what a weak staff he hath trusted to and often he crosseth his children therein when they have forsaken God He takes away the World because thou hast run to and trusted it he suffers thee to fall because thou trusts to thy Righteousnesse He hides his face because the Flesh grows wanton by his comforts Thus God daylie crosseth us and we take no notice and lay the blame on this or that and flee to the World for help but then he will come and whipe thee yet more 2. If the crosse ly long on thee the cause is because there is yet some looking for help from Flesh or some lust that will not yield thy stubborn heart is yet hardened by fleshly hope For when God hath accomplisht his ends then shall freedom come 3. God seeth that if we should prosper still we should be undone for fulnesse of Flesh and simple believing seldom go together nay he will still keep to such a dyet as thou shalt still have So will he keep thee under some crosse or temptation that thou shalt still need his help and by this Faith see his power and truth 4. That is Faith then and Religion that holds out in tryal for afflictiâ—n detracts noâ—hing from a man but shews what a man is if thy heart be not upheld by Isaac that is to say the World but by His Truth what matters it though Isaac be slain therefore Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation that when temptation comes ye may stand and watch that is wait in Faith pray and seek help in him that is mightie to save so shall we be preserved no hurt to man by the crosse but much good for 1. Thereby Faith is purified 2. The flesh weakened 3. And love increased for then is man pitiful to others 4. The word prospers but never thrives but when the crosse goes with it For full hearts are unfit to receive it and man at ease easily shuffles it Take thy son thy only son Isaac whom thou lovest This God saw in him and would bring it under to separe his heart from his dearest object to him only Isaac was the only son of nature and of promise So that So there is in man some only son by nature of some dear object which he loves and wherewith he is intangled which must be slain before man come to live in constant peace and fellowship with God David and Absalom had great possessions there it in the world a lust of the eye and flesh c. 1. For man fixeth on something in want of God 2. While this lives the soul lives in and by it 3. This must dy or man must perish 4. And so far as mans heart fixeth on this it separats from God 1. So that the promise of Faith and living thereby doth sepaâ—at man from the dearest object of nature makes man obedient to the will of God even to the lâ—sing of all as He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me He that will lose his life shal save it And Paul saith My life is not dear so that I may finish my course for Christ loved not his life unto death Paul could die at Jerusalem Acts 21. For there through the world is crucified and nature brought into subjection 2. For not to love Isaac is unatural and yet to dote on him or to be tyed to him or place felicitie in him is bondage and argues a self-will and love not mortified as in David to Absalom hereby 3. God doth wonderfully free his people when by faith He knits man to himself He layes nature under foot that man may so enjoy all things in God that his eyes may be still towards him that he useth and enjoyeth as not using 4. This is to enjoy all things as lawful that is a lawful use of all things and yet not to be brought under the power of any thing 1. Away then with all halt and heartlesse obedience when man out of fleshly knowledge seems to flatter God with a few sacrifices which are nothing but the overplus and superfluitie of thy peacefulnesse fleshly will but when he comes to be tryed to the bottâ—m starts back as that obstinate disâ—bedience in all when mans lust hath ceased on an object and will not part but is a law that therein he fights against God in the way of Faith and Love and man in the common way of Equitie that so have it he will though to his own and everie one a beloved Isaac that is the treasure of his heart which though he will communicat other things yet this he keeps in his closet Yea man hath not only a natural love to the creatures but further thinks while it is but so all is well as to love wife and children riches c. But know this when it exceeds reason the Philosophers call it Dotting affection it brings man into bondage but more when it separats from God For there is a love naturalâ— which is soon satisfied and there is a violent affection that ever breeds bondage which placeth a happiness in that thing loved 2. Thus we see everie man hath his Isaac that must be slain for as Isaac was the natural son yet must be sacrificed So man hath not only the fruit of his own natural wit but even the joyes peace freedom that comes by the promise that must be slain or at least be offered to God that man may not depend on these but on the promise that so he live not by high Revelations but by the grace of God which is sufficient as in Paul 3. All obedience that issues not out of the ashes of Faith or from the power of Gods love rested on by Faith is nothing for not to obtain or coyn a Faith thereby but as a true expression of a believing heart And this shews Gods goodness to man crossing him of his chiefest object that so he may not cleave to it but rest in God and his Truth alone And get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there Here is the great tryal of Abraham that he must offer Isaac in whom the promise rested So that he takes away from his people all stayes in the Flesh yea not only his beloved Son in nature but also the Son of the Promise and everie part in whom the Promise should be accomplished So that now Abraham hath nothing left but bare promise and all those means whereby the promise should be accomplished taken away So that God will sooner or latter take away from his people all stayes in the flesh though never so likelie in Flesh or reason that the believing heart may be bared and weakned and rest purelie and simplie on God and his Truth Thus he took from his Disciples even Christ in the Flesh also from Gideon his great hoste from the Jews their Temple and Ark wherein they trust yea Jerusalem it self that Jerusalem might come from Heaven which is the Mother
mercie For if he be not before one of these two he is secure may this we see too common in all men 1. For though they must be brought at one time or other to be judged in themselves and confesse that it is â—he way of Faith Repentance and Love it is the way of Life yet how soon become hardned and cast it off cares not for it but gets a life else-where that they cannot say that their joy and pleasure and life is in Christ but in another in his knowledge and righteousnesse and none abides but with this Nebuchadnezzar falls off But know that this Word shall judge thee one day 2. Hence we see what a Fountain of Lust and Rebellion is in all men believers and others how often hath God expounded our Dreams restored our freedom given Life in Death and how soon are we returned either to the Worlds shifts in straits or forget the Lord that brought us out of Egypt and feed our selves with pleasure Nebuchadnezzar made an Image of Gold fifthy cubits high He had forgotten the God of Daniel soon and now makes an Idol for his own glorie preservation even thus doth all So that When mans heart turns away from God Christ that he is not known believed and loved every maâ— set up the idol of his own Imagination in his heart forsakes the God of Heaven that is to say a God a Christ and a Righteousnesse and Wisdom in Imâ—gination Thus every Nation had their Gods all reasons are 〈◊〉 God framed or comprehended in the witt of man 〈◊〉 Therefore God gave this great Law Thou shalt havâ— no other Gods but me 1. Thus Satan is called the God of this World whâ— sets up his Law in mans heart For there is in every man the sins of all men in the root so that as the Heathen that know not God indeed yet had many Imaginary Gods So all men that know not God or forsake Christ make many Christs though not all of oâ—â— fashion yet such as mans Imagination leads him to 2. For mans heart must have something to upholâ— it either real or conceited therefore in want of thâ— God of life he must have some God and somethiâ— to trust to or sometimes for which he must trust Gâ—â— the better in all which though it be nothing but the Idol of his Imagination yet Christ must bear the Name He confesseth the God of Daniel but hath an other Idol whom he worships For doubt not but all the Heathen had a general confused conceit of God unto whom they then framed God a kind of relation in their conceit For reason could tell them that a creature could not save them neither could Nebuchadnezzar believe that any creature could yet save or deliver him when he counted himself the most patient creature in the world but had a conceit of God unto whom he owed Worship Some acknowledge the true Christ but he is not the Saviour by whom they live but something else So that Thus the World and the Church is full of Idolatrie every man setting up the Idol of his own heart One sets up a Golden Image as the King did here and makes the World his great God This he serves and trusts worships yea in all his laws threats he fears the loss of his labour For if this God smile he laughs if he frown he grieves if he threaten he fears if he promise he believes and this is the greatest God most worshipped in the World The rich adores it the poor prayes unto it all bow unto it But the great Idol in the Church is mans knowledge and righteousnesse This is that the false Apostles set up This he decketh with Devotion Zeâ—l and Charitie but yet not much of that he worships God before this Idol he acknowledgeth Christ yet with circumcision joyned this we make only God we bow down as unto it Nay the Idols of mans imaginations are endlesse For the greatest contemplators saith Luther Are the greatest Idolaters for they make an Idol of their own imaginations or their speculations Christ and Paul was none of these they lay in misery they believed God they practised love and went about doing good 1. For by how much any goes about to comprehend Christ and his Word not believing in him from a broken and repenting heart but from strength of imagination he is the great Idolater but know these arâ— cursed and the makers of them they have mouths but speak not eyes but see not the way of life noses but savour not the things of God feet but walk not in the wayes and love of Christ and they shall not all help in time of need Thy Knowledge shall vanish thâ— Righteousnesse be judged faultie thy gold perish and thy pleasures be turned into sorrow and shall this God deliver thee And all these are framed by man that he may have ease and freedom elsewhere in the flesh and have something to see and feel that so he may live iâ— peace but the true God is found in trouble not at the sound of Musick but in woe and sighing then is God present with these men as Daniel Shedrach Mechacâ— and Abednego were accused by the Officers This added to their Captivity for that herein is doublâ— bondage though they were advanced as Rulers in Babylon yet brings them into bondage that they mighâ— not fit in Babylon but upon their God and his Word So that When God intends good unto man he keeps him under the Rod of miserie without and weaknessâ— within that Faith may be kept pure and the flesh aâ—â— man may have no stay but in him Thus with Job David Psal 107.39 He brings dowâ— their heart with sorrow thus with Christ 1. For till man be throughly whipt he flies to soâ—â— new shift and God in love chaseth him from all holdâ— that he may not setle in carnality 2. For Abraham had no Child then Isaac was boâ—â— and then hope of him seemed to be taken away Thiâ— was ever Gods dealing with his Church they had somâ— breathing time yet he renewes his rod when they greâ— wanton and turn from him Man would lay hold iâ— any thing rather than drown but thus God plungeâ— him into the deep and then he prayes 1. Thus we all seek rest in the flesh and find it arâ— say We shall not be moved the Pipe and the Tabrâ— is in our Feasts but sorrow and repentance is hid froâ— us But if God intend thee good he will keep thee from fleshly ease Thou thinks it an heavy bondage to lose wife husband world and all but when guilt shall appear within and God is departed and death at hand who shall comfort thee 2. But we are altogether for ease and peace Our Church is fleshly The Church in Canticles sought and enquired after him in the night but no such need with us we feel not the grief and captivity of others They are now full anon taken away Now in health
