gospell of God! I stretched out my hands and no man would regard Prov. 1. tell us of our damned estate by nature how cursed we are from the wombe what infinite need we have to be sensible of it we know it but how dead is our knowledge of it it does not stirre up our hearts to consider of it neither does it prick us so much as the pricking of a pin tell us of the the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ his precious bloud his passion and merits whose heart is enlivened and quickened up by them nay our soules are hardly moved at all at the hearing of them Tell us of the Kingdome of heaven the marriage Supper of the lamb his Oxen and his fatlings O they are all ready come Sirs come to the marriage we are even as they in the parable they made light of it Matth. 22. 5. these things are made as if they were of no moment as if they were light matters they finde poore entertainement at our hands what little irk somnesse do we feele in sinne what little dejectednesse of heart what little remorse of conscience nay few know by experience what humiliation meanes we can confesse in our prayers how vile we are and how unworthy and how wretched and sinnefull but as though these were words of course our hearts are so dead that there is little or no relenting at it we can say we are undone if God doe not heare us our prayers are all nothing except they be with faith and life and yet who strives to awaken and rowze up himselfe we can say O how are we beholding to God for life for health for his daily good providence for his patience his bounty and we can say it is not the bare naming of his Blessings before him that is counted thanksgiving without being affected with his infinite goodnesse and yet who does unseignedly labour to be affected with them from day to day no body of us dares deny but that we should set the Lord alwayes before us tthat he may be at our right hand and yet who hath the heart to provoke this hereunto The devill may be of their right hand not God for all the pains that they take to have him there So that dead-heartednes is a common evill now a dayes as Christ saies of the last times Because iniquity shall abound The love of many shall waxe Cold Matth 24. 12. so it is now because iniquity abounds the most are prophane and dissolute and licentious and loose therefore many that profession love to Jesus Christ their love does grow cold and dead no life heardly at all no signe that they are alive from the dead if they doe beleeve after a manner there 's all they doe not live in Jesus Christ if they have any hope of mercy or heaven that 's all they have it is not a lively hope that may quicken them up in Gods holy wayes if they doe see their sinnes there 's the utmost it is a dead sight that does not excite them up unto strictnesse and precisenesse of living if they doe follow good and godly duties alas there be few that doe so but if they doe goe so farre it is cleane without heart and life as though any thing would serve Gods turne well enough what a horrible thing i' st when a dead Christian is as good as no Christian all No matter how many Christians we have alas none of us are true but such as are alive from the dead Secondly is it so that a dead Christian is even as good as no Christian at all then learne hence my Brethren what a dangerous thing it is to be a dead hearted Christian First all that we doe with a dead heart 't is as good as nothing as Paul sayes of love had we all faith and all knowledge yet if we have not love we are nothing 1 Cor. 13. 2. Whatsoever we doe if we doe not doe it out of love all 's nothing so I may say of life whatsoever good duty we doe if we doe not doe it with life it is but a dead worke and therefore it is no more then nothing when the prophet David would doe good duties so as to doe them to good purpose indeed you shall see how he labours against a dead heart Quicken me after thy loving kindnesse so shall I keepe the Testimony of thy mouth Psal 119. 88. so we may say too Lord quicken me after thy loving kindnesse so shall I preach so shall I heare so shall I doe thy holy will so shall I goe up and downe doing good now as long as a man does it with a dead heart it is even all one as if a man had not done it at all a dead man is no man as the Apostle sayes God quickens the dead and calls things that are not marke dead things are no things so dead workes are no workes as Solomon sayes There is
runnes on that whether it be God or the creature if thy minde be quickened up towards God then thy minde runnes on him from day to day how thou mayest approve thy selfe unto him how thou mayest pertake of his favour how thou mayest eschew the temptations of Satan how thou mayest follow after Christ be sensible of thy sinnes be affected towards holy duties does thy minde runne on such things this is it Thirdly The considering of the minde when the minde lookes cursorily on things what 's this but the lookes and remissenesse of the minde now when the minde comes to consider seriously of them now it quickens up it selfe as Moses sayes Know and consider that God he is God Deut. 4. 39. that is doe not onely know that 's but a dead thing but stirre up thy selfe and consider wishly of it hath the Lord turned about thy minde that now thou hast begun to have a considering frame in thy minde to ponder thy wayes to weigh the Sermons that thou hearest as it is said of Mary she pondered Christs words in her heart now thou considerest how to pray how to come to Gods ordinances how to carry thy selfe in thy calling now thou doest not goe haire-brainely on his before but thou takest things into consideration Fourthly the remembring of the minde when the mind knowes how to doe well but the man does it not he forgets himselfe every day what 's this but the deadnesse of the minde if the minde be alive to a thing it will be sure to remember it selfe of that Can a maid forget her Ornaments but my people have forgotten me Jer. 2. 