hope the good Spirit will convey by it a double Portion of Grace to us who are left behind Let it not affright thee Reader to hear a dead Saint speak a dead Minister preach for 't is the same Spirit of Life and Power which once breathed from the Pulpit that now breaths from the Press the same Gospel which once dropp'd from his gracious Lips flows now from his sanctified Pen. Although the serious Perusal of these spiritual Discourses will more effectually commend them to thy Acceptance than the most elaborate Recommendation of the Prefacer yet I must not betray the Truth in concealing what the observing Reader will soon discern Acquired Learning humbly waiting upon Divine Revelation great Ministerial Gifts managed by greater Grace Warm Affections guided by a solid Iudgment Fervent Love to Saints and Sinners kindled by a burning Zeal for the Interest of a Saviour and a plain Elegancy of Stile adapted to the meanest Capacity yet far above the Contempt of the highest Pretender I can sincerely aver that it 's no part of the Design of this Epistle to conciliate a Reputation to these Writings from the acknowledged Repute of their Reverend Author Divine Truths need not those vulgar Artifices they carry their own Credentials in themselves nor yet to greaten the Author by magnifying his Works Grace kept him above those Temptations when labouring at the Footstool and Glory has advanc'd him beyond their reach now triumphing at the Throne It was then his sufficient Honour to be an Earthen Vessel filled with Heavenly Treasure that he might fill and enrich others and he is now engaged to his greater Satisfaction in blessing that ever-blessed God who served his gracious Counsels of him in the honourable though despised Work of the Ministry That which I have in my Eye is to lead thee into the Admiration of our Lord Iesus Christ who when he ascended up on high gave Gifts unto Men for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry To all he has given some to none has he given all but wisely divided to every Man severally as he will 1 Cor. 12.11 Where he has given least they have a Competency where he has bestowed most there is no Redundancy none shall have cause to boast of his Ten Talents none reason to murmur that he has but One but that which we must ever adore and admire is that where he has bestowed most liberally Ministerial Abilities he has also bequeathed sanctifying Grace to keep them humble to secure them against Pride and preserve them in a meek Dependance upon himself That he should give them a due Proportion of Ballast to keep them steady lest they should overset with bearing too great a Sail That he should make and keep them lowly in their own Eyes who are precious in the Eyes of others and gracious in his And still further to admire his Power that has wrought such glorious things by weak Instruments saved them that believe by what the World accounts the Foolishness of Preaching dismantled the strong-holds of Sin and Satan by the gentle breathing of the Word and Spirit subdued proud broken and softned hard Hearts not by Might not by Power not by the Secular Sword but by the soft Whispers of Grace by melting bleeding tender Affections I have yet a further Reach in this Address both upon Preachers and their Hearers 1. To the former I would humbly offer that they would so Preach so Pray so Labour as they that are convinced they are all this while a dying that are passing every Moment from the Improving of to the Accounting for their Talents Dying Ministers preach living Sermons It deserves our Observation that God who honoured his Servant Ezekiel with abundance of glorious Revelations and Visions enough to have swell'd a Bubble till it broke to have lifted up a poor Worm above its measure should yet always use to him that abasing Term Son of Man warning him and in him all his faithful Ministers to fulfil their Ministry to work while it 's called To Day that whatever their Hand findeth to do they should do it with all their Might because there 's no Work nor Device nor Knowledg nor Wisdom in the Grave whither they are going Eccles. 9.10 How joyfully will a Minister receive the Summons to his Audit when a good Conscience shall afford him this Testimony I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith 2 Tim. 4.7 How edifying would their Preaching be could they carry these Thoughts with them into the Pulpit The Eye that now sees me shall see me no more The Ear that now hears me shall in a little while hear me no more There must be a last Time that I must speak in Christ's Name to this People and this may be that last Time O with what fervent Prayer with what Earnestness of Affection with what yearning Bowels to perishing Sinners with what Zeal for their Conversion would they engage in their Master's Service were their Souls impregnated with lively quick Apprehensions that the Graves are ready to receive them 2. Nor would it less affect the Hearers and awake their Conscience to improve the Labours of their Ministers could they maintain upon their Hearts a vigorous Sense that they are dying apace from their faithful Ministers and they from them to Repent Pray Believe work out their Salvation make their Calling and Election sure at another rate of Diligence than what is usually found amongst them Reader I will engross thee no longer to my self Be no more my Reader but the Author's there thou wilt find much better Entertainment And yet because I would not lose thy good Company First It must be a ravishing Sight to behold Divine Grace in all its Dimensions Grace working in the Heart of God towards lost Man and Grace working in the Heart of renewed Man towards God Let us therefore fix our Meditations upon Titus II. 11 12 13 14. where we shall meet with 1. The whole Duty of Man viz. The Grace of God teaching us that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World A Word sutable seasonable to our present Day wherein the Vigor of Religion runs out into Leaves when empty Notions too high for this World and too low for the next have eaten out the Life and Power of Practical Godliness when we dispute and quarrel our selves out of our Charity each to other and our Obediential Love to our God when the Name of Grace is abused to Gracelesness and Professors can believe any thing and practise nothing But Grace would teach us other Lessons as first to live soberly and temperately to our selves not pâ—rverting the Ends of Divine Bounty and Indulgence to make provision for the Flesh to be Food for devouring Lusts Fewel for the Fire of raging Corruptions but moderately to serve our Bodies that they may serve our Souls and both serve our God Secondly
be had at Mr. Nathaniel Manton's at the 3 Pigeons in the Poultrey A TABLE of the Texts treated on in this Fourth Volume Part I. TITUS 2.11 For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men Ver. 12. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Ver. 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ Ver. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works In 22 Sermons pag. 1. Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us In 5 Sermons p. 195 John 14.1 Let not your Heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me In 2 Sermons p. 235 Luke 12.48 For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom Men have committed much of him they will ask the more In 2 Sermons p. 249 Deut. 32.51 Because ye trespassed against me among the Children of Israel at the Waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the Children of Israel In 1 Sermon p. 267 Acts 17.30 And the times of this Ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all Men every where to repent Ver. 31. Because he hath appointed a Day in the which he will judg the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given Assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the Dead In 1 Sermon p. 275 Mark 10.17 And when he was gone forth into the way there came one running and kneeled to him and asked him Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal Life Ver. 18. And Iesus said unto him Why callest thou me Good there is none Good but one that is God Ver. 19. Thou knowest the Commandments Do not commit Adultery Do not kill Do not steal Do not bear false Witness Defraud not Honour thy Father and Mother Ver. 20. And he answered and said unto him Master all these have I observed from my Youth Ver. 21. Then Iesus beholding him loved him and said unto him One thing thou lackest go thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the Poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven and come take up the Cross and follow me Ver. 22. And he was sad at the Saying and went away grieved for he had great Possessions Ver. 23. And Iesus looked round about and saith unto his Disciples How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God Ver. 24. And the Disciples were astonished at his Words but Iesus answereth again and saith unto them Children how hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God Ver. 25. It is easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle than for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God Ver. 26. And they were astonished out of Measure saying among themselves Who then can be saved Ver. 27. And Iesus looking upon them saith With Men it is impossible but not with God for with God all things are possible In 15 Sermons p. 284 2 Thess. 1.3 We are bound to thank God always for you Brethren as it is meet because that your Faith groweth exceedingly and the Charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth In 5 Sermons p. 420 Matth. 8.5 And when Iesus was entred into Capernaum there came unto him a Centurion beseeching him Ver. 6. And saying unto him Lord my Servant lieth at home sick of the Pâ—lsie grievously tormented Ver. 7. And Iesus saith unto him I will come and heal him Ver. 8. The Centurion answered and said Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my Roof but speak the Word only and my Servant shall be healed Ver. 9. For I am a Man under Authority having Souldiers under me and I say unto this Man Go and be goeth and to another Come and he cometh and to my Servant Do this and he doth it Ver. 10. When Iesus heard it he marvelled and said to them that followed Verily I say unto you I have not found so great Faith no not in Israel In 1 Sermon p. 459 Matth. 15.21 Then Iesus went thence and departed into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon Ver. 22. And behold a Woman of Canaan came out of the same Coasts and cried unto him saying Have Mercy on me O Lord thou Son of David my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil Ver. 23. But he answered her not a Word and his Disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for she crieth after us Ver. 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Ver. 25. Then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me Ver. 26. But he answered and said It is not meet to take the Childrens Bread and to cast it to Dogs Ver. 27. And she said Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs which fall from their Master's Table Ver. 28. Then Iesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt and her Daughter was made whole from that very Hour In 1 Sermon p. 466 John 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my Day and he saw it and was glad In 1 Sermon p. 474 Rom. 4.18 Who against Hope believed in Hope that he might become the Father of many Nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy Seed be Ver. 19. And being not weak in Faith he considered not his own Body now dead when he was about an hundred Years old neither yet the Deadness of Sarah's Womb. Ver. 20. He staggered not at the Promise of God through Vnbelief but was strong in Faith giving Glory to God Ver. 21. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform In 1 Sermon p. 482 Mark 3.5 And Iesus looked round about on them with Anger being grieved for the Hardness of their Hearts In 3 Sermons p. 497 Exod. 4.21 I will harden his Heart that he shall not let my People go In 2 Sermons p. 519 Gen. 3.15 It i. e. the Seed of the Woman shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel In 2 Sermons p. 533 Gen. 24.63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the Field at the Even-tide In 10 Sermons p. 601 Part II. LUKE 16.30 And he said Nay Father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent Ver. 31. And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead In 2 Sermons p. 671 Heb. 13.20 Now the
85. l. 42. r. It is apt l. 52. r. Injustice P. 86. l. 6. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 90. l. 37. f. Darts r. Doubt P. 91. l. 6. r. affective P. 101. l. 25. f. boiled r. bogled P. 106. l. 47. r. Istmick P. 114. l. 39. for noting r. resting P. 117. l. 21. r. Distraction P. 121. l. 29. f. clearing r. cleaving P. 122. l. 27. r. We shall not come P. 128. l. 41. r. It was said P. 133. l. 2. r. we may expect P. 143. l. 54. r. the Sentence is accomplished and dele to it P. 147. l. 28. f. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 151. l. 19. dele And. P. 179. l. 8. f. River r. Laver l. 55. f. from r. Form of P. 182. l. 52. f. wherefore r. whether P. 186. l. 56. f. some think r. something P. 200. l. 39 f. or r. of God P. 204. l. 39. f. desire r. deceive l. 58. f. assuming r. assuring P. 205. l. 18. f. Now r. You. P. 208. l. 27. r. I am not P. 212. l. 40 41. r. ravishing P. 213. l. 6. f. Counsels r. Comforts P. 219. l. 13. f. too r. so f. fain r. faint P. 222. l. 14. f. 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How l. 53. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 371. l. 23. r. Isâ—e P. 382. l. 22. f. or r. and. P. 384. l. 17. dele in P. 393. l. 115. f. When r. Whom P. 400. l. 40. r. otium P. 406. l. 8. f. Will r. World will P. 408. l. 56. r. Give God all the Glory P. 429. l. 32. f. Wages r. Ways P. 431. l. 13. r. potiori P. 438 l. 21. r. by this Eye l. 56. f. Relief r. relish P. 445. l. 44. r. promittendo P. 447. l. 48. r. that is out of an holy dele it begets P. 449. l. 51. f. they r. she P. 453. l. 36. r. Head and Root P. 454. l. 24. r. and they have l. 54. r. torque P. 456. l. 41. r. and we are P. 460. l. 37. f. distinguere r. distingue P. 461. l. 53. f. a r. in time P. 476. l. 55. f. Sight r. Light P. 479. l. 11. f. State r. Stale P. 480. l. 59. f. Love r. Ioy. P. 502. l. 25. f. Favour r. Savour P. 504. l. 17. for by r. bay P. 508. l. 54. for yet r. not P. 511. l. 37 38. for discerning r. deserving P. 518. l. 10. f. with r. without P. 541. l. 1. add II. Sermon P. 601. l. 5. add Verse 63. P. 606. l. 52. f. needful r. useful P. 611. l. 16. f. impute r. impure P. 617. l. 16. dele but. P. 620. l. 44. f. sleeting r. fleeting P. 622. l. 7. dele the before Flame l. 22. f. Iustification r. Institution P. 623. l. 13. f. as when r. thô P. 626. l. 24. add 3 P. 628. l. 47 48. f. Ascent r. Access P. 631. l. 51. r. in an orderly and apt P. 633. l. 3. f. end r. sad P. 634. l. 11. dele second P. 637. l. 44. f. Wife r. Dore l. 56. f. more r. move P. 639. l. 50. f. ravish r. lavish P. 646. l. 43. f. divert r. direct P. 649. l. 8. dele out P. 652. l. 29. dele of P. 657. l. 12. r. after l. 44. f. by learning r. by observing P. 658. l. 25. dele Man and after recover add fallen Man P. 660. l. 32. f. to be r. to us are P. 661. l. 40. f. 1 r. 3 P. 663. l. 7. dele 1 P. 664. l. 51. f. enduceth r. educeth l. 53. f. pleaseth r. pleadeth P. 665. l. 11. r. able to create l. 49. f. Gods r. God P. 666. l. 34. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 669. l. 11. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 670. l. 18. f. cry r. say There are other literal Mistakes and false Pointings which an observing Reader may easily correct SEVERAL SERMONS UPON TITVS II. 11 12 13 14. SERMON I. TITUS II. 11 12 13 14. For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men Teaching us that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works IN the immediate Context the Apostle had given Direction to Servants to walk amiably and faithfully in their Relations and the Argument which he urgeth to perswade them is that by this means they would adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things ver 10. that is represent it with Advantage and render it acceptable to the Respects of others Duties of Relations are of so much Use to the Quiet and Welfare of humane Society that when they are faithfully performed they do much commend any Way or Doctrine and induce others to speak well of it and therefore saith he be faithful in your Relations that you may make the Doctrine of God comely and adorn the Gospel Now this adorning the Gospel it is not only an Act of Policy but Duty it is but a doing right to the Gospel and giving it its proper Lustre why because the same Gospel which calls for Duty to God as to his Worship doth also inforce the Duties of our Relations A Man may put a Varnish upon an evil way by a plausible Carriage and though his Principle have no Tendency to such a Practice he may do it because it is comely in the World But it is otherwise here The Gospel that hath appeared to all sorts of Men presseth all sorts of Duties Yea and which is more it giveth Grace to perform them for the Apostle doth not only argue here but direct he doth
not only shew them what they must do but how they may come to do their Duty in this kind for saith he The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation c. In the Words you may observe the Teacher the Lesson the Encouragement and Inducements to learn First The Teacher is the Grace of God described ver 11. Secondly The Lesson is the whole Duty of our Heavenly Calling set forth ver 12. and there 1 st Negatively in departing from Evil denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts. 2 dly Positively in cleaving to that which is good We should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Where you may observe that the Duty of the Creature is distributed into three Ranks and Parts according to the several Objects to which it is refâ—â—red soberly we must walk as to our selves righteously as to our Neighbour and godly that the Lord himself may not be defrauded of his Portion There are in a moral Consideration but three things in the World thy Self thy Neighbour and God and suitably doth the Apostle distribute and parcel out Christian Offices and Duties soberly as to our selves righteously as to our Neighbour and godly as to God Thirdly The Encouragements to learn and they are two If we look forward there is Hope if we look backward there is Gratitude or an Obligation arising from the Death of Christ. In short the two great Motives and Inducements are the Hope of eternal Life and the End of Christ's Death Hope of eternal Life ver 13. Looking for the blessed Hope c. the End of Christ's Death ver 14. who gave himself for us c. The Text being long I shall forbear Exposition till I come to handle the several Branches I shall first begin with the Teacher described ver 11. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men. The Grace of God is described by its Property it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Grace bringing Salvation or tending to Salvation as the Word signifies and by a special Adjunct its present Manifestation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath appeared suddainly broken out like the Light of the Morning after a dark Night and then there is the Extent of that Manifestation it hath appeared to all Men. Some indeed refer this Extent not to the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath appeared but to the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringing Salvation and they read it as we do in the Margent The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all Men hath appeared there is not much Difference To supersede all Doubt and Dispute about the matter all Men here signifies all sorts of Men for the Apostle had spoken of Servants and Bond-men that they in their Relations should glorify God and he proves it by this Argument The Grace of God hath appeared to all Men that is to the Bond-man as well as to the Lord and Master therefore they in their places are to discharge their Duties as well as others for the Gospel as I said hath appeared to all Men and presseth all sorts of Duties I. I begin with the thing described The Grace of God It is a term that admits of divers Acceptations sometimes it is put for God's eternal Favour and Good-Will sometimes for the Effects of this Favour as Grace infused and bestowed upon the Creature Ephes. 4.7 To every one of us is given Grace according to the Measure of the Gift of Christ. Sometimes it is put for the Gospel which is the Charter by which we hold this Grace and so it is said Rom. 6.15 You are not under the Law but under Grace i. e. under the State of the Gospel Here I take it in the first sense viz. for the gracious Will and good Pleasure of God to do Good to Men or to shew Mercy to the Creature for God's Kindness and Bounty to Men is expressed by several terms the most usual are two Grace and Mercy I will shew how they agree and how they differ They both agree in this that they are Attributes which merely respect the Creature The Love and Knowledg of God first falleth upon himself God knows himself and loves himself and then the Creature But now the Mercy and Grace of God are merely transient and pass out to and respect the Creature only God cannot be gracious to himself and merciful to himself as he loves himself and knows himself and therefore herein they agree But now in some respects they differ Grace properly signifies the Freeness of God's Love Mercy relates to the Misery of the Creature God's external Motive is our Misery and his internal Motive is his own Grace Mercy respects us as we are in our selves worthy of Condemnation Grace respects us as we are compared with others that are not elected As for Instance if the Question be Why any are chosen to Life it is out of Mercy because they are lost and undone Creatures But then if the Question be Why these are chosen above others then the ultimate Reason is God's Grace Once more the Angels that never sinned are saved meerly out of Grace and not out of Mercy it is not proper to say they are saved out of Mercy for they were never miserable but Men that were once miserable are saved not only out of Grace but also out of Mercy In short Mercy signifies that Love of God which helps the Miserable and Grace signifies a Property in God to give forth things freely and without desert Grace doth all gratis freely and without any Merit or Precedent Obligation or Debt Note then Doct. 1. That the original and first moving Cause of all the Blessings we have from God is Grace Survey all the Blessings of the Covenant and from first to last you will see Grace doth all Election Vocation Justification Sanctification Glorification all is from Grace There 's a clue of Scriptures which will lead us through all these steps and direct us to Grace 1. For Election Rom. 11.5 6. There is a Remnant according to the Election of Grace And then he adds presently for Paul cannot mention Grace but he must run out into the Praise or Vindication of it And if by Grace then it is no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace But if it be of Works then it is more Grace otherwise Work is no more Work Mark the Context The Apostle's drift in that place is to prove that all Israel are not cast away that thô the Nation of Israel were past by yet there were a Remnant chosen according to the Election of Grace Grace is spoken of by the by but he takes every little Occasion to digress into the Commendation of Grace and what doth he say The Foundation and Ground of Salvation is God's Election and the impulsive Cause of Election is God's Grace Why is there a Remnant there 's an Election and why is there Election it is according to Grace 2. Our Calling when Election breaketh out in time and becometh
God which is by Faith of Iesus Christ is unto all and upon all that believe for there is no difference they all take hold of the same Righteousness Look as a Jewel held by a Man and by a Child tho the Man holds it more strongly than the Child yet it is the same Jewel and of the same Worth and Value So the Righteousness of Christ is of the same Worth before God the stronger Believer holds it faster than the weaker Believer but tho he cannot be so high in Faith as Abraham and as other Worthies of God yet he hath his hold-fast upon God Differences of Nations and outward Condition do neither help nor hinder Salvation and different degrees of Grace tho they occasion some accidental difference in the spiritual Life as some have more Comfort than others yet as to the main all that accept have a like Priviledg The Reasons of it are partly because the same Grace is the cause of all Free Grace acts for the good of all upon the same terms Isa. 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy Trangressions for my own sake and will not remember thy Sins God doth not take notice of Differences in them whom he forgives God may pardon the Sin of Andrew and Thomas as well as of Abraham and Paul Grace's Motives lie within it self And partly because they have the same Redeemer Jesus Christ theirs and ours Under the Law you shall find the Rich and Poor were to give the same Ransom The Rich shall not give more and the Poor shall not give less than half a Shekel Exod. 30.15 to signify the Price of Christ's Blood for all Souls is equal they have not a nobler Redeemer nor a more worthy Christ than thou hast And partly because your Faith is as acceptable to God as theirs 2 Pet. 1.1 To them who have obtained like precious Faith with us that is for kind tho not for degree It is of the same Nature Worth and Property with the Faith of the Apostle's tho every one cannot believe as strongly as Peter nor come up to his height Vse 1. If the Grace of God hath appeared to all Men then let us put in for a share Why should we stand out Are we excepted and left out of the Proclamation of Pardon and free Grace If Persons be excepted by Name when a Pardon is offered to Rebels they stand off and will not come within the Verge of such Power but if it be offered to all why should we stand out we must not add nor detract If God hath said Christ died for Sinners believe him upon his Word and say I am Chief do not say I am a Reprobate God hath no Favour for me Will you leave that Word and hazard your Salvation for a groundless Jealousy and Scruple Therefore confute your Fears and put all out of question by a thorow believing Vse 2. For Comfort to weak Believers Tho your Faith cannot keep time and pace with Abraham's nor your Obedience with the Worthies of God yet you are Followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Heb. 6.12 A little Faith is Faith as a Drop is Water and a Spark is Fire it is free to all that have or will accept say then as he Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help thou mine Vnbelief The least dram of Gospel-Faith gives a Title and Interest Indeed you must strive to make it more evident you cannot have Comfort till then and consider Endeavours of Growth do better than idle Complaints therefore follow on still with hope SERMON III. TITUS II. 12 Teaching us that denying Vngodliness c. II. THE next thing to be considered is the Lesson that Grace teacheth us Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World But before I enter upon the Discussion of the particular Branches I shall observe some things in the General Observ. 1. Grace teacheth us Holiness It teacheth by way of Direction by way Argument and by way of Encouragement 1. It teacheth by way of Direction what Duties we ought to perform and so it maketh use of the Moral Law as a Rule of Life The Law is still our Direction otherwise what we do cannot be an Act of Obedience Certainly the Direction of the Law is still in force for where there is no Law there is no Transgression and Duty without a Rule is but Will-worship If the Law were blotted out the Image of God would be blotted out for the external Law is nothing but the Copy of God's Image that Holiness and Righteousness which is impressed on the Heart Now Grace doth not blot out the Image of God but perfects it In the new Covenant God promiseth to make the Law more legible Heb. 8.10 This is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their Mind and write them in their Hearts Well then we are not freed from the Authority and directive Power of the Law Grace adopts it doth not abolish the Law the Commands of the Law sway the Conscience and Love inclineth the Heart and so it becometh an Act of pure Obedience Obedience respects the Command as Love doth the Kindness and Merit of the Lawgiver 2. It teacheth by way of Argument it argueth and reasoneth from the Love of God Gal. 2.20 The Life that I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me There is Grace's Argument Christ loved me we should not then be so unkind as to deny God his Honour or Worship or cherish his Enemies 2 Cor. 5.14 For the Love of Christ constraineth us What will you do for God that loved you in Christ The Gospel contains melting Commands and commanding Intreaties The Law and the Prophets do not beseech but only command and threaten but the Grace of God useth a different method in the New Testament 3. It teacheth by way of Encouragement as manifesting both Help and Reward The Gospel doth not only teach us what we ought to perform but whence we may draw Strength and how kindly God will accept us in Christ. The Law is a School-master and the Gospel is a School-master but in the Discipline and manner of teaching there is a great deal of difference the Law can only teach and command but the Gospel is a gentle School-master it pointeth to Christ for Help Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me and to God for Reward and Acceptance Heb. 11.16 He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him I do but mention these things because I shall handle the Encouragements hereafter Vse 1. Of Information It sheweth us 1. What is true Holiness such as cometh from the Teachings of Grace obliging Conscience to the Duty of the Law