anon strucken dead Children cries wives lament husbands slain none left to comfort them but cruel enemies to make an end of them which shewes the cursed strength of flesh never well but under the rod. This made some â—un into Monasteries We are not careful That is we seek no shifts but trust â—n our own God and fear not the fire nor afraid but God will deliver us So that Faith only staying the heart only Christ makes man â—old again from death and miserie and purgeth the heart from fear This was promised by Christ Be not afraid so the Midewives of Egypt feared not the King seeing him â—hat is Invisible Thus the Martyrs not afraid to answer â—heir Adversaries 1 For it overcomes the World gives joy in tribulaâ—ion after patience experience Isa 58. A Smith lifâ—â—â—ot up a hammer but by me 2. Man fears only so far as he trusts himself or the â—reature 3. Faith keeps the heart safe whatever becomes of â—e flesh 1. Now there is a fear natural from Constitution 2. A fear wordly because we trust and love it 3. A fear spiritual either of wrath or judgement or â—f fear in regard of himself and his own weaknesse and â—bellionâ— but fear makes man-believe 1. Why doth man fear but because he believes not â—ence our shrinking hearts that when trouble approacheth he deviseth and invents how to answer escape and recover For affliction indeed shakes all frothy faith but purifieth the rest as gold 2. But woe to the hardened hearts that fear nothing because the World is strong in our hearts but like blind byard run into a pit 3. See the safetie of believers who have a friend at back that when flesh pleads with Saul to David thou art not able and Jonathans man they are manie judgeth nor after outward appearance but believes and waits for deliverance Be not afraid only believe 4. And this is the Fountain of all the careful life of an unbelieving man alwayes caring to encrease theirs to be delivered because they trust not in him that 's able Our God is able here opposeth their God to the cumber wrath of the King we seek not thy favour nor life nor ease but our God whom we serve is our only â—tay So that The believing heart so fâ—r as he believes in Christ and Christ in him in all extremities cries from a believing mind None but Christ Thus Solomon when he had tried all vanities Psal 73. I have none in heaven save only thee Eliah against Baal The Lord he is God And the Prodigal Father I have sinned against thee therefore I am no more worthy to be called thy Son Phil. For we are the Circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh 1. For there is he that giveth life in death 2. They are one by faith as the husband the wife 3. This is the Law accomplished by the Gospel against the world who worship one God and trust in another nay all have any but thee Faith is a simple thing separate from all Christ only lives in mâ—n and answers Satan with this Our God is able to deliver us If he see it best He can to which will we are subject and believe his power yet if he see it not good we believe his power He is able to uphold us in suffering we are pleased with his will whatsoever So that So that simple believing of Gods power free subjection to his will in all things is the only stay hearts â—ase of man in trouble and misery As in Abraham he believed that he was able to raise him up from the death though he know not that he would in that he submitted to his will Rom. 11. Concerning Israel God is able to graft them in again David When he was driven by Absolom God can bring me again to the Citie and Tabernacle if not here I am let him do what seemeth him good So saith the Leper If thou wilt thou canst make me clean and God can save by few as by many For he that comes to God must first believe that God is that is to say there is Power and Truth Wisdom in him who by his Power commands the Heavens and they were made who causeth light to shine in darknesse Thus he argues in Isaiah and Jeremiah It s I that measure the Sea in my hand He that made the Heavens and the Earth that doth lead through the Fire and Water and brings down to Hell and Death And this he hath promised that he will not leave man in distresse but all shall turn to good So that to denie all creatures and strength of man believe his power to denie our selves and be subject to his will is our only ease For Christ so knew his Father was able to save him from that hour yet was subject to his will not my will but thâ—ne be done But Man hath a Will of his own which God doth not alwayes answer according to his fleshly appearance which man seeks to accomplish by his own or because man sees not allwayes a sign or way of deliverance in himself he fears and thinks all is lost when God in Wisdom hides all from him and takes away all stayes in the flesh that he may despaire in himself and trust in another and denie his will that he may be made subject Thus we all denie the Power of God think there can be no comfortable living in the World without fulnesse of the World nor that Wife and Children cannot live when we are gone unlesse we leave them full portions but who fed Elias and the Widdow of Sarepta who fed the Ravens and clothed the Lillies Nay we do not see that all the care and power of man cannot make him prosper when Gods hand is against him and do we not see how many he raiseth out of the dust and setteth them with Princes and yet this we trust more than him If we have friends and riches we believe if not we fear as though his power was limited to this 1. Nay thus in the way of Religion we denie his power and will needs help God as that he cannot save us without our help Works Wisdom Rigteousnesse and these must be set up to look at and we behold Christ through these and Circumcision so we stand not as Beggers to receive of his fulnesse but as Traders in Religion to bring something unto him as a thousand Rams 2. But what safety to the Citie if God watch not or what ease by rising earlie if God blesse not so that none believes the power of God but he that knows his own weaknesse and of all creatures For still God manifests his Power Wisdom and Mercie in the Weaknesse Foolishnesse and Unworthinesse of Man and this believing Gods Power never more seen than in trouble For while we are full we believe because of our fulnesse but when all fails
men to depend on mercy For he whose heart dwells in love dwells in God in nothing do we more resemble Christ who was ever disposed thereunto even when his Disciples would have hindred him See what this is 1. There may be liberality out of pride and yet no love 1 Cor. 15. 2. There may be a tender and open nature and yet no mercy But this not a tender hearted disposition from nature but from a true sight of our own vilenesse and unworthinesse and sense of Gods mercy in Christ sensible of others miseries and willingnesse and readinesse to help according to our power without pinching grudging or base respect such is Gods and Christ love to us 1. The ground Gods mercie by Faith breaking the heart and working Life in us 2. The nature is pitiful free open-hearted helpful 3. The object is Want Miserie Wrong Injury Woe Then woe to mercielesse worldings who are sensible of no mans miserie but their own as a hard-hearted userer a closse fisted niggard grinding Land-lord yea mercieless who with Judas grudge at parting with any thing though they professe kindnesse yet when need comes hearts and purses pinch together See that heartlesse shew of Love and Faith without the power thereof when it comes to-tryal that when it comes to part it Mammon that was never parted it goes to the quick as if a man should part with life and all and hence so manie excuses as I have not now I have a charge c. When if a man would forbear idle expences and his surfeting it would provide for all the poor in a Paroch Object They are all lazie people Answ It is for want of thy education but maintenance is love Thus we see Christ is full of talking believing men and worldly knowledge everie man full of opinions and high thoughts but no love This Religion is in vain yea most men love all men till they grow poor but then casts him off like those Luke 5. That called rich friends c. So we lend give and help those that need not but to further their covetousnesse but from poor turn away But man hath such love for himself that he hath none for others but Paul bids put on bowels of mercit and tendernesse c. 1. Consider the estates of others and put ours in their case 2. Gods mercie to thee thou rich and they poor 3. That thou shalt never be poorer for it that thou shald obtain mercie both of God and man not for this but the word is such So that Gods mercie and goodnesse shall not be a wanting and mans heart shall be open towards merciful men and they shall nor want Psal 37. I never saw the righteous forsaken That is merciful men 1. For the hearts of all men do blesse them 2. They live in sense of miserie and weaknesse and so sensible of mercie but most men live of and by themselves and find no need of mercie and so mercie is shut against them 3. Happie he that waits still for this it cannot be wanting for these judge themselves justifie God 4 Suffer all things patiently 5. And are open-hearted to pray to God and shew mercie to others Blessed are the pure in heart These are opposed to the Hypocrisie of the Pharisees which under shew of Religion reserved to themselves rotten hearts and the World therein which so musled their mindes that they saw nothing Puritie is a metaphor taken from neatter mettal c. Which it not mingled with any filth but clear from the Fountain So we say Pure water like gold and that is separated from all other things and is simple So that Poor and simple minded men who walk in simplicitie of Religion is blessed therein James 3.1 Wisdom from above is First pure then peaceable that is the seed in good ground that is good honest simple hearts 1. Joh. 3. He that hath this hope purgeth himself as he is pure for the heart joyned or mixed with any other thing mars it 2. This was Adams simplicitie that is joyned to God onlie which puritie is a mind cleaving to nothing but God only and simple truth like a wise to her husband expecting nothing but what he is 3. Intention upright though occasion failing there is a puritie Legal and Evangelical the one is in Rules the other in Faith and Love singling out the heart to Christ onlie the heart is pure when it is not mingled with its own desires and lusts and the pure Faith believeth God without this or that a pure love without condition or end 4. A pure zeal for God onlie Away then with all glistring Religion to cover rotten hearts with But we deal not simply in any thing but have self-respects and seekings seeking our selves for we deal not simply in any thing The pure heart then is he that sees that iniquitie in himself that he lothes himself so is purged by the Laver of Regeneration They shall see God This is not by curious comprehension but by simple believing that is that God would shew himself in mercie love wisdom to them So that The poor and simple believing heart trulie understands the way of God and sees him in his goodnesse and God reveals Secrets to them that fear him and to none else Psal 25. 1. None hath seen God but he none knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him Psal 36. In his light we shall see light for self-knowledge and lust blinds the most of all 1 Cor. 8. He that thinks he knows something knows nothing at all he that will become wise must become a fool God chooseth fools 2. If the mind cleave or look at any thing else it draws a vail that is sees nothing There are some that imagine a shape and so seem to see blindly attending in saith upon them the light shines Thus we are all full of knowledge and false light but have not pure hearts we must be wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves For if man see God by Faith he trusts loves and fears and is subject to him all knowledge else leaves a man whore he was save this it lifts him up against God See the way how man is blinded he hath a self desire of his own good overruling which sets witts a working to find that good under the Sun This bears off God and so lights hold of Religion and so strains all his power to comprehend this God and good in him and becomes a Master and so rules and orders it according as he thinks it may best make for his good not knowing what it is to receive freely and live by Faith Give me then a pure heart and a simple believing mind for that 's worth all knowledge without this all knowledge else leaves man that he date not trust nor love that thing which he sees Yet this is all that he hunts after rather to know after the flesh than to believe by faith
excuses as here in Saul when wâ— seem to condemn our selves then we justifie our selveâ— and hope because of our confession to find mercie Iâ— is a great point of simplicity to do good and not tâ— have an eye to it but still here ariseth a thought oâ— being something because of that everyone is approvinâ— of the good but thinks none of the evil in themselves 〈◊〉 so imagins a power in themselves which destroy Faith It is but a poor comfort that man gets by his obedience to the Law nay God will find out manie 〈◊〉 blaiting Lust Iniquitie in thy heart as hereafter What meaneth then Here Samuel discovers his Hypocrisie for he discovers wherein he had failed So that When man hath justified himself and hid himself in the depth of his own counsel yet there remains in man a Legion of Rebellion which hinders his peace and which God will find out in the end as to Adam and the Young Man and the Rich Fool. 1. For mans pride ariseth from ignorance in himself 2. Adam slips over these easily with little notice 3. After Faith and a desire to obey God yet there remains a rebellious flesh and ease and peace which he would preserve Thus we all keep up a conceit of our selves but then what means this following of the World this envie hatred these wringings pinchings covetousnesse What means then Saul seeking to justifie himself Samuel discovers his Hypocrisie And that by bringing before him the spoil that he had reserved underneath as in Saul so in us Saul had done something but there rested a whole herd to be destroyed So that When a man hath tasted of Gods love and mercie and it may be hath inclined to do Gods will yet there is a troup of rebellious lusts and affections underneath which both darkens the light of Faith and keeps mans Soul in bondage and either they or we must be destroyed Thus to the young man Matth. 19. The rich fool and Adam 1. For all men like Israel think they should have rest so soon as they are passed the Red-Sea when alace there are bitter waters to drink hunger thirst to be endured and the Amalakites to be slain Here is the dayly exercise and power of Faith and of Christ in man in subduing these enemies under foot to the perfecting of our freedom and establishing everlasting Righteousnesse That man daily feeling these Rebells within him may see his Weaknesse and Rebellion may flee daily from himself to God for victorie For he that partakes of Christs death once through Faith to his Redemption by the power of the same death dyes daily that so hâ— may live into God Thus deal Hypocrites when looking upon theâ— own righteousnesse grow high minded and strongly presumptuous not feeling these base filthly lusts beâ— lye underneath nay thus we imagine to our selves aâ— opinion more by a thousand times than we enjoy indeed Thus are those deceived who tasting somâ— sweetnesse of Faith and Gods love sit down thinâ— all things is done and Heaven obtained when indeeâ— they then shrink from God and themselves too anâ— then arise a Legion of Lusts that are unkilled There is then a beginning of stedfastnesse in going on in Religion these beginnings may utterly faâ— where the others follows not there is a believing 〈◊〉 Righteousnesse but there must be a believing by thâ— same faith and a daily feeding on Gods goodnesse and truth 1. And hereby appears how apt man is to flatter himself without cause thinking all is well when it is nothing so When the Prophet comes and by the Word of Truth divides betwixt the marrow and the bone For thou sayest Thou believest God and thy confidence is in Christ and that he is and will be a Father unto thee but what means the leaning to and looking at the works of thy hand or qualitie of heart and increase of confidence thereby Why then is there such seeking for and trusting to thine own power why art thoâ— then so vexed for want joy peace and fulnesse Why then dost thou so dote upon the World so lifted up it fulnesse cast down in want Thou sayest Thou lover God and Christ and his Word what means then this self-love wherein thou hast alwayes a self aim 2. This casting off Christ and seeking ease in the flesh What means then this little respect to the Gospel and so careful for all things else 3. What means this censuring and judging condemning others this opening their shame and this preying into their faults this back-bitting insulting â—his hardnesse of heart and unmercifulnesse to them in â—ant this pinching and grudging and grinding their â—aces this contention and unwillingnesse to forgive â—hou sayest thou hatest the World Sin and Lust but â—hy then is thy willing serving of it and this rejoycing 〈◊〉 it and mourning for want and this total imployment about it and these burning lusts and fierie maâ—ice Thou sayest Thou wilt suffer any thing for Christ as Peter but what meaneth then thy swearing â—nd fore-swearing for these great vexations for these â—arthly crosses and this fear of losse and danger of Death So that it is not as we imagine when the Word of Truth comes O! that men would cleave to this Word of Truth in Spirit it would either hew Agag in pieces or else Saul should be cut off thereby O! that we lived daily in the true understanding of our selves this would destroy vain glory and pride We think because we have now a good motion and â—hen a sweet joy and feeling that God must needs love for these but we see not the lowing and roaring rebellions of the heart that fight against Christ And thus most men deal with Saul by halfs in Religion because they begin to look with Flesh at the conquest that they have gotten when thousands are behind verse 15. We have brought then from the Amalekits Here Saul again excuseth himself and pleads their intent to offer Sacrifice as afterward verse 21. So that So thus in all men not mortified through Faith would still have both Joy and Faith and a Will and Word of his own So with Adam so with Peter He would have had case in the Flesh and Christs companie too so the young man Matth. 19. see all unmortified For till by the power of God in the crosse the Flesh be subdued it seeks to live as well as the spirit save it self For there is a self-confidence a wisdom and a love which would turn all to its own advantage which indeed should know or effect nothing at all and so draws the mind after it Thus we dally with God in the way of Faith by sparing things that are profitable pleasures And thus man excuseth this or this I do to follow the World that I may be better sitted to serve God to do good to others and so it appears that it is the end indeed nay thus we dissemble with God For
