thinke we can haue none Heauenly glory and joy except wee haue this earthly body there It is true indeede the soule cannot haue so great joye as if the soule and body were together but it is also true that the soule beeing separated hath greater joye in Heauen than the soule and body can haue together in this earth Otherwise howe woulde Paul haue desired to haue beene dissolued he hauing that confidence and earnest-penny of glory except he had desired that joye in the soule Alas wee are so senselesse that wee thinke joye cannot come except wee get it in our earthly body And this is one part of our miserie Now in the next verse in a parenthesis he casteth in the cause why hee is absent from GOD and a pilgrime heere and saieth For wee walke by faith and not by sight As if hee woulde saye All the sight which I haue of Him is afarre of looke how farre the Heauens are distant from the earth also as far is IESVS distaÌ„t from the eye of the faithful soule there is onely a farre sight of Him heere all the sight of Heauenly glory which wee haue here is like a more in respect of that sight we shall geâ— it is so farre from thee that it seemeth not to bee the thousand part of that fulnes that it is indeed Thou seest it now as it were a more but thou shalt once see it as a mountaine in great fulnesse So Paul saith I see my LORD but afarre of there is a great distance betwixt the eye of my soule and Him besides this farnes such a mist ariseth out of the stinking body of corruption betwixt my LORD and me like a cloude that it hideth my LORDS face from me So there are two impedimentes which hinder vs from the full sight of CHRIST the first is the farre distance of place betwixt Him me the second is the smoke mist of my corruptioÌ„ that goeth in betwixt me Him and taketh the sight of my LORD from me Find yee not this in your selues by experience In the beginning of an houre thou shalt haue a sight of Him and againe ere the halfe houre bee past the sight of Him is away let bee a day or halfe a day Then maruell not suppose Paule complaineth of this that he cannot see CHRIST in respect of the farnesse and smoke that commeth betwixt them Would to GOD wee had a sense of this Who is he that once groneth for this and saieth Alas I am a pilgrime it is a farre sight which I haue of my LORD O! if my soule were loosed from my bodie that I might bee with Him Who can saye this No wee are all sleeping and there is none eye lifted vp to CHRIST in this great misâ—rie Wilt thou alwayes crie peace in such a miserie at last thou shalt be pressed downe to Hell Yet to insist vpon this verse We walke saith he by faith and not by sight Yee see heere then the condition of a Christian is walking not sitting nor sleeping hee must be afoote This worde is euer in the Apostles mouth 1. Thessal â— 6. Colloss 4. 2. c. Euer walking a pilgrime must not sit downe Thou art a pilgrime vpon thy journey towardes another countrey thou must not sit downe for otherwise thou shalt neuer come to thy journeys ende The seconde thing which I marke heere This walking must not be in darknesse but it must bee in light Woe to him that walketh in darkenesse for if hee were neuer so well occupied hee shall die in darknesse hee that walketh in darkenesse he shall get Hell for Hâ—ll is darknesse so that walking must be in light The light is of two sorts they are both set downe in â—…hrse The first is the light and knowledge of â—â—â—â—â— The second the light of presence and sight The knowledge of Faith is but a glimmering in respect of the other light that is by sight wheÌ„ thou shalt see CHRIST in His presence is a wonderfull light when Hee shall looke to thee and thou to Him the beames of His glory shall so strike on thee and cause thee shine that thou shalt bee astonished There is no soule but assoone as it commeth in His presence it will bee astonished and maruell that euer there was such a light in CHRIST Faith hath but a small light but the light by presence is marueilous Hâ—e shall translate vs to a marueilou light 1. Pet. 2. 9. All the Angels wonder at the light which is about the Lambe and thy soule when it shall come into glory shall stand wondering at such a glory and thy body when it shall followe shall wonder and all shall bee wondering at such a passing glory These are the two sights Would GOD wee coulde take heede to get a glaunce of that Heauenly glory then all the pleasures of this earth would bee but vanitie dirt and pelffrie to vs. The Lord yet open our eyes to get a sight of this glory These are two lights and as there is two lights so there is two kindes of walking The one is in this life the other in Heauen in the life to come In this life wee haue a small glimmering without any Sunne a blincke of light enuironed about with darknesse Therefore because of the want of light there is such stumbling in our walking in this life but when we shall walke in the Heauens with that Hâ—auâ—ly light of GOD with the countenance of CHRIST before our eyes then no staggering neither to this side nor to that because of that light that is in the face of CHRIST euer shining in our eyes The darknesse yee see is vnpleasant but the light is pleasant It is a wonderfull thing that wee shall get leaue to walke in that inaccessible light of GOD wherein the Father and the Sonne doe walke Brethren thinke on these things for these are the chiefe points of all All earthly thinges euanish when the Sunne goeth downe and darknesse commeth Therefore set your eyes vpon that glory which neuer shall euanish nor decay as euer ye wold desire to reign there These dayes require this preparation Certainely preaching and hearing will euanish and preaching beeing taken away faith will faile and without faith how can meÌ„ attaine to glory Therefore to keepe in the glory of this light we should earnestly crie LORD GIVE VS THIS WORD For if it bee taken away wee shall bee worse than they of Sodome and Gomorrha Now the Apostle hauing shewed this he commeth backe againe and saith Neuerthelesse we haue confidence c. He that hath confidence he will rejoyce to speake of it it swelleth so in his heart that of necessity it must bee vttered and hee will say once twise thrise I haue confidence â—uâ— nowe with confidence hee joyneth another thing to wit his loue to die and to slit out of the bodie to reigne with CHRIST Loue to die is the companion of confidence Hee saieth I haue confidence but I loue rather
graces is mine In the end of the verse hee setteth downe the ende wherefore GOD hath giuen vs this Spirit The end is this To make vs to know the things which are giueÌ„ vnto vs by God I see here the Spirit of Iesus when He maketh our eye to looke in to that deepnesse of God to that store of mercie He will let vs see nothing in GOD but meere grace mercy As this Euangell preacheth nothing but meere grace and mercie so the Spirit of Iesus when He letteth thee see al the hidden things in GOD Hee letteth thee see nothing but meere mercie and grace And therefore hee that will tell the people of the merits of men or of the Saints that they are not justified by meere grace but must ad to their own deseruings I wil tell you my judgmeÌ„t of such a man suppose he be neuer so glorious a Doctor neuer so sacond or so learned hee neuer spake by the Spirite of IESVS Papist Doctors who leade men to leane to their owne merites and to the merites of Saincts neuer spake nor wrote by the Spirit of Iesus For the Spirite of Iesus letteth thee see nothing in God but meeâ—e mercie for one merite of man will destroye all grace so contratie is the Spirit of God the spirit of man the grace of Christ the merit of man And this is y e spirit that men striue to put amoÌ„gst vs againe for if they bring in Papistrie amoÌ„gst vs again farewell y e Spirit of Iesus No I speak it from mine heart if that Idolatrie come in againe I shall stand vp in my last Preaching and saye Farewell the Spirit of Iesus For no more than Hell can accompanie Heauen no more can that blessed Spirit of Iesus accompanie that dirt dung of mans doctrine Therefore as thou wouldest keepe the Spirit of Iesus holde abacke these men for thou shalt not enjoye them both in despite of thine heart The Lord Iesus cannot remaine amongst Idolaters and if thou haue not His Spirite thou art not His Roman 8. 9. if thou be not His thou art the Deuils and shalt goe to euerlasting damnation Therefore I say ouer againe Holde them away as thou wouldest keepe that blessed Spirit of IESVS CHRIST To whom with the FATHER and the Holie Ghost be all Honour Praise Power Glorie and Dominion both now and euer worlde without ende AMEN THE EIGHT SERMON II. COR. CHAP. IIII. verse 3 If our Gospell bee then hidden it is hidden to them that are lost verse 4 In whome the god of this worlde hath blinded the mindes that is of the Infideles that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the Image of God should not shine vnto them verse 5 For wee preach not our selues but CHRIST IESUS the LORD and our selues your seruants for IESUS sake IN the verse immediatelie going before this Text which wee haue read in your audience the Apostle hath beene speaking of that sinceritie of that plainnesse which hee vsed in the preaching of the Gospell of CHRIST which he vttered with such an euidence that whosoeuer hearde him might vnderstand him might haue seene the light of the Gospell and haue apprehended it Nowe because this people of Corinth were stiffe-necked hard to conceiue full of conceits and liked nothing but humane wisdome and eloquence scorning mocking the euidence of the Spirit Therefore some of them might haue objected immediatelie Paule thou speakest of thy plainnesse in vttering the Gospel yet for thy plainnesse there is manie amongst vs who knowe not what thou speakest thy Gospell is hidden to manie manie vnderstand thee not The Apostle meeteth this in the first wordes which wee haue read If our Gospell be hidden it is hidden to them that perish A sore sentence as if hee woulde saye Corinthians blame me not nor my Gospell the fault is in that miserable corruption which is in you yee cannot see the light of my gospel because ye are adjudged to perdition and damnation so the blame is in your blindnesse who are appointed to damnation before all eternity So this verse being plaine let vs obserue some lessons The first is this There hath beene and is many in the world in all ages that neuer saw seeth nor shall see the light of the Gospell Ye haue an example of these Corinthians howbeit the Gospel should shine clearer than y e Sunne at noone time of the day it shall neuer be seene of them it will be hidden to them howbeit it should bee as a booke laide open before them yet it will bee a clasped booke to them Let euerie man beware of himselfe for this is a necessitie laide vpon the multitude of this worlde A multitude hath bene in all ages a multitude is in this age a multitude shal be in euerie age to come who shal neuer see the light of the Gospell The next lesson is These folke haue this propertie and disposition beeing pleasurers of themselues they are euer quarreling with the Gospell amongst all the hearers of the worlde they are the most quarrellous they I say who get the least good of it are alwayes the moste quarrellous and euermore laying the fault either vpon the Gospel or vpon the teachers thereof because they neither get light nor consolation thereby Beware of this quarrellous complexion I marke thirdlie where is the fault or in whome They blame the Gospell and the teachers therof but where is the fault indeed Paule telleth thee heere If my Gospell bee hidden it is hidden to them that perish That perdition and destruction wherunto thou art appointed from all eternitie is the cause wherefore thou receiuest no consolation no light in thy soule thorow the Gospell of Iesus Christ Thou layest the fault where it is not thou art like a blinde man that will stand vp against the Sunne shining at the noone time of the daye and accuse it because it shineth not when in the meane time it is shining vpon the face of him Thou art a vessel of perdition if there bee not a remedie and because the sentence is past therefore as when a thiefe or a murtherer is once condemned to death the gracious presence of the Prince is with-drawne from him that hee may looke on him no more Euen so if once a creature bee adjudged to death the gracious countenance of Iesus Christ is with-drawne from him lest hee should beholde it in the Gospell Another thing followeth There are manie tokens of damnation that men and women are adjudged to death Amongst the rest this is a sure token If the Gospell be hidden to thee euen as it is preached in SCOTLAND wee haue neither Peter nor Paul to teach vnto vs yet if it be hidden to thee if thou receiue neither light nor consolation by it as it is now preached if thou continue so till thy life be in thy lips as wee speake till the last gaspe thou hast a seale in thine owne bosome of euerlasting damnation thine heart
thee and holden vp before thine eyes then He sendeth His torturer saith Go thy wayes Sathan and plucke out the eyes of this bodie then hee plucketh out the eyes of thy mind immediately and God giueth thee ouer to a reprobate sense and this is it which the Apostle saith of the Gentiles Rom. 1. 28. It pleased them not to retaine God in knowledge therefore God gaue them ouer to a reprobate sense And Ephes 4. 18. Hauing saith he their cogitations darkned and beeing strangers from the life of God thorow the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their heartes There plainlie hee letteth vs see that the hardnesse malice of their heartes bringeth on this ignorance and blindnesse Therefore beware of this malice and put it out of thine heart or else thou shalt bee carried blindlinges to euerlasting damnation suppose thou bee an Earle or a King what regarde hath GOD of persons Now BrethreÌ„ there are some words that I must weigh to you as the Lord shall giue me the grace I shall repeat them marke ye with me if they be not weighty That the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God shuld not shine vnto theÌ„ or spread His beames vpoÌ„ them ye know anie man y t hath knowledge knoweth that this might haue bene spokeÌ„ in fewer baser words but the Apo. coÌ„tents not himself with base words in such a matter but saith that y e light of the glorious gospel c. Well is there one word here in vaine and is there any chaÌ„ge of words made for nothing are simple base words changed into glorious words for nothing no alas we cannot see this and it is one of the things in the world that I would fainest haue you to vnderstand what moueth the Apostles and Prophets to vse such an high language and set vp a thing in such glorious tearmes the which they might vtter in baser tearmes Thinke not that the men of God Prophets and Apostles haue spoken as we say hyperbolicè great and loftie words greater than the matter These wordes are borrowed words and they are borrowed from the most glorious thing in the earth and yet they attaine not to the thousand part of the things which by them he would expresse All the high wordes that a man can vse to expresse y e glorie of Christ are not able to expresse the thousand part of that glorie But to come to the purpose Ye haue set down first in glorious tearmes the effect of the Gospell it is set down in shining and beames thereafter ye haue set downe the Gospell it selfe To come to the first The most glorious thing that a man can see in this earth is the shining of the Sunn which the Lord hath fixed in the Heauens The pleasandest thing that a man can looke to when he hath looked to all these earthlie thinges is the glauncing of the Sunne in a faire day And therefore ye see the glorie of the Sunne is described very highlie by Dauid in the 19. Psalme To applie this Euen so the effect of the Gospell beeing the most glorious effect that euer was wrought the Spirite of God setteth it out by the most glorious thing in the world the spreading of the Sunne beames And surelie suppose there were no more but this word Shyning it letteth vs see a wonderfull effect of the Gospell in the hearts of men and women Ye see by experience the beames of the Sunne suppose they were neuer so bright will neuer alter the bodie which they shine vpon nor make it bright like themselues the sunne hath shined this long time in the world but yet by shining it could neuer so trans-change any creature that it coulde become as bright as the Sunne it selfe It may well let thee see the bodie that is opacum as wee saye darke obscure so long as it shineth but as soone as it is remooued the bodie is darke as it was before But as to the Gospell The Gospell with the beames of it not onelie maketh the object wherevpon it shineth to be seene and to appeare but it doeth more it transformeth the soule of the man or woman into that same light and brightnesse that is in it That is to say The face of IESVS the Sunne of righteousnesse that shineth in the Gospell when the beames of it striketh vpon thy soule they make it lightsome and bright like the face of Iesus they turne the soule in the shape of the face of IESVS that shineth in the Gospell Would yee haue Scripture for this looke the last verse of the chapter going before We behold saieth hee as in a mirrour the glorie of God with an open face and are changed into the same image from glorie to glorie as by the Spirit of the Lord. And this is done in such a sort O would to God wee knew the power of the Gospell that thou who hadst nothing but darknesse within thee art made a shining light casting out thy beames and ouer-shadowing sillie darke bodies Hee that brought light out of darknesse saith Paul by His word Hee hath shined in mine heart that I may minister the knowledge of Iesus Christ to others So is it moste certaine thou in whome the Gospell is so powerfull art made a light in the world to illuminate darke soules Nowe to come to the next the Gospell it selfe How expresseth he the Gospell Hee calleth it not simplie and barelie with a meane word The Gospell all these meane words and sillie simple speaches of such a glorie telleth what feeling men haue in their heartes of the effectualnesse of the Gospell but hee calleth it The light of the Gospell The Gospell is a light and it is the light of lightes The Sunne albeit it be bright was neuer comparable to it in shining and therefore it casteth out such glorious beames in the soules of men and women What is the cause that it is a light The cause is in the subject of it The subject of it is glorie What will make a light if glory will not make it The Gospell is the Gospell of glory and all that is within it is glorie What glorie â—â— this The glory of CHRIST the King of kingâ— his glory must be a great glory what kind of person is this Christ He is y e Image of God He neuer resteth mounting vp till he come to that diuinity Lo how he riseth he climbeth from the Gospel to the Mediator from y e Mediator to that glorious Majesty So all the glorie that shineth in y e Gospel is y e glory of God and all the light of the Gospel is that light of God which th'Apo 1. Tim. 6. 16. calleth y t light which hath none accesse neuer man had accesse to it till this Iesus brought it down without this light thou art but darknesse and shalt end in exteriour vtter darknesse All the beames of the Sunne are but darknesse in
respect of it The Sunne is but a creature this is the light vncreated of the glorious GOD the verie essence of GOD count of it as thou wilt Now marke one thing of this This man by his speach leadeth vs to his hart what are words if they want the heart and if they haue no life what are wordes to bee respected suppose thou speakest a thousande yeeres of light and glorie if thou haue neither light nor glorie in thy soule Certainely there are none that will looke to these wordes but they may see the mans heart was replenished with this light and glorie whereof hee spake The face of IESVS shyned on his soule and so wonderfullie hee vttereth that conception and fulnesse of the heart in such wordes as are marueilous The heart of PAVLE was full of light and glorie But I see little light in the heartes of men and women in respect of that light which was in his heart And therefore Brethren to speake the trueth because this Gospell howbeit it hath beene sounding in the eare these manie yeeres in this Lande yet it hath not entered into the hearts of men womē it hath bene a sound in the eare but not a light in the soule because thou hast not suffered it to enter into thine heart kept it there therefore the Lord is threatning to take it from thine eare also and so will be seene on EDINBVRGH one day The eye is alwayes vpon men but thou lookest not to that poysonable heart of thine that is procuring y e away-taking of this Gospel out of thine eare and except ye descend into your owne hearts search the emptinesse of y t light in them it is not possible that it can remaine Can it bee possible that this contempt of the Gospell that of her owne nature is so effectuall in the hearts of men can bee borne with for euer No y e Lord will not suffer this contempt to bee vnpunished And therefore the Lord appearantly hath said I will put away my Gospel from this vngrateful people whom it hath not illuminated after so long time So ye y t haue bene long looking to instrumēts looke as long on your owne false hearts that are the cause of all Yet Brethren notwithstanding of al this contempt of y e Gospel the Lord saue me all them that I wish well to from this to be an instrument of the with-drawing of it for yet it was neuer seene that y e Lord vsed good men to be instruments in such a deed Who is it that is heere sent to blind this worlde who but the god of this world the Deuil and therfore I giue this watch-word Let no man preasse to bee the occasion of the away-taking of the Gospell Nowe I shall take vp the next verse shortly and so I shall end In the next verse the Apostle giueth the reason wherefore they to whome the Gospell was hidden behoued to be they who were ordained for perdition and whome the god of this world hath blinded His reason is takē euen from his sinceritie in preaching the Gospell For saieth hee wee preach not our selues Whom preach I then but IESUS CHRIST the LORD and I preached Him to be the Lord in my Gospel and what preached I of my selfe Our selues your seruantes for Christ Iesus sake For the Bridegromes cause I was a seruant to the Bride for His cause who is the onelie Head and LORD of the Church I was a seruant to the Church Then of this reason marke this lesson A man whome the LORD raileth to preach the Gospell not to seeke himselfe nor his owne aduancement nor worldlie riches nor honour but onelie to preach the Gospell in sinceritie what effect will hee haue in his preaching Strange effectes will followe him if hee saue thee not if hee winne thee not to God if he minister not comfort to thee by his Gospell what will hee doe I shall tell thee Hee will put a stampe vpon thee and thrust it into thine heart conscience testifying to thee in the owne time for the conscience wakeneth not in all men at all times that thou wast not faithfull but a reprobate ordained to perdition from all eternitie if thou gettest not repentance in time and if the Gospell preached by a sincere man hath not fructified in thee all his preaching is but a seale to thee of thy damnation and in the Great Day shall stand vp and aggrege thy judgement Marke another thing heere What is this that maketh this man so bold He will denounce perdition excecation and blind-folding by the god of this world I assure you this is a bolde speach to denounce damnation but what maketh him so bolde Yee see it in a worde the conscience of his owne sinceritie that in his preaching hee sought not himselfe but the LORD his Maister There is the lesson A man whom the LORD will sende and the LORD as certainlie will sende men to speake in sinceritie his message as euer he sent any Prophet in the worlde howbeit there be not an extraordinarie calling nowe A man I say whom the LORD will send he will denounce damnation to an obstinate and rebellious people and hee will bee bolde to take thee as it were by the eare suppose thou bee a king and leade thee to that Tribunall to heare the sentence of damnation pronounced against thee The LORD giue mee this sinceritie and then I will not care for all the kinges and all the men in the worlde for the LORD will giue boldnesse to the man whome he raiseth in sinceritie to cyte kinges before that Tribunall of IESVS CHRIST Another thing I see in this Text There is no lord but the Lord IESVS who will tread down all the lordes in the earth and treade vpon their neckes at his pleasure And more I see There is no Ladie nor Queene but the Church the Spouse of IESVS CHRIST As for Kinges Queenes Politickes in the earth all are but seruantes onelie Kinges seruantes Queenes seruantes Pastors and Ministers seruants and nourishers of the Church of IESVS The Apostles seruants ministring food to this glorious bodie of IESVS and feeding it with the sincere milke of the worde And that is it which the Apostle saith in the 1. epis to the Corin. chap. 3. vers 22. speaking of himselfe and others All is yours saith he whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas c. Euen so all is yours all are but seruants to you ye are Christes Hee is your Lord ye haue none other lord but Christ Thē the Church must haue a great prerogatiue jurisdiction and liberty She is a Queene and if euer there was in any countrey a jurisdiction and libertie shee hath it giuen her of her Spouse the Lord IESVS Then ye know what should follow If shee haue a libertie and jurisdiction I will speake that which the Apostle speaketh in the second epist to the Corin. chap. 13. vers 10. God hath not giuen me saith Paule
