the first link of the chaine in his hand hath the whole chaine The Saints have the Spirit of God in them 2 Tim. 1.14 The Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us How can the blessed Spirit be in a man and he not blessed a godly mans heart is a Paradise planted with the choicest fruit and God himself walks in the midst of this Paradise and must he not needs be blessed 2. The Saints are already blessed because their sins are not imputed to them Psal 32.2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Gods not imputing iniquity signifies Gods making of sin not to be 't is as if the man had never sinned the debt-book is cancel'd in Christs blood and if the debtor owe never so much yet if the creditor cross the book it is as if he had never owed any thing Gods not imputing sin is that God will never call for the debt or if it should be called for it shall be hid out of sight Jer. 50.20 In those days the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found Now such a man who hath not sin imputed to him is blessed and the reason is because if sin be not imputed to a man then the curse is taken away and if the curse be taken away then he must needs be blessed 3. The Saints are already blessed because they are in Covenant with God This is clear by comparing two Scriptures Jer. 31.33 I will be their God and Psal 144.15 Happy is that people whose God is the Lord This is the crowning blessing to have the Lord for our God impossible it is to imagine that God should be our God and we not blessed This sweet word I will be your God implies 1. Propriety that all that is in God shall be ours his love ours his Spirit ours his mercy ours 2. It implies all Relations 1. Of a Father 2 Cor. 6.18 I will be a Father unto you The sons of a Prince are happy how blessed are the Saints who are of the true blood Royal 2. It implies the relation of an Husband Isa 54.5 Thy Maker is thy husband The Spouse being contracted to her husband is happy by having an interest in all he hath The Saints being contracted by faith are blessed though the solemnity of the Marriage be kept for heaven 3. It implies terms of friendship They who are in Covenant with God are Favourites of heaven Abraham my friend Isa 41.8 'T is counted a Subjects happiness to be in favour with his Prince though he may live a while from Court how happy must he needs be who is Gods Favourite 4. The Saints are already blessed because they have a Reversion of heaven as on the contrary he who hath hell in Reversion is said to be already condemned John 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already He is as sure to be condemned as if he were condemned already So he who hath heaven in Reversion may be said to be already blessed a man that hath the Reversion of an house after a short Lease is run out he looks upon it as his already this house saith he is mine So a believer hath a Reversion of heaven after the Lease of life is run out and he can say at present Christ is mine and glory is mine he hath jus ad rem a title to heaven and he is a blessed man that hath a title to shew nay faith turns the Reversion into a Possession 5. The Saints are already blessed because they have Primitias the first fruits of blessedness here We read of the earnest of the Spirit and the seal 2 Cor. 1.22 and the first fruits Rom. 8.23 Heaven is already begun in a believer Rom. 14.17 The Kingdome of God is peace and joy in the Holy Ghost This Kingdome is in a believers heart Luk. 17.21 The people of God have a prelibation and taste of blessedness here As Israel tasted a bunch of grapes before they were actually possessed of Canaan So the children of God have those secret incomes of the Spirit those smiles of Christs face those kisses of his lips those love-tokens that are as bunches of grapes and they think themselves sometimes in heaven Paul was let down in a basket Acts 9.25 Oftentimes the Comforter is let down to the soul in an Ordinance and now the soul is in the Suburbs of Hierusalem above a Christian sees heaven by faith and tasts it by joy and what is this but blessedness 6. The Saints may be said in this life to be blessed because all things tend to make them blessed Rom. 8.28 All things work for good to them that love God We say to him that hath every thing falling out for the best You are an happy man the Saints are very happy for all things haue a tendency to their good prosperity doth them good adversity doth them good nay sin turns to their good every trip makes them more watchful their maladies are their medicines are not they happy persons that have every wind blowing them to the right Port 7. A Saint may be said to be blessed because part of him is already blessed he is blessed in his head Christ his head is in glory Christ and believers make one