A BUNDLE OF Soul-Convincing Directing and Comforting Truths clearly deduced from diverse select Texts of holy Scripture and practically improven both for Conviction and Consolation BEING A brief Summary of several Sermons preached at large by that faithful and pious Servant of Jesus Christ M. RODGER BREIRLY Minister of the Gospel at Grindleton in Craven Matth. 11 25 26. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight LONDON Printed by J. R. for Samuel Sprint in litle Brittain 1677. An Epistle to the READER CHristian Reader concerning Roger Breirley the Author of these following Notes of the heads of some several Sermons by him more fully Illustrated in his publick Ministry I desire to say something to thee of his Life and Message that he witnessed As also to give thee an account of the Ground and Rise of this Word Grindletonism by which many men of the World as adverse parties styled his Followers Concerning his Life and Conversation therein it was as became the Gospel of Jesus Christ and comely in the eyes of the Sons and Daughters of Sion and beautiful in the Streets of that Citie so that none could lay any shame thereon As for his Message that was given him for to declare to the World it was mighty and piercing to the laying open in the very Heart and Conscience of man the most secret and hidden things of dishonesty though never so closely infolded in the deepest mistery of iniquitie so as many yea and many that stood fenced in the Field with the Weapons of their own self-righteousness in the flesh and the Covenant of works fell wounded to the very ground and were found to be of Sinners the chiefest And to this I bear record such was the Penetrating Power of God in his Ministration that if thousands were before him under it in very few hours discourse every mans several Condition whether under Light or Darknesse should have been spoken to layed open bare and naked that every one might truely have confessed in their several conditions that the Word was spoken to them in particular For what was done acted in every mans heart and spirit was there openly related revealed that all might read their seven-fold abominations So that in a word for much more here might be related none either in their Gentilish Nature nor in their self on taken Jewish Righteousnesse nor in any formal way either to Law or Gospel could stand tâ—â—ir ground if they dealt truely with themselves but they â—â—ll convicted under his Message for it was not in word only but in the Power of God to take away from Man the whole stay staff of his own Breaâ— that every House might be lest without inhabitant man lying desolate might sit in silence upon the ground whereunder many gave out this witnesse that God was in him of a truth And not only so but mighty powerful was his Ministration in the evident demonstration of the Holy Ghost to bear witnesse in to the desolate weary forlorn hopless broken heart of man sentenced unto death of that unchangeable love in the faithful Promise of the healing Covenant of God established in with Jesus Christ against which Sin Death Satan the father of lyes should not prevail to blast curse but it should arise the blessing of his own free love to sit above them all in true dominion by the witness of the Holy Ghost sent down in faithfulnesse from above to comfort the desolate needy poor beggerly heart of man writing the Law of Life in his heart thaâ— he shall not dye but live where whose eye is so opened by the living Faith begotten of the Incorruptible Word he maâ— Run and Read in the same place where be Read the blood Lynes of Death the Lynes of Gods unchangeable Love Blessing which is only perfect to cast out of the Conscience Heart of man all fear torment whatsoever Saying Rise up walk for thy sins are forgiven thee And thâ— his Ministration being as I may say in the Authoriâ—â— Power of the living God not as the Ministratioâ— that stands only in the Art Wisdom Eloquence of Maâ— it drew hearers from divers places about several miles 〈◊〉 stant to wait on his Ministry Some in goâ—d will hungeing thirsting travelling in birth under the stroâ— of the powerful Word untill the living Seed we brought forth by the Spirit of Life in open view in the hearts to give unto them that Bread that should enduâ— unto eternal Life the taste whereof made their Spirits dance for joy caused them to tell it out unto others whâ— they had seen heard handled that they also migâ—â— come and taste of the same love of God The Eccho Faâ—â—â— whereof went diversly abroad Some saw heard the wâ—ders of God and believed others astonished went aâ—â— wondering that they never heard any preach like hiâ— And many others came to hear see what should cause such strange reports seeking to catch something that they might report also Whereupon mistake went abroad and great contentions stirred up and jealouses fixed in mens minds that some great Heresee as a monster would appear when indeed the living Truth only appeared to the Children thereof although those against him could not see it but dayly sought to compare it with some new or old Errours Heresies And when they sought accusations from this Authors Doctrine could find none being in the hearing of it silenced that they had nothing to say against it yet to shewtheir minds what good will they bare to him in his Message to those who did embrace it because they could not well stile them by the name of Breitlists finding no fault in his Doctrine they then styled his Hearers by the name of Grindletonians by a name of a Town in Cravan called Grindleton where this Author did at that time exercise his Ministry thinking by his name to render them odious and brand them for some kind of Sectaries but they could not tell what Sect to parallel them to Hence rose the name Grindletonism And yet they rested not with this nicknaming but raised aspersions against this Author informing the High-Commission against him who sent their commands to bring him up to York where he was kept in prison for a while during which time fifty Articles were exhibited by his Adversaries against him before them which when he came to his tryal not one of them directly proved against him Whereupon after a Sermon preached by him at the Cathedral he was dismissed and liberty by L. Bishop Tobias Matthews granted to exercise his Ministry as formerly who after much travel and pains in witnessing the glad tidings of Salvation ended his Natural Life at Burnlaie in Lancashire after whose Death these few Head-notes of
nor profit but only the maintenance of the Truth of the Gospel viz. Faith in Christ only and Love to all men So that this being their example Note that Faith in Christ and simple Love to Man is the very Summe of the Gospel and the Life of all Religion in the heart of Man Gal. 5. Faith works by love 1. Tim. 1. The end of the Commandment is love out of a pure heart a good Conscience and faith unfeigned all else ver 7. is dross and dung This is the summe of all Pauls Epistles This Paul to Tim calls the spirit of faith love and a sound mind Thus Paul thanks God for to the Col. the Faith and love to all Saints c. 1. For these destroy Self Righteousness and Self Confidence and Self Love which are the poyson of all Religion viz. Self Witt and Self Will these Adam got and therein opposed God 2. For by Faith he is made a Lord over all things that will suffer nothing to start up in the Church and in his Heart but Christ and by Love he is servant to all and plyable and servant to every one By the one he is freed with God and by the other amongst men 3. By Faith he that had thought to live in and by himself through the Law comes to dye in himself and to live in and by another 4. Nay all Religion without these is nothing but meer opinion and conceit whereby the heart is puffed up and so not fit for mercy and also tyed to himself and his own good Minde the Religion of Christ was it any thing but a denying of himself and cleaving to the Father and giving himself to the Church in love yea to his very Enemies Which Faith and Love is nothing else but a partaker so of himself and his own weaknesse Sin and Death thereby that he can believe and trust nothing in himself or the world but only the Word of God and in that weakness waits on Christ and meere Mercy and cut of that dislike of himself and love to that he sees in Christ loves all judgeth none but himself 1. How far are we then from Christs Religion when all our Religion is 1. Either in Fire of questions and disputations about this and that Opinion maintaining of our singular conceits wherein we seem to excel others in knowledge whereby true love is drowned quite 2. Or in some singular conceit of quality and disposition which we conceive in our selves and thereby grow proud and despise Christ and trample mercy under our feet 3. Or in high roveing conceits of the eternal Deity Majesty and Power and Secret Will and Purpose of God without Christ whereby the heart is hardened 4. Or in the Notion of the Gospel and Christ and faith without the power thereof gloriously vaunting of deep Mysteries But in all these the thing is wanting viz. an humble low believing and loving heart like unto Christ 1. Thus in all these man leaves his own heart and followes his heady opinion he forsakes Christ and pleaseth himself with his own qualities turnes from the word and followes vain speculations denyes the Faith and lives by the flesh 2. Know then that whatever would draw thee from Christ and his Truth is not the Doctrine of God whatever sets up man and makes him any thing but a Sinner is not the doctrine of Christ but of the Devil and Antichrist for it destroyes faith Pray we then that the Doctrine of the Gospel even of Faith and Love may be continued pure in the Church For Maus Wit and Reason will gather a thousand Errors out of Gods Truth viz. when it will not be content to become a fool but will needs comprehend a spiritual Truth and determine thereof according to its own Principles and Judgement Then it brings a world of absurdities for all errors have risen out of the Wit of fleshly minded men for the Spirit leads unto all Truth And I fear there will arise men of perverse minds to pervert the truth of the Gospel some to their carnal liberty some to the establishing of a righteousnesse and power in man without Christ bear we the Infirmities of men But take heed of false Doctrine in the Church for this is the worst of all And I pray God that many alive do not see that the Truth of the Gospel be turned into the Mysterie of Iniquitie and a greater Mysterie of spiritual wickednesse than yet we have seen Sed magna Veritas praevaletâ— Great is the Truth and prevaileth 4. But the kindly effect of the Gospel is to establish these two in the heart of man viz. to bring all things down in man by the Crosse of Christ and so lay him low under thee feet of all For the Gospel is a low thing Faith is a low thing though mighty in Christ and Love is a low thing Therefore all high flowen Chimical Divinity is the Doctrine of Satan and not of Christ And therefore if man be brought under the power hereof then will Christ be precious to him and his Word will be the Life and Treasure of his Soul because man hath nothing to stay him in his deep humility but only he And then will man love a man because he is a man and not because he is of my opinion or good to me or of my way or linage but loves as Christ did yea h s very Enemies As you have us for an example viz. Us in whom you see the Truth of the Gospel to rule and to walk according to the same who seek Christs Kingdom not ours So that He walks safely who truly feeling his own weaknesse and believes man for the Truths sake and not the Trâ—uâ—h for mans sake Follow me as I follow Christ But many were drawn away by the Error of the wicked For man having a good conceit of another is apt to believe what he saith for he believes that God is with him and so falls into odd opinionâ— 1. Better we should never preach than that the Gospel should be believed for our sakes Can we that are nothing buâ— error add to the Truth of God nay if God be not with us and guide us we shall tell a thousand lies for Truth 2. But woe be to that man who becomes by his example a perverter of the Brethren either for matter of Faith or Life or Liberty It had been better he had â—ever been born Take heed then how we depend on â—an there is one man for all even the man Christ Who is the way the truth and the life follow him in the way oâ— faith and love of whom I have told you often because of the danger thereof mans weaknesse So that Man is apt and weak of himself to be drawn into an â—vil way of error and hardly to believe the truth and â—tick thereto 1. For he is blind of understanding apt to believe any thing that may further his fleshly Kingdom â—oath to believe any thing that
