of Christ. Oh might some Minister think I shall never rule such a people or perswade with them yet you see God will put his Spirit in their mouth and men shall not be able to withstand the Spirit by which they speak he will give a doore of utterance and secretly bow mens hearts unto the obedience of the truth Secondly the consideration of this second doctrine may instruct us how to order our selves towards the meanes of salvation and so it may teach us 1. not to rest in the act done we mâ—y heare the best Sermons and receive the Sacraments c. yet if wee beg not the assistance of the Spirit all may be in vaine if we heard Christ himselfe yet it may not profit us 2. To beleeve in God when wee carefully use the meanes how unlikely soever the successe seeme to be God can work by the meanes as pleaseth him notwithstanding infiâ—mitâ—eâ— either of the teacher or hearer 3. To render all the praise to God and his hâ—ly Spirit in the mediation of his Son seeing thence flowes all blessing and good successe as being the onely originall fountaine of all holinesse and knowledge Thirdly in that the holy Ghost in the primitive times did so visibly fall upon the Apostles and the Disciples it may serve for divers uses 1. To confirme uâ— in the truth of the Gospell since the prophesies were therein so accomplished and the doctrine of Christ crucified so miraculously sealed 2. It may â—uâ—ble us that wee cannot see the glory of the Scriptures seeing they proceed from such a fountaine 3. It may make us in love with the Scriptuâ—es since they were penned by men so miraculously qualified by the holy Spirit of God 4. It may assure us of incredible successe if wee could stir up the holy Ghost in us we might get wonderfull knowledge and grace if we did strive in these times of the Gospell For though that manner of presence be ceaâ—ed yet God is no respecter of persons but the Spirit of God now by lesser means is able to produce the same effects in the hearts of men in what is necessary to salvation For of these times it is that was spoken Ier. 31.33 to spare iâ—stances in other things 5. Lastly it may confirme us against the scornes and disgraces of the world by which men every where dishonor the knowledge and practice of the holy things brought to us with the Gospell These things that so many deride came to us from the holy Ghost who came downe from heaven to propound and conferre them upâ—n the Church Sent downe It is to be noted further that he saith that the holy Ghost was sent For from thence 1. I observe an evident proofe that the holy Ghost is a person distinâ—t from the Father and the Son 2. Hence ariseth the consideration of the nature of this mission Mission is aâ— attâ—â—bute given here to the holy Ghost Now divine attâ—â—bute are either essentiall or personall Essentiall are such proprieties as equally belong to all the persons in respect of the essence as to be wise just mercifull holy c. Personall attributes are such proprieties as are given onely to the persons apart the one from the other do note a difference of the persons as to beget to be begotten to send forth to be sent forth to proceed to conceive c. Now these personall attributes may be distinguished also thus Some are proper to each person alone so in one as not in any other as to beget in the Father to be begotten in the Sonne to proceed in the holy Ghost some of these attributes are common to two of the persons but not to the third as proceeding in the holy Ghost is both from the Father and the Sonne so to send forth is the attribute both of the Father and Son so likewise to receive is common to the Son and to the holy Ghost so that we see whither mission must be referred Yet to make it more cleere we must understand that there is a double sending forth the one internall the other externall Internall when the Father and the Son cause the holy Ghost to proceed Externall when the Father and Son send forth the holy Ghost for outward operations amongst the Creatures especially in the Church and thus the holy Ghost is sent forth by the Father Ioh. 14.16 and by the Son Ioh. 15.16 of this mission is that speech Gal 4.7 3. Here may be a doubt might some one say Doth not this mission of the holy Ghost expresse an inequality with the Father and the Son It doth not For 1. it is not alwaies true that he that is sent forth is inferiour to him that sent him For Ionathan may send David and David send Ionathan and yet be both equall Commission may import inferiority not mission or if it did hold amongst men yet it is not true in the Trinity 2. This word is used for want of words metaphorically to shadow out something above our reach For it doth not note either a servile subjection or a locall motion but it is used to expresse either some effect of his working or some signe of his presence so that the meaning is the holy Ghost was sent that is he wrought some notable effect on earth or shewed that he was present by some signe Now for some use of this sending of the holy Ghost we may in this doctrine observe 1. That to be sent of God is no disparagement unto us hee sent his owne Spirit 2. We may here note some things wherein wee may resemble and expresse the image of the holinesse of the Trinity in us Would we live together as the three persons in the Trinity doe Then 1. we must live without envie one at another 2. Wee must not think much to be imployed one by another or to be advised and appointed in well doing 3. The salvation of the elect should be dearer to us then any respect of our selves or our owne estate we must not seek our owne things The holy Ghost repines not at his mission and the Father thinks not his Son and Spirit too good to be sent unto us As we grow in these things so we more expresse a likenesse to the Trinity Downe from heaven Something may be noted in that the holy Apostle addeth that hee was sent from heaven 1. It imports what this world is it is but a place of misery and to come into it is to come downe 2. It expresseth what heaven is it is the place of Gods residence the place where God dwels the Palace of the great King as Princes have their Palaces so hath God and as a Princes palace differs from a cottage so doth heaven from earth The Use should be to inflame our affections towards this holy place oh how should wee loâ—g to see where God dwels what natures have wee to long to see the courts of Princes and yet cannot long after the courts of our
then when we are dejected in the true feeling oâ— our owne unworthiness God will give grace to the humble And further wee must get an appetite or affection to the word For the full stomacke loatheth an hony-combe but to the hungry soule every little thing is sweet Proverbs 27.7 and lastly we must take heed that wee marre not our tastes before we come as they doe that have sweetned their mouthes with wickedness and spoyled their rellish with the pleasures of beloved sinnes Iob 20.12 Such as live in the delight of secret corruptions even thâ—y that account stoln waters sweet may be the guests of Hell but Gods guests they are not onely they that overcome eate of the hidden Manna Rev. 2. Secondly when we have found hony let us eate it Prov. 20.13 That is if the Lord be gracious unto us in his word let us with all care receive it into our hearts and with all affection make use of it Lose not thy precious oportunitie Thirdly it should teach us in all our griefes and bitterness to make our recourse to the word to comfort and sweeten our hearts against our feares and sorrowes For at this feast God wipes away all teares from our eyes Esay 35.6 8. Fourthly the sweetnes of the word when we feele it should satisfie us yea satisfie us abundantly Wee should give so much glory to Gods goodnesse as to make it the abundant satisfaction of our hearts Psal. 36.6 Fiftly Yea further we should labour to shew this sweet savour of the word in our conversations by mercy to the distressed by gracious communication by our contentation and by all well-doing that the perfume of Gods grace in us may allure and affect others that the very places where wee come may savour of our goodnesse even after wee are gone Sixtly we should bee alwaies praising of God for the good things of his Sanctuary acknowledging all to come from his free grace without our deserts Psal. 84.4 entertaining his presence with all possible admiration saying with the Psalmist O Lord how excellent is thy goodnesse Psal. 36.9 Seventhly wee should pray God to continue his goodnesse to them that know him and to vouchsafe us the favour to dwell for ever in his house Psalm 36.11 Eighthly and constantly the experience hereof should set us a longing our soules should long for the courts of Gods house and our hearts cry for the daily bread in Sion and we should constantly walke from strength to strength till we appearâ— before God in Sion Psalm 84 and the rather because besides the sweetnesse there is a plentifull reward in keeping Gods word Psalm 19.20 Secondly from hence we may be informed in two especiall things 