to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the LORD There are two good thinges The one confidence the other light The Apostle maketh a choise heere he will leaue confidence here in the bodie and hee chooseth to die that he may attaine to the light and in this respect he would change all the confidence hee hath with death Thou wilâ— not change a foot of earth with death but th' Apostle will change confidence with death and confidence is more preciou than all y e earth Few will doe this and yet thou wi 't die and thou hadst sworne it Well is that bodie that is so resolued to die as Paule was But maketh Paule a choise of death for death it selfe Certainely no man wil choose death for death it selfe for except the LORD lighten death and transforme it it is an entrie to Hell And if thou haue none other respect in death but to be quite of this miserable life as some will sâ—y Would GOD I were dead that I might bee quite of this miserie thou shalt bee in greater miserie after death than euer thou was whilst thou was liuing What then should bee the speciall cause that should mooue a man to say Would GOD I were dissolued euen this I am burthened with sinne I am burthened with mortalitie This burthen should bee a great motiue Well is the soule that is freede of sinne What pleasure is it to a soule that woulde faine serue GOD to liue euer in sinne Nay no pleasure This is the speciall motiue that should mooue vs to make choise of death To bee with IESVS CHRIST to dwell with Him and to bee in His companie in the participation of that glorie that is in the countenance of CHRIST For that caâ—se I would flit that I might bee with my LORD and embrace that joye So as the miserie of this worlde will put thee forwarde to GOD. so the sweetenesse of CHRISTS companie will draw thee forward Then to ende The Apostle hath preconceaued in himselfe a wonderfull joye of that glorie when hee sawe it not yet so must wee doe All his walking was by faith and not by sight but hee seeth before the hand an Heauenlie joy and pleasure in respect of that â—ruition that he shall once get of the countenance of CHRIST This shoulde learne thee to looke euer for more than thou â—eest thinke not that thou hast seene all the glorie that shall come to thee and hast felt all the pleasures that are laid vp for thee in Heauen But thinke that there is greater joye and glorie there thaÌ„ euer thou couldi heare of for CHRIST him selfe neuer vttered al the glory that is laid vp for the Sainctes All that wee see heere is but in a mirrour All the glorie of CHRIST in the Scripture is but in a mirrour liâ—e as when the Sunne shineth in the mirrour thou lookest not to the Sunne that shineth but to the glauncing thereof in the mirrour And as there is greater shining in the Sunne than in the glauncing thereof which thou seest so thinke euer there is greater glorie in Heauen than euer thou hearde of in the Scripture Suppose not that thou canst thinke of the joyes of Heauen as men on earth thinke on earthly thinges Who can thinke a thing greater than it is No the glory of Heauen and the joye with CHRIST mounteth vp aboue the reach of thy faith and hope and all thing that is able to conceiue the same It mounteth vp higher that the Heauen of Heauens is aboue the earth Therefore thinke not with thy selfe it is too much that I looke for Thou failest only in narrownesse thy Faith and Hope is so narrowe that they cannot comprehende the thousande part of that glorie And so wee should say I hope and I belieue more than I am able to comprehend And here is the cause that thou canst not get that full sight of glorie that is laide vp for thee The weake begunne grace of Faith and the Spirite of GOD in thee is not able to attaine to the thousand part of that glorie The LORD giue vs grace to preconceaue this glorie in some measure that wee may seeke the same and say with PAVL I haue Faith and Hope but that glorie passeth all The LORD grant vs this euen for CHRISTES sake So bee it THE THIRD SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 9 Whereâ—ore also we couet that both dwelling at home and remoouing from home wee may bee acceptable to Him verse 10 For we must all appeare before the judgement seate of CHRIST that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that that he hath done whether it be good or euill verse 11 Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORD wee perswade men and wee are made manifest vnto GOD and I trust also that wee are made manifest in your consciences WEe haue hearde Brethren these dayes past the remedie that the Apostle setteth downe against this temporall death the dissolution of the body In a worde it is a full assurance and perswasion of the heart that when we are dead concerning the body yet we shall liue againe and shall receiue at the handes of God a more glorious body than euer this bodie was It is an harde matter to get this assurance for the naturall reason of man cannot nor will not perswade him that hee once beeing dead the bodie beeing dissolued in ashes that euer that bodie shall bee recouered againe Therefore the Apostle bringeth in three argumentes of this assurance The first is the earnest desire that the Godly haue in this life to be glorified It is a thing impossible that this desire can bee in vaine Hee that giueth thee a desire of glorie and sighing for it He must giue thee the life and glorie that is desired and sighed for For otherwise Hee would neuer giue thee grace to sigh once for this life and glorie except Hee were purposed to put thee in possession of that glorie one day The second argument is taken from our regenâ—ration or the end of our regeneration GOD is Hee that maketh vs of new againe after we were dismaide by the fall of Adam Hee createth vs of newe againe to this ende that wee should liue the first creation It ended indeede and wee haue lost the right thereof euen in the first creation Wee were created to liue euerlastingly yet wee died But the second creation in IESUS will neuer breake but as in him wee are renewed to life liue shall wee in the Heauens euerlastingly it can neuer faile Peter saith in his first epist chap. 1. vers 3. Wee are regenerate againe into that liuely hope The third argument is the Spirit of CHRIST whereby GOD worketh in vs both the desire and regeneration hauing once giuen vs that Spirit He taketh Him not from vs againe but letteth Him dwell in soule and bodie to bee an earnest-pennie in vs assuring vs He shal neuer leaue vs till the whole promises in
true all these things are not seene yet and this flourishing of vs in Christ is not found yet perfectlie and this conjunction of Him with vs is not so sensible as it shall be but this shall once be found true we shall find that wee were the sonnes of God and newe creatures when wee were on this earth and wee shall get the accomplishment of our felicitie in Heauen when we are reigning in glory with Him Now as to the rest of the creatures hee saith Olde thinges are past by behold all thinges are become newe He saith Beholde Marke the word hereby stirring vp their hearts to see the alteration and renewing of these creatures seing it is a thing difficill to be belieued by men There is no creature neither Angell nor man no the dumbe senselesse creatures as the Heauen earth fire water aâ—â—e but they were all benefited by that change made in Christ and by His glorious resurrection and ascension they receiued some alteration from the worse to the better The Angels who were before in glorie were bettered and their glorie was augmented by the rising of Christ The Apostle Eph. 1. 10. and 3. 10. and Col. 1. 20. sheweth tâ—â—â— But to speake of the inferiour creatures and their estate of this Heauen Sunne Moone Starres Earth Water c. that were created for the vse of man these creatures from the beginning euer altered with man When man was created in the beginning in perfection these creatures were in their perfectioÌ„ the Heauen in his perfection the Sunne in his perfection c. When man fell they fell also the Heauen fell from his perfection c. the earth was accursed for man Rom. 8. 20. As man grew olde that is as hee grewe in sinne vnto the time that sinne came to the height which fell in that same period of time when CHRIST came into the world then the Apostle saieth sinne superabounded and all was vnder sinne And surelie I thinke if the LORD had not come at that period of time wheÌ„ the world superabounded in sinne and sinne was come to the height the world had presentlie perished So I saye as men grewe olde by sinne the Heauens the Sunne the Moone and all the rest of the creatures grew olde Alasâ—man by sinne defileth the aire the Heauens c. When thou O man for whome all the rest of the creatures were made runnest forward in offending thy Creator thou drawest on all the rest of the creatures after thee And againe at the comming of CHRIST the old creatures beganne to be made new creatures and the creatures that were made to the vse of man were benefited with that benefite of man got a renewing as man their lord was renewed Againe after CHRISTS comming when man beganne of new to degenerate and grow olde then the creatures also beganne to grow olde So man growing in sinne draweth after him the creatures and as he decayeth the earth and all creatures decay also and therefore Paul Rom. 8. 19. 22. saieth that the senselesse dumbe creatures grone and make a mone for sin mourning as a woman traueiling of birth faine would be deliuered so the earth would faine be quite of thee O sinfull man that art made of the earth and treadest on y â— belly of the earth she groneth vnder the weight of thee for sin Fy on thee that caÌ„st not grone for sin thou shalt either grone here in this life and get relief or thou shalt grone after this life for euer without reliefe This is the groning that the poore creature maketh for the bearing of thee the earth would â—aine serue God in her own kind but shee is made subject to thy vanitie Rom. 8. 20 and therfore she groneth so the senslesse creatures are wearie and cry Lord put an end to this vanity and are crying this day this same houre But man for whome the earth and all is made subject to this miserie and vanitie is going playing him on the earth without groning Well at last when the sonnes of GOD shall bee reuealed and shall bee glorified Coloss Chap. 3. vers 4. then the earth which groned with them when they groned shall bee glorified with them and then the Sunne and the Moone shall receiue newnesse and as Peter saieth 2. epist 3. 〈◊〉 The sonnes of God shal receiue this same Heauen in substance but it shal be new and the earth shal be new then the earth shal be no loÌ„ger capable of a sinfull man Thou sinner shalt not get leaue to looke to this HeaueÌ„ only the sonnes of God that shall be glorified shal get this priuiledge they shal be kings of this newe earth Yee see then the estate of the creatures euanisheth according to mans estate and altereth as man doeth and in the ende the creatures shall haue the participatioÌ„ with man of that glorie which they longed for This for the opening vp of the Text. Learne here ye see y e creatures get renewing as well as man but marke the difference in the second roome Man is first renewed then the creatures are renewed MaÌ„ hath his preferment first next the creatures are renewed but not after that maner that maÌ„ is renewed and preferred for man is first graffed in Christ and he is made one with Him Iesus the Head y e Church the body and euery faithfull man and womans member of that body Eph. 1. 22. 23. But the creatures when they are renewed they are not ingraffed in Christ The Heauen when it is renewed is not called to that honor to be ingraffed in Christ it is no part of the body of Christ The earth when it is renewed is no part of the body of Christ No no such conjunction is betwixt Christ and those creatures as is betwixt Him His Church Then seeing these creatures that are renewed with maÌ„ are not honoured with that conjunction which is with Christ the Lord it must follow that the glory of the creatures is not equall with y â— glory of man When the Heauens shal be made new very glorious yet all shall be nothing to that glory of maÌ„ Thou O man shalt shine in body aboue the glorie of the Sun by a thousand stages Matth. 13. 43. The conjunction of Christ not being so made with the creatures as it is with man the glory of them cannot be compared with y e glory of man but al the glory of the creatures shall be as a participatioÌ„ of the glory of man Thou maÌ„ shalt be glorified with the glory of Iesus Christ himself the creatures shal bee glorified but with thy glory All this telleth vs what glory wee should looke for seeing this Lord that maketh this renovation is so glorious It is certain that at the coÌ„ming of Christ in the world and His passing vp to the Heauens a renewing of all the creatures in the world was made al things were renewed This is a ground that we must hold if we belieue that Christ
it is sowne in dishonour and is raised in glorie it is sowne in weakenesse and is raised in power The weakest bodie in Heauen shall be stronger than the strongest man in earth Then saieth hee it is sowne a naturall bodie and is raised a spirituall bodie So the change is in qualitie and therefore he saith to the Philippians chap. 3. vers 21. When CHRIST commeth Hee shall transforme not abolish but transforme in qualitie our vile bodies like to His owne glorious body Christ keepeth in y e Heauen that same very body which he had in the earth thou shalt keep the same bodie in HeaueÌ„ which thou hast in earth but it shall be altered in qualitie as far as y e HeaueÌ„ earth is different BrethreÌ„ this ministreth comfort there is none of vs but naturally we loue this body then let this comfort thee that suppose thy soule shall bee for a time without this bodie yet thou shalt get it again Another comfort death cannot destroy it the graue shall not bee able to swallow vp that body but the graue shal keep it the dust substance thereof till the comming of Christ then it shall be compelled to render it againe Life shall swallow vp death but death nor the graue shall not be able to swallow vp the bodie of Godâ— Elect But the reprobate shall be swallowed vp of death both in soule bodie In the 8. chap. to the ROMANES the 10. and 11. verses Paul ministreth these two consolations against death Hee saieth The bodie must die because of sinne but hee subjoyneth The soule in the meane time shall liue and the Spirit of Iesus shall take it couer it with that blood And albeit it was a sinfull soule yet assoone as the Father blinketh vpon it wimpled and wrapped as it were in the blood of Iesus immediately hee biddeth it passe to glorie He goeth forward And where it might haue bene said shall we haue no consolation in the body He answereth If the Spirite of Him that raised Iesus from the dead dwell in your mortall body what then He that is GOD the Father that raised vp Christ from the dead He by His Spirit shall raise your bodies that same body that is dead and laid in graue that same body by Gods Spirit for the Spirit of Iesus and the Spirite of the Father is all one shall be raised vp Learne then if this holy Spirit of God once take lodging in you He shall neuer leaue you in soule nor body He shal accompanie the body in the graue and conuoy the soule to Heauen The Spirit of Iesus shall goe with y e soule lift it vp The earth getteth the body when the soule is separated from it yet the Holy Spirit shall goe to the graue with the body and shall remain with it in the graue and with the least part of the dust thereof And when Christ shall come He shall gather it together and make it a whole body So happy are they that haue once lodged this guest in their soules for neither fire nor water nor none other power euer shall bee able to destroy them because that Holy Spirit euer remaineth with theÌ„ Now in the next verse because it might haue bene said and objected Thou wouldst not want the bodie why sighest thou then and what meaneth this desire if thou wouldst keepe the body Wee the faithfull that are in this tabernacle we sigh are burthened but marke our desire because wee would not be vnclothed as some will say Soule to God and bones to the dung-hill in contempt of the body but thinkest thou to be glorified in HeaueÌ„ without a body No but would be clothed vpon that mortalitie might bee swallowed vp of Life As if hee would say I wold haue this faire cloke of glory put vpon this body that it might consume and swallow vp all this stinke of sinne that is in the body Learne then first the body as it is now is a burthen Hee saieth Wee that are in this tabernacle sigh and are burthened It is a loade laide vpon the backe of the soule it is a tabernacle but a burthenable tabernacle as an house smoothering him down and he holding the same vpon his shoulders that appearantly it would be better for him to bee out of it Learne secondly the estate of them that dwell in this tabernacle If the body be a burthen then the soule must sigh grone as a man vnder a heauie burthen And the body is nothing but an house of mourning to the faithfull soule as long as it dwelleth therein The wanton light man thinketh this body which he beareth about to bee no burthen and will run and leape with it as though this carcasse were as light as a fether Alas hee feeleth not the burthen hee is senselesse and like one in a feuer and in a rage that knoweth not what hee doeth nor what hee suffereth A mountaine is lying vpon him and hee feeleth it not Woe to those men that are so wanton vnder this miserie Amend in time or the LORD shâ—ll thrust thee downe to Hell Fye on thee that dwellest in Bethania the house of mourning canst not mourn Mourne in time or else I assure thee thou shalt mourne for euer This beeing the condition of men who dwell in this tabernacle sighing and desiring as a womâ—n with childe to bee relieued what is the ende of this desire The ende of the mourning of the Godlie is not that they woulde bee quite of the house as manie desire that were wrong for manie will mourne vnder this house desperatelie and the bodie will bee a burthen to the soule in them and their life will be vnpleasant to them they will thinke to get a reliefe of the burthen by the want of this present life and will put hand in themselues but then beginneth their euerlasting mourning for they neuer knew what mourning was till that end come So then this is not the way to bee deliuered of the burthen but the way is To seeke to put on a cloathing on this bodie and heere is the ende of our desire It is clothed with mortalitie and that is all the matter of thy mourning It is not the substance of the bodie that causeth thee to mourne but sinne that possesseth thy bodie and corrupteth the marowe of thy bones death accompanying sinne Then this mortalitie beeing an accident of sinne which is the chiefe cause thereof the remedie is Seeke to bee cloathed with the life that commeth from Christ Sucke in by Faith a droppe of that life of Christ This will not destroy thy bodie but it will destroy the death sinne that possesseth thy bodie And the life of Iesus Christ in a moment wil swallowe vp all that death and sinne and all that miserie that laye on thee There is the way to dwell with ease in the bodie Seeke not to destroy the bodie But seeke the slaughter of that sinne and death that lieth
vpon thy bodie otherwise soule and bodie both shall perish the house shall fall downe and the man that lodged in the house shall bee destroyed Remember then Life and Death are not matters to bee scorned withall they are not wordes nay nay Thinke grauelie of them and before thy soule bee dislodged looke that thou bee prepared for a better life Looke that thou finde the LORD of Life CHRIST IESVS by His Spirit working the death of mortalitie in thee and the beginning of the Life that shall last for euer The LORD by His Spirit worke these thinges in your heartes To whom bee all Praise Honour and Glorie for euer and euer AMEN THE SECOND SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 5 And He that hath created vs for this thing is GOD who also hath giuen vnto vs the earnest of the Spirit verse 6 Therefore wee are alwayes bolde though wee knowe that Whilst wee are at home in the bodie wee are absent from the LORD verse 7 For we walke by faith and not by sight verse 8 Neuerthelesse we are bolde loue rather to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the LORD BRethren yee that were present the last day hearde what was the purpose of Paul in this place First hee beginneth to comfort himselfe and all others that are to die and to be dissolued against death the terrours of death He as he saith in the chap. preceeding 18. vers is looking vp to Heauen and whilst he is looking vp to Heauen to see that end that he was once to attaine to there cometh in betwixt his sight and the light of that glorie and life a cloude of death to haue caught away out of his eies if it had bene possible all too-looke to life euerlasting The remedic against it wee shewed you was Faith and a constant Hope with a sharpe earnest and stedfast looking euē to pierce in throrow death and that cloude of death and thorow death to get a sight of that life and light of glorie which lieth hid vp in Heauen beyond death We know saith the Apostle and are assured that our bodies and the earthlie house of this tabernacle shall bee dissolued yet wee shall get a building for an house a building that is from God not made with mens hands but an eternall building that is situated in the Heauens aboue the carth When hee hath set down this remedy he beginneth to comfort himselfe and others by a sure Faith that after death he shall liue againe after the dissolution of his mortall bodie hee shall receiue a glorious bodie The first argument of his assurance is from the desire hee had of life sighing with an earnest desire of that Kingdome which is from Heauen This desire neuer disappointed man Neuer was there anie man that had an earnest desire of life glorie and had the true knowledge and meane to attaine to this glorie that was disappointed of his desire but who euer desired most earnestlie to be glorified most certainly they liue now in Heauen and at this houre they are glorified there and none there shall be that shall haue this desire and striue to throng into Heauen violently Mat. 11. 12. but they shall enjoy Heauen after their departing Now in the Text which we haue read we followe out the assurances and warrandes which the Apostle hath of the glorie of the life to come The second assurance and warrand of the life to come is in the first words Hee saith the Apostle that hath created vs for this thing is God c. The argument of the life to come in these words is from the ende of our creation GOD hath created vs to this ende to wit That in the ende this mortalitie wherewith wee are clothed might bee swallowed vp of Life therefore liue must wee in Heauen This is the ende of our creation therefore it cannot faile but wee must bee glorified Learne then The maner of our glorifying is this It is GOD not man that hath made vs and created vs to this ende It is impossible that GOD can be disappointed of the ende which He setteth before Him of His worke man may bee disappointed for hee will begin a worke for some purpose but oft times hee will bee disappointed of that purpose Hee will build an house to dwell in but it may be hee neuer dwell in it another will dwell therein GOD when He worketh a worke to anie ende it is impossible that Hee can bee disappointed All the world if they would stand vp and oppone to GODS worke they cannot hinder it That worke that GOD worketh in vs is such a worke that tendeth to Life as to the ende thereof Who shall condemne vs saith the Apostle it is God that justifieth vs Roman 8. 33. Will Hee justifie thee all the world shall not bee able to condemne thee Will Hee saue thee all the worlde shall not bee able to make thee perish So is it of His whole Church in generall Suppose all the worlde were conspired against His Church He wil haue it safe and wonderfully worketh He the saluation of His Church euery member thereof through death He bringeth them to life so that it is folly to men to striue against the works of GOD. Yet looke to the wordes Hee that hath created vs to this end is God What creation is this that he meaneth of Is this that first creation of Adam and Eua of euery one of vs in them that was at the beginning Not so that creation failed Indeede wee were first created to liue and thorowe that first creation euerie one of vs got a certaine right to liue for euer but that right wee lost in our owne default wee are fallen from that right of our creation in the fall of Adam So we must seeke another creation or else wee shall neuer see Life for wee haue no right to that first creation which was in all Holinesse according to the image of GOD Ephes 4. 24. If thou sticke to that first creation and olde birth-right thou shalt neuer see Life Then the Apostle meaneth of another What other making or creating of vs is this It is our regeneration or renewing againe which is nothing else but as it were a newe birth and begetting from the which we are called new creatures 2. Corin. 5. 17. Then Brethren wouldst thou haue a sure argument that thou shalt liue after this life wo to thee if thou liuest not after this life woe to them that euer sawe this worlde and they get not a life after this life for this life will away Looke if thou art regenerated and renewed looke if thou art sanctified and findest a slaying of thy lusts within thee Looke if thou findest the life of God by his Spirit working within thee not this naturall life but this Heauenly and spirituall life begunne in thee not by nature but by grace If thou hast this thou hast a warrand that thou shalt liue and albeit