for he dwels there all things else only ease the flesh 2. All other things prosper according to his presence and not according to the power of the Creature 3. All other things are but miserable comforters but only a putting off for a time and forgetting it but it comes again with more violence like a sore ill healed 1. And yet how do we in any strait run to any thing rather than this For first The World saith Come to me and I will relieve thy want Be diligent apply thy mind to me seek and get me by violence or any way and I will ease thee and we run to it with love and confidence and yet never a whit eased or satisfied 2. The Flesh saith Come to me I will rejoyce thee and ligâ—ten thy heart and put away all thy sorrow I season all sadnesse with mirth and delight we follow 〈◊〉 and yet in the midst thereof the heart is sorrowful 3. Reason saith Come to me and I will guide thee â—nd let thee see Comfort Look at thy righteousnesse â—olinesse thy diligence and knowledge of the Word â—hou art so good and so good above others thou hast â—o reason to be heavy and yet man is never the better These are all the Promises of the god of this World 4. Nay saith Christ But turn thine eyes from them all come to me believe and wait and I will refresh thy heart pardon thy sin preserve thee in trouble and keep â—hee in death and this never deceives 2. And the reason why we come not after so many â—alls is because we are not weary or think to find ease else-where and so long we never come viz. till the Word have revealed such a misery to man of which he is now sensible that all things cannot remove For while man 's fleshlie hope remains he doth not respect Christ Christ hath nothing to do with any but sinful miserable man Therefore we come not because we are not burdened or but so as we think either the World shall help us or we shall be able to help our selves Mans burden may be reduced to four Heads 1. Temptations of Satan 2. Guilt of our own Hearts and Want of the Fathers Love 3. Rebellion of the Flesh Corruption of Nature 4. Want and Miserie and Affliction in the World Minde and we shall see that one of these is alwayes the burden under which we groan The three first properlie to Believers either entring the door of Faith or straying from the Faith received 1. Satans Temptations are a grievous burden and snare when he crosseth by Reason the Truth of God for so he possessed many in Christs time and now prevails with many also Sometimes with strong black Arguments vexing with fear doubting and distraction calling the Truth a lye 2. Guiltinesse of Sin by the Law lyes heavy urged also by Satan filling the Heart with fear and disruâ—â— the conscience unquiet and the heart not estabilished in Faith but still hath an eye to his own unrighteousness and thinks if he were more holy and righteous all should be well But the remedy is to accuse thy self still confesse the Lavv meet the curse and bear Indignation yet turniâ—g from these Arguments of Reason Tell the Devil thou never sinned against him but obeyed him but against Christ and that he hath taken to himself that all thy sins are now his and his righteousnesse thine Then begins a spark oâ— Faith to arise saying O that I could b lieve these groans are helped by the Spirit and then comes the feeling of joy and gladnesse 3. Rebellion of the flesh is a burden to Believers when he would do good Evil is present drawing unawares to vile courses still pricking him forvvard to tickling Lusts dravving still to look to the world and so darkning the light of Christ in him But see that it be a burden and whether it be not the strength of thy fleshly wiâ—l not yet subdued that it is a burden rather because thou canst not have thy own will than becâ—use thou canst not have thy will subdued Like a frovvard vvife vvhich saith She will be content and let her husband do what he vvill but withall frets and repines because the husband will not yield vvhich he must do or else she vvill never be quiet Here not the frowardnesse but the crossiâ—g of her vvill is her burden She is not a burden to her self but her husbands vvill is a burden to her and she unto him so with God But if it be a burden indeed no remedie but Christ Thâ—t thou let him see and knovv that it is thy greatest burdens and not trusting thy care diligence or watching nor fighting with fleshly vveapons but lay down all and wait on him vvho hath power and by vvhom only sin and lust is crucified 4. Want trouble and misery in the World lyes heavy on all For flesh vvould live in fulnesse and see somewhat a fore-hand and it may be thou art in want and persecution even for Christ no remedie but Christ and â—â—e Word of Truth For here thou seest the promise to any burden whatsoever Therefore doth sin in thy â—â—lf or want of comfort doth outward Crosses as a worldly husband froward wife bitter enemies sickâ—esse and provertie oppresse thee Sit still and say with â—onfidence and bind Christ to his Word Thou said â—ord thou vvould take away sin crucifie the flesh â—ind Satan bear all my weakness stand by and be acâ—used for me before Counsels Here I am thou knowest â—â—y burden that these ly heavie on me I am vveary â—o bear them I believe thy Word and vvait for thy â—elp 3. So that it is not because we are troubled thereâ—ore to think that he vvill ease us but by trouble being â—riven to him with cryes and faith for the trulie burâ—ened heart is a praying and believing Heart and so a â—ender and broken Heart that all the World cannot â—ure But these are hard But vve are at ease in Sion not â—roubled not weary and therefore have so little fellowship with Christ because we have so much fellowâ—hip with the flesh Take my yoke upon you To live with Christ then it â—s not to believe and live in pleasure case and wantonâ—esse of the Flesh but to bear his burden and yoke heaâ—ier than that of Rehoboams whose little finger was heaâ—ier than his Fathers hand For this is affliction of Spiâ—it killing of the Flesh losing of the World Life and â—ll and yet the believing heart stayed on God in hope â—nd Faith in his promise patiently suffering his will â—hall find rest therein to his Soul though he be pinched â—nd killed in the Flesh. So that Simple believing in Christ and vvalking vvith him â—n the patient willing bearing of his cross and quiet â—ubjection to his will in love is the only way of peace â—nd rest to mans restless heart Jer. 1. This is my burden â—nd I will bear it Lam. 3. It 's
good for a man to bear the â—oke in his youth Mic. 7. I will bear the indignation of â—he Lord because I have sinned If you will be my Disciples take up my Crosse and follow me Phil. 3. Lâ—â— the same minde be in you that was in Christ who when he was reviled reviled not again Nay he prayed for them 1. First If ye suffer wrongfully and take it patientlie the glory of Christ resteth on you For it s not the framing of the World and all things to our wanton minds but our minds to Gods will that'â— our rest For when we will one thing and God wills sends another then the heart of man is vexed be cause he cannot have his own Will 2. There is an unavoidable necessitie that when man begins to believe and to follow Christ in his Word the World will crosse him Satan will tempt him and God will trye him which can no way be helped but by suffering as Christ did 3. Faith gives a foundation of rest to the heart iâ— Gods Word As with Christ who was the Word of the Father but the Crosse destroyes the Flesh and keepâ— Faith in life that Gods power may be perfected iâ— mans weaknesse 4. For to a believing heart the Crosse is no Crosse and to the unbeliever peace is no peace For he hath peace that seeks not peace And he that flies the Crosse shal have the Crosse Foâ— it s no Crosse to them because it but weakens and crosseth the Flesh which he would have crucified But when man would have Christ and ease fullnesse and joy in the World then it is a Crosse to him Now this Yoke must be taken upon us not vowing vvilful poverty in solitarienesse This is but to flie the World to get ease but to bear it quietly when iâ— is sent of God Because we believe and know that iâ— comes to passe by the certain knowledge of the Father and so the Flesh grieves at the Crosse yet the heart imbraceth the Fatherly will freely and with a willing mind None bears the Crosse willingly that seeks easâ— in the Flesh. Now the Crosse and Yoke that Christ bare was 1. The Wrath and Indignation of the Father anâ— want of feeling his love My God why hast thou forâ—aken me and he alone trode the wine-presse of his Wrath â—his is an heavy burden man must bear this Mic. 7. I â—ill bear the indignation of the Lord So when man is â—o sensible of his own guilt that he bears patiently the Wrath of God thinking nothing too much that lights â—n him and so waiâ—s for mercy For God layeth this â—pon man now he smiles and then he looks upon â—an as an enemie all must be born in Faith that man â—ay be brought down 2. The sins and infirmities of the people They were â—oward they were rebellious received not his Doctrine â—ay continued blind and unfaithfull after many miâ—acles They dispised him and his Doctrine yea many â—ell away and became enemies to him and his truth â—nd yet all this he bare patiently He mourned for the â—ardnesse of their hearts wept over them he prayed â—or them As Paul became all to all he bare the care 〈◊〉 fall the Churches And so man not fretting and conâ—nding or justifying himself and judging them but paâ—iently bearing the evil proving if at any time that God will grant them repentance If all do not as thou would have them nor are such as thou expects conâ—ider thou art the same by nature and what thou art â—od they also it is by the will of the Father 3 The oppression of his adversaries with wrongs â—nd slanders and persecution prisonment and â—anishment and yet he bare patiently and prayed â—or them though they did all unjustly and so he sufâ—ered for righteousnesse They took away life and â—ll So that though man be persecuted and reproaâ—hed and counted the off-scouring of all things Yea â—o go through good report and bad report and passe â—y all taking no notice knowing that God hath sent â—hem to curse 4. Want of worldly riches and pleasure oft in poâ—ertie Yea He had not whereon to lay his head he had â—o sumptuous houses nor rich treasures but one poor â—â—g in the hand of a thief for he would not be troubled himself nor trouble no good man with it he had not his varietie of dishes or costly apparel not yearly revenyes nor certain estate Nay he had but for the day yet to believe and to be content it s but an easie burden 1. This Doctrine is foolishnesse to the World which know none other good but the World It s hard to perswade a wordly heart that there is so little good oâ— certainty in the World or that there is a freedom in forsaking it for they think it impossible for they have nought to trust too but that but when man hath another to depend on he lets it go and looks for supplie from him 2. And its little known in the Church We all professe the truth of the Gospel but not learned to suffer with him We like an easie full joyful Religion well to mingle Flesh and Spirit joyn Christ and Mammoâ— together but here is never pure believing Hence many fall from the Gospel others live in daily vexation oâ— securitie having not learned this lesson So that we presume that we do believe and shall stand and yet alace when the Crosse comes it s a question whether we believe or not As Peter 3. So that Christs yoke and Crosse never hurts the Church as in the time of the Martyrs it purified Faith It is a practical divinity it manifests mans weaknesse Gods power and truth which before man thinks not of but now he believes and feels 4. Why then should we fear affliction why do we grieve and mourn and cark and care Thou canst not deliver thy Soul thou frets thy self and God hath set that thus and thus it shall fall out to thee which he will order to the good of all that trust in him Rest then patiently a while and the deliverance shall be glorious Learn of me If you will know the way of rest hearken not to the Flesh pleading for ease nor to the World pleading for wealth nor to your hearts pleading for joy and peace in the World But I will teach you another way which is foolishnesse to the Flesh death for the present but life and freedom for ever So that Man comes to know and walk in the way of life peace as he is taught by Christ and in subjection learns and is guided by him Eph 4.18 But you have not so learned Christ c. he leads unto all truth He is the Prophet of the Church and hath all Wisdom Matth. 5. It hath been said of old but I say unto you c. And in the new covenant they shall all be taught of Christ here none knows the Father but the Son 1. For he only knows the mind of the Father and