1. Concerning the happinesse of the godly in this life notwithstanding all their afflictions and sorrowes Thou seest their distresses but thou seest not their comforts The stranger doth not meddle with their joyes Oh how great is the goodnesse of God in giving his people to drink out of the rivers of the pleasures in his house when he makes their eies to see the light in his light Psal. 36.8 9. Psal. 65.4 2. Concerning the office of Gods Ministers They are the perfumers of the world the Church is the perfuming-pan and preaching is the fire that heats it and the Scriptures are the sweet-waters Or the Church is the mortar preaching the pestle and the promises of God in Christ are the sweet spices which being beaten yeeld a heavenly and supernaturall smell in the soules of the godly hearers 2 Cor. 2.14 15. But then Ministers must take heed they corrupt not Gods VVord and see to it that their preaching be in sincerity and as of God and in the sight of God in Christ and with demonstration of the truth to mens consciences 2 Cor. 2.17 else any Preacher will not serve the turne And in both these respects Ministers have reason to cry out with the Apostle Oh! who is sufficient for these things If every Sermon must leave so sweet a savour behind it in the hearts of the hearers and in the nostrils of God too who can bee without the speciall assistance of God fit for these things Lastly this may serve for singular reproofe and terror to the wicked and that in divers respects First for such as are mockers and call sweet sowre that is speake evill of the good word of God Secondly for the miserable neglect of that they should account the life of their life Alas whither shall we goe or what is this miserable and wretched life if we want the sweet comforts of the word To dwell without the word is to dwell in the parched places of the wildernesse and this Ministery is the more dangerous in such or to such as are daily invited and have all things ready made and yet will not inwardly obey Gods calling nor profit by the meanes but find excuses to shift off the invitation of God How justly may that curse be inflicted upon them these men shall never taste of my supper Luke 14.17 c. 24. Thus much of the second doctrine Doct. 3. The third doctrine out of these words may be this that such as find a true taste of the sweetness of God in his VVord may conceive hopefully that their soules doe and shall prosper and growe There is no doubt to be made of our growth if once we come to feele the sweetnesse of the VVord For the clearer understanding of this doctrine I must answer two questions Quest. First what this true taste is Secondly whether this taste may not be in wicked men Answ. For the first A true taste of the sweetnesse of the VVord and Gods graciousnesse in it may bee knowne both by the cause and by the effects The cause of this taste is faith for by faith onely doth the soule taste Or that thing that raiseth so sweet a rellish in our hearts is a perswasion in particular of the graciousnesse of God to us even of that graciousnes which the VVord doth discover The effects of this taste are three For first it revives the heart and raiseth it from the dead and frames it to bee a new creature working an unsained change in the heart of man from the world and sinne to the care of Gods glory and salvation of their owne soules and thus it is called A savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2.15 Secondly it sesleth in the heart an estimation of the VVord and spirituall things and the assurance of Gods favour of all earthly things in the world Phil. 3.9 Psal. 84.10 Thirdly this taste workes a heavenly kind of contentment in the heart so as the godly when they have found this are abundantly satisfied they have enough Psal. 36.10 and 95.4 For the second question concerning wicked men and their rellishing of the sweetnesse of the VVord I say two things First that the most wicked men are without spirituall senses and finde no more taste in God or his VVord than in the VVhite of
Hee is known there familiarly because his dwelling place is there Psal. 76.1 2. He hath chosen his Church out of all the world it is the place only which hee hath desired it is his rest for ever Psal. 132.13 14 15. It is the place of the name of the Lord of hosts Esay 18.7 As David by an excellency reckoned Sion to be his City of residence so God doth account of the Church as all he hath as it were in the world Fourthly it may be that the Church is resembled to Sion for the littlenes of it in comparison of the world even in Sion that is so much despised will God lay his corner-stone Fiftly but the principall thing here intended is To signifie to us that God loves his Church above all the world and that he will give Christ to none but to the Church Out of Sion there can be no salvation and in Sion there is all happines to be had The consideration hereof may serve us for many uses Vses First we should hence informe our selves concerning the excellency of the Church of God above al other Assemblies of men in the world We should learn to think of the Assemblies of Christians as the Sion of God she is the Mountaine of his holines the joy of the whole earth Psal. 48.1 2. the perfection of beauty where God shines more than in all the world besides Psal. 50.2 The Moone may be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the Lord is pleased to shew himself to raign in Sion and before his Ancients gloriously Esay 24 23. yea the Church of God is an eternall excellency Esay 60.15 whereas all other glories will vanish And besides we should hence be informed concerning the necessitie of obtaining salvation in the Church For this text shews us that Christ is no where laid but in Sion and can no where be found but in the true Church In Sion onely hath God placed salvation for Israel his glorie Onely the godly are Gods Israel Onely in Israel doth God glorie and onely in Sion can Gods Israel finde salvation Isaiah 46. ult Secondly Hence wee should especially be moved to an effectuall care to make it so since that we are in the true Church and that we are true members of Sion and withall wee should strive above all things to procure for our selves the ordinances of God in Sion It is said of the godly distressed for want of means that going they went and weeping they did goe to seeke the Lord in Sion with their faces thitherward and with a resolution to binde themselves by covenant to the Lord to be any thing he would have them to be onely if they might find favour in his eyes herein Ier. 50.5 Quest. Now if you aske mee how the true members of Sion may bee knowne Answ. I answer first generally that all that are in Sion are not of Sion and further that we must not judge of true Christians by their number For God many times takes one of a Tribe or one of a City and two of a Tribe to bring them to Sion Ier. 3.14 But yet to answer more directly Thou must be a new creature or thou art no member of Gods true Sion For of every one in Sion it must be said He was borne there Psal. 86.5 The gates of Sion are to be opened onely that a righteous nation may enter in Esay 26.1 2. Men may deceive themselves but God will not be deceived For hee hath his fire in Sion and furnace in Jerusalem Hee will try every man and make his count onely by righteousnesse Esay 31.9 Rom. 9. and therefore the sinners in Sion have reason to be afraid Esay 35.14 And if yet wee would have signes more particular wee may try our selves by these that follow First Sion is a Virgin and all the godly are the Daughters of Sion and so the chiefe Daughter of a chiefe mother Now this is a true vertue of a true member of the Church that his love is undefiled towards Christ He is not enamoured with other things Hee will have no other God but one He accounts all things but drosse and dung in comparison of Christ He harbours no beloved sin but denieth the inticements of it with detestation and grief that he should ever be so assaulted Secondly God knoweth his owne in Sion by this signe that they are they that mourne in Sion that are farre from making a mock of sinne The Lord himselfe is their witnesse that their hearts are heavy by reason of their sins and they know no griefe like to the griefe for their sins Esay 61.2 Thirdly thou maist know thy estate by thy subjection to Christ and his ordinances For God hath set his King in Sion Now if thy Soveraigne be in heaven and thou canst be willing to be ruled by his ordinances this will be a comfortable testimony to thee as contrariwise if thou dislike his government and wouldst faine cast his yoake from thee so as this man may not rule over thee thou art of the number of the people but not of Gods people Psal. 2.6 Thus of the second use Thirdly wee should be carefull to celebrate the praises of God yea and therefore carefull for all the goodnesse hee shewes unto us in Sion Praise should wait for him The Lord is great and greatly to be praised in Sion the City of our God Psal. 48.1 Psal. 147.12 Esay 51.16 All that