body mystical their head is gotten into heaven Use 1. Inform. Branch 1. See the difference between Use 1 a wicked man and a godly Inform. let a wicked man have never so many comforts still he is cursed let a godly man have Branch 1 never so many crosses still he is blessed let a wicked man have the candle of God shining on him Job 29.3 let his way be so smooth that he meets with no rubs let him have success yet still there is a curse entailed upon him you may read the sinners Inventory Deut. 28.16 17 18. He is not more full of sin than he is of a curse though perhaps he blesseth himself in his wickedness yet he is heir to Gods curse all the curses of the Bible are his portion and at the day of death this portion is sure to be paid but a godly man in the midst of all his miseries is blessed he may be under the cross but not under a curse Branch 2. It shews the priviledge of a believer he Branch 2 not only shall be blessed but he is blessed blessedness is begun in him Psal 115.15 You are blessed of the Lord Let the condition of the Righteous be never so sad yet it is blessed he is blessed in affliction Psal 94. Blessed is he whom thou chastenest Blessed in poverty James 2.5 Poor in the world rich in faith Blessed in disgrace 1 Pet. 4.14 The Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you This may be a cordial to the fainting Christian he is blessed in life and death Satan cannot supplant him of the blessing Branch 3 Branch 3. How may this take away murmuring and melancholy from a child of
inutile pondus An unuseful person serves for nothing but to cumber the ground and because he is barren in figs he shall be fruitful in curses Hebr. 6.8 Arg. 2 2. By this we resemble God who is a God of mercy he is said to delight in mercy * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mac. Micah 7.18 His mercies are over all his works Psal 145.9 He requites good for evil like the clouds which receive ill vapours from us but return them to us again in sweet showres There is not a creature lives but tastes of the mercies of God every Bird saith Ambrose doth in its kind sing Hymns of praise to God for his bounty but Men and Angels do in a more particular manner taste the cream and quintessence of Gods mercies 1. What temporal mercies have you received every time you draw your breath you suck in mercy every bit of bread you eat the hand of mercy carves it to you you never drink but in a golden Cup of mercy 2. What spiritual mercies hath God enriched some of you with pardoning adopting saving mercy The Picture of Gods mercy can never be drawn to the full you cannot take the breadth of his mercy for it is infinite nor the heighth of it for it reacheth above the clouds nor the length of it for it is from everlasting to everlasting Psal 103.17 The works of mercy are the glory of the God-head Moses prays Lord shew me thy glory Exod. 33.18 Saith God I will make all my goodness to pass before thee Ver. 19. God doth account himself most glorious in the shining Robes of his mercy now by works of mercy we resemble the God of mercy we are bid to draw our Lines according to this Copy Luke 6.36 Be you merciful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as your Father also is merciful 3. Alms are a Sacrifice Hebr. 13.16 To do good Arg. 3 and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well-pleased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when you are distributing to the poor 't is as if you were praying as if you were worshipping God There are two sorts of Sacrifices Expiatory the Sacrifice of Christs blood and Gratulatory the Sacrifice of Alms. This saith holy Greenham is more acceptable to God than any other Sacrifice Acts 10.4 The Angel said to Cornelius thy Alms are come up for a memorial before God The backs of the poor are the Altar on which this Sacrifice is to be offered 4. We our selves live upon Alms other creatures do Arg. 4 liberally contribute to our necessities the Sun hath not its light for it self but for us it doth enrich us with its golden beams the Earth brings us a fruitful crop and to shew how joyful a mother she is in bringing forth the Psalmist saith the Vallies are covered with corn they shout for joy they also sing Psal 65.13 One creature gives us wool another oyle another silk we are fain to go a begging to the Creation Shall every creature be for the good of man and man only be for himself how absurd and irrational is this Arg. 5 5. We are to extend our liberality by vertue of a membership Isa 58.7 That thou hide not thy self from thy own flesh The poor are ex eodem luto they are fellow-fellow-members of the same body * Pars est propter totum The members do by a Law of equity and sympathy contribute one to another the eye conveys light to the body the heart blood the