hath spent his Time well but the Apostle commands Eph. 5.15 16. See that ye walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise redeeming the Time because the days are evil Those other are the worst Fools who make no Provision for the future they part with Jewels for Trifles SERMON XII TITUS II. 13 Looking for that blessed Hope c. I Observed 1. The Teacher The Grace of God 2. The Lesson the whole Duty of our Heavenly Calling To deny Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly c. 3. I come to the third general Branch The Encouragements to Learning here are two Eternal Life and Christ's Death There are two great Principles of Obedience Gratitude and Hope Gratitude or Thankfulness because of the Obligation that is left upon us from Christ's Death and then Hope because of the glorious Reward that is set before us So that whether we look backward or forward we meet with Obligations to Obedience Backward there is an excellent Merit ver 14. Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity c. Forward there is a glorious Hope Looking for that blessed Hope c. There is nothing lost by God's Service the Lord might deal with us out of Soveraignty and rule us with a Rod of Iron but he is pleased to draw us with the Cords of a Man and with Bands of Love Hos. 11.3 to indent with us and propound Rewards as if we were altogether free before the Contract Men do not use to covenant with their Slaves we are bound to serve him whether there had been any Reward or no but the Lord will not leave us without an Encouragement We are apt to have hard Thoughts of God and to think him harsh and austere requiring Work but not giving Wages But consider we have the highest Motives as well as the noblest Work we are not only to live soberly righteously and godly in the present World but to look to the blessed Hope Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel There is no such Encouragement to vertuous living any where as in the Gospel Lactantius saith of the Heathens Virtutis vim non sentiunt cujus premium ignorant They do not feel the force and transforming Power of Vertue because they are ignorant of the Reward of Vertue The Heathens had no such Encouragement as Immortality and Eternal Life and the happy Enjoyment of God and Christ for evermore But to handle the words a little more distinctly We have here 1. the Reward it self called a blessed Hope Then 2. the time when it shall be accomplished to the full at the coming of the Lord. Both these things you must look for Christians as often as you think of Eternal Life you must also think of Christ's Appearing Before we enter into Glory we must first give an Account Carnal Men fancy a Heaven without a Day of Judgment they would be saved but they would not be called to an audit and reckoning with God Many can brook sitting upon the Throne with Christ but not coming before his Tribunal but they that would live holily must look for both the blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of Christ. Many Points may be observed out of this Verse Doct. I. That looking for the blessed Hope conduceth much to the Advancement of the Spiritual Life I. What this Looking is II. What Influence and Power it hath to work us to the Spiritual Life I. What this Looking is It implies Patience but chiefly Hope 1. Patience in waiting God's Leisure Patience is a Grace very needful in our Pilgrimage where we are exercised with so many Difficulties Heb. 10.36 For ye have need of Patience that after ye have done the Will of God ye might receive the Promise you do not only need Holiness but Patience It is long before we can bring our Hearts to do the Will of God but after that is done you have need of Patience that you may wait God's Leisure for your Reward For the Reward is not given till there be time for Labour and Exercise and Troubles coming on make time seem very long Whatever Grace we may spare we cannot spare Patience if we would persist in well-doing for we are to wait for the blessed Hope The good Ground bringeth forth Fruit with Patience Luke 8.15 Look as the Ground endures the Plough the Harrow the Cold the Frost that in due time the Seed may spring up so we have need of Patience that we may wait upon God for the blessed Hope And as Patience is very needful in the present Life so it is inseparable from Hope 1 Thess. 1.3 it is called the Patience of Hope To every Grace he gives a proper Action there is the Work of Faith the Labour of Love and the Patience of Hope Faith propounds Work Love makes us to labour and sweat at it and Hope makes us wait with Patience for our Reward and Recompence Rom. 8.25 But if we hope for that we see not then do we with Patience wait for it What we hope for we wait with Patience for between Hope and Having there is an intervening time to exercise Patience There is want of the thing desired and Delays are troublesome Now to keep looking is a Work of Patience 2. It chiefly implies Hope This looking for is the formal Act of Hope an actual Expectation of Blessedness to come Now because there 's a bastard and blind Hope and there is a regular and good Hope 2 Thess. 2.16 Who hath given us everlasting Consolation and good Hope through Grace therefore let me tell you First What this Expectation is not Secondly What it is First Negatively what it is not 1. It is not a blind Hope such a Hope as is found in Men ignorant and presumptuous that regard not what they do Presumption is a Child of Darkness as Hope is a Child of Light Presumption is the Fruit of Ignorance and Inconsideration When Men are once serious they find it the hardest matter in the World to hope for guilty Nature in it self is more presagious of Evil more inclinable to Fear and Sorrow than to Joy and Hope But yet a blind Confidence is very common because Men do not consider what they do but hand over head make a full account that they shall go to Heaven without Warrant and without Evidence And therefore you shall find it is one of the first things God works by the Word to break down our former carnal Hopes and make Men see they are out of the way lost and undone Creatures Paul in his presumptuous State thought he had as much to shew for Heaven as any Man in the World Rom. 7.9 I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came Sin revived and I died The Commandment coming in full Conviction upon his Heart he began to be serious and then he found himself lost and obnoxious to God's Judgment The Excellency of Hope doth not lie in the Strength
than in the time that their Corn and their Wine encreased And Cant. 1.4 We will be glad and rejoice in thee we will remember thy Loves more than VVine The choicest Contentments of the Flesh are nothing so satisfying as the Joy of his Salvation This Joy is called unspeakable and glorious as being better felt than uttered 1 Pet. 1.8 The strength of it is seen when other Comforts fail How precious are thy Thoughts unto me O God! Psal. 139.17 How great is the summ of them Sixthly The sixth Property of Faith is Victory over the World 1 Ioh. 5.4 5. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the VVorld and this is the Victory that overcometh the VVorld even our Faith who is he that overcometh the VVorld but he that believeth that Iesus is the Son of God I shall dispatch this briefly and shall shew you 1. What is the World that is to be overcome All worldly things whatsoever so far as they lessen our Esteem of Christ and Heavenly things or as they hinder us in our Duty to God In short the Delights and Terrors of this World for we must be Armed on both sides with the Armour of Righteousness both on the right hand and the left 2 Cor. 6.7 The Fears of this World are apt to stagger us so do Snares pervert and inveigle us Moses had Temptations of all kinds right-hand Temptations from Riches Honours Pleasures Heb. 11.24 25 26. By Faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt Left-hand Temptations Ver. 27. By Faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible The Armour of the right hand is called Temperance of the left hand Patience 2 Pet. 1.6 To Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience In the Parable of the Sower sowing his seed we read that which fell on the Stony ground withered in Persecution Luk. 8.13 They on the rock are they which when they hear receive the Word with joy and these have no root which for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away That which was sown in the Thorny-ground was choaked with the Cares Riches and Pleasures of the World Verse 14. And they which fell among Thorns are they which when they have heard go forth and are choaked with Cares and Riches and Pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfection If the Terrors of Sense assault our Constancy we must set Loss against Loss Pain against Pain Fear against Fear Matth. 10.28 Fear not him that can kill the Body and do no more but fear him that can cast both Body and Soul into Hell If they threaten a Prison remember God threatens Hell If they threaten Fire God threatens everlasting Fire If they threaten loss of Estate loss of Heaven is much worse If the Delights of Sense are likely to Corrupt us to pervert or divert our Minds from better things we must look to it and remember what better things are reserved for us Persecution is opposite to Prosession without but this obstructs the very Vigour Life and Power of Godliness within Ioh. 2.15 If any Man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him And then for Pleasures 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of Pleasures more than lovers of God Heb. 12.16 Or prophane Person as Esau who for one Morsel of Meat sold his Birth-right Honours are baneful to our Faith Ioh. 5.44 How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God only They eat out the Heart of it These are our daily Temptations 2. The Necessity of Overcoming the World 1. 'T is by the World that our spiritual Enemies have advantage against us The Devil seeketh to tempt or fright the fleshly Nature in us either by the Terrors or Allurements of Sense therefore Conquer the World and the Tempter is disarm'd he blindeth us as the god of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the god of this World hath blinded the minds of them which believe not least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them He Vexeth as the Prince of this World and having a strong Party in the World he findeth it no great matter to entice a sensual Worldly Mind to almost any thing that is evil The Baits and Provisions of the Flesh are in the World 1 Ioh. 2.16 For all that is in the World the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World The World fits us with a Bait agreeable to every Appetite or a Dyet that suiteth with every Distemper of our Souls A proud Mind must be Honour'd and Humoured and will go nothing lower than high Place and Pomp of living a Sensual Mind must have its Pleasures and the Covetuous the Increase of Wealth and Religion is either cast off or neglected and made an Underling 2. The World is the great Lett and Impediment to our Obedience In the first Epistle of Iohn ch 5. in the Context to the Words that I am now explaining Verse the 2 d and 3 d. it is said By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and keep his Commandements for this is the love of God that we keep his Commandements and his Commandements are not grievous Then it followeth Verse 4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the VVorld c. So Titus 2.11 12. For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present VVorld The one must be done that the other may be done We shall soon be tempted to make a Breach upon Righteousness Sobriety or Godliness if we do not labour to overcome the World So Psal. 119.36 Incline my Heart unto thy Testimonies and not to Covetousness 3. This Victory over the World distinguisheth the Spiritual from the Animal Life The World of Mankind is distinguished into two sorts some that live the Animal Life and some that live the Spiritual Life They that live the Animal Life are such as only behave themselves meerly as living Creatures or as a wiser sort of Beasts and the Comfort of their Life is only kept up by the good things of this World Land Heritages Honours Pleasures Riches and so Reason is subjected to Sense all their Contrivance is for the Flesh But the Spiritual and Divine Life is supported by the Comforts of the Spirit and the Foresight of Eternal Joyes in the World to come and so Reason is raised and sublimated by Faith These two Lives are distinguished Ioh. 3.6 That which is born of
to see his Love in the Losses you have sustain'd and the Blessings you enjoy But were it worse with you as to outward Comforts yet the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his And certainly there is more in God and a Covenant-Relation to him to support your Joy than there can be in any outward Affliction to cause Grief and Sorrow of Heart And a due sense of God's afflicting Hand is not inconsistent with a holy rejoicing in him Now that God would fill you more and more with the Joys and Comforts of his Holy Spirit and multiply his Blessings upon your self and those that have descended from you is the Prayer of Honoured Madam Your Ladiship 's most obliged and most humble Servant WILLIAM TAYLOR February 9. 1692 3. SERMONS Preached upon Several Occasions SERMON I. LUKE xvi 30 31. And he said Nay father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead IT hath been a Question whether this is a Parable or an History A Parable surely for otherwise many incongruities would be asserted For it supposeth Body and Soul already in Hell ver 23. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment And it would suppose Charity and care of Conversion of others in Hell therefore it is not an History The scope of this Parable is to teach us three Lessons 1. To shew that the Godly-Poor are Blessed and the Unmerciful-Rich are in Everlasting Torments Desideravit guttam qui non dedit micam he desired a drop of Water that would not give a bit of Bread 2. The irreversible Estate of the Damned verse 26. Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence 3. That the Direction of the Holy Scriptures are the only Means to escape these Torments This latter is represented in a Dialogue between Dives and Abraham Dives would have one sent from the Dead to his Fathers House Supposing that would work on them to repent Christ's Parables do impersonate our Thoughts we alwaies dislike the present dispensation which God useth to reclaim us and would have extraordinary Means and then we presume we should believe and repent these are our thoughts But Abraham thinketh otherwise or rather Christ who is the Author of the Parable If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead By Moses and the Prophets are meant the whole Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New these are mentioned because these only were then written and received by the Iews and these include the rest the same Truth being carryed on in all the Books though more explicit in the latter Doct. That the word of God is a more conducible means to perswade us to Repentance than if one should come from the dead There are two wayes of Proof of this Doctrine And therefore let us see what may be said for and against one coming from the dead First If one coming from the dead be presumed to be a more Effectual Means to bring Men to Repentance and Conversion to God it must be either because he can bring a more necessary Doctrine or could urge better Arguments and more perswasively or propound these Truths with more certainty or could by his own strength convey a Power with his Words or rationally expect a greater concomitancy and co-operation of Grace than is ordinarily dispensed by the Word One or other of these things it must be or else the conceit is vain and frivolous But now proceeding from one consideration to another I shall shew you that the Word of God hath clearly the preheminence and is a far more accommodate instrument to work upon the hearts of Men than any extraordinary dispensation whatsoever 1. One coming from the Dead Angel or Man cannot bring a Doctrine more necessary there being in the Scriptures sufficient Direction about the way to true Happiness For which we have not only express Testimony but apparent reason and sensible experience 1. Express Testimony which should sway with Christians 2 Tim. 3.16 17. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works A Man of God or Minister of the Gospel thoroughly furnished hath from the Scriptures full out enough to guide Man to the injoyment of God nothing is wanting for Information as to Doctrine Conviction Arguments of Quickning or Exhortation for Instruction or Directions concerning the whole Duty of Man And 2. Apparent Reason if God be a sufficient Teacher of Divine things and if we suppose him willing to inform the Creatures neither of which can be denyed without blasphemy then surely supposing the Scriptures to be the Word of God as all Christians do and in this Debate it is fit we should suppose then certainly we have enough in the Scriptures and need not that the rest of the dead should be discomposed that there may be a fit Messenger found out to invite us to return to God If it need proof who can teach us the way to Blessedness more than the Blessed God Psal. 119.12 Blessed art thou O Lord Teach me thy statutes Who more willing to shew Man what is good then the good God Psalm 119.6.8 Thou art good and dost good teach me thy statutes The Blessed God needeth not to envy us the perfection of Knowledge as the Devil insinuated Gen. 3.5 God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Wherein is his Happiness lessened by our perfection And the good God who is so full of goodness and love to Mankind would give us a sufficient Direction especially since his Son appeared in Humane Nature and became his Messenger Would God reveal himself to any one from the Dead yea to an Angel more than to his own Son Oor could he see feel or hear more than God hath made known to Christ Or be presumed to have a greater Charity to Mankind than the Lord hath whose Creatures they are no No no it cannot be he hath shewed thee O man what is good Micah 6.8 Abide by that and thou hast enough But let us confirm it Compare the Provisions of the Word with your own necessities What! Would you have a Rule And see if you have it not in the Holy Scriptures Titus 2.11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world By the grace of God is meant the Gospel and what
Obedience to his Holy Will The Sap is not seen but the Apples and Fruit appear Acts 26.20 That they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance Matth. 3.8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance we can else have no comfortable evidence of it 3. It is for the honour of Christ as well as our own comfort and safety Obedience maketh Faith visible and sensible 2 Thess. 1.11 12. And fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power That the name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him An Holy Conversation bringeth Doctrines near to our Senses and thereby it is more clear and powerful to gain upon others Christ hath the Honour we the Reward Iohn 15.8 Herein is my father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit so shall ye be my disciples And Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Iesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Uniform practice is such a fruit of Grace as representeth the Doctrine of Life with advantage to the Consciences of others otherwise we shall never do any great things for Christ in the World A Second SERMON On ACTS xxiv 14 15 16. Believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets And have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man VSE I. IS disproof of the Nullifidians and Solifidians Those that cry up good Life without Faith and on the other side that cry up empty Faith without Obedience and Holiness 1. Nullifidians who are very rife among us who do as wisely as those that would plant a Tree by the Top and not by the Root so they cry up a Morality without the Faith and Hope of the Gospel and that Love to God which is ingendred by it and so out of a Fondness of Pagan strictness and Philosophick institution defie the Religion they were bred up in There can be no true Love to God or Man without the Faith of the Gospel the Apostle telleth us Rom. 7.4 That we are married to him who was raised from the dead that we may bring forth fruit to God As the Children who are born before Marriage are Illegitimate so all that Justice and Temperance and Charity which is not cherished in us by the Love of God and Faith in Christ and the Hopes of the other World is but Mock-Grace and Bastard-Holiness and is not acceptable to God I shall prove two things 1. That Morality is not kindly unless it be founded on the Gospel and never so thoroughly promoted as by the Principles laid down there Titus 2.11 12. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world The more we believe all things contained in the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles the more we are taught how to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in the present World There we have the true Principle of Obedience viz. Love to God fed and bred in us by his Love to us in Christ the true Incouragement and Motive of Obedience the Hopes of the other World the true Rule of Obedience Gods Mind revealed in his Word and perfecting the Light of Nature so far as it discovereth any thing of our Duty to God Neighbour and Self Here is better Furniture than we can have elsewhere a forcible Principle and a Glorious Hope and an exact Rule Now they that would cry up right Reason in defiance of these are not Christs Disciples but would make him theirs and teach him and his Apostles how to speak and teach the way to true Happiness and so are guilty of great unthankfulness for this Blessed Revelation which we have in the Gospel 2. That true Morality and good Conscience cannot be had without the Faith of the Gospel So that we are not only better provided but indeed cannot performe such Obedience as is acceptable to God without Faith in Christ. And therefore I shall shew you the defects that are in Mens Obedience till they believe in Christ. 1. There is a defect in their State they are not reconciled to God till they be in Christ and therefore he will not accept an Offering at their hands who neglect his Grace and will not sue out their atonement with him in that penitent and broken-hearted way which he hath appointed in the New Covenant Let them first sue out their pardon in the Name of Christ and then begin with a new Course of Obedience God is first placandus then placendus First his Wrath is to be appeased and then he will accept of our Duties and Actions First our Persons are accepted and then our Duties and Offerings Gen. 4.4 The Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering Abel being a Believer and under Grace as the Apostle explaineth it Heb. 11.4 By Faith Abel offered unto God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead yet speaketh That is he was justified and accepted with God this is such a principle of Reason that Lilius Gyraldus saith it was the Custom of the Heathens Vt prius iratos Deos placarent postea invocarent propitios First To appease their Gods and then to pray unto them Man cometh as a Sinner to God and therefore first he must deprecate his Wrath and use all Means how God may be pacified and appeased 2. There is a defect in the Actions themselves 1. In the Root there is not a clear Fountain or Principle of Grace in their Hearts and then Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Iob 14.4 A clear Stream out of a dirty Puddle How can he performe a good Action which is naturally corrupt Without the Spirit of Christ all our good Actions have a blemish The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth Eph. 5.9 It is but wild Fruit unless it be the Fruit of the Spirit and floweth from the Grace of Regeneration and that new State of Heart into which we are put by Jesus Christ Iohn 15.5 I am the vine ye are tht branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing One that is in Christ will be fruitful to God but without him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seorsim a me or apart from him there is no bringing forth Fruit to God it is not nihil magnum some great thing ye cannot work Miracles without me but nihil nothing nothing saving and acceptable to God 2. In a manner they do not obey God with that Purity that
Conversations that they might do nothing but what was agreeable to Truth Equity Sobriety exact Justice Purity Chastity and Vertue This for the first Question II. In what manner Christianity doth enforce them This is to be regarded because there is a great deal of do about Morality which some press to the neglect of Faith and the Love of God Some make their whole Religion to be a meer Morality and so turn Christianity into Morality whereas a good Christian turneth his Morality into Religion all his second Table duties into first Table duties Heb. 13.16 But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Sacrifice is a Duty of the first Table yet Alms is called a Sacrifice well-pleasing unto God But to make this more fully appear let me shew you 1. That Christianity deriveth all good Conversation from the highest Fountain the Spirit of God 2. From the truest Principles Faith in Christ and Love to God 3. It directeth it by the highest Rule the Will of God 4. And to the highest End the glorifying and injoying of God All else is but Bastard Morality Apocryphal Holiness that is not thus deduced 1. It deriveth all these things from the highest Fountain the Spirit of Sanctification by which we are fitted for all these Duties Eph. 5.9 For the Fruit of the Spirit is in all Goodness Righteousness and Truth These commendable Vertues are also in a Christian as the Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance And till we live in the Spirit we are altogether unfit to do any thing acceptably to God No Vertue is truly saving and acceptable but what floweth from the Grace of Regeneration 2. It maketh them to grow out of their proper Principles Faith in Christ and Love to God 1. Faith in Christ. The Apostle telleth us Heb. 11.6 Without Faith it is impossible to please God Not only without the general Faith of Gods Being and Bounty but also without Faith in Christ Rom. 7.4 We are married to Christ that we may bring forth Fruit unto God As the Children that are born before Marriage are Illegitimate so all that Justice Temperance and Charity which doth not fâ—ow from Faith in Christ is but mock-Mock-Grace and Bastard Holiness 2. Love to God Gal. 5.6 Faith worketh by Love and therefore maketh us tender of doing any thing that may displease or dishonour God Titus 2.11 12. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in the present World If you understand it of objective Grace then the Gospel teaching is by way of Instruction as a Man teacheth a Learner or if of subjective Grace it is by way of Persuasion and powerful Excitement or both that it may be Morality is not kindly unless founded on the Gospel and never so thoroughly promoted as by the Principles laid down there Now no wonder they that never felt the force of Faith in Christ and love to God upon their Souls do so much cry up bare Morality Well then Christ healeth our Souls by his Spirit and the Spirit worketh by Faith and Love which are the true Principles of Grace in the Heart 3. It directeth it by the highest Rule which is Gods Mind revealed in his Word the absolute rule of right and wrong Alas what partial Directions are there elsewhere but Psal. 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect Converting the Soul Others have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Work of the Law written in their Hearts Rom. 2.15 What cold enforcements Now they that cry up right Reason in deâ—â—ance of Scripture and would refer us to another rule they are not thankful for this Blessed Revelation 4 It is aimed at the highest End the glorifying of God and the enjoying of God The pleasing and glorifying of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God Phil. â— 11 Being fâ—lled with the Fruits of Righteousness which are by Iesus Christ unto the Glory and Praise of God And the enjoying of God Acts 24.14 15 16. But this I confess unto thee that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets And have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Iust and Vnjust And herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward Men. They have a care of all this Justice Charity Temperance in order to the attainment of Everlasting Happiness in the Vision and Fruition of God Others mind nothing but their Interests in the World Acts 24.26 He hoped also that Money should have been given him of Paul that he might loose him therefore he sent for him the oftner and communed with him III. For what Reasons 1. Because Grace doth not abolish so much of Nature as is good but refines and sublimates it by causing us to act from higher principles and to higher ends As the Apostle saith that Onesimus was dear to Philemon both in the Flesh and in the Lord Philem. 16. so if any thing be pure good lovely praise-worthy in the Eye of Nature Christianity doth not abolish but establish it Therefore a Christian should come behind none in these praise-worthy qualities The Law of God requireth this at our hands on better terms he that sinneth against Nature and Grace too is worse than an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 But if any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own House he hath denied the faith and is worse than an Infidel Rom. 14 17 18. For the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of Men. 2. Because these conduce to the honour of religion The credit of Religion dependeth much on the credit of the persons that profess it Ezek. 36 20 21. And when they entred unto the Heathen whither they went they prophaned my Holy Name when they said to them These are the People of the Lord and are gone forth out of his Land But I had pity for my Holy Name which the House of Israel had profaned among the Heathen 2 Sam. 12.14 Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to Blaspheme the Child also that is born unto thee shall surely die 2 Pet. 2.2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of If they should be â—alse Unjust Turbulent Unclean what will Men think of God and Christ and the Religion which he hath established Christiane ubi