serve the Lord in Sion and are refreshed with the comforts of his presence should get large hearts both for admiration and celebration of his goodnesse Psal. 134. the whole Psalme Come say the godly Ier. 31.10 let us declare the work of the Loâ—d in Sion c. Fourthly since Sion is the place where the Lord keeps house and gives entertainment to all his followers we should call one upon another to goe up to the Lord in Sion wee should run thither to the bountifulnesse of the Lord and in all our wants shew our selves instructed in this point by making our recourse unto Sion as the place where God is pleased most readily to declare his shining mercies Ier. 31.6 12. Fiftly we should be stirred up to much praier for the accomplishment of the building of God in Sion Our hearts should long to see this work prosper Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sionâ— Psal. 14.1 For Sions sake we should not hold our peace Esay 62.1 but still beseech the Lord to doe good to Sion and build up the walls of Jerusalem Psal. â—1 20 Sixtly We should especially be grieved if we see that Sion prospers not Of all judgements we should most lament the desolation of Sion The whole booke of Lamentations is spent upon this subject Wee should hang our harpes upon the willowes if wee remember that Sion lieth waste and there be none to build her up Psal. 137. Seventhly the especiall use should be for consolation If the Lord doe us good in Sion we should
account it a marvellous felicity if the Lord admit us to be members of the true Church in places where Gods work prospers The Lord gives this promise in Esay to comfort them against all the miseâ—ies were outwardly to fâ—ll upon them This work should make amends for all other troubles If God build 〈◊〉 in spirituall things he gives us double for all outward crosses we should strive with our own hearts to be exceedingly affected with the happinesse of our owne condition on earth when wee know our interest in Sion we should live without feare yea everlasting joy should be upon our heads and sorrow and mourning should flee away Esay 31.10 and the rather if we consider the prerogatives of Sion above all the world besides For First the Lord dwels there It is the Palace of his residence on earth as hath been shewed before Secondly the favour of God shines there He delights in his people and joyes in all the members of Sion He rejoyceth over them with joy Zâ—ph 3. 15 16 17 Psal. 86.2 Thirdly in Sion we are loosed from our setters and bonds It is a place where the Captives goe free The Lord turnes back the captivity of his people Psal. 14.7 Fourthly in her Palaces God is known for a refuge in all distresses Psal. 48.3 There is wonderfull safety there The Lord doth mightily preserve and defend his people we are safe if wee be members of the true Church and have true grace the greatest adversaries labour in vaine and seeking see and marvell and haste away Psal. 48.11.12 They shall certainly be confounded and turned back that hate Sion Psal. 129.5 Upon every place of mount Sion shall be defence Sion is a quiet habitation God hath his yeere of recompence for the controversies of Sion and his day of vengeance Esa. 34.8 Fiftly the Law comes out of Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem There we have directions for our life and for eternall life Esay 2.3 It is Gods foddering place there he gives us shepheards to feed us Ier. 3.14 Sixtly the inhabitants of Sion have all remission of sins and the healing of their infirmities as the Prophet shews in those words excellently The inhabitant thereof shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Esay 33.24 Seventhly all the good newes is there to be had we are naturally Athenians we love to tell and heare newes if we were spiritually so Oh! how would we rejoyce in Sion whose spirituall glory is to bring good tidings Esay 40.9 and 41.27 and 52.7 c. Eighthly If the Lord be displeased with Sion yet it is but for a moment he will returne in everlasting compassion It is a sure thing The Lord will yet have mercy upon Sion Psal. 102.14 He will againe comfort Sion and make his wildernesse like Eden his Desart like the garden of the Lord Isa. 51.3 Lastly and specially we should rejoyce in Sion because the Redeemer comes to Sion and to them that turne from their transgressions in Iacob Isay 59.20 Yea salvation onely comes out of Sion Psal. 14.7 In Sion onely hath God placed salvation for Israel his glory Esay 46. â—lt And therefore wee should labour to walk worthy of so great mercies of God and live with all contentment whatsoever our outward estate be Every poore Christian should think themselves abundantly happy What shall one answer the messengers of the nations saith the Prophet Why thus That the Lord hath founded Sion and the poore of his people shall trust in it Esay 14.32 Especially if we consider that of the Psalme that the Lord hath there commanded the blessing even life for evermore Psal. 133.3 Thuâ— it should serve for consolation Eighthly It imports and imputes also great reproof and so to two sorts of men First to the godly themselves that live not comfortably and are daily distressed with unbeleefe shall any distresses now make Sion droop The Lord takes it wonderfully unkindly that Sion said God hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me and pleads earnestly to prove that it was false What saies the Prophet Micah is there no King in thee why dost thou cry out Mic. 4.8 9 10 11 12 13. And the Prophet Ieremie notes it with indignation Behold saith he the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in farre countries Is not the Lord in Sion Is not her King in her Ier. 8.19 Secondly to carelesse and carnall Christians Is the Lord about so great a work as founding of Sion and forming Christ in the hearts of men Then woe to them that are at ease in Sion and can sit still and securely neglect so great salvation brought unto them Amos 6. â— A corner stone Christ is described by these words A corner stone elect and precious Hee is likened to the foundation stone in the corner of the building by which similitude divers Doctrines are imported as First that Christ is the foundation of all the building of grace and godlinesse in the Church and the onely corner stone Heb. 1.3 Ioh. 5.39 Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. which should both teach us and informe us it should teach us where to begin when we goe about the work of godlinesse and eternall life We must begin at Christ All the building of true grace must begin at Christ and our redemption in him till wee have learned Christ we have learned nothing and it should teach us also to stay our hearts in all estates upon Christ we should rest in him as the building doth upon the foundation And further it should teach us to ascribe all the praise of the grace or hope wee have received unto Christ and the support we have from him And it may informe us concerning the dotage of the Papists who make Peter the rock and foundation of the Church and yet here we have the testimony and doctrine of Peter himself to the contrary teaching us to acknowledge no other rock of foundation but Christ himselfe Secondly we here are instructed concerning the union of Jews and Gentiles in one Christ The two sides of the building meet all in the corner and are both fastned upon this one foundation of Christ crucified Thirdly it is here imported that Gods building even in these times of the Gospell is not finished nor will be in this life till all the elect be called He is for the most part imploied in laying the foundation and fastning tho Elect as they rise in their severall ages as lively stones upon this living stone But the work will not be finished till we be setled in that Building made without hands in heaven Fourthly hence we may gather a testimony of the two natures of Christ or in Christ. He is God because he must be beleeved on and he is man because hee is part of the Building and
