short Paul knew nothing wherein he had dealt unfaithfully and yet was he not thereby justified 1 Cor. 4.4 but he that justifies me is the Lord and therefore if you trust upon a gift and thereby to be justified and accepted you declare your graces to be but common and such as are but found among Hypocrites and in this the Papists have cause to groane under the burthen that lyes upon their religion they by looking for salvation and acceptance by common graces doe plainly shew that Christ profits them nothing And further as you are not to trust upon them for justification so neither are you to trust upon them for the life of your sanctification for though they be truly parts of sanctification faith hope love patience humility and every other grace of God which flowes from our fellowship with the death of Christ because these are parts of our sanctification you may looke at them as precious tallents received from God yet if you trust in these in preaching or praying or edefying your selves or families or neighbours and that in the strength of these you shall doe valiantly and bring mighty things to passe and be a fruitfull Christian you have truth of grace sound hearted saving grace and you doubt not but God will carry you an end in a comfortable Christian course if so you wil finde this to be true that you wil want Christ in the quickning and inlarging and thriving power of the life of your sanctification it cannot be but that where saving grace is there is Christ but you may have Christ and yet have but a dead Christ of him he may be so dead in your spirit that you shall cry out O what a dead heart and a dead spirit have I and yet I doubt not but Christ is in my heart true it may be thou hast received him but Christ can tell how to lye dead and to worke but little there where saving grace is layed up and therefore the life of Christ is not a life of grace but a life of faith I live not by all my zeale and humility and gifts of grace for I might have all these and make but dead work of them all How then By the faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2.20 It is one of the chiefest points that concernes our Christian practise and therefore I pray you consider it Note this the life of Christianity is not a life of wisdome and graces but of faith if you would have Christ live in you and live so that he may shew his life in you you must then live by faith that is not only looke for your justification by faith in Christ but looke for your sanctification and consolation from Christ by faith that if you goe about any duty goe not about it in the strength of grace received preach not or pray not in the strength of your knowledge and love and zeale and humility but go about them all in faith in Jesus Christ that is by comming to him and being inwardly sensible that unlesse he put new life into us and make new worke in our soules we may have but a dead businesse of it all the graces of Gods Spirit in us but dead and herein it is wonder to see sometimes how Gods servants are straitned all for want of the life of faith in their soules if God cut short with us it is because we doe not live in Christ but in the spirit of grace and think to walke by the strength of grace received we loose by it and spend of the stock of grace and therefore remember that speech Esa 40.30 31. They that waite on the Lord shall renew their strength to shew you your duty it is a borrowed speech from young men going out to warre they goe out in the name of the Lord of Hosts as David went out against Goliah 1 Sam. 17. If we waite upon the Lord and be sensible of our owne Insufficiency and unworthinesse of doing any Christian duty and not depend upon our owne sufficiency then we shall finde God lifting us up farre beyond all our owne apprehensions and gifts God wil put a new life into us and in this case even the weakest gifts of Gods servants are sometimes much enlarged and the same Christians gifts farre more enlarged at some time above what they are at another only by waiting upon the Lord and that puts life into our duties therefore if you would finde Christ to be the life of your sanctification then you must put away all confidence in saving graces they are not able to make you bring forth any one lively fruit of Sanctification I mean in your owne estimation and you wil have little comfort in it There is in this case much difference between one Christian and another and between the same Christian and himselfe at one time and another according to his waiting on the Lord for the renewall of his strength therefore trust not in any grace if you doe you wil want it when you stand in most need of it SERMON III. 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life WE now come to speake of the third way of having Christ A third way of having Christ is by Covenant and that is by way of Covenant Esa 49.8 I will give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages Psal 50.5 Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice so that would you know to whom God is a God and to whom it may be said He is my God Any of us that have made a Covenant with God by Sacrifice no man hath him unlesse by way of covenant for all these wayes though divers in explication yet all co-incident to this having of Christ And such as have made a covenant with God by Sacrifice they are his people of them it is said I am thy God vers 7. according to the tenour of the Covenant Gen. 17.7 Behold I make a Covenant with thee this day to be a God unto thee and to thy seed God becomes a God to me and to my seed by way of covenant so Deut. 29.10 to 13. both your Children of understanding and your little ones of no understanding you are all here before God this day to enter into a Covenant with him to keep his Commandements for ever you and yours enter into a Covenant with God and this is the way of having him for our God Deut. 26.17.18 This day thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God and he hath avouched thee to be his people Junius translates the word Thou hast required by way of Covenant and he hath promised that he will be thy God in the originall it is he hath made thee to speake thou hast made God to speake this as men that make promises one to another so that when people give up themselves
a woman in true conjugall affection looke at no more but at the very bare man True love to Christ wherein it is if there be true love in her towards him she is content to have him though she have nothing else but his person so if our hearts be truly set upon Christ we are content to have him though wee should never see good day with him though wee should never see peace of conscience with him though no comfort of grace in him yet would the soule say that is truely affected to Christ give me Christ and I have enough who or what is there besides Christ What is there Why there is variety of excellent graces But whom have I in earth but thee As if ye should put all other things in comparison against or with Christ they are nothing to him then surely you have Christ But how much will this discord from the fellowship of Christ the Sonnes and Daughters of men who when they see the costlinesse of the wayes of Christ they will neither seeke after Christ nor his benefits But as for pardon of sin as it passeth all understanding so it passeth their desires And for peace of conscience they hope they have a good conscience or if not they doe not search to know it and as for the graces of the spirit and subduing of lusts they have a good hope and beleive as well as the best And for the Kingdome of glory they hope if God grant them mercy they shall come to heaven at the last These men are far from having the Lord Jesus and life in him they are so far off from seeking the Sonne as that they do not so much as seek those mercies and benefits which in Christ are conveyed to their soules they neither have him nor none of his They say to the Almighty depart from us for we desire not the knowledg of thy law Job 21.14 of such God saith They would have none of me Psal 81.11 not only have him but none of him that is nothing that was his not any saving benefit of his the world we would have but none of those choyce and heavenly blessings of Christ no pardon of sin no peace of conscience no care of Christianity or faithfull Ministery no feare of God nor keeping of his Commandements deare hearts for us how shall we ever conceive that ever we should have life in Christ when we doe not so much as desire the very benefits of Christ which yet a man may desire and loose all too and when a man hath not so much as an affection to the things of Christ it is very dangerous But secondly when a man is in this case that there is a desire in a man after the benefits of Christ more then after Christ himselfe all this while you want that sincerity upon which Christ wil give us a comfortable meeting and speake peace to our soules we are not yet come to that condition as in which he wil say My wel-beloved thou art all faire and there is no spot in thee he yet sees not a true conjugall affection in us towards him so as that though we should never finde grace nor glory by him yet he is the chiefe desire of our soules Suppose a woman should see a man that hath a desire after her but he chiefly aimes at her estate to provide for himselfe and looks no further wonder not if she should say to him You seek not me but mine she may wel rid her hands of him in such a case and truly so is the case here between us the Lord Jesus so long as he findes that we come to him and seek and pray and wrastle and what would we have Oh pardon of sinne and peace of conscience and power of grace to be but as other Christians are that we could pray and beleeve as they doe and finde such comfort as they have and this is the thing that the soule is chiefly set upon now all this while that we come thus to Christ we must not think that Christ is to blame if he tarry a little longer then we expect for we may seek him and not finde him because we seeke not so much him as his benefits and the rich treasures of grace and mercy and peace that are layed up in him without measure the greatest part of the world doe not love their soules nor the Lord Jesus so wel as to love him for his grace and goodnesse sake but yet among better men there is a world of selfe love many a man would have his sinne pardoned because he would have his conscience at quiet we may thanke our selves for such affections as these not but that such affections may spring from the grace of God for men by nature never dreame of such things as these be but yet though such affections may spring from the grace of God yet you shall ever finde such soules to detaine the grace of God in unrighteousnesse and out of selfe love use them all to their owne ends and looke not that God may be glorified in and by them nor that his wil be done but oh that the soule might have peace and that sinne might be pardoned and there it rests When our desires is chiefly set upon spirituall gifts if wee loose much comfort and fellowship with Christ that else we might have had we must not marvell at it for our desires are set not chiefly upon Christ but upon the things of Christ our desire is not after the person but after the goods and benefits of Christ Observe the Apostles expression Rom. 8.32 He hath given us his owne Sonne he doth not say he that hath given us peace and pardon of sinne will not he give all other things also Or wil not he give us Christ He reasons not from Christs benefits to Christ but thus he reasons He that hath given us his owne Sonne will with his Sonne and after his Sonne give us all other things At the second hand comes in all these benefits of pardon of sinne and strength of grace and power against our lusts c. these things come in as attendants upon the former and therefore if God give us first to looke at Christ that in him we have life of justification and sanctification and consolation eternall glory peace and grace and all then we have him and life in him else we may have the outward comforts but stand long enough at Christs Bed-chamber doore before he let us in Let it therefore be a word of direction and exhortation to every soul that desires to have that truth of life and peace and grace wrought in his heart that wil never dye have you respect chiefly to the Lord Jesus Christ and long and seeke more after him then after all Spirituall blessings and much more above all worldly blessings If you shall therefore refuse Christ because you thinke he is but a melancholly person you wil never have him if you stand upon