iâ— sent into the World to reveal it to man We know not the mind of God but we have the mind of Christ 2. All other handles the Word deceitfully and is nothing but the teaching of the Serpent to draw man from God 3. He hath gone the way himself others have but seen it in a map 1. But there are manie false Teachers and Preachers in the World As Satan preacheth liberty unto sin the World riches and careing and fleshlie pleasures But these are not the Doctrine of the Christ 2. Others will be wise in heavenlie doctrine by fleshlie wisdom and so think by art and learning to compasse it and so transcend above Christ and lyes not low with him 3. Others teach Christ to be a Law-giver and so frame a righteousnesse in seeming obedience but knows not the power of his death and life 1. As the drunkard to wallow in pleasure and live like a beast at the stale didst thou learn this at Christ 2. The wordling carking caring gathering didst thou learn that at Christ who had not his kingdom here 3. The proud vain glorious that looks for respect did Christ teach thee that Who pulls down every high thought 4. The malicious striving contentious man did Christ so Nay the Doctrine of Christ was 1. To pull down man and lay him low and exalt God and the power of his truth 2. To Crosse the World and stablish Faith 3. To kill the Flesh and stablish patience to destroy Lust and stablish Love But we like noâ— this doctrine it gives no liberty to the Flesh hereby all false doctrine is detected For I am meek and lowly in heart so should you be So that Lowelie meek-minded men who are humbled in themselves and daily judge their own unworthinesse shall enjoy most rest unto their Souls Christ reviled not again Mat. 5. Blessed are the meekâ— And a meek and quiet Spirit is much set by He that humbles himself shall be exalted the whole Gospel runâ— on this string 1. For they are fitted to bear all estates 2. Nothing vexeth man but Pride and unquietnesse of his own mind when he looks for this and that and strives cares and frets and no rest 3. He lives by meer mercie having no good thought of himself 1. This is not a softnesse of nature fretting within 2. Nor a Pharisaical hanging down the head like a bul-rush as Isa 6.8 3. Nor a lurking like a dog under a cudgile But a true understanding of himself and his own vilenesse which brings down pride judgeth himself justifie others applyant mind readie to suffer all and passe by them SERMON IV. Luke 2.8 9 10. And there were in the same countrey shepherds abiding in the field and watching their flocks by night And the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone about them and they were sore afraid c. IN the former verses hath been laid down the birth of Christ and the manner thereof According to the prophesies gone of him before Here is laid down the manifestation hereof to the world It was the greatest message that ever was brought into the World and the most unliklie to be believed by the World That a poor infant born of poor Parents so disrespected in the World that they could not be admitted to come into the Inne but born in a stable and laid in a manger wrapped in a few cloaths And this now revealed to the poor shepherds in the fields and by them reported to the men of Bethlem When the Church being then in trouble and bondage looked for some great and glorious Messiah to come with great pompe and power to work deliverance for them and this must be the man raised up by the power of God to be the light of the Gentiles and the glorie of Israel We celebrate this Feast in remembrance of this great Savior and worker of deliverance Like that of Purim in Esther But we consecrate it to Bacchus not to Christ in Rioting and Drunkennesse in Chambring Wantonnesse c. And not in povertie of Spirit and humility with Christ but in pride and fullnesse of the World Our joy is not in communion with Christ in his birth and death but in liberty to the Flesh forgetting of all O if Christ should come as he will come and find us thus One swilling and drinking another carding and dicing another whoring And all under pretence of love to him Would he take it well O no! Christ was born in a time and manner little looked for by the World and yet in a time of great need For the Church was now grown to a low ebb From Ezraâ—s Nehemiahs time after the second Temple and one during the time of the Maccabees They suffered great persecution darknesse as Heb. 11. For now they had no more Prophesies but a very vaiting on the word of Promises Yea now according to Jacobs Prophesie the Scepter was departed from Judah and they Tributaries to the Romans And now was the time though not known to the World not expected yet now the fullnesse of time being come Christ is sent Thus God dealeth in the Kingdom of Christ So that God hath a time reserved in his own purpose for deliverance and redemption of man which he sends not when and how he lastingly expects but only to be waited one by lowly Faith in tâ—e word of Truth which shall come when man in Flesh and sense sees least reason and least expects it When thou brought again the captivity of Jacob or Sion we were as them that dream Hab. 2. The vision is for an appointed time and the prodigal little looked for intertainment 1. For so God deals in all that he may be magnified For to the wicked he comes in judgment when they are eating and drinking and cry peace peace and to believers in mercy when they cry woe and misery bondage and death 2. He hath given a sure Word of the Prophets to be attended on For the time he hath in his own power and that time is worth waiting on in Faith and Patience 3. It is not mans device and work that can haften his time Not going up to Heaven nor down to Hell but abiding in the word of truth being near even in our hearts Thus we would all fain hasten the time As in the Church there was great expectation yea Abraham desired to see this day So we all would know where when and how But the Kingdom of Christ comes not with observâ—tion 1. If we be in miserie we think too long and murmure Thy desire God sees but thy Impatience he likes not He will answer thy desires and longing but he will make thee First willing to bear his Indignation Yea and we no sooner begin to feel the smart of our guilt a little but we think Christ should presentlie come nay but we must pay tribute and be taxed and feel Repentance and the bitternesse thereof and wait in
Faith and then he shal be born unto us But man is loath to sit in darknesse and death yet the Kingdom of God never comes but to repenting hearts Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand 2. As also When we think because of this and that qualitie or diligence or repentance or humilitie he should come Nay he must not be bound by man nor to man by nothing but his own Word and he will thus crosse mans fleshly hopes when thou thinks thy fell the nearest thou art the farthest off and when thou findest thy self the farthest off then thou art the nearest And it is a thing to be noted That Christ came into the World when the Jewes went everie one to his own Citie to be taxed even when they went to acknowledge their bondage and captivitie under the Romans then was Christ born which is also to be observed spiritually viz. When everie man in his own heart lives in bondage fear and captivated by Satan and hath no power to redeem himself but confesseth his thraldom and lyes under it then is Christ born unto the heart for he came to deliver the Captives 4. As also that the Church was now at a great want for the Scepter was departed from Judah and no Prophet was left in Israel as Psal 74. None the guide or teach them nothing left but the word of Promise which seemed to be void and God to have forsaken them And now Christ comes and is born so it is with us And there were Shepherds in the Countrey Here Christs birth is manifested First obscurelie to poor Shepherds and these must carry the tydings of great Joy wherein note that vvonderful humility and lovv estate vvherein Christ appeared to the World though he vvas the great Lord of Heaven and Earth Wherein note Christs vvay viz. That the way of Christ from the first to the last in accomplishing Mans Redemption is in povertie lowlinesse and deep humilitie of Heart far separated from the World and the riches and glory thereof Phil. 2. He was equal with God c. yet took on him the form of a servant Isa 5.3 He hath neither form nor beauty nothing seen why we should desire him he was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and had experience of Infirmities we hid our faces from him and esteemed him not the rich of the world cared not for him The greâ— Doctors and wise of the World despised him he soughâ— not his own glory but the good of all he was still among the poor and halt and blind and beggars and had not whereon to lay his head his message was carried by fishers and ignorant men 1. This was the Wisdom of the Father that the eminence of the Parties nor the wisdom of man should not cause his Gospel to be believed but the Evidence of the Truth according to the ancient Prophesies He will not have the Gospel to be credited because of Man but Man for the Gospel 2. This he doth to keep man lowe that he may see nothing to lift him up in the World but the word of Truth 3. And to shew the difference betwixt his Kingdom and the Kingdom of the World who only seeks high things stands in glorie and outward respects but his in poverty and miserie Though in that low estate God manifested such a glorie and power as the World was not capable of For He was a greater Conquerour than Cesar Pompey or Alexander for they subdued a few Kingdoms and yet slaves to their own vain glory and lusts but he overcame the whole World and Hell too that he cared nor a rash for it and yet but lodged in a manger And this is the way that the mindly low that it rise not after the World but so raised by Faith that it tramples it under foot For as the Heathen man could say He is valiant not only who kills Lyons Bears and wilde beasts but he who overcomes his own passion so in Christ 4. For the daily life of man in himself is repentance or securitie and pride that he so live in himselâ— that Sin and the World is a burden to him Yea that have still that opinion of himself that the World had of Christ yea that as he was counted the greatest sinner of the World by the World that he was ignorant and a deceiver so that man see and feel the sins of all men in himself that he beheld no good in anything but in Christ nor no evil in any thing but in himself This keeps him in the manger and among poor Shepherds 1. How far then are we from Christs birth or way who only seek to be great in the World which all strive at it is not a manger or a stable that will fit them but like Lords of the Earth seek preheminence This poverty of Christ becomes a stone to them whom nothing can please but riches and greatnesse 2. Others who imagine themselves to be born of God because of this and that good quality and still strain at high things thereby to draw near to God But this way they are farther of for all Gods people are born in humility and live lowly and humblie even in the stable that is well pleased with any thing and so advanced by Gods free gift for which they praise him 3. What though we be base and fools in the eyes of the World and that we want the glory thereof it was so with Christ nay it is our freedom if we want it or having it care not for it Now as it was the Fathers will that Christ should be born in a Stable and published by Shepherds so it is his will that thou art poor and despised but he had a care of his Son he will also bring thee through it though with lesse pomp yet with as much ease and at death no difference but only that thou with Christ will willingly part with it and he with much grief and sorrow 4. We hear many say They would have succoured Christ better but thou hatest him in his members What good doest thou to them The Angel of the Lord came upon them He came to reveal this great mystery to shew the truth of all the promises now accomplished none able to do it but an Angel from Heaven viz. an heavenly messenger so that No understanding of the Mystery of Christ or seeing the truth of the Promise accomplished but as it is revealed and freely given from above Man in nature perceives not the things of God 1 Joh. 4. There is an anointing from above that teacheth all things and none can say that Jesus is the Christ but by the Holy Ghost though we think that Jesus is the Christ and Saviour Yet we think but after the flesh but his wonderful Love Truth Power bitternesse of Sufferings Victory over Hell and Death not known by comprehending but revealed to poor and miserable minds from above 1. For the Father hath hid all
wisdom in Christ from the wise of the World and it is to be found in him not in us 2. Christ prayes to the Father to reveal this to them That they may know that thou hast sent me 3 And this was promised of Christ that after his deâ—th he would send a Comforter that should lead them into all truth 1. What a world of conceits have we of Christ and yet know him not because we think we know 1. Some know the Historie of Christ and moved with natural passions by the consideration of his passion 2. Some strive to know the Mysterie of Christ after the flesh 2. We see that all knowledge comes by faith and is revealed from heaven as a man that promiseth to free me being a captive I believe him but I know not that he will till he reveal his will to me 3. Where then is the power of man in the use of this general gift of knowledge to come to know Christ None knows the Son but the Father nor the Father but the Son 4. Wouldest thou know the wonderful Mysterie of Christ Sit in thy own ignorance mourning in blindnesse and wait in the word of Truth till the light shine and thou shalt understand though not the mind of God yet the mind of Christ And they were sore afraid The glory astonished them the message brought fear to humble them so in all so that The proper and kindly operation of the whole Word and Message of the Gospel in the mouth of Christ is to bring man down and the foundation of Christs Kingdom is laid in fear to lay man low that he may be exalted in Christ To deny our selves to become fools and lost as Paul I was alive but when the Law came I was dead all our Righteousnesse as filthy rags the weapons of our warfare are mighty to bring down all the whole Scripture to man as he is man speaks negatively and basely onlie exalts Jesus Christ as the Law-giver in thunder to shake the heart of man the Gospel and the Promise made without any respect of any righteousnesse in man and the povver whereby this becomes effectual is from another and not from our selves Thus was Paul brought to his knees 1. For it ever brings man to fear and weaknesse before it bring faith and preserves fear that he may still rest on Christ for when any Land hath been conquered First they weaken them and bring them into fear and then they yield so doth Christ 2. For the Word opening to man the Book of his own heart as Acts 2. discovers such a miserie guilt and weaknesse that he cryes What should I do And as often as it opens mans mind it discovers such a dungeon so thâ—t hereby he is driven from himself and all boasting is taken away But man stores himself with better qualities and better conceits and starts from himself but if Adams eyes be opened he shall see nothing but nakednesse and the Grosse shall weare out all these fig leaves 3. Everie man is grown proud and wise and high in knowledge against Christ and hath gotten either the Wâ—rld or knovvledge or righteousnesse or something that bears him up therefore it must be a mighty word that must make all these nothing to man perswade him that the world hath no good in it nor no wisdom nor in all creatures no life but in another 1. But vve all pervert this vvord to our destruction when we vvill needs comprehend it but are not comprehended by it vve judge it and are not judged by it and so vve keep off fear for vve are made vvise and righteous according to the form thereof and becomes men of high thoughts but not men of low minds and thereby rejects the simplicity of the Gospel The word known after the flesh and not believed lifts up and hardens more than any thing but the Word believed brings down and layes low in weaknesse and preserves fear makes man nothing that Christ may be exalted but we believe not the thousand part of that we know 2. So that the Word of Truth is a mighty Word it layes all low before it none is able to stand before it but Christ not the holiest Pharisee for this shall judge the World and cast out all the fictions of man and all the pride and glory of the World and shall be a terrible Word to all that believe not when everie tittle thereof shal be verified on man O that we were all stricken with fear and sensible of our weaknesse for as we fear so we believe But man hath gotten so many coverings that he runs from one to another to hide himself from his own heart Some by the Worlds fulnesse but that shall vanish Some by knowledge and righteousness after the Law and bardened therein but these shall not stand no nothing shall remain indeed but Christ and the Gospel Be not afraid So that Christ and the Gospel only belongs to fearful and weak men that first see death and danger and no help in themselves to escape and sigh and cry and pray and see no deliverance Then in time the Angel from God bringing the message of the Gospel frees them that the gates of hell shal not prevail It is not possible that the heart of man should be preferved from fear but by Christ only 1. All the World is not able to free a worldly heart from fear 2. All knowledge leaves the heart fearfull though secure for a time 3. All holinesse and qualities and sacrifice not able to purge the conscience but only the blood of Christ and man fixed thereon And this only shall turn fear unto Faith c. 1. So that the Gospel I fear belongs but to few of us for fear is banished weaknesse is grown strong and gotten up again Sorrow is turned into lightnesse sighing and praying into vaunting and boasting so that we need not say we be afraid But O man look into that dead and rotten heart of thine observe that crooked faithlesse and worldly path and be astonished for the kingdom of Christ was come near thee But seing thou despisest it lo we turn to the Gentiles for fearless and careless estate is fallen upon all and under the cover of Religion without Religion Behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy viz. The accomplishment of the Promise in the birth of Christ therefore seek no shifts to escape turn hither and behold great joy and freedom against all sorrows So that The only ground of all joy freedom to a troubled heart is only Christ made known unto man in the truth of the Gospel Paul rejoyced only in the Crosse of Christ and counted all things else but dung and had no confidence in the Flesh by our rejoycing that I have in Christ Jesus I die daily all other things died unto him and being justified by Christ we rejoyce in tribulation How was the mourning of Mary turned into peace and joy by Christ Isa