Thoughts that they will find it an help to their Meditation Would God make Laws with a Sanction of Penalty and Reward and never look after them more Doth he delight in the Prosperity of his Servants or their Afflictions Would he raise Hopes and Desires which he never meant to satisfy give the Wicked Power to afflict and vex his People and never call them to an Account bid us venture our All for him and give us no Recompence If such Thoughts were more frequent with us God would bless them to the increase of Faith Love and Hope Vse 3. Is to perswade us to live in the constant Hopes of this blessed Estate in the Life to come Hope is a certain and earnest Expectation of the promised Blessedness Let me shew you 1. The Necessity of this Hope 2. The Encouragements of it 1. The Necessity of the Hope of Eternal Glory should always be cherished in us 1. Because it is a special Act of the New Nature 1 Pet. 1.3 Who hath begotten us to a lively Hope Assoon as we are Children we look for a Child's Portion The New Nature presently discovereth it self by its tendency to its End and Rest which is the Fruition of God in Heaven Indeed the Scriptures speak of a twofold Hope one that is the immediate Effect of Regeneration and flows from our acceptance of the New Covenant and dependeth upon the conditional offer of Eternal Life we take it for our Happiness resolving to seek it in God's way without this we are not new Creatures There is another Hope which is the fruit of Experience and belongeth to the seasoned and tried Christian who hath approved his own Fidelity to God and hath had much trial of God's Fidelity to him This is spoken of Rom. 5.4 Patience worketh Experience and Experience Hope This produceth not a conditional Certainty but an actual Confidence of our own Salvation The former is more necessary for we live by it but this is very comfortable 2. Because it is the great End why the Scriptures were written to beget and raise this Hope in us Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope It is the business and design of these holy Books 3. Because the keeping up of this Hope with Zeal and Industry is the distinguishing Character between the temporary and the sincere Convert The one loseth his Taste and Comfort and so casteth off the Profession of Godliness or neglecteth the powerful Practice of it the other is diligent serious patient mortified heavenly and holy because he holdeth fast the Confidence and the rejoicing of the Hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 And his End sweetens his Work for this Grace doth quicken the whole Spiritual Life Titus 2.12 13. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present VVorld Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. 4. Because we have nothing else to support us and fortify us against the Difficulties that fall out between our first Right to Eternal Life and our full Possession of it In our Journey to Heaven there are many Sufferings and Trials which must be undergone and Hope is our Strength and Support He that sets his Face Heavenward will find Difficulties that attend his Service Temptations that assault his Constancy and Troubles and Calamities to which his Religion exposeth him now it is Hope carrieth us through and therefore it is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6.19 Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the Vail And to an Helmet Eph. 6.17 And take the Helmet of Salvation Compared with 1 Thess. 5.8 And for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation As we would not go to Sea without an Anchor and to War without an Helmet so we must not think of carrying on the Spiritual Life without Hope Nothing else will compose the Mind and keep it stable in the Floods of Temptation or cause us to hold up our Heads in our daily Conflicts and Encounters Without this Anchor our Souls are in danger of spiritual Shipwrack without this Helmet our Heads are exposed to deadly Blows from Sin Satan and worldly Discouragements 5. We shall need it not only while we live but we shall have most need of it when we come to die They that are destitute of the Hope of Glory then are in a dangerous woful and most lamentable Case Job 27.8 For what is the Hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul They may be full of Presumption and blind Confidence while they live but what Hope have they when they come to die All their worldly Advantages will afford them no solid Comfort They live in a presumptuous Dream that all shall be well but then they die stupid and sensless or else despairing and their Hopes fail them when they have most need of them 2. The Encouragements of it 1. God's gracious Covenant and Promises God would not invite and raise an Hope to disappoint it for surely God will not disappoint the Creature that dependeth upon his Word and therefore we are allowed to challenge God upon his Word Psal. 119.49 Remember the VVord unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope It contains a double Argument the Promise was of God's making and the Hope of his Operation the Grant of the New Covenant and his Influence by the Spirit We have a strong Tie upon God as he giveth us the Promise which is a ground of Hope we may humbly put the Bond in Suit and when his Spirit hath caused the Hope it is not with a purpose to defeat it 2. Consider what a Foundation God hath laid for his Promises 2 Tim. 2.19 The Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us 3. Observe what God hath given you by way of Earnest Hope is not built upon Promises alone but also upon Assurances and Earnest the Promises are contained in the Word of God but the Earnest is given into our Hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given the Earnest of his Spirit in our Hearts 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God who hath also given unto us the Earnest of the Spirit Eph. 1.13 14. In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased Possession unto the praise of his Glory Tho God be Truth it self and promiseth nothing but what he meaneth to perform yet he will give Earnest of his Promises and a Pledg of his Affection
enough and to spare There is Grace enough in God If we perish it is not for want of Mercy but for want of Faith Why should we then put away this Grace that is revealed to us yea offered to us If it were to be procured by any thing in us we might despair Take heed of slighting the Grace of God it is God's Treasure so far as you lessen Grace you make God a poor God Mark that Expression Ephes. 2.4 God who is rich in Mercy God is Lord of all things but he counts nothing to be his Treasure but his Goodness and Mercy He doth not say rich in Power thô he is able to do beyond what we can ask or think nor rich in Justice thô he be Righteous in all his Ways and Just in all his Works nor doth he say rich in Creatures thô his are the Cattel of a thousand Hills but rich in Mercy Therefore take heed of straitning Mercy for so far you lessen God's Wealth and Treasure 3. Grace is wronged by intercepting the Glory of Grace It is the greatest Sacriledg that can be to rob God of his Glory especially the Glory of his Grace Above all things in the World God's Glory is the most dear to him he cannot endure to have a Partner especially is the Glory of his Grace dear to him it is the whole aim of all his Dispensations to glorify Grace Ephes. 1.6 To the praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved You rob God of his chiefest Honour when you take the Crown of Glory that is due to Grace and put it upon your own Head As for instance When you think he accepts you rather than others for some Worth or good Qualities that he seeth in you more than in others Alas in the Light of the Gospel such Thoughts are not expressed but they lurk secretly in the Heart Deut. 9.4 Speak not thou in thy Heart saying For my Righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this Land A Man's Heart is very prone to these Thoughts God seeth that I would bring him more Glory than another it is for my Righteousness Grace is wronged also when you are puffed up with any thing you have done for God as if it were done by your own Power and Strength A Christian in this Case should learn the Policy of Ioab when he was in a fair way of taking Rabbah he sent for David to take the Honour of winning it 2 Sam. 12.28 Now therefore gather the rest of the People together and encamp against the City and take it lest I take it and it be called after my Name So when we have done any thing for the Glory of God let us send for God to take the Honour Thus the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the Grace of God which was with me If there be any Excellency still throw the Crown at Grace's Feet The industrious Servant said Luke 19.16 Thy Pound hath gained ten Pounds not my Industry but thy Pound 4. Grace is wronged by turning it into Wantonness It is a heavy Charge and a black Note is set on them Iude 4. Vngodly Men turning the Grace of God into Lasciviousness When Men sin freely that God may pardon freely when they presume upon Grace as if that should bear all and use it as a Dung-Cart to carry away all their Filth or like riotous Children who have a rich Father therefore spend freely their Father's Estate shall pay for all It is a mighty wrong to Grace when we make it pliable to such a vile purpose You dishonour God and disparage Grace when you would make it to father the Bastards of your own Carnal Hearts You are vile and sinful and you are so under the Encouragements of Grace and the rather because of the abundance of Grace and like the Spider suck Poison out of the Flower and turn it into the Nourishment of your Lust or as the Salt Sea turns the sweet Rivers and Dews of Heaven and all that falls into it into Salt-Water so Carnal Hearts do assimulate all that they meet with and turn it into Fuel for their Lusts. Men would fain sin securely and cum Privilegio with Licence from Heaven and therefore they take Liberty even from the Grace of God This is a vile abuse a quite contrary way the Grace of God teacheth us to deny Vngodliness and worldly Lusts and not to be more secure and careless because they have so much Grace But they hale it and wrest it from its natural End and Purpose and sin freely because God pardons freely Grace giveth no such liberty to sin This is done grievously by the Antinomians who say Grace gives them Freedom from the Moral Law It is true Grace makes us free but to Duty not to Sin There is a sad Expression Rom. 6.20 When ye were the Servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness it is a Description of the Carnal State Duty hath no awe upon his Heart when Men think themselves free from the Law rather than Sin and when they expect Comfort thô they walk in the Way of their own Heart they have abused Grace and taken hold of the Devil's Covenant and not of God's There is never any Creature freed from the Law God never made a Creature to be absolutely sui juris at his own disposal The Angels themselves thô they have many Immunities and Priviledges above us as being exempted from Troubles Diseases and Death and from the Clog of Flesh which we carry about us yet they are not exempted from Duty or from a Law They do his Commandments and hearken to the Voice of his Word Psal. 103.20 Earthly Kings may free some of their Subjects from their Homage as Saul made a Proclamation He that doth thus and thus his Father's House shall be free in Israel 1 Sam. 17.25 But God never made any Creature to be absolutely freed from a Law But if a Man be right in Doctrine thô he hold the Obligation of the Moral Law on a Believer yet he may be an Antinomian in practice and abuse and wrong Grace as thus If a Man slacken any part of his Duty for Grace's sake or le ts loose the Reins of vile Affections with more freedom and saith God will not be so rigorous he wrongeth Grace If Men be not so watchful and so strict if Men grow more careless secure and negligent if they be not so constant in Duty if they lessen ought of their Humiliation for Sin or strictness and watchfulness in their Conversation they are as a Spider that sucks Poison out of Grace A Man hath never the more carnal Liberty for being acquainted with the Gospel This is the great thing which puts us upon Duty and Watchfulness and melts the Heart for Sin and awes it and disposeth it to Obedience 5. Grace is wronged by slighting it after a Taste as Carnal Professors do
inclining the Heart to obey out of the sense of God's Love and encouraging us by Faith drawing Strength from Christ and looking to God for our Acceptance from him Some Works of the Unregenerate are materially good but it is not the Matter maketh the Work good but the Principle The Works of unregenerate Men are done by God's Enemies out of the strength of a corrupt Will for carnal Ends without any Conscience of God's Will or Respect to his Glory But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are giftless Gifts But now these done by Persons in a gracious State are as good Fruit growing on a good Tree Grace teacheth he speaketh not of the external Direction of the Gospel but the internal working of Grace in the Heart it worketh by Faith Love and Obedience Obedience owneth the Obligation Love inclineth to discharge the Duty and Faith looketh up to God for Help and Acceptance that we may do it in Christ and for Christ's sake to God's Glory There is a free loving Subjection of the whole Man inward and outward to the whole Will of God with a Desire to please him 2. That Grace and Corruption draw several Inferences and Conclusions from the same Premisses A Bee gathereth Hony from whence a Spider sucketh Poison Corrupt Nature is out in Conclusions Prov. 26.9 As a Thorn goeth up into the Hand of a Drunkard so is a Parable in the Mouth of Fools Let us do Evil that Grace may abound says a corrupt Heart Let us deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts says a gracious Person God doth all says a corrupt Heart therefore we need but lie upon the Bed of Ease and expect his Help No says a gracious Soul Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good Pleasure The Epicure says the time is short Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die 1 Cor. 15.32 The Apostle argues otherwise 1 Cor. 7.29 Brethren I say unto you the time is short it remaineth that they that have Wives be as tho they had none c. So 2 Sam. 7.2 Then the King said unto Nathan the Prophet See now I dwell in an House of Cedar but the Ark of God dwelleth within Curtains compared with Hag. 1.2 This People say The time is not come the time that the Lord's House should be built Eli said 1 Sam. 3.18 It is of the Lord let him do what seemeth him good The King of Israel said 2 King 6.33 Behold this Evil is of the Lord why should I wait for the Lord any longer We are apt to stumble in God's plainest Ways Carnal Logick is one of our greatest Corruptions 3. That it is the greatest Wrong one can do to Grace to slacken any part of our Duty for Grace's sake Jude 4. Vngodly Men turning the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they hale it besides its purpose There is no such Teacher of Holiness as Grace it teacheth and giveth a Heart to learn They know not what Grace meaneth that grow wanton vain and sensual to make Grace Sin 's Lacky is a vile Abuse Rom. 6.15 What then shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid You are under Grace therefore yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God ver 13. As Fulvius said to his Son when he slew him I begot thee not for Cataline but for thy Country God justified us not that we might live to Satan but to himself Vse 2. Of Trial. Whether we are made Partakers of the Grace of God in the Gospel Have we these Teachings and Arguings Many can endure to hear that Grace bringeth Salvation but that it teacheth us to deny Ungodliness there they flinch Men would have us offer Salvation and preach Promises but when we press Duty they cry out this is a hard saying The Cities of Refuge under the Law were all Cities of the Levites and Schools of Instruction to note that whoever taketh Sanctuary at Grace meeteth Instruction it is no benefit to thee else In the general doth it perswade you to make a willing Resignation of your selves to God Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore Brethren by the Mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service Every time you think of Mercy do ye find some Constraint in this kind More particularly 1. Doth it press you to deny Lusts Ezra 9.13 14. Seeing thou hast given us such Deliverance as this should we again break thy Commandments Doth it recoil upon you Gen. 39.9 How can I do this great Wickedness and sin against God Is this your Kindness to your Friend 2. Doth it press you to good 1 John 5.3 This is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous When God maketh a motion by his Word or the Counsels of his Spirit Well! I cannot deny it what a small Service is this I owe to God as Iacob served seven Years for Rachel and they seemed unto him but a few days for the Love he had to her Gen. 29.20 And Shechem underwent the pain of Circumcision for Dinah's sake Obs. 2. Grace teacheth us both to depart from Evil and also to do Good Psal. 34.15 Depart from Evil and do good Isa. 1.16 17. Cease to do Evil learn to do Well We must do both because God hates Evil and delights in Good we must hate what God hates and love what God loves That is true Friendship eadem velle nolle to will and nill the same thing I durst not sin God hates it I durst not omit this Duty God loves it Again our Obedience must carry a proportion with the Divine Mercy Now God's Mercy is not only privative but positive God not only spares and delivers us from Hell but saves and brings us to Heaven The Lord God is a Sun and Shield Psal. 84.11 Not only a Shield to keep us from Danger but a Sun to afford us Comfort and Blessing Therefore it is fit our Obedience should be both privative and positive not only cease to do Evil but learn to do Well as the description of a Godly Man runs Psal. 1.1 2. Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the Counsel of the Vngodly nor standeth in the Way of Sinners nor sitteth in the Seat of the Scornful But that is not enough but his delight is in the Law of the Lord. Again we must have Communion with Christ in all his Acts in his Death and in his Resurrection and therefore we must not only mortify Sin but be quickned to Holiness of Conversation He that hath Communion with Christ in one Act hath Communion with him in all and therefore if we have been planted together in the likeness of his Death we shall be also in the
passionate still a Christian is tried by the revenge he takes upon his own Sin his master-Lust Again not only Sins which lie at a distance from our Interest but Sins that bring us most Profit and Advantage In these things God tries us it is the offering up of our Isaac our Darling In a corrupt World some things bring Credit and Profit but as for the right Hand the right Eye we must pluck out the one and cut off the other Mat. 5.29 30. If thy right Eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell And if thy right Hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell Cannot we do so much for God and for Grace's sake I might give you several Reasons one Sin is contrary to God as well as another There 's the same aversion from an eternal Good in all things though the manner of Conversion to the Creature be different Again one Sin is contrary to the Law of God as well as another there 's a contempt of the same Authority in all Sins God's Command binds and it is of force in lesser Sins as well as greater and therefore they that bear any respect to the Law of God must hate all Sin Psal. 119.113 I hate vain Thoughts but thy Law do I love God hath given a Law to the Thoughts to the sudden workings of the Spirit as well as to Actions that are more deliberate and therefore if we love the Law we should hate every lesser Contrariety to it even a vain Thought And all Sin proceedeth from the same Corruption therefore if we would subdue and mortify it we must renounce all Sin He that hateth any Sin as Sin hates all Sin for there 's the same reason to hate every Sin Hatred Philosophers say is to the whole Kind A Man that hates a Toad as a Toad hates every one of the Kind with the same kind of hatred must we hate every Sin Again one Sin let alone is very dangerous One Leak in a Ship if unstopped and neglected may endanger the Vessel One Sin let alone and allowed and indulged may quite ruin the Soul A little Leaven leaveneth the whole Lump A Man may ride right for a long time but one turn in the end of his Journey brings him quite out of the way If you do many things yet if you commit any Sin with leave and licence from Conscience you are guilty of all Sin James 1.10 Whoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one Point he is guilty of all As one condition not observed forfeits the whole Lease There is an Indenture drawn between us and God and every Article of this Covenant must be observed If we willingly give way and allowance to the least Breach we forfeit all the Grace of the Covenant Vse 1. Direction what to do in the Business of Mortification We must deny all Ungodliness not a Hoof must be left in Egypt Grace will not stand with any allowed Sin and in demolishing the old Building not one Stone must be left upon another 1. In your Purpose and Resolution you must make Satan no Allowance he standeth lurking as Pharaoh did with Moses and Aaron first he would let them go three days into the Wilderness then he permitted them to take their little Ones with them but they would not go without their Cattel their Flocks and their Herds also they would not leave any thing no not a Hoof behind them So the Devil would have a part left as a Pledg that in time the whole Man may fall to his share 2 Kings 5.18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy Servant that when my Master goeth into the House of Rimmon to worship there and he leaneth on my Hand and I bow my self in the House of Rimmon when I bow my self in the House of Rimmon the Lord pardon thy Servant in this thing We would grant Christ any thing so he would excuse us in our beloved Sins We complain of the Times and set up a Toleration in our Hearts some right Hand or right Eye that we are loth to part with something there is wherein we would be excused and expect an allowance either outward as in Fashions Customs ways of Profit and Advantage or inward some Passions and carnal Affections that we would indulge Grace will not stand with any allowed Sin Herod did many things but he kept his Herodias still He turneth from no Sin that doth not in his Purpose and Resolution turn from all Sin he doth not break off an acquaintance with Sin but rather make choice what Sin he will keep and what he will part with The Apostle speaks Col. 2.11 of putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh. We must not cut off one Member or one Joint but the whole Body totum Corpus licet non totaliter the whole Body of Sin tho we cannot wholly be rid of it Dispense not there where Christ hath not dispensed 2. We should often examine our Hearts lest there lurk some Vice whereof we think our selves free Lament 3.40 Let us search and try our Ways and turn again to the Lord. Compleat Reformation is grounded upon a serious search and trial As those that kept the Passeover were not to have a jot of Leaven in their Houses and therefore they were to search their Houses for Leaven such a narrow search should there be to discover whatever hath been amiss Commune with your selves Is there not a jot of Leaven yet left somewhat that God hateth some correspondence with God's Enemies Is there nothing left that is displeasing to God Thus should we often bring our Hearts and our Ways and the Word together 3. Desire God to shew you if there be any thing left that is grievous to his Spirit Job 34.32 That which I see not teach thou me There are many Sins I see but more that I do not see Lord shew them to me So David appealeth to God who must judg and punish Conscience Psal. 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my Heart try me and know my Thoughts and see if there be any wicked Way in me and lead me in the Way everlasting Can you thus appeal to God and say Lord I desire not to continue in any known Sin 4. When any Sins break out set upon the mortification of them Do not neglect the least Sins they are of dangerous Consequence but renew thy Peace with God judging thy self for them and mourning for them avoiding Temptations cutting off the Provision for the Flesh. 1 Cor. 9.27 But I keep under my Body and bring it into subjection The Leper was to shave off his Hair and if it grew again he was still to keep shaving
acknowledged as the chiefest Good and so if we do not often think of him and delight in Communion with him fear to offend him and care to please him all this is Ungodliness 1. If we do not often think of him if we did not want Hearts we cannot want Objects to put us in mind of God He is not far from every one of us Acts 17.27 But though God be not far from us yet we are far from God and though he be every-where where we walk lie and sit yet he is seldom found in our Hearts We are not so near to our selves as God is to us Who can keep his Breath in his Body for a minute if God were not there But though he be present with us we are not present with him There 's usually too great a distance between him and our Thoughts God is round about us in the Effects of his Power and Goodness yet afar off in regard of our Hearts and the workings of our Spirits Psal. 10.4 God is not in all his Thoughts O consider how many there are that live upon God that have daily and hourly maintenance from him yet regard him not Wicked Men abhor their own Thoughts of God and hate any savoury Speech and Mention of his Name Look as the Devils believe and tremble the more they think there is a God the more is their Horror encreased thus do carnal Hearts and therefore they do all they can to drive God out of their Mind How many Trifles do occupy our Mind we muse of nothing unless it be of Vanity it self but God can seldom find any room there we would fain banish God out our Minds When David beheld God's Works and looked upon the Creation he cried out Psal. 104. 34. My Meditation of him shall be sweet O it is the Spiritual Feast and Entertainment of a gracious Soul to think of God! We cannot put our Reason to a better use None deserves our Thoughts more than God who thought of us before the World was and still thinks of us Saith David Psal. 139.17 How precious also are thy Thoughts unto me O God! How great is the sum of them It is a great part therefore of Ungodliness and Ingratitude not to present God with so reasonable a Service as a few Thoughts not to turn the Thoughts and set the Mind a-work upon the Glory Excellency and Goodness of God that is every-where present to our Eye 2. We do not honour him as the chiefest Good if we do not delight in Communion with him Friends love to be often in one another's Company and certainly if we did value and prize God we would say It is good to draw nigh to God Psal. 73.28 We would preserve a constant Acquaintance between him and us God hath appointed two Ordinances to preserve Acquaintance between him and the Soul the Word and Prayer which are as it were a Dialogue and interchangeable Discourse between God and the Creature In the Word he speaks to us and in Prayer we speak to him He conveys his Mind to us in the Word and we ask his Grace in Prayer In Prayer we make the Request and in the Word we have God's Answer In Prayer we come to inform God with our Wants and seek for his Grace and God answers by his Word to Salvation Well then when Men neglect publick or private Prayer or fit and meet Opportunities of Hearing they are guilty of Ungodliness for so far they break off Communion with God especially if they neglect Prayer that is a Duty to be done at all times a sweet Diversion which the Soul injoys with God in private it is that which answers to the daily Sacrifice and therefore it is said Psal. 14.2 They seek not God and ver 4. They do not call upon the Lord. When Men are loth to come into God's Presence whether it be out of Love to Ease or carnal Pleasure when Men care not though God and they grow strange and seldom hear from one another this is Ungodliness Our Comfort and Peace lies in Access to God So for Family-Worship when God is neglected in the Family it is a Sign Men do not delight in God as the chiefest Good Many Families call not upon God's Name Ier. 10.25 Pour out thy Fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the Families that call not on thy Name From one End of the Week to another there is no Prayer or Worship in the Family the House that should be a Church is made a Sty yea there is not a Swine about the House but is better regarded than God Morning and Evening they shall have their Attendance but God is neglected and not worshipped 3. If we do not fear to offend God will be served with every Affection Love is of use in the spiritual Life so is Fear 2 Cor. 7.1 Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God They are both of great Use Love sweetens Duties and Fear makes us watchful against Sin Love is the doing Grace and Fear is the conserving or keeping Grace and therefore this is the Honour that God constantly expects from us that we should always walk in his Fear O think of the pure Eyes of his Glory that are upon us Eccles. 12.13 Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole Duty of Man that is the Sum of all practical Godliness The internal Root of all Duty and Worship is a holy filial Fear and reverent Awe of God when as obedient Children we dare not grieve God nor affront him to his Face as Ahasuerus said concerning Haman Esther 7.8 Will he force the Queen also before me in the House God is always a Looker on and can we grieve our good God when he directly looks upon us But now when you are secure and careless and sin freely in Thought and foully in Act and without any Remorse you deny God his Fear Fear is a Grace of continual Use we cannot be always praying or praising God or imployed in Acts of solemn Worship and special Communion with him but we must be always in the Fear of God You have not done with God when you have left your Requests with him in the Morning you must fear him all the Day long Prov. 23.17 Be thou in the Fear of the Lord all the Day long A Man hath done with his Devotion in the Morning but he hath not done with God A Man should think of him all the Day long in the Shop in the Streets especially when Corruptions arise and we are tempted to Folly and Filthiness or any unworthy Act remember God looks on Thus must we be in the Fear of God continually rise in Fear walk in Fear feed in Fear and trade in Fear it is a Grace never out of Season 4. If we do not care to please him it is Ungodliness If we make it our Work and the Drift of our Lives to find out what may