also The life of Justification you heard hath these three effects or fruits in the heart Peace Quietnesse and Assurance for ever Care to keepe our conscience pacified in some measure carefull to maintaine that peace we have had so much ado to get And also love of God according to the abundance of sin that hath been pardoned to us We are now speaking of the effects of life and now to speake of the effects of the life of our sanctification Life of Sanctification Hee that hath the Son hath life not only in the pardon of his sin but he hath likewise the graces of Gods spirit which are the life of sanctification A frame of grace wrought in the soule which is the life of holinesse Now because Sanctification is found partly in the heart and partly in the life Let me now shew you some such effects of spirituall life as are found in the heart of a Christian And breathe forth themselves in his life by those habits and gifts which are principally within And the sum of what I shall now say is thus much There are certaine variety of the graces of God in themselves so different and opposite As that in nature they are seldome compatible to one person at one and the same time or least of all to be found in one and the same businesse And yet are found where ever the heart of a man is sanctified by the Spirit of grace where you have the life of sanctification in a Christian you shall finde variety of graces in them some of them of such diversity and opposition one to another that in nature the like temper is not to be found in one person at the same time and in the same businesse They are certaine kind of conjugations or companions of grace so fitted and joyned together in the heart of a man as that nature is not able to compact such sanctified affections unto such uses upon any occasion much lesse able to bring them forth upon any occasion they are so different in themselves to name some of them in particular First if you looke at the grace of God as it workes in the heart Ioy and griefe in the soule sanctified at once and exercises it selfe in the conversion of a sinner you shall finde that when the soule discernes any life of grace in its heart that sin is now pardoned and God is pleased to frame it anew and to give it a new life at that time the heart is taken up with these two contrary effects it is both inlarged with no small measure of joy that ever God should redeeme him from such a desperate condition as his soul lay in and yet withall full of grief of heart that ever he should have so much displeased that God that hath done so much for him and so plaine as that you shall evidently discerne the voyce of your own joy from the voyce of your owne griefe I know not better how to instance in it then to fetch a resemblance from the returne of the Children of Israel from captivity to Ierusalem read Psal 126.2 3 4. When God turned the captivity of his people this was their affection then was their mouth filled with laughter and their tongue with singing c. Now the same people that so rejoyce to see themselves redeemed by the Arme of the Lord when they doe rejoyce to see themselves set at liberty from the captivity they doe at the same time as sadly grieve and weepe to consider the unkindnesse they have put upon God and their unworthinesse of such a mercy from him as you may read Jer. 50. 4 5. speaking of the same people and of the same time their return from the captivity and he tels you They shall come going and weeping shall they goe and seek the Lord God and aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward If the Psalmist speakes of it he saith they were out of and beyond themselves for joy as in a comfortable dreame the newes seemed to be too good to be true and they rejoyced with exceeding great joy and if the Prophet Jeremy speake of the very same people and the same time and the very same action he tells you They goe to Jerusalem weeping they goe to seek the Lord and aske the way to Zion they rejoyce at the greatnesse of the mercy and weep in sence of their unworthinesse of it And truly this kinde of combination shall you finde stirring in every soule that is converted to God when the pardon of its sin is sealed to its heart it breeds a certaine kind of inward joy and comfort in the Lord that hath thus graciously pardoned their iniquity and yet more abundantly mourning for the evils it hath so displeased God with nor is there any mourning so deeply woundeth the soule as that which ariseth from the sight of Christ crucified then the soule mournes full bitterly Zach. 12.10 He wil mourne exceedingly to thinke that he should deale so unworthily against that God that hath all this while had such wonderfull thoughts of peace towards him This is the first combination of graces that is found in the soule after sinne is pardoned and the heart restored to a new life for wee spake before of prizing Christ in our judgements by certaine preparative graces but now we speak of that kind of life of sanctification which puts forth it selfe after some sence of our justification this life of the mixture of joy and mourning beares witnesse to our life of sanctification Secondly in the worshipping of God in those duties of the life of sanctification 2. Joy and feare you shall finde another combination of mixed affections the like of which are not and cannot be found in nature and that is joy and feare according to Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling A Christian man when he is in a good frame and the life of grace most stirres in his spirit he never comes to an holy duty but with some holy fear and trembling before God before whom he then stands and yet there is no duties he goes about with more comfort and joy then those when his heart is not dead It is true a dead hearted Christian comes to good duties like a Beare to a stake while they are in such a temper if they can shun duties they wil but take the heart of a Christian when it is alive and then they are a willing people Psal 110.3 they come with some inward gladnesse of heart it is the joy of their spirits to heare of an opportunity when they may heare the Word and pray or performe any duty acceptable to God but how when their hearts are most joyful and they goe about duties most willingly yet then most awfully for take you a Christian when he comes unwillingly his heart is not much affected with feare and trembling but then he is most awfull when his heart is in the best frame towards holy duties these
a man may pray and never observe what answer God makes to his prayers all the day long but God requires that you should get knowledge by reading and that not of small matters but of your possession of everlasting life and therefore you read to purpose when you thereby come to know that you have eternall life and your joy is increased and you are brought on to beleeve and trust in the name of Christ more and more and unlesse you so read you have taken this blessed Ordinance of God in vaine and therefore be diligent and conversant in reading these Epistles and as you would search for treasure so be diligent and laborious herein that you may know you have eternall life SERMON XIII 1 JOHN 5.13 That you may beleeve on the Name of the Son of God NOw we come to speak of the other end of the Apostles writing of these Epistles and that is that you may beleeve on the name of the Son of God Doct. It is an holy end of the holy scriptures that beleevers may beleeve John when he writes the Gospel he speakes as wel to beleevers as to others but cheifly to beleevers John 20.31 These things are written that you may beleeve Say not what is this but to make the worke that is already wrought for though faith and beleeving bee wrought in the hearts of Gods people yet such as doe beleeve had need to be helped to beleeve more and better Rom. 1.17 It is not onely the power of God to worke faith in such as beleeve but to lead them on from faith to faith from one measure of faith to another and the Gospel is revealed from heaven for that end that such as beleeve not might be brought on to beleeve And such as do beleeve may be carried an end in beleeving such as are faithful had need be yet more faithful you read also Phil. 1.25 I shall abide with you for your furtherance and joy of faith such a furtherance as is for the increasing and augmentation of your faith so that there is not only faith but increase and growth of faith too as furthered by the Gospel 1 Thess 3.10 That I might supply the defects of your faith to supply what is wanting in your faith there is not any of the servants of God no not those that receive the word with much joy in the holy ghost in much affliction and tribulation no not those that give good pledges and evidences of their grace as 1 Thess 1.4 5 6 7. yet there is something wanting or lacking in your faith not any no not the most exemplary Christians v. 7. but there is something wanting in their faith and therefore to this end he desires to come to them Note this as vers 10. he is pressed exceedingly night and day stirred up unto that duty with much vehemency and in earnestnesse of spirit desires exceedingly to see your faith and to perfect what is wanting in it A marvellous thing that the best Christians should yet have something wanting in their faith so that this is not a needlesse work he undertakes in writing to them that beleeve on Christ that yet they may beleeve better Quest Now what is that which they had need grow unto Answ First they had need to grow unto the beleife of some further principles of Gods truth some further Articles of faith which yet they know not Some have need to grow in the object of their faith to beleeve more then they yet doe beleeve Some of the Apostles did not beleeve the resurrection of Christ Thomas said he would not beleeve unlesse he might