heavenly glorie shall bee none other thing but the perâ—yting of our regeneration For when all this pelffrie shall be taken away then wee shall fully bee renewed As to the Spirit if ever hee was powerfull in earth he shall be more powerfull in Heaven so that the same Spirit that heere dwelt in thy body shall then glorifie thy body and make it to shine brighter than the Sunne Therefore let vs seeke this regeneration and the Spirit of CHRIST For in these two standeth the perfection and the glorie of the life to come Now when he hath reckoned out all the warrands of life whereby he assureth himselfe thereof hee concludeth in the next veâ—se Then saieth he wee haue confidence alwayes as if hee would say Hauing these warrandes I haue confidence alwayes that is I am assured of my glory and yet the wordes import not only an assurance but the effect thereof which is a sweete securitie in the soule for whensoeuer any man is assured of life then the soule with sweetnesse wil rest then commeth that peace of Conscience assuring vs whether wee liue or wee die wee are CHRISTES so this draweth on that boldnesse confidence Then looke the nature the beginning and â—ising of Faith it is builded and standeth vpon these three pillars An earnest desire of life Regeneration and the Spirit of GOD These are the three proppes thereof which are sensible to them who haue faith and wee shoulde bee acquainted with them Then of this riseth the sweete confidence of glory and security the repose and rest of the soule and conscience and from the soule it commeth vp to the mouth and breaketh out in a glorying As this same Apostle vpoÌ„ this confidence in his soule breaketh out saith What shal seuer vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or peâ—il or sword No in all these things we are more than victorious through Him that loued vs. Rom. 8. 35. c. So that faith being builded vpon these three pillers securitie and confidence beeing builded vpon Faith then boldnâ—sse in mouth will say I defie all contrarie powers lay the sword lay fire lay death before mee it will say I defie them all yea let all the Deuils of Hâ—ll come before a man his faith be well builded and confidence on faith hee will defie them all yea albeit they threateÌ„ damnation to him for it thou stand in Christ thou shalt liue albeit thou must bee separated from this mortall life yet all the worlde cannot separate thee from the life of Christ Seeke this life now in time that in trouble wee may say that wee will rest in Christ and all the world shall not seuer thee from Him Yet to goe forward in the words The Apostle as yet hath not the full contentation in heart for all this assurance For saith he wee knowe that while wee are at home in the bodie wee are absent from the LORD If wee bee at home with a thing we are farre from a better thing which is abroade Alas thou beeing â—t home aâ— thine house and fire thou art farre abroade from thine home in Heauen whilst wee are at home in this mortall bodie wee are strangers and Pilgrimes from the LORD Brethren yee shall learne heere a great difference betweene confidence contentation It is one thing to haue contentation another thing to haue confidence This Apostle had confidence but not contentation Thou art farre decâ—aued that thinkest thou hast sufficient contentation in this worlde Woe is thee yea although thou haue Heauenly graces and if thou thinkest thou hast contentation either of glory or of sight all is nothing Why Because there cannot nor shoulde not bee contentation heere no the best and moste confident man that liueth shoulde not thinke hee hath contentation in this prâ—sâ—nt life All thine holinesse faith confidence and hope shoulde not giue thee full contentation All the kingdomes honours and riches of this worlde which is nothing but dirt and pelffrie in respect of those Heauenly thinges shoulde not giue thee full contentation And yet the worldly foole will saye in his heart I haue contentation and sufficiencie O! but what saide CHRIST to him that decreed with his hart to make wide barnes Foole this night thy soule shall be taken from thee Luâ—e 12. 20. Away with an opinion of contentation in this earth and thou bee a king of all the earth Wilt thou haue contentation without CHRIST Wilt thou hauâ— sufficiencie and not haue Him who is thy life glorie When thou art a pilgrime from CHRIST and wandring from thy countrey and inheritance wilt thou saye thou hast thine hearts desire Had euer pilgrime full contentation during the time of his pilgrimage Then no contentation to the faithfull soule but in CHRIST I shall neuer thinke coÌ„tentation to be in my soule till I see CHRIST face to face I giue thee the same counsell yea and if I had all spirituall graces in neuer so great a measure yet no coÌ„tentation for my soule till I see CHRIST for all our blessednesse standeth in the sight of CHRIST and thou canst not see CHRIST heere because thou art absent from Him For as long as I am at home speaking of the soule so long as it is closed heere within this earthly tabernacle I am absent from CHRIST And this prison of my bodie so closeth mee about that I cannot see CHRIST Brethren it is this mortall bodie that is clothed with sinne and mortality wherewith we must be clothed as long as wee are heere that holdeth vs from the sight of CHRIST It is impossible so long as thou art clothed with the sinfull bodie to get that full sight of IESVS albeit Hee were standing on the earth cloathed with His glorie So thou must be vnclothed of this mortalitie ere thou canst see Him And there is the grounde wherefore wee shoulde thinke no contentation whilst wee are in this body Because so long as wee dwell in this mortall body we shall neuer see CHRIST nor get a full fruition of His countenance Therefore Brethren take not so much pleasure and delight in this mortall bodie for I assure thee it is but a prison holding the faithfull soule and the eye of the faithfull soule from the sight of CHRIST but assoone as it shall bee loosed from it it shall mount immediatelie with joye to CHRIST and there get full contentation in His face yee thinke so long as yee want these earthly thinges yee cannot get contentation I speake not of the wicked but euen of the regenerated man but when the soule getteth this glorious presence of CHRIST in Heauen it shall haue joye in infinite degrees greater than euer it had in earth And albeit the body shall lie heere in graue and ignominie for a time yet all that shall bee recompensed by the glorious sight of CHRIST which the soule shall enjoye in the Heauens beeing separated from the body Wee
c. Hee was assured of GODS testimonie but hee trusted that the Corinthians also would beare him recorde that hee had traneiled truelie Hee saieth in your consciences It is to bee marked that he appealeth to their consciences not their mouthes but their consciences for the mouth of man will giue one testimonie but the conscience will giue another And when the conscience will bee saying the man hath spoken truelie and in sinceritie the mouth in the meane time will bee backebiting him and the conscience will say thou lyest mouth Speake therefore euer according to conscience for if thy conscience speak one thing and thy mouth another thou shalt bee challenged of a lye It is true indeede men knowe not the heart of man as when a Minister is speaking yee cannot judge of his heart the LORD judgeth it yet a faithfull and sincere man hee will vtter sometime the inwarde sinceritie of his heart in his wordes and deedes that all that seeth and heareth him will looke in therethorowe and see the inwarde sinceritie of the heart and giue an outward confession of it Now Brethren then in this example of Paule yee haue such a protestation as the faithfull Pastor shoulde make in the houre of his death and which should be his testament There is two things in his Ministerie the outwarde speaking and the inwarde sinceritie of the heart If hee would protest of his faithfulnesse looke that hee protest as PAVLE did First outwardly I haue vsed all diligence in discharging all the outward partes of my calling I haue kept nothing abacke and then inwardly As for my sinceritie First I take GOD to bee witnesse who knoweth and onely seeth mine heart with what sinceritie I haue spoken and then I take you to witnesse that haue beene conuersant with mee so farre as yee can knowe the inwarde sinceritie of mine heart by my liuing and outwarde actions Woulde to GOD wee coulde haue this sinceritie And I praye the LORD graunt mee this sinceritie and I beseech Him that as Hee hath beene with mee since the beginning of my Ministerie so Hee would neuer leaue mee vntill the time I finish my course with joye to His glorie and comfort of His CHVRCH through IESVS CHRIST our LORD To whome with the FATHER and the Holie GHOST bee all Honour Praise and Glorie both now and euermore So bee it THE FOVRTH SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 12 For wee praise not our selues againe vnto you but giue you an occasion to rejoyce of vs that yee may haue to answere against them who rejoyce in the face and not in the heart verse 13 For whether wee bee out of our wit wee are it to GOD or whether wee bee in our right minde we are it vnto you verse 14 For that loue of CHRIST constraineth vs. verse 15 Because wee thus judge that if one bee dead for all then were all dead and Hee died for all that they that liue shoulde not hence foorth liue vnto themselues but vnto Him who died for them and rose againe TO repeat shortlie that which we haue heard in this Chapter We hearde first of that assurance of glorie and life euerlasting which is the only remedy against death and the dissolution of this body Wee hearde secondly of the three warrandes of this assurance of life glorie The first the earnest desire which the heart had of that glorie and life The second Regeneration and renewing The thirde the Holie Spirite who is the worker of all grace in our heartes and who neuer leaueth vs but abideth in vs as an assured earnest-pennie of the full accomplishment of all that glorie promised to vs in the word of GOD. And yet for all this wee heard that the Apostle had not that contentation nor full satisfaction of his heart because he is yet a pilgrime liuing heere by confidence and hath not gotten the full presence of his LORD hee chooseth to leaue all the thinges in this life and therefore hee taketh resolution what hee will doe in life and death to the ende that when hee commeth to his LORD in the Heauens hee may bee welcome The thing hee resolueth to doe is this hee endeuoureth himselfe in his calling to be acceptable to Him in life and death and hee will consecrate all the actions and sufferinges of both to Him Beside that glory to come which moueth him to studie to bee acceptable to his LORD he setteth downe another motiue a terrible Tribunall which abideth him and all men and women who studie not to bee acceptable to the LORD The soule shall not so soone depart out of the bodie but it shall also as soone bee presented before that Tribunall and shall receiue that dolorous sentence if they haue not studied to bee acceptable to Him Therefore the Apostle concludeth Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORDm we trauell in our calling to preach Christ and to bring men to faith and that not for the fashion but in sinceritie of heart so that wee take God who seeth the heart to be witnesse to vs of our sinceritie And as to you Corinthians vpon whom we haue bestowed our labour wee appeale to your consciences and wee take you to be witnesse of that same sinceritie of our calling This is the summe of all which ye haue heard hitherto in this Chapter Now to come to this Text which we haue read In the first verse the Apostle hauing spoken of his sinceritie in preaching the Corinthians who had not that liking of him which they shoulde haue had might haue objected Well Paule yet vauntest thou of thy selfe thou hast once vaunted of thy selfe as appeareth in the second and third Chapters preceeding and yet art thou commending thy selfe He answereth no I commend not my selfe againe I vaunted not of my selfe before nor now neither but when I said We are made manifest to GOD and I trust also that wee are made manifest in your consciences in these words I giue you occasion to glorie of me and not so much for my cause as for the cause of false flattering Apostles who glorie in their outward doings without sinceritie of the heart the repressing of these mens vaine glorying is the cause of this my speaking This is the meaning of this verse Then this Text beeing plaine learne these lessons I marke first in the person of the Corinthians who objecteth this vaunting to the Apostle mistaking his words Scarse may a godly man speake a worde or two of the grace which the Lord hath giuen him and that not to his owne praise but to the praise of his God when he is mistaken by euill men who set thēselues to wryth euery word that is spoken And if euer there was an age in y e which this vice reigned I am assured experience proueth it none age may bee compared in that case to this age Yea a godly man can do nothing but incontinent he is mistaken he can speake nothing but he is misconstrued and especially
to Iesus discerne betwixt dead men and liuing men in this world Dead men are they who are natural men and no more Hast thou no more but nature with all the prerogatiues that can followe nature thou art dead although thou bee a king Liuing men are they who are borne againe by Christ Hast thou the Spirit of Christ thou liuest wantest thou the Spirit of Christ thou art but dead So there is a speciall point of Christes seruice discerne betwixt liuing men and dead men thou art in the middest of them and liuing men on the one hand dead men on the other hand Discerne betwixt them Count not of the dead man although hee had all the prerogatiues vnder Heauen If he haue no more but nature call him not blessed The liuing man is hee that hath the Spirit of Christ in him albeit he be a begger and the men who make an account of their worldlie prerogatiues and follow nature and the olde generation are but naturall men thou that accountest of dead men thou art dead thy self as thou art dead so all thine estimation is of dead men To goe forward to the wordes Hee amplifieth this by the example of Christ and saieth How beit I accounted once of Christ after the flesh before â— knewe Him well yet from hencefoorth I will knowe Him no more after the flesh and therefore why should wee knowe men after the flesh who are inferiours to Christ the head of all flesh Nowe â—o speake of this Lord When He was in this worlde Hee was clothed with these earthlie prerogatiues as other men yea I thinke Hee had these outwarde prerogatiues in His owne person in greatest measure aboue all men For neuer man descended of a more excellent rase and genealogie than He did Then looke to his beautie albeit it bee not set downe in the Scripture yet I thinke there was neuer man so faire in beautie as He He was most wise most eloquent of all meÌ„ therefore y e Apostles held Him in admiration for these prerogatiues But from once by His glorious resurrection as the Apostle â—aieth Roman 1. 4. Hee was declared mightily to be the Sonne of GOD then all these thing euanished and the onelie admiration remained of that glorie which Hee declared by His resurrection All these earthlie prerogatiues saieth Paule then passed out of their eyes and the graces of CHRIST onlie remained to be marueiled at The lesson is plain The LORD IESVS is the rule of the estimation of all flesh In thine estimation hold thine eye alwayes vpon CHRIST or els thou shalt fall First cast thine eyes vp to Heauen and then caâ—â— downe thine eyes on man who is but a worme on the earâ—â— Looke vp to a glorious GOD IESVS the Mediator and then to a worme on this earth though hee bee a king and say Those thinges that I will not count of in IESVS which He had beeing in Gâ—â—lâ—e and in the earth I will not count of them in thee that art but a worme I will not doe it But by the contrarie that thing which I esteeme of in Him that passing glorie which is in Him when I looke to thee and see a glaunce thereof in thee indeede for that little resemblance which I see in thee like to my LORD resembling Him in grace I will esteeme of thee otherwise I may well giue thee this worldlie reuerence bâ—â— if thou wantest this resemblance I will neuer count thee happie albeit thou hadst all the earthly prerogatiues in the world And certainelie they who hold men in â—…miration for their earthly prerogatiues neuer â—â—â—â— CHRIST nor His glorie Thou that wilt see a Tribunall a Monarch heere and maruell thereat thou neuer saw the Tribunall of CHRIST So the thing that causeth people to esteeme of men for their earthly prerogatiues is because they see not the glorie graces of CHRIST Would the people haue esteemed so much of Herod if they had knowne the Majestie of the Great GOD when they called him a god Acts 12. 22. No not for all the world and therefore seeke a sight of the glorie of GOD if ye would rightlie esteeme of men and giue them only their owne place Nowe to goe forward Yee haue heard of the purpose that the Apostle taketh in seruing of his LORD by the right esteeming of men in this world among whome hee liueth In the next verse he commeth to the estate of this world sheweth what alteration was made in the world by the alteration made in the person of IESVS for when IESVS altered all creatures altered with Him when He went from the earth to the Heauen and left behinde Him all these earthly pleasures there followed a wonderfull change and alteration in all the creatures But to come to the wordes Hee first speaketh of the estate of man and secondly of the estate of the rest of the creatures in the earth As for man hâ—â— saieth Therefore if anie man be in Christ let him â—â—â— a newe creature Marke this If anie man bee in CHRIST hee is a new creature hee is changed he is altered and wonderfully altered he is changed from an olde creature to a new creature from an olde dead creature to a newe liuing creature from nature to grace from death to life from Hel to HeaueÌ„ What shold become of an old rotteÌ„ stok but be casten into the fire So if thou hadst continued an olde rotten creature thou hadst beene brunt in that fire which is vnquenchable He setteth downe the meanes how this change is made First thou must be in Christ as euer thou sawe an impe ingraffed in a tree so thou must be planted and ingraffed in Him Being planted in Him then commeth that fresh sap out of Him into thee and transformeth thee and maketh thee a newe creature Then learne of this first looke the force of the alteration of IESVS when Hee altered from earthlie things to Heauenlie glorie man especiallie altered with Him Then looke secondly the dignitie of man among all creatures hee hath the first place of changing Christ was first effectuall in man to make him a newe creature And this preferment hath man aboue all the Heauens and aboue al the creatures The maner how this commeth to passe is this Ere thou bee altered thou must bee raised vp to Him and joyned with Him and ingraffed in Him as an impe in a tree then He and thou and thou and Hee being made one the glorie that is in Iesus spreadeth her selfe oued thee couereth thee But if thou bee not in Him thou shalt neuer get any part of His glory Looke that thou be in Him by faith for faith ingraffeth thee in Him and beeing in Him thou shalt get a part of His glory and yet thou art but a creature and not a creator The difference is in newnesse thou was made before olde but now made newe greene liuelie being once ingraffed planted in Christ thou art flourishing It is