head spirits that is a dead member in the body which doth not communicate to the rest Thus it is in the body Politick let no man think it is too far below him to mind the wants and necessities of others it is pity but that hand should be cut off which disdains to pluck a thorn out of the foot It is spoken in the honour of that Renowned Princess the Emperess of Theodosius the great that she did her self visit the sick and prepare relief for them with her own Imperial hands Arg. 6 6. We are not Lords of an Estate but Stewards and how soon may we hear that Word Redde rationem Give an account of thy Stewardship for thou mayst be no longer Steward Luke 16.2 An Estate is a Talent to trade with it is as dangerous to hide our Talent * Defosso auro incubare dicitur qui pecuni am iâ—utilem detinet Grotius as to spend it Matth. 25.25 30. If the covetous man keep his gold too long it will begin to rust and the â—ust of it will witness against him Jam. 5.3 Arg. 7 7. The Examples of others who have been Renowned for acts of mercy and munificence 1. Our Lord Christ a great Example of charity he was not more full of merit than bounty Trajan the Emperour did rend off a piece of his own Robe to wrap his souldiers wounds Christ did more he rent his flesh he made a medicine of his body and blood to heal us Isa 53.5 by his stripes ye are healed Here was a pattern of charity without a parallel * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Myssen 2. The Jews are noted in this kind 't is a Rabbinical observation that those who live devoutly among the Jews distribute a tenth part of their estate among the poor and they give so freely saith Philo the Jew as if by giving they hoped to receive some great gratuity Now if the Jews are so devoted to works of mercy who live without Priest without Temple without Messiah shall not we much more who professe our faith in the blessed Messiah 3. Let me tell you of Heathens I have read of Titus Vespasian he was so inured to works of mercy that remembring he had given nothing that day cried out diem perdidi I have lost a day 'T is reported of some of the Turks that they have servants whom they employ on purpose to enquire what poor they have and they send relief to them And the Turks have a saying in their Alcoran that if men knew what a blessed thing it were to distribute Alms rather than spare they would give some of their own flesh to relieve the poor And shall not a Christians Creed be better than a Turks Alcoran Let all this perswade to works of mercy Regia crede mihi res est succurrere lapsis When poor indigent creatures like Moses are laid in the arke of bulrushes weeping and ready to sink in the waters of affliction be as temporal Saviours to them and draw them out of the waters with a golden cord Let the brests of your mercy nurse the poor be like the trees of the Sanctuary * Ezek. 47.12 both for food and medicine †when distress'd and even starved souls are fainting let your costly ingredients revive and fetch spirits in them Let others see the coats and garments which you have made for the poor Acts 9.39 Arg. 8 8. The sin of unmercifulnesse 1. The unmercifull man is an unthankful man and what can
7.29 but Adam by eating the Apple fell sick and had dyed for ever had not God found out a way for his recovery For the amplification of the Doctrine there are three things to be considered 1. In what sence sin is resembled to sicknesse 2. What the diseases of the soul are 3. That sin-sicknesse is the worst 1. In what sence sin is resembled to sicknesse 1. Sin may be compared to sicknesse for the manner of catching First Sicknesse is caught often through carelesnesse some get cold by leaving off cloaths So when Adam grew carelesse of Gods command and left off the garment of his innocency he caught a sicknesse he could stay no longer in the Garden but lay bed-rid his sinne hath turned the world which was a Paradise into an Hospital Secondly Sicknesse is caught sometimes through superfluity and intemperance Excesse produceth sicknesse When our first parents lost the golden bridle of temperance and did eate of the forbidden tree they and all their posterity surfeited on it and took a sicknesse The Tree of Knowledge had sicknesse and death under the leaves it was fair to the eye Gen. 3.6 but poyson to the taste we all grew desperately sick by eating of this tree Adams intemperance hath brought us to fasting and weeping and besides that disease at first by propagation we have added to it by actual perpetration We have encreased our sicknesse therefore sinners are said to wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 2. Sin may be resembled to sicknesse for the nature of it As 1. Sicknesse is of a spreading nature it spreads all over the body it works into every part the head