in our thoughts It s his will that we should be patient but we burst out upon small occasions It s his will that we should keep holy the Sabbath day but we do for the most part prophane the same Herein we do but foolishly for if we mark it as we do if we be of God and I speak to such we have ever checkings of conscience and smart for it as peace in cleaving close to his will O how often do we lose our comfort and pull crosses on our selves Note we further from these words 1. That to live after the lusts of men and to the will of God be opposite each to other our inward lusts with the desires and fruits thereof are enmity against God and as contrary to the holy will of God as light and darkness God and the Devil for the Devil and our corrupt hearts be much alike no marvel then if we think so well of our selves and make so much of our lusts 2. That we cannot at one and the same time both walk after our lusts and live to Gods will or live to Gods will and walk but after our lust God and Satan can never dwell in one heart together as neither the love of sin and goodness This well considered would discover some to be in a worse case then they think they think seeing they have renounced many lusts and most sins and are in many things obedient one sin is not so much but though they love that they do love God and goodness too Deceive not your selves its impossible it should be so one lust loved is sufficient to prove a man unconverted sufficient also to condemn him and all his other obedience is vain If thou wouldest indeed please God and be saved renounce the love of every lust and walk in obedience to all Gods Commandments 3. That in the course of Sanctification we must begin at renouncing our own will and the lusts of men None sow or plant till weeds be pulled up None put on new apparel till they have put off their rags So must we abandon all the love of evil ere we can entertain any good This rebukes the common course of the world that set upon goodness ere they have bid adew to their lusts All their service is abomination before God 4. That it s not sufficient that we do renounce our lusts and evil except we yield obedience to the will of God Thus the Scriptures run Cease to do evil and learn to do well abhor that which is evil and cleave unto that which is good deny godliness and worldly lusts and live holily and soberly c. dye to sin and live to righteousness put off the old man and put on the new cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light It s nothing or at least but half if a man hath renounced ill company if he hath not taken up the love of good It s not for il-doing that men shal be condemned but for the not doing good Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire It s not enough we have no disorder in our families or be no ryotors or ill example givers therein except we take up good orders in stead thereof It s not enough we do no hurt if we do no good He that gathereth not scattereth and he that doth no good in a Town doth hurt An house empty and swept if it be not garnished with goodness its fit to be possest of Satan again yet how many think highly of themselves because they have done no hurt have not wronged oppressed defrauded any who yet have done no good 5. That it s not one action or two whereby a man is discovered what he is but his constant course of walking or living The best man may be and is overtaken as Noah Lot David Peter doing according to his own lusts and will not Gods but such is not his constant course yea when he doth otherwise then is fit he is grieved and humbled unfainedly repenteth and earnestly desireth to be more watchful over his own ways We must not because of some corruptions conclude against our selves that we are not the Lords if in the mean time our hearts bear us witness that what we do is contrary to our intent and purpose our course and drift of life on the contrary it s not one good action or two that makes a good Christian if a mans course be contrary thereto for even a Thief will be sometimes in the Kings highway when it s for his advantage whereas usually he keeps in back lanes and blinde ways Thus many a bad man will come to hear the word this is one of Gods ways but all the day after he will be in his own course even lying swearing drinking deceiving without any reformation either in heart or life Verse 3. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquettings and abominable idolatries HEre are more Reasons to perswade to holiness of life They had already spent a great deal of time in the service of sin and following their own lusts and therefore were not now to continue any longer therein Again whereas before the Gospel they lived in ignorance now having the light thereof another maner of behavior judgement and practice was looked for of them But one would think a few words might serve to disswade men from such filthy lusts so odious in themselves so hateful to God so harmful to the doers thereof and to perswade to holiness of life so beautiful in it self so acceptable to God and so profitable to those which did seek after the same True if we were as we should be or as we were in Adam but we are altogether corrupted and depraved and now we have no minde to that which is good nay its