nor to be dejected if our faith prosper and it should be a great comfort to poore Christians in all their wants if the Lord have made them rich in faith He is a great rich man that hath a strong faith And therefore also wee should learne to judge of men not according to the flesh or these outward things but ever acknowledge more honour to a faithfull Christian than to any rich wicked man And it is a great signe of our owne uprightnesse of heart when we can judge of Christians as God judgeth and without dissimulation account them the onely excellent Ones Secondly in particular wee may here observe the necessity of faith in respect both of the favour of God and the merits of Christ we cannot please God though we be in Sion without beleeving Heb. 11.6 and without faith we see here we are not built upon the foundation and so have no part as yet in Christ. And therefore wee should every one be throughly awakened to examine our selves whether wee have this precious faith or no 2 Cor. 13.5 and to keepe our owne soules with so much attendance hereupon as to be sure the Tempter deceive us not in our faith 1 Thes. 3.4 And here especially take heed that thou dash not thy soule upon the rock either of ignorance or presumption of ignorance as many doe that to this day know not what a true faith is of presumption as many doe that entertaine without all ground from Gods promises a hope to be saved which they call a strong faith in Christ and yet live in their sinnes without repentance and here never taste of the sweetnesse of spirituall things nor shew the affections of godlinesse in Gods service Thirdly note that hee saith Hâ—e that beleeveâ—â— indefinitely meaning any of what nature or condition or state of life soever And therefore when this Text is quoted Romanes 10.11 and 9.33 hee saith in stead of Hee that Whosoever beleeveth which sheweth us plainly that in matter of faith God is no accepter of persons No man can say hee is exempted A poore man a Gentile a Barbarian an unlearned man a servant c. may beleeve as well as the rich learned free c. There is no exception against any calling of life or any sex Faith will make any one a childe of God and a member of Christ. The severall sorts of men are all one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 28. This is the large extent of Gods love to the world that whosoever beleeveth should be saved Iohn 3.16 Mark 16. The proclamation is to all that are athirst they may be possest of those treasures of gold without money Esay 55. Which should much embolden us to goe unto God with a true heart in the assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 And withall it should cause us to cast out of our hearts all the waverings and doubts of unbeliefe arising from our owne condition in unworthinesse Fourthly we may hence note that faith in Christ was ever required in all sorts of men It was required of them in the Prophet Esay's time and it is still here required in the Apostles time Thus Paul Heb. 11. shewes that faith was the character of the godly in all ages before the Floud and after the Floud before the Law and after the Law and he proves it by an induction of particulars in their severall ranks Which againe should both serve to take downe carelesnesse seeing never man could please God without faith and withall it should much perswade us to get and preserve faith seeing we have such a cloud of witnesses and that every godly man in every age of the world did provide himself of faith whatsoever he wanted Fiftly observe here the nature of true faith To beleeve God in any thing he saith will not save us if we beleeve not in Christ. The object of faith is Christ for though we beleeve other things yet either they are not things that directly concerne salvation or else they are founded upon Christ nor is it enough to beleeve Christ or to beleeve that he is sent of God but wee must beleeve in him that is out of sound judgement wee must with all our hearts imbrace the happy newes of salvation by Christ and relie upon him and his merits onely for our owne particular salvation The very comparison here imported shews us the nature of faith Christ is like the foundation of a house now to beleeve in Christ is to fasten our selves in our confidence upon Christ as the stone lieth upon the foundation To beleeve in Christ is to lie upon Christ unmoveably and not flee out of the Building And it is to be noted here that the Apostle addes these words in him to the Text in Esay of purpose to explain the Prophets meaning and to shew what kind of beleeving the Prophet intended Therefore it is apparant that Pagans cannot be saved because they beleeve neither God nor Christ no Jews and Turks because they beleeve God but not Christ nor the common Protestant because he onely saith he beleeveth but doth not beleeve indeed nor the Papist because he beleeves not in Christ nor placeth his confidence in him alone but in his own works or in Saints or Angels or in Popes pardons and indulgences Sixtly note here the circumstance of time by which he describeth a true faith Hee doth not say Hee that shall beleeve or Hee that hath beleeved but He that doth beleeve which is to shew us both what we should doe with our faith and what in some measure is done by every beleever for wee should not beleeve at one time onely but at all times we should every day live by our faith Gal. 2.21 Christ liveth in us by faith and so long as we goe about without faith we make Christ to be in us as it were without life To spend one day without faith is to bury Christ as it were for so long Now the life of Christ must be considered of us two waies namely as it is in it selfe and as it is in our sence For this latter it is true when we imploy not our faith we let Christ die in us in respect of sence But for the first way it is certaine a Christian doth alwaies beleeve after the life of faith is once conceived in him There is no time in which it can be truely said Now he beleeveth not Therefore doth the Apostle here say He that beleeveth It is true that in some particular points or promises a Christian may fail through unbeliefe but not in the maine point or promise of salvation by Christ. It is true also that a Christian may oftentimes and usually want the feeling of his faith and goe without the joyes of the holy Ghost but yet he wanteth not faith yea a Christian may violently object against beleeving and thinke he hath not faith by the temptation of Sathan and the rebellion of that part of him that is unregenerate and yet God can dispell
therefore no rebellious conversation can so exalt it selfe but it may be subdued The oyle of God is upon them and what can the greatest Rebels doe against the power of the King But secondly withall here is terror to wicked men For this is the priviledge onely of the godly and it is certaine that wicked men are in Gods account as base as the godly are honourable they are thrust besides these thrones And so are both sorts of wicked men for not only openly profane men are to be smitten with this terrour but also hypocrites It is true indeed that hypocrites act the parts of Kings but they are onely such Kings as Players are upon a stage they speake of the words or the words of Kings but are not so indeed For they are by the wiser and better sort accounted as Rogues and the scum of the people even so are wicked men in Gods account neither will their outward shewes helpe them For the Kingdome of God is tried not by words but by the power of it 1 Cor. 4.20 And withall unruly Christians may be hence checked such as will not be ruled by their teachers such were the Corinthians they reigned without Paul and their godly teachers But the Apostle wisheth they were indeed Kings or did indeed reigne Why bearest thou the name of a King and canst not rule thy passions Thirdly divers uses for instructions may be hence gathered for First we should hence learne to honour poore Christians they are spirituall Kings as well as the kings of the earth And we know what a stirre we would make to entertaine the Kings of this world Iam. 2.5 Secondly we should hence bee stirred up in desire after this Kingdome to pray for it that it may come and that God would count us worthy of such a Kingdome Matth. 6. 2 Thess. 1.5 And to this end we should looke to two things First that we seeke this Kingdome first above all other things Mat. 6. Secondly that we should refuse no paines nor hardship for the entertainment of true godlinesse This Kingdome of Heaven should suffer violence and the violent onely will take it by force Mat. 11.12 It is an easie thing for Iohn to be a partner in the patience of the brethren when hee is a partner with them in the Kingdome of Jesus Christ Revel 1.9 It is no great thing men can suffer if we consider it is for a Kingdome and the want of outward things should the lesse trouble us if God make us so rich in spirituall things Thirdly we should hence especially learne to live in this world like Kings and this Christians should shew First by declaring their conquest over the passions and desires of their own hearts It is a royall quality in a Christian to be able to shew all meeknesse of minde and temper and sobriety in being able to deny unto himselfe what may not be had without sinne or offence Hee that winnes the conquest over his owne heart is greater than he that winnes a City Secondly putting on the Lord Jesus The righteousnesse of Christ is the robe of a Christian and since all the life of a Christian is a high feast hee should alwaies put on his robe to distinguish him from all other men and this righteousnesse is both the impured righteousnesse of Christ as also the inherent vertues of Christ. Thirdly by serving the publike Kings are the common treasure of the subjects they are appointed for the good of many Christians and should shew that they remember that they are Kings by devoting themselves to all possible profitablenesse of conversation Fourthly by their contentation What should they feare or what should discontent them Hath noâ— God given them