Heart sanctified 1064 Motives to get the Heart sanctified ibid. Heaven In Heaven the removal of all Evil of Sin and Affliction 116 117 And the confluence of all Good 118 The Happiness of the Body in Heaven 119 The Happiness of the Soul in Heaven 120 The Company of Heaven 122 Whether the Knowledg or Love of God in Heaven is to be preferred 120 Inferences from the Happiness of Heaven 123 His. In what sense God's People are his 1028 Holiness with respect to our Relation to God what it is 740 Positive Holiness of our Persons and Actions what 741 Gospel Holiness how prophesied of in the Old Testament 738 Why we should be more eminent in Holiness in Gospel-Times than in Times of the Law 742 Exhortation to Holiness 718 Directions to Holiness 744 Holiness of Christ as to his Person and Office 712 Honour what it is 1226 Hope Act what it implies 972 Vid. Expectation Looking The Object of it 1104 The Properties of it ibid. The Necessity of it 1222 The Encouragements of it 1223 Hope the Fruit of Regeneration and of Experience 723 Hope Object Hope set before us what it is and why so called 231 What it is to run to take hold of the Hope set before us ibid. The Hope of a Christian a blessed Hope 116 Vid. Blessedness Humane Nature of Christ. Why Christ must be Man 1084 Vid. Incarnation Christ partaking of the humane Nature a Foundation for Faith 1086 Humiliation of Christ three Steps of it 862 How far Christ was lessened or humbled 861 Christ's Humiliation was voluntary 863 Christ's Humiliation was for our sakes ibid. The Ends and Reasons of Christ's Humiliation 864 1091 I IGnorance several Distinctions about it 1147 1148 All Ignorance not sinful 857 How far it excuseth from Sin 1147 The Evil and Danger of Ignorance 33 Immortality what it is 1226 A threefold Immortality 1163 The Immortality of the Soul Vid. Soul Motives to look after immortal Blessedness 1174 Immutable Things God's Word and Oath are two immutable things 205 How we should improve these two immutable things 207 How we should meditate on these two immutable things ibid. When we should meditate on them 210 Impotency It is impossible for Man of his own Strength to get to Heaven 404 Whence this Impotency ariseth 405 The Reasons of this Impotency 407 Incouragements against our Impotency ibid. Incarnation of Christ the Reasons of it 535 Vid. Humane Nature Injuries to be done to no Man 82 Injuries of others to be born with Patience 85 Intercession of Christ what it is 1147 Inventions How Man sought out many Inventions 1154 What are these Inventions 1155 Why they are said to be many Inventions 1158 The Folly and Mischief of Man's Inventions 1154 Inward Man It is a comfortable thing when the inward Man is in good state 428 Joy in God Vid. Rejoicing Judgment-Day why called a Day 277 Why it is to be preached 1035 1036 The Judgment-Day an Argument to press Repentance 279 Why Christ as Judg of the World is called Man and the Son of Man 278 Justice to do as we would be done by how to be understood 86 Why we are to be just and righteous 87 Rules of Justice 82 Vid. Righteousness Just Man What is meant by the just Man 1053 Just Men will discourse to Edification ibid. Vid. Tongue K KIngs Believers are Kings and how 1182 Kingdom That Christ hath a spiritual Kingdom 847 The Administration of Christ's Kingdom two-fold internal and external 715 This Kingdom of Christ should be submitted to and why 849 What makes Men dislike Christ's Reign and Government 851 The Gospel-Kingdom is a Kingdom of Light Life and Love 794 What is opposite to the Gospel-Kingdom 795 Knowledg How Christ grew in Knowledg and Wisdom â—55 Known What it is to be known of God 873 Why they that know God so as to love him are known of God 874 How God knows his People 1182 L LAid How Sin was laid on Christ 1126 Sin being laid on Christ is taken off from the Creature 1127 Lamb. Christ and a Lamb compared 1116 Christ and the Sacrifice Lamb compared 1117 Christ and the Paschal Lamb compared ibid. What of Christ is represented to us in the Paschal Lamb 1118 How we are to behold Christ as the Lamb of God 1122 Law How the Law shuts Men up under Sin 308 Laws of Christ the Nature of them 851 Directions for Obedience to Christ's Laws 854 Lenity of the Gospel opened 265 Life eternal who they are that shall enjoy it 1230 Light of Faith compared with the Light of Sense Reason Prophecy and Glory 971 Light of Faith and Prophecy how they agree and how they differ 477 Long-suffering of God a great Mercy 940 Looking Looking to the blessed Hope what it is 105 What Influence thâ—s looking to the blessed Hope hath to work us to a spiritual Life 108 Inferences from hence 110 Directions how to look for the blessed Hope 115 How we are to look to Christ 755 Looking for Christ's Coming what is implied in it 137 The Advantage of it 135 Trial whether we look for Christ's Coming 138 Looking to eternal things what it implies 970 Those that look to eternal things can do and suffer great things for God 973 Directions to look to eternal things 977 Lord. When God is honoured as the supreme Lord 38 Lost. In what sense we are said to be lost 884 Sense of our lost Condition necessary ibid. How Christ seeks and saves that that was lost Vid. Seeking Saving Love what it is 1102 The Objects of it ibid. The Acts of it 1103 Love must be abounding and wherein 431 Love of Christ in our Redemption 515 1178 The Properties of the Love of Christ 1179 Christ loves those that have amiable Qualities and the Reasons of it 325 What Vse we should not make of this Love of Christ 326 What Vse we should make of it ibid. What Love Christ hath to moral Vertues now in Heaven 329 Love to God What sincere Love to God is 869 The Object of it ibid. The Acts of it 870 Wherein the Sincerity of Love to God is seen 872 Marks of sincere Love to God 876 Love to God should be joined with our Knowledg of God 875 Why Love to God should be exercised at the Sacrament 876 How it should be exercised at the Sacrament ib. Love of the World They that love the World will renounce Christ 362 How the Love of the World makes us uncapable of serving God 363 Lusts what they are 42 Lusts to be checked and why 53 Lusts worldly what they are and why so called 43 Some Distinctions about worldly Lusts ib. Lusts of the Flesh Lusts of the Eye and Pride of Life what is meant by them 44 45 46 Worldly Lusts unsutable to the New Nature 50 Those that are under the Power of worldly Lusts have no Interest in Christ 51 What it is to deny worldly Lusts 46 The difficulty of denying worldly Lusts 48 How Grace teacheth us
to deny worldly Lusts 49 Motives to deny worldly Lusts 53 56 Lie What Lying is 841 When we may be said to give God the Lie 205 M MEans of Grace to be used 1079 They prosper best in Grace that most diligently use the Means 1080 Meat and Drink Sobriety in Meats and Drinks why necessary to be spoken to 73 Who are most especially to be sober in the use of Meat and Drink ib. When we sin in the use of Meat and Drink ib. Whether is worse Excess in Meat or in Drink 72 Mediator The Necessity of a Mediator 960 The Fitness of Christ for this Office Ibid. Christ's Work as Mediator 961 The Comfort and Duty resulting from Christ's being a Mediator 962 Who are interested in this Comfort and concerned in these Duties 964 Meditation what it is 607 The difference between Meditation Consideration and Contemplation 625 How Meditation differs from Study 606 630 The Kinds of Meditation 605 The Rank and Place Meditation hath among other Duties 608 The Place of Meditation 602 The Time of Meditation 6â—3 629 Some special Seasons of Meditation 629 632 What Time is to be spent in Meditation 630 Whether the Time should be set and constant ib. Are all bound to meditate ib. The Necessity of Meditation 607 Objections against the Necessity of it answered 608 The Objects of Meditation 636 637 Objects of Meditation preparative to the Sacrament 622 Directions for the choice of Objects of Meditation 631 Whether we should bind our selves to one Subject in Meditation 624 The manner of working on the Object in Meditation 633 Rules for Meditation 612 How should we do because of Variety of Matter in Meditation 624 Whether we are to prescribe to our selves a Method in Meditation 631 What Method we are to use in Meditation 633 Whether the Soul in Meditation is to be fixed in a steady View and Contemplation of God in Quietness and Silence without Variety of Discourse 625 Vid. Raptures Directions against Barrenness of Thoughts in Meditation 620 Especially at the Sacrament 621 Directions against loose wandring Thoughts in Meditation 620 622 Directions against Deadness and Stupidness in Meditation 623 Directions against Formality in Meditation ibid. Le ts and Hindrances of Meditation with Helps against them 616 621 The Profit and Advantage of Meditation 610 Mercy and Power meet in Christ and why 147 Mercies Men are apt to forget God's Mercies 806 God's Mercies to be remembred and why 807 Vid. Remembred Merit Popish Merit confuted 297 Miserable In what Sense Christians are of all Men most miserable if there be no Life to come 1212 How this consisteth with the Righteousness of God's Government 1215 Morality No true Morality without the Faith of the Gospel 728 Morality adopted into Christianity 840 Reasons why Morality is adopted into Christianity 844 In what manner Christianity inforceth Morality 843 Mortification of Sin proper for Grace 51 Directions to Mortification 29 Moses what his Sin was at the Waters of Strife 268 270 The Aggravation of the Sin from the Person sinning 269 The Kind of his Punishment 271 Murmuring at God's Dispensations prevented by Faith 243 Mystery Why we should look into the Mystery of Redemption Vid. Redemption N NUllifidians condemned 727 O OATH Why God gives his Oath above his Word 196 The Advantage we have by God's Oath 203 Obedience how far it belongs to Faith 726 The Defect of it without true Faith 728 Obedience to be universal 314 Ordinances God's Ordinances to be valued more than worldly things and the Reasons of it 880 Why God's People value and esteem the Ordinances 8â—â— Trial of our Esteem and Value of the Ordinances 892 P PArdon of Sin the Gift of God 1141 Pardon of Sin a special Benefit ibid. All Sins pardoned but the Sin against the Holy Ghost ibid. Passover Vid. Lamb Paschal Patience The several Kinds of Christian Patience 1129 Peace The Matter of true Peace 946 The Ground and Foundation of this Peace 690 The way how it is obtained or how we come to be interested in it 691 947 True Peace only in Wisdom's way 1039 Objections answered 1042 The Evidences that God is pacified 690 In what Sense God is thâ— God of Peace ibid. Why God gives Increase of Grace as the God of Peace 692 Peculiar People what it signifies 174 God owns his Peculiar People and how 177 God values his Peculiar People and how 175 178 Inferences from hence 176 Duties of God's Peculiar People 179 Perfect In what Sense Christ is made perfect 1185 Perfection What Perfection is required of us 687 Please How it is possible to please God and Men too 858 How far it is lawful to mind the Approbation of Men ibid. What Wisdom is requisite that we may increase in Favour with God and Men 859 Pleasures The Baseness and Danger of Pleasures 71 Which is worse not to bridle Anger or not to restrain Pleasures 65 Whether is harder to endure Grief or to renounce Pleasure 65 Whether Immoderateness in the use of Pleasures or worldly Cares be worst 72 Directions to wean the Soul from Pleasures 618 Poor Three Sorts of Poor the Devil 's Poor the World 's Poor and Christ's Poor 336 Vid. Charity They that give to the Poor have Treasure in Heaven 340 Power of Christ opened 464 Power of God Distinctions about it 414 The Power of God proved 412 Instances of the Power of God ibid. Vid. Creation Providence Power of God in bringing into and preserving in a State of Grace 409 Those that have a Sense of their Impotency should reflect on the Power of God 410 A steady Perswasion of the Power of God argues a strong Faith 488 Power of God to be believed and improved 415 How we should improve the Power of God 416 Considerations to quicken us to believe and improve the Power of God 417 Power of Satan over fallen Man what it is 537 541 How Christ destroys the Power of Satan 537 541 Vid. Devil Victory Practice The Pleasure of Practice greater than of Contemplation 1041 Praise Blessing and Thanksgiving how they differ 697 Rendring Praise Vid. Render Prayer what it is 772 Every thing that looks like Prayer is not Prayer 823 The Kinds of Prayer 773 What it is to pray without ceasing ibid. Constant and frequent Prayer proved a Duty 776 Whence is it that Men are so seldom in Prayer 779 Motives to pray without ceasing 781 What it is to find a Prayer in our Hearts 818 Prayer must be found in our Hearts before it be uttered with our Mouths ibid. Reasons of it 821 A Praying Frame what it is 780 God's Delay of answering Prayer is a sore Trial 468 Yet this should not weaken our Faith ibid. How to keep up Prayer in the midst of Discouragements 471 What it is that incourages to Prayer 819 What it is that inclines us to Prayer 818 There is need of Preparation and Recollection before Prayer 822 How our Prayers are to be limited 820 Prayer of Christ Father forgive them
Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace to the end that the Promise might be sure to all the Seed We should never else be secured against Doubts and Fears Believers that offend daily would be left to a sad uncertainty but now we can the better expect Glory when the Foundation of it is laid in Grace I remember the great Patron of the Merit of Works Bellarmine concludeth out of Bernard Propter incertitudinem propriae justiciae periculum inanis gloriae â—â—tissimum est â—iduciam totam in solâ Dei misericordia benignitate reponere Because of the Uncertainty of our own Righteousness and the Danger of Vain glory I confess it is the safest course to put our trust in the sole Mercy and Grace of God Vse 1. Is to preswade us if Grace be the cause of all the Good we enjoy not to wrong Grace Why for this is to close and stop up the Fountain yea to make Grace our Enemy and if Grace be our Enemy who shall plead for us Angry Justice must needs take up the Quarrel of abused Grace and then there 's no help nay Grace it self would complain of the Wrong received to God and will sollicit our Judgment and Vengeance the Advocate will become an Accuser But how do we wrong Grace I answer Five ways 1. By neglecting the Offers of Grace Such make God speak in vain and to spend his best Arguments to no purpose 2 Cor. 6.1 We then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain By the Grace of God is there meant the Offers of Grace in the Gospel Now we receive it in vain when all the Wooings and Pleadings of Grace do not move us to bethink our selves and look after our Salvation It is a great Affront you put upon God to despise him when he speaks in the still Voice Look as when David had sent a courteous Message to Nabal and he returns a churlish Answer it put him into a Fury 1 Sam. 25.34 Surely there had not been left by the morning Light any that pisseth against the Wall So how angry will the Lord be against those that despise his Grace and all the renewed Offers and Messages of Love and prefer the Profits and Pleasures of the World before him It may be you do not return a rough and churlish Answer and are not Scorners and Opposers of the Word but you slight God's sweetest Message when he comes in the sweetest and mildest way The Complaint in the Gospel was Mat. 11.17 We have piped unto you and you have not danced It is not we have thundred unto you and you were not startled but we have piped and ye have not danced Not to take notice of these sweet Allurements and Blandishments of Grace that 's very sad Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation The greatness of the Benefit aggravates the Sin it is great Salvation that is offered there is an offer of Pardon and Eternal Life but it worketh not if you neglect it There is a sort of Men that do not openly deny reject or persecute the Gospel but they receive it carelesly and are no more moved with it than with a story of golden Mountains or Rubies or Diamonds fallen from Heaven in a Night-Dream You make God spend his best Arguments in vain if you neglect this Grace Scourge Conscience till it ake What will you do How will you escape if you neglect so great Salvation God sets himself a work to gain the Heart and Grace hath laid open all its Treasures as a Man in a Shop to draw in Custom now it is grieved and wronged when it doth not meet with a Chapman This is the Charge that is laid upon those Mat. 22.6 when they were invited they made light of it they did not take it into their Care and Thoughts did not seriously think with themselves O that God should invite us to the Marriage of his Son They do not absolutely deny but make excuse they do not say non placet but non vacant they are not at leasure and this made the King angry When all things are ready and God sets forth the Treasures and Riches of his Grace and Men will not bethink themselves their Hearts are not ready How will this make God angry Such kind of Neglecters are said to judg themselves unworthy of Eternal Life Acts 13.46 You will say Is there any Fault in that Who is worthy Should we not judg our selves to be vile forlorn Creatures unworthy of a look from God much more of Eternal Life I answer It is not spoken of self-humbling or of a holy self-condemning but of those that turn their back upon Grace Grace comes to save them and God makes them an Offer as thô they were worthy and they judg themselves unworthy and plainly declare they were altogether not worthy of this Grace All Men are unworthy enough of Eternal Life and God hath cause enough to condemn them but they chiefly judg themselves unworthy that is in Fact declare themselves to be so that have received the Honour and Favour of a Call Grace hath spoken unto them and made them an Offer of Pardon and Salvation and they turn the Back upon it as if it were not worth the taking up on God's Terms and such are all ignorant Sots and deaf Worldlings 2. Another sort of Men that wrong Grace are those that refuse Grace out of legal Dejection Many poor Creatures are so vile in their own Eyes that they think it impossible they should ever find Favour in God's Eyes O but consider cannot the Riches of Grace save when God shall set himself on purpose to glorify Grace to the full cannot it make thee accepted Wherefore doth God bring Creatures to see their Unworthiness but that Grace might be the more glorious Grace would not be so much Grace if the Creature were not so unworthy therefore you should be glad you have your Hearts at that Advantage to be sensible of your own Vileness It is a wrong to Grace if you do not fly to it you streighten the Riches and darken the Glory of it it is as if an Emperor's Revenue could not discharge a Beggar 's Debt Our Ephah is full brim-full but God's Mercy is over-full You can speak of Sins and the Scripture speaketh of Mercy Hast thou but one Blessing O my Father saith Esau Gen. 27.38 So hath God but one Mercy Grace is a Treasure that cannot be spent an Ocean ever full and ever flowing Where Sin hath abounded Grace did much more abound Rom. 5.20 There cannot be so much in Sin but there is more in Grace The Apostle makes new-coin'd words when he is to speak of the abundance of Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Prodigal could say There is Bread enough in my Father's House Luke 15.17 How many hired Servants in my Father's House have Bread
likeness of his Resurrection Rom. 6.5 We shall be dead to Sin and alive to God The same Divine Power that kills the Old Man quickens the New Again I might argue from the Word which is our Rule for there we have not only Restraints but Precepts therefore we must not only escape from Sin but delight in Communion with God We must eschew what God forbids and practise what God commands Vse Let it press us not to rest in abstaining from Sin meerly Many are not vicious but they are not sanctified they have no feeling of the Power of the new Life The Pharisees Religion ran upon Negatives Luke 18.11 God I thank thee I am not as other Men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers or even as this Publican To enforce this consider both are contrary to the new Nature it hates Evil and loves Good Where there is Regeneration there is a putting on and a putting off Ephes. 4.22 23 24. That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts. And be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind And that ye put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness The new Nature makes Conscience of abstaining from Sin and obeying God's Precepts And both are serviceable to the Work of Grace Grace is obstructed by Sins of Omission and Commission for Sins increase as well as unfitness for Duty The Motions of the Spirit are quenched and Lusts grow prevalent in the Soul and both are odious to God A barren Tree cumbers the Ground and is rooted up as well as the poisonous Herb. Obs. 3. We must first begin with renouncing Evil that 's the first thing Grace teacheth Since the Fall the Method is Analytical to unravel and undo that which hath been done in the Soul So it is said of Christ 1 Iohn 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil Sin is the first Occupant in the Soul and claimeth Possession six thousand Years ago it thrust out Grace which was the right owner therefore first there must be a Writ of Ejectment sealed against Sin that Grace may take the Throne Dagon must down e're the Ark be set up It cannot be otherwise it must not be otherwise there must be mortifying and subduing of Sin by Acts of Humiliation and Godly Sorrow before there will be Experience of Grace 1. It cannot be otherwise for the Devil hath a right in us as long as we remain in Sin therefore there must be a rescue from his Power Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the Power of Darkness and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son Christ and Satan cannot reign in the same Heart nor God and the hâ—â— World Ioseph was taken out of Prison and then preferr'd to Pharaoh This is â—he Method Luke 1.73 That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the Hands of our Enemies might serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the Days of our lives Deliverance hath the precedence first the Thorns must be rooted out and then the Corn is sowed 2. It must not be otherwise God will have nothing to do with us till we have renounced Sin A plausible Life is but a counterfeit Varnish like gilding over a rotten Post or a moral Integrity till Sin be renounced The Prodigal left his Husks and then returned to his Father This is the Method at our first Conversion indeed afterwards there is some difference when once Grace is once planted in the Heart it hath the advantage of Corruption and worketh first Thus it is said of Iob Chap. 1.1 That Man was perfect and upright one that feared God and eschewed Evil. First fearing God then eschewing Evil. Grace having taken possession and being seated in the Heart it works first Like a Man possessed and seated in his House he seeketh to expel his Enemy So at first way is made for the Operation of Grace and then all the Work afterwards is the destruction of Sin Obs. 4. It is not enough to renounce one Sin but we must renounce all For when the Apostle speaks of denying Ungodliness he intends all Ungodliness Compare this with 1 Pet. 2.1 Wherefore laying aside all Malice and all Guile and Hypocrisies and Iam. 1.21 Wherefore lay apart all Filthiness and superfluity of Naughtiness All Sins must be renounced little Sins and great Sins Great Sins as Adultery Drunkenness and the like are manifest Gal. 5.19 that is Nature doth abhor them they stink and smell rank in Nature's Nostrils even to a natural Conscience Then for little Sins Matth. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and teach Men so to do shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven It is spoken of Ministers principally whoever shall give licence by the Gospel to the least Sin either break it himself or teach Men so to do shall have no place no room among Gospel-Ministers No Sin can be little that is committed against the great God Sins are not to be measured by the smallness of the Occasion or by the suddenness of the Act but by the Offence done to God to an Infinite Majesty The less the Sin the greater many times it is It argues much Malice to break with God upon every slight Occasion there is more unkindness in it and the more contempt of God and it argues the greater depravation of Nature As a little Weight will make a Stone move downward because of its natural Inclination so it is a sign we have an inclination that way when a small Matter can draw us from God Again secret Sins must be eschewed as well as Publick Isa. 55.7 Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts the Thought as well as the Way is to be forsaken By Way is meant his outward course of Life by his Thoughts is meant the hidden workings of his Spirit Nothing more transient and sudden than the Thought therefore as we must not do Evil before Men so we must not think Evil before God God seeth the Thought as well as Man the Actions and infinitely more The Thoughts are visible to him and these fall under a Law as well as our Actions Again Sins of Temper to which we are more incident as well as other Sins to which we have less inclination they must be mortified Psal. 18.23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine Iniquity That Sin which we call ours should be most watched against and most hated above all others As a Man should be afraid of the Meat of which he hath once surfeited so the Sin that hath once prevailed over us we should be more cautious against It is nothing for a sordid Spirit to be less proud or a proud Man to be less covetous or a covetous Man to be less sensual or a sensual Man to be less