see and feele John 20.25 he was wanting in the beleefe of one Article of faith the resurrection of the dead and 1. Cor. 15. the whole Church was wanting in this and in many other Articles of their Christian faith they doubted not but that their bodies should rise but they wanted that before And the Thessalonians they wanted this in their faith they could not tell what to make of the long delay of the second comming of Christ they did expect a suddaine comming and therefore many of them were troubled in their minds so as that they neglected their callings and minded not their outward businesse in the world expecting a suddaine dissolution of all And therefore the Apostle supplies what was wanting in their faith by acquainting them further of the councel of God That Christ must not come to Judgement till Antichrist have first come with all deceiveablenesse and lying wonders and till the Church have made an Apostacy and the Galathians they were ignorant of the Doctrine of Justification for supply of which and satisfying them therein that whole Epistle is spent so in all other Churches the Apostles labours to supply what was wanting in the object of their faith Secondly there is something wanting in their approvednesse of the habit of faith something wanting in the gift and grace of faith The Apostle prayes for the Colossians That as they have received Christ they would so walke and that they might be rooted and established in him Many of them were not so rooted and established in Christ as they stood in need to be not able to exclude and banish those doubts and feares and cares of spirit that sometimes accompany beleevers even those that beleeve already on the name of Christ yet there is something wanting in the root of their faith for looke as you see it is with a Plant that is grafted into a Stock it doth not forthwith take root but a little matter will soone unsettle it so is it in this case a man may in some measure be implanted into Christ and yet for a time be marvellously unsetled and farre off from that rootednesse which God lookes our faith should grow unto and so in a building it at the first framing may be so greene as that yet it is not setled upon the foundation but it would have a time to be dryed and withered that it may stand the firmer on the foundation without shrinking and be more fit for a mans dwelling so is it sometimes with the faith of a Christian man he may be knit to Christ and may have a place in Christ but his morter may yet be green and may be easily shaken with wind and weather of temptation and not be yet rooted and established there may want such holy confidence and assured perswasion of fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ as we had need to be lifted up unto a further increase of faith which this Epistle and such other Doctrines as these be are wont to work in them Thirdly It may be increased in the comfort of it in the sence and feeling of it for it may so fall out that many a good soule may come to a large measure of a lively faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as that they may cleave to him and seeke him early and doe and suffer any thing for the name of Christ and yet
CHRIST THE Fountaine of LIFE OR Sundry Choyce SERMONS on part of the fift Chapter of the first Epistle of St. JOHN PREACHED By that Learned judicious Divine and faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ Mr. JOHN COTTON B. D now Preacher at Boston in New-England Christus Vita Via est Scriptura Christi Published according to Order LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson and are to be sold by George Calvert at the signe of the half Moone in Watling street neer Pauls Stump MDCLI The Contents CReatures broken Cisters without Christ Pag. 2 Men cannot redeeme themselves ibid First part of the worship of Christ viz. in the minde and judgement p. 6 To prize Christ is to worship him p. 7 Christians worship Christ in their mindes p. 8 Moses honours the reproaches of Christ ib Naturally men desire to know the worth of blessings p. 9 He that hath Christ is inquisitive to know all the vertue that is in Christ ib Two parts of the worship of Christ is in the will and affections ib Deep measure of worshipping of Christ p. 10 Christ when more truly worshipped p. 11 Sweetest frame of spirit ib Third part of worshipping of Christ p. 12 Universall obedience ib If we cannot enjoy the liberty of the Ordinances but with sin against our soules in this case the Ordinances of God are to be neglected and omitted p. 22 The life of Christianity is not a life of wisdome and graces but of faith p. 29 A third way of having Christ is by Covenant p. 31 Extent of the Covenant on Gods part p. 33 God a Fountaine of goodnesse to his servants ib Extent of the Covenant on our part p. 34 Covenant three-fold ib Covenant of Salt p. 35 A fourth way of having of Christ p. 39 Christ received as into a temple three wayes p. 40 Second way of receiving of Christ p. 44 The third way of receiving Christ ib How to know whether you have truly embraced Christ p. 45 First thing considered in having Christ as a Son p. 46 True love to Christ wherein it is p. 53 Christ united to us and we to him by a three-fold spirit p. 59 A three-fold conformity between Christ and his p. 60 The first conformity wherein it consisteth ib The second conformity p. 61. The third conformity p. 63 The second worke of the Spirits liberty p. 65 Liberty from feare of sinne ib Naturall property of a Son p. 66 Liberty from power of sinne p. 67 Freedome from sins service p. 68 A Servants care in perseverance of Christian duties brings priviledge of peace to his soule p. 69 The third signe he that hath the Sonne hath him for his Prince pag. 74 To have Christ for a Saviour requires two things p. 75 Christ a Saviour from sin as well as from distresse p. 79 An hard matter to be willing to be saved by Christ p. 80 Christ saveth as a Prince p. 81 Christ our Prince in two things p. 82 Rebellious thoughts p. 83 Christians differenced by their thoughts ib Good thoughts continue for ever p. 85 Summe of all laid downe p. 88 Three sorts of signes of Spirituall life p. 92 First cause of Spirituall life ib John the first and the thirteenth opened p. 93 The second cause of Spirituall life p. 94 That the Promises belong to every true Christian p. 95 Ground of the point p. 96 A third cause of Spirituall life p. 98 Signes of Spirituall life from the effects of it p. 101 Life of Justification ib Inward peace flowes from pardon of sin ib That every sinner as soone as his sin is pardoned hath an unconceiveable peace in his soule p. 102 Second effect of the life of Justification ib Property of Spirituall life p. 105 Love of God a signe of Spirituall life ib Life of Sanctification p. 109 Joy and griefe in the soule sanctified at once p. 110 Joy and feare p. 111 Joy in affliction p. 113 Patience without forbearance ib Meeknesse and strictnesse at once p. 114 Modesty mixed with magnanimity p. 115 Psalme the 24. the 7. verse opened p. 116 Psalme 149. verse 6. expounded p. 118 The seventh combination of graces p. 119 Diligence in worldly businesse and yet dead to the world ib Love of Enemies p. 102 Effects of Sanctification signes of spirituall life p. 127 First effect motion ib Lightnesse of spirit p. 128 What is required to a Spirituall duty p. 129 Of common gifts p. 130 Causes of deadnesse of heart p. 132 Remedies against deadnesse p. 133 Second signe of spirituall life ib John 6.35 explained p. 134 First a soule longs after Christ in the Ordinance ib Strength and sweetnesse in the Ordinance p. 135 Third particular applying of the Word p. 136 Fourth conformity to the Word in every thing ib Growth in grace p. 138 Repentance the best purge p. 140 Fourth effect of the life of Sanctification ib Fifth signe life propagates it like p. 142 Three properties of life first warmth p. 144 Knowledge warme p. 145 John 5.32 expounded ib 2. Where there is life there is breath p. 146 3. Spiritual warmth digesteth Gods Ordinances p. 148 4. Spiritual warmth heateth others ib Power of sinne p. 153 Plyablenesse of spirit p. 158 James 3.17 expounded ib So much sweetnesse so much life p. 159 Danger of being out of Christ p. 161 Jer. 13. last opened p. 162 Esa 44.11 explained p. 165 Procure Christ for our selves and others p. 172 Motives to get Christ p. 172 Meanes of having Christ p. 174 What help Johns Epistles yeelds to beleevers p. 179 The bane of Congregations that have no means of preaching p. 184 Note the miserable case of Congregations that have but bare reading p. 186. Carnal men have benefit by the Word p. 187 Three reasons or signes of grace p. 189 Knowledge what p. 190 Rome an Harlot ib Mighty power in the Scriptures preached p. 199 Reading the Word p. 200 Examination of things heard ib Repetition of the word blessed p. 201 Meditation on the Word p. 202 Property of a faithfull Minister p. 203 Faith profitable to all things p. 205 Infidell practice of Papists ib Mighty power in meditating upon the Word p. 206 Kings must read the Word of God daily p. 207 To pray according to Gods will in two things 1. Aske things lawfull 2. aske in Christs name 1. To aske in Christs name requireth humility p. 211 212 First second third fourth acts of humility p. 212 213 First second third fourth acts of faith in prayer p. 213 214 First to pray in the spirit is to pray feelingly 2. Fervently 3. Perseverance p. 218 219 Advocate what p. 228 Partiall eye Censorious eye Malicious eye wanton eye p 243 244 245 Mantle of wisdome p. 248 Mantle of of faithfulnesse ib Mantle of compassion p. 249 CHRIST the FOUNTAIN of LIFE SERMON I. 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life THese words containe the Third part of the record that God bare of