death and bonds to us but that which is evil we eagerly minde and seek after whereunto may be added that hereunto the Devil and the world egg us on as they hang on us to hold us back from goodness Hence it is that so few are converted that men count goodness a prison naughtiness their heaven that they mock at goodness and onely except against some men because they are good whom they could love for all other things but for that they hate him 1. Let us take knowledge of our vile disposition le ts not follow the bent thereof lest we perish It misleads us altogether let us use all diligence to mortifie our lusts and to strengthen us to good for it s no easie matter to attain this 2. Let us be perswaded that there is continual need of preaching and all other good means to bring this to pass and not say with most What need all this preaching c 3. Let Ministers be
joyned to us so are we to Christ by believing in him and this is a real and true Union but a Spiritual one not that we are thereby united to Christs soul but to his body also and by his humanity to his Deity and by both to God the Father and the holy Ghost which is an admirable prerogative If any say How can this be Christ being in Heaven and we on Earth It is so by the Spirit on Gods part and Faith on ours Those joyn things far distant in place most nearly together If any say I cannot see nor comprehend how this should be If we cannot no marvel for its a great mystery which we are to believe and adore in our hearts The benefits hereof are unspeakable as the honor most glorious for by vertue hereof we that were as dead as blocks and stones draw spiritual life and Grace to become new Creatures to dye to sin and to lead a righteous life as the members receive sence and motion from the head and the Vine-branches sap from the root Hereby also we have title to Christ and all his good things He also bears our troubles with us and hereby our souls shall be as filled with Grace here so taken up to glory with him at death and the body remains united to Christ even in the grave by vertue whereof it shall be raised up a spiritual and glorious body to be glorified for ever And this is yet so much the more absolute and blessed a Union because its indissolveable No violence of Satan nor any other Enemy can break off the same He hath not therefore fastened us as stones into this building to be ever pulled out any more If they had been of us saith the Appostle they should have continued with us What God hath joyned together who can separate 1. This is for instruction to all that are believers and so members of this body stones of this building that they walk in their conversation answerable to such high Dignity to such an Union The Members must be like the Head the stones answerable to the Foundation as the Fruit to the true Vine Take heed they disgrace not themselves and their stock by bringing forth sowre fruit even of the wilde Olive of their own sinful and corrupt nature but mortifie the same more and more But how cometh it to pass that they which are graft into Christ should bear any sowre Fruit Even because there are some suckers of our own crabbish and sinful nature shut out and have through heedlesness and want of care grown apace and which we must pluck off by any means 2. Comfort to all believers O admirable priviledge to be joyned into one with Christ and with God! What grace or good thing can he stand in need of that is joyned to such a plentiful and living head He cannot but mortifie the strongest Corruptions overcome the greatest Temptations perform the most difficult Duties Such thou mayest draw from thy head but make no obstructions by sin Keep open the passages and by the Word Sacraments Prayer and other like means fetch Grace from Christ Jesus He also will strengthen thee and even in the fiery Fornace be present with thee and after take thee up to glory neither shall all the power of Hell ever seperate thee from him for though Hypocrites that hang on onely by the untemperated morter of outward Profession shall fall off thou that art saudered into Christ by the Spirit of God shalt never be pluckt off 3. To discard all those that profess themselves believers and stones of this building and yet have no life in them let such know they have no part in Christ nor fellowship with him 4. This should perswade all men to labor to have part in this blessed Union Till this be they are quite dead and have no more Spiritual Life then a stone hath If thou beest not united to Christ thou canst never have Life of grace here nor glory hereafter And if not a Member of Christ thou art a Limb of the Devil If not a Branch of this Vine thou art a dry withered stick for the fire of Hell If not a stone of this Building thou art refuse and rubbish to be thrown into Hell Q. But how should we become stones of this building A. By suffering the ax of the Word of God to cut off our knobs to hew and square us that thereby we may be humbled and mortifie all our sins and lusts for if there be but one sin in us unrepented of we are not fit to lie in this building And though all stones be not alike some bigger some less some more costly some less yet happy we if we be any true stone of this building let us now suffer our selves to be fashioned