a Kingdome and great glory Fifthly by subduing carnall and servile feares of men Why should Christians feare the faces of great men on earth are they not spirituall Kings themselves and is not the breath in the nostrils of the greatest men on earth why art thou then afraid to come before them c. Priest-hood The fourth thing for which Christians are commended is their Priest-hood which notes the honour of their imployment in things that concerne God and his service Esâ— 61.6 Rev. 1.6 c. Now the Priest-hood of Christians is a singular priviledge if we first either consider the kindes of Priest-hood or secondly the specialties of their calling and imployment First for the kinde The Priest-hood of Christians is better than the Priest-hood of the Levites the sonnes of Aaron because it is a royall Priest-hood they are Priests after the order of Melchizedeck as Christ himselfe was in which order every Priest was a King so were none of the sonnes or house of Aaron Secondly and for the specialties of favour imported in the Priest-hood of Christians divers prerogatives are included in it For first the Priest-hood of a Christian imports separation and consecration to God The godly of all the people in the world are the only people that are devoted to God chosen out of all the world as his portion as the Levites were out of all Israel Secondly it imports neernesse constancie of communion with God The Priests lived in Gods house and stood alwaies before the Lord dwelt in his presence and did approach neerer to him than all the people else so do the godly spiritually They onely dwell in his sight and enjoy his speciall presence and see the glory of his presence and have their soules satiated with fatnesse arising from the comfort of Gods favourable presence Ier. 31.14 Uses Now the consideration of this excellent Priest-hood of Christians should serve first for consolation secondly for instruction and thirdly for great reproofe First it should much comfort godly and carefull Christians to consider how neere God hath placed them to himselfe even in his chamber of presence as it were and how meanly soever the world doth account of their service yet they hence know that their Priest-hood is a royall Priest-hood and the godly imployments of religious men are more honourable than the greatest imployments of the greatest Monarchs of the earth and withall it may specially comfort fearfull Christians against one scrupâ—e They sometimes are afraid to goe into Gods presence or they doubt their accesse they are so unworthy to come before the Lord. Why this word Priest-hood should satisfie them For it imports that they are priviledged by their calling to come before God The Priests might enter into the house of the Lord yea they must doe it it was required of them it was a sinne if they did it not and they did not sinne by doing it Secondly the Priest-hood of Christians should put them in mind of divers duties as First it should worke in them a care of knowledge the Priests should preserve knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth A godly Christian should bee able to direct others and hold forth the light of the Word for the profit of others and as dumbe Ministers
refuse certaine meates and dayes the Conscience erred in judging those meates and dayes to bee unlawfull to be observed and used and yet hee calls them that were so led by an erring Conscience hee calls them I say brethren But when we speake of an evill Conscience we meane Conscience unregenerate As a man may have sinne in him and yet be a good man so may Conscience have blindnesse in it and yet bee a good Conscience The signes of an unregenerate Conscience may be gathered from the differences of evill Consciences The signes then of an unregenerate still Conscience are these First when it is quiet in the committing and after the committing of knowne sinne whether open or secret For open sins as for drunkennesse swearing lying profanation of the Sabbath and the like the Conscience cannot be good when these or the like open wickednesses are committed and so when it is quiet notwithstanding secret whoredome or filthinesse of any kinde or continuall wickednesse in the thoughts or desires that Conscience that can abide a soule heart is a wicked Conscience Secondly when it excuseth for doing notorious evils and so they have evill Consciences that could trouble and persecute even to the death godly men and yet thinke they did God good service Iohn 16.2 The signes of an unregenerate stirring Conscience are these First when the Conscience serves onely to tell ill newes when it serves to tell a man onely of his losse by Adam or the Law but never comforteth him by bringingâ—in any evidence of Gods favour in Christ. That Conscience that terrifies without Christ that is without mixing any of the comforts of the Gospell in Christ is an evill Conscience the speciall property of a good Conscience is to excuse and comfort and therefore that Conscience that doth onely accuse is an evill Conscience Secondly when the Conscience flees from the presence of God as did Adams Conscience after the Fall and this the Conscience discovers when it dares not stand before the discovery of the Law of God not dares abide a powerfull Minister that speakes to the Conscience of the hearers and ransacks them Thirdly when the Conscience languisheth about questions that tend not to edification and raiseth the strength of zeale and all the power of it about things that are lesse necessary either unto faith or practice And this was the case of the Pharisees Conscience that spent all their zeale about lesse matters and neglected the waightier things of the Law And this is the case of all such Christians that are zealous with a fiery zeale about circumstances or the estates and businesses of others and neglect the maine things of substance that concerne their owne sanctification assurance or salvation Fourthly when the Conscience is for men and not for God when the motive that raiseth and incourageth it is the praise of men and not the praise of God This also was the case of the Consciences of the Pharisees for the Conscience in them was busie and did require good duties but the respect was still the praise of men whereas a good Conscience is for God above all Fiftly when it will accuse onely for grosse evils and those knowne to others and not for lesse and secret sins to be repented of Sixtly when it will accuse onely in the time of adversity as in the case of Iosephs brethren Thus of the signes of an evill Conscience The misery that the men have that have an evill Conscience followes and they are miserable whether they have a waking or a sleeping Conscience The misery that comes from a waking Conscience is evill and may be two wayes discerned first by the tearmes by which it is called and resembled in Scripture secondly by the effects which it worketh really upon a man For the first An evill Conscience that is awake is in Scripture compared to a sting or pricke wounding the heart of a man It is likened also to a dog or a bloud-hound that lieth at the doore and having fresh sent howleth and barketh after the malefactor Gen. 4. It is likened as some thinke by David Psal. 51.4 to an evill contentious wife that is ever before a man chiding and brauling and as a moth secretly eats the garment so doth an evill Conscience eat up the heart of a man when others little see it Prov 25. It is like a dart strangely shot into a mans body Psalme 38. and it is compared to the boyling of the tumultuous sea Esay 57. and it is called a worme that dieth not but lieth gnawing and eating upon the heart of a man Esay 66. Marke 9. So that a man that hath an evill Conscience is like a man that is stung by a serpent or followed by a bloud-hound or vexed by a continuall-contrarious wife or that is hourely shot through with darts or that hath a living worme ever gnawing at his heart But that this may be more distinctly understood wee must take notice of foure effects of an evill Conscience usually The first is shame He that hath an evill Conscience is betrayed by his own blushing many times when his offence is secret yea a man feeles an inward shame in his owne heart disgracing and abusing him though he make no outward shew of it For though sometimes an innocent person upon the fulnesse of an aspersion may conceive shame as David did Psal. 44.15 yet it is usually the effect of an ill Conscience The second is paine and anguish of heart arising from the gnawing and stings of Conscience mentioned before which so continually burdens the heart that it takes away all contentment in any thing and keepes the heart in an habituall disconsolation and though the disease of melancholy may breed a sadnesse like unto it yet is there manifest difference betwixt this affliction of spirit and melancholy for the melancholick person usually can assigne no certaine reason of that sadnesse whereas Conscience when it stings a â—â—gnes the cause of it to be such and such things which bring noâ— only the shame of men but the wrath of God Besides melancholick sadnesse may be eased by physicke but this sorrow is not cured by any meanes but such as are spirituall The third is a strange kind of feare breaking the heart of a man and so subduing his courage that he is not able to sustaine himselfe against the impressions of vaine causes of feare A trembling heart is the effect of an ill conscience Deut. 28.65 Thus wicked men are said in Scripture to feare when no man pursueth them Pro. 28.1 and to be so faint-hearted as the sound of a shaken leafe shall make them fly as it were from a sword Levit. 26.36 and as it is in Iob The sound of feare is alwayes in his eares yea the terrours of conscience sometime so enrage upon the offender that no torments are like unto their terrours which sometimes are so great that they are hardly able to sustaine themselves but discover their horrible