his Son to whom this eternall life is communicated and that is to all such as to whom the Son is communicated amplified by the contrary He that hath not the Son hath not life Doctrine According to or upon our having or not having of Christ depends our having or not having of life The note is of speciall weight in our Christian experience and therefore let us take so much the more care in opening of it He that findeth me which is all one with hee that hath me he hath life Prov. 8.34 but he that is estranged from me he loveth death ver 36. So that finde Christ and finde life Finde him not but be estranged from him and finde death So Eph. 2.12 In times past ye were without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world and Eph. 4.18.19 There he speakes of some that were alienated from the life of God but in ver 20. Ye have not so learned Christ if so be you have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus For further clearing of this point let me shew you first the Reasons upon which it depends and then the uses of it Creatures broken Sisterns without Christ Reason 1. For the first The first reason arises from the insufficiency of all the body of the creature to give us life without Christ Heb. 10.1.4 It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should cleanse the conscience from sinne They are not a valuable recompence to God for the transgressions we have done by our transgressions we had deserved death for which the death of the beasts cannot make recompence Men cannot redeem themselves And besides should we dye for our sinnes our selves our death would not free us from the punishment for we are not able to overcome death but should for ever sinke under it If there had been a Law that could have given us life then wee might have lived by it but there is no such Law as can give us spirituall life David speakes in the name of Christ Psal 22.29 It is the speech of our Saviour or of David in his name No Man can keepe alive his owne soule It is beyond the power of the creature to keep alive his own soule no not so much as naturall life Psal 49.7.9 No man can give a ransome for the soule of his brother no man is able to ransome or redeem his owne life or anothers yea which is much Adam in innocency was taught to looke for the preservation of his inocent nature out of himself for to that end did God give him the tree of life Gen. 2.9 the tree of life grows not in Adam but in the Garden Now he that was to eat of the tree called the tree of life he was taught from thence that the maintenance and continuance of that life which he then lived a life of grace and glory was not to be expected from his owne strength but from something without himselfe The tree of life was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ the second person in Trinity 1 Joh. 3.4 Now if Adam could not keep alive his own soule but by that tree how much lesse Adam falne and corrupted being now become unable to keep that Law which in innocency he might have kept But more clearly see the grounds of this insufficiency in the creature to helpe it selfe The first is taken from the preciousnesse of the price of our redemption The costlinesse of it the matter of our justification is the price of our redemption and without justification no spirituall life at all Now the price of our redemption is our justification the forme of that justification is Gods accepting of it and imputing it to us but the matter of it is the price of our redemption and that is the root of all our spirituall life the price of our redemption given to God is accepted of him and by him given to us Psal 49.8 Precious is the redemption of soules it is farre beyond the power of the creature that which may be fit matter to give to God by way of satisfaction for a soule that is very precious and this was onely the obedience of Christ to the death he by suffering death for us and rising from the dead declared himselfe mightily to be the Son of God and he by his obedience to the death offered to God the price of our redemption He gave himselfe a ransome for many And this shews that it had beene impossible for any under the Sonne of God to have given a sufficient price for our redemption neither man nor Angels could doe it but he in giving a sufficient price for us did thereby mightily declare himselfe to be the Sonne of God he onely by his death is the matter of our justification and his rising is our life the Father himselfe it could not stand with his justice to give a price for our redemption he being the person offended but the Sonne taking upon him our nature that nature which had offended God he by this meanes made atonement betweene the Father and us and in making atonement declared himselfe mightily to be the Sonne of God none but he alone was able to tender to God such a recompence as might be a satisfaction for our sins 2. And as this is ground why there is no sufficiency in the creature to give us the life of our justification so it is also taken from the root of our sanctification and consolation for they spring both from one fountaine and that is the Spirit of Gods grace John 16.7 he is the comforter that is our sanctifier and this springs in us to everlasting life Joh. 4.14 Now he that can give a spirit of sanctification and consolation is onely the Lord Jesus Christ unlesse he goe away and send the Comforter to us he never comes If you would know who it is that can give this water of life you shal read Joh. 4.10 that it is only the Lord Jesus he it is only that goes to the Father and sends his Spirit of grace into our hearts unlesse he go to heaven and send it downe from heaven to us it is not given So that he being the root of the Spirit of consolation of sanctification all this life of consolation sanctification springing from the Spirit as from a fountain and Christ being he that sets open this fountain Zac. 1.13 Therefore it is that there is an insufficiency in the creature to shed abroad such a thing as this into our hearts Act. 2 33. when he was to give a reason of the spirit of Tongues he fetches it fom the resurrection of Christ that he by his ascending into heaven did shed abroad this word which you now see and heare so that by his death he gave to God not onely the price of our redemption but prevailed with the Father to bestow upon him the Spirit to
distemper with boyling in heat of wrath against his enemies he is all upon it to doe him any harme his heart is full of hot and bitter wrath so as that love which was as heat and fire to thaw and warme cold and hard hearts when it comes to the fire of wrath it is as it were cold water and allayes that heat and bitternesse and harshnesse which else our hearts are subject to This is the nature of love as it is the nature of water to coole hot distempers and as it is the nature of fire to thaw and soften hard frozen spirits so though it be but as one intire grace Yet in the act it puts forth a kind of variety of worke whereby one would thinke it did crosse it selfe but it doth not but doth all by the life of Christ thus you see what the effects of the life of sanctification is in the heart of a man after that God hath begun to roote the life of justification in us and hee discernes that God hath wrought a change in him and then these severall graces though in themselves and worke one opposite to another yet in a Christian heart they can meet and joyne together And therefore now doe but lay this to heart he that hath the Sonne hath life Will a Christian say how shal I know that I have that life in having of which I may know I have Christ Why do but consider with thine owne soule not now of the life of thy justification but hast thou found that ever God did fill thy heart with joy so as thy soule hath said the Lord hath done great things for my soule whereof he hath made me to rejoyce and hast thou found that when thou hast most rejoyced in the wonderfull mercy of God then hath thy heart most melted before the Lord thy God And thou hast been ashamed and confounded within thy selfe and never open thy mouth against God any more Doest thou see that the more God reveales Christ to thee who was crucified for thy sake the more bitterly thou moanest for thy wickednesse then it is a strong evidence of life and peace in thy soule were it not the mighty power of the life of Christ in thee thou couldest have had neither of both these graces much lesse combined together to worke the same thing at one and the same time if therefore God hath helped you to looke at the great mercy of God with joy and yet with shame and bitter mourning that ever thou shouldest dishonour such a God certainly God hath vouchsafed thee life and such a life as in which thou shalt live You shall have many a soule that is marvellously comforted in hearing the word rejoyce exceedingly in what they heare and goe home and say such a word was good and very comfortable and never man spake like that man and he never thought before that there was so much to be found in the word as now he conceives there is But now if this were the joy of Gods Elect if it were such a joy as would not vanish away like lightning in the aire a flash of joy it would sinke downe into the heart and leave so much the more deeper impression mourning by how much the more it hath had joy I grant that sometimes the joy of Gods owne servants may soone vanish away but it was never knowne that the joy of a living Christian did so soone vanish and depart away but that when it did most abound in the heart it did cause inward mourning and if not weeping yet an affection of greife and sorrow of soule that ever we have so displeased God the more God hath been mercifull to us the more are we shamed of ourselves inwardly grieve for our shamelesse carriages If therefore you only finde joy in hearing that may deceive you it is not the shortnesse of the continuance that argues the unsoundnesse of the joy but the want of this combination that will argue the falshood of it if God yoake not spirituall joy with spirituall mourning then suspect your joy for it doth not accompany salvation unto life And in very deed this you shall find to be true the joy of living soules in Christ though that oftentimes bee soon gone yet it leaves this spirit of mourning which keeps possession for it and that many times for a long time and you may read your comfort in the sorrow that it hath left behind for there is as much cause of comfort in this sorrow as in the joy when you had it when you see your soules can mourne unfeignedly for that you see so good a God to such a wretch this very comfortable sorrow that is left in thy heart is an undoubted pledge that it is not a vanishing joy the power and work of it lasts long and wil abide in the soule for ever a man will in such a case mourne for his sin while he lives If you have therefore found your joy mixed with sorrow it is right else it is but a fading hypocriticall and false joy Againe further how doe you finde your heart affected with the duties of Gods worship Doe you come to duties marvellous unwillingly that if you could avoyd it you would not keep such duties in your house and if it must needs be you put it upon any body rather then upon your selfe you may be a living Christian but your heart is in a dead frame at that time and if it be alwayes so with you you never did truly live but if you finde your spirits at least your hearts comming on most willingly to Christian duties that you performe them like Free-will offerings not free so as without warrant from Gods Word but free in respect of grace Doe but observe thus much it may be you may come off freely before God because hee hath given you spirituall gifts and you can quit your selves well in the performance of them and that makes you come the more boldly but consider if the more willingly you come to Christian duties the more trembling your heart goes about them the more the soule is prepared the more it feares before the Lord and the more lowly the spirit is and awfull in the sight of God if a man can serve the Lord with joy and trembling together then the service you perform to God is heavenly and spirituall and lively and such as in which you live they come from a living heart and the sacrifice is lively and acceptable and argues you have life and therein you have Christ the God of peace but if a man have only feare in a duty but no joy or joy but no feare his heart is not in a good frame we must bring a better frame of heart before God then so before we can say that we have the life of sanctification Againe for another signe How doe you finde your selves in your tribulations are they altogether matter of burden and wearinesse to your hearts Have you no