themselves and kept all Truth off In the end he leaves them with a sharp nip But wisdom is justified of her Children viz. the Children of the Truth will justifie the Truth though against themselves and though all the world besides should reject it so that The Children of the Truth do in their hearts justifie and bear witnesse and clear the Word of Truth though it be to the condemning of themselves 1. Cor. 14. They fall down and say of a truth Christ is in this man so though the Law Rom. 7. condemned and killed Paul yet he justified it to be good holy just and spiritual but I am carnal So David Psal 51. That thou mayest be justified and clear c. So Abraham justified the promise which prevailed in him more than all reason to the contrary 1. For it leaves that impression in the heart which all the lyes and shapes of Satan cannot wipe out though they may cover and hide Yet this is more powerful in him than all 2. For this discovers the Intents of the heart and strikes the heart down whatever upheld it against which man is not able to stand but as the guilty fellon justifies the sentence of the Judge so he justifies the righteous sentence of the Truth 1. But we see that thousands which professe Christ yet justifieth not his Word Nay we judge the Word and are not judged by it We rule and comprehend the Word and are not comprehended and ruled by it We mince the Law and limite the promise and all to save our own skins because we would not be condemned by the Word 2. Yea such is this wise generation wherein we live that a man will now judge and limit God himself setting a Law to his Decree but he is justified to everie believing heart though reason not able to comprehend it Nay everie man labour to justifie himself rather than God and his Truth and everie thing on which man dependeth as 1. The worldling labours to justifie the world and the wayes thereof in his thoughts 2. Another justifies his own qualities of holinesse and righteousnesse 3. Another his knowledge and fleshly notions for they are the Children of these 4. Another labours to justifie the Truth by Arguments of Reason against others but not by faith against himself as a Malefactor justifieth the Law from his own guilt and not because he comprehendeth it 3. No surer sign of a true man than to justifie the truth for he sets to his seal That GOD is true when man even swears in his own heart to the truth of all the Word as that the Law is just he is guilty the promise is free for he is a sinner when the heart lyes bleeding under the power of the Word though he feel nothing but death in himself 4. But we see how we even deny the Word we professe we confesse that God will have mercy and preserve us and yet flie to the World and something else and that repentance and denying of our selves is the way to Heaven yet hope for it repent not at all The Pharisee desired him to eat with him He ever was to spy some advantage for further justifying of himself so that That under the profession of Love and Religion there lurks in most men base and filthy ends respects whereat they specially aim which poysons all proves their Love and Religion meerly nothing All the Pharisees guilty of this as Saul and Simon Mag us c. 1. For this is to frame Religion to serve our selves and not to serve God 2. This argues an unpurged heart which turns all meat to ill humours 3. Thus Religion is made a way to cover but not to crucifie the World and our fleshly Lusts Self-will 1. And this is plain in experience What is it that man doth in Religion but some base end is more powerful in him to produce it than the simple power of Christs love in him We run after the example of others for credit and approbation rather than out of simple love for our lost minds Others talk of Religion so must we that we may be known Others shew love so must we that we may be approved and nothing is said or done whereat we have not an end of our own We judge the Pharisees and justifie our selves and yet do the same thing 2. Hence we see what a vain and vile thing mans heart is that he meddles with nothing but he marâ—s it that though the thing be good and the word good yet in us it is ill 3 No simple and hearty Religion indeed but when man dwells in the simplicity of his own heart in the simple truth else like a huckster he makes Religion but as a Trade to gain by either from God or man Behold a woman which was a sinner both in the eye of the World and in her sell judged by both and condemned in her self So that None flies to Christ in deed and truth nor finds mercy with him but he that knows and feels himself dayly to be a sinner and through sin is a lost helplesse creature So the Prodigal and Publicane and Paul Rom. 7. O wretched man that I am c. and David Psal 51. 1. Joh. 1 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves 1. For then death and weaknesse wrath judgement lives in man presseth him down and forceth him to cry and to pray 2. For else man lyes covered from himself under some figleafe and so flies the judgement that he may preserve his fleshly life alive c. 3. This preserves humility and keeps down pride and prepares for mercy for to these only doth the Kingdom of God come Now this is not a seeing of this that action amiss but that he see and feel the Original fountain and guilt That though all actions were restrained yet he feels the Power and Inclination and sway of his mind against Gâ—d his Truth that though he be prevented by Gods Power and shall not taste of Judgement through grace yet he sees in himself such a power of corruption misguided passions that he cryes out for mercy daily so is faith daily preserved 1. But all men strive to appear both before God and themselves to be rich none would be found sinners Therefore when we have missed it in one action we mend it in the next that we may appear to be righteous As 1. The pure moral honesty among men though they have no great matters of Religion to boast of yet even that they offer to God as a Sacrifice for their sin 2. But the more devote men they think they have a heart full of good qualities and dispositions and so cloath themselves therewith for their repentance humility faith and love c. They look at as good qualities to cover sin withall but the only quality that Christ loves is when man comes a sinner to him 3. May others indeed have seen themselves
where he onlie lives not She hath much forgiven her and therefore she loves much Here is the cause and effect of Christ forgiving her sins and she loving Christ so that An heart truly troubled and lost in himself and finding remission of sins in and by Christ loves and cleaves to him above all things in the world or himself and all men in and for him Paul esteemed nothing but Christ Phil. 3.7 Mat. 10.37 He that loves Father or mother c. 1. Cor. 16.22 He that loves not Christ let him be Anathema The disciples being stricken with this Doctrine forsook all 1. For there is no life left in any thing to man either in the world or himself but only in him as the Prodigal What is all gold riches to an hungry Stomack in comparison of bread So What is all the World to a lost heart in respect of Christ 2. For nothing is or can be such a burden and death to the heart as sin and guilt and so nothing like freedom life as forgivenesse O how sweet is the voice of a pardon to a condemned man Now we all say that we love Christ But know it is the mighty power of God in the truth of his Word that separates man from himself and all things to Christ alone for while when any thing else gives hope delight joy ease or peace to man Christ is not regarded but in opinion only 1. For there is a loving of Christ after the flesh as the Disciples who could not abide to hear of his departure so we have fleshly cold affections to the notions of Christ but not to be ruled and guided and live by him only but will be quartermasters 2. And there is a love to the ease and peace and comfort by him which we would still have and fit at his right hand or for works sake but to love him and esteem him for poverty want forsaken and persecution c. we like not Like a heartlesse wife that loves and obeyes her husband so long as he pampers hers and keeps her fair and fine But when he falls into poverty forsakes him and takes another as the rich Lawyer and Dives did So that Christ may well say Who hath believed our report or to whom is the power of Christs death effectual Seing all are so knit to the World and our selves that he and his word is not regarded 1. The World we love as Father Mother Ease Fulnesse c. and these darken the heart and gives such a peace to the flesh that we see not the miserie of our Spirits 2. We love our own fancies and thoughts knowledge and qualities and think these will help us and plead for us 3. We love our selves and any thing that may preserve our fleshly Kingdom but the Kingdom of Christ we cast off 1 One rather than want his will another rather than want the World another rather than want ease and life sets Christ aside So that we may say How dwells the love of God in these 2. But see Christ is esteemed and loved of none but miserable and sinful men in themselves who though he kâ—ll them yet they will love him these tread all under foot all righteousnesse for they see none all wisdom the World Ease and Peace and Christ only is life unto them And besides him all things works their bondage yea are wearisome as all men are to a loving wife but her husband 3. Away then with all Religion where love is wanting all talking and working where man doth it to cover his filthinesse with them Christ is a judge and they cannot love him 4. And none loves Christ that loves himself for only such as condemn and judge themselves esteem of him 5. And this appears in love to your neighbour even of mankind our very enemies which appears in parting freely with the World helping the needful forgiving injuries covering infirmities of others suffering willingly else how dwells the love of Christ in us 6. So that it is not love that is the form of Faith but faith begets love love expresseth faith to the World Thy sins are forgiven So that Free forgivenesse of sins in Christ to a troubled heart is life in death and the door and life of all hearty Religion Having forgiven us all our trespasses This was life in the Prodigal and to the Publicane And this Paul acknowledgeth Psal 32. This is our blessednesse 1. For till then the Partition-wall stands and man sits in death in himself or life in the world only 2. This opens the door of the Covenant unto man 3. This is the daily life of man who though he daily sin yet God in Christ freely forgives and this brusts his heart and makes it melt into love 1. But most enter not in at this door but leap over this take for granted what they never felt nor enjoyed 2. Others offer sacrifice to purge sin and cover with righteousness wisdom opinion 3. But O What a life is this to a dead man as a Prisoner condemned yet obtains pardon through the mercy of a Prince And this forgivenesse is the free mercy of God forgiving mans sin for his own Names sake not because they are lesser or fewer nor because we repent now turn nor because we are more righteous or for good qualities Who is this that forgiveth sins Here they begin to judge him again because he forgiveth sin they looked that he should have judged excommunicated her or set her to keep the Law and wrought her own peace No saith he I came to save and not to judge sinners and lost man But this was a Principle that they favoured not so that Unbelieving Strait-hearted Hard-hearted Self-religious Men though in Wisdom Righteousnesse they excell others yet have they least favour or feeling of repentance and forgivenesse wherein the life of all Religion consists They tithe the Mint Annise and Cummin they look to the plucking of the ears of Corn on the Sabbath-day but mercy they are not acquainted with Mic. They offer thousands of rams c. But to walk humbly with their God they know not The first they urge with all vehemency but the latter they never mention 1. For what is in mans power by diligence by his own ends he obtains but what is Gods free gift as this he hath not faith to embrace 2. Do well and have well is the Principle all stick to but resting in Christ when all things are lost is a mystery known to none but he that hath it 1. The worldling hath no life but in the World and knows not what forgivenesse and burden of sin is So 2. The Pharisees know all and do all but forgiveness and faith he savours not therefore judgeth this to be carnal liberty 3. All Sectaries busie themselâ—es about circumstances but this never medled with 4. So we talk and think of Religion and run into many disputs and circumstances and over-leap the foundation viz.