take oft our affections from all things that may offend as resolved if our right eye offend us to plucke it out and if our right hand offend us to cut it off that is to deny all sinfull things though they were as deare to us as our right hand or right eye Mat. 9.45 Secondly we must be such as yeeld our selves to obey the voice of Christ and to bee ruled by him Hee gives eternall life to his sheep we must bee sheepe then for hearing his voice and tractablenesse Iohn 10.29 Thirdly wee must give glory to God and rely upon his promise of grace in Jesus Christ wee must be beleevers Iohn 3.16 Fourthly wee must by patient continuing in well-doing still seeke immortality Rom. 2.7 Thus of the first use Use 2. Secondly seeing the portion of the godly lies in incorruptible things wee should not be much troubled for the wants or losses in corruptible things Wee have so large an inheritance in things that will last for ever that it should be no grievance to us though we should want those transitory things 〈…〉 world Use 3. Thirdly for this reason such as abound in earthly things should bee 〈◊〉 more willing to distribute them and give them for good uses seeing those things are not thâ—ir portion and therefore they need not be overcarefull for the keeping of such things Useâ— Fourthly hence wee may gather infallibly That the godly can never fall from grace for Gods mercies cannot corrupt or fall away and his giâ—ts are without repentance If they could be lost then they were corruptible as well as earthly things But this is a comfort that must not bee taken away that God will establish Sion for ever Psal. 48.8 and though the 〈◊〉 passe away and the lusts thereof yet he that doth the will of God abideth for ever 1 Iohn 2.17 and though the servant may be cast out of the house yet the sonne abideth for ever Iohn 8.35 Lastly we should the lesse feare deâ—th seeing hence we learne that we have many things that will last with us even after our bodies be rotten in the grave Thus of the third doctrine Doct. 4. Now a fourth point is also cleare and that is That incorruptible things doe wonderfully adorne and make men comely This is the maine scope aâ—d drift of the Text and therefore we should the more seeke after thâ—se things for if wee could see the beauty of the inward man as it is adorned with grace wee would bee wonderfully enamoured and in love with it No comelinesse of the body can so allure as would this inward beauty of the man of the hear and therefore againe we should hence learne to make the more account of poore Christians There are no persons in the world so comely as they if wee knew the worth and ornament of true grace And so in generall we should love the godly above all people because they are the fairest and best adorned of all the men and women in earth and in particular those husbands that have gracious wives should learne so much religion as to love them entirely even for the beauty of the man of the Heart though they wanted the outward ornaments of riches or extraordinary comelinesse of the outward man Women also should especially hence learne to get grace and knowledge and holinesse into their hearts for their best handsomnesse is in their qualities and gifts 'T is not their cloathes but their manners and disposition that becomes them or disgraces them A faire body doth commend little if the heart bee fowle it is a small praise to have a good face and an ill nature Some women are like Helen without and like Hecuba within Thus of the adorning of the man of the Heart in generall Now followes the particular ornament which the Apostle commends by name and that is a meeke and quiet spirit Of a meeke and quiet spirit Quietnesse is added to meeknesse lest by mistaking the definition of meeknesse they should not understand the Apostles meaning Now the doctrine hence to bee gathered is That amongst all the particular vertues required in Christians meeknesse and quietnesse of nature and spirit is a speciall vertue and carefully to bee sought and in particular by Christian wives as this and other Scriptures shew Eph. 4.2 Mat. 11.28 Zeph. 2.3 Col. 3.12 Before I make use of this point I must consider what is comprehended in those termes of a meeke and quiet spirit and first we must know before hand what it doth not comprehend It doth not require that women or men should be so quiet as not to be troubled for their sinnes or not to humble their soules for sinne or that they should bee carelesse of their callings either generall or particular or that they should not admonish or reprove sinne in others when they have a calling and fitnesse But unto the constituting of true meeknesse and quietnesse of spirit is requisite 1. Freedome from the evils that disquiet and molest the spirits of men such as are first anger frowardnesse fretting and peevishnesse secondly worldly sorrow crying and aptnesse to take unkindnesse and fullennesse thirdly distrustfull cares of life arising from covetousnesse 1 Tim. 6 10 11. fourthly rash zeale and fiercenesse or inordinate striving and wilfulnesse as may bee gathered in the case of a Minister 2 Tim. 2.24 25 26. fifthly contention and evill speaking or ill language as may bee gathered from Tit. 3.2 and stirring up contention or brawles sixtly all inordinate desires and raigning heart-sinnes whether sinnes of ambition lust malice or the like Iam. 1.21 seventhly unconstancy and levity of minde Especially it crosseth those evils which are noted to be most usuall in women such as are fretting crying taking unkindnesses unconstancie wilfulnesse complaining of their husbands or the like 2. A kind of peacefull contentment when Christians are habitually well pleased with their condition 3. A gentle behaviour in case of wrongs or faults from or in others so as to be first able to beare them secondly not to render evill for evill but rather to overcome evill with goodnesse thirdly ready to forgive fourthly not provoked to anger 4. A harmelesse and innocent behaviour Zeph. 2.3 5. The fixing of the heart by trusting upon God and living without care like a little child that beleeves his father will provide for him Mat. 18. 6. Lowlinesse of mind thinking no great thoughts of our selves and esteeming the gifts of God in others and accounting others better than our selves and therefore is lowlinesse so often added to the word meeknesse to explaine it 7. Silence from many words from vaine and rash speeches especially provoking termes 8. Retirednesse when a Christian is no busie-body in other mens matters and his feet will be kept out of his neighbours house and refuseth to have to doe with the strife that belongs not to him 9. Tractablenesse and easinesse to be directed or appointed and governed as in relation to God it is meeknesse to take
unto reformation if they will carefully observe these rules following 1. They must study to be quiet 1 Thes. 4.12 They must not trust their owne conceits of things but with good conscience study how to prevent occasions of unquietnesse and how to carry themselves discreetly and with meeknesse It doth require much study to live quietly 2. They must be sure they meddle with their owne businesse as it is further added in the same place They must be sure to place their greatest care in learning how to discharge their owne duties to others and not allow themselves liberty to suspect or censure the waies of others with whom they converse Such wives as are so diligent to studie their husbands duties and to finde fault with them in their callings seldome or never live quietly with their husbands whereas the Apostle here would have such wives as have ill husbands to lay the ground of a quiet life in the care of sound discharge of their owne duties to their husbands 3. They must heartily repent for their faults of unquietnesse and frowardnesse past and not only humble their soules in secret before God for such sins but also shew their repentance to those with whom they converse by an humble acknowledgement of their vile nature and froward behaviour even in the particulars of it Repentance for knowne trespasses can never be sound if it be secret