joy in them Have you many afflictions in inward or in outward man and no comfort in them It is an uncomfortable signe to you the life of sanctification is not so shed abroad in your hearts that you may gather you have life but if you finde that in the multitude of your thoughts within you Gods comforts delight your soule Psal 94.19 20. In the midst of sorrow you finde some comfort if your life in Christ makes your saddest times joyfull and comfortable to you and so in outward afflictions though afflictions may seeme to be grievous yet waite a while and you shall see the more weight and burthen that lyes upon thee and the more thy afflictions for Christ hath abounded so hath thy consolation abounded much more 2 Cor. 1.6 Againe observe your carriage with men it is good to be patient when you meet with evill doers 2 Tim. 2. last yet notwithstanding not so patiently as to beare with them in every thing that is evil to allow them in any sin no if God give you place and opportunity shew some kinde of zeal to cleanse them from their evils and this may well stand with your patience be patient in things that concerne your selfe but beare not with them that are evil in their evil deeds Againe doe but observe the frame of your spirit in the things that you suffer Are you meeke and gentle and flexible that is a good vertue but how are you in the things of God Are you stiffe and unmoveable there 1 Cor. 15. last that though they may perswade you very farre in any reasonable thing concerning man Note but in things concerning God you will not baite any thing of the peace of your Conscience for any mans pleasure are you unmoveable in such a case both these together doe very well stedfast and yet soone perswaded such an heart as is thus mixed and knowes how to temper and frame his spirit according to God he is a living soule and hath life and Christ the Prince of life Againe thou art a modest Creature and thinkest meanly of thy selfe and art weaned from this world it is a vertue but how is it coupled for God couples every grace with another grace that they may poyse one another as Christ sent out his Disciples by two and two together so all the graces of the Spirit joyne one with another they ballance one another that he may not be too high on the one side nor too low on the other but that all things may be carried according to God and therefore thou art modest it is well but hast thou withall an high and a lofty spirit that if it be heavenly matters thou art to be exercised in they cannot be too high for thee Let a man tell thee of State matters comming before Princes and tell thee of nobility thou art ashamed and knowest not how to set about such things as those be but tell thee of an inheritance in the Kingdome of glory and the making it sure to thee in a way of Gods grace Tell thee of pardon of sinne and of the Spirit of grace and the riches of the precious promises of God and thy heart can looke at these highly then thou art of a magnanimous spirit then is thy modesty in outward things well coupled but he whose spirit is most lofty should be most humble couple them together and they well suit one another when they goe hand in hand righteousnesse and peace goe together modesty and magnanimity humility and courage goe together they make an amiable set of grace where-ever they are so coupled if it be of things concerning thy selfe thou hast not an heart to stand out against any man of place but he may bow thee round about but if they wrong thee so farre as Gods honour is interested in the thing thou canst then stand upon thy lawfull rights and if therein thou be impeached thou canst come off with this thou art not inferiour to the chiefe Apostles and yet art nothing nor art able to doe any thing Againe looke at thy worldly businesse art thou diligent in thy Calling it is well and you say Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently and the work of his Calling is the worke of the Lord. But how stands thy heart affected in the midst of thy businesse Is thy heart dead to the world goe not about it with a worldly heart goe not about it for profit sake but because God sets thee about it And you are more free to the service of God and to doe more good this is the life of sanctification And lastly if God give us hearts so abundant in love that it both thawes our cold and stiffe hearts towards our poore Brethren and also puts a watery temper to coole the wilde-fire of our wrath towards our enemies it is a mighty power of the Spirit of grace to turne it selfe so many wayes for the right ordering and framing of a Christian in the course of his sanctification these be comfortable signes of our life of sanctification SERMON IX 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life NOw we come to speake of such effects of the life of Sanctification Effects of Sanctification signes of spiritual life as shew themselves in the lives of Christians by observing of which in our selves we may know we have Christ and life in him Now these effects are suitable to the effects of naturall life and they are principally five The first is motion 1 Effect motion when a creature is able to move it self unto the duties of its place it is an effect of naturall life when it is able to move it selfe in its place then it is said to live such or such a life if you see a Creature stirres and moves not further then by the help of another then you say it lives not but if it stirre of it selfe then you say it lives Nor is it strait way alive if it move unlesse it be in its place for you see earthly things will move downward if they be upward and light things will move upward but these are out of their places they are rather moved then themselves doe move when they are out of their place and it is not so much from a power of moving but rather an affection to rest then a power to move themselves And further suppose they should move themselves meet it is they should move themselves to such actions as argues as argue this and that life which they expresse suppose a Tree moves it selfe and nourish it selfe and grow and that in its place yet it doth not move it selfe to see nor heare and beasts that doe move themselves to see and heare yet they cannot move themselves to acts of Reason and men that can move to acts of Reason yet cannot move themselves to any spirituall duty and work of grace so that that motion which argues the life
of the soule is a power to move it selfe and in its place unto spirituall duties that is the true nature of the life of sanctification doe you therefore see a creature no further moving it selfe then according to its lightnesse You shall sometimes have men to move themselves out of their levity come to an eminent duty in the pride of their natures Note and will lift themselves up to some duties but this is not out of an inward principle but out of the lightnesse of their spirits desire to be above Lightness of spirit will move them to this and that duty and rather move from hence then from any inward principle of grace and so sometimes creatures out of their heavinesse and basenesse of minde will be doing spirituall duties but as the one doth them to be seen of men and performe the meere letter of the duty and in the pride of his heart not out of any inward affection to such duties so there be others that for profit sake will move themselves basely unto spirituall duties as Christ said of his Hearers they followed him for loaves Joh. 6.26 so that it is one thing to move to such or such a businesse or to be stirring about such duties out of an inward affection to the duty and inclination of heart and love of such a worke and another thing to be carried to such workes out of an inward levity of nature or because by such duties a man may excell others and goe beyond his neighbours and it is one thing to be acting and stirring in spirituall duties out of an inward love to them and another to performe them out of a base respect to the profit and pleasure that may be found in them in outward peace and rest as sometimes the case so stands that if a man doe betake himselfe to spirituall duties he shall perhaps finde the more favour in the eyes of men and to please authority if it take the better side and so from an heavie basenesse of their hearts to such regards they will have respect unto spirituall duties but these doe not move but as heavie things move downward and light things upward a stone will move downward and fire upward Absolom had a marvellous strong affection to be doing 2 Sam. 15.4 he tels them every man should have justice if he was but made King in the Land so all Israel desired after him but Absolom was now out of his place but as soone as ever he got into the place hee desired the first thing he intended was to cut off his Fathers life an act of the greatest rebellion that ever could be done so that men out of their places are apt to be stirring and moving but it is but either from the basenesse or lightnesse of their hearts Note this O that I were but in my Masters place saith a servant I would have duties performed in such time and place and when they come to be in place and might order and command their families then they grow as bad as their Masters and it may be worse but this are we apt to doe when we are out of our places apt to be moving but it s not true life because only that which moves in its place that only lives and yet further A thing may move in its place and yet move from some kind of outward respects as a Watch or a Clock it moves but it is from the weight that lyes and hangs upon it and so it is rather a violent motion then a naturall So is it many times with men the weight of the Law or the weight of the authority of Governours doth so carry them an end in those waies they walke in that they goe through with it and yet it is but from an outward principle from some outward weights that hangs upon them but yet suppose men should be doing in their places as Jehu was he was mighty in his place and was very much against Baal and destroyed the house of Ahab and his children and his friends but yet notwithstanding though this was all in his calling he had a speciall Calling given him of God to that end What required to a spirituall duty but though you should performe duties in your places as a tree though it move in its place upward yet it puts not forth so many a man may doe good duties in his place and yet be wanting in the graciousnesse and spirituality of them Now to make a duty spirituall requires not only that it should be for the better a good worke but that it should be wrought First in sence of our owne insufficiency without Christ and yet so as that by and from Christ we are able to doe it Secondly that we have some respect to the Word of God for our warrant Thirdly that in all we doe we have respect to the glory of God in all our performances I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 The just shall live by his owne faith As if he should say he no further puts forth a worke of spirituall life further then he denies his owne ability so farre hee lives by his faith and depends upon Christ for supply in every duty he goes about whether he pray preach or receive Sacraments or be diligent in his Calling or in his carriage towards any that stand in relation to him so farre as we are sensible of our owne failings and therefore doe depend upon him for strength these are not such as come from common graces Common gifts but doe accompany sanctification to life It is true if men be invested with common gifts they may be acted and moved to many duties in their places and put out very sweet affections to the duty and yet doe it rather out of the power of their owne strength and rather for their owne glory and applause then from any dependance upon Christ so that spirituall life hath the Lord Jesus for its root and the Word for its warrant and for its rule to walke by Psal 119.6 Then shall I never be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandements All such actions will be accpptable to God and serviceable to men and also aime at the glory of God for the end that is their last end and all such other ends as are sub-ordinate unto that the building up of Gods Kingdome Zach. 7.5 6 7. When ye did eate did ye it unto me saith the Lord nay did ye not doe it to your selves Hos 7.14 They have not cryed unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds Did you desire in your prayers to bring in any service to God to tend to his honour and glory And did you debase your owne soules before him that you might finde help from him Or did you not this to your selves or for your owne deliverance and redemption and freedome from such bondage and other miseries that lay upon you so that if God see men goe