came in the world hath ascended to glory Alas this is not perceiued and in my selfe I cannot see it as I would the moste godly complain that they caÌ„not see this effectualnesse of Christes glory The cause is the deadnesse that abideth in vs sin caÌ„not be gotten out of this world till the Lord come again it dwelleth in vs. and reigneth in the world the Deuil the prince of this world reigneth by it for where sinne reigneth he reigneth yea it oppresseth y e godly heart that they can scarcely feele in themselues this renouation so weighty is sinne who seeth it There is a glimmering of this newe creation but who hath this glimmering None but that new soule an vnregenerate man neuer sawe this regeneration neither in himselfe nor in others and hee cannot suffer to heare of a regenerate sanctified man hee will laugh as though there could not bee such a thing as regeneration because the scorner himselfe is vnrenewed therefore hee cannot weigh GODS graces in others So long as thou art vnregenerate thou canst not but scorn regeneration yea and persecute the regenerate man and so rash thine head against a wall For the LORD hath made him inviolable and the Temple of His Spirite and therefore He shall destroy thee that art the vnregenerate man yea and destroyed shall euerie man bee that dasheth himselfe against the Church of IESVS that is the renewed body that body as an yroÌ„ wall shall bruise them Experience telleth this Who euer was hee that rashed against the Church but the Church hath beaten him into powder Meddle not with y e Saincts of God although it were but one Sainct renewed by the grace of God hee is sufficient to destroy and bruise a whole kingdome that rasheth on him The Lord open mens eye to see this For all the world would not I bee one to make opposition to one of the Saincts of GOD. The LORD therefore saue men and learne them to account of this renouation as they would haue a portion thereof be glorified at the comming of Christ Now to end shortly The Apostle when he hath spoken of the renewing of all creatures made by IESVS the Mediator for all floweth out of him in the next verse hee riseth and mounteth vp O howe hee that is carried with the Spirite of Christ will rise when hee is speaking of IESVS hee riseth vp to a light inaccessible he seeth God the Father sitting in his Throne and Majestie and the worke of this renewing flowing froÌ„ him through Christ the Mediator rising vp to the Father of Christ hee saieth And all thinges are of GOD c. Our lesson is All graces come from Christ the Mediator our regeneration floweth out of his life but the fountain of all is the Father of Heauen the Father of Iesus and therfore when thou findest the grace flowing from Iesus raise vp thy soule look thorowe to the glorious Fountaine sitting in his Majesty say All glory be to y e Father I acknowledge all goodnesse to come from thee O Father thou hast giuen all graces to me through thy Son Christ Now when he hath risen vp to the Father he coÌ„meth down again to two degrees which are the â—â—wayes wherby the regeneration is wrought The first is the reconciliatioÌ„ to the Father throgh Christ the Mediator by his death The second is this Ministerie base and contemptible in the eyes of men this dispensation of the mysteries of GOD that hee hath put into the handes of his Ministers to bee distributed to the people Well Brethren a man must come to this regeneration by degrees as a maÌ„ stepping vp a ladder If thou wouldest be renewed in Christ thou must climbe and goe vp by degrees The first is the Ministery of reconciliation The second is the reconciliation it selfe in Christ The thirde and last is the fountaine of regeneration God the Father Will thou runne vp and misse one of these sâ—eps No it is not possible for thou shalt neuer get regeneration before God be friended with thee thou art His enemy thou must be frieÌ„ded with Him before thou bee renewed Well then thou wilt say I must bee friended with Him but I neede not thy ministery can I not come to Heauen but by hearing thee preâ—ch I say thou canst not I lay this necessity before thee and I charge thee I binde thee to this ministery Imagine thou another meanes to attaine to this glory contemne thou this ministery in the silliest person to whome God hath giuen it I shal make a strawe bar the gates of HeaueÌ„ in thy teeth yea albeit thou bee a Monarch thou shalt neuer get reconciliation without this Ministery The Lord wakeÌ„ our coÌ„sciences that we may embrace the ordinance of God we shall neuer be wise in God except first wee become fooles that wee may bee wise Then seeing this necessity is of the Ministery to make a reconciliation with our God and this reconciliation must passe by a proclamation of peace to the miserable worlde and passe by the mouth of this contemned Ministery The Lord waken these our senselesse heartes that we may reuerence and esteeme of this Ministerie more than we haue done The Lord grant vs this for Christs sake To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all Glory and Honour for euermore AMEN THE SIXT SERMON I. COR. CHAP. II. verse 6 And we speake wisedome among them that are perfect not the wisedome of this world nor of the princes of this world who come to naught verse 7 But we speake the wisedome of GOD in a mysterie euen the â—id wisedome which God ordained before the world vnto our glorie verse 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew for had they knowne it they would not haue crucified the Lord of glorie verse 9 But as it is writteÌ„ The eye hath not seene the care hath not heard neither hath entred inâ—â— the hart of maÌ„ the things that God hath prepared for theÌ„ that lâ—ue him IN the Text immediatelie preceeding well-beloued in the LORD IESVS the Apostle hath beene renouncing the wisedome of man in vttering of the Gospel of IESVS CHRIST thinking it not worthy that any mans faith should be builded on it For that faith that is builded on it cannot stand because y e wisdome of man is a false foundation and the thing that is builded on a false foundation cannot stand Now to come to this Text which we haue read presentlie It might haue beene said to the Apostle Who counteth of thy wisedome thou esteemest not of mans wisedome nor eloquence but who counteth of thee or of thy wisedome either Hee answereth in the 6. verse Wee speake wisedome among them that are perfect c. That is Who soeuer are perfect in y e Church of God or whosoeuer are come to a degree of perfection or preasse to perfection aspiring aboue nature aboue humane things to see things Heauenly and spiritual these men account
open if we had eyes to see it Abraham nor Dauid nor all the godlie Kings and Fathers were neuer in so blessed an estate as thou art But if thou repent not and receaue not this wisdome the greater is thy damnation For euer the greater the benefite bee the greater is the condemnation if it bee not receaned And many at that daye shall saye Would to GOD we had neuer heard of this Gospell Well keepe it as yee will there is no glorie but it and take it awaye farewell the glorie and well-fare of the Land yea I say more There is no glorie in this world but it Nowe the Apostle standeth not heere but passeth forward in the praise of this wisedome Hee hath praised it from the Author who is God onlie from the secrecie that it is a mysterie hidden vp so long he commeth now to the time when it was found out which God had determined before the world Sciences vse to bee commended from their antiquitie men say O it is an olde Science it was sound out by the Aegyptians therefore a commendable Science But there was neuer wisedome that might bee compared in antiquitie to this wisedome Wilt thou aske howe olde is this wisedome I aske another question How olde is God Himselfe This Gospell is euen as olde as GOD Himselfe the Gospell is from all Eternitie as the glorious GOD is without beginning from all Eternitie Then this Gospell that is preached this day is no nouâ—ltie This is that wisedome and doctrine that GOD predestinated from all Eternitie howbeit the enemies in contempt call it a new doctrine Thou art a lyar although thou bee the Pope I speake it to the glorie of God this Gospell that is preached in SCOTLAND was from all Eternitie The wordes import more It is not onelie from all Eternitie but it is grounded vpon an Eternall counsell The glorious Trinitie set downe in a glorious counsell this doctrine of saluation And therefore seeing this doctrine is set on so solide a foundation who will shake it Shake it let see off her foundation and thrust at it It will shake thee and driue thee into Hell I tell thee it hath saued manie men from the beginning but it is also true it hath slaine manie one beware that it slaye thee not for it is the stroÌ„gest thing that euer was Thou mayest well banish this Gospell and put it out of SCOTLAND but thou shalt neuer put it out of the world so long as there is a soule to be builded by it But when she is out of SCOTLAND and ENGLAND both shee can goe and it were to all these newe found Landes and abide there Yet marke how he riseth in his tearmes I neuer heard anie Philosopher in all his DeclamatioÌ„s rise so highlie in his praises of anie Science as the Apostle doeth in praising of this wisedome and it is not the eloquence of man but the eloquence of the Spirite of God that raiseth him And yet hee hath not tolde all her glory No we shall neuer see it all till wee see the Lord Iesus who is the subject of this Gospell Sciences haue their commendation from their ende it is a good science that hath a good ende and inuented for the weale of man for his profite and pleasure and glorie But this science in this mounteth aboue all the sciences in the worlde for all the Sciences in the worlde will not make thee mount vp nor raise thee one footbredth from the earth although thou bee a Monarch they may well get thee a piece of honour here but it shall all be earthly honour O! but the Science whereof our God is the Author this wisedome of our redemption maketh thee to mount draweth thee vp in a word glorifieth thee All that euer learne in her schoole shall bee glorified wilt thou learne this wisdome she shall glorifie thee in the Heauens For why she is the power of God to saluation Roman 1. 16. and as hee speaketh 2. Cor. 3. 18. wilt thou looke in her but as in a mirrour to the glorie of GOD in her shee shall transforme thee from glory to glory in that same Image What more All the wisedome in the world without this wisdome is like as much poyson to swell vp thine heart in pride against GOD and man Shall I come to the particulars Art thou a Lawier and hast the knowledge of the Common Lawes If thy science of the Lawe bee not seasoned with this wisedome it is meere poyson to thee Art thou a Mediciner perfect in that Science and hast read all Hippocrates and Galene and all the rest of them and hast not this wisedome thou art poysoned for all thy Medicine Is thine head full of policie and hast thou manie plottes and conceites in it and hast thou not this wisedome thou hast an emptie and poysoned head Art thou a Philosopher and canst count all the Starres and canst search out all the mineralles and canst goe downe to the Center of the Earth yea and it were downe to Hell and hast not this wisedome thou art poysoned What neede I to speake further If thou haue no apprehension of this wisedome that onely sanctifieth thee and all thy Sciences and maketh them profitable vnto thee thou art a miserable bodie and woe to thee for euer Would to God the worlde saw this but alas this humane wisedome and the glory of this worlde pulleth CHRIST out of their eyes and obscureth this Heauenly glory But woe is thee that euer thou saw this light if thou gettest not a part of that Heauenly glory Yet hee stayeth not heere but looke howe hee climbeth vp exalteth this Heauenly wisdome Sciences vse to bee commended for their subtility and sublimity O saieth the Philosopher it is an high and subtile Science therefore it is praise worthy Mathematikes are subtile and are full of subtile demonstrations therefore they are worthy Sciences But Brethren there was neuer Science comparable in sublimity to this Wisedome of GOD who is onely wise As farre as the head of GOD passeth thy braine as far doth this wisdom that is come of GODS head passe all the wisdom that thou canst inuent and it were a thousande yeeres and therefore th'Apostle saith This wisdom none of the Princes of this world haue knowne No not after shee was reuealed and came into the world when they saw her they knew not what shee mâ—ned The Philosophers who scaÌ„ned in curiousnes when this wisedome came to them they knew no more in it than children and infants Looke hoâ—â— little a childe can conceiue of anie humane sciences as little also could they conceiue of this wisedome Reade in the Acts chap. 17. vers 18. when Paul came to Athens and preached it vnto them they said What a sower of words is this they thought hee had nothing but words This is a marueilous secrecie they could not find her out when she was found out to their hands they knew not what she meaneth There is not a
sixteenth Chapter and the two and twentie verse of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Louest thou Him assure thy selfe howbeit thou canst not get such a loue to Him or such a sight of these thinges as thou wouldest haue they are prepared for thee Onelie thou art to take heede to see if that loue of GOD bee in thine heart Goe not to search what is in Heauen and thinke not to get a full sight of that glorie in this life that is laide vp for thee But rest on Him yea though it were halfe blindlinges Well is the soule that can loue the LORD IESVS I will ende heere and will recommende to euerie soule that Loue of IESVS as euer they woulde see the thinges that the eye neuer sawe nor the eare neuer hearde nor hath euer entered into the heart of man to their euerlasting comfort and consolation at the comming of the LORD IESVS To whome with the FATHER and the Holy GHOST bee all Honour Prayse and Glorie for euer and euer world without ende So bee it THE SEVENTH SERMON I. COR. CHAP. II. verse 10 But GOD hath reuealed them vnto vs by His Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all thinges yea the deepe thinges of GOD. verse 11 For what man knoweth the thinges of man except the spirite of a man which is in him Euen so the thinges of GOD knoweth no man but the Spirite of GOD. verse 12 Nowe wee haue receaued not the spirit of the world but the Spirite which is of GOD that wee may know the things that are giuen to vs of GOD. THE last day Brethren we heard a cleare description commendation of that wisedome which ` Paul spake and preached which is none other in effect but this same blessed EVANGELL that is preached to you We shewed you that there was nothing that might commende a science or wisedome in this world but it concurred with him to the commendation praise and glorie of this wisdome that is here described The author of it is not the world nor the Princes of the world but God the maker of the worlde The secrecie of it was hidden vp in a mysterie so manie ages from the creation to the comming of Christ and manifestation of Him in the nature of man The antiquitie of it it was predestinated from all Eternitie The end of it our glorie The sublimitie and highnesse of it when it was reuealed at the cumming of CHRIST none of the Princes of this world could vnderstand it for if they had known it they had not crucified the LORD of glorie The subject of it the thinges which the eye neuer sawe the eare neuer hearde which neuer entered into the heart of man and yet for all this prepared for them that loue the LORD Nowe to come to the Text which wee haue in hand It might haue bene asked of the Apostle If such thinges as were neuer seene neuer heard of nor neuer entred into the heart of man were contained in that wisdom which he taught what profite haue we by that wisedome what profite haue wee of the thinges whereof wee are not capable The Apostle meeteth this in the first verse which we haue read But saith hee God hath reuealed them vnto vs by His Spirit It is true indeed they passe the sight of our eyes they surmount aboue our hearing they passe the capacitie of our mind yet that LORD hath dimitted Himselfe vnto vs by His Spirit He hath reuealed those things to vs the sillie ones of y e world not to the princes of y e world but to the sillie simple ones Hee hath reuealed them not by our spirit but by His owne Spirit There is the summe of the answere shortlie He giueth the reason in the next part of the verse and letteth vs see that the Spirite of Iesus is able to reueale all these high and hidden things to vs setting out the nature of the Holie Spirit For saieth hee the Spirite searcheth all thinges yea the deepe thinges of God The Spirite is a searcher and hee is a searcher of all things created in Heauen and earth Nothing can escape him but hee will seâ—rch into the secretest things in the world and into the secretest parts of thine heart What more Hee is a searcher of the God of glorie Himselfe and will pierce into the infinite deepnesse that is in God Hee being such a Spirit as this is he not able to reueal the things whereof wee are not capable There is the meaning of the whole verse shortlie Then we see these things contained in the Heauenlie wisedome as the riches of God in IESVS CHRIST our remission of sinne our justification our regeneration our saluation and life euerlasting euen common thinges which yee heare of daylie together with Iesus Christ the Mediator in whome and thorowe whome all thinges are wrought are the thinges which the eare hath not hearde nor the eye hath not seene neither haue they eâ—â—ered into the heart of man Yet wee see that these thinges passe not so the capacitie of man nor they are not so altogether hidden from man but they are reuealed And they are reuealed to whom To them for whom they are prepared They are reuealed when euen in this life there is none for whom they are prepared from all Eternitie but in this life before the soule goe out of the bodie they shall receiue some reuelation and vnderstanding of these same things and thou that gettest no reuelation of them in this life and gettest not a sight of them ere the soule goe out of the bodie I will say to thee They were neuer prepared for thee Remission of sinnes was neuer prepared for thee Iustification before the Tribunall of GOD Regeneration Life euerlasting was neuer prepared for thee There is not a better token of life after this life than a blink of life in this life if it were but a glimmering for the best of vs hath but a glimmering a blinke of IESVS Christ and of the graces that are in Him in this life is the surest token that thou canst haue of the life to come And by the contrarie There is not a worse token of darkenesse after this life than to haue thine eyes so closed that thou hast no blinke heere of that life to come And when thou diest hauing no sight of the life to come thou shalt die a miserable catiue a faggot for the fire of Hâ—ll Let vs goe forward to the rest God hath reuealed them by His Spirit Now yee see heere a reuelation by the Spiritâ— Marke it I shall tarie somwhat vpon these wordes Yee heard before of a reuelation by the word which is this wisedome Now yee heare of a reuelation by the Spirite It is not enough to receaue a reuelation by the word though it were neuer so faire and so soundly preached it will neuer doe thee good it is nothing but as if thou wouldest holde a light before a blinde man say to him Man seest
power to your destruction but all the power which GOD hath giuen mee is to your edification The GOD of Heauen gaue neuer to anie creature in HeaueÌ„ noâ— earth power to doe against her but all to maintaine her in her liberty Then meddle not with her jurisdiction Let none earthly power meddle with it and beware that no irruption bee made within it There was neuer Emperour nor Monarch of this worlde that made irruption within it that euer wanne by it Therefore let euerie soule beware to meddle with this libertie for certainelie that sworde that shall be strocken at her shee shallding it back again like the hammer off the stithie Reade the Ecclesiasticall Histories yee shall see that neuer man got the vpper-hand that euer medled with it And therefore the LORD open mens eyes and let them see this that they may reuerence this glorious Spouse of IESVS CHRIST as euer they would see that glorious Face of CHRIST IESVS Her Head To whome with the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all Praise Honour Glorie worlde vvithout end so bee it THE NINTH SERMON II. COR. CHAP. X. verse 1 Now I Paule my selfe beseech you by the meeknesse and gentlenesse of Christ who when I am present amongst you am base but am bolde towardes you beeing absent verse 2 And this I require you that I neede not to be bolde when I am present with that same confidence wherewith I thinke to bee bolde against some who ecteeme vs as though wee walked according to the flesh verse 3 Neuerthelesse though wee walke in the flesh yet we doe not warre after the flesh verse 4 For the weapons of our warre-fare are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe Holdes verse 5 Casting downe the imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euerie thought to the obedience of CHRIST THESE Corinthians vnto whome the Apostle writeth beeing before founded and grounded in the faith of IESVS CHRIST by this Ministerie yet afterward seduced and led aside with false apostles Oratours â—ather than Teachers who preached the Gospel of IESVS CHRIST with humane affected eloquence beginne to disdaine the Apostle who â—ounded and grounded them in that Faith of IESVS CHRIST and to account of him euen as if he had not beene sent or had not bene an Apostle in verie deede but had onelie giuen himselfe out for an Apostle Therefore in this present Text the Apostle beseecheth them to account of him as he was indeed as the Apostle of Iesus Christ and desireth them so to esteeme of him and so taking occasion he falleth out in a verie high description of his Apostleship And first hee maketh a request vnto them Nowe I Paule my selfe beseech you by the meeknesse and gentlenesse of Christ Surelie if yee will consider their deseruinges at the handes of the Apostle they should haue bene met more hardly and sharper language should haue beene directed vnto them Yet y e Apostle meeteth them gently directeth to them a meeke and gentle request I Paule in mine own person beseech you and that for the meeknesse and gentlenesse of Iesus Christ if euer ye had any taste of that mercy meeknesse in Iesus Christ towards you euen for that meekenesse sake and for that mercies sake obey me doe the thing which I bid you So the Pastor hath his lesson first heere It is the part and duetie of a Pastor who hath to doe with people First at the entrie to beginne with meeknesse and lenitie yea amongst all the properties that is required in a faithfull Pastor this is not the least to bee endued with lenitie and pitie Lenitie I saye arising not onelie of the consideration of the miserie of men with whome hee hath to doe for all people are miserable by nature and all our preachinges are to a companie of miserable creatures who beeing miserable hath neede of mercie and craueth pitie but arising also of a sense and feeling of his owne wretchednesse and miserie What Is hee not himselfe a miserable man by nature as well as anie other person of the flocke man or woman Then againe the mercie and lenitie of IESVS CHRIST which hee hath found towordes himselfe shoulde mooue and raise vp his lenitie and pitie towards his flocke Therefore Paule beeing of minde to speake to these Corinthians how be it he had matter of sharpenesse threatning offered vnto him by them yet the mercy of Christ towards him who was so miserable himselfe vntill hee got that mercie changeth all sharpnesse to lenity turneth his threatnings which hee might haue vsed in a pitifull request Next the people likewise hath their lesson here For as the lenitie pitie and meeknesse of Iesus Christ should mooue the Pastor to lenitie towards y â— people euen so this same lenitie meeknesse of our Lord Iesus should moue the people to obey the gentle and humble request of the Pastor And he or she that euer hath felt in heart and tasted the sweetnesse of the mercie of GOD in IESVS CHRIST will not so soone heare of this lenitie and mercie for CHRISTS mercies sake or for His lenities sake but as soone they wil bee moued to obey the request And they againe who continue stubborne disobedient notwithstanding of a duetifull and lawfull request I saye for my part that stubborne hearted bodie neuer knew what Christ meaned neuer felt remission of sinnes through the blood of Iesus Christ They that will not doe the thing which they should doe for the mercies sake of Christ shall neuer taste of that mercie nor of Iesus Christ Affuredlie they serue for nothing but to be faggots for the fire of Hell for where mercy is not there must be judgement Now in the latter part of the verse hee setteth downe a description of himselfe I Paul who when I am present among you am base but am bolde towardes you being absent This is one thing in effect with that which followeth afterwards in the 10. verse of this chap. for this dis-estimation of himselfe is from that light account and regarde that they made of him and of the Gospel which he teached For the Letters saith he are sore and strong but his bodilie presence is weake and his speach is of no value He here describeth himself conforme to their dis-estimation of him for the mis-liking is recent in his memorie yet his speach is meeke to them This matter would haue angered a good man but Paul is so farre from anger that hee breaketh out in a gentle and humble request Whereupon I note That the vnthankfullnes of the world should not breake our patience or cause vs forget that lenitie wherewith the Embassadour of Iesus Christ shoulde bee endued for lenitie is bounde to vs and wee are bound to it yea although this worlde be neuer so vngrate yet we are bound to striue by long suffering to ouercome in the ende Secondly think ye not but Paul