for it it must be now in this Life or never As there was no hammer heard about the Temple but all was hewen in Libanus so must we be hewen in this Life that we may rest in the Spiritual Temple for ever Having a house to build will we lay in a stone rough as it comes from the Quarry or a piece of Timber as it comes from the Wood much less will the Lord suffer any to be joyned into his Spiritual building till they be squared and hewen by his Word Therefore le ts be tenderly affected one towards another and build up one another and do all the good we can one to another not living to our selves or having hand in Contentions Rents Divisions which do so abound among Christians and that for toyes Are built up a spiritual house So foretold by Haggai Not a materiel one as was the Temple of Jerusalem but a far more excellent as much as the body is better then the shadow which the Apostle speaks to take off the mindes of these Jews from the material Temple on which they too much doted and on the promises made thereto not considering that it was appointed but for a time and that it was but a type of this Spiritual house infinitely more excellent and to labor to become stones of this Spiritual house which did so far excel the other All the Church of God and Believers make together a Spiritual house as a house though it hath but one foundation yet hath many stones to make up the building This sheweth the communion that the Saints have one with another members of the same Body stones of the same Building with this Union that we have with Christ we have also communion one with another as Fellow-members Stones Branches Besides As all the Saints together are here said to be built up a Spiritual house so els where the like is affirmed of every particular Believer that whereas before he was but a Cage of uncleanness and a Den for the Devil and an Habitation for foul Spirits now he is made the House of God of a poor mortal man an
c. on the contrary consider the woful estate of the wicked For what be they be they Kings Priests or Prophets no such matter Believers be so They be Kings Priests and Prophets but the wicked are the slaves of sin and Satan slaves to the flesh to their own lusts to the world What though they be rich yea though they be Emperors and not Believers they are the vassels of Satan and have nothing but their drudgery in sin and Hell for their own place as their desert Neither are they Priests but prophane ones let them stand off for the holy God cannot abide unholy persons they and their Sacrifice are abomination to the Lord They offer no Sacrifices at all of Prayer Praise or Alms or if they do its abominable because they offer not themselves soul and body to God first but they offer themselves to the Devil and him they serve with body and soul might and main Neither are they Prophets but dumb beasts not savoring of the mysteries of Gods Kingdom or if uttering any thing thereof yet their ill lives disgrace it again O that such considering their own base and the others happy estate would have an holy emulation to be as they and indeed nothing in this world is worthy to be envied but a Christian Humble therefore thy self for thy sin past turn to God for thy pardon in Christ and labor to have thy part in him and by him and by Faith in him thou shalt attain to be a Christian and so consequently a King Priest and Prophet and be enabled to the duties of the same An holy nation Here 's a third priviledge not meant of all the Jews but of the elect among them and of all believing Gentiles as Acts 2. 38 39. so called 1. Because they had the Oracles of God the Word and Sacraments which no other had This belonged to all the Jews True but it might be said that they onely had them which had the power of them to the conversion of their souls and Salvation and others had them not which had no fruit and benefit by them 2. Because they were sanctified and set aside by special grace to be holy ones to the Lords use Note then That All that be the Lords are holy persons that is Not onely having Christs holiness imputed to them but in whom God worketh inherent Righteousness and Holiness by his Spirit conveying vertue from Christs death to kill sin and from his Resurrection to raise them to newness of life to alter and change them throughout in soul spirit and body This though not perfect in any yet is sound and upright in them all therefore he gives them his holy Word and holy Spirit to work this and holy Sacraments to encrease it and its requisite that as God is holy so also all his should so be and these be they shall see his face with comfort no other and for these onely is Heaven prepared O let every man examine himself whether he be a sanctified person or not if yea Then 1. To thy comfort know hereby thou art one of the Lords number a greater priviledge then to be written among the Potentates of the earth There 's Consolation to thee thou wert elected and shalt be glorified 2. Seeing thou art set aside for the Lords use and sanctified in body and soul never defile thy self again or put any part of thy body and soul to any common or unholy use of sin or Satan In the Law it was ever most fearful to take any Consecrated thing as the Holy Oyl Shew-bread or Vessels and put them to any