growing as a theefe in a candle wasts it but if there be a theefe in the heart a lurking lust in the soule a living soule is not well till it be removed by some good means or other that so it may recover it selfe It is sometimes the case of a Christian as David speakes Psal 39. ult Oh spare a little that I may recover any strength so a Christian man if he find himselfe in a decay that he is dead and heartlesse in every spirituall performance oh then spare a little that I may recover my strength Now hee is afraid to dye in such a case but hee would now have some time that he may recover his first love and his first fruits and that his faith might not vanish away in ashes and smoak if he see that his spirit decayes he considers then whence he is fallen Rev. 2.4.5 and repents and doth his first workes This is the nature of repentance it purges out Repentance the best purge it purges out the noysome humours that brought the body into languish and decay Repentance is the cheifest purge and so then wee doe our first workes and attain to our first love and grow more at the last then at the first Rev. 2.19 and therefore this is to be considered of a Christian man is a growing man if not always in the bulke which is easie to bee discerned as to grow in strength and rootednesse c. yet surely he growes to more sweetnesse of spirit An Apple is sometimes grown to full growth upon a tree yet grows not sweet till a good time after but in time it will So a Christian though it may be he shall never get more knowledg then he hath or more ability but though the case so stand Simile that you are like to grow no further yet you may grow to more sweetnesse and mellownesse to more love to your brethren and be more ready to deny your selves of that arrogancy of spirit and pride he is now addicted to And so a Christian growes in sweetnesse and growes in rootednesse of spirit and sees his more want of Christ and gets faster hold on Christ And though he cannot grow more tall in his outward expression nor more painful yet in these two no Christian that growes but if he be living ahd healthful he growes in firmenesse and rootednesse in Christ and in great dependance upon him from day to day in his wayes And he growes in more sweetnesse aymes more at Gods glory and is more in love to his brethren and more denys himselfe in his own matters And if he grow not here he is either no living Christian in truth or no healthfull Christian and if a man see this and not bewaile his not growing in these he hath no life at all in him a man that growes harsh and unsavoury and doth not take a course to repent of it it s a thousand to one there is no life at all in him but if a man grow though but in amiablenesse and selfe-denial and more firmly in Christ and more assured of Gods grace and mercy and more depend upon Christ for what he doth and can do nothing without Christ and he knowes it by experience that unlesse a man so grow there is no life in him Fourthly 4. Effect of the life of Sanctification another effect of the life of sanctification is this life is such a thing as hath an expulsive power to expell and drive out of the body that which is noysome and hurtfull to it and will cast and sweat it out Nature cannot endure to be clogged with superfluity out it must one way or other Nature will ease it selfe it cannot long subsist paine and sicknesse is grievous and painfull to Nature if any thing trouble the stomach or the body out it must by vomit or purge it cannot stay if the man be living so if grace be but living in the soule there is an expulsive power in the soule that will purge away that which is contrary to it it cannot endure superfluity but away it must goe there it cannot stay nothing will he keep but that which is convenient for him A Christian looke whatsoever it be that a Christian findes superfluous and findes contrary to the life of Christ in his soule either too much or contrary to his spirit that he abandons it more or lesse by degrees measure after measure and time after time so the Apostle exhorts Jam. 1.21 Lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse c. If there be any thing which is superfluous or filthy away with it let it not rest there and if it be for no good purpose let it have no rest in thee There is many parts of knowledge that is not contrary to the life of sanctification but are more then we shall have use of in our callings and though they may be such things as others may make use of yet they are superfluous when they are of no use to us in our callings then put them away unlesse they be of use either for necessity or expediency then nature will cast them away especially if they be naughty things they are more then superfluous then they are noysome and hurtfull and therefore a Christian man principally casts away that which is noysome and corrupt both doubting and presumption is contrary to the life of faith and therefore must be cast out cast out all feares and all selfe confidence Perfect love casteth out feare 1 Joh. 4.18 Faith strives against feare and love strives against malice and patience strives against frowardnesse modesty against pride and so every of God wonder to see how it will by the degrees either sweat them out or else set themselves by some serious duties of humiliation and so cleanse themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 that he may grow to perfect holinesse in the feare of God He is weary of it and that life of grace casts out all the life of sinne he lookes at the life of this world as something in it that is good yet so much of the world as he sees he cannot well manage but with cumberance to the Spirit of grace he layes it aside and meddles not with it he studies no more then to use in a practicall life he would live as David in Sauls Armour when he sees it troubles him he layes it aside So shall you finde it with a Christian these things are unprofitable for him keepe them out of your soules least they prove a snare to you and whatever is superfluity cast it out and whatever distracts you and clogs you with cares out with it whatever is a burden to the life of grace cast out all such things Fifthly 5 Signe life propagates its like The last act of the life of sanctification is the begetting of the like and propagating according to their kinde it is the nature both of Spirituall and Naturall life it propagates its kinde
as lets thee alone and only puffes thee up and makes thee to thinke goodly of thy selfe if that be all the worke of thy knowledge thou art a dead-hearted Christian if it cause thee to vanish away in empty contemplation and thou therefore talkest that thou mayest let others see thou hast knowledge as well as others and if it be dead and cold and empty and vanish away in empty notion and speculation and dead conference then thy knowledge is barren in goodnesse and that is an argument of no life in thy soule but if there be any truth of life in thy soule thy knowledge is warme and lively thy knowledge that is in thee hath some zeale and that sets an edge upon it and makes it serviceable to God and thy brethren I know not better how to expresse it then from Revel 1.14 15. in the description of our blessed Saviour His eyes were as a flame of fire It is true the eye is lightsome but it doth not burne they are not hot but the eyes of Christ is as a flaming heat and the meaning is Christ is described just according to the state of the Church to whom Iohn was to write as he had feet of brasse when he writes to a Church that though burned in the fire yet the more you burne it the lesse it wasts and the more pure it is and by degrees the more bright so where he speakes to a Church in persecution and it is not consumed then Christ hath feet like brasse but if he write to a Church of Thyatira a Church of a warme spirit then thus faith he that hath eyes like a flame of fire Revel 2.9 meaning the knowledge that that Church had which was full of zeale as wel as of light and according to the measure of its knowledge so it grew more in grace and therefore the workes were more at the last then at the first As their knowledge growes so growes their zeal so that if thou hast that life in Christ which accompanies salvation thy eyes are like a flame of fire full of burning light as well as brightsome knowledge Is thy knowledge such as suffers thee to sit downe barren and though thou knowest that thou oughtest to doe this and that yet thou doest it not then there is no heate and warmth in thy knowledge but if there be true life and warmth in thy spirit thy knowledge stirres thee up to be doing and stirres up others to be doing also and thy knowledge will not suffer thee to let them alone just as Peter and Iohn sometimes said to the high Priests We cannot but speake that which we know and have seene and heard Acts 4.18 19 20. And therefore though they threatned them is perrill of life to speake no more in Christs name yet say they that which we know to be the Truth of God that we must needs speake as Ieremie speakes chap. 20. I could not forbeare The light that was in him was a glowing and warme heate and the Word of God in him was as a mighty fire and it will not suffer him to rest and he must also stir up others So then examine whether there be any heate in thy knowledge if thy knowledge be not according to zeale it will but aggravate thy condemnation Againe examine thy breath whether doest thou breath or no Doest thou smell a good savour in Gods Word when thou doest read or heare it And doest thou smell a sweet savour in the conference of Christian men or doth it stinke in thy