stomach it disorders the whole body So sin doth not rest in one part but spreads into all the faculties of the soul and members of the body Isa 1.5 6. The whole head is sick the whole heart is faint from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores c. 1. Sin doth corrupt the understanding Gregory Nazianzene calls the understanding the lamp of reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this lamp burns dim Ephes 4.18 Having their understanding darkned Sin hath drawn a vail over the understanding it hath cast a mist before our eyes that we neither know God nor our selves naturally we are only wise to do evil Jer. 4.21 Witty at sin wise to damn our selves the understanding is defiled 1 Cor. 2.14 We can no more judge of spiritual objects till the Spirit of God anoint our eyes than a blind man can judge of colours our understandings are subject to mistakes we call evill good and good evil we put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Isa 5.20 A strait stick under water seems crooked so to a natural understanding the strait line of truth seemes crooked 2. The memory is diseased the memory at first was like a golden cabinet in which divine truths were locked up safe but now it is like a Colander or leaking vessel which lets all that is good run out The memory is like a Searcer which sifts out the flower but keeps the bran So the memory lets saving truths go and holds nothing but froth and vanity Many a man can remember a story when he hath forgot his Creed Thus the memory is diseased the memory is like a bad stomack that wants the retentive faculty all the meat comes up again So the most precious truths will not stay in the memory but are gone again 3. The Will is diseased the will is the souls commander in chief it is the master-wheele but how irregular and excentrick is it The Will in the Creation was like that golden bridle which Minerva was said to put upon Pegasus to guide and rule him it did answer to Gods Will This was the language of the Will in innocency I delight to do thy will O God Psal 40.8 but now it is distempered it is like an iron sinew that refuseth to yeild and bend to God Isa 48.4 John 5.40 ye will not come to me that you may have life Men will rather die than come to their Physician The Arminians talk of Free-will the Will is sick what freedome hath a sick man to walk the Will is a Rebel against God Acts 7.51 ye do alwayes resist the holy Ghost The Will is diseased 4. The Affections are sick First the Affection of desire a sick man desires that which is hurtful for him he calls for wine in a Feaver So the natural man being sick he desires that which is prejudicial for him he hath no desire after Christ he doth not hunger and thirst after righteousnesse but he desires poyson he desires to take his fill of sin he loves death Prov. 8.36 Secondly The Affection of grief a man grieves for the want of an estate but not for the want of Gods favour he grieves to see the Plague or Cancer in his body but not for the plague of his heart Thirdly the Affection of joy many can rejoyce in a wedge of gold not in the crosse of Christ The Affections are sick and distempered 5. The Conscience is diseased Titus 1.15 Their minde and conscience is defiled Conscience is either 1. Erroneous binding to that which is sinful John 16.2 Acts 26.9 I verily thought with my self I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus Conscience is an ignis fatuus leading out of the right way Or 2. Dumb it will not tell men of sin it is a silenced Preacher Or 3. Dead Ephes 4.19 Conscience is stupified and sencelesse the custome of sinning hath taken away the sence of sinning Thus the sicknesse of sin hath gone over the whole soul like that cloud which over-spread the face of the heavens 1 Kings 18.45 2. Sicknesse doth debilitate and weaken the body a sick man is unfit to walk So this sicknesse ofsin weakens the soul Rom. 5.6 When we were without strength Christ died In innocency Adam was in some sence like the Angels he could serve God with a winged swiftnesse and filial chearfulnesse but sin brought sicknesse into the soul and this sickness hath cut the lock where his strength lay he is now disarmed of all ability for service and where grace is wrought though a Christian be not so heart-sick as before yet he is very faint The Saints prayers do but whisper in Gods eares and if Christ did not pray them over again God could not hear them we sin fervently but pray faintly as David said 2 Sam. 3.39 I am this day weak though anointed King so Christians though they have the oyle of grace poured upon them and they are anointed spiritual Kings yet they are weak sin hath infeebled them they take their breath short and cannot put forth such strong desires after God as they ought When we finde our selves dead in duty our holy affections languishing think thus This is my sickness sin hath made me weak as Jephtha said to his daughter