be pleasing and acceptable to God in order to Practice and value our Lives for this End only that we may serve God it is a sign Grace is planted in the Heart But now ungodly Men neither care to know the ways of God nor to walk in them They that are willingly ignorant and do not search to know how God will be served and pleased and make this their Work they do not count God their chiefest Good They search not that they may not practice they err not in their Mind only but in their Hearts Psal. 95.10 It is a People that do err in their Hearts they have not known my ways To err in the Mind may be through invincible Ignorance but a Man errs in his Heart when he doth not desire to know God and to know his Will and what he must do in Worship and Conversation but saith I do not desire to know God Iob 21.14 Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the Knowledg of thy ways Therefore he that doth not make it his great Work and the Business of his Life to find out what God would have him do he is ungodly Usually this is found in Men half convinced they have not a Mind to know that which they have not a Mind to do and so they are willingly ignorant But now a godly Man makes it the Business of his Life still to follow God Foot by Foot to know more of his Mind and Will Rom. 12.2 That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect VVill of God Ephes. 5.12 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. A true Christian always practiseth what he knows and still searcheth that he may know more he would be always more useful for God and more according to his Heart that is the Study the great Business and Project of his Life to find out God's Will and then practise it What shall I do more for God Thirdly God must be acknowledged as the supream Truth and Authority and there if we be not moved with his Promises with his Threatnings and Counsels as the Words of the great God as if he had spoken from Heaven by an audible Voice if we do not yield him Reverence in his Worship and subject our Hearts and Lives unto his Laws it is Ungodliness 1 st We must receive the Counsels of his Word with all Reverence and Veneration as if God had spoke to us by a Voice from Heaven This is to receive the Word as the Word of God 2 Thess. 2.10 They received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved The Heathens received the Oracles of their Gods with great Reverence and were much moved when they had an Oracle but when the Word comes with a mighty convincing Power upon the Heart and you are not moved and affected this argues your Ungodliness So when we can drousily hear of the great things of Heaven and the Death of Christ and the Covenant of Grace and the glorious Salvation offered and are no more moved than with a Fable or with a Dream of Rubies dropping down from Heaven in the Night this is Ungodliness That there is a great deal of Ungodliness in this kind is clear by our Neglect of these Precious Things If a Man should proffer another a thousand Pound for a Trifle and he should not accept it you would not say it was because he prized that Trifle that is not profitable but because he did not believe the Offer So when God offers Heaven and Christ to us upon such easy terms as to part with nothing but our Sins which are better parted with than kept we do not honour him as the eternal Truth if we do not accept it but count him a Liar and this is the greatest Affront you can put upon God for he that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son 1 John 5.10 He that doth not regard the Offer of the Gospel certainly he believes it is not true and so he dishonours God as the supream Truth 2 dly If we would honour God as the supream Lord of Heaven and Earth we must reverence him in his Worship God is not only terrible in the high Places of the Field and there where he executes his dreadful Judgments and not only so in the Depths of the Sea where the Wonders of the Lord are seen but he is also terrible in his holy Places Psal. 68.35 O God thou art terrible out of thy holy Places Then are the Hearts of his People filled with most awful Apprehensions of his glorious Majesty and of his excellent Holiness and this makes them tremble But now when we do not come with these awful Apprehensions we do not own God as the supream Majesty and therefore when they brought him an unbeseeming Sacrifice saith the Lord Mal. 1.14 Cursed be the Deceiver which hath in his Flock a Male and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadful among the Heathens This is not becoming my Majesty And the Saints of God never feel such Self-Abhorrency and Loathing of themselves as when they are worshipping God God is even dreadful then when he is most comfortable to his People Deut. 28.58 That thou mayst fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God Thy God this is the comfortablest Name in all the Scripture this is the Foundation of our Hope and this puts the Saints upon a Holy Reverence But now ungodly Men come with slight cold and careless Hearts their Thoughts are upon the Shop and the Cart and the Plough and any where else than upon God they dream nigh to him with their Lips but their Hearts are removed far from him They do not come to him as a great King and supream Majesty and Authority of all and so they dishonour God exceedingly Our Thoughts in Worship should be more taken up with his Glory 3 dly If we would honour God as supream there must be a willing Subjection of our Hearts and Lives to his Laws Usually here we stick in a want of Conformity thereto Men that love God as a Creator naturally hate him as a Law-giver Men love him as a Giver of Blessings but they would fain live at large Thoughts that strike at the Being of God and Doctrines of Liberty are welcome to a carnal Heart therefore it is tedious to them to hear of one to call them to account and it is pleasing to them to think which is an Argument of the highest Hatred that can be that there were no God to call them to a reckoning that they might let loose the Reins to vile Affections We would be absolute and Lords of our own Actions And this Subjection must be in Heart and Life There must be a Subjection of the Heart God's Authority is never more undermined than by a mere Form of
Diis nec hominibus pepercit ad impietatem in Deos in homines adjunxit injuriam He spared neither the Gods nor Men to his Impiety against the Gods he added Injuries to Men he was both ungodly and unrighteous Vse Would we not then be counted ungodly let us take heed of all these Sins deny them all 1. How else will you look God in the Face at the Day of Judgment Psal. 1.5 The Vngodly shall not stand in the Iudgment nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous He shall not be able to lift up his Head 2 Pet. 3.11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of Persons ought we to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness The Day of Judgment is to take Vengeance of Ungodliness Iude 15. To execute Iudgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly Deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard Speeches which ungodly Sinners have spoken against him It is the Day wherein God that is now hidden behind the Curtain of the Heavens cometh forth to vindicate his Honour 2. Great Judgments shall befal them in this World 2 Pet. 2.6 And turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into Asbes condemned them with an Overthrow making them Examples unto those that should live ungodly And 1 Pet. 4.18 And if the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the Ungodly and the Sinner appear God's Jealousy is great Isa. 59.17 For he put on Righteousness as a Breast-plate and a Helmet of Salvation upon his Head and he put on the Garments of Vengeance for a Clothing and was clad with Zeal as a Cloke God is not only jealous of his Honour but he will be known and plainly profess himself so to be the Cloke of a Man being his outward Garment No such visible Providences as against Ungodliness So Exod. 34.13 The Lord whose Name is Iealous is a jealous God That is fit to make the Name of a thing which distinguisheth it from all other things of the same kind This distinguisheth the true God from all Gods whatsoever others are so far from being iealous Gods that tho their Worshippers went to never so many Gods yet to them it was all one they were good Fellow-Gods and would admit of Partners when they brought their Gifts like common Whores they received them without more ado The true God will admit of no Partners this he will severely punish and do them as much Harm as ever he did do them Good 3. It is the great Aim of the Gospel to promote Godliness 1 Tim. 3.6 And without controversy great is the Mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 6.3 If any Man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesom Words even the Words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the Doctrine that is according to Godliness So far Men are Christians as they are godly Men might be ungodly at a cheaper rate when they had not so much Means As the Angel said to Iacob Gen. 32.26 Let me go for the Day breaketh Now Grace appeareth we should deny Ungodliness 4. Ungodliness is the Root of all irregular Courses Gen. 20.11 I thought surely the Fear of God is not in this Place and they will slay me for my Wife's sake Godliness is the Bulwark of Laws and of all honest Discipline there can be no Honesty without Piety The first part of the Law provideth for Respects to God as being the proper Foundation for Respects to our Neighbour Without the knowledg of the true God the Heart cannot be clean Prov. 19.2 Also that the Soul be without knowledg is not good The Means are these 1. Purge the Heart from all Principles of Ungodliness There are many gross Maxims as that it is Folly to be precise that they have a good Heart towards God that it were better when there was less Knowledg that it is an easy matter to repent and have a good Heart towards God that it is in vain to serve God that Thoughts are free let us carry it fair before Men and all will be well when Men have done their best petty Sins are not to be stood upon These are the implicite Thoughts and Maxims of ungodly Men which are the ground of all sottish Practices purge your Hearts from them 2. Suppress all ungodly Thoughts and Motions all gross Thoughts of God Psal. 14.1 The Fool hath said in his Heart There is no God Shame may lay a restraint upon the Tongue but such Thoughts and Whispers do arise in the Heart Again that God is not so harsh as he is represented Psal. 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self That God cannot see through the dark Cloud Iob 22.12 13. Is not God in the height of Heaven and behold the height of the Stars how high they are And thou sayest How doth God know can he judg through the dark Cloud These are the Thoughts of carnal ungodly Men have a care of giving them the least Entertainment suppress them when they first rise in the Heart 3. Mortify vile Affections As the Air in some Countries is seldom clear but dark and foggy so it is with the Minds of carnal Men vile Affections steeming in the Heart cloud the Understanding and Judgment and beget ungodly Thoughts as a filthy Stomach sends up Fumes to the Head 4. Keep close to God's Institutions these keep up his Honour and preserve his Memorial Divine Truths breed Godliness False Worship and multitude of Ceremonies darken the Nature of God Images beget a gross Opinion of God as if he were a poor sensless thing that could do little good or harm God knows what is best and how he will be worshipped do not presume to be wiser than God his own Institutions keep up the repute of his Nature and Essence 5. Let us exercise our selves unto Godliness 1 Tim. 4.7 But refuse prophane and old Wives Fables and exercise thy self rather unto Godliness Give God the Honour due to him let him have your Love Delight Trust and Fear do all things with an aim at his Glory and worship him not out of Custom but out of Conscience so should we exercise our selves unto Godliness SERMON V. TITUS II. 12 And worldly Lusts c. GRace that teacheth us to deny Ungodliness doth also teach us to deny worldly Lusts. These are fitly coupled Ungodliness feedeth worldly Lusts and worldly Lusts encrease Ungodliness 1. Ungodliness feedeth worldly Lusts because when we leave God the chiefest Good then our Hearts go a whoring after every base Comfort Jer. 2.13 My People have committed two Evils They have forsaken me the Fountain of living Waters and have hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no Water If Men are ignorant of God or do not seek after God the Heart lies open to every Object As when a worthy Match is refused upon some groundless dislike in a fond humour the next
Suitor is entertained how base and unworthy soever It cometh to pass partly by Man's Wickedness when God is refused any thing serves the turn instead of God to put the greater Affront and Despite upon him And partly by God's just Judgment to evidence our Baseness and Folly God suffereth us to match our Affections with any thing that comes next to hand 2. On the other side worldly Lusts cause Ungodliness for they withdraw our Hearts from God and deliver them up to the Creature As a sensual Man that loveth his Pleasure maketh his Belly his God Phil. 3.19 Whose God is his Belly And a base-hearted Worldling who suffereth outward Profits to intercept his Care his Delight and his Trust makes Mammon his God and therefore he is fitly called an Idolater Ephes. 5.5 And a proud Man makes himself his God and so is both Idol and Idolater as the Sea sendeth forth Waves and then sucketh them into it self All their Esteem all their restless Projects are to exalt themselves and set up themselves and so they set their Heart as the Heart of God Ezek. 28.2 All that they think speak and do is to set up the Idol of Self their own Worthiness and Esteem So that if we would deny one we must deny both not only Vngodliness but worldly Lusts. A Man that is given to worldly Lusts will surely be ungodly and a Man that is ungodly will be given to worldly Lusts. I shall prosecute this second Branch in this Method I shall enquire I. What are worldly Lusts. II. How they are to be denied III. The difficulty of denying them IV. The Grounds or Encouragements so to do or what Course Grace teacheth to draw us off from them I. What are worldly Lusts Two Terms are to be explained Lusts and Worldly 1. By Lusts are meant carnal Affections or the risings of corrupt Nature or all sorts of evil Desires for it is usual in the New Testament to express Sins by Lusts partly because Lusts are more corrupted than the Thoughts or than the Counsels are as appears by constant Experience There is more Light left in the Heart of Man concerning God than there is Love to God and many are convinced of better that do worse they see more than they are able to perform because they are over-set by their Lusts. Reason giveth good Counsel but it is over-mastered and disregarded as in a Mutiny the Gravest cannot be heard And we see that when we give Counsel to another in a thing in which we have no Interest we give commonly good Counsel but when the Matter concerneth our selves we act otherwise because our Desires carry us another way therefore the Scripture expresseth Sin rather by Lusts than by Counsels and Imaginations partly because Lusts are the most vigorous commanding and swaying Faculty of the Soul The desiring part of the Soul is as the Stern to the whole Man it is either the best or the worst part of the Man a Man is as his Lusts are For it is Desire that draws us to Action we do not act because we know but because we desire as the Eye doth not carry the Body to a far Country but the Feet All Affections have their rise from some inclination and tendency of the Desire towards the Object Amor meus pondus meum It is Love or Desire that poiseth and inclineth the Heart We are directed by the Judgment but pressed and carried to a thing by the Heart So Austin Non faciunt bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores A Man is not Good or Evil by his Thoughts but by his Desires It is true before Man sinned his Desires and Appetites were under Rule and did not stir but at the Command of Reason but now since the Fall Desire doth all in the Soul and Man consulteth with his Desires rather than any thing else and there all Action and Pursuit beginneth Thus you see the Reasons why the word Lusts is used in this Case 2. The next Term is Worldly Lusts. Sometimes they are called Fleshly Lusts and sometimes Worldly Lusts 1 Pet. 2.11 Fleshly Lusts Abstain from fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul They are so called because they are most of all manifested in those things that belong to the Body or the Flesh. But here they are called worldly Lusts and that for three Reasons Partly because they are cherished by the greater sort of Men which greater sort of Men is counted by the Name of the World 1 John 5.19 The whole World lies in Wickedness that is the opposite malignant World In this sense these Lusts are called Worldly because they are most rife in the Multitude or greater part of the World who only regard the present Life Partly because they are stirred up by worldly Objects by Pleasures Honours and Profits Having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust 2 Pet. 1.14 He doth not name the Objects but the Lusts because the World becometh hurtful only by our own Lusts. The World affordeth the Object and we find the Sin as the Garden yieldeth the Flower and the Spider sucketh the Poison out of it Partly because they serve only for a worldly Use and Purpose to detain us in the Employments of the present Life so that we have no Heart no Desire no Leisure to think of any other or to apply our selves to better things Lusts depress the Heart and sink it down to the present World and the Contentments thereof and therefore called worldly Lusts. You see now what is meant by the Terms here used But that you may conceive a little better of the thing it self let me give you a Distinction or two First These worldly Lusts are sometimes carried out either to things simply Unlawful or else to Lawful things in an unknown manner 1. There are some Desires altogether Evil in what sense soever you take them As a desire of Murder Theft Adultery Revenge The Works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness c. Gal. 5.19 that is these gross and brutish Lusts are easily discerned not only by Grace but by the Light of Nature therefore they must not be regulated but extinguished as a venomous Plant must be plucked up by the Roots you cannot qualify them it is a Sin to be moderate herein to be a moderate Adulterer a moderate Drunkard here the least is too much these Lusts must be wholly destroyed 2. There are other Desires that are natural and necessary for the preservation of Mankind as to eat and drink lawfully to provide for our Families and Posterity Here Men do ordinarily sin by Excess by desiring these things otherwise than they should and more than they should and not for the Causes that they should Now these natural and necessary Desires are not to be extinguished but governed and to be kept under the Coercion of Prudence and Honesty Honesty must restrain them that they may not exceed their Bounds
it is the great Work of Grace to cure this Disposition to take us from the World first our Hearts then our Bodies It is made an Effect of the new Birth 1 Iohn 5.4 Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World And 2 Pet. 1.4 By which we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust. Heavenliness follows Grace there is something Divine a higher Birth than that we receive from Adam else we should live as other Men do There is the Spirit of the World and the Spirit of God now natural Men are endowed with the Spirit of the World they use their Souls only as a Purveyor for the Body to turn and wind in the World to feed high to shine in worldly Pomp to affect Honours and great Places these things we learn without a Master we bring these Dispositions into the World with us Therefore to deny worldly Lusts is to row against the Stream to roul the Stone upward to go quite contrary to the Course and Current of Nature When the Apostle speaks of the new Nature he calls it a putting off concerning the former Conversation the Old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts Ephes. 4.22 2. Custom which is another Nature Carnal Affections are not only born with us but bred up with us we are acquainted with them from our Infancy and so they plead Prescription Religion comes afterward and therefore very hard it must needs be to renounce our Lusts because they have the start of Grace The first Years of humane Life are merely governed by the Senses which judg of what is sweet and not of what is good whence it cometh to pass that when a Man is come to that Age wherein he beginneth to have the Use of Reason he can hardly change his Custom and alter his Course of Life and therefore continueth to live as he hath begun still the Senses act in the first place Earthly Contentments are present to our Sense the other only to our Faith these are before our Eyes and we still see the Need and Use of them We know how hard it is to break a Custom especially if it yield any Pleasure or Profit Ier. 13.23 How can ye do Good that are accustomed to do Evil 3. Example increaseth Sin though it doth not cause it At first Sin is natural it is not caused by Imitation but yet Imitation doth much encrease Sin Isa. 6.5 I dwell in the midst of a People of unclean Lips that 's a Snare certainly So we are born worldly and the greatest part of those Men with whom we do converse they are all for present Satisfaction There are many that say Who will shew to us any good Psal. 4.6 The Multitude are for worldly Wealth and Profit A mortified Man is rare one that renounces Interest and Contentments is a Wonder in the World 1 Pet. 4.4 They think it strange that you run not with them to the same Excess of Riot Therefore this is a great Snare to the Soul we are in Danger to miscarry by Example as well as by Lust for Men will say Why should not we do as others do there are but a few that are otherwise given and the World thinks them to be mopish precise and singular The greatest part seek worldly Good We easily contract Contagion and Taint one from another and learn to be carnal and worldly There are few heavenly and mortified Christians and Men think these do thus and thus and hope to be saved we that have the same Nature learn the same Manners surely there is some what in the World or else these wise Men would not follow it so earnestly 4. Satan he joins Issue with our Lusts and makes them more violent he finds the Fire in us and then blows up the Flames Therefore carnal Men are said to walk after the Prince of the Power of the Air in fulfilling the Will of the Flesh and the Mind Ephes. 2.3 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the Course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience Among whom also we all had our Conversation in times past in the Lusts of the Flesh fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh and of the Mind Satan hath a Hand in it he presents Objects poisons the Fancy and stirs up those corrupt and carnal Motions therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 7.5 Lest Satan tempt you for your Incontinency He marks our Temper and to what we are flexible and pliable what is our Sin and then he joins Issue with it when Satan seeth our carnal Affections run that way he makes an Advantage of it As when the matter of a Tempest is prepared the Devil joins and makes it more terrible and violent so he doth deal here with our Corruptions when he seeth our Hearts strongly carried out either to the Delights Pleasures or Honours of the World he blows up the Fire he finds in us into a Flame Well then to deal with Nature Custom Example Satan this is hard All these plead for worldly Lusts. IV. Upon what Grounds and Encouragements are we to deny worldly Lusts How doth Grace teach us to deny them partly by way of Diversion partly by way of Opposition and partly by way of Argument Discourse and Perswasion 1. By Diversion acquainting us with a better Portion in Christ. The Mind of Man must have some Oblectation and Delight Love is a strong Affection and cannot remain idle in the Soul it must run out one way or another Look as Water in a Pipe must have a Vent therefore it runs out at the next Leak So we take up with the World because it is next at hand and we know no better things Well then Grace for Cure goes to work by Diversion Why should we look after these things when better are shewed to us in Christ Grace acquainteth us with Pardon of Sin with the Sweetness of God's Love in Christ with the Comfort of Forgiveness with the spiritual Delight that is in Communion with God with the Hopes of Glory And look as the Woman of Samaria John 4.28 when she was acquainted with Christ left her Pitcher so when Grace acquainteth us with Christ and draws out the Stream of our Affections that way the Course of them is diverted and turned from the World why should you look after these things when you have a better Portion Rom. 13.14 There the Apostle describes this Diversion or turning the Stream another way Put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof If Christ be put on and take up the Heart if he be delighted in as the Treasure of the Soul Lusts will not engross so much of our Care and Esteem Get Christ as near the Heart as you can for those that are acquainted with him and his Sweetness with Pardon Peace
and Grace they will lose their Savour and Relish of these things It is an ill Sign when we have not lost our Savour and Taste of carnal things it is a Sign we are not much acquainted with Christ. It is no wonder for a Man that knows no better Fare to love coarse Diet and so it is no wonder that one that never tasted of the Sweetness of hidden Manna should long for the Garlick and Flesh-Pots of Egypt 2. Grace goes to work by way of Opposition it planteth opposite Principles in the Heart and maketh Use of an opposite Power It planteth opposite Principles We have a new Divine Nature and so escape the Corruptions of the World through Lust 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be Partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the Corruptions that are in the World through Lust. Lusts follow the Nature as the Nature is so are the Desires The Old Man is full of deceitful and carnal Lusts and the New Man is full of spiritual and heavenly Desires then it makes Use of an opposite Power of the Help and Supply of the Spirit of God Gal. 5.16 Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh. There are two Principles Flesh and Spirit that are always warring one upon another and that weaken one another The Spirit as a never-failing Spring of holy Thoughts Desires and Endeavours doth dry up the contrary Issue and Spring of Corruption So Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live The mortifying of the Body of Sin must be done through the Spirit a natural Man may see better but without the Spirit 's Help he can do nothing All the Reason in the World will not tame Lust We may declaim against it but nothing in Heaven or Earth will change our Dispositions or work out our Corruptions but only the Spirit of God We have by the Spirit not only Direction but a continued Influence and Supply of Power 3. Grace goes to work by way of Argument and Perswasion Grace out-reasons and out-pleads Lust and so it cannot obtain a Grant from the Soul but is denied The chief Argument which Grace urgeth is the Unsuitableness of Lust to our Condition that so it may shame the Soul Those things that become us while we are Children as Toys and Rattles will not become us when we are Men so certainly those things that suited well enough with us while we were mere Men become us not when we are Christians 1 Pet. 4.1 2 3. He that hath suffered in the Flesh hath ceased from Sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the Flesh to the Lusts of Men but to the Will of God For the time past of our Life may suffice us to have wrought the VVill of the Gentiles when we walked in Lasciviousness Lusts Excess of VVine Revellings Banquettings and abominable Idolatries Rom. 13.11 And that knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of Sleep It is high time to leave worldly Lusts. For a Man after Grace to be addicted to Lusts it is a Relapse into a spiritual Disease and in all Diseases Relapses you know are dangerous as a Man that falls into a distempered Heat is recovered out of a Feaver 1 Pet. 1.14 As obedient Children not fashioning your selves according to the former Lusts in your Ignorance These were your former Lusts when you were under spiritual Distempers and were only fit for you then But how are they unseemly and unsuitable to our Condition 1. They are unsuitable to our Privileges and to our Interest in the Death of Christ Rom. 6.2 How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein He argues not ab impossibili but ab incongruo it is an unfit thing for such to live in Sin We disparage the Death of Christ when we are not the better but the worse for it Hath he redeemed us from Sin that we might yet serve it Did he humble himself for our sakes that we should be proud Did he put such Contempt on the World that we should loosen the Reins to worldly Lusts Was he at all this Pains to make us worse You hereby put a Contumely and Reproach upon Christ's Death and disparage his Purchase 2. It is contrary to the Example of his Life We do not worship the God of this World nor Mammon but Christ Christ by his own choice hath put a Disgrace on the World he chose a mean Estate not out of Necessity but Design He came not in worldly Pomp Matth. 8.20 The Foxes have Holes and the Birds of the Air have Nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head John 18.36 My Kingdom is not of this VVorld Who is more able to judg what is best We or Christ Iohn 17.14 They are not of the VVorld even as I am not of the VVorld Who is fitter to chuse or wiser to chuse Christ or We Who is in an Error Christ or We If there was so much in the World as we fancy Christ was in an Error to despise it 3. It is contrary to our Hopes we look for better things It is a most lamentable thing to see a Christian that professeth the Assurance of a better Life to lie digging like a Mole in the Earth 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly Beloved I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from fleshly Lusts that war against the Soul Worldly Men are fastned to things present but the Children of God do bend and tend to things to come Worldly Men do not look for better things and therefore they are more to be excused We have Cause to blush every time we think of our Condition What are you Whence came you Whither are you going You are Passengers to Heaven why do you stick and linger by the way Something we may take for our Refreshment as Men that pass through a Field of Corn rub the Ears as they go As the Angel roused Elijah 2 Kings 19.7 Arise and eat for the Iourney is too great for thee You that affect to tarry in a foreign Country have you a Father in Heaven Would a Traveller hang his Room in an Inn Will he buy such things as he cannot carry with him Such things as we can carry with us to Heaven should take up our Time and Thoughts Piety out-lives the Grave but Honour and Wealth must be left behind us 4. It is contrary to our Vows We renounced them in Baptism In Baptism there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Answer to God's Questions Believest thou with all thy Heart Renouncest thou with all thy Heart 1 Pet. 3.20 Baptism saves not the putting away of the Filth of the Flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God You break your baptismal Vows if you do not deny worldly Lusts. Christ doth not only call us off from Sin but from the