common use so is it that we should put Hand Foot or Tongue to any use of sin or corruption for any part of our souls or lives Oh many contrarily can let loose their tongue to impatient proud and most unseemly speeches yea and their bodies and mindes some to excessive following the world as they were wont and as worldlings do and some after their pleasures and vanities O that we would grow and abound in Sanctification that here having our fruit in holiness we may have the end everlasting life If not but contrarily you either live in prophaneness the open breach of some of the Commandments or be only superstitiously holy in some odde devotions and loose in other things as Papists and a number of old Folks or such as have a counterfeit holiness in the first Table and make no conscience of the duties of the second or contrarily civil persons that seem very just in the second Table but savor nothing of the duties of the first Table Know you are yet unsanctified persons and therefore out of Gods number you may be members of the visible Church where good and bad chaff and corn are but not of the invisible who onely are sanctified ones Let such be what they will be having Wit Learning Wealth Wisdom Civility all skill of Languages yea if they could measure the Heavens number the Stars c. and be not sanctified they are of the Devils rabble and shall perish everlastingly O that you would awake out of your courses What fruit have ye had or look ye to have therein The end of these things is death Come to the Word crave the Holy Spirit desire Pardon and Sanctification till this be you are not out of the state of Damnation and all things are impure to you Word Sacraments yea your Meat Drink Apparel c. A peculiar people That is a people proper to the Lord which he himself hath purchased and which he now takes as his own and sets great store by called therefore his secret ones whom he keeps under his protection to whom also he reveals his secrets his Beloved ones his Spouse his Love his undefiled as the Apple of his eye the Signet on his right hand whom he cannot forget In the flood he saved his Church when all others were drowned he saved Lot when Sodom was destroyed he makes more account of one Christian then of thousands of others If one of them pray it s so forcible that he says Let me alone and if thousands of wicked it s but as the howling of Dogs an abomination They are his glory all the world are dross to them vile persons and base The wicked though never so many are but servants to the Church as the seven Nations were to make the Land of Canaan fit for the people of God yea even then when they seem to dominier most over them they are but their drudges They as a wisp scour the Church to make it bright in the eyes of God but the wisp is to be cast into the fire they are Gods rod to bring it to obedience when that 's effected the rod is to be flung into the fire And No marvel though the Lord set such store by his Church seeing he hath been at such cost therewith as
s through too much earthly-mindedness 3. Le ts labor for such grace as whereby if God call us forth to suffer we may not onely not flee back but endure any thing and that with joy To this end we must 1. Endeavor for a sound Faith and assurance of Gods love to us in Christ that so we may so love him again as we may suffer for his Name and being assured of our deliverance from everlasting pain and that he hath freed us from shameful sufferings which for our sins he might have brought us to may endure these glorious sufferings for his Name joyfully Being thus assured of his love and thereupon of eternal happiness in heaven we will be content to suffer any thing to obtain it 2. Withdraw our mindes from earthly things and set them on heaven and heavenly things as our onely treasure 3. Mortifie and subdue our lusts and affections bringing our hearts in subjection to God in all things and bearing our present afflictions quietly and comfortably This joyfulness in sufferings doth well become Christians daunts their adversaries and puts a difference between them and all others whether hypocrites civil persons or Time-servers who will never thus do Christians must be like Davids Worthies even excel others do more then ordinary men If we do onely love our friends what singular thing do do not even Publicans the same If we profess Religion in prosperity what great matter do we do not even Hypocrites the same We must learn to take out higher lessons and be perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect It s an easie thing to rejoyce in prosperity but so to do in adversity is a good hard lesson and so the more worthy a Christians labor Inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings The first Reason of the Exhortation We are partners with Christ therefore we may think our selves advanced and so rejoyce The sufferings of Christians are called Christs sufferings 1. Because they are suffered for his sake which may be no small comfort to them that suffer for Religion for it s for Christs sake and so he counts it therefore he will put our tears in his bottle take our part defend and reward us as David took care of Abiathar having lost his Father for his sake 2. Because he bears a part of them with his Saints