nostrils if it be sweet to thee it is well Doest thou pray to God with some kinde of panting after him and thy spirit is fit to faint within thee and thou canst sit downe and bemoane thy selfe to God that thou hast so lost thy selfe then there is breath in thee or canst thou bring out a word to edifie thy brethren it is well but if there be no breath in thee it is an evident signe thou art dead or at least in a deep sleep if thou hast no ability to pray and can relish no ordinance of God and have no kinde of aptnesse to edifie another then either there is no life in thee or else it is much benumbed and therefore either no life or none that is extant in thee And so how dost thou find thy warm affections stand to the Word hast thou a stomach to the Word And hast thou not so much profit by it as to see thou doest not profit and art ashamed of it but if not there is no life in thee And if thou lovest to be disjoyned from thy brethren you are never better then when you are falling off and sitting loose from your brethren if you love to be asunder there is no life in you no life of Religion there for Religion desires to preserve it selfe and love is a principall worke of Religion above all things have fervent love among your selves A man had rather cover a multitude of wicked practises then loose the fervency of his love one towards another And if therefore the Devill throw brands among you and you fal asunder one Christian hangs here and another there in the end while you lye so a sunder the fire goes out and men may bid one another good night and then may you all take your pleasure in sin the truth is then all the life of Religion goes out and every businesse in the Family drawes away and so rests till all the life be lost And therefore if you see men are willing to sit loose and fall off one from another then there is an end of the life and power of godlinesse a bidding of Religion good night And no more profit to be had while such distempers of soule doth last But if you see that men come together as in that ancient famous Vision Ezek. 37. every bone finds out his fellow and joynes with him and then there was a noise and a shaking if you see bones gather bone to his bone then at the next prophecying flesh will come and sinewes and the next prophesie will breath life into them so if men begin to annex themselves one unto another as living brands If one begin to seek out another and to draw together and to lye close together if bone begin to gather to his bone then there is hope of an Host of armed men to stand up for God in good ways then there wil be life and strength and power of godlinesse else make account of it that in very truth there is no life no power of Religion where there is no relishing no closing one with another if therefore you see men closing together and warming one another in the wayes of Gods grace and there is some sence of your owne unprofitablenesse under the Word and if you can digest it turne it into edification of your selfe and others then there is true life in you and having life you have Christ and in him you have life in
for it was at the same feast that Nehemiah speakes chap. 8. last It is said chap 8.4 to 8. there was a Pulpit of Wood and in vers 8. it is said They did read distinctly in the Law and caused the people to understand the meaning of it so that it was not a meere outward and bare reading of the letter but an opening of the sence and such a kinde of applying it to the hearts of the people that the people went away much rejoycing because they understood the Law that was read unto them and many of them could not but joy and rejoyce in it as you see from vers 8. to the end of the 12th and when they had so done the people went away rejoycing and he said to them Goe your way home eate the fat and drinke the sweet c. vers 10. So that this you shall finde to be true that God hath either never so farre forth blessed the reading of the Word as to bring on unbeleevers to Christ either never or if he have it is at some solemne extraordinary feast once in seven or once in fifty yeares which was their great Jubilee to make knowne to his Church what in after times it should be when they knew Christ Vse It may serve first to let us see a reason why so many Writings of godly men to so good purpose and by such holy men and so effectually by many have so little prevailed against the Papists and Hereticks in any kinde a man would wonder to read so many Writings of so many holy men and to see so few of the Church of God brought on to God by this meanes Why what 's the reason surely it is no wonder the Apostles themselves though they should never prosper in writing to men that beleeved not but to such as beleeved that they might have joy in beleeving they knew reading would not prevaile It is true it may be some meanes of conviction and leaving men without excuse and their Writings have not been in vaine to establish them in the truth that beleeved it before and for satisfying the judgements of them that are studious in the truth to seeke out the truth of Gods will but for men that are unbeleevers and setled in the dreggs thereof never any Writer in England France or Germany did any good some have come over that have pretended that this and that mans learned Writings hath been of much help to them but those who have professed such conviction have been but meer counterfeits and deluders of the State and did it only to provide for their honour and credit here in this Country and as little hath been done by the Writings of godly men against the adversaries in this kinde So in very deed The bane of congregations that have no meanes of preaching if you shall looke at all the good that hath been done by reading in poore Congregations that have had no meanes of preaching the people are as ignorant as those that never heard of the name of Christ as empty of faith and of the knowledge of Christ and of every grace of his as those that never heard of them Object But you say This is marvellous uncharitable to say that they who have but reading fall short of faith in Christ and of the fruits of faith that accompany salvation Ans Whether is it more uncharitablenesse to let such as live under such meanes know their danger that they might come to salvation then to flatter them with a false opinion of their owne safety to speake peace to them and yet they to live without God in the world Gods people are in an unsafe condition without God while they are without a teaching Priest 2 Chron. 15.3 A long time they had been without God why had they not the Word of God read in their Synagogues Doe you thinke Ieroboams Priests did not read the Law Was there no mention of the Law of God among them Had they not so much forme of godlinesse as to read the writings of the Law Yes sure their Civill Law in which their civill Government stood and by which they executed Justice was the Law of Moses and did they not then understand the letter of the Law doubtlesse these bookes being their Law they were knowne among the body of the people and what did the Priests if they did not read the bookes of the Law were they only to offer sacrifice to the Calves I doubt not the people did not doe it neither was it usuall to offer any of their Oblations in their Synagogues but at Dan and Bethel only and therefore they were not wanting to heare the Prophets read and yet notwithstanding all that reading it is said Israel hath a long time been without God they had a Priest to read but not a Priest to teach and so were without God and without the Law that is the sentence God gives of the people at that time and thinke not that God was uncharitable in so speaking of them for God expresseth his love in shewing the people their dangerous estate Ioh. 15.14 15. Quest But is it not said Act. 15.21 Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day and is not then the reading of him preaching Answ It implyes that when he is read he is preached for every Sabbath day when they read the Law they gave the sence and meaning of it that shewes what diligence the Priests did use when they did read they gave the sence and wisely applyed it to the edification of the people and not that reading was all the preaching they had or that this was any preaching that they only read the Word of God for if they had but Moses read and not preached they were then without the Law and without God in the world And you know what God himselfe threatens Amos 8.11 12 13. That he would send a famine of hearing the Word never was there a famine of reading the Word since there was any face of a Church at all but a famine of hearing the Word of the Lord that men should goe farre from sea to sea and from place to place to heare it but should not heare it And by that meanes the young men and the faire virgines should perish for thirst and none to satisfie them with the Word and those who were able to stirre would goe farre and neare to heare the Word and yet should not finde it and so shall perish for want of that knowledge of it which doth accompany salvation so then marvaile not that the Holy Ghost saith these things I write unto you that beleeve to Beleevers only was this written Note the Miserable case of Congregations that have but bare reading Wonder not then if so little good be done among the Papists or in any other Churches where there is only bare reading make account of it as the Lord saith My people are then destroyed for want
and to make us beleeve more 5. Meditation on the Word Fifthly the Word also meditated upon when a man hath heard it and searched it and beleeved it read and conferred about it or say none of these for the present but whether these have gone before or no for the present the very meditation of Gods Word which a man now takes into his minde as he is riding or working there is a mighty power in the Word pondering upon it and chewing of it to make a man more rooted in it more fruitfull and more comfortable in beleeving This truth you see in Psal 1.1 2 3. when a man meditates upon the Law of God day and night he growes to more delight in it one of these helps another and what will be the fruit of it He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters planted and rooted and well watered there and he brings forth his fruit in due season and whatsoever he doth shall prosper not as planted in a dry Wildernesse but by the rivers of water and that makes him not only well rooted and growne tall but it inables him to bring forth fruit in due season and as for his leafe it withers not neither Summers heat nor Winters Frosts makes it to fall but he still holds his greennesse and his fruitfulnesse and he growes in all the graces of God which tend to the praise and glory of his grace and this is by reason of his delighting and meditating in the Word of God and thus you see the point opened Vse 1. First then you may from hence gather a signe of tryall of your owne faith for if this be the Spirit of a godly Teacher to draw on those that are beleevers to beleeve it is a good signe as of a faithfull Minister so of a faithfull Hearer when he desires to supply the defects of his owne and others faith you see Iohn a faithfull Minister to those