should haue thoght shame to registrate as it were his own shame to y e posteritie to come so that I may say Paul thou wast of none estimatioÌ„ euery one may see in how smal acouÌ„t he was amongst these people There is none of vs all if there be anie infirmitie in vs but wee would haue it hidden but a man hauing a good conscience and discharging a faithful part of duetie is nothing blotted by the speaking of the world nor the registrating of their speaches is nothing to his shame But the shame pertaineth to the people their words and deeds towards the Pastor remaineth in his memorie and in the memorie of God and shall continue vntill the day of Iudgement except they repent yea euen these same wordes spoken against Paule shall meete them in the teeth at the day of Iudgement Yet I see in these wordes a sharpnesse and rebuking mixed with lenitie to let vs see that when we haue to doe with wicked men lenitie and meekenesse should not be corrupted but tempered with sharpenesse that vngratefull men may be brought to a sense and feeling of sinne and miserie Lenitie alone will not serue the turne but with sweetnesse sowrenesse must be mingled that the word spoken may be the more effectuall and forcible who when I am present among you am base c. The worlde and the men of this world account of nothing but of that which hath a faire shew and that they esteem highly of although it were neuer so litle worthie The ground whereof is this All men and women by nature are hypocrites painted bodies no soliditie in them all are visorned folke hee commeth out shee commeth out all masked and disguised For what is an hypocrite but a false showe Nothing surely And therefore because there is no soliditie in themselues they can account nothing of soliditie as hee is himselfe such is his estimation of others as shee is her selfe such is her estimation of others O! would to God euery man and woman could disâ—enâ—â— into themselues and know their owne nature Amongst all things in the world this Ministery is the vilest it is the basest thing vnder the Sunne to the eye of man Other callinges will haue some outward glory a king will haue an outward glory but this Ministery hath none outwarde glory and yet there is no calling vnder the Sunne that hath so precious a subject as the calling of the Ministerie Yea the moste solide thing in the worlde is vnder it eueÌ„ that which maketh men and women solide and without it no soliditie but all is aâ— chafâ—e before the winde The Apostle 2. COR. 4. 7 compareth IESVS CHRIST and His graces which are reuealed in the Gospell to a treasure and the Apostles themselues to lame vessels But wee haue saieth hee this treasure in earthlie vessels that the excellencie of that power might bee of GOD and not of vs. There the most glorious thing in the worlde is in the basest vessels and weakest instrumentes What maketh the worlde to contemne and disdaine this treasure of the Gospell but the weaknesse of these vessels the basenesse of these sillie men whome GOD hath put into this seruice Indeede I maruell not howbeit I see the contempt of this Ministerie and surelie there is nothing more vilder in the eares of men of SCOTLAND than to heare the name of a Minister but I wonder rather that euer man or woman should be altered by this Ministerie the one is of nature the other is of grace Wonder neuer at nature but wonder to see a man or woman altered by grace Alas this is to bee pitied men lose their part of these vnsearcheable riches in IESVS CHRIST because they stumble at the baâ—enesse of this Ministerie For hee that esteemeth not of this Ministerie neuer tasted of the sweetnesse of IESVS CHRIST he that esteemeth not of the lame vessell hath no part of the riches which are in the lame vessell In the words following But I am bolde towardes you whilest I am absent I see they were compelled to see and feele some boldnesse in Paule though not in his presence yet in his absence though not by his words in speaking yet by his writing There is none so senselesse in the world none so dead none so hard hearted against the power of this Ministerie but either by word or writing either by absence or els by presence they shall bee compelled to feele the force of iâ— Yea this Ministerie shall either bee the sauour of life to life or els the sauour of death to death vnto them And this I require you that I need not to be bold c. In this next verse we haue his request expressed in few words which is as much in effect as if he wold say Seeing I am the Apostle of Iesus Christ I beseech you to acknowledge of me as of an Apostle The argument is If ye count not of mee whilest I am absent when I come if there be anie power in me I shall make you knowe it and vtter it against you ye shall finde me bolde and not base ye shall finde sowrnesse and not meeknesse sharpnesse and not lenitie Here he telleth by a comparison what kinde of boldnesse hee will vse When I come to you I shall vse the same boldnesse towardes you that I vse towardes the false apostles and as concerning y e false apostles I shal thunder out against them shame and confusion ignominie so that they that couÌ„teth not of me that I am the Apostle of Iesus Christ shall finde my power Wee may see here Paul would bee counted by these Corinthians to be the Apostle of Iesus Christ is he therefore seeking his owne honour and glorie No hee is seeking the weale of the people It is the weale of the people to count of the seruant of GOD for when they count not of him they cannot account nor accept of his doctrine and when the doctrine is not well accepted of then goeth the building slowlie forward Alas this euill esteeming of men in the Ministerie is the cause that so fewe are edified and so manie to remaine faithlesse for where the man is lightlied the doctrine is contemned and where the doctrine is contemned there can be no faith no edifying so that it is a greater matter to contemne the Ministerie than men thinke it to be Marke these wordes That I neede not to be bolde Heere wee see plainlie that lenitie and meeknesse is required in a Pastor The Pastor is euer bounde first to beginne with lenitie and meeknesse seueritie shoulde onelie come vpon necessitie when lenitie and meeknesse is contemned and cannot serue Reade in y e 1. epist to the Cor. chap. 4. vers 21. Take your choâ—se whether I shall come to you with a rodde or in loue and in the spirite of meeknesse meaning that hee woulde come in seueritie if lenitie would not serue And 2. Cor. 13. 2. when hee seeth that they caÌ„not be won with lenitie
sixt Chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes the twentie verse then yee were free from righteousnesse Marke heere a wonderfull power of God in this base and sillie Ministerie O! would to GOD men coulde knowe this power destroying the deceite of reason and beating down the pride of the heart of man mounting vp against GOD. Alas so great is the power of sinne that it hath no match vnder heauen but this Ministerie I will tell it ouer againe There is nothing to throw this power downe but this Ministerie When this Ministerie was not in the world amongst the Gentiles of the which SCOTLAND was one part for our Progenitors were Gentiles without GOD in the world sinne raigned to death Roman 5. 21 Multitudes of Gentiles perished but from the time that Iesus Christ the author of grace came into the world and brought with Him this Ministery first He himselfe thereafter His Apostles amongst whome Paul was as painfull as anie man made it manifest howe powerfull this Ministerie was by demolishing the kingdom of sinne for then grace beganne to reigne and the power of GOD was manifested Brethren I dare affirme the onelie thing that holdeth down the power of sinne is this sillie base Ministerie take it away for men wold faine haue it away and shoote it to the doore and for ought that I can sâ—â— I thinke it shall goe away sinne shall come to an hight Take away the thing that holdeth downe the head of sinne and it shall reigne Then O miserable Scotland heere I denounce shame ignominie shall come to thee shame and confusion to King and Court Land and Burgh if this candlesticke be remoued This shall be found by experience if euer thing was true And thou that wouldest â—un to damnation hast the remoouing of it that thou mayest hasteÌ„ thine own damnation Nowe the last thing I see is the proper effect of this Ministery of the blessed God would to God the worlde could see the glorie of it the proper effect is not to slay men but to saue them This worlde thinketh that wee are come to slaye them No wee are come to slay sinne in you that will slay you if it be not slaine Paul in the 1. epist to the Cor. chap. 3. vers 12. 13. compareth the Ministery to a burning fire that burneth vp haye stubble and trees euen so it burneth vp thy sinne and the drosse of thy nature andâ—â—l the vanities of thine heart but saueth thy selse Howe is this that the world cannot abide the meane of their saluation they cannot get rest neither night nor day till they get away the thing that saueth them Nowe it saueth the man by taking him and leading him captiue vnder the King of glorie Ye see they that are superiours in the battell when they say to anie man Bee taken if hee will not bee taken they will slay him there Euen so as truelie iâ— thou wilt bee stubburne and wilt not bee taken in this fielde this word shall slay thee Therefore blessed are they that can suffer the ordinance of GOD and stand still vntill sinne bee slaine and they themselues bee ledde captiues vnder Christ for that captiuitie vnder Him is true freedome To that immortall and euerlasting King bee all honour and glorie for euermore Amen THE TENTH SERMON PHILIPPIANS CHAP. I. verse 18 What then yet CHRIST is preached all maner of wayes whether it bee vnder a pretence or sincerelie and I therein joye and will joye verse 19 For I knowe that this shall turne to my saluation through your prayers and by the helpe of the Spirit of IESUS CHRIST verse 20 As I heartilie looke for and hope that in nothing I shall bee ashamed but that with all confidence as alwayes so nowe CHRIST shall bee magnified in my bodie whether it bee by life or by death verse 21 For CHRIST is to mee both in life and in death aduantage 22. And whether to liue in the flesh were profitable for mee and what to choose I know not verse 23 For I am greatlie in doubt on both sides desiring to bee loosed and to bee with CHRIST which is best of all verse 24 Neuerthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needefull for you verse 25 And this I am sure of that I shall abide and with you all continue for your furtherance and joye of your faith verse 26 That yee may more aboundantlie rejoyce in JESUS CHRIST for me by my comming to you againe PAVL lying in bandes at ROME there riseth vp two sortes of Preachers The first sort of them that preached sincerelie that GOD and His glorie might be aduanced The second sort of them that preached not sincerelie not for the aduancement of Christ nor His Gospell but to adde afflictions to Paule bands moued with ambition and enuie towards him In the first verse which wee haue read in your audience Paule vttereth his minde concerning these two sortes of Preachers and this is his mind in effect Let them saieth hee preach as they will preach let them preach of sinceritie for the glorie of Christ let them preach for the fashion howeuer they preach preaching the trueth of God CHRIST is preached euen by them who preacheth not sincerelie And therfore because Christ is preached I rejoyce notwithstanding of all that injurie which I receiue by their preaching I rejoyce and will rejoyce and no man will bee able to take my joye from me Shortlie then there is Paules minde concerning these two sortes My doctrine shall bee generall And the first thing that I marke heere is this and anie of you may see it The Lord is glorified Christ is magnified euen by a counterfeite doing of men when they doe the thing that is good yet not in sinceritie nor of purpose to glorifie GOD in their doing But their purpose not beeing to glorifie God in their doing they not doing sincerelie howbeit Hee getteth His owne glorie by their doing yet they shall get little thankes It is not so much the turne it selfe the action it selfe preaching or whatsoeuer it bee that procureth to a man thanks and grace at the handes of God as it is the purpose intention in doing I had rather doe the soberest thing in the world and if it were 〈…〉 eate my meate and drinke my drinke of purpose to glorifie God in my doing than to do the greatest and fairest worke that can be seene to the eye of man without purpose to glorifie God in that doing Marke it Whether yee eat whether ye drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe little or much do all to the glorie of God saieth Paul 1. Cor. 10. 31. And therefore Brethren there is nothing that a man should so much looke to in his doinges and actions as to his purpose and to the intention of his heart Looke thou as thou wilt the Lord looketh chiefelie to euerie mans intention and purpose He that preacheth what is to bee respected with what measure of grace he preach if in preaching
his intention be to glorifie God Christ whatsoeuer anie man or woman doeth let them looke aboue all things that in doing their intention be to glorifie God as euer they would looke for thanks at His hands This is a lesson I see here another thing The Gospell is aduanced IESVS CHRIST is glorified in Paules hurt and who is a dearer man to Christ than ` Paul The lesson then is this Wee see the Lord is glorified when those whom He loueth best is damnified in this world in their hurt and domage Hee getteth His glorie that thing which is done against them in malice the Lord therein is glorified Well then I learne by the example of Paule If so bee that my GOD is glorified in mine hurt if He getteth aduantage by my damnage skathe then vnderstanding that glorie redoundeth vnto Him by my suffering and it were by my death I am bound to rejoyce I rejoyce saieth the Apostle and shall rejoyce I am bound to rejoyce and thou art bound to rejoyce still in glorifying God to the ende So aboue all thinges the glory of Christ shold be sought What am I to be respected my shame hurt death what art thou to be respected thy shame hurt and death if it redound to y e glory of Him who made me and thee for His glorie Now when he hath shewed his joye and mind concerning these two sortes of men in the next verse he commeth to the cause of his joye in that the LORD was glorified in his hurt and domage For saieth hee I knowe that this shall turne to my saluation c. That thing that is done to mine hurt it shall bee so chaunged and turned about that against the expectation of men who woulde hurt mee the LORD shall worke out my saluation There is the lesson If I can rejoyce thou canst rejoyce that the LORD getteth glory by thine or mine hurt or skathe wee may bee assured that our trouble shall be wonderfullie altered changed that which was done to our hurt shall turne to our saluation The Apostle Paul saieth in the 8. chapter of the epistle to the Romanes verse 28. To them who loueth God all things commeth for the best For if the glorie of GOD bee deare to thee if thou preferre His glory aboue thy saluation be assured thy life and saluation shall bee deare vnto Him yea thy saluation shall bee dearer vnto Him than His glorie can bee vnto thee for thou canst not loue Him so well as He loueth thee Moses Exod. 32. 32. vttereth a wonderfull zeale to GODS glorie and saieth Ere Thou destroye this people raze mee out of the booke of Life that is altogether destroye mee But what answere gets hee No Moses I had rather raze them out of my booke who haue sinned against mee Paul desireth that he may be an Anathema Rom. 9. 3. and that for the zeale hee had to the glorie of God But Mose shall neuer bee scraped out of the booke of God because hee loueth Gods glorie Paul shall neuer bee accursed because hee loueth Gods glorie And if thou wilt looke to His glorie all that euill which thou canst wish to thee for His glory shall be turned to thine health and saluation Then yee see there is nothing that we can lose by seeking of Gods glorie Our damnage shal be euer turned to our aduantage In the next part of the verse and the verse following is set downe the maner and the ordinarie manes whereby the hurt and domage that the godlie suffer for the glorie of God is turned ouer to their good The Lord onelie is able to turne it to their good Who is able to turne darknesse into light death into life ignominie into honour but Hee It passeth the cunning of all the creatures to make this wonderfull change The Lord onlie is able to make this change And certainlie the shame trouble and affliction that the godlie suffer in this life woulde all bee the beginning of Hell except that moste skilfull crafts-man the Lord come in and made this wonderfull alteration and turned all these thinges to their aduantage except Hee turned death to life ignominie to honour and trouble to joye the estate of the godlie in their sufferinges were moste miserable Thinke not that these thinges are good in themselues No death is not good of it selfe it is a punishment for sinne Rom. 6. 23. The Lord onlie maketh the change and maketh death to bee the entrie to life but the Lord doeth all this by ordinarie meanes and middle and yet all the meanes which Hee vseth derogateth nothing to His glorie because they all come of Him and Hee hath the glorie of all Seeing then in making of this wonderfull chāge of darknesse into light of death into life of woe into joye c. there must bee ordinarie meanes woe be to thee that contemnest the meanes for if thou doe it the trouble shall lie still on thee till thou bee troubled in Hell Sicknesse shall bee sicknesse indeede to thee death shall bee death indeede and the beginning of Hell to thee Then let vs take vp the meanes as they lie here in order Yee haue heard of one alreadie to wit Rejoycing that God is glorified in trouble If as I haue saide thou canst haue that heart and care of His glorie that thou canst rejoyce in thy trouble that thy trouble glorifieth Him bee assured a wonderfull alteration shall bee made of thy trouble Trouble shall be no trouble affliction shall be no affliction death shall bee no death Onelie get thou this desire of His glorie Nowe followeth the next meane The Apostle saith I am assured that this thing shall turne to my saluation through your prayers As the care to the glorie of God is a meane to make this alteration and to turne our troubles to our saluation so the care and solicity of the body of the Church the intercession and prayer that the godlie maketh for vs who lye in trouble is another meane for the prayers of the godlie for anie member of the bodie of the Church hath a wonderfull effect They will turne miserie into joye darknesse into light yea death into life Yet howbeit others haue care of thee lying in distresse if thou thy selfe contemnest and despisest their care if thou regardest not whether they pray for thee or not no body make intercession at GODS handes for thee there shall bee nothing but trouble to thee trouble shall alwayes continue trouble affliction shall alwayes remaine affliction And as thou contemnest and despisest the prayers of the Sainctes and the godlie for thee so thou shalt lye still in miserie and drowne in miserie at last It is a follie to a man to thinke that his owne care onelie for himselfe will serue the turne contemning and despising the care of all others for him I cannot thinke that such a one hath one spunke of godlinesse in him who will cōtemne the care of others For it is
That hee was a Iew a Pharisee his father a Pharisee of the Tribe of Ben-jamin none so zealous of the Lawe as hee c. manie aduantages and great prerogatiues but after that hee once commeth to CHRIST and getteth Him hee sayeth All is but dung in respect of that excellent knowledge of that aduantage of IESVS CHRIST As I counted much would he say of these earthlie aduantages before I knew Christ euen so after that â— once had gotten a sight of Him I counted them nothing but dirt and dung And therefore hee telleth out the aduantages and gaines that hee founde in Christ That saith he I may be found in Him that is not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through faith There is the first aduantage Thou art justified before the Tribunall of GOD. What king can giue thee that aduantage to set thee vp as a free-man before the Tribunall of God And albeit thou hadst gotten all the aduantages that kings can giue thee if thou gettest not this aduantage to stand before that Tribunall cloathed with Christ thou shalt goe to damnation Then hee addeth to another aduantage That I may knowe Him and the vertue of His resurrection and the fellowship of His afflictions and bee made conformable vnto His death if by any meanes I might attaine to the resurrection of the dead There is the second aduantage thou art made like vnto Him in holinesse and both in suffering and in glory thou art comformed vnto Him Well is y e man that can get this aduantage to be glorified What are all aduaÌ„tages to be couÌ„ted of that can come to thee in this life in respect of this aduantage that when thou art lying a vilde bodie in the graue Christ shall take thee vp and set thee in that glory which is prepared for the sonnes of GOD. Alas if men coulde see the aduantages which are in CHRIST For all faileth for fault of sight If men got but one blink of CHRIST they woulde not giue that sight for all the kingdomes in the earth Wee want spirituall eyes and senses These spirituall aduantages in CHRIST are seene onelie with a spirituall eye and for fault of that spirituall sight wee see not the aduantages which are in Him There is nothing which wee shoulde more desire than these spirituall senses wherewith wee maye get a sight and fore-taste of these thinges which are in IESVS CHRIST Nowe in the next verse taking occasion of the wordes that CHRIST was aduantage to him both in life and death hee beginneth to doubt whether it were better for him to liue or die And whether saieth hee to liue in the flesh were profitable for mee or what to choose I knowe not I thinke I woulde bee dead to see mine aduantage which I will get in death for my gaine which I get liuing is nothing to that aduantage which I will get in death But I am straited whether to liue in the flesh or to goe out of the bodie Then he bringeth in the reason It is better for mee to bee loosed and to bee with CHRIST I will bee at Him yet hee saieth I am in doubt and not resolued Neuerthelesse to remaine in the flesh is more needefull for you For albeit it bee better for me to be dead yet when I looke to you it is worse for you After this doubting and reasoning hee concludeth I will liue then and the LORD will keepe mee for your weale Then Brethren I will marke heere one or two thinges and so I shall ende Yee see a doubting in PAVL whether hee shoulde liue or die which distracteth his minde This doubting is common to manie For sometimes wee woulde liue and other whiles wee woulde bee dead But looke to the cause that distracted PAVLES minde and made him to doubt whether hee shoulde desire to liue or die Some men woulde die because there is nothing in this worlde but miserie Some men woulde die for other causes because of sicknesse some because of shame following some offense for the life is tedious to a miserable bodie the life which shoulde bee comfortable is tedious in distresse But howe manie commeth to this point To desire to bee dissolued for the glorie that is with IESVS and saieth If I were away I woulde get this aduantage of glorie Who woulde be awaye for the glorie of Heauen and aduantage that is laide vp there It is a rare grace to get this desire No question thinke as yee will infinite joy glorie and passing aduantage is in Heauen Againe some men woulde liue wherefore because they are fresh greene and able men they would passe their time yet Some men would liue because they haue wife and children and woulde care for them I condemne not lawfull care but all this desire is vaine Where wilt thou get that man that would liue to help the poore Church of CHRIST with his labour How manie will come on with this to liue onelie for the weale of the Church of CHRIST I desire such a Pastor who is minded to liue for the care y t he hath to leade manie by the hand to Heauen ere he goe away that he may winne manie soules to CHRIST that hee may bee the welcomer when hee commeth there himselfe He is happie It is the sight of that Heauenlie glorie that maketh men to haue this foresaide desire Howe manie seeth that Heauenlie glorie Fie on vs seeing such a glorie laide vp in Heauen for vs that yet will not make a meane to get it wee perish for fault of sense There is â—o lacke of aduantage in CHRIST but the lacke is in me in thee I haue no desire of that glorie thou hast no desire of that glorie and so wee perishe Therefore get this sense of glorie in time or else thy soule shall bee drawne out of thy bodie Doe accordinglie Wouldest thou haue it sweetlie loosed Then get in time a sense of this glorie Wouldest thou haue it pulled out by force TheÌ„ neglect the sense and sight of this glorie Obserue another thing of the care of Paul He counted nothing of all these afflictions in respect of the care which he had of the Church of God I wonder at this care of his considering now our carelesnesse For if euer care was dead out of the hearts of men it is now dead Farewell the care of the Church of God in Scotland for fault of y e zeale of Gods glory the care of the Church of God I see this Land and the Church of GOD therein decaying Learne another thing of PAVLES resolution Yet he resolueth to liue that for the weale of the Church of Christ Marke it There is none of vs but wee should desire to haue the fruition of the glory and joye that is in the face of Iesus yet we who may profite in the Church of God in this life are bounde to