and not made knowne to the parties grieved 4. It will wonderfully help them if they pray constantly to the Lord Jesus that left such a patterne of meeknesse and to entreat him by influence of his grace to quiet and sweeten their natures Beseech the Lord Jesus even by his meeknesse to make us meek and able to expresse his vertue in a quiet conversation 5. They must not give place to wrath but if they perceive their hearts rising and inclined to passion and provoking and censorious words they must presently lay necessity of silence upon themselves till they be able to speake quietly and without frowardnesse This one rule constantly for a while observed would breed a great alteration in their dispositions quickly and in time weare out the force of the disease Unquietnesse is much enlarged by the words are uttered after the offence is taken And thus of a meek and quiet spirit only we may note from the indefinite requiring of meeknesse That Christians and in particular Christian wives must exercise meeknesse and quietnesse towards all persons and at all times and in all places In all places I say and so both at home and abroad towards all persons and so they must carry themselves quietly not only towards their husbands but towards their servants and their neighbours whether they be poore or rich and at all times they must not be young Saints and old Divells as the Proverb is that is of a soft and gentle behaviour at first and then grow froward afterwards Age and infirmities are not sufficient excuses for vicious anger and unquietnesse Besides in that the Apostle resembles meeknesse to apparell it imports That by nature we are borne without it our soules being as naked in respect of meeknesse as our bodies be in respect of cloathes and withall that it should be our every-daies care to put on meeknesse and fit our selves for quietnesse as wee would put on our cloathes And further as it is not enough to put on our cloathes but we must tie them and fit them handsomely so must we use discretion in the putting on of meeknesse and quietnesse fitting the vertue to the reasons and occasions of the day Thus of the second part of this verse The third and last is the reason why women should be so carefull of this kind of dressing and apparell and that is because it is a thing of great price in the sight of God Which in the sight of God is of great price Divers things may be hence observed 1. That God doth highly esteeme of the vertues and true grace and good behaviour of his servants and therefore in this place their vertues are said to be very rich in Gods sight and in the Scriptures he gives the terme of riches to their gifts 1 Cor. 1.5 and grace is called glory Esay 4.5 and God is described as if he were in love with his people when they carry themselves graciously Iohn 14.21 And this serves greatly to exalt the praise of Gods good nature and tender affection to man and the more because all good things in us are his owne gift Iames 1.17 and because our best gifts have many imperfections in them and our best workes are defiled with sinne Esay 64. and besides because he greatly esteemes them even the least beginnings of goodnesse in his servants as their desires to be good and their very preparations of their hearts to goodnesse Esay 55.1 2. Psal. 10.17 2 Christians are bound in all their behaviour to carry themselves so as that God may accept of them and esteeme what they doe and this is required of them in every state of life They are tyed to this not only in what they doe in Gods house but in what they doe in their owne house This all are charged Heb. 12.28 and so wives here and so servants Eph. 6. 5 6 7. The praise and acceptation of God should be ever before their eyes the reasons are because the formes and rules of all behaviour are given by God his Word is the light to our feet and the lanthorne to our paths Psal. 119. and is only able to make the man of God perfect in every good word and worke 2 Tim. 3. ult and besides if we doe well we are sure never to faile of the praise of God whereas if we seeke the praise of men wee may be deceived For either they may praise us for that which is abominable in the sight of God Luke 16.15 or they may dispraise us when wee doe well or at best their praise is mutable And further it is God that must reward our good conversation Eph. 6.8 and therefore reason that hee bee looked after in what wee doe Lastly this is a signe of difference betweene the godly and the wicked in doing good duties a godly man is knowne by this signe that his praise is of God and not of men Rom. 2.29 Mat. 6. The Use should be to teach us therefore in all our waies to labour to please God and above all things to seeke his acceptation Now if wee would have God pleased with what we doe we must looke to divers rules 1. Wee must bee sure that wee are not in the flesh for they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom 8.8 Wee must be sure we are new creatures Gal. 6.15 2. Wee must set God alwaies before us and remember his holy presence Gen 17.2 Psal. 16.8 God cannot abide to be forgotten 3. Wee must come to the light that it may bee manifest that our workes are wrought in God Iohn 3.22 Wee must walke by
With thee is the fountaine of life adds And in thy light we shall see light Psal. 36.8 And so the promise to the penitent sinner was that his life should see the light Iob 33.28 So Christ saith he that followeth him shall have the light of life Marke it the Light of life Iohn 8.12 So that the life of our minds is knowledge in generall and in particular it is the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as our Saviour saith expresly Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ. And the reason why this knowledge doth most inlive and quicken our hearts is because God in Christ is the most glorious subject of contemplation as being that highest good a very Ocean of goodnesse only able to fill and ravish the heart of man and besides because God as our chiefe good can alone make the ravishment of the heart perpetuall and so last for ever which nothing else can doe But because every knowledge of God hath not this effect to breed everlasting life in the heart of a man therefore I will distinctly set downe what kind of knowledge it is that hath this effect and what is required that it may be right 1. It must be such a knowledge as discernes God to be the only true God and this rule excludes the Pagans from eternall life who though by the light of nature they might discerne the invisible things of God by the workes of the creation yet they so shut up those principles of naturall truth in unrighteousnesse that they set up creatures as God and gave the glory of the true God to them Rom. 1. 2. It must be such a knowledge as ascribes unto the Nature of God such an excellencie as can be exprest by no likenesse of any creature in heaven above or earth beneath or the waters under the earth God must not be conceived of by any Images Images in the Church shut out the Papists from eternall life and Images in the heart to conceive of God by exclude the ignorant and carnall Protestants In the right conceiving of Gods nature we must adore him that is like nothing in heaven or earth 3. It must be such a knowledge or vision of God as discernes him to be the chiefe good and only happinesse to be desired and so all those persons that behold any thing in this life to be sought after as the chiefe felicity of their lives are excluded from eternall life And the things so esteemed the Scripture calls their gods so some make their bellies their gods some their riches some honour and the favour of men 4. It must be such a knowledge of God as conceives of him in Jesus Christ that is that sees the way how Gods infinite justice provoked by many sins is pacified by the attonement made by Jesus Christ as the Mediatour betweene God and man Iohn 17.3 else the knowledge of God in respect of the contemplation of Gods justice will be so far from inliving our hearts that it would kill them if they had life And this rule excludes all such from eternall life as live in despaire of Gods mercy as Cain and Iudas These knowledges are such as without which life cannot be had but yet in themselves doe not quicken the soule and inspire it with life 5. It must be such a knowledge as doth not only discerne aright the doctrine of the nature of God and of the person and offices of Christ but doth discerne that God is ours in particular in Jesus Christ and fully reconciled to us and our portion for ever To know God to be our God in Christ is the very life of our soules Now because we discerne this in God two waies viz by the light of â—aith beleeving the promises of the Word though we see him not and by the light of vision when we shall see him in his goodnesse face to face therefore is the former light called the light of faith and belongs to this life and the latter light belongs to another world Hence our justification which is by faith is called the justification of life