when it moveth it self aright The Senses must be bridled Iob made a Covenant with his Eyes chap 31.1 I made a Covenant with mine Eyes why then should I think upon a Maid No Man is above these Rules The Eyes transmit the Object to the Fancy the Fancy to the Mind the Mind to the Heart SERMON VI. TITUS II. 12 And worldly Lusts c. Vse 3. EXhortation Let us deny these worldly Lusts. I shall urge Arguments both on Grace's part and then on the part of worldly Lusts. 1. On Grace's part Grace hath denied us nothing it hath given us Christ and all things with him and shall we stick at our Lusts that are not worth the keeping Certainly God loved Christ with an inexpressible Affection it was infinitely more than we can love the World Tho Nature be much addicted to these Lusts and tho we be carried out with great strength of Affection to the World yet we cannot love the World as much as God loved Christ for his Love to Christ is infinite and unlimited like his Essence and God found a full Complacency and Satisfaction in Christ yet God gave up the Son of his Love Grace counteth nothing too dear for us not the Blood of Christ not the Joys of Heaven and shall we count any thing too dear for Grace A right Eye or a right Hand cannot be so dear to us as Christ was dear to God At what cost is Grace to redeem and save us And shall Grace be at all this cost for nothing If God had commanded us a greater thing ought we not to have done it If God had commanded thee to give thy Body to be burnt or to offer thy first-born for the Sin of thy Soul considering his absolute Right over the Creature he might have required thy Life and thy Childrens Lives but he only requires thy Lusts things not worth the keeping things that will prove the Bane of thy Soul and things that we are bound to part with to preserve the Integrity and Perfection of our Natures If God had never dealt with us in a way of Grace we should have parted with our Lusts And shall Grace plead in vain when it presseth to deny Lusts It will be the Shame and Horror of the Damned to all Eternity that they have stood with God for a Trifle and that they would not part with Dung for Gold with a Stable for a Palace especially being so deeply pre-ingaged by God's Mercy in Christ. 2. On the part of worldly Lusts. There let me speak of them in general then in particular I. In general they are Lusts and they are worldly Lusts both will yield us Arguments why we should deny them 1 st They are Lusts and therefore Lust should be checked because it is Lust. That we may see what Victory we have over our selves it is a fit occasion to express our Self-denial and to shew what we can do for God There can be no considerable Self-denial there but where the Lust is great and there we shew how we can renounce our Bosom-desires for God's sake Mat. 7.13 it is said Strait is the Gate and narrow the Way that leads to Life If we desire to go to Heaven we must look to cross our selves in those things we most affect and desire and pass through a strait Gate and therefore if you let Lust have its scope you mistake the way Without Self-denial there can be no good done in Religion Again Lust is the Disease of the Soul Natural Desire is like the Calor vitalis the vital Heat which preserves Nature but Lust is like the feaverish Heat that oppresseth Nature We should get rid of our immoderate Desire as we would of a Disease Nature's Desires are temperate and soon satisfied but Lust's are immoderate and ravenous Contentation is the Soul's Health as Lust is her Sickness If after much eating and drinking a Man is unsatisfied it is a sign he is sick and hath more need of Physick than of Meat and Drink and to be purged rather than filled So when we are not contented with God's Allowance in a moderate supply of Nature we need to be cured rather than satisfied Drink is sweet to a Man in a feaverish Distemper but it is better to be without the Appetite than to enjoy the pleasure of Satisfaction Who would desire a burning Feaver to relish his Drink Better mortify the Lust than satisfy it in the issue it will be sweeter for it is the Disease of the Soul though it seem sweet I am sure the Pains of Mortification will not be half so bitter as the Horrors of everlasting Darkness And Lust let alone begins our Hell it is the burning Heat that at length breaks out into an everlasting Flame Again Lust is the Disorder of Nature and Reason that should be Monarch and King in the Soul is enslav'd and under a base Bondage by strength of Desires and it is the greatest Slavery for a Man to be a Slave to his own Desires and the truest Freedom to command them Consider what an odd sight it were if the Feet should be there where the Head is and Earth there where Heaven should be there is as great a Monstruousness and Disorder within when the Soul is under the power of a ruling Lust. All should be in subjection to the Law of the Mind God made Reason to have the Soveraignty and Dominion and we give it to Appetite and Lust. A Man is drawn away by his Lusts Iames 1.14 Every Man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lust and enticed The Affections are like wild Horses in a Coach that have cast their Driver they draw away the Soul by violence and Reason hath no command Again Lusts make us not only brutish like Beasts for Beasts are led by Appetite and Man by Reason but worse than Beasts for Beasts can do no more and ought to do no more they have not a higher Rule Appetite is made Judg. Yea and which is more we exceed them in Lusts Beasts which are wholly led by Appetite desire things only nigh at hand and which are easy to be gotten but Man's Lusts romage throughout the whole Course of Nature sometimes they desire things impossible The Lust of Beasts is less inordinate than the Lust of Men for the Beasts only desire to satisfy Nature which is contented with a little You cannot force a Beast to take more when Nature hath its fill but our Desires know no bounds and we desire not only necessary things but superfluous such as are burdensom and cumbersom to the Soul Lust only maketh them necessary A Horse when he hath taken his measure will take no more Every other Creature naturally is carried only to that which is helpful to its Nature and shuns that which is hurtful and offensive Only Man is in love with his own Bane and fights for those Lusts that fight against the Soul Again it is Lust that makes our abode in the World
other Sins or to feed a Lust and therefore we had need to deny it as it is Lust. 2 dly You should deny them as worldly Lusts so you must abstain from them not serve them as they are stirred up by worldly Objects they keep us from better Employment and therefore Grace teacheth us to deny them as they tend only to such a vile purpose Many Arguments there are 1. Whatever is for this World must be left on this side the Grave Pomp Pleasure and Estate must be left behind us Job 1.21 Naked came I out of my Mother's Womb and naked must I return thither There is no carnal Pomp and Pleasure in the next World Here we bustle for Greatness but Death ends the Quarrel Like foolish Birds we seek to build strong Nests when to morrow we must be gone Open the Grave and look upon the Reliques of Man's Mortality thou canst not discern between the Rich and the Poor the King and the Peasant all are alike obnoxious to Stench and Rottenness Those Desires that carry you out to the World must be mortified A Mill-wheel runs round all the Day and at Night it is in the same place So whatever we gain and purchase in the World it must be left at Night when we go to Bed when Death finds us and in the same place at Death we are as naked as we came into the World 1 Tim. 6.7 For we brought nothing into the World and it is certain we can carry nothing out A Man's Wealth doth not follow him but his Sins do his Iniquity will find him out Consider at Birth a Man is contented with a Cradle and at Death with a Grave yet here we join House to House and Field to Field Isa. 5.8 as if the whole World could not contain us 2. As they are only for this World so our abode here is but short and uncertain and therefore if it be worldly Lust it should be less prized for it lasts but for a time Within a very little while those that are most potent powerful and shining in the Splendor of the World shall be turned to Dust and Ashes God hath made Life short for many wise and merciful Reasons that the time of our Labour might not last too long He hath made us to enjoy himself and because he loveth the Saints he would have them the sooner with himself and would not be long without their Company and that we might love eternal Life therefore this Life is short and that he might gratify the Saints for he that hath a Journey to go would pass it over as soon as he can God makes their Journey as short as is convenient for his Glory and to shame wicked Men because they delight in that which is but of a short continuance but their Torment is Eternal The Pleasure of Sin is but for a Season but the Torments of Sin are for ever and ever therefore this should put a check to your Desires it is only for a World that passeth away nay the Lusts of this World pass away 1 Iohn 2.17 The World passeth away and the Lusts thereof The time will come when we shall have no lusts to these things it begins at Sickness but at the Day of Judgment we shall have no relish of these things and when the whole World is burnt up it will be our torment that we have prostituted our Affections to such low and unbeseeming things we shall see the Vanity when it is too late Men will have little love to the World then 3. If they be but worldly Lusts they should not be cherished were they never so durable Why Because this is not our Happiness and our Rest. Carnal Men have more of the World Christ committed his Purse to the worst of his Disciples Of the other he saith They are not of the World even as I am not of the World John 17.16 In this World God is most liberal to the worst therefore here we should not set up our Rest. Look as it is said of Abraham Gen. 25.6 that he gave Gifts to Ishmael and to the Sons of Keturah but he gave the Inheritance to Isaac Wicked Men have their Portion but not the Inheritance God will not be in their Debt therefore they have Gifts Therefore saith a Christian Why should I cherish these worldly Lusts this is not my Portion but the Portion of others From Men of the World which have their Portion in this Life Psal. 17.14 The World is Satan's Circuit he compasseth the Earth It is the Saints Slaughter-house they shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets Rev. 16.6 It is the place where God is dishonoured They are favoured and loved most by the World whom Christ hath rejected and past by 4. Worldly Lusts do hinder us from our Work We were made for another World and this Life is lent us for a while to look after Heaven We cannot drive on those two Cares at once for the World and Heaven too as a Man cannot look with one Eye to Heaven and with another to the Earth therefore why should we indulge worldly Lusts Who would lose a Crown to be owner of a Dunghil And will you forfeit Heaven and the Joys of God's Presence for worldly Conveniences Lust hinders your care of Heaven It is true a temperate and religious use of the World furthereth it but worldly Lust doth take off your Heart from God and Heaven and unfits it for it so that your Heavenly Desires are hindered 5. In a sense worldly Lusts do hinder us of the Comfort of this World Want encreaseth with Enjoyment as the Fire encreaseth by laying on more Fuel The more we enjoy the more we desire so we do not enjoy what we do possess The more we have the more we want so that a covetous Man neither enjoys this World nor the World to come 6. If it be worldly Lust then take heed of it for thou art as thy Love is If thou lovest this World thou art a worldly Man if thou lovest God thou art a godly Man if thou lovest Heaven thou art a heavenly Man A Man is not as his Opinion is but as his Affections are A bad Man may be of a good Opinion but a bad Man can never have good Affections The Soul as Wax receives the Impression from the Object Thou art a Person of the World if thou lovest the World Take a Looking-glass and put it towards Heaven there you shall see the Figure of Heaven the Clouds and things above put it downward towards the Earth you shall see the Figure of the Earth Trees Meadows Fruits So doth the Soul receive a Figure from the things to which it is set if the Heart be set towards Heaven that puts thee into a heavenly Frame if thou appliest it to earthly Objects thou art a Man of the Earth 7. The more we mortify these worldly Lusts the more we prevent Affliction We might prevent the bitterness of the Cross if we would
Lesson which Grace teacheth was propounded Privatively and Positively Privatively wherein I have shewed what we must eschew and avoid viz. Vngodliness and worldly Lusts. II. I now come to the Positive Part where the Duty of Man is distributed into three kinds Look as in a moral Consideration there are but three Beings God Neighbours and Self so here the Apostle makes three Parts and Branches of our Duty that we should live soberly as to our selves righteously as to our Neighbour godly that the Lord may not be defrauded of his Portion Sobriety respects the Duties of our personal Capacity Righteousness the Duties of our Relation to others and Piety the Duties of immediate Intercourse with God I begin with the first of the Apostle's Adverbs That we should live soberly Sobriety is a Grace very necessary we can neither be righteous nor pious without it for he that is not sober he takes to himself more than is due and so can neither give God nor Man their Portion If he be unsober he will be unjust he robs the Church of his Parts which are quenched in Pleasure the Common-wealth of his Service the Family of their Maintenance and necessary Provision and then the Poor are robbed because that which should be spent in their Relief is wasted in Luxury And then he that is unsober cannot be godly for he doth not give God his Portion he robs God of his time and which is worse of his Heart for that being carried out to Pleasure it is deprived of the Fruition of God and transported from better Delights So that if we would discharge our Duty to God or Man if we would live righteously and piously we must live soberly Once more that you may a little conceive of the Weight and Consequence of this Discourse Sobriety is a part of Vertue 's Armor so much is intimated by the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.5 6. Add to your Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledg and to Knowledg Temperance and to Temperance Patience Vertue or Strictness of Life is rooted in Faith directed by Knowledg defended and maintained by Temperance and Patience by Temperance on the right hand and Patience on the left as Fortitude or Patience is necessary to arm Grace against Dangers so is Temperance or Sobriety to arm it against Pleasures and worldly Comforts It is hard to say which we need most Temperance or Patience we must expect Hardships and still we live among Snares but only Snares are more frequent than Troubles as more Birds are ensnared by the Net than killed by the Birding-piece Persecution hath slain its Thousands but Pleasures their ten Thousands Therefore you see Sobriety is of great Use in the spiritual Life As we need to press Faith as the Root of Vertue and Knowledg as the Guide of Vertue so we need to press Temperance and Patience as the Guard and Defence of Vertue Patience against the Troubles and Hardships that we meet with and Sobriety against the Comforts and Allurements of the present World Before I enter upon the Discussion of the present Argument let me first remove some Prejudices 1. Some Men think that to discourse of Sobriety will be to give you a moral Lecture not an Evangelical Discourse they would have us to preach Christ as if pressing the Duties of Religion were not a preaching Christ. Certainly we may preach that which Grace teacheth now Grace teacheth to live soberly The Truth is Men would be hinged and oiled with Grace and cannot endure the Strictness of moral Duties Here Conviction is easy and Conscience maketh Guilt fly in the Face and therefore Men cannot endure this kind of Preaching I tell you to preach Sobriety and Temperance is to preach Christ. It is said Acts 24.24 After certain Days when Felix came with his Wife Drusilla which was a Iewess he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the Faith in Christ. Paul Let us hear somewhat of Christ. Now what doth Paul preach of ver 25. And as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Iudgment to come Felix trembled There is his preaching Christ. To preach Christ is to press whatever the Christian Religion requireth and in that manner and upon those terms And when Paul saith 1 Cor. 2.2 I have determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him crucified it was because that was the controverted Truth the Truth then in Question and most opposed for the Doctrine of the Cross was to the Iews a Stumbling-block and to the Greeks Foolishness 1 Cor. 1.23 Now saith the Apostle as foolish a Doctrine as it is I have determined to know nothing else among you not to prescribe in other Cases but to confine our Meditations to the Doctrine of the Cross. There are other Arguments necessary and must take their turn and place 2. Some Men think that they are above these Directions to be taught how to eat and drink and that every Man hath Prudence enough to govern his Appetite But consider Christ thought meet to warn his own Disciples Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your Hearts be over-charged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and Cares of this Life A Man would think it a needless Direction to such holy Men yet saith Christ Take heed And certainly Sin is not grown less dangerous nor we more holy than the Apostles Besides now if ever is there need of such kind of Preaching some Men profess to live to the Height of the Creature and so make Lust as wanton as it is dangerous always to go near the Pit's Brink and he that doth all that he may will soon do more than he should It is a Character of prophane Men Iude 12. Feeding themselves without Fear The Throat is a slippery Place and had need be watch'd and kept with Fear We find that an over-spiritual Preaching hath made Men loose and careless and that moral Duties need to be pressed 3. Another Prejudice there is against this Doctrine Men shift it off to others We conceive of Gluttony Drunkenness and Covetousness otherwise than Christ did and therefore do not judg such Discourses necessary We conceive Drunkenness and Gluttony to be an outragious Excess when we hear of Gluttons and Drunkards we think of them vomiting staggering reeling not being able to speak or able to go faltring in Speech and Language But the Scripture sets out other manner of Drunkards these are the Effects the Punishment rather than the Fault And so when we hear of Covetousness then we think of some sordid Wretch or else of some Oppressor that gets Wealth by Rapine and Extortion or the apparent use of unlawful means and so we wipe our Lips and think we are clean But now that which is counted Surfeiting and Drunkenness and Covetousness before God is the over-charging the Heart Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest your Hearts be over-charged c. A Man's Heart may be over-charged though his Stomach is not when he cannot freely meditate upon
but a small matter in comparison of what God hath provided for you A Christian's Blessings are future his Crosses are present therefore we need some Support Now Hope is of great use in Affliction and Temptation this appears by the Comparisons that are used it is called an Anchor in the stormy Gusts of Temptations and a Helmet in all Spiritual Conflicts There are Fightings without and Fears within here is an Helmet here is an Anchor Hope is the Anchor of the Soul and the Apostle reckons up all the Properties of a good Anchor it must be firm sharp and enter into good Ground so saith he Heb. 6.19 Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the Vail here is a sure hold-fast upon good Ground it is a weighty Anchor which will not bow nor break Mariners when they have cast out a good Anchor which is fastned to the Ship with a strong Cable they sleep quietly tho the Winds blow and the Storms and Tempests arise they know the Anchor will keep them from floating and dashing upon the Rocks So Hope is a good Anchor Then it is an Helmet Ephes. 6.17 And take the Helmet of Salvation that is Hope 1 Thess. 5.8 And for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation The Apostle reckons up all the pieces of the Spiritual Armour Faith that is a Shield for the Body but Hope that is an Helmet for the Head as long as we can lift up our Heads and look up to Heaven we are safe whatever befals us it will hold out in the midst of all the fiery Darts that are cast at us 6. This looking for the blessed Hope is of use to resist Temptations Sin makes many Promises and so prevaileth by Carnal Hopes Balaam was moved to curse God's People against his Conscience but when he boggled and stuck at it Come saith Balac I will give thee Gold and Silver this puts quickening into him The Fool in the Gospel promised himself long Life Luke 12.19 Soul Soul thou hast Goods laid up for many Years take thine Ease eat drink and be merry So Ier. 44.17 We will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own Mouth to burn Incense unto the Queen of Heaven as we have done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Judah and in the Streets of Jerusalem for then had we plenty of Victuals and were well and saw no Evil. And so the Devil comes to Christ and makes the Temptation as strong as he can Mat. 4.8 9. He sheweth him all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them And saith unto him All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me And Babylon's Fornication was presented in a Golden Cup there are Baits of Honour and Preferment to draw them to Popery and Heresy Now Faith sets Promise against Promise and Heaven against Earth and the Pleasure at God's Right-hand against Carnal Delight As one Nail drives out another so one Hope and one Promise drives out another Carnal Motions are defeated by Spiritual Promises and those Motions that are presented to the Soul SERMON XIII TITUS II. 13 Looking for c. Vse 1. INformation 1. It informs us that we may look for the Reward Those Men would be wiser than God that deny us a Liberty to make use of the Spirit 's Motives they begrudg God's Bounty To what end should God propound Rewards but that we should close with them by Faith Graces may be exercised about their proper Objects without Sin It requireth some Faith to aim at things not seen The World is drowned in Sense and present Satisfactions they are Mercenaries that must have Pay in hand their Souls droop if they do not meet with Credit Applause and Profit they make Man their Pay-master They have the Spirit of a Servant that prizes present Wages above the Inheritance but it is the Work of Grace to look for the blessed Hope and a great help to us in our Work It was the Comfort of Christ's Human Soul Heb. 12.2 Who for the Ioy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the Shame Christ as Man was to have rational Comforts and human Encouragements Nothing is sinful but coveting the Reward whilst we neglect the Work when we will be Mercenarii but not Operarii we would receive the Reward but not do our Work We are all born Libertines we would sever the Reward from the Duty Hosea 10.11 Ephraim is an Heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the Corn but not to break the Clods in treading out the Corn there was Pleasure and Profit but in breaking the Clods Pain and Labour Or else we sin in having a carnal Notion of Heaven our looking for Heaven is like their looking for Christ as the Consolation of Israel Some of the Jews look for a carnal Messiah so do many Christians for a carnal Heaven for base Pleasures fleshly Delights such Hopes debase the Heart it is the Priviledg of our Profession that we have a sublime Hope Or else we sin in looking for the Reward as the Fruit of Merit if we expect it as Wages for Work done we are Mercenaries Sin and Death are as Work and Wages Rom. 6.23 The Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Eternal Life is a Donative What is the reason of this Difference because wicked Men stand upon their own bottom but Christ hath obtained this Priviledg for us Wicked Works are ours meerly evil but the Good we do is by God's Grace as a Servant tradeth with his Master's Estate I am bound to do Good and am forbidden to sin when I do that which is forbidden I deserve Punishment but when I do that which is commanded I do not deserve a Reward because I am bound to do it Jude 21. Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto Eternal Life It is Mercy that we are called Mercy that we are glorified neither before Conversion nor after Conversion do we deserve any thing We serve a good Master he hath provided Comforts for us not only against our Misery but our Unworthiness we have not only Glory as a Reward but Mercy as the cause of it Glory out of the hands of Mercy Thus must you look for the Reward and build your Hopes of it As you pray so must you expect now you will not pray Lord give me Heaven for I deserve it natural Conscience would blush at the Immodesty of such a Request Who would not have the Title of Inheritance rather than of Hire Again our own Happiness must not be our ultimate End Man was made for a twofold End to glorify God and enjoy him for ever they must both go together we must desire the Enjoyment of God that we may glorify God to all Eternity otherwise Interest swayeth us more than Duty First we love God out of
Prosper I pray thee thy Servant this Day and grant him Mercy in the sight of this Man for I was the King's Cup-bearer For Ordinances Mat. 11.23 And thou Capernaum which art exalted to Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell for if the mighty Works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained till this Day Where the Gospel is most clearly preached that Place and People is most clearly exalted and made nearest to Heaven But yet if these be not improved they bring you into the deeper state of Condemnation Persons honoured and favoured by God with spiritual Advantages shall be brought as low as they were formerly advanced Yea for Grace it self You are to be accountable not only for Corn and Wine and Oil but for the saving Gifts of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVhat do ye more than others Mat. 5.47 You are always to glorify his Name admire his Grace and live answerably to his Love and bring him into Request among all about you 4. Talents are increased the more they are imployed and we double our Gifts by the faithful use of them As the Widow's Oil increased in the spending and the Loaves in Christ's Miracle were multiplied in being divided and the right Arm by being much used is bigger and fuller of Spirits than the left Grace groweth by Exercise but decayeth by disuse Gifts if they be not employed are lost How many poor withered Christians are we acquainted with that are blasted and have suffered a shrewd loss by slacking their Zeal and want of diligent Exercise VVhosoever hath to him shall be given and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have Luke 8.18 To have is to use or imploy our present Stock 5. We must give an Account to God We must not think that when God hath given or committed any thing to us he will not look after it any more No he will call us to an Account what Honour he hath by us as Magistrates Ministers or Masters of Families Beasts are not called to an Account for they have no Reason and Conscience but Man is God will ask what you have done with your Time Strength and Estate An Ambassador that is sent abroad to serve his King and Country if he could return no other account of his Negotiation but that he had spent so much of his Time in visiting the Court-Ladies and so much again in Play in Cards or Dice that he could not mind the Employment he was sent about would this satisfy the King that sent him Or if a Factor that is sent to a Mart or Fair should say that he stayed so long guzling at the next Ale-house that the time was over e're he could part with his Companions and riotously wasted the Money that he was to employ in Traffick These are odd things as they are represented to your Imagination Now consider how little better Answer you can make to God when he shall require and ask his own of you 6. Consider what a sad thing it is to have Gifts only to leave us without excuse As the Gentiles had the Light of Nature God left not himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Witness among them Acts 14.17 But what was the Issue The invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse Rom. 1.20 God is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a Witness and they are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without excuse they have not the excuse of faultless Ones To others the Word is preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Witness to them Mat. 24.14 The Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the VVorld for a VVitness to all Nations But it is Mark 13.9 For a Testimony against them And the Lord would have Ezekiel preach That they might know that a Prophet hath been amongst them Ezek. 2.5 So that all the Fruit is God is clear when he judgeth but they have no saving Benefit by all this 7. That in improving what is committed to our Trust our Returns must carry Proportion with our Receipts Mat. 25.16 17. He that had received the five Talents went and traded with them and made them other five Talents And likewise he that received two he also gained other two God will not accept of every Rendering For the Mercies of common Providence it is said 2 Chron. 32.25 He rendered something but not according to the Benefit done unto him So for the Mercies of his Covenant where he pardoneth much he expecteth to be loved much Luke 7.47 Her Sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much But to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little So for Sanctification he expecteth more from them to whom he hath given more Grace Paul saith 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all So for all other Talents Ordinances and Means of Knowledg God expecteth more from them to whom they are vouchsafed than from another People as is evident in his Judgments You only have I known of all the Nations of the Earth therefore will I punish you for your Iniquities The Valley of Vision had the sorest Burden Isa. 22.1 Yea it is more easy to be saved for some than others Righteousness consists in a Proportion which holdeth good both in our Duty and God's Judgments But of this hereafter 8. Consider how many Encouragements God's Stewards have to be faithful 1. His Right is clear as appeareth by this double plain Argument God doth dispose of these Gifts at his own pleasure by his Providence and by his Laws he hath regulated the use of them that thus and thus we shall employ them 2. God hath given a liberal Allowance to every Steward which he employeth He is well provided for for he is an Instrument of God's Providence first to provide for himself and for his own 1 Tim. 5.8 But if any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own House he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel 3. Besides the Gifts we are intrusted withal there is co-operating Grace to help us to be faithful Phil. 2.13 He worketh in us both to will and to do Else we should swallow the Gift and little mind the Use. Col. 1.29 Whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily 4. There is an eternal Reward to the Faithful Mat. 25.23 Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful in a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the Ioy of thy Lord. All his Servants shall be highly dignified as those whom Christ delighteth to honour SERMON II. LUKE XII 48 For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom Men have committed much of them will they ask the more Doct. II. THese Gifts