desire to liue for a while that the Church may be holpen The Lord accounteth more highly of this desire than of a desire that a man hath to die and to bee with Iesus The Lord accounted more of PAVLES liuing to helpe the Church than of his glorifying Him in his death Thinke yee that PAVL woulde haue liued so long except the Lord had seene him profitable to His Church And no question y e Lord Iesus knowing the misery of this earth would haue taken vp His Apostles at His ascention with Him if He had not loued the weale of His Church There is no good body but the Lord woulde haue them with Him yet Hee letteth them remaine heere in paine that they may help the Church otherwise there would not be a good body left liuing in SCOTLAND Hee would take them all away and glorifie them But so long as Hee hath a Church in SCOTLAND Hee will let good men continue but when Hee taketh them away wo be to them that tary behind It is wonderfull to see how the Lord will keepe a man by whose trauels Hee will helpe His Church All the worlde will not get leaue to hurt an haire of his head HEROD taketh PETER and putteth him into prison laying him betwixt two souldiers thinking to execute him y e next morning Act. 12. But the Lord by His Angell wakeneth him and bringeth him safe out and yet hee wist not what hee was doing PAVL and PETER were wonderfully deliuered so long as the Lord had to doe with them but when He had done His turne and they fell into the hands of NERO there is no more dinne of them they were slaine So long as the Lord hath adoe with any man He will shake Heauen and earth ere hee perish Well the care of the Church of God is decaying in SCOTLAND Leâ—vs crie LORD put the care of this Church and the care of the members of the body of Christ into the hearts of men that euery man may care for the saluation of another and that God maye bee glorified in them through His Sonne Christ Iesus our Sauiour To whome with the Father and the Holy Ghost bee all Prayse Honour and Glory both now and for euermore AMEN THE ELEVENTH SERMON TITVS CHAP. III. verse 3 For we our selues were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lustes and diuerse pleasuâ—es liuing in maliciousnesse and enuie hatefull and hating one another verse 4 But when the bountifulnesse and loue of GOD our Sauiour toward man appeared verse 5 Not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee had done but according to His mercie Hee saued vs by the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the Holie Ghost verse 6 Which Hee shedde on vs aboundantlie through IESUS CHRIST our Sauiour verse 7 That wee beeing justified by His grace should bee made heyres according to the hope of eternall life IF we shall consider this Text welbeloued in IESVS CHRIST we shall find in it three things The first the miserable estate and condition of man wherein hee stood before hee was called to grace by IESVS CHRIST The next is his mercifull deliuerie froÌ„ that miserable estate and condition The last is the ende of his mercifull deliuerie to wit That he should serue God all the dayes of his life in all maner of thankfulnesse for so mercifull a deliuerie And seeing our communicating with the bodie and blood of the LORD approaches our preparation caÌ„not stand in three better thinges than these First in a knowledge of our miserie before that we knew God in CHRIST Next in a knowledge of our mercifull deliuerie from that miserable estate And thirdlie in a duetie toward God for our deliuerie We shall speake at this time of the first two Now to returne and to goe thorow the words as the Lord will giue vs grace The occasion of the setting downe of this first part to wit of our miserie before we knew Christ is this Immediatelie before he hath exhorted TITVS to vse all kinds of lenitie towardes them that were not conuerted not to deale with them in rigour but to deale with them in meeknesse Hee giueth the reason Looke what they are now euen such were we before wee were called liuing in concupiscence our mindes were rebellious against God therefore let vs deale with them as wee woulde haue beene dealt with our selues at that time I marke here first That our miserable estate that we stood in before we were called to this grace through Iesus Christ shoulde neuer be forgotten The miserie of nature wherein wee are conceiued and borne and wherein wee liue for a time till wee knowe Christ should neuer goe out of our remembrance When thou hast plaide the foole a while in sinne when thou hast followed harlotry committed murther oppressed thy neighbour when God hath called thee out of that miserable condition made thee to know Him in Christ forget neuer thy former misery forget neuer that thou hast followed filthinesse murthered oppressed c. Saieth the Apostle to the Ephesians who were Gentiles after their conuersion in Christ Forget your olde done deedes saith he so No but he saith Remember that ye were Gentiles Brethren it is true the estate of grace in Christ hath a sweetnesse with it if a man or woman haue a sense of it but looke that the sweetnesse of it m is-â—elish not so the taste that in the meane time thou lose all sense of thy former misery Keepe therefore both the misery and the deliuery in thy mind that thereby the true sense of GODS mercie may be stirred vp in thine heart for none haue the true sense of the mercie of God in Christ except hee onelie that sigheth for the miserie which we did lie in before This is the first Another thing I marke here This same remembrance of our misery it should make euery one of vs that stand in grace to haue a compassion vpon sinners where euer thou seest them labour to winne them but with pitie and let bee thy bitternesse A man that hath no pitie but is full of bitternesse against a sinner that man hath forgotten that hee was a sinner before There is no man so cleane but there is a remaining corruption in him albeit hee see it not They that haue the true zeale of God they will indeede bee seuere against sinners Why not but they beginne alwayes at their selues and then reprooue others Hypocrites beginne not at themselues but they hide and cloake their owne sinnes and are alwayes seuere against others But the man that beginneth at himselfe his seueritie is aye mixed with pitie But to come to the words Wee were such as they are now we were mad and out of our right wit we were beside our selues There is the first part of our miserie in nature for wee were all miserable by nature there is not one soule but it is borne miserable by nature Yee see then Brethren our miserie beginneth not at our
are very foule and vncleane A cloth that is very foule will require much vvater washing euen so vvee must haue aboundance of grace because vvee vvere so foule through sin but suppose vve vvere neuer so foule except vve get a sight of our filthinesse vve vvill neuer desire to be vvashen when Dauid felt himselfe verie filthie in murther and adulterie he cryed Wash mee O Lord and make mee cleane PSAL. 51. When a bodie commeth to a remorse of conscience it is a vvonder to see howe hee vvill drinke in that Spirite and desire to bee satiate vvith that vvater A foule bodie that hath not the sense of his filthinesse will neuer crie for vvashing The murtherer and the harlot vvill neuer crie Lord vvashe mee except they gette a sight of their owne vncleannesse Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be filled MATTH 5. 6. There may bee mooued a question heere Howe is it saide that the Spirite is powred out so aboundantly how many feeleth this riches Will a man or vvoman discende into their selues they will finde great lacke and scarcitie of this Spirit Brethren I answere One droppe of the Spirite of Iesus Christ is coūted great riches one droppe of grace is great riches one droppe of the vvater of life is greater riches than all the vvater in the vvorlde it vvill vveigh downe all the precious things that are vpon the face of y e earth Thou that hast gotten one droppe of grace in Iesus Christ thou art richer than all the kinges in the worlde Moreouer if this droppe of grace could bee dried vp in the heartes of the regenerate it were lesse to be coūted of but there is stil droppe after droppe and none ende of dropping Continually thou art refreshed now and then vvith new drops of grace so long as thou liuest So this cōtinuance in dropping is a great riches thou hast no cause to complaine that hath this continuance Well is the soule that getteth droppe after droppe for that soule may saye it hath gotten great riches Thus much for the first part of our saluatiō called regeneration when God putteth to His hande to saue vs He putteth to His hād vvasheth vs inwardly and outwardlie and giueth vs His Spirit Nowe followeth the next part That being justified by grace we may be made heyres according to the hope of life euerlasting The next part standeth in justification I vvill not insist I shall touch it in a worde It is none other thing but the imputing of the righteousnesse of IESVS CHRIST vnto vs. This righteousnesse is not inherent in vs but the satisfaction of IESVS CHRIST is imputed to vs. This Iustification in effect is none other thing but forgiuenesse of sinnes when God forgiueth thee thy sinnes accounteth Christs righteousnesse to bee thine and laieth not thy sinne to thy charge Al is one thing Iustification is not this y ◠men dreame of to wit a righteousnes inherēt in our selues but it is another mans justice which by imputation is made ours Compare these two together Iustification and Regeneration and consider the naturall order of them Iustification is first A man is justified by the blood of IESVS CHRIST imputed to him ere euer he be regenerate by the Spirit The Spirite that vvasheth him in regeneration commeth through the blood the blood first and then commeth in regeneration and vvasheth awaye the mother sinne and the foule stinking corruption that is in thee and both thy justification and regeneration commeth of free grace without merites for these two are euer opponed grace and mercie preasse not to deale these two to giue GOD one part and to attribute another part to thy selfe leaue thy merites behinde thee and take thee to the mercy of God otherwise there is no saluation for thee Thereafter commeth on another part of saluation vvee are made heires of euerlasting Life but there is something going betwixt that is not set downe here For yee see that when wee are justified and regenerated vvee are made sonnes by adoption before we be heyres vve must bee children But I leaue this because the Apostle speaketh not of it heere Then the last part is Wee are made heyres of the Kingdome of Heauen vvhat more can be required in saluation there is the highest degree Thou art placed in thine inheritance there is thy perfection According to the hope of eternall Lift lest vvee should thinke that vvee are alreadie put in possession of this inheritance he meeteth this and sheweth that albeit vve are in this life made heyres yet vvee are not in this life put into a reall possession of this heyrship but hee saieth according to hope vvee are heyres by hope but once hope and all shall goe awaye and vvee shall bee heyres in very deede Yet hope is necessarie so long as vvee liue heere so long as the Father is liuing the heyres haue a to-looke and a hope of the heyrship Hope thou or else thou shalt neuer see Heauen Nowe this hope is not so bare that in the meane time vvee haue no fruition of the thing hoped for yea euen in this life the fruition of Heauen is begunne in effect and if thou haue not the beginning of it heere hope neuer for the accomplishment of it heereafter Wee haue a beginning in this life but as for the full possession and fruition of our inheritance it is reserued to the life to come And therefore it is that the Godly in this life hope still for the comming of IESVS CHRIST till they bee set and placed vvith Him in that inheritance purchased to vs by His blood To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all Honour Prayse and Glory for euer and euer AMEN THE TWELFTH SERMON PSALME CXXX verse 1 Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto Thee O LORD verse 2 LORD heare my voyce let Thine eares attende to the voyce of my prayers verse 3 If Thou O LORD straightly markest iniquities O LORD who shall stand verse 4 But mercie is with Thee that Thou mayest bee feared THE inscription of this PSALME Brethren declareth that it is a PSALME most excellent The excellencie of it wee remit to the matter contained therein it hath bene penned by some holy man and Prophet of old but by whom it is not certaine It is sufficient to vs to knowe that the Spirite of GOD was the dyter of it To come to the matter and partes thereof The Prophet whosoeuer he was first setteth downe the estate and disposition of his soule in trouble to wit that he ranne to the Lord and prayed to Him for deliuerie and this hee doeth to the fift verse Next finding in verie deede the effectes of the prayer hee made and finding mercy and deliuerie as hee craued hee professeth before all the worlde that as he had before awaited vpon GOD so hee will await still vpon Him and He will put his confiden̄ce in Him and this he doeth to the seuenth
without all impediment shall cry with the blessed Angels Holy holy holy is y e God of heaueÌ„ the Whole World is full of his glory There shall it find in his countenance saciety of ioy and at his right hand pleasures for euer Marke here last I shal end with it that the seeling of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ bringeth out obedience chearful seruice of God yea of al argumeÌ„ts to moue a man to abstein from sin to serue the Lord with pleasure that is y e most pithie forcible The shame of y e world the feare of temporal judgement the horror of conscience the feare of the paines of hel wil not be so steadable it may be â— they represse raging lusts furious affections â—â—r a time but they wil not mortify sin slay corruptioÌ„ wil neuer cause a man with pleasure to serue obey God but if a man hath fouÌ„d â— God hath loued him so well that he hath giueÌ„ his only son to dy that he might liue it is not possible but that maÌ„ in some measure wil set himself with alacrity chearfulnes to serue God Therfore the Apostle wheÌ„ he wold perswade christiaÌ„s to abstein from sin to serue God what argument vseth he chiefly read Rom. 12. 1. he proponeth the mercy of God offering Iesus to die for them for there hee saith I beseech you brethreÌ„ through the mercies of God â— ye offer vp your selues a liuing sacrifice therfore if thou wouldest couet to do y e Lords wil chearfully pray the Lord that he would not so much threateÌ„ thee propone terrors to thee as that he would make thee sensible of His mercies in Iesus Christ The vaine Papist speakes litle or nothing almost to the people of this mercy of God in Iesus Christ but propones to the people the pains of hell fire of purgatory to stay them from sin to make them serue God and do good works but if there be no more it wil neuer make them to bring forth such obedience as either is acceptable to God or yet profitable to themselues The Lord therfore make vs to bee sensible of his vnspeakeable loue in Iesus that wee may set our selues with pleasure to serue and glorify him here that so we may be assured that hee shall glorify vs in the kingdome of Heauen which Iesus hath purchased to vs by his precious blood To this Iesus with the Father the H. Spirit be all praise honor and glory for euer Amen THE XIII SERMON PSALME CXXX verse 5 I haue waited on the LORD my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in His word verse 6 My soule waiteth on the LORD more than the morning watch watcheth for the morning verse 7 Let Israel wait on the LORD for with the LORD is mercie and with Him is great redemption verse 8 And He shall redeeme Israel from all his iniquities WELBELOVED in the LORD IESVS The last day we diuided this Psalme into these three partes First the proposition whosoeuer hee was that writ this Psalme hee maketh mention and rehearsall of that prayer that hee made to his God in the time of his great danger and this hee doeth to the fift verse Then finding in experience a comfortable answere and howe good a thing it was to pray to God and to waite on Him he professeth that as before he had awaited on Him so still in time comming hee woulde awaite on Him and this hee doeth to the seuenth verse In the third and last part he turneth him to Israel to the Church and exhorteth them to await on God as hee had done promising them mercie and redemption from all their iniquities if they would awaite on Him The last day we ended the first part so wee haue now to follow out the other two parts which remaine Then as for the second The prophet finding in experience the fruite of his prayer hee professeth that hee will yet still waite on the Lord I haue waited on the Lord my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in His word As though he would saye I depend yet still on His word for the presence of the Lord that wee haue in this life is in His worde and in His Holy Spirite that accompanieth it So all the dependance we haue on GOD is in His worde and promise Take that away and then wee haue no sight no presence no faith here till wee see Him face to face Yet the wordes are better to bee marked hee saith I haue waited on the Lord Then hee saith My soule hath waited on the Lord as if he woulde saye I haue not awaited on the Lord onely with my bodily eyes but with mine heart and secrete inward affections I haue depended on Him from my verie heart For Brethren marke it well It is the heart of a man or woman that draweth GOD downe from Heauen sucketh in His presence Marueilous is the power that a faithful heart hath when it sendeth vp sighes and sobbes to Heauen for grace to pull down Gods presence and grace if there be no more but the eye it will not doe the turne but where the Spirit of the Lord dwelleth in the heart it maketh it to â—igh with sobbes that cannot be expressed It is not possible but GOD who giueth His Spirite to no man in vaine and who knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirite will grant that for which the Spirit maketh intercession Paul in the 8. chap. to the Rom. setting downe the waiting on of the godly how they wait on the Lord he setteth downe both the forceable operation of Gods Spirit in our hearts as also the fruit of his operation Wee sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies there the vvaiting on of the godly is conjoyned vvith sighes and sobbes Then after hee letteth vs see what followeth vpon that What to seeke wee knowe not but when the Spirite of the Lord interceadeth for vs with sighes and sobbes vnspeakeable then the Lord who searcheth the heart knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirit granteth that thing for the which the Spirite maketh intercession for what els meaneth that vnspeakeable joye vvhich many a time the Saincts of God finde before they haue ended their prayers but that their prayers are fauourably accepted What meaneth that vnspeakeable joy when he saith Belieuing we rejoyce with joy vnspeakeable and glorious That joye witnesseth that the Lord giueth his presence for there is a sure ground There is no true joy but in the presence of God and so the joy testifieth to thee that thou sighest not so soone but the Lord giueth his presence to thee Now when hee hath saide My soule hath waited then he subjoyneth I will waite still vpon His word I will hold vp mine eare to Heauen as it were and heare what He wil speake vnto me There is no consolation nor joy in this world but in the hearing of His
may finde such experience as he found and that they may glorifie the Lord also So the end he looketh to is to glorifie the Lord that He may bee glorified in manie belieuers and waiters on him The ende of the mercy of God tendeth to His own glory There are many properties in God he is infinite in wisdom in power in trueth infinit in glorie Majestie Now the Lord is glorified in all his properties in his wisdome power justice But aboue all thinges the LORD seeketh that the world should glorifie Him in that deepe riches of mercie and gentlenesse that is in Him that wee shoulde praise Him euerlastingly in His mercie And as this is His will and as the mercy of GOD serueth to His glory So the soule of a man that hath once tasted of the mercy of the Lord Iesus is caried away with such a zeale to His glory that it will cause am in forget himselfe and with Moses and Paul wish to be a curse and anathema to haue God glorified This man ye see when he hath tasted or His mercy hee turneth him to the whole Church and willeth them to trust in Him that they might find His mercy that so God may bee glorified So it is hee onely who hath tasted of the mercy of God who when he looketh thorow the miserable world can haue pity on any mā He that neuer tasted of that mercy of God had neuer true pitic vpon any mā Then y ◠thing which he craueth is this that many shoulde taste of His mercy that God may be glorified by many His heart is moued with pitie and so all his endeuour is to see if once he can gette them win to God for when hee looketh abroad vpon miserable sinners he is full of rueth and compassion But marke againe the zeale which hee hath to the glory of GOD is the first cause that mooued him to seeke that all the world should taste of mercy and glorifie God So first he beareth a loue to Gods glory and then he hath pitie towarde men the one is the cause the other the effect the one preceedeth the other followeth the one is the roote and the other the branch All the loue we cary to man should be for the loue vve haue to GOD. And vvhere these two goe together a zeale to the glory of God alas vvhere is zeale to Gods glory now adayes vvhich is a true token that His glory is departing away and then a pitie of the misery of man a desire of the saluation of man then that man vvill forget himselfe that hee maye seeke the saluation of the vvorld that so in it God may be glorified And the man that hath this disposition in his heart is fit to be a Minister Preacher of grace to the world otherwise if hee vvant this disposition it is but a colde preaching that he vvill make Now in the next vvords vvhen he hath proponed the exhortation and desired them to vvaite on the Lord to moue them the more he pointeth out to the Church the nature of God vvhat God is for vvee must know vvhat God is ere euer vvee put our trust and confidence in Him for why saith he with the Lord is mercie and gentlenesse as if hee would saye The Lord is full of mercy His mercies are incomprehensible yea infinite and neither man nor Angel can sound out the deepnesse therof He is all mercie and as S. Iohn saieth in his first Epist chap. 4. vers 8. The Lord is loue Therefore await on Him for why there is no want nor scant of mercy in Him This is vvell to be marked when hee exhorteth Israel to vvaite vpon the Lord hee saith not because He is omnipotent and infinite in justice onelie wise c. But hee giueth this reason because mercy is with Him therefore waite vpon Him This would be well considered What is the cause of this Nowe I will aske another question What thing in God neede wee moste into this worlde There are manie thinges which wee haue much neede of What is it that wee haue moste neede of Another question What is the estate that euerie one of vs is borne in in this worlde Are wee not borne sinners conceiued and borne in sinne and iniquitie And so are wee not all miserable For there is nothing for sinners but miserie death damnation and so all sinners are miserable So what thing is it that a sinner wanteth most vvhat is it that sinne and miserie craueth but mercie And if thou bee miserable the thing in this world that thou shouldest craue first is mercy that God woulde bee mercifull to thee So mercie and forgiuenesse of sinne is the first thing whereto thou oughtest to haue recourse And if thou wilt tell a miserable bodie that feeleth himselfe to bee miserable and the childe of wrath that God is omnipotent if thou point Him out in His wisedome in His justice hee shall bee so farre from receiuing anie comfort and consolation of anie of these things that by the cōtrarie he shall be so terrified that hee dare not presume to seeke God to looke to Him to come to Him c but hee will runne away from God But tell him that God is mercifull full of grace in Iesus Christ that is the sweetest speach that euer he heard But alas few of vs feeleth that burthen of sinne Who is he that groneth vnder sinne Who feareth the terrors of that wrath If thou find them then tell thee of the mercies of Iesus Christ it would bee the sweetest tale that euer thou heardest And when a man is once sensible of the infinite mercies of GOD in Iesus then tell him of all the infinite properties of God tell him of His power wisedome and prouidence they will all serue to his comfort for why he will thinke that all things that are in God appertaine to him and serue to his weale he will finde that all things will serue to his saluation Otherwise without this assurance of mercy hee will neuer thinke them comfortable So there is a sure ground The faith of a man or woman first of all is euer relatiue to the mercy of God and that is the first object of faith Indeed hauing gottē a gripe of mercie then it extendeth to all the rest but before that there is nothing in God that it can rest vpon Yee see by experience when the law is preached there is little allurance of the heart but when the Euangell and Christ Iesus is preached the heart is drawne on and allured What is the cause of this The doctrine of the law is a doctrine of extreame justice and His justice doeth nothing but terrifie the soule but the doctrine of the Euangell is a doctrine of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ which draweth to it the hearts of men Albeit thou heare the law preached an hundreth yeares heare no more thou shalt be so far from being the better that thou