did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son God predestinates us to Christs image which image consists in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes 4.24 So that till thou art holy thou canst not shew any signe of election upon thee but rather the Divels brand-mark 5. Purity is the end of our redemption if we could have gone to heaven in our sins Christ needed not have died Why did he shed his blood but to redeem us from a vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 19. and Titus 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people Christ shed his blood to wash off our filth the Crosse was both an Altar and a Lavor Jesus Christ died not only to save us from wrath 1 Thes 1. ult but to save us from sin Matth. 1.21 Out of his sides came water which signifies our cleansing as well as blood which signifies our justifying 1 John 5.6 The truth is it were to make the body of Christ monstrous if the head should be pure and not the members 2. Reasons for heart-purity 2. Why Purity must be chiefly in the heart 1. Because if the heart be not pure we differ nothing from a Pharisaical Purity the Pharisees holinesse did consist chiefly in externals their 's was an outside Purity they never minded the inside of the heart Matth. 23.25 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye make cleane the outside of the cup and of the platter but within ye are full of extortion and verse 27. Ye are like unto whited Sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead mens bones The Pharisees were good only in superficie they were not Albi but dealbati whited over not white they were like a rotten post laid in Vermilion colour like a fair Chimny-piece guilded without but within nothing but Soot O such Hypocrites Salvian complains of who had Christ in their mouths but to no purpose we must go farther be pure in heart like the Kings daughter all glorious within Psal 45.13 Else ours is but a pharisaical purity and Christ faith Matth. 5.20 Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven 2. The heart must especially be kept pure because the heart is the chief seat or place of Gods residence God dwells in the heart he takes up the heart for his own lodgings Isa 57.15 Ephes 3.17 therefore it must be pure and holy A Kings Palace must be kept from defilement especially his Presence-chamber The heart is Gods Presence-chamber How holy ought that to be If the body be the Temple of the holy Ghost †* 1 Cor. 6.19 the heart is the Sanctum Sanctorum Oh take heed of defiling the room where God is to come let that room be washed with holy tears 3. The heart must especially be pure because it is the heart sanctifies all we do if the heart be holy all is holy our affections holy our duties holy The Altar sanctified the gift * Mat. 23.19 the heart is the Altar that sanctifies the offering The Romans kept their springs from being poysoned the heart is the spring of all our actions let us keep this spring from poyson be pure in heart SECT 1. Shewing the true beauty of the soul 1. SEE here what is the beauty that sets off a soul in Use 1 Gods eye viz. Purity of heart Inform. Thou who art never so beautiful art but a spiritual Leper till thou art pure Branch 1 in heart God is in love with the pure heart for he sees his own picture drawn there Holinesse is a beam of God it is the Angels glory They are pure virgin-spirits take away purity from an Angel and he is no more an Angel but a Divel thou who art pure in heart hast the Angels glory shining in thee thou hast the Embroydery and Workmanship of the Holy Ghost upon thee The pure heart is Gods Paradise where he delights to walk 't is his lesser heaven the Dove delights in the purest Aire the Holy Ghost who descended in the likeness of a Dove delights in the purest soul God saith of the pure in heart as of Sihon Psal 132.14 This is my rest for ever here will I dwell God loves the fairest complexion the pure in heart is Christs Bride decked and bespangled with the jewels of holiness Cant. 4.9 Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes Thine eyes that is thy graces these as a Chain of Pearl have drawn mine heart to thee of all hearts God loves the pure heart best Thou who dressest thy self by the glass of the Word and adornest the hidden man of thy heart * 1 Pet. 3.4 art most precious in Gods eyes though thou mayst be blear-eyed as Leah lame as Barzillai yet being pure in heart thou art the mirrour of beauty and mayst say Yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord Isa 49.5 How may this raise the esteem of purity this is a beauty that never fades and which makes God himself