32. therefore they are dead-hearted towards me can a man forget to put on his clothes in the Morning Can the worlding forget to plough his fields in time to reape his Corne when it 's ripe to milk his kine at night nay certainely hee 'le be sure to remember such things why his minde is alive to them if he should chance to forget himselfe for a fit by and by he remembers himselfe so if the minde be alive towards God it hath a remembring disposition towards him O sayes David I will not forget thy word Psal 119. 16. Fifthly the inventing and devising and plotting and ploding and contriving of the minde if the minde be alive towards God these Acts goe towards God too as the Prophet sayes A liberall man will be devising liberall things Isa 32. 8. Let a man be of weake parts that 's all one yet when it is alive to the world it 's a strange thing to see how witty some are for the world to gather pelfe they have great reaches in these things so when a man is alive toward God though he be of weak parts yet how witty he will be for good things what pretty devises to do good to understand evill to shunne offences to balke occasions of sinne as Paul sayes I caught you with guile 2 Cor. 12. 16. whence comes the blockishnesse of our mindes towards the best things but meerly of deadnesse if our minds were more alive they would help us to preach help us to pray help us with matters for edifying discourse they would help us from a 1000 snares they would be the more active they would sooner smell a lust spy Satan observe the dealings of God Sixthly The judgement of the mind when the minds lust dictate is for God when a man is judicious this is it that leads men a days their judgements not all their knowledge nay learning you shall have many a learned man will use to play the foole and does every day very foolishly because his Judgement is foolish the reason is a mannever takes any course nor speakes any word nor thinkes any thought but first his judgement tels him it is best to doe so at that time never does the drunkard turne in at the Ale-house but his judgement sayes to his will choose to turne in you will say it may be he knowes he ought not to do so I but it is not mens knowledge that leads men but mens judgements when mens judgement sayes this is not for me this is most pleasant this is most profitable this is most honourable this is most delightfull now when the judgement of the minde is in some measure set towards God now the minde is quickened as David sayes I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Psal 119. 128. that is by the mercy of God I have good judgement be the way what it will be though never so pleasing to the flesh still my judgement sayes choose Gods way that 's ever more best Thus farre we proceeded the last day namely to learne or see what is the quickening of the minde that ye may know whether our understanding be dead or alive now what remaines but this that we all labour for such an understanding many of us understand much so much that if it were quickened up to us it would doe us a world of good if we did use to apply it and make it our owne if we would give our mindes to it if we would ponder it and seriously weigh it and remember it for our use in all our wayes if we had a devising minde for good a minde plotting for heaven and continuing how we may best glorifie God and secure our owne soules A judicious minde a practicall minde This is a good understanding indeed as the Prophet sayes a good understanding have they that doe thereafter Psal 111. 10. when what we understand does not lye dead in our heads but our mindes are quickened up to it this is a good understanding my brethren this understanding is not to be had in Books God onely can help us with it as David sayes O Lord give me understanding and I shall live Psal 119. 144 you will say what need he keep such a stirre for understanding had not he the Law before his eyes could not he read there and get understanding O but it will be all dead Lord unlesse thou give me understanding from above if thou wilt give me understanding then I shall live Now I come to the heart to search what the life of the heart is every Act of the heart is not an argument of life First there be outside Acts of the heart people thinke if they doe not dissemble before men then they are no Hypocrites O they are hearty they say as there is an outside of the outward man so there is an outside of the heart Thou mayest be hearty in some sort in good duties and yet be starke dead namely if it be onely the outside of thy heart my Sonne keepe my saying in the midst of thy heart Prov. 4. 21. not in the outside of thy heart no no. I would have the inside of thy heart too a man that is alive to the world the world hath not onely the heart but the very inside of the heart the word