shalt still be the worse So this testifieth that the object of our faith is the surpassing mercy of God Then if thou wouldest search y e nature of God and search Him a thousand yeeres thou shalt neuer come to the ground of His deepnesse search out especially His loue mercy a man may faile vanish away in curiosity searching y e deepenesse of God but in searching out His mercy thou shalt neuer erre it shall be with a joy cōsolation of the heart Paul prayeth for the Ephesians chap. 3 vers 18. that they might attaine to that infinite deepnesse breadth length height in God for God is infinitly deepe in all things but wherefore is it that he prayeth Euen that they searching in God should search that infinit profoundity of the loue of God Surely if wee would know that profoundity of God search in to His nature thē let vs search alwayes in to that loue mercy of God in IESVS Christ And this searching hath euer a grouth and increase in faith till wee get a sight of Him euerlastingly To go forward He is not cōtent to say with Him is gentlenes but he subjoynes with Him is great redemption the words grow in highnesse these words comprehēd set out a greater mercy in God than the former now y e mercy of God in Iesus Christ is not all told in a word alas for want of feeling we speake slenderly lightly of it no in very deed all the words and the greatest words in the world of the most holy most wise most eloquent men is not able to set out point out that infinit greatnesse deepnes of it and he she that once haue tasted of mercy scarcely can they find words to expresse the thousand part of it whē they haue gotten a little taste apprehension of it they are not able to get words to expresse that apprehension of the heart Paul commonly calleth it the riches of mercy God who is rich in mercy according to His infinit great loue c. Ephes 2. 4. Paul Dauid the rest of them cānot get words to expresse that apprehension of mercy that they haue in their heartes No there is no creature that is capable of that infinite mercy for the worke that y e Spirite of Iesus Christ doeth worke in the heart whether it be a sense of dolour or a sense of joy the tongue of no creature can tell or expresse Paul calleth it sighes inexpressible Peter calleth it joy vnspeakeable So y e heart cannot expresse the greatnesse of the worke of the Spirit Men will thinke them hyperbolicall words but that is a token that they haue not tasted that joy and mercy in their owne hearts Now in the last words he commeth neare hand makes a particular promise of His mercy to His Church He will redeeme Israel His Church from all her iniquity as hee would say I haue told you He is mercifull full of redemption but I come nearer hand Thou shalt finde in experience that Hee is mercifull full of redemptiō So it is not enough to the Preachers of y e word to preach Gods mercy and redemption generally to the world no they must come nearer hand in promising they must make to the hearts of the people a particular application and say not only God is mercifull but He will be mercifull vnto you and He is full of redemption and He shall redeeme you and so say I I haue not beene speaking of mercy and redemption that appertaineth not to vs but the Lord shal be mercifull and redeeme you if ye belieue in Iesus Christ for there is no grace but in Him If this particular application be not made the cōscience of sinne is so great that the sinner dare not put foorth his hand to receiue mercy Now to whom pertaineth mercy and redemption He saith Hee shall redeeme Israel that is the Church militant The Church is militāt in this world but redemption pertaineth to it in the ende But where from shall the Lord redeeme y e Church Not from persecution and tribulation in this worlde but from all her sinnes So this presupponeth first That the Church is full of sin so long as it is in this world This is but a vaine dreame to imagine that there shall bee a Church or any member of the same in this worlde without spot away with that vanitie So next the redemption of the Church standeth nor so much in freeing it from persecution or tribulation although she shall be redeemed from all these things also as from redeeming her from sin the chiese redemption shall be from sin for why the greatest enemy of the Church is her own sins it is her own sins that is the cause of all her persecution and it is sin that the Lord mortifieth and slayeth by persecution and tribulation for if there were no sin there would not bee such a thing as a persecuter or a tyrant against her and the greatest burthen that y e godly feele is alwayes their owne sins they were neuer vnder so great perfecution no crosse no trouble comparable to the burthen of sin Paul saith Rom. 7. 24 Miserable man who shall deliuer me Where from Not from persecution albeit he was subject to as great persecution as anie man but from this body of sin because hee could not get that obedience to God that hee would haue had And wherfore died Christ Was it to redeeme vs from persecution or crosses in this world No the Lord died that Hee might redeeme vs from sin with His precious blood And Paul to y e Corin maketh mention of that triumph that the Church shall haue when the Lord Iesus shall come O death where is thy sting Then she shall glory that she is redeemed from sinne and from offending of GOD. And that shall be our chiefe felicity in that life to come that our hearts thoughtes shall be free of all sinne we shall offend God no more but al shall be full of obedience to Iesus Christ and then shall we be fully sanctified and glorified when wee get that blessed presence of the Lord Iesus which wee long for To whome bee praise and glory for euer Amen THE XIIII SERMON MATTH CHAP. XV. verse 21 And Iesus went thence and departed into the coasts of Tyrus and Sidon verse 22 And beholde a woman a Canaanite came out of the same coastes and cryed saying vnto him Haue inercie on mee O Lord the sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserably vexed with a deuill verse 23 But he answered her not a word Then came to him his disciples and besought him saying Sende her away for she cryeth after vs. verse 24 But he answered and said I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel verse 25 Yet shee came and worshipped him saying LORD helpe mee verse 26 And hee answered and saide It is not good to take
knocke at that gate except that the Lord put out His hand hold thee vp euen in the meane time when Hee is holding thee backe so wonderfull is the Lordes working with His owne He will be holding them abacke with the one hand and He will be pulling them in to Him as fast with the other hand when He will be disswading He will perswade when He forbiddeth to approach vnto Him hee inwardly allureth mâ—n to come vnto Him Nowe will yee heare the Lordes answere If the first answere was hard this is as hard and rough for with an angry countenance no doubt He answereth It is not lawfull saieth Hee to take the childrens bread and to cast it vnto dogges It is euen as much as if Hee had taken her by the shoulders and thrust her out first Hee saieth Thou art but a dogge a Gentile and this that thou seekest is a precious thing the bread of life this appertaineth onely to the children of GOD Shall I take that and giue it vnto a dog As if Hee had saide Goe thy waye dogge thou shalt not get such a precious benefite as thou requirest Then we see here because she was a Gentile therfore Hee calleth her a dogge Suppose thou bee a King I pray thee be not too proude in thine own conceit and yet a Gentile Ergo by nature a dogge He will cast a Kingdome an Empire a Monarchie to a man as one will cast a bone into the mouth of a dogge but all is nothing in respect of one droppe of grace and the hope of the kingdome of Heauen Albeit thou bee a begger and yet gettest but one droppe of grace through IESVS CHRIST anie hope of the Kingdome of Heauen anie beginning of regeneration then thou hast gotten a greater grace a more precious thing than Caesar that got all the worlde There is no comparison betwixt the meanest spirituall heauenly gift betwixt the greatest temporall and earthly thing Nowe I note againe the hardnesse to winne to the Kingdome of Heauen Would yee not thinke it a marueilous thing to turne a dogge into the Sonne of God It is as great a wonder to see a Gentile to be called to Heauen as to make dogges and stones the Sonnes of God Nowe know that before thou gettest accesse to Heauen although thou wert a king thou must bee humbled in thine owne conceite thou must know thine owne estate and condition thou must thinke thy selfe as vile and contemptible as a verie dogge by nature as this woman was brought to saye otherwise thou shalt neuer get heauen Then Brethren if the entrie to the Kingdome of heauen be so harde if thou like a dogge returne to thy vomite or as a sow to the puddle as Peter saieth 2. Pet. 2. 22. after thou art wasâ—en with the blood of that immaculate Lambe then it is a wonder if euer thou get grace to re-enter againe Now heare the poore womans answere she granteth all It is verie true thou sayest I am but a dog a vile and an vnworthie wretch and that bread of heauen is a precious thing I am not worthie that it should bee casten vnto mee Yet saieth shee the whelpes doe eate of the crummes which fall from their maisters table If thou wilt not shew mee this grace to eate bread with the children yet let me eate the paringes and crummes vnder the table Ere euer the Lord bestow grace and eternall life vpon thee hee will haue thee to accompt thy selfe vnworthie of anie grace yea hee will haue thee to accompt as vilely of thy selfe as of a dog albeit thou hadst neuer so many great prerogatiues otherwayes in the worlde ere thou get that life thy conscience will accuse thee to bee vnworthie of such a life and such a joye as the LORD ordained for his owne Shee scipped before nowe shee thrumbleth and thrusteth in at the gates of heauen and goeth like a violent woman not indeede preassing like a sturdie begger to be in whether the Lord would or not but by humilitie and acknowledging of her owne vnworthinesse in all submission comming as it were creeping like a sillie whelpe vnder the table that is the violence that is done to the Kingdome of heauen Matth. 11. 12. Shee taketh vp heauen by violence in all submission and humilitie And if thou bee once but a whelpe vnder the table of GOD in the house of GOD to gather vp the crummes of that plentifull table thou art called to a greater honour than if thou were made King of all the worlde I had rather bee a doore-keeper in the house of GOD than to bee king of all the worlde Nowe Brethren when shee is thronging in hee is loath to put her out againe No hee saieth O woman great is thy faith bee it vnto thee as thou desirest thy faith hath wonne the victorie From whence had this poore woman all this perseuerance and this continuance and this constancie but from him and yet hee standeth wondering at his owne graces The LORD beholde his doing when hee hath giuen thee grace and perseuerance when thou commest to heauen he will wonder at thee and there is the ende of all thy perseuerance a faire crowne of glorie And what more doeth hee That same moment that force that was in the worde that proceeded out of the mouth of IESVS extended it selfe to the womans daughter and healeth her and casteth the deuill out of her Now she sought only to creepe in as a whelp vnder the table to eat the crummes and now the LORD setteth her vp at the table to sit with Him in glory as CHRIST Himselfe saieth I say to thee saieth Hee manie shall come out of the East and out of the West into mine house into the Kingdome of Heauen and sit downe at the Table with Abraham Isaac and Iaakob Matth. 8. 11. And from whence are wee come Euen out of the furthermost point of the West And O SCOTLAND Belieue in IESVS seeke earnestlie grace at Him and waite patientlie when Hee tryeth thee and thou shalt find that thou shalt be set downe with ABRAHAM ISAAC and IAAKOB in glorie Wee are the Sonnes of GOD indeed but it appeareth not yet what wee shall bee but one daye it shall appeare when wee shall be crowned with the crowne of glorie The Lord worke this faith and earnest desire of grace in vs for Iesus Christs sake To whome bee all glorie honour and praise for euer and euer Amen THE XV. SERMON LVKE CHAP. VII verse 37 And beholde a woman in the citie who was a sinner when shee knewe that Iesus sate at table in the Pharisees house she brought a boxe of oyntment verse 38 And shee stood at his feete behinde him weeping and began to wash his feete with teares and did wipe them with the haires of her head and kissed his feete and anointed them with the ointment verse 39 Nowe when the Pharisie who bade him sawe it hee spake within himselfe saying If this man
too much vpon him more than he is able to performe So as the Pharisie concluded before that Hee was no Prophet now they conclude that Hee was no Mediator Well Brethren the worke of our saluation hath many impedimentes Wilt thou seeke saluation seek grace mercie then think not to come sleeping to grace for I say to thee ere thou wantest a stoppe to hinder thee from grace from remission of sinnes thine owne heart by the suggestion of the deuill shall stand vp in thy teeth and blaspheme as the Pharisie did first and as the rest at the table did thereafter and all to hinder the worke of thy saluation But see the ende Stayeth the Lord for all this Reâ—raiteth He His sentence againe and saieth thy sinnes are not forgiueÌ„ thee No no the Lords conclusion is past if Hee say it once to thine heart and if He giue once that perswasion in thine heart so that thou mayest saye Lord be blessed my sinnes are forgiuen me happy art thou they shal be forgiuen thee the Lord shall double it within thee so Hee speaketh to the woman as He would say Let them speake what they wil thou art in Heauen thy sins are forgiueÌ„ thee goe in peace There is no peace but the peace of the Lord comming from the remission of sinnes Crie peace as thou wilt but if thou goe not in the peace of the Lord thou gâ—est not in peace but in warre the Lord is at warre with thee and albeit thou gettest the Kinges peace and all the worldes peace yet if thou gettest not the LORDS peace thou hast no peace at all so wel is him that hath His peace for they only may goe in joy that may say Now Lord I am at peace with Thee thou hast forgiuen me my sinnes And if thou canst say this truely thou shalt haue such a joy in thy soule as all the Kings in the world cannot giue thee nor all outward comforts and pleasures affoord thee Nowe the LORD giue vs this peace and a blincke of that joye in the heart through the remission of our sinnes for then one day wee shall see the accomplishment of it to our euerlasting joye and saluation in IESVS CHRIST To whom with the FATHER and the Holie SPIRIT bee all Honour Praise Glorie Power and Dominion both now and euermore worlde without ende So bee it THE XVI SERMON IOHN CHAP. III. verse 6 That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that that is borne of the Spirit is spirit IN this conference that NICODEMVS hath with CHRIST welbeloued in the Lord IESVS First Nicodemus comming to Him by night and confesseth Him plainly that Hee was a Teacher that came from God because there was none that could worke those wonders that He wrought except the Lord were with him Then the Lord Iesus beginneth to playe the part of a Teacher to Nicodemus who was a Doctor in Isaael And the first ground that Hee beginneth to instruct him into is the ground of Regeneration For Christ came to make a new world again and to renewe man who was dead in sinnes and trespasses Therfore He beginneth to instruct Nicodemus in this doctrine of Regeneration and Hee bindeth him to learne it with such a necessity that except hee and whole mankinde bee regenerate there is none of them that shall see the kingdome of God and this Hee doeth with a great asseueration saying Verily verily Nicodemus hearing and fearing that heauie denunciation of banishment from the kingdome of GOD but not vnderstanding this regeneration beginneth to reason that it was a thing vnpossible that hee coulde bee borne againe because hee was an olde man and it is not possible that an olde man can enter into his mothers wombe againe Christ answereth and answering insisteth in that proposition of regeneration vrging him againe with a necessitie of the same regeneration Onely He addeth to that that He spake before the manner and waye of this begetting to wit of water and the Spirite It is not a fleshlie generation but a Spirituall generation whereby a man is begotten againe by y e renewing of the Holy Spirite in him of the which water is the seale to seale vp our faith in that assurance of that regeneration or new birth Nowe in this Text which I haue read Christ insisteth in the same doctrine and like as in the verse preceeding Hee hath proponed the manner of this new birth not to be naturall but spirituall so in this verse He sheweth Nicodemus what a kinde of birth it is That saith He that is begotten of the Spirit is Spirit that is the Spirit of the Lord IESVS working begetteth not a fleshly or corrupt creature but a Spirituall and Heauenly creature This Hee sâ—tteth not downe simplie but Hee setteth it downe by waye of comparison with the fleshlie generation to the ende that Nicodemus and all men seeing the corruption of the flesh they shuld esteeme the more highly of that Spirituall generation And Hee saieth that the thing begotten of the flesh is flesh that is as the flesh a corrupt masse of flesh and blood cannot beget but corrupt flesh Euen so the Spirit of the Lord Iesus cannot begâ—tte but that that is Spirituall and Heauenly and thus yeesâ—e the meaning of this place But because this place offereth occasion to speake somewhat of Regeneration whereof the worlde had neuer greater neede than at this present for I thinke the world is going backe againe to that old corruption from the which they were deliuered Therefore to the ende that all thinges may be the more cleare I shall speake to you first of the flesh and generation thereof Next of the Spirit Regeneration And the LORD make vs carefull to finde the Spiriâ—e to bee effectuall in euerie one of vs to regeneration Then beeing to speake of the flesh it shall bee expedient to deduce it from the fountaine There are two sortes of sinne in this worlde The one sort is called Originall that sinne that man and woman is borne with in this worlde which they drawe out of their mothers wombe vvith their birth The other sort is called Actuall sinne that standeth in a doing and vvorking and vvhich floweth and proceedeth from that originall sinne as from the fountaine I maye not insist vpon these thinges particularlie but I shall giue you a short viewe of them Originall sinne standeth in two partes The first is that horrible defection and apostasie which whole mankinde in the worlde from Adam to the ende of the worlde haue made in the loynes of Adam for yee must vnderstand it was not Adam alone that sinned and fell from GOD but it vvas thou and all others that euer vvere gotten of man and borne of woman whole mankinde made that defection for as it is saide in the seuenth Chapter to the Hebrewes the ninth verse that when Abraham paide tithes to Melchisedeck that Leui vvho long after vvas not begotten nor borne vvas tithed in the loynes of Abraham his