They do not make us corrupt or put Corruption into us but only discover the Corruption that is there already as when we fill a leaky Vessel the unsoundness of it is seen as soon as it is fill'd it begins to run out Our Corruptions are drawn out by these things and plainly discovered to the World when the Fault is not in the Riches but in the Lust. 2. When Wealth is spoken of as an Estate full of spiritual danger it is rather to check our desires of it than to lessen God's Bounty as if there were no Obligation upon us by thâ—se Temporal Blessings If we covet and seek great things for our selves we do but run into the mouth of Temptation 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition We are to bless God for his Bounty but we are to guard our own Hearts and contract our desires before the Will of God is declar'd When we ask Riches we know not what we ask Do not aim at great things for your selves in the World 3. Wealth considered not as sought by us but as given by God needeth peculiar and special Grace to improve it because we must not only look to the manner of Acquisition but to the manner of Fruition It is true we have honestly acquired it it comes to us fairly but then we must see how we enjoy it Some are rich because they are wicked having gotten their Wealth by unjust and indirect means but others are Wicked because they are Rich being corrupted by the Enjoyment of them There are some Gifts of God that are Absolutè bona so absolutely good that they can never be evil such things do certainly make the owner or him that possesseth them good too as the Graces of the Spirit Faith in Christ the Love of God Fear of his Name but one may be rich but yet never the better Nay consider Man in statu lapso fallen from God to the Creature he is easily made worse and usually is too and that by the good things he doth enjoy if the Lord doth not vouchsafe to him his Grace 4. I Answer again When Temporal Blessings follow Eternal then it is well as Wisdom with an Inheritance is good And Solomon asked Wisdom and with it God gave him Riches and Honour in great abundance but where they are given singly and apart so they are given to God's Enemies Elijah was poor and Ahab rich Paul that holy Man was in Prison and bound with a Chain and Nero at the same time Emperor of the World God hath Gifts for all his Creatures some in one way some in another shall find him a good God Jesus Christ that gave his Holy Spirit to the best of the Apostles gave the Bagg to Iudas Nay Jesus Christ himself that had the Spirit without measure chose a poor Estate He that made a Fish to pay him Tribute could as well have made Men to do so he that multiplyed a few Loaves could have encreased his Stock he that made the World could have built himself a stately Pallace but when he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor 2 Cor. 8.9 that he might lanctifie holy Poverty in his own Person and honour by it his own Example and usually he cuts his Children short while wicked Men live in Plenty Therefore they that meerly have Riches that is that have it apart from Grace are in a worse Condition than those that are kept low and bare As a Child may be Dieted for its Health while a Servant is left to a free Allowance so God knows our Weakness And they understand nothing in Divinity that do not know this that God works congruously and will not only give strength but will also abate the Temptation it self and not suffer us to have over much in the World lest it should become a Snare to us So much for the Persons spoken of They that have Riches 2. The Priviledge in Debate that which is denyed or hardly vouchsafed to them is Entering into the Kingdom of God By which is meant 1. The Kingdom of Grace and so the meaning is they are uncapable of the Doctrine of Christ as the thorny Ground was of the good Seed Now what are they that answer to the thorny ground they that are choaked with the Cares and Riches and Pleasures of this Life Luk. 8.14 that 's the Heart wherein Christianity cannot enter with any good effect and success these choak and destroy many hopeful seeds of Grace which would otherwise spring forth in a lively diligence and earnest pursuit of that one thing necessary And this may be the meaning of how hardly do they enter viz. the great difficulty of rich Men's becoming the Disciples of Christ and the truth is at the first setting forth of the Gospel it was verified by plain Experience for it is said Matth. 11.5 among other Miracles which Christ wrought he tells us the poor have the Gospel preached unto them it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are all to be Gospelled and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not many wise men after the flesh nor many mighty nor many noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 not many of that Order and Rank 2. Entering into the Kingdom of God may be expounded of being made partakers of his Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven this follows necessarily upon the former for if they are uncapable of Grace they are uncapable of Glory And this is true too Iames 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this World rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom And this was such a truth that even the Scoffers and Opposers of the Christian Religion took notice of it Iulian the Apostate in his Epistle to Ecebolius speaking scoffingly of those Passages saith I have taken away from these Gallileans some of their wealth that they might not be deprived of the Heavenly Kingdom which their Master promised them 3. The thing spoken of these Persons with respect to that Priviledge there the Form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Have it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Hesichius a form of Admiration And the matter How hardly It is not an utter impossibility but a very great difficulty All Men are saved with difficulty If the righteous scarcely are saved 1 Pet. 4.18 It is no easie matter but it is more difficult for them than others It is passionately expressed Oh how hardly it is the greatest difficulty imaginable such as made the Disciples wonder they were astonished at his words Ver. 24. Afterwards it is set forth by the Proverb of a Camel passing through the Eye of a Needle Ver. 25. Many foolish Conceits men have about this whereas in truth it is nothing but a Iewish Proverb to shew it is a very unusual thing of extraordinary difficulty not to be removed but by the Almighty Power of God but with God all things are possible V. 27. Not
but as an Head Root He is your Righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 and 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him You have the Effect of his Merit and Obedience to plead to God he is your Blessedness for the present Col. 1.27 Christ in you the Hope of Glory All the Fatherly goodness of God cometh to you by him all your Helps Mercies and Hopes are founded in him alone 't is he presents your Requests to God and you take all your Mercies out of his Hands 1 Cor. 8.6 To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Your Petitions are presented by the Hands of him who is the Beloved of God 2. That Faith doth give him this Esteem as it is an Assent Consent and Affiance 1. As an Assent we believing what he is hath done and doth still do for us therefore we prize him Faith knoweth him partly by what the Word revealeth Ioh. 4.10 If thou knewest the Gift of God and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living Water And Ioh. 6.40 This is the Will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life They see such an Excellency Fulness and Alsufficiency in him as draweth off their Hearts from all other things and they cleave to him alone Partly by Experimental Feeling that he is such a one to us As they see him to be such they find him to be such 1 Pet. 3.3 If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious The Word revealeth and Experience findeth him to be so 2. As 't is a Consent We see Christ is so Necessary for us so Beneficial to us that we accept him for our Lord and Saviour and count all the choicest Concernments in the World but base things in comparison of his Grace therefore forsaking all others we devote our selves to him and are marryed to the Lord that we may bring forth Fruit to God Rom. 7.4 Nothing is allowed to rival Christ in the Soul or to be a Competitor with him Hos. 3.3 This is the Form of the Conjugal Covenant Thou shalt not be for another but thou shalt be for me 3. As 't is a Trust and Affiance in him that we may be reconciled to God and saved by him from Sin and Punishment and so be brought safe into a State of perfect Happiness every one of these Benefits doth endear him to the Soul Surely dependance will beget Observance and we will love him and please him in whose Hands we venture our all even our Eternal Interests and Concernments 3. The Notes or how this Esteem will shew its self 1. In labouring to get Christ above all This is the prime Care and must be carryed on whatever is left undone Matth. 16.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you Psal. 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the dayes of my Life to behold the Beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Prov. 4.7 Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get Wisdom and with all thy getting get understanding The Accessary things must give way to the Principal the Arbitrary things to the Necessary Food and Raiment is not so necessary as Christ Temporal Want is not so great an evil as Eternal Misery Well then Communion with God in Christ must be minded whatever is neglected Most Mens Time and Labour is layed out upon unsatisfying Vanities their Life and Love and Time and Strength and Care is spent on Worldly things and have seldom and cold Thoughts of Salvation by Christ cannot deny themselves a little Worldly Pleasure or Carnal Ease that they may attend upon this Work to get an Interest in Christ's renewing and reconciling Grace Of those that were invited to the Marriage-Feast 't is said Matth. 22.5 They made light of it 2. A Care in keeping Christ above all Nothing should be so near and dear to you as Christ He is your Life and your Strength Your great Care is that he may lye as a Bundle of Myrrhe in your Bosoms Cant. 1.13 A bundle of Myrrhe is my well-beloved unto me he shall lye all Night betwixt my Breasts or dwell in your Hearts by Faith Eph. 3.17 Christ is all in all to you You are loth to put the Comforts of his Presence to hazard for a little Carnal Satisfaction are chary and tender of your Respects to your Redeemer that he be not displeased or provoked to withdraw by any unkind dealing of yours Whatever Temptations would withdraw you from your Duty you reject with loathing and indignation Christ hath pitched upon this as the true and proper Evidence of our Love to him and Esteem of him Ioh. 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him We are apt to flatter our selves with an Airy Religion that we value Christ and prize Christ if so we will be careful he be not offended and displeased 3. By a Willingness to lose all rather than lose Christ Luke 14.33 Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple Counting the most dishonourable things in the World as honourable for his sake Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the Treasures in Egypt for he had respect unto the recompense of Reward Acts 5.41 And they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name They see a Beauty in his despised wayes You can Worship Christ as the Wise Men did though in a Stable and are contented to be made Vile for his sake 2 Sam. 6.22 I will yet be more vile than thus and will be base in my own sight And we read of Marsacus when he was led forth to suffer and because of his Quality they bound him not as they did others he cryed out Cur non me quoque Torquem donas c Why do you not give me also my Chain and make me a Knight of this Noble Order Some will pretend to prize Christ but can hardly suffer a disgraceful word for him or endure to be brow-beaten with a Frown 4. By delighting in Him and the Testimonies of his Love above all things else Faith must breed such a Confidence in Christ as keepeth up our delight in him and such a delight and well-pleasedness of Mind as we find not elsewhere Psal. 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more
the Commandments ver 3. and presently he speaketh of Victory over the World The World is the great Enemy of the Commandments and till it be overcome a Christian can have no Comfort but still be contesting with God as Pharaoh was and slighting every Message 3. This Contest on Pharaoh's part is managed with slightings and contempt of God on God's part with Mercy and Condescension On Pharaoh's part with slightings and contempt of God Exod. 5.2 And Pharaoh said Who is the Lord that I should obey his Voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Words of profane Contempt Who is the Lord as if he should say Am not I King of Egypt Who is my Peer much less my Superiour and my Lord I know not the Lord. Ere God hath done with Pharaoh he shall know him to the purpose Mark the Words I know not and then I will not Hardness is the usual effect of Blindness Errors of Mind go on to Errors of Heart I will not know I will not hear of it I care not for such a Duty nor will I weigh or consider what is God's Will concerning me The Eye affecteth the Heart Pharaoh did not consider what it was to deal with God and then doubleth the Burdens of the Israelites But now on God's part it is managed with Sweetness and Kindness God from the beginning foreknew the Hardness of Pharaoh's Heart and therefore might have swept him away of a sudden but he giveth him frequent Warnings and Convictions He would have Men convinced e're they are punished Foregoing Mercy sheweth the Righteousness of ensuing Wrath. In all the progress of the Story the first Miracles were before him the next upon him And every Judgment is threatned before it be executed God telleth what he would do to warn Pharaoh In one Plague it is notable that God doth not only threaten the Judgment but sendeth a gracious Warning to bid him take his Cattle out of the Fields Exod. 9.19 Send therefore now and gather thy Cattle and all that thou hast in the Field for upon every Man and Beast which shall be found in the Field and shall not be brought home the Hail shall come down upon them and they shall die To shew that God delighteth not in the Ruine and Destruction of the Creature and to make Pharaoh the more liable to Condemnation and to spare such among the Egyptians as had some Fear of God remaining in them but chiefly to harden Pharaoh the more Exod. 10.1 And the Lord said unto Moses Go in unto Pharaoh for I have hardned his Heart and the Heart of his Servants that I might shew these my Signs before him Moses might say Lord therefore let me never go to Pharaoh but saith God Go in unto him for I have hardned his Heart God continueth the Means though he denieth Grace and the Wicked must be admonished though they will not be reformed In the hardning of Sinners God usually observeth this Course by Mercies and the Meâ—ns of Grace they are convinced and hardned at the same time there is still new matter of glorifying God and hardning the Creature 4. The first Plague on Pharaoh's Heart is Delusion Moses worketh Miracles turneth Aaron's Rod into a Serpent Rivers into Blood bringeth Frogs and the Magicians still do the same God permitteth these Magical Impostures to leave Pharaoh in his wilful Error It is probable that what the Magicians did was not real but a mere Delusion of the Senses but the Lord doth not discover the Cheat because his present Aim was not to shame Satan but to harden Pharaoh therefore he suffered the Devil to imitate the true Miracles without Discovery It is sad when Men chuse false Teachers to themselves and God suffereth them to be blinded Hosea 4.17 Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone They may have some Parts plausible Elocution Gifts of Prayer there may be common Effects wrought by them these things blind Men and their Hearts are set upon Familism and Antinomianism let them alone Exod. 7.22 The Magicians of Egypt did so with their Inchantments and Pharaoh ' s Heart was hardned This was one means of hardning his Heart the Magicians wrought the same Miracles that Moses and Aaron did God suffereth Men to be hardned by their own Choice 5. God was not wanting to give Pharaoh sufficient means of Conviction The Magicians turned their Rods into Serpents but Aaron's Rod swallowed up their Rods Exod. 7.12 Which sheweth God's supereminent Power They could not deliver him from the Frogs though they could bring Frogs God may suffer the Devil to add to the Judgment but to relieve them is an Act of Mercy the Magicians could add to the Plagues but they could not deliver him from them the Devil can sooner bring a Plague than remove it This was warning enough there was Difficulty enough to harden them and Light enough to convince them Again the Magicians were non-plust in their Art Exod. 8.18 And the Magicians did so with their Inchantments to bring forth Lice but they could not They sought to bring forth Lice and could not being hindred by God's Will They that could bring forth Frogs could not bring forth Lice the greater the Possibility the more are the Magicians abashed this was an easy Miracle All Colour of Excuse is taken away from Pharaoh they confess This is the Finger of God Exod. 8.19 and yet Pharaoh's Heart was hardned as many will not be won to the Truth by the Confession of those that led them into the Mistake Nay afterwards the Magicians themselves were smitten with Boils Exod. 9.11 12. And the Magicians could not stand before Moses because of the Boils for the Boil was upon the Magicians and upon all the Egyptians And the Lord hardned the Heart of Pharaoh and he hearkned not unto them If the hard Heart go to Hell it is not for want of Light but Grace We may wonder as much at the Success as at the Plagues To what a Height of Obstinacy will Man come if he be let alone to Plagues for all this while Pharaoh's Heart was hardened 6. Observe in one of the Plagues Israel might have stolen away whether Pharaoh would or no Exod. 10.22 23. And Moses stretched forth his Hand towards Heaven and there was a thick Darkness in all the Land of Egypt three Days They saw not one another neither rose any from his Place for three Days but all the Children of Israel had Light in their Dwellings They were not only deprived of the Light of Heaven but of Candles and Torches the Air was condensed with thick Clouds and the Mists and Vapors so thick that they would easily have damped them and put them out again Now whilst they were under the Power of three Days Darkness the Israelites might have stolen away and have gone three Days Journey in the Wilderness before they could have made any Pursuit but God had more Miracles to be done When he
Lingua Petiliani non est ventilabrum Christi It is well that every angry Christian's Tongue is not the Fan wherewith Christ will purge his Floor God considereth Men in his judgment not of this or that Party but as Righteous or Wicked II. In what sense is this denied of God For it seemeth God doth respect Persons giving more Grace to one than another though both be equal in themselves I answer First The Text speaketh of what is done by God in his Government Respect of Persons is not faulty except it be in judgment for so it is forbidden to Man that neither the Poor nor the Rich should be favoured in the judgment of their cause Levit. 19.15 Thou shalt not respect the person of the Poor nor honour the person of the Mighty but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy Neighbour And so it is applied to God 1 Pet. 1.17 Who without respect of persons judgeth every one according to his works Therefore God may be considered two ways either as a righteous Governor of the World or as a free Lord. And the decision in short is this That God that is Arbitrary in his Gifts is not Arbitrary in his Judgments Therefore we must not exclude the free distribution of his Graces for God as a free Lord may give his benefits as he seeth meet for that is not a matter of right and wrong but of meer favour Thus God of his free mercy called the Gentiles who were further off from him than the Jews and may give the Gospel and the Grace of the Gospel to one and not to another when both are equally unworthy of it As to his Gifts he may do with his own as it pleaseth him Matth. 20.15 We can plead no right either by merit or promise On the other side if you consider God as a Governor who Governeth Mankind by a Law which hath Punishments and Rewards Punishments threatened and Rewards promised he judgeth according to that Law and as obliged by promise Compare Rom. 9.16 and 1 Cor. 9.24 In the one place It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth Mercy But in the other so run that ye may obtain How shall we reconcile these places The first place belongeth to Gods Dispensation as a Free Lord the second as a Righteous Governor All Acts of Government are dispensed according to Law and Rule but his Gifts according to his own Pleasure If you ask why he doth nor give effectual Grace to all and hinder Sin in all He is not a Debtor but a Free Lord though we are all Children of Wrath though God seeth no more in one than another yet it pleases him to shew more Mercy to one than to another He speaketh not here of the Sovereign will and good pleasure of God who taketh into favour one that is of himself as unworthy as another but his love towards the Work of Grace in whomsoever it is found He speaks of his consequent rewarding Grace in dispensing of which he looketh not to outward Prerogatives or Observances 2. In his Gifts of Grace he doth not respect Persons or Nations or outward Prerogatives but the Counsel of his own Will He hath Mercy on whom he will have Mercy passing by others which are nobler richer wiser He is not moved by any bye Respects to any thing in the Creatures so to do Even so father for so it pleaseth thee Matth. 11.27 III. What is the meaning of this Qualification That feareth God and worketh righteousness and the respect which each hath to the other The Answer must be given according to the several acceptions of the Words Fear and Righteousness which may be taken strictly or largely 1. Strictly So the Fear of God implyeth his Worship Deut. 6.24 The Lord commanded us to fear the Lord our God for our good always or all that Duty of Man which is immediately given to God And Righteousness is also taken for the whole Duty of the second Table as often in Scripture Now thus it maketh a good sense for all Religion consists in these two The Faithful discharging our Duty to God and Man There are two Tables and we are to take care of both that we do not give Offence to God or Men by neglecting our Duty to either Acts 24.16 Herein do I exercise my self to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man So Rom. 12.17 Providing things honest in the sight of all men neither offending against the Rules of Justice or Mercy but abounding in the Exercise of both 2. Both are taken largely Fear for the principle of our Obedience to God and Righteousness for the Fruits of it whether they belong to the first or second Table As 1 Iohn 3.7 He that doth righteousness is righteous So that here Peter observeth the right order he beginneth with Fear as the Root of all Duty and Worship and then proceedeth to the Fruit which is an uniform constant impartial Obedience to the whole Law Which Method is also observed in other Scriptures As Psal. 112.1 Blessed is the man that feareth God and delighteth greatly in his commandments And Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were such an heart in them to fear me and keep my precepts This sense I choose and prefer and therefore shall examine 1. Why Fear is made the Principle 2. Why working Righteousness is required as the Fruit. 1. Why Fear is made the Principle of Obedience Certainly not to exclude Faith in Christ for without him we can do nothing Iohn 15.5 At least nothing acceptably Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God And God is especially to be reverenced and adored for his Goodness in Christ Hos. 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter day Let us a little then consider 1. What is this Fear of God 2. Why is it required as the Principle of all our Actions 1. What is it Holy Fear is of two kinds the Fear of Reverence and the Fear of Caution The Fear of Reverence respects God and not our selves Fear of Reverence is grounded on the Nature of God his Majesty Holiness Goodness and Justice The Fear of Caution upon the weightiness of the Work we have to do and our own Weakness The Fear of Reverence maketh us walk strictly the Fear of Caution watchfully 1. The Fear of Reverence is necessary or an awful regard of God that we may not offend him or displease him or give him just cause of being angry with us who is of such glorious Majesty Ier. 10.7 Who would not fear thee O thou King of Nations Of such unspotted Holiness Rev. 15.4 Who would not fear thee O Lord for thou only art holy 2. The Fear of Caution is necessary to make us watchful against Temptations The Work is weighty if we miscarry we are undone for ever Heb. 4.1 Let us fear lest a promise being left us any of you should come short of it We are