fall in love with us SECT 2. That Christians must not rest in out-side purity Branch 2 2. IF we must be pure in heart then we must not rest in outward purity civility is not sufficient a Swine may be washed yet a Swine still civility doth but wash a man grace changeth him civility like a Star may shine in the eyes of the world but it differs as much from purity as the Chrystal from the Diamond civility is but strewing flowers on a dead corps a man may be wonderfully Moralized yet but a tame Divel how many have made civility their saviour Morality may as well damn as Vice a Vessel may be sunk with gold as well as with dung Observe two things 1. The civil person though he will not commit gross sins yet he is not sensible of heart-sins he discerns not the Law in his members Rom. 7.23 He is not troubled for unbelief hardness of heart vanity of thoughts he abhors Jayle-sins not Gospel-sins 2. The civil person hath an aking tooth at Religion his heart riseth against holiness the Snake is of a fine colour but hath a deadly sting The civil man is fair to look to but hath a secret antipathy against the ways of God he hates grace as much as vice zeal is as odious to him as uncleanness so that civility is not to be rested in The heart must be pure God would have Aaron wash the inwards of the Sacrifice Lev. 9. Civility doth but wash the out-side the inwards must be washed Blessed are the pure in heart SECT 3. Shewing the signs of an impure heart LET us put our selves upon the Trial Trial. whether we are Use 2 pure-hearted or no. Here I shall do two things to shew the signs of 1. An impure heart 2. A pure heart 1. An ignorant heart is an impure
it comes to a Duty by Examination and Ejaculation When the Earth is prepared then it is fit to receive the seed when the Instrument is prepared and tuned it is fit for Musick 2. Watching the heart in a Duty An holy heart labours to be affected and wrought upon his heart burns within him There was no Sacrifice without fire a pure Saint labours to have his heart broken in a duty Psal 51.17 The incense when it was broken did cast the sweetest favour Impure souls care not in what a dead perfunctory manner they serve God Ezek. 33.31 They pray more out of fashion than out of faith They are no more affected with an Ordinance than the Tombs of the Church God complains of offering up the blind Mal. 1.8 And is it not as bad to offer up the dead O Christian say to thy self How can this deadness of heart stand with pureness of heart Do not dead things putrifie 3. Outward reverence Purity of heart will express it self by the reverend gesture of the body the lifting up of the eye and hand the uncovering the head the bending the knee Constantine the Emperour did bear great reverence to the Word When God gave the Law the Mount was on fire and trembled Exod. 19.18 The reason was that the people might prostrate themselves more reverently before the Lord. The Ark wherein the Law was put was carried upon bars that the Levites might not touch it Exod. 25.11 14. To shew what reverence God would have about holy things Sitting in prayer unless in case of weakness and having the Hat half on in prayer is a very undecent irreverent practice let such as are guilty reform it We must not only offer up our souls but our bodies Rom. 12.1 The Lord takes notice what posture and gesture we use in his worship If a man were to deliver a Petition to the King would he deliver it with his Hat half on The careless irreverence of some would make us think they did not much regard whether God heard them or no. We are run from one extream to another from superstition to unmannerliness Let Christians think of the dreadful Majesty of God who is present Gen. 28.17 How dreadful is this place this is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven The blessed Angels cover their faces crying Holy holy Isa 6.1 An holy heart will have an holy gesture 6. A pure heart will have a pure life 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. Where there is a good Conscience there will be a good Conversation Some bless God they have good hearts but their lives are evil Prov. 30.12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthiness If the stream be corrupt we may suspect the spring-head to be impure Aaron was called the Saint of the Lord Psal 106.16 He had not only an holy heart but there was a golden plate on his fore-head on which was written holiness to the Lord. Purity must not only be woven into the heart but engraven upon the life Grace is most beautiful when it shines abroad with its golden beams The Clock hath not only its motion within but the finger moves without upon the Dyal Pureness of heart shews it self upon the Dyal of the Conversation 1. A pure soul talks of God Psal 37.30 His heart is seen