will not let you doe otherwise alas ye may doe it thus with a dead heart but doe it willingly doe it out of an inward principle no obedience is good without it be done with an inward principle if ye be willing and obedient Isa 1. 19. that is if ye obedient with an inward principle of obedience I this is it indeed Thus you see an absolute will is the life of the heart Now least any should be deceived I shewed you what this absolute will of the heart is I shewed you first it is the inclination of the heart ye know the heart that is alive to the world all its inclinations are that way and therefore the will runnes mainely out that way but its averse from God backward to all heavenly things now when the will is absolutely set towards God God inclines it towards him and makes it incline it selfe as David sayes I have inclined my heart to performe thy statutes alwayes even to the end Psal 119. 112. it may be the world may wonder that any man should be so strict as some are to forgo the pleasures of the flesh as some doe be so precise and so taken up with God as some are the reason is this their wills are absolutely set that way the Lord hath inclined them Secondly the intention of the heart we have a saying in Divinity voluntas ut natura vult finem the heart naturally wills it own ends looke what men aime at looke what they would have what they beat at what they drive at that they will naturally that they will eagerly now when the hearts intentions are towards God then the will is absolutely towards him Beloved what is it ye would have what doe ye drive at a dayes what is the souls scop if that be God if that be to commune with him if that be to please him doubtlesse ye are alive towards God for then the wills are absolutely to him This is a rare worke and therefore true grace of life is a rare thing for how few doe attaine this you come to Church if God were your aime certainly ye would heare otherwise then ye doe many would ye set in your pewes so as ye doe if your aime were to please God or that the word should direct you if this were your aime ye would heare in another gats manner so when ye discourse if your meaning and aime were O now I will discourse to be edisied would ye talke so loosely as ye do nay ye would speake more to the purpose a great deale you may see this in Paul what made him so eager to deny himselfe I count all things drosse and dung sayes he O sayes he the intention of my heart is to Christ that I may know him c. Phil. 3. 10. But I must hasten Thirdly the election of the heart ye know all our life is in Bivio There be two wayes in everything there be two wayes of thinking two wayes of speaking two wayes of doing the one godly the other not There be two wayes in eating and drinking in sleeping and waking in studying in praying and in all our cariages one gracious and the other not now which doe your hearts choose if your hearts have such a disposition to choose the gracious way then your wills are set absolutely that way there ye are alive as David sayes I have chosen the way of truth Psal. 119. 30. marke he had this disposition in him to choose the true way Fourthly the conversation of the heart the heart ever shunnes something or other every day and houre the heart puts off something or other now what does thy heart shun every day does it shun things offensive to thee or things offensive to God if thy will be set absolutely towards God then thy hearts shunnings will run there in things displeasing to him as the Prophet sayes I have refrained my feet from every evillway that I may keep thy word Psal 119. 101. Fifthly the appreciatings of the heart or the estimations of the heart what 's the hearts Jewell that the hearts will is absolutely to now doe but thinke what does thy heart prize most of all what 's dearest to thee O sayes Paul I doe not count my life deare so that I may finish my course Act. 20. 24. this was his hearts Jewell how he might doe the worke that God set him to doe how he might finish his course Gods commandements were dearest to him not his owne credit but Gods glory Sixthly the savouring of the heart this is another piece of the hearts will something there is that the heart savours most Now doth thy heart savour the things of God most thou savourest a businesse where there is profit I but doest thou savour Gods word most canst thou finde the best relish of all in holy duties canst thou savour life in them as Paul sayes there 's the savour of life in these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. Seventhly the cares of the heart This is another signe of the hearts absolute will worldly minded men are full of cares above the things of the world but art thou full of cares about heaven does heaven fill thy head full of cares about it how thou mayst get it c. Thus ye heard what an absolute will is Now because when the will is made absolutely to be for God yet there is an unwillingnesle in the same will in regard of the unregenerate part therefore I shewed you there be other acts of life in the heart towards God opposing that unwillingnesse in the flesh But I must of necessity breake off so much for the heart The next thing to be inquired about is the conscience what is the life of the conscience and here the world is deceived too for the conscience may be awakened very much and yet never quickened indeed First à conscience awakened may like all good things Secondly a conscience somewhat awakened may oblige a man to all manner of good things Thirdly a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled about his sinnes Fourthly a conscience somewhat awakened may urge one exceedingly to good things Fifthly a conscience somewhat awakened may be very eager in this urging Sixthly a conscience somewhat awakened may prevaile very farre with it's eagernesse Seventhly a conscience somewhat awakened may make one looke at God so farre as it prevailes all this may be in conscience and yet the conscience never quickened indeed so that you see what need there is to enquire what the life of conscience is First I say the conscience somewhat awakened may like of God and all his wayes it may like of Gods judgements be they never so terrible as we see there in Pharaoh when God plagued Aegypt his conscience liked of Gods dealings he thought in his conscience the Lord dealt very righteously with him The Lord is righteous sayes he and I and my people are wicked Exod. 9. 27. So when Rehoboam was horribly beset with Enemies