for yee see some raging in murther with pleasure and washing their handes in innocent blood with griedinesse c. And some committing adulterie vvithout any remorse yea boasting and vaunting of it amongst their companions Others abusing the benefites of God thorowe intemperance in drunkennesse vvithout any griefe of conscience And others deliting to oppresse and spoyle vvith violence such as they may ouer-come and in the meane time they haue no griefe prick nor trouble in their conscience for such doing Are not such men miserably deceiued who when they are going to judgement and wrath rejoyce yea when they are posting to destruction take their pastime when they are running to condemnation laugh and who when they are most miserable thinke themselues moste happy And this is the estate of many and chiefely of the great men in this countrey they rejoyce and boast of their sinnes and they thinke themselues in a good and happie estate because they finde no remorse nor griefe in their consciences I shall vse an homely similitude to declare this matter A man will haue a worme in his finger or tooth it will keepe it selfe quiet and cease from gnawing for a season he will thinke he is whole enough but take a little vineger or some such like pearcing and sharpe water then shee will beginne to gnawe and then the sillie man will complaine that hee was beguiled when hee thought hee was well enough Euen so it is with the conscience of man for it lieth in the soule of man lurking as a worme lieth in the flesh sometimes it gnaweth and sometimes it lieth still and letteth the murtherer the adulterer the oppressor goe forward in murther adulterie oppression and other moste abhominable sinnes vvithout anie accusation griefe remorse or feare of the law of GOD and threatning of the curses thereof I shall tell you more than that Sometimes the conscience of a miserable male-factor will bee so senselesse that it will no wayes bee moued by the Preaching A murtherer will bee sitting before the Minister A vile filthy adulterer will bee sitting there deuising howe to accomplish their abhominable lustes in the meane time that the Minister will bee threatning judgement against their wickednesse they will not be moued with the threatninges but will disdaine and scorne them in their heartes and will say This fellow doeth nothing but prate and raise what hee pleaseth and after Preaching vvill goe out merrily to his dinner and there curse and sweare and blaspheme Gods Name and thereafter goe to his bedde as a beast or a senselesse sow But I admonish thee O miserable wretch in despite of thy teeth thy conscience shall not sleepe alwayes the conscience of all flesh shall bee wakened one day either to their weale or to their woe And that Lawe which so securely men contemne many a time shall bee so powerfull to waken the coÌ„sciences to torment hem that by no meanes nor policie shall they bee able to pacifie them againe Their drinking their halking their hunting their carding their dycing and other pastimes will not then bring comfort or true peace to the soule Then that man who thought himselfe most happy when he was enjoying the pleasures of sinne shall thinke himselfe the most miserable wretch that euer the earth bore Brethren the lawe that was giuen and threatning thereof is wondrous terrible and for as little as many men account of it yet either one time or other it shall be effectuall to stirre vp and to waken the conscieÌ„ces of men I except no man And if the conscience sleepe still on in this life till death ouer-take men as it doeth in many yet it shall be so wakened after this life in Hell that it shall neuer get leaue to sleepe againe it shall so gâ—â—w vpon the soule that it shall neuer get rest And in that Great day wheÌ„ that righteous Iudge shall appeare the lawe shall bee moste forceable to raise in the soule dolour griefe and anguish for euer which is impossible for any flesh to ouercome expell and put away yea it is as impossible as it is to ouercome the majesty of God His owne selfe for as the Gospell is the power of GOD to saluation to euery one that beleeueth So the law is the power of God to raise vp dolour terrour and anguish in the soules of impenitent sinners and at last to bring it into condemnation Therefore happy is that man who in the time of grace when the Gospel is crying vpon euery wearie and laden soule to come to Iesus and promising to ease and disburthen all that cometh vnto Him findeth this conscience wakened in mercie for nowe Iesus Christ by His seruantes is going thorow the world offering to cure all sorts of diseases yea euen these that are most incurable And miserable is that man who sleepeth on till death ouer-take him for then the time of grace is past repentance then will bee to late it will not auaile remission of sinnes then cannot bee obtained the voyce of the Lawe shall euer â—ounde Cursed art thou miserable wretch for euer the comfortable voyce of the Gospell crying Come all yee wearie and laden shall neuer bee heard anie more Suffer therefore your selues to bee launced wounded in time that yee may bee compelled to come to Iesus and the Lord waken the consciences of these bloodie murtherers adulterers and oppressors in time that they maye see where awaye they are going and at last may returne to God Nowe hitherto wee haue handled this naturall corruption and this noble flesh which men glorie so much into Nowe let vs speake something of the naturall birth That which is borne of the flesh is flesh And what can corruption breede but corruption What can a leprous man bring out but a leprous childe Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse No not one Iob Chapter 14. verse 4 For why Brethren In this naturall generation as the parent naturallie communicateth nature and his owne substance so looke what venome vilenesse and detestablenesse is in his nature hee giueth and communicateth it all to his children Men glorie commonlie much of these thinges which they gette thorowe their parentes they will saye I haue gotten great heritages much honour and great riches by my father But I saye that no man euer got so surelie these things thorowe their parentes as they gette through them and their birth a poyson and pest with their flesh whereby they are made the children of wrath and shall get Hell for their inheritance Brethren happie is the man that can consider this naturall vncleannesse and is touched in conscience with the pollution which hee giueth to his children and striueth to haue it purged for in so doing hee both acquireth a good conscience to himselfe and giueth his children a better heritage than if hee left him all the heyreships of the worlde When thou hast begotten thy childe and gathered goods and riches together and acquired great possessions
professe or followe Christ what can bee more hard But suppone reason were conuinced and the mouth thereof closed that it coulde gette no shift to answere yet thinkest thou so to bee quite of thy selfe No the will and the affections will stand obstinately against the judgement of the minde and follow out and pursue that which the minde discearneth to be euill So thou mayest easily see that there is nothing more harde than to gette this Regeneration yea thou mayest see that it is a thing altogether impossible except that Almighty Spirit of God be present and worke it effectually in the soule all the kings of the earth with all their weapons and engines of warre cannot be able to doe it No all the Angels in Heauen are not able to accomplish this worke The weapons of our warre-fare saith Paul are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe strong holdes casting downe imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 4. 5. There is no power in Heauen or earth but onely the Spirit of God that is able to renewe one creature And this power is granted to this our Ministerie the preaching of the Euangell Let great men let worldly men esteeme of it as they please God hath ordained this Ministery to minister this wonderfull power whereby the soules of men shall be regenerate Further thou must vnderstand that this Regeneration is not perfected in an instant but in processe of time it must continue all the dayes of thy life so long as thou liuest albeit thou liue a thousand yeeres this olde man will not bee perfectly and altogether mortified and slaine till the houre of death Thou must all the dayes of thy life-time be groaning vnder the burthen of sinne subject to crosses and troubles away with light-headed sinners who saye they woulde alwayes haue their heartes vp sadnesse becommeth a sinner well and thou must striue to finde the newe man to bee renewed degree by degree piece and piece euen till at last death bee swallowed vp of life and mortalitie of immortalitie And if thou wouldest haue this worke to goe forward in thee then set euermore Iesus thy Lord and thine head before the eyes of thy soule looke vpon Him with the eyes of faith for it is only His presence the sight of His glory that worketh this marueilous change for there is a great oddes betweene the sight of His glorie and the sight of the glorie of worldlie Princes for the sight of their glorie will not change thee nor make thee glorious but vanisheth awaye in a moment But the sight of the glorie of IESVS shall change thee and make thee glorious whensoeuer thou beholdest Him either by faith in this worlde or else face to face in the Kingdome of Glorie For when thou beholdest Him with the eyes of faith heere thou shalt bee changed according to the measure of thy faith and because thy faith is imperfect thy change heere must bee imperfect but when thou shalt see Him face to face and beholde Him as Hee is then shalt thou bee like vnto Him in glorie thy change shall bee perfect His presence shall bee effectuall to change thy vile bodie and to fashion it like vnto His owne glorious bodie when thou beholdest His glorie thou shalt bee changed into the same glorie Therefore yee see what neede wee haue to finde this Regeneration begunne in vs heere and to finde a continuall progresse therein all the dayes of our life that so wee maye bee assured that the LORD shall crowne His worke in vs with glorie in IESVS And nowe to ende then surelie yee see that corruption mischiefe and venome euerie man without exception communicate vnto their children by naturall generation Therefore Brethren this is mine exhortation to all both to great and small I except none from the King to the Begger Striue as yee are instrumentes of generation so to bee instrumentes of regeneration that your children maye bee taken out of nature and planted in grace and so bee made members of the mysticall bodie of IESVS CHRIST Striue to bring them vp in the knowledge of CHRIST that so yee maye bee free of that heauie judgement which remaineth for all such as neglect this duetie towardes their children and that yee maye see GODS blessing vpon your children heere and maye haue hope of that eternall life and glorie heereafter which the LORD hath promised to His owne in CHRIST IESVS To whome with the FATHER and the Holie SPIRIT three persons and one GOD be all Honour Glorie Praise Power Dominion both now and euermore So bee it THE XVII SERMON I. TIMOTH CHAP. I. verse 12 Therefore I thanke him who hath made mee strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for hee counted mee faithfull and put me in his seruice verse 13 When before I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and an oppressour but I was receiued to mercie for I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe verse 14 But the grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue which is in Christ Jesus IN this Text beloued Brethren in Iesus Christ there is set downe to vs a notable example of thankfulnesse to God in the person of the Apostle Paul for that great and incomparable mercy which the Lord bestowed vpon him not onely in forgiuing him his grosse and manifold sinnes but also for setting of him in His seruice and for the committing to him the message of reconciliation making him an Apostle to preach repentance and remission of sinnes to others As the mercies which he found were wondrous great so is hee wondrous carefull alwayes to testifie his thankfulnesse to GOD And to the ende the more chearefully he may praise thanke God hee considereth and setteth downe by degrees and in order his vnworthinesse and the euill deedes that he did notwithstanding whereof the Lord extended His mercy most aboundantlie towardes him To come to the wordes Hee saieth Therefore I thanke him who hath made me strong that is Christ Jesus our Lord These wordes depend vpon the verse immediately going before hee saide before that the glorious Euangell of Iesus Christ was concredite to him for the which cause he bursteth forth in thankesgiuing and hee saieth Therefore I will be thankfull to Him who hath concredited it vnto mee Then yee see his thankfulnesse ariseth on two considerations First vpon the consideration of the excellency of the Euangel of Iesus Christ The Gospell is glorious in it selfe and it is come down from the blessed God next vpon the consideration of his owne vnworthinesse looke howe worthie the Gospell was as vnworthie was hee then considering that so worthy a thing was giuen vnto him and that hee himselfe was so vnworthy hee knoweth not what thankes to giue he cannot deuise what manner of waye to testifie his thankfulnesse If once wee could see what God were howe
blessed that inuiolable Majesty were and what the Euangell is how glorious how liuely howe powerfull in operation and then what our selues are how vnworthie we are now Lord what would wee account of Iesus Christ this heart that now is bound vp would then bee loosed to thankfulnesse But wee see not what GOD is and if we haue not found glorie and the power of the Gospell Looke what great coÌ„mendation this Apostle giueth to the Gospell 2. Cor. 3. 6. where hee compareth the Lawe with the Gospell and calleth the Gospell the Ministerie of the Spirit the Ministerie of righteousnesse y â— Ministerie of life Then againe wee see not what our selues are how vile how filthie and vncleane we are we see not that mysterie of sinne that is in vs and therefore we account so little of the Gospell and are so little moued when the Lord threatneth the away-taking of it And to the ende men may knowe howe they ought to esteeme of this Ministerie of this Gospell committed vnto them which now the world so much contemneth and disdaineth we shall speake a litle of the dignitie excellencie thereof To haue the Gospel of Iesus Christ coÌ„mitted to a mans charge is no small thing No there is no fleshe worthie of such dignitie and honour no not the Angels in Heauen let be sillie mortall creatures Is the creature worthy to dispose the treasures of saluation Is a man worthy to reconsile God and the world Is anie man worthy to bee an instrument to bring remission of sinnes peace of conscience and joye in the Holie Ghoste to the soule of man Is anie worthy to beare witnesse to the soule of man that life euerlasting appertaineth vnto him and is laid vp for him in the Heauens And this mooued the Apostle to crie out when hee considered this Who can be found meet for these thinges 2. Cor. 2. 16. And so if wee knewe all that is contained in the Gospell wee woulde saye that the Angels themselues are not worthie to beare such a message to dispense the secrete and hidden thinges of GOD to confirme forgiuenesse of sinnes to put poore sinners out of doubt that the LORD loueth them and taketh them for His children and last that Hee will crowne them with saluation and euerlasting life And the consideration of this should moue them whom the Lord hath set in His seruice to follow the example of th'Apostle Paul and day and night to bee thankfull to God vvho chooseth such fraile and poore creatures to such an high excellent and glorious office as to offer saluation to them who before were condemned and cast-awayes Next this consideration should mooue men faithfullie and carefullie to execute that charge which is committed vnto them as also to pray y â— Lord earnestlie that Hee would blesse them with graces and strength according to the weightinesse of the calling that they maye bee â—ound faithfull in that Great daye for man of himselfe cannot doe so much as to thinke a good thought 2. Cor. Chap. 3. vers 5. let be to haue such graces by nature as to furnish such an high and glorious a calling And as the Pastors haue their duetie to learne heere so the people also may and should make their vse of it that is when they come to heare the word of God to the ende that the Gospell and the promises of mercy may profit and edifie them they shoulde bee resolued in themselues that it is God that sendeth men vnto them and maketh them meete who were vnmeet And in this place the Apostles minde is not onely to humble Preachers to acknowledge the grace bestowed vpon them but also to resolue all men that hee that preacheth is sent from God otherwise the preaching of the Gospell will neâ—er profit them And last this serueth to reprooue the vaine thoughtes and vngodly speaches of the common multitude for they thinke this Ministery to bee but a base and contemptible calling and say Who should be placed into it who but such fooles and vnworthy bodies as cannot bee meete for another calling who but kinlesse bodies But if a Gentleman an Esquires sonne a lordes brother c. take on this calling hee is disgraced and abased therewith But. O vnworthy wretch No Emperour no Monarch nor no flesh whatsoeuer is worthy of so great a calling no the Angels in Heauen honour not so much the commission as the commission honoureth them If thou continuest in counting basely of it to the ende thou shalt finde it at the last to bee the most glorious thing that euer was but it shall be to thy confusion and destruction Nowe I goe forward Hee commeth to a reason of his thankfulnesse Who hath strengthened me saith hee that is of a weake body full of imperfection blottes and sinnes which might haue hindered mee from that calling Hee made mee strong and able So the Apostle compareth his estate by nature with that estate which he found of grace and when hee was in nature hee saieth hee was weake and vnder the worde of weaknesse hee comprehendeth his blasphemy persecution and oppression which hee setteth downe heereafter And heereby wee maye see that men will neuer knowe the grace of God well nor accompt worthily of it vntill they consider what men are when GOD leaueth them to their owne estate And when men get a sight either of themselues or of others they will see that there is no goodnesse nothing worthie of praise but much mischiefe misery both in themselues and in others And when men once seeth and knoweth this then it will bee an easie thing to them to judge of the grace of GOD which supplieth and remedieth all wantes and vices When Paule looked to himselfe hee sawe no goodnesse that that had appearance of goodnesse was nothing but euanishing smoake and therefore confesseth that whatsoeuer was in him by nature was corrected and so hee giueth the praise of all to God Againe I see that none will account of IESVS CHRIST and His Gospell but they who finde a power and strength in the Gospell There is a power in the Gospell which all the faithfull finde for by the Gospell he that was weake to any good deede is made strong by the Gospell he that was dead is quickened and beginneth to liue This constrained the Apostle Paule to giue such glorious and powerfull stiles to the Gospell hee calleth it the power of God to life and saluation Rom 2. 16. he calleth it liuely and mighty in operation Heb. 14. 12. The children of God find it powerfull to ouerthrow and cast downe the imaginations of man and euery strong holde which is raised vp against Iesus And whosoeuer findeth this of necessity they must be thankfull Alas that there should be such a power and strength in the Gospell and that we should finde so little of it for if wee found it it could not bee possible but wee woulde testifie and practise by mouth and hand by word and
saith hee therefore did I speake Psal 116. 10. Look to the Apostles with what faith assurance they speake of it because saith Paul 2. Cor. 4. 13. We haue the same Spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken wee also beleeue and therefore we speake So when thou hearest or speakest of this grace of the Lord Iesus seek to haue this assurance in thine heart and saye Lord giue me Thy grace in speaking and hearing of the benefite of Christ that I may speake and heare with assurance And if ye take heede to the words of the preface he riseth vp in commending of this sentence that Christ came into the world to saue sinners and hee saieth not onelie This is a true saying that wee may assuredlie beleeue but likewise hee saieth and by all meanes worthie to bee receiued Hee welcommeth in a manner Christ Iesus comming into the world he embraceth that saluation that Hee brought vvith Him And would to God whether wee bee Preachers or hearers that wee coulde attaine to that measure of grace that so oft as wee name the comming of Iesus Christ that in speaking of it our hearts may be mooued to embrace Him and that life and saluation which He hath purchased for vs. So this preface serueth to confirme our hearts deepelie to imprint in them the doctrine of the grace of Christ of remission of sinnes of saluation through Him c. for by nature there is in euerie one of vs such a mistrusting doubting thereof y ◠albeit God wold a thousand times offer it vnto vs albeit Christ himselfe would teach neuer so much vnto vs yet are we euer still in doubt and questioning in our owne heartes whether it be so or not Against all this mistrusting and reasoning of our owne hearts we must bee armed with this preface of the Apostle as with a buckler that it is a true saying by al means worthy to be receiued But to come to the saying it self It reckoneth vp y e whole Euangell for what is the Euangell in fewe wordes The Lord Iesus the Sonne of God is come into the world by his manifestation in the flesh taking vpon him our nature and in it hee hath suffered the moste shamefull death of the Crosse for the sinnes of man and rising againe from death hath passed vp to glorie and all to this ende For the saluation of man There is the whole Gospell Alas if we took heed to these tithings our hearts woulde not bee carried after so manie vanities The Apostle 1 Timoth. 3. 16. calleth this the mysterie of godlinesse and a great mysterie That GOD is manifested in the fleshe justified in the Spirite seene of the Angels preached vnto the Gentiles beleeued on in the worlde receiued vp into glorie c. All this hee setteth downe here in a word Christ Jesus came into the worlde and hee telleth vs it was to saue sinners that wee who are sinners might haue joye and rejoyce at His comming for wee should neuer heare nor reade such sentences but with joye But the wordes woulde bee weighed hee saieth CHRIST came into the worlde to saue sinners What is this that hee calleth sinners there are two sorts of sinners in the worlde The first are they who thinke they haue no sinne they are so hardned in their sinne they neuer got their hearts opened to see their owne sinne and wretchednesse for an indured sinner feeleth no sinne but by the contrarie they thinke themselues just they are puft vp with a cōceit of their own righteousnes they thinke thēselues whole free frō the disease of sin and these are the greatest part of the world An example we haue in that proude Pharisie who would stand vp and justify himselfe before God say I thanke thee O God that I am not a sinner as other men extortioners vnjust adulterers or euē as this Publicane Luke 18. 11. But it is not for the saluation of those men that Christ came into the world no mercy belōgeth not to them they will neuer taste of any mercy of God in Iesus Christ and therfore Christ saith Mat. 9. 12. 13. The whole need not a Phisition that is they who are whole free of the sicknesse of sin in their own conceit I am not come to call the just that is indured sinners who think thēselues just because they are touched with no sense of sin and well had it bene for them if Christ had neuer come into the world for they want not only grace in Him but by the contrary by the contemning of the grace that is offered they heap on cōdemnation on their own heads There is another sort of sinners who haue a true sense of sin and grone vnder the burthen thereof who are sore grieued in their owne consciences for it and it is of these sinners that th' Apostle speaketh here for Christ sheweth mercy only on these sinners He came into the world to saue them only therfore He saith Mat. 9. 13. I come to call sinners to repētāce meaning these sinners who haue their consciences wakened with y e sense of sin these sinners only He inuiteth to come vnto Him to get grace refreshmēt Come vnto me saith He all ye that weary laden I will refresh you Mat. 11. 28. These sinners will get grace to heare the word and wil get their minds illuminated with it whereas indured sinners the more they heare the more are they blinded and therefore Christ saith Joh. 9. 39. I am come vnto judgement into this world that they that see not may see to wit the penitent sinners and that they see that is indured sinners may bee blinded if thou be an indured sinner thou canst not heare the word with profite thou canst not be inlightened thereby But albert thou be a blasphemer an adulterer an harlot the greatest sinner that is if thou harden not thine heart at the hearing of the word of God O how wonderfully will it worke in thy soule it wil bring thee to a sense of thy sin it will make thee to bee grieued for thy sin and to lament mourne vnfainedly for it it will make thee to runne seeke for grace mercy in Christ that thy sin may be done away an example of this ye haue in Dauid when he had committed adultery murther no sooner is y e word preached to him by Nathan but assoone his heart is pierced with the sense of his sin he confesseth acknowledgeth it hee is sore grieued for it hee crieth for mercy in the Messias to put away his iniquities as ye may see 1. Sam. 12. 13. Psal 51. Such like ye see in Paul who before was persecuting the Church assoone as he heareth the voyce of Christ his consciēce is wakened he trembleth he is astonied he humble intreateth for mercy hee offereth seruice to the Lord saieth Lord what wilt thou that I doe Acts 9.