diverted either by the comfortable or troublesome things we meet with here in the World Not by the comfortable things 1 Pet. 1.13 Wherefore gird up the Lâ—yns of your Mind be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Iesus Christ. Nor by the troublesome things of the World Rom. 8.39 Nor height nor depth nor any other Crâ—ature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iâ—sus our Lord Well then the Supreme Good or Fruition of the ever-blessed GOD is believed sought after waited for we know it by Faith we seek it by Love we wait for the enjoyment of it by Hope Faith affordeth us Light to discover it and direct us to it Love possesseth the Soul with a Desire to enjoy it and Hope giveth us a Confidence of obtaining it through Jesus Christ our Lord. III. Their Use in the Spiritual Conflict 1. They impel us to do our Duty with all diligence whatever Temptations we have to the contrary 1 Thess. 1.3 Remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labour of Love and patience of Hope Whence you see Work is ascribed to Faith Labour to Love and Patience to Hope Work to Faith because that Grace is working and ready to break out into Obedience 2 Thess. 1.11 And the Work of Faith with Power Labour to Love because Love puts Men upon Industry and Diligence they that love God will be hard at work for him Heb. 6.10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your Work and Labour of Love Patience to Hope because that Grace produceth Endurance and Constancy 2 Thess. 3.5 The Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. And the good Ground brought forth Fruit with Patience Luk. 8.19 In short you see these Graces are of an Operative and Vigorous Nature Faith is but a dead Opinion unless it break out into practice Love but a cold Approbation of the Ways of God unless we overcome our Slothfulness Hope but a few slight Thoughts of Heaven unless we persevere and hold out till the time of Retribution cometh 2. These Graces restrain and subdue those corrupt Inclinations which are yet in the Heart and would be a great impediment to us if they be not more and more overcome such as Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts Atheism or a denial of Gods Being and unbelief or distrust of his Promises Worldly Lusts Tit. 2.12 Teaching us to deny Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts. That is to say Worldly Fears and Worldly Desires or in one word the Sensual Inclination called the Spirit of the World These can never be overcome without Faith by which the Mind is soundly perswaded of the Truth of Salvation by Christ nor without Love by which the Will is firmly resolved and bent upon it nor without Hope by which the Executive Powers are fortified and strengthened in their Operations In short when the Doctrine of Christ concerning things to be believed and done is first propounded to us it findeth us wedded to the World and intangled in the Vanities thereof but as this Doctrine is received and believed the bent and inclination of our Souls is altered a new byass is put upon us and our love to God and heavenly things is more and more increased the Heart is set to seek after God and that with the greatest earnestness and diligence Without this the Carnal and Worldly Inclination prevaileth over us As in the want of Faith Heb. 3.12 Take heed Brethren lest thâ—re bâ— in any of you an evil Heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Want of Love 1 Iohn 2.15 16. Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the World the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but is of the World Want of Hope Heb. 10.35 Cast not away therefore your Confidence which hath great recompense of reward Many are beaten out of their Christianity at last because they cannot tarry for Christ's Recompences 3. To fortifie us against all evil without Besides Corruptions within there are Temptations without manifold Afflictions which Satan maketh use of to draw us to sin Now these three Graces arm us against them 2 Tim. 1.7 where he speaketh of enduring the Afflictions of the Gospel by the power of God God hath not given us a Spâ—râ—â— of Fear but of Power of Love and of a sound Mind Faith Hope and Love are intended thereby by a Spirit of Power meaning Hope which breedeth â—ortitude notwithstanding Dangers and Threats of Men Love retaineth its own Name and by the sound Mind is meant Faith All these help us to encounter the Difficulties and Hardships of our Pilgrimage and breed in us a Tranquility of Mind and Contentedness in every State 4. Without Faith Hope and Love we cannot pray to God nor entertain any sweet Communion with him while we dwell in Flesh. Iude 20.21 But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy-Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternal life That Clause Praying in the Holy-Ghost is to be referred in common to them all praying to be built up in our most holy Faith praying to be kept in the love of God praying that we may look for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus to Eternal Life Prayer is not an Exercise only of our natural Faculties but also of the three fundamental Graces of the Spirit There are three Agents in Prayer the Humane Spirit the new Nature and the Spirit of God The Humane Spirit for by the Understanding and Memory we work upon the Will and Affections The new Nature as Prayer is the work of Faith Hope and Love And the Holy-Ghost is there mentioned as also Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God The middle is to our purpose now Prayer is a Work of Faith as the great Mysteries of our most holy Faith are therein reduced to Practice Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one spirit unto the father Love is acted in Prayer as we delight our selves in conversing with God all our Desires and Groans in Prayer are acts of Love expressing our Longings after more of God Hope is acted in Prayer as we express our Trust in God and the Merits and Intercession of Christ and plead his gracious Promises Prayer it self is but Hope put into Language Psal. 62.8 Trust in him at all
look after immortal Blessedness 1174 Immutable Things God's Word and Oath are two immutable things 205 How we should improve these two immutable things 207 How we should meditate on these two immutable things ibid. When we should meditate on them 210 Impotency It is impossible for Man of his own Strength to get to Heaven 404 Whence this Impotency ariseth 405 The Reasons of this Impotency 407 Incouragements against our Impotency ibid. Incarnation of Christ the Reasons of it 535 Vid. Humane Nature Injuries to be done to no Man 82 Injuries of others to be born with Patience 85 Intercession of Christ what it is 1147 Inventions How Man sought out many Inventions 1154 What are these Inventions 1155 Why they are said to be many Inventions 1158 The Folly and Mischief of Man's Inventions 1154 Inward Man It is a comfortable thing when the inward Man is in good state 428 Joy in God Vid. Rejoicing Judgment-Day why called a Day 277 Why it is to be preached 1035 1036 The Judgment-Day an Argument to press Repentance 279 Why Christ as Judg of the World is called Man and the Son of Man 278 Justice to do as we would be done by how to be understood 86 Why we are to be just and righteous 87 Rules of Justice 82 Vid. Righteousness Just Man What is meant by the just Man 1053 Just Men will discourse to Edification ibid. Vid. Tongue K KIngs Believers are Kings and how 1182 Kingdom That Christ hath a spiritual Kingdom 847 The Administration of Christ's Kingdom two-fold internal and external 715 This Kingdom of Christ should be submitted to and why 849 What makes Men dislike Christ's Reign and Government 851 The Gospel-Kingdom is a Kingdom of Light Life and Love 794 What is opposite to the Gospel-Kingdom 795 Knowledg How Christ grew in Knowledg and Wisdom â—55 Known What it is to be known of God 873 Why they that know God so as to love him are known of God 874 How God knows his People 1182 L LAid How Sin was laid on Christ 1126 Sin being laid on Christ is taken off from the Creature 1127 Lamb. Christ and a Lamb compared 1116 Christ and the Sacrifice Lamb compared 1117 Christ and the Paschal Lamb compared ibid. What of Christ is represented to us in the Paschal Lamb 1118 How we are to behold Christ as the Lamb of God 1122 Law How the Law shuts Men up under Sin 308 Laws of Christ the Nature of them 851 Directions for Obedience to Christ's Laws 854 Lenity of the Gospel opened 265 Life eternal who they are that shall enjoy it 1230 Light of Faith compared with the Light of Sense Reason Prophecy and Glory 971 Light of Faith and Prophecy how they agree and how they differ 477 Long-suffering of God a great Mercy 940 Looking Looking to the blessed Hope what it is 105 What Influence thâ—s looking to the blessed Hope hath to work us to a spiritual Life 108 Inferences from hence 110 Directions how to look for the blessed Hope 115 How we are to look to Christ 755 Looking for Christ's Coming what is implied in it 137 The Advantage of it 135 Trial whether we look for Christ's Coming 138 Looking to eternal things what it implies 970 Those that look to eternal things can do and suffer great things for God 973 Directions to look to eternal things 977 Lord. When God is honoured as the supreme Lord 38 Lost. In what sense we are said to be lost 884 Sense of our lost Condition necessary ibid. How Christ seeks and saves that that was lost Vid. Seeking Saving Love what it is 1102 The Objects of it ibid. The Acts of it 1103 Love must be abounding and wherein 431 Love of Christ in our Redemption 515 1178 The Properties of the Love of Christ 1179 Christ loves those that have amiable Qualities and the Reasons of it 325 What Vse we should not make of this Love of Christ 326 What Vse we should make of it ibid. What Love Christ hath to moral Vertues now in Heaven 329 Love to God What sincere Love to God is 869 The Object of it ibid. The Acts of it 870 Wherein the Sincerity of Love to God is seen 872 Marks of sincere Love to God 876 Love to God should be joined with our Knowledg of God 875 Why Love to God should be exercised at the Sacrament 876 How it should be exercised at the Sacrament ib. Love of the World They that love the World will renounce Christ 362 How the Love of the World makes us uncapable of serving God 363 Lusts what they are 42 Lusts to be checked and why 53 Lusts worldly what they are and why so called 43 Some Distinctions about worldly Lusts ib. Lusts of the Flesh Lusts of the Eye and Pride of Life what is meant by them 44 45 46 Worldly Lusts unsutable to the New Nature 50 Those that are under the Power of worldly Lusts have no Interest in Christ 51 What it is to deny worldly Lusts 46 The difficulty of denying worldly Lusts 48 How Grace teacheth us to deny worldly Lusts 49 Motives to deny worldly Lusts 53 56 Lie What Lying is 841 When we may be said to give God the Lie 205 M MEans of Grace to be used 1079 They prosper best in Grace that most diligently use the Means 1080 Meat and Drink Sobriety in Meats and Drinks why necessary to be spoken to 73 Who are most especially to be sober in the use of Meat and Drink ib. When we sin in the use of Meat and Drink ib. Whether is worse Excess in Meat or in Drink 72 Mediator The Necessity of a Mediator 960 The Fitness of Christ for this Office Ibid. Christ's Work as Mediator 961 The Comfort and Duty resulting from Christ's being a Mediator 962 Who are interested in this Comfort and concerned in these Duties 964 Meditation what it is 607 The difference between Meditation Consideration and Contemplation 625 How Meditation differs from Study 606 630 The Kinds of Meditation 605 The Rank and Place Meditation hath among other Duties 608 The Place of Meditation 602 The Time of Meditation 6â—3 629 Some special Seasons of Meditation 629 632 What Time is to be spent in Meditation 630 Whether the Time should be set and constant ib. Are all bound to meditate ib. The Necessity of Meditation 607 Objections against the Necessity of it answered 608 The Objects of Meditation 636 637 Objects of Meditation preparative to the Sacrament 622 Directions for the choice of Objects of Meditation 631 Whether we should bind our selves to one Subject in Meditation 624 The manner of working on the Object in Meditation 633 Rules for Meditation 612 How should we do because of Variety of Matter in Meditation 624 Whether we are to prescribe to our selves a Method in Meditation 631 What Method we are to use in Meditation 633 Whether the Soul in Meditation is to be fixed in a steady View and Contemplation of God in Quietness and Silence without Variety of
doth the Gospel teach us To live soberly righteously and godly To injoy God to live with Man and the government of our selves We have enough if we have all this But we have all this in as ample manner as heart can wish for and therefore he that cometh from the dead must either preach the same Doctrine and then it is needless and superfluous or contrary things and then how shall we believe him who are forewarned Gal. 1.8 But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Christ enters a caution against them 2. Better Arguments cannot be urged nor more perswasively The Gospel is the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 And surely God knoweth all the Wards of the Lock and what kind of Keys will fit the Heart of Man He hath laid forth the riches of Wisdom and Grace upon this Blessed design and hence it is that we have such Mysterious Doctrines such Dreadful Threatnings such Sweet Promises such strong Obligations from the Death and Incarnation of the Son of God from the Example of Christ which doth secure our Direction and incourage our Practice Out of what Rock was Man hewen if all this will not work upon him What must God do Provide a better Heaven a hotter Hell another Son to dye for us or a more forcible and incouraging Example than that of Jesus Christ What 's the matter that the wicked Sinner will not be allured and made tame charme the charmer never so wisely What do we need more to move us Shall God pipe to you in a sweeter strain than that of Gospel-Grace or Gospel-Promises Is the giving himself and his Christ a price too cheap to purchase your hearts Or must he thunder to you in a more dreadful accent than the horrours of Everlasting Darkness Are these but poor and mean Scarecrows to tell you of a Pit without a bottom of a Worm that never dyeth of a Fire that shall never be quenched Or what is the matter that the Sinner stirreth not Is the Scripture a dead Letter And needeth it to be actuated and enforced by a living voice God hath provided us Apostles and Prophets to write Scriptures so Pastors and Teachers to explain and apply Scriptures Eph. 4.11 He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers Men who are concerned as well as our selves the value of whose credit we know by their faithfulness in other things that have the same Temptations Affections and Necessities as we have Men with whom we may more familiarly converse and with less fright than with one from the dead Oh but one that cometh from the dead is supposed to testifie his own sight and knowledge and so to speak more feelingly And have not Gods Messengers some experience Cannot they say we declare to you the things which we have seen and heard and felt Have they not been scorched by the Spirit of Conviction tasted Comfort felt a change in their own hearts What can any Messenger from the dead say that hath not been told you over again and again a thousand times Would he say that all shall dye That you see with your Eyes that presently after Death cometh Judgment That you pretend to believe already that the Torments of Hell are terrible and insupportable This God hath told you over and over And if we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater 1 Iohn 5.9 That you must repent and be converted This is that that is sounded in your Ears every day Therefore we are better provided already than to need the horrour of an Apparition or a warning from one among the dead 3. It is not because he could propound these Truths with more certainty for these things are already propounded to our Understandings and we have sensible confirmation 1. They are propounded to our understandings with a fair and full credibility The Holy Scriptures have in themselves a self-evidencing light by which they make it out to the Consciences of Men that they are of God Every thing that hath passed the hand of God discovereth its Author all Gods works have his Signature and Impression upon them which is legible and visible to every attentive beholder Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse Psal. 19.1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work Not a pile of grass but sheweth its Maker Praesentem refert quaelibet herba Deum and surely his Word which he hath magnified above all his name Psal. 138.2 is not altogether without such an impress and stamp of God upon it therein being revealed things most worthy of the Truth Wisdom Goodness and Holyness of God and suitable to that Wisdom and Truth that is in us so far as there is any in us What shall I speak of the most satisfactory way of Reconciliation with God The fairest draught of Moral perfection far beyond all that which is of meer Humane Recommendation Here is no dead fly in this box of Ointment but all pure and holy without mixture nothing so accommodate to the necessities of Man and fit to bring us to the injoyment of that which the reasonable Nature aimeth at What shall I speak of the Majesty of the Stile the genuine simplicity of the Narrations the Harmony of the Parts the Sublimity of the Doctrines the Impartiality and Purity of the Precepts the overflow of God's Love in the Promises the glorious Rewards the certainty of the Prophesies All which are so many innate Characters and Evidences of the Divine Authority of these Writings by which they clearly insinuate themselves with wonderful force and power into the Consciences of Men 2 Cor. 4.2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness not handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God There was an evidence in the Truth it self preached by the Apostles so there is in the word written by the Apostle for the voice could add nothing to it and the Writing take nothing from it A Man of Art and Judgment discovereth himself in every Book he writeth Aristotles Writings shew him a Person of great knowledge Can a Book have God for its Author and have nothing to discover its Author 'T is unreasonable Masters in Writing or Painting shew their hand the Scripture doth not stand or fall to the courtesies of Man Well then if these things be so as certainly they are so we have more certainty by the Word it self than possibly we can have by a Messenger from the dead yea or a voice from Heaven for it hath such a signature of God upon it that we need go no
Negatively not the righteous A Man may be Righteous really or putatively Really there are none such before the Tribunal of God of the Sons of Adam Either Men must disclaim their Stock or own their guilt Putatively there are many such They have a conceit that they are Righteous The Pharisees trusted in themselves that they were righâ—eous Luke 18.9 Now Men puffed up with a Spiritual Pride and a vain Opinion of their own Goodness and Righteousness are altogether unfit to yield Obedience to Christs Call whereby he calleth them out of their Sins They are so good and holy already they need no Repentance The Heart-whole need not the Physician He hath no work to do among them They have no need of his skil they do not value him they care not for him 2. Positively and Affirmatively but the Sinners Those that are really so and so in their own Opinion and Estimation These Christ calleth for These have work for him to do II. The way which he taketh for their cure he calleth As a Teacher from Heaven he thus acquainteth them with the way of their Recovery Christ hath a double Relation for the discharge of which he came into the World as an High Priest and Apostle Heb. 3.1 Both agree in this that they concerne our Recovery or the remedying of our lapsed Estate and that for the discharge of both these Offices he came into the World Both are the highest Officer in both Churches Luke 19.10 The Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true and faithful saying That Iesus Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief But they differ That the work of the one Office lyeth with God the other with Man The one respects the reconciling God to us so as an High Priest he made our Peace with God by the Merit of his Sacrifice Col. 1.20 By the blood of his cross making peace The other concerneth the reconciling us to God by the change of our hearts This he manageth by a Call and Invitation partly by himself in Person as a Teacher from Heaven discovering the way how we may get again into the favour of God and be restored to his Service Partly by his Ministers whom he imployeth in his stead 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20. And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Iesus Christ and hath given unto us the ministry of reconciliation To wit That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trâ—spasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation Now then we are embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be reconciled to God The Function and Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of calling Men to Repentance belonged to his Apostolical Office as a Messenger sent from the bosom of God to acquaint us with his heart how he standeth affected to our recovery This latter is here spoken of This he doth by calling III. The work or means of Cure which he prescribeth is Repentance Our Misery lay in Sin and we begin our happiness by Repentance Christ did not come to give liberty to any to live in Sin This is to turn the Grace of God into lasciviousness Iude 4. As he came to dye for Sinners and to save Sinners so he came to call Sinners to Repentance The one as a Priest the other as King the last as a Prophet Doctrine That the special business for which Christ was sent into the world as the great Teacher of the Church was to remedy the collapsed state of sinners by calling them to repentance I shall prove three things 1. That we are all Sinners in a lapsed Estate 2. That he recovereth us out of this lapsed Estate by calling us 3. The way or means is by Repentance I. That his work lyeth with Sinners when he interposed as a Mediator between God and Men. This I shall discover in three Considerations 1. That Man is now in a lapsed or faln Estate from his Primitive Integrity and none are Righteous till Christ calleth them That Men are faln from their Primitive Integrity and become Sinners is a Truth evidenced by Scripture and Experience Scripture Rom. 3.23 We have all sinned and are come short of the glory of God That is his Glorious Image 1 Cor. 11.8 He is the image and glory of God as the woman is the glory of the man 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord. That for the terme Glory so Eccles. 7.29 God made man upright but he sought out many inventions Man as he came out of Gods hands was an holy and happy Creature created with a disposition which did inable and incline him to love please and obey God But Adam had his Inventions and his Posterity theirs They would not be at Gods finding but their own and so plunged themselves in all manner of Sin and misery Thus the Son that shone in the dawning of our Creation was soon eclipsed But experience sheweth us this as well as Scripture There is a greater proneness in us to evil more than to good and a manifest disproportion in our faculties to things Carnal and Spiritual and this is both Universal and very early which is a plain Evidence of the degeneration of Mankind And from thence results as all disorders in Conversation so Misery and Death Certainly if we did often and seriously consider what a sinful Womb we came from how deformed and ugly in the sight of God we came from it how we began our Life with crying and weeping and are all our dayes obnoxious to Wrath and Condemnation and what ever hath been our portion in the World yet shortly we must dye and sink into the Pit Eternally it would more awaken us In the general this is enough to our purpose That Man is in a lapsed Estate under the guilt of Sin and desert of punishment 2. That out of this Misery Man is unable to deliver and recover himself Not able to reconcile or propitiate God to himself or himself to God Not able to redeem himself or give a sufficient Ransom or recompence to Gods provoked Justice Psalm 49.8 For the redemption of the soul is precious and ceaseth for ever There is but one way of coming to this which is by the Death of the Messiah Not able to change his own heart Iob 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one All that we do savoureth of our unclean Original We cannot cure and remedy this evil otherwise Christ needed not to have dyed for us If Man had been by other means cured the Heavenly Physician needed not come to save them 'T is denyed to all the living 3. Those who are sensible of this are nextly called not Sinners as Sinners but sensible Sinners Those that know themselves to be so Sensible Sinners who are
willing to return to their Obedience to God expecting their help and discharge from Gods Grace in Christ. It is opposed to such as are Righteous in their own Eyes Such as do in some measure feel their Sins are humbled for them desirous to be freed from them lost Sinners broken-hearted and grieved and wounded for their transgressions These are respected in Christs Commission Isa. 61.1 2. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening the prison doors to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Here is Christs calling to his Ministry and the exercise of his prophetical Office described Sent to preach the spiritual deliverance from sin and Sathan But to whom To such as are humbled and thoroughly touched with a lively sense of their Sin for which purpose God maketh use of legal sorrow to awaken Sinners and prepare them before Conversion II. That Christ recovereth us out of this lapsed Estate by Calling There is a two-fold Calling of Christ by which he calleth Men 1. Outward 2. Inward 1. Outwardly By the Ministry of the Word by which he inviteth Men to come out of their Sins offering Grace and Salvation in the outward means Thus Iohn preached Repentance Mat. 3.20 Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand When the Kingdom of Grace was about to be set up by the Gospel the great Duty called for was Repentance For the Gospel findeth Men involved in an evil way like mad Men out of their Wits and they must return to their Wits again if they would be capable of it Now they must change their course if they will receive benefit by it Thus Iohn preached and Jesus Christ came with the same form of proclamation Mark 1.15 The kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe the gospel The great business to which he called was to be willing to own the benefit offered by Christ and to return to the Duty which they owed to their Creator So his Apostles when sent abroad by him spake to Men in the same note Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins And Acts 3.19 Repent that your sins may be blotted out They offered Pardon and Life upon these termes 2. Inwardly By the effectual working of the Blessed Spirit inclining and moving their hearts to obey that outward Calling in forsaking their Sins and turning to the Lord by true Repentance We have need of a Saviour to help us to Repentance as well as to help us to pardon And God hath exalted him to such an end Acts 3.26 God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins He by the Gospel giveth leave to repent Acts 11.18 And when they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying That then God also to the Gentiles granted repentance to life Which is a great Mercy The Law doth not say I will not the Death of a Sinner but that he turn and live but the Lord saith do and live sin and dye This favour was not vouchsafed to Angels Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He took not hold of Angels That he giveth us space to repent as well as leave that by his Providence he may do and doth to many that perish Revel 2.21 I gave her space to repent and she repented not God is not quick and severe upon every Miscarriage He might have cut us off betimes as we crush Serpents in the Egg and destroy venomous Creatures when they are young But this is not all he giveth Grace to repent yea Repentance its self whereby Mans Heart is changed This is by his Spirit 2 Tim. 2.25 If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth The Evangelical Call carries its own blessing with it III. The Means of Application or the Duty on Mans part is Repentance For to that he calleth them here Here let me shew you these four things 1. What Repentance is 2. The kinds of it 3. That this is the way of our Recovery 4. The suitableness of this qualification to the Grace of the New Covenant I. What Repentance is It is turning of the whole heart from Sin and Sathan to serve God in newness of Life Or a turning from Sin because God hath forbidden it to that which is good because God hath commanded it There are in it as in every action two tearms a quo and ad quem We turn from something and we turn to something 1. The terminus a quo we turn from something From Sin Acts 8.22 Repent of thy wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from thy wickedness and from dead works Heb. 6.1 from Sathan Sathan is sometimes made the terme because the Sinner falleth to his share Acts 26.18 To turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Sathan to God 2. The terminus ad quem is to God Acts 20.21 To the truth 2 Tim. 2.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth To holiness and newness of Life Rom. 6.4 To life Acts 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life 2. The kinds of it There is a general Repentance which consists in the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh Col. 2.11 When a Man renounceth all sin and devoteth himself to God And there is a particular repentance for any provoking Sin Acts 8.22 Repent and pray that if it be possible the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee Again There is a Repentance at our first Conversion which is our passing from Death to Life or our entrance by the strait gate Matth. 7.14 And there is a Repentance afterwards which belongeth to our walking in the narrow way For after Conversion we need it still and not in our Natural Estate only 'T is not only necessary for a Sinner yet unregenerate yet unreconciled to God without which he cannot expect any peace with God or benefit by the New Covenant but also for a Believer till his full and final Recovery This Repentance after Conversion is either occasional or constant 1. Occasional After any offence given or breach between us and God Repentance is necessary to obtain pardon of Sins after Justification as well as before it God saith to the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2.5 Repent and do thy first works So verse 19. Whom I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Where Repentance is put for a necessary means of removing Gods rebuke and quarrel from them whom he loveth The promise is made