the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus 5. None knows the Power of Religion in deed but he that hath it not in himself as a quality but in Christ by faith 6. All Religion is nothing where the Fountain is shut no matter what we know if we know not Christ from a troubled heart SERMON VI. Luke 8.4 And when much people were gathered together and were come of every Citie he spake by a Parable A sower went out to sowe his seed c. AFter that Christ had cast off the Pharisee in the preceeding Chapter received the Woman whereby he manifested the freenesse of Gods grace without any respect unto man Great multitudes flocked to him out of all Cities and he lets them see by a Parable that all hearers prove not Christians Wherein note 1. The occasion much people met him 2. The Parable it self 3. The Exposition thereof Much people were gathered together Partly by his Miracles partly the power of his word partly for custome but all came and yet after you see fall off So that The voice of the Gospel and the publishing of it gets many friends and followers at the first which afterwards fall off forsake it Joh. 6. When all was gone his disciples began to slink and he said Will you also go away It was great heart burning to the Priests and Elders that the whole world went after Christ yet at the end all forsooke him and he trode the wine-presse alone So Paul had many Children and Churches Gal. 4. You would have plucked out your own eyes but they all forsooke him and turns to the false Apostles thus beginning in the Spirit and ending in the Flesh. 1. For Est natura hominum novitatis avida but when they have tryed it and find not that sweet they expected but that it crosseth their lusts and wordly Kingdom and suits not with their ease and rest they forsake it 2 Many embrace and approve of it for company and moe forsake it for company it may be the example of many will draw one to it but the example of one will draw many from it 3. Though man think that a Nation is born at once yet few truly proves good ground and sticks to the end for he that endures to the end is saved 1. This is too plain in experience What zeal and forwardnesse what diligence and care is now dead and ended in nothing and though once we wanted nothing but Christ yet now have forsaken him in the way of his cross and ease our selves in the world and our own devices So that the life of the Gospel continues but a time for after a while security takes hold of some opinions and heresies of others and the world takes hold of all and so the Lord takes it away and sends it elsewhere 2. To shew the perverse nature of man who is never wearie of the world in the ways of the flesh and yet how soon weary of this He spake by a Parable Not in high and abstruse termes or wittie and unknown Language but in plain parables as of plowing sowing of salt and three pecks of meal of lost sheep of debtors and creditors things well known unto men cast this simple seed amongst them where see the nature of the Gospel So that That it is plain low simple wants nothing but believing hearts to make it known yet not understood of any but such as stand truly in need thereof Many great Doctors were ignorant of these Parables the Parable was plain but the mysteries was hid Many wise men conceive truly of it defended it but only miserable men knew the power of it 1. For Christ came not to set men at disputing about opinions but about themselves to draw them to believe 1. So that divinity stands not in curious searching of hidden things but in plain evidence of truth to pierce the heart 2. And hence we see what good doth all those disputes of high knowledge of contemplative men viz. The greatest Idolaters that ever was in the Church for they frame steps and stairs to ascend to high Mysteries and frame a God at the top and yet ly in pride and base lusts God gives us low and humble hearts then a Parable will fet the Gospel will be precious and if ever God bring us to see the need of Christ one simple word of truth will bring more joy than a thousand witty discourses A sower went forth to sow And this seed is the Word of God which prospers in some better in some worse and Christ therein ranks all men according to that power the word hath in them so that Every man is with God as the word is to him Joh. 15 If you abide in me and my word abide in you c. Saul cast away the Word of the Lord therefore the Lord cast him away and all the complaints against Israel was still because they hearkned not to my Word they disobeyed my Word and all the Plagues that ever came on man even from Adam till now is because our own wills and lusts rules us not his Word we believe not but David lived thereby And this is that frees man thy Word of Truth 1. For God and his Word are one such as his Word is to us such is God in every thing for not one jote of his Word shall fail 2. And all the Word is nothing else but a Declaration of the Fathers will in Christ as the Law that we should have no Saviour but him and the Gospel that he is a perfect Saviour all our sin is but a transgression of this Word by making to our selves in conceit other Saviours than him This is the Word that was given to Adam Abraham c. and this is a mighty Word for by it all things were made and preserved As with man how deadly is the Word of a King in wrath that it hath ever strucken a man with death and so of mercy And the sowing of this seed is nothing else but the faithful Declaration of Gods Will concerning Man and Christ that man may see the deceits of Satan by that Word so be brought to repentance may see the truth of the Word in Christ that the Kingdom of God may come And yet Christ may say Who hath believed our report when we see this seed to perish not regarded but cast off as a fable We believe fear the Word of Man and the Word of a Father prevails with a Son but God calls cries and we regard not He threatens and we fear not He promiseth and we believe not But let the World threaten we fear or promise and we rejoice and so comes man to be of a worldly heart Doth not the Father cast out the Son that regarded not his Word Mark and we shall see that the whole ear is stopt to this Word and he is but a dead hearted man But know that God hath punished more
of the Father 3. So that all Knowledge all Passions with a hard heart are nothing and nothing more hardens than that 4. And all things prosper according to the disposition of the Heart learning c. are the works of man but saith and a broken heart the gift of God only This Word may and doth worke many Passions a light belief in many and yet never partaker of Christ therein as Ezek. 33. They heard and shewed love And Herod did many things for the Knowledge thereof is glorious and the evidence of the Truth convinceth man to make him inexcusable But these are but First Stirring of natural passions Second Or informing Reason more clearly Many such Passions we see stirr'd up and all nothing So that fits passions lights and easements come and go but misery in man and mercy in God remains ever And the life of faith is not any strength or quality in man but a tender heart open ear to hear believe Gods Word live thereby SERMON VII Isai 57.10 Thou hast wearied thy self in the greatnesse of thy way Yet saidest not There is no hope Thou hast found the life of thy hand therefore thou was not grieved IN this Chapter the Prophet first bewails the losse of the Righteous of Israel which was not laid to heart but they presumed still of their own strength without God Then he calls the Rebellious to a reckoning to convince them of their Idolatry and carnal confidence and to see the vanity of their way and their misery and captivity ensuing And all by a Metaphor of Adulterers that have forsaken their Husbands that would have been a safeguard unto them and joyning themselves unto others which would be their downfal As first that they had joyned themselves to another than to him and had made a covenant with them and sed themselves with beastly pleasures in satisfying of their Lusts sometimes covertly behind the door Sometimes lifted up in their conceits as upon a high Mountain Then their carnal confidence in the arm of flesh in going to the King of Assyria and then when he failed to the King of Babylon and so concludes they have sought all wayes of wearinesse and yet returned not to God Wherein he shewes 1. The frowardnesse of Mans Heart and his many devices to nourish his fleshly hope and put evil from his thoughts 2. The ground of all tâ—is vain confidence is because he find the life of his hands for the present therefore not grieved Thou hast wearied or toiled thy self viz. Sought out all devices and wayes to nourish hope even unto wearinesse and yet saw not thy miserie So that All mans toil in the Flesh wherein he wearies himself is only to feed his hope of safetie without God to keep evil from his heart and eyes yet all in vain for evil shall over take him in the end Yea though man daily see the wearinesse and vanitie of his own wayes that they prevaile not to the satisfying of his own lust desire yet he still seeds his hope thinks he shall put the evil from his heart As Israel though they saw they prospered not in their designs by their fleshlie power yet still sought to the arm of Flesh trusted it Pharaoh though God wearied him with his judgements yet he was still hardened against him The Pharisees though they saw they prevailed not against Christ yet ceased not to fight against his Kingdâ—m The Wordling though he toile in wearinesse yet still at a want yet he cannot cast off care but hopes to gain satisfaction And Balack Balaam Isâ— 62. They will nâ—t sâ—t but they shall see For man hath mâ—re confideâ—ce in the World in the Flesh than in God more ground and reason to believe it than God For thought the World have sailed him a thousand times yet still he believes it will help him But if God seem to defer his help a while he runs to his old friend Mammon again as Israel did to Egypt against Aissria contra For man is loath to see any evil towards himself or the down-fall of his Fleshlie Kingdom though it doth fail in his sense and feeling yet he holds it up in his conceits and hopes And so would still have somewhat to look at that he might believe For nothing can destroy the hope of man but God by the power of his Truth and sensible Wrath in mans heart man can shufle and shift off any thing else 1. For if guilt be revealed yet there is hope For he will mend his course falter Moses and so hope for mercie 2. If affliction and crosse come yet he will be more warry and diligent and so prevent or recover it 3. If Death come yet he puts it off as long as he can and saith While there is yet Life there is hope of mends 4. For there is such a sure covenant betwixt the World and mans Fleshlie Heart that if one faill he runs to another and if one conceit hold not he gets another 1. Hic labor hoc opus Thus doth the Wordlie heart of man wear out his dayes in wearinesse and still feeds his vain hopes How hath the youthful mind wearied himself in one vanitie after another that now they are wearinesse to him and if the old man were kept to those youthfull dallyance it would be a burden And yet though there was hope in riches and how hath the rich Worldling fed his hopes with pulling down and building and yet he is too short Nay there is nothing but is wearinesse in all our wayes and yet we follow them as though in the end whe should gain rest So lothe is man to leave the pursuit of his fleshlie hopes so little heart to bear the want thereof That he will trye the utmost of his strength before he yeeld 2. Nay See the wearie passages man hath in Religion and yet will not denie himself he hath gained knowledge wrought righteousnesse changed his course and all to beget a Faith and yet his heart is fearful and distrustful and thinks by a new device or degree to gain it Nay how often hath God confounded thy self-opinions and conceits that thou saw it would not serve the turn and yet hast set a fresh upon a new one 3. Nay how often hath God frustrate the fleshlie conceits of believers and yet they have not learned to trust him 4. Thus the Flesh still deceives for the witt of man shews him many great wayes of thriving all proves wearie great wayes of believing and yet proves vain opinion Man will have hold of something that his hope may be preserved Thus is he still bewitched will not understand the fear of the Lord. 5. But know when thou hast wearied thy self and worn out thy dayes all thy hopes shall die with theâ— and thou shalt see the Truth of that thou wilt not now believe 1. When the World shall passe away from thee or thou from
it 2. Thy friends forsake thee or thou forsake them 3. Thy Knowledge vanish and thy conceits fail thee 4. Death arrost thee and lay all thy counsels in the dust and no hope of returning or staying any longer no hope to escape the punishment of thy guilty soul then there will be no hope indeed 5. This we see what the life of man is nothing but a wearying of himself and â—eeding his hopes which end in confusion and the greater the way is and more likelie the project the more deceived 1 The way of the Pharisâ—es is a great way of holinesse great conceits arise hence but all abominable 2. The way of fleshlie knowledge and high contemplation is a great and seeming way of happiness yet an enemie to the crosse of Christ 3. The way of self-holinesse and good qualities and joyful feelings feed hope that he hopes it will be something so is not brought down to say there is no hope 6. And here we see what an evil rests in the heart of man like a predominant disease overcomes all medicines There is nothing that God doth to him or that he enjoyes but this evil destroyes it both that evil disposition overcomes it and the evil of miserie falls upon him which all his witt and weary toiling cannot avoide 1. If he meddle with the Word there is an evil Infidelitie and Lust that eats it out and yet he saith There is no hope 2. If he pray there is an evil of selfnesse and pride that conceives hope from what he doth 3. If he seek to know and comprehend yet there is an evil stubbornnesse that he will not yield 4. If he get the World there is an evil of guilt and want that destroyes his hope and confidence Nay there is no evil befals man but there is a greater with man which he sees not but covers all he can untill God take him from himself and make him a new man in Christ And yet saidest thou not There is no hope Yet thou blessedst thy self in new aid and not brought to seek help at me So that Till all mans hope in the flesh be destroyed the help 〈◊〉 God in mercy never relieves him As with the Prodigal and those in the Ship Lord save us we perish The hope that David had in his high mountain turned away the face of God and in numbering the People 72. He was past hope in himself that he hoped to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the Living The Pharisees was strong in this 1. For till then man never prayes nor seeks to God in earnest but to the World and to the Arm of Flesh. 