Christians to whom he writes he when he had brought them on to beleeve and found faith wrought in their hearts it was his care not there to leave them he doth not say as some would well there is now truth of grace in them and truth of faith such faith as accompanies salvation and now he that begun this worke in them will finish it and so leave them and you say now you need take no further care about them but now they will doe well enough no this is not the spirit of a faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ and it will be but uncomfortable to such Ministers as thinke now they may be left to the wide world Property of a faithfull Minister they wil shift any where but where we see any seeds of faith begun we must be desirous to increase it in our selves and ours the Apostles themselves pray Lord increase our faith Luke 17.5 and so they desire to increase other mens faith wee had need grow fast this way if we would have a true signe of a lively faith true and lively faith always desires to grow in it selfe and it would cause the like faith also to grow in others and therefore as you see faithfull Ministers are thus desirous to grow themselves and to cause others to grow as Paul prayes exceedingly night and day to come to those whom he had taken pains withall that he might make a supply of what was wanting in their faith and as faithfull Ministers must cloathe themselves with this earnest desire to be calling yet more and more upon beleevers that such as doe beleeve may beleeve yet more and grow from faith to faith Truly so godly Christians looke as Ministers are desirous to grow in their owne faith and to helpe on others so in Christians it is a true signe of faith not to content our selves in truth of faith but to desire earnestly after growth in faith had not they cause to pray that Paul might come among them againe and helpe them And therefore doubtlesse this is that which every true beleever hath respect unto every faithfull Christian prayes for himselfe Lord increase my faith Lord helpe my unbeleefe this is the prayer of every soule that comes to Christ that though we have some measure of faith already yet mixed with so much unfruitfulnesse and unsetlednesse and so many defects that every Christian hath cause to pray Lord helpe my unbeleefe sometimes a man is hindred with offences and they are to be avoyded in which a man will not be able to put forth love unlesse hee have a strong faith and that was the reason why the Apostles prayed so earnestly Lord increase our faith Luk. 17.5 for it was upon this occasion our Saviour had been exhorting them how to carry themselves in respect of offences if thy brother trespasse against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him c. Now they apprehended it was a great work they saw it was a great worke to rebuke him he had need have much faith before he can do that but suppose upon that a man doe humble himselfe and repent then for a man to forgive him Note this it requires a great faith to forgive a wrong or an injury offered to us but what if he come and offend me againe and againe seventy times seven times why if he doe and say it repents me thou shalt forgive him Now when they heare this that a man must bee so free-hearted in forgiving wrongs and injuries done to themselves they had need have a strong love and strong love stands in need of a strong faith to shew you that a man that shal have occasion to trade with his faith and to live and walke by his faith he shall have much need of the growth and increase of it if it be but for the healing of offences many occasions and temptations may meet with us in the world temptations from Satan as well as from the world 1 John 2.14 And if a man have strong enemies he will stand in need of a strong faith to cut asunder all the fiery darts of the Devill Ephes 6.16 Above all take the shield of faith There is no man willing to go to the field with weak armour he would if he could have armour of proofe such as might repulse a weapon or a dart cast against him so a Christian he hath to fight against many enemies And a sheild covers his whole body and so differs from a buckler that covers but one part but a shield covers the whole man stands upon the ground and covers him all over and now faith being such a sheild it is of mighty force and is able to repulse all the fiery darts of the Devill and all the rest of the enemies of their salvation so that the servants of God that know what use they have of their faith they know they have need of the growth and increase of it And so againe in regard of their daily imployments the just man lives by his faith Rom.
Arts and Sciences whence is their knowledge but from their observation of many experiences Phisitians know it and they therefore set it downe in their bookes they know it is so Things that we gather from sence and experience we are said to have the knowledge of now this experience doth not only give us confidence but knowledge for by the unction that we have received we doe know the love of God that passeth knowledge Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith we come to know the love of God towards us Eph. 3.17.19 There is not any thing that concernes the love of God towards us but the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts by faith it comes to passe that we are able to comprehend the height and depth length and breadth of the love of God towards us This Spirit of God in our hearts gives us sensible experience and knowledge of Gods love to us of his attonement and grace to us our Consciences that had hels in them before all such darksome evils are now vanisht and scattered and we know that sensibly we had power given us to pray and to beleeve that our prayers are granted and can wait upon God and feare God and make conscience of obeying his will Now this Spirit of prayer that discovers these things plainly to our inward man the sence and experience of it makes a Christian able to know what God hath done for him and makes him able to beleeve what God hath promised him and thus now when we aske any thing according to Gods will he doth not only say It is well said but he takes a course to answer our requests we have certaine grounds to move us in what we aske and the ends of our requests are right Now God considers not alwaies so much the letter of our prayers as the grounds and ends of them the scope we ayme at and God will so accordingly answer us Vse 1. Let it be first a ground of encouragement to every Christian soule that beleeves in the name of Jesus Christ trust not in your owne good parts and good gifts if any such things increase set not your hearts upon them trust not in any worldly blessing but beleeve on the name of Christ And therefore that you may beleeve humble your soules before him in regard of your sins and pray heartily in the faith of Christ And why so The ground is in the text you shall not only be confident and assured of your salvation which is a great mercy of God to my soule and a greater then all the whole Church of Rome would grant they may goe to Rome and from thence to Jerusalem and from one place to another to have sought for pardon of sin and yet not so much comfort promised them that after all this they shall finde it but in the end to Purgatory they must goe and that is as ill as Hell fire say they save only in durance and this is all the helpe they have they might whip and scourge themselves and give all their goods away to the poore and themselves goe in sackcloth and ashes all their dayes and when all comes to all they must not be sure of any mercy or favour from God which to beleeve would be Hereticall presumption but they must notwithstanding all this rest in Hell fire till the day of Judgement unlesse they will be at cost to purchase freedome from it and which is strange though they would not suffer them to beleeve a release by Christs pardon yet upon the Popes pardon they might have hope and so they take more pains for an uncertainty then we for certainty and knowledge but you shall not only attaine certainty of salvation but certainty of the granting of all your requests no peace to the peace of a Beleever and therefore lay aside all your confidence in the world but be confident in the name of the Lord Jesus and be certaine of Gods favour and goodnesse to you in him and then here is such blessings as will keep a mans heart warme in the worst houres Vse 2. To teach such as beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus how you may come to be confident and certaine of the hearing and granting your petitions How may wee come to that Hast thou good evidence to thy soule of thy Adoption that God is thy Father then meditate well upon this point that Christ is thy Advocate to make intercession and Attonement for thee in case thou hast displeased thy heavenly Father These two things will much prevaile they be strong helps to a weake faith and then consider what unction thou hast received and look up to God that he would give thee a spirit of prayer to pray feelingly and fervently and humbly before him and then labour for a spirit of faith which if God give thee so much faith as to perswade thee thy requests are heard and to wrastle against discouragements and that the spirit of faith doth worke in thee grace to hope and waite upon God and withall an holy feare of his name and obedience to walke obediently in doing his will and patiently to suffer his will under his hand and observe how the Spirit speakes evidently in this and that kinde and it will be a notable means to helpe thee to grow confident and certaine that all thy prayers are heard Now many a Christian soule falls short of this he considers not the Attonement of Christ in his prayer but many times thus stands the case with them there is much desolutenesse in their lives and loosenesse and fearlesnesse in their hearts before God rejoyce not with trembling God sees his Servants loose in their obedience and when disobedient they seek not to Christ for Attonement whence it is that many times they are so full of doubts Vse 3. Of much consolation to all those that beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus and make use of these blessed meanes this is our confidence that whatsoever petitions we aske he heareth us and we know it See how comfortable a Christians estate is he growes certaine not only of his owne salvation but he is certaine of the hearing and granting of all his petitions if he can but pray well he makes account all is well let his distresses be what they will be SERMON XVI 1 JOHN 5.16 17. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not unto death he shall aske and he shall give him life for them that sinne not unto death There is a sinne unto death I doe not say that he shall pray for it THese words containe a third motive to encourage us unto that duty which is the maine scope of this Epistle to wit to beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God whereto the Apostle exhorts us vers 13. and propounds first this motive to wit A blessed confidence of the hearing of all our petitions Secondly a certaine knowledge verified that he not only heares but grants our desires Now he