Rom. 5.18 This is a point which should be of unspeakable comfort to the weake Christians that have attained to this knowledge for certainely this is eternall life in them as true as if they had the glory of heaven already But now that true Christians may be the more infallibly settled in the knowledge of their interest in eternall life as it lieth in the right knowledge of God â—o be ours iâ— Jesus Christ I will add certaine effects of this knowledge which shew not only that it is right but also that it is very eternall or spirituall for if it be a right knowledge 1. It raiseth in the dead heart of man spirituall senses that were never there before it makes the soule of a man able to heare Gods Word that could never doe it before it gives sight in spirituall things and sense and feeling and spirituall tastes of Gods goodnesse and a savouring of spirituall things more than earthly 2 Cor. 2.15 Rom. 8.5 Psal. 36.8 Phil. 1.9 2. It is a knowledge with admiration it sets a mans heart upon a constant wondering at the glory of the things revealed He that hath this knowledge sees in a Mirrour hee sees and wonders Nothing more ravisheth the heart than doth the word when it shewes him the glorie of Gods grace to him 2 Cor. 3.18 Wicked men see but they see not in a Mirrour 3. It is a knowledge that workes transformation it changeth a man into the likenesse of that it sees even from glory to glory by the power of the spirit of Christ. The light comes into wicked men but leaves them the same men it found them for disposition and conversation but this light humbles the heart of a man for his sins and purifieth him from his most secret sins Acts 15.9 and besides prints upon him the image of God and stirs him uâ—to all the motives of life in doing good workes 2 Cor. 3.18 Col. 3.10 1 Iohn 2.3 3.24 4. It is such a light as is indeleble and will abide the triall of manifold afflictions and gives life and joy still to the soule it doth not only comfort in Gods house but will support us when we are gone home under the miseries of this present life 1 Pet. 1.7 The Use should be to teach us all to blesse God for the Gospel that brings life to light and shewes us the love of God to us in Christ and for all the meanes by which the Gospel is preached to us in the life of it Oh how should we be beholding to them that help us to eternall life by leading us unto God this Ocean of goodnesse And withall we should be wonderfully thankfull to God and for ever comforted if we can finde that we have attained to the assurance of Gods love to us in Christ. Though our knowledge here be but small and weake
wicked men must be considered more generally or more specially generally all the daies of the wicked are evill both because he is a transgressour every day and because the curse of God is upon him all his daies even then when he lives longest and enjoyes most prosperous times Esay 65.20 Every day the wrath of God hangeth over his head and every day God judgeth him Psal. 7. either in soule or body or name or estate either by with-holding his blessings or by mingling the curse with the good things he enjoyeth Psal. 7â— 33 as the Israelites under censure of death from God More specially the daies of the wicked man are evill either in this life or after this life In this life his daies are evill in two speciall senses either in respect of the shortning of them or in respect of the afflicting of them It is a speciall evill to some wicked men that their daies on earth are shortned Some men live not out halfe their daies and die in the middest of their daies Psal. 55.24 Ier. 17.11 and so it is a curse that his daies are few Psal. 109.8 Eccles. 8.13 Againe the daies of wicked men are said to be evill in respect of some speciall judgements of God to be poured out upon them for their sins These daies are called the daies of Gods wrath and anger and daies of Gods visitation Esay 10.3 the day of vengeance Esay 61.2 which God proclaims against all wicked men and by an excellency The evill day Amos 6.3 And these daies are in speciall called the dayes of wicked men and they are theirs because properly no day is theirs till it be evill Ier. 50.31 After this life comes that most speciall evill day even that day of eternall misery in hell of which Solomon said God made the wicked for the day of evill Pro. 16.4 This doctrine of their evill dayes should much astright wicked men not only with the consideration of what they suffer now but of what they are liable to in the daies to come Little doe they dreame of the misery may befall them such daies may come as will burst their hearts with exquisite griefe their hearts shall not be able to endure Ezek. 22.14 therefore they should take heed of putting far from them the evill day Amos 6.3 and in time repent and reconcile themselves to God in Jesus Christ that they may prevent the evill dayes may yet fall upon them and know that their uncircumcised heart is the cause of all the evill brought or to be brought upon them Ier. 9. ult Thus of evill daies in the life of the wicked The godly mans daies are evill divers waies 1. The daies of spirituall famine are evill daies when a man cannot enjoy the meanes of salvation in the life and power of them In this case David said his teares were his meat day and night Psal. 42.2 2. The daies in which God is displeased with them or hideth himselfe so as he will not heare their prayers or not let them discerne it These are bitter dayes to the godly Psal. 102.2 3. 90.9 3. Daies of temptation in which they are to wrestle with principalities and powers are evill daies Eph 6. 4. All daies of trouble are in some respect evill daies Psal. 49.5 50.14 41.1 2. especially those daies are evill when the Lord turnes wicked men loose upon the godly and leaves them as it were in their hands to be reproached and oppressed all the day especially when himselfe will not appeare to help them Psal. 102.8 10 11. Esay 37.3 and most of all when the just man seemeth to perish in his righteousnesse Eccles. 7.15 But yet here is a great deale of difference between the evill daies of godly men and the evill dayes of wicked men because God sanctifies the evill of his daies to the godly man so as he is blessed when God chasteneth him for he thereby teacheth him his law Psal. 94.12 Heb. 12. Secondly God will deliver him out of evill if he call upon him Psal. 50.15 yea though his troubles seeme desperate Ier. 30.7 Thirdly though God may seeme to delay for a time yet he will make haste to performe his deliverance After two daies he will returne and the third day he will revive them Hos. 6.3 Fourthly God will make them glad according to the daies he hath afflicted them he will make them amends for all their evill daies Psal. 90.15 To conclude this point There be daies that are called evill which are common both to good and bad and such are the daies of old age Eccles. 12.1 when the Sun Moone and Starres are darkned that is all sense of prosperity is removed and the infirmities of old age come thicke one upon another like clouds after raine ver 2. when the armes which are the keepers of the house shake and the thighes and legs which were like strong men now bow and bend under them and their teeth which were the grinders or chewers of their meat now cease working because they are few and the eies which are the windowes of the body grow darke ver 3. when the doores shall be shut in the streets that is when upon the losse of his appetite he shall have no delight in any thing at home nor minde to goe abroad but his owne house shall be his prison and when he shall be so unable to rest in his bed that he shall rise with the first voice of the bird and be waked with the least noise that is and that he hath no delight in musicke of any kind as Barzillai said When they shall be affraid of every straw in their way they shall goe so weakly and their Almond tree shall flourish that is their heads shall be white as the blossomes of the Almond and they shall be so sore that a very Grashopper shall be a burthen to them to touch them shal be grievous and all the things they were wont to love they cannot now find any comfort in and thus they are passing to their long-home which is the grave and they are so neare as if their very mourners were ready in the streets to carry them to their graves yea they will not continue long but the silver cord will bee loosened that is the marrow of their backes be consumed and their golden Ewer which is the braine-pan be broke and so will the Pitcher at the Well that is the veines at the liver and so will the Wheele at the Cisterne be broken that is the head which drawes the powers of life from the heart and the dust returns unto the earth as it was and the spirit to God that gave it Thus of the daies that be evill daies Now it remaines that we enquire which be good daies and so we shall finde that there be daies that be good in the judgement of the inward man and sometimes daies that be good in the judgement of the outward man Only thus much we