in his tongue the Latines call the Roof of the mouth Coelum Heaven He that is pure in heart his mouth is full of heaven 2. He walks with God Gen. 6.9 He is still doing Angels work praising God serving God he lives as Christ did upon Earth Holy duties are the Jacobs Ladder by which he is still ascending to heaven Purity of heart and life are in Scripture made Twins Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within them there is purity of heart and they shall walk in my statutes there is purity of life Shall we account them pure whose Conversation is not in heaven * Phil. 3.20 but rather in hell Micah 6.11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances and with the bag of deceitful weights How justly may others reproach Religion when they see it kicked down with our unholy feet a pure heart hath a golden Frontispice grace like new wine will have vent it can be no more conceal'd than lost The Saints are called Jewels Mal. 3. because of that shining lustre they cast in the eyes of others 7. A pure heart is so in love with purity that nothing can draw him off from it 1. Let others reproach purity he loves it as David when he danced before the Ark and Michal scoffed if saith he this he to be vile I will yet be more vile 2 Sam. 6.22 So saith a pure heart If to follow after holiness be to be vile I will yet be more vile Let water be sprinkled upon the fire it burns the more The more others deride holiness the more doth a gracious soul burn in love and zeal to it If a man had an inheritance befallen him would he be laughed out of it what is a Christian the worse for anothers reproach 't is not a blind mans disparaging a Diamond that makes it sparkle the less 2. Let others persecute holiness a pure heart will pursue it Holiness is the Queen every gracious soul is espoused to and he will rather dye than be divorced Paul would be holy though bonds and persecutions did abide him Acts 20.23 The way of Religion is oft thorny and bloody but a gracious heart prefers inward purity before outward peace I have heard of one who having a Jewel he much prized the King sent for his Jewel Tell the King saith he I honour his Majesty but I will rather lose my life than part with my Jewel He who is enriched with the Jewel of holiness will rather dye than part with this Jewel When his honour and riches will do him no good his holiness will stand him instead Rom. 6.22 Ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life SECT 5. Exhorting to heart-purity Use 3 3. LET me perswade Christians to heart-purity the Harlot wipes her mouth Exhort Prov. 30.20 But that is not enough Wash thy heart o Jerusalem Jerem. 4.14 And here I shall lay down some Arguments or Motives to perswade to heart-purity 1. The necessity of heart-purity it is necessary 1. In respect of our selves Till the heart be pure all our holy things are polluted they are splendida peccata Titus 1.15 To the unclean all things are unclean their offering is unclean Under the Law if a man who was unclean by a dead body did carry a piece of holy flesh in his skirt the holy flesh could not cleanse him but he polluted that Hag. 2.12 13. He who had the Leprosie whatever he touched was unclean if he had touched the
children of God are servants to the Angels 2. Gods children are above the Angels because Christ by taking their nature hath ennobled and honoured it above the Angelical * Naturam humanam nobilitavit Aug. Hebr. 2.16 He in no wise took the nature of Angels God by uniting us to Christ hath made us nearer to himself than the Angels the children of God are members of Christ Eph. 5.30 This was never said of the Angels how can they be the members of Christ who are of a different nature from him Indeed Metaphorically and improperly Christ may be called the head of the Angels as they are subject to him 1 Pet. 3.22 But that Christ is head of the Angels in that near and sweet conjunction as he is the head of believers we nowhere finde in Scripture in this respect therefore I may clearly assert the children of God have a superiority and honour even above the Angels though by Creation they are a little lower than the Angels yet by Adoption and Mystical Union they are above the Angels Use How may this comfort a childe of God in midst either of calumny or penury he is a person of honour he is above the Angels A Gentleman that is fallen to decay will sometimes boast of his Parentage and Noble blood so a Christian who is poor in the world yet by vertue of his Adoption he is of the Family of God he hath the true blood-royal running in his veins he hath a fairer Coat of Arms to shew than the Angels themselves SECT 7. The high priviledges of Gods children 7. THE seventh particular to be explained is To shew the glorious priviledges of Gods children and what I shall