there 's so near a conjunction between him the Head and the Saints his Members as what 's done to the one whether good or ill is counted as done to the other as the godly hearing Christ railed on are so grieved that they had rather themselves had been so used much more doth Christ Jesus account their troubles his which as it may terrifie their adversaries so it may much comfort them But here they be called Christs sufferings in another sense namely as his own sufferings which he bare in his own person whereof we partake when we also suffer the like things we are set up to be like our Master Christ Jesus and is it not cause of rejoycing that he vouchsafeth to make us like himself to bring us into his order to pledge him of the same Cup he began to us He suffered his whole life was nothing else They misconstrued his words and mistook his deeds and said He cast out Devils through Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils How often was he railed on how hardly used especially towards his latter end If we be so dealt with at any time we need not think hardly but rejoyce not think hardly He was the glorious Son of God we poor mortal Creatures dust and ashes He most holy and righteous and perfectly pure we miserable sinners which though not at mens hands which wrong us yet at Gods have deserved all evil both here and in Hell If God turn our opprobrious sufferings here and perpetual torments of Hell into a sew short and glorious sufferings we have no cause to think hardly yea he having suffered all for us we may well suffer for him we can never lose hereby nor can ever suffer so much for him as he hath done for us nay not onely we must not think hardly at our sufferings but we have cause to rejoyce that we are advanced to be like our Master made conformable to our head Christ Jesus He is a bold Servant that is not content to fare as his Master fares Those Worthies that have gone before us have accounted it their honor and a special favor that they have drunk of this Cup. When therefore we do at any time suffer for Religions sake let 's thus encourage our selves I am herein made like all the Prophets Apostles and chief of Gods Friends and Saints yea as his onely Son and thus our Savior comforted his Disciples That when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy The second Reason our sorrow shall be turn'd into joy as in part when we dye namely in our souls so perfectly when he shall be made glorious in all his Saints whilest he was here in the world he was put to an ignominious death but he rose again from the dead and ascended into Heaven and shall come one day to judge every man according to his deeds even to bring into happiness all those for whom he dyed and to confound all his Enemies He came the first time in meekness because he came to suffer but the second time he shall come with glory and magnificence even with thousands of his Angels in flaming fire c. which as it may comfort all those that have believed in him and stoopt to his yoke so it may terrifie all those that have not believed or repented through obeying the Gospel The end I say of the afflictions of Gods Servants will be joy for Christ will receive them all into eternal glory They that suffer with him shall reign with him and their joy shall none take from them See John 16. 33. Rom. 8. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 17. 2 Tim. 2. 12. Jam. 1. 12. O how should this not make us patient onely but joyful in persecution If we sow in tears we shall reap in joy If we suffer for Christ we may rejoyce and be glad for great is our reward in Heaven If we forsake father or mother or house or land c. for Christs sake we shall have life everlasting Is not this an happy change This made the holy Servants of God set light by all they had not that they were fools and knew not what they did or were senceless no the assurance of an eternal joy and inheritance in Heaven swallowed up all and so should it be with us Verse 14. And if ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified A Third Reason to
thereupon both in body and soul shall be cast into Hell fire though the one begin with joy yet they end with wo and though the other begin heavily here yet they end with joy in Heaven and this life is nothing to that 's to come Could we discern this we would reverence the one highly and no less pity the others yea should the ones troubles here infinitely exceed the others jollities or the troubles of the godly be here greater then they are as also the jollity of the wicked we would not change with them 1. This confuteth the blinde world that esteemeth basely of Gods servants and of their state but let us never think the worse of our estate for them as a plain rich man doth not when a vain bragging fellow in brave apparel goes swaggering scornfully by him 2. This may and ought wonderfully to comfort Gods servants that hath advanced them to this high dignity passing by so many others O that we would walk worthy hereof in an holy and pure conversation 3. This may be a choak to the wicked notwithstanding all their jollity and make them weary of their condition laboring to become godly and of Gods house that so they may be truly happy What shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel of God Here 's implyed 1. That though the afflictions of Gods people be many and great yet they are nothing in respect of the miseries which shall befal the ungodly The Lord is Judge of all the world and he will deal justly and equally even give every one according to their works If therefore he afflict his children with rods he will plague his enemies with scourges if he will not bear with sin in his own servants that are careful to please him and stand in awe and yet be overtaken then he will be dreadfully revenged of those that make a trade of sin if his children in their conversion and often afterward upon any sin committed have gripes of Conscience and suffer the terrors of God then shall the wicked have a gnawing Worm that shall never dye if those be brought as it were along by Hell these shall be left and swallowed up of Hell The Lord began with the Israelites in Captivity but ended with the Egyptians in drowning them in the Red-sea the three Children were put into the fiery Fornace not burnt but fire seized on them that put them in Daniel was put into the Lyons Den but his Enemies and Accusers were devoured Israel was carried Captive but Ashur destroyed the children are beaten with the rod thereafter it s burnt God chastens his for a few days here to their amendment but the wicked shall be cast into eternal fire In reading hearing and seeing what grievous things the Lord hath laid on his own children the wicked may see as in a glass the woful state that abides them 2. That the torments prepared for the ungodly in death and at the day of Judgement are such as cannot be expressed The Apostle knew that they should have a fearful end but utter the further end of it and lay it out to the full he could not therefore is forced to say What shall be the end It s a wonderful love of God that he hath made us his Children but yet it s not manifest what we shall be that is it cannot be exprest what happiness is prepared for us Eye hath not seen nor ear hath not heard what God hath prepared for his children So cannot any decypher the fearfulness of the wo prepared for the ungodly Such shall be separated from God and from his Saints and have their portion with the Devil and damned O the universality of their torments both in respect of their bodies and souls O the greatness of their pangs tormented with fire and brimstone O the eternity of them They shall be world without end If a man in pain should shed a tear or drop of water from his eye once in a thousand years and no more yet sooner should he make a whole Sea before this time will end 1. O what an iron scourge should this be to drive the wicked to repentance not resting till they know they be freed from this woful lake O let them never glory in their prosperity as long as they are in danger hereof If any will not break off their sins and fear they will prove costly profits and pleasures and they that will not believe and fear here shall feel them to eternal destruction hereafter 2. How should this glad the hearts of all Gods people that know themselves freed from this fearful lake and make them walk chearfully and obediently all their days to the honor of him that by his sufferings hath freed them therefrom yea should we not bear our few afflictions patiently being freed from these endles and easeles ones and not to envy at the prosperity of the wicked seeing it shall have such an end let their beginning be what it will be if this be their end God keep us from having any part therein That obey not the Gospel of God The wicked are described by their disobedience to the Gospel and these are indeed the most wicked and and have the fearfullest answer to make and the lowest or worst place in Hell they shall speed worst for their sin is greatest For what a favor of God is it not onely to give Christ to the world but then to publish him by the Gospel being the glad tidings of Salvation to all of what sort soever though never so mean never so great sinners there is mercy upon their unfained humiliation and such God sends his Ministers to beseech men to be reconciled O this is an unspeakable fâ—vor as that the contempt thereof must needs deserve a fearful damnaton That men should continue yet in their sins and have no minde â— Christ as a King and Savior is fearful If a company of Rebelsâ—ad a pardon proclaimed and sent out to so many as would come in fany would stand out and refuse the Kings grace and favor were he â—t worthy to be cut-off It shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in â—e day of Judgement then for these people If they that despised theâ—aw were not unpunished how shall they be dealt withal that despâ— the Gospel The higher they are lift up the lower they shall be casdown 1. This rebuts the most part Howsoever they talk of the Gospel and comeâ—t Church and cry The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord yet â—ey yield not obedience thereto but continue in their sins There are â—w that come to see any such need of Christ as highly to prize him aâ— most earnestly to seek him though some would have Christ the Savior and will have Jesus Christ in their mouths yet few will stoâ— to his yoke to renounce all their lusts and yield up themselves in abbedience to his