say now belongs not to the wicked it is Childrens bread The fruit of Paradise was to be kept with a flaming Sword so these sweet and heart-ravishing priviledges are to be kept with a flaming Sword that impure sensual persons may not touch them There are twelve rare Priviledges which belong to the children of God 1. If we are children then God will be full of tender Privi ∣ ledge 1 love and affection towards us a father compassionates his childe Psal 103.13 Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Oh the yearning of Gods bowels to his children Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear son Is he a pleasant childe my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Towards the wicked Gods wrath is kindled Psal 2.12 Towards them that are children Gods repentings are kindled Hosea 11.8 Mercy and pity doth as naturally flow from our heavenly Father as light doth from the Sun Object 1. But God is angry and writes bitter Object 1 things how doth this stand with love Answ Gods love and his anger towards his children Answ are not opposita but diversa they may stand together he is angry in love Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten we have as much need of afflictions as Ordinances A bitter Pill may be as needful for preserving health as a Julip or Cordial God afflicts with the same love as he adopts God is most angry when he is not angry †his hand is heaviest when it is lightest * Deus irascitur cum non irascitur Bern. affliction is an argument of son-ship Heb. 12.7 If you endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sons Oh saith one * Hos 4.14 sure God doth not love me I am none of his childe because he doth follow me with such sore afflictions Why it is a sign of childship to be sometimes under the Rod God had one son without sin but no son without stripes God puts his children to the School of the Cross and there they learn best * Correctio est efficaâ— virtutis gymnasium God speaks to us in the Word Children be not proud do not love the world walk circumspectly * Ephes 5.15 But we are dull of hearing nay we stop the ear Jer. 22.21 I spake to thee in thy prosperity but thou saidst I will not hear Now saith God I shall lose my childe if I do not correct him then God in love smites that he may save Aristotle speaks of a Bird that lives among Thorns yet sings sweetly Gods children make the best melody in their heart when God hedgeth their way with thorns Hos 2.14 Afflictions are refining Prov. 17.3 The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Fiery Trials make golden Christians afflictions are purifying Dan. 12.10 Many shall be tryed and made white We think God is going to destroy us but he only layes us a whitening Some Birds will not hatch but in time of thunder Christians are commonly best in affliction God will make his children at last bless him for sufferings the eyes that sin shuts affliction opens * Oculos quos peccatum clâ—u dit plena aperiâ— when Manasseh was in chains then he knew the Lord was God 2 Chron. 33.13 Afflictions fit for heaven first the stones in Solomons Temple were hewen and polished and then set up into a buâ—lding First the Saints who are called lively stones * 1 Pet. 2.5 must be hewen and carved by sufferings as the corner stone was and so made meet * Col. 1.12 for the celestial building and is there not love in all Gods fatherly castigations Object 2 Object 2. But sometimes Gods children are under the black clouds of desertion is not this far from love Concerning desertion I must needs say this is the saddest condition that â—an betide Gods children when the Sun is gone the Dew falls when the Sun-light of Gods countenance is removed then the Dew of tears falls from the eyes of the Saints In desertion God rains hell out of heaven to use Calvins expression The arrows of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirits Job 6.4 This is the poysoned arrow that wounds to the heart Desertion is a taste of the torments of the damned God saith in a little wrath I hid my face from thee Isa 54.8 I may here glosse with Saint Bernard Modicum illud vocas Domine Lord dost thou call that a little wrath when thou hidest thy face is it but a little What can be more bitter to me than the eclipsing of thy face God is in Scripture called a light and a fire the deserted soul feels the fire but doth not see the light But yet thou who art adopted mayest spell love in all this They say of Hercules his club that it was made of the wood of Olive the Olive is an emblem of peace so Gods club whereby he beats down the soul in desertion hath something of the Olive there is Peace and Mercy in it I shall hold forth a spiritual Rain-bow wherein the children of God may see the love of their Father in the midst of the clouds of desertion