2. For this sights against faith more than all and nothing so opposite 3. For this is the proper effect of the truth to destroy the fleshly hopes in mans heart and to root it out that he may seek to another 4. For till then man never denies himself till he be sensible of his real misery and sees and finds no help in the World or himself to avoide it 1. All the poor ease the World hath is to nourish his hope for all the good he hath is nothing but feeding him self with hopes of more good and so long as he can keep this conceit alive in his heart he will not trouble God 1. See the ground of his hopes First One hath the World or thinks to get it and therefore he hopes he shall not want But David hoped because God was his Shepherd 2. Another hath Religion and the World and therefore he hopes he shall do well 3. Another he hath much light and many feelings of joy and he thinks that all will be well but none hopes in God 2. See the endlesse goodnesse of God that in crossing blesseth them and in destroying hope stablisheth them in him self when the restlesse heart is past hope saying I have gotten the World and looked to my wayes but the Rebellion of my heart is that I have no hope Then saith God If thou hast no hope in the World nor in thy Self then hope in Me. SERMON VIII Psal 81.10 11. I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would have none of me THis Psalm is a Psalm of Praise ordained to be sung in the Feast of Tabernacles when from the fifteenth day till the two and twenty they feasted in boothes as Levit. 23. To put them in mind how they dwelt as strangers in Egypt and were thence delivered and after forty years in the Wildernesse where they dwelt in Tents daily to be removed at Gods appointment and they to live by Faith in the Covenant Shewing the life of man that though he dwelt in Tents as Abraham and have no habitation nor succour nor power to defend him yet God helped them in all these straits wherein 1. He exhorts them to praise God with Psalms and Instruments 2. Reckons up the great benefits of God in their deliverance both in Egypt and the Wildernesse where he gave them a Law and everlasting Testament 3. Adding the promise that he will be their God still if they will trust and fear him of which 4. He shews a reason why they should have none other Gods viz. because he is their only God that brought them out of the Land of Egypt and confirms the promise that he will be the same still 5. Then he upbraids them and shewes how notwithstanding all these mercies and truth they forsake and would not hear him 6. And so the righteousnesse of his Judgement in forsaking them with an aggravation of his judgement by remembring what they had lost and might have found I am the Lord thy God Why shouldest thou have any other God I am only He all thy devices have failed but I was alwayes thy refuge none could help when I helped So that When man hath run through all Inventions Lusts yet none but God in Jesus Christ shall be his rest and stay and the heart simply believing acknowledging this is only happy How often doth he urge this in the Prophets I am God alone and beside me there is no other Who can measure the Heavens or gather the Earth into his fist who can tell things to come I only have laid the foundation of the Earth The Prodigal would needs have others yea be a God to himself but was fain to flie hither David Psal 73 confesseth I have none in heaven but thee Thus cryed the People when Elias offered Sacrifice The Lord he is God the Lord he is God Pauls righteousnesse was but drosse none but Christ and him crucified 1. All other things are but deceivable snares of Satan and all our toyl and hopes are but our own sorrows for to this we must and he must either be our best rest and friend or woe to us These may flatter a while but
no faith the flesh Unlesse we be circumcised Christ cannot profit 1. Thus in all unbelieving hearts the Word of Christ is still cast off for first 1 It is foolishnesse to it that a man should forsake the World live by faith follow God with Abraham he knows not whither suffer the losse of my own Will nay of my Wit nay of my Life and all this is a foolish way 2. And it crosseth the heart of man which he will needs have for rather than he will want that he casts off Christ himself with him in Matth. 19. He went away sorrowfull So that mans infidelitie is still nourished by fleshlie Reason and fleshlie Lusts which fight against Faith 2. Thus the World trusts any thing rather than God and his Word For 1. The World saith Hearken unto me and seek me ply it and be diligent I will fill thee with fulnesse and thou shall not want 2. So lust calls Come I will fill thee with mirth and put away sadnesse delight thee with pleasures and yet the heart is sorrowful 3. So Reason I will lead thee the good and safe way behold thy Righteousnesse Wisdom c. What needs thou fear Thesâ— are the promises of God and of his Word 4. Nay saith Christ These will sail but come thou to me and I will ease thee and deliver thee and redeem thee from all bondage 3. Nay We that are traders in this Word yet how is the heart slant from the simplicitie of the Gospel and so gets no good thereby For 1 We gather conclusions from it by strength of Witt and Art We frame it to our conceits It begets strong opinions in us and we frame tricks and self-holie devices all out of it which are but the Froth of our fleshly brains But believing not from a broken heart tender relenting We call opinion believing and so as among men it is too true a complaint That plain dealing is gone So in Religion plain dealing is lost We professe the Word and trade in it and cast it off when we have done 2. Or we confound Law and Gospel because neither hath power in us We set one in the room of the other and make the Gospel effectual by the Law and not the Law fulfilled by the Gospel 3. Or we make the Word subordinate to man and not man to it laying a foundation in our selves of good qualities and building the promises thereon when it is free without condition We judge the Word and are masters of the Scriptures and are not guided governed with it 4. Or we seek a sign or a wonder that may confirm the word to us that we might feel some joy peace that we might know some assurance But he saith I have given thee a sure Word to believe that but in all we cast away God and his Word and hence it is we get so little good by it 5. But happy he that sticks to this God Promise it shall not fail speak the Word and my servant shall be whole What a mighty Faith that believed that Word and was healed 6. But this shall be a heavy VVord one day when the Son stands condemned at the Bar and the Father saith Now thou seest what is become of thy Rebellion I was thy Father and never wanting or did I ever fail thee I promised thou should not want and gave thee my Testimonies I sent my Son a man like thee he brought my Will to thee and my Promise but thou would have none of me but thou would have the VVorld and follow thine own VVill Thou trusted in thy own Power and VVisdom and Righteousnesse and Holinesse Now plead if thou can therefore not I but that VVord which thou hast cast off shall judge thee Then I gave them up to hardnesse VVhen mans heart is turned from the VVord of Truth he usually hardens in some fleshly way So that No greater judgement besals man nor surer sign of Gods destroying VVrath than when God ceaseth to call and worke with man but leaves him to the lust hardnesse of his own heart Thus to the old VVorld I will no longer strive with man Rom. 1. He gave them up to vile affections The Gentiles he suffered them to walk in their own VVayes and Counsels Joh. 17. I pray not for the World These he leaves if man have tasted the good VVord of God c. and fall from that VVord he is left impenitent Thus the VVorld when a man grows hardned that the Father can do no good then he casts him off Two things hardens above all First Fulnesse of the VVorld Secondly Knowledge of the VVord without the power thereof 1. VVhat may we then fear when all our former working hearts are turned into hardned knowledge presumption For First where is our weeping and mourning dayes where is that melting and trembling of heart before the VVord VVhere are those cryes prayers after Christ and his Truth Nay all is turned into secure talking or dead-hearted profession that now it is but a dead Letter God is not with the Word so that we may say as Deut. 5. I have heard all your Words But O! that there were such a heart we fear the plague sword tremble when it approacheth but no judgement like to this when God leaves us to all these and suffers man to walk in his own course to his destruction 2. But well-worth tender hearts whose minds are drawn from the World from all things of himself what ever he feels yea though but death and sorrow yet joy and peace shall come he will soon confound all enemies SERMON IX Exod. 12.21 22 c. Then Moses called all the Elders of the people of Israel and said Chuse you out and take for every house a Lamb and kill the Passeover And take a bunch of Hysop and dip it in the blood that is in the basons and strake the lintel and the two posts of the door with the blood c. VVHen God intended to bring Israel out of Egypt viz. Man out of the bondage of sin and Satan and bondage of corruption He sends Moses Aaron and the Prophets to guide them according to his will according to the promise made to Abraham and now to be accomplished by Moses First He sends him with assured confidence of his assistance 2. He hardens him against Pharaoh ceaseth not to plague Pharaoh till he make him yeild though against his will and so makes way for the deliverance of Israel Israel a figure of the Kingdom of Christ 1. As they lived in Goshen where was light and plenty yet in bondage under Pharaoh So we under the light of the Gospel yet bound in infidelity and lust of the World 1. Because we stick not to the Covenant or because the time is not yet come 2. Though the promise was made to Abraham and stood fast in him yet for the present saw little hope of deliverance so we though the
promises in him are Yea and Amen They all run upon him in Christ through Christ by Christ And this was the Word of the Father VVho was in the bosome of the Father The Light and Life of men He took flesh and dwelt among us and God hath laid help on one that was mighty and as many as believe this Word shall not perish but have life 1. For such is the distrustful and unbelieving heart of man that he hath given all things to draw him to believe His Son in the flesh and fleshlie Sacrifices and signes that man may see the accomplishment of the Word before his face 2. For the whole Word of God is nothing else but a declaration of Gods purpose touching his pleasure towards man and that Salvation which he determined in Christ only declared to man that he may believe And therefore hath given him the Word Christ Sacrifices and manie wonderful miracles and great works on Pharaoh and all enemies that they may wait on that Word and stick thereto 3. And thus Christ himself dealt with his Disciples saying You are all sory to hear that I must leave you And believe not that I shall rise from the dead your heartâ— will be shaken this night but I shall die and rise again and that I will be present with you by the Holy Ghost whom I will send and abide with you Take and eat this in rememberance of me that so you may not flie to any other help nor be discouraged with any temptation in the VVorld For I will be with you and not forsake you Therefore when ye meet together eat this Passeover and feast and make merrie in me For though I will judge the VVorld by my VVord yet I will passeover you that believe my word and in my Name 1. But woe to the World because of unbelief God hath promised and that Word shall be performed in Christ to all believers This he hath Sealed by manie signs and yet we believe any thing rather The VVorld promiseth and sheweth lying signes and we believe Satan promiseth and sheweth lying wonders and we believe But God hath given his Son and we believe not This is the condemnation that light is come into the VVorld c. He hath given signes and yet we believe not he hath passed over others and saved us from great dangers and still we believe any thing before him 2. Yea and of all things men are least led hither any thing but Christ VVe get knowledge by the VVord and depend thereon and proud thereof it lifts us up but brings us not down to seek hither Nay by this word we will needs comprehend God and his Power without Christ when all power was given to him Yea of all other the Righteous Religious man could not abide him nor walk in his ways as Scribes Pharisees So we become righteous and will live thereby VVe run into a thousand opinions and devices and inventions but Christ despised of all VVe provide Lambs and feed on them but not on Christ And yet we see Gods way was alwayes a low way He a silly Lamb and now ordinarie food of Bread VVine that hereby he might reveal the great Mystery They are poor and common that he may crosse Mans curious devices and that the flesh may see no beauty in them but in him onlie 1. There is outward Elements set before the common senses of man 2. The Word to inform the understanding 3. And Christ and his Spirit to feed the heart and spirit of man that he may believe 4. So that all the Word and Sacrifices are nothing without Faith as in Heb. 4. This leads past all figures Yea when nothing appears but Death this finds Life This gives a place in the heart of man for eating of the Lamb Bread and Wine a silly thing where the heart is not led further It is not knowing talking or doing the thing but believing that Word and resting thereon Now the use and manner of the Sacrifice lets us see the life thereof the sprinkling of tâ—e blood the death of Christ that iâ— his death is accomplished our Redemption The Lamb without spot him who was innocent doing good loving all hurting to none in whom dwelt all righteousnesse and yet he must dye that we may live In this death is the assurance that by suffering comâ—â— life when this Blood is sprinkled on the heart of Man that the eyes of man be still here in all wants straits to wait in Faith here to receive life As also by death and suffering the losse of all things in patience we arâ— through faith made Victors over all The sprinkling oâ— the Blood was a sign to Israel of safetie and of theiâ— deliverance to come So to us This Sacrifice is given to draw our eyes from all other things to Christ only SERMON X. Isa 28.14.15 c. Hear the Word of the Lord ye scornfâ—â— men that rule my people which are in Jerusalem because ye have said We have made a Covenant witâ— Death c. IN this Chapter is laid down the woes denounceâ— against Israel for their hardned securitie and contempt of the Promise of God in the Messiah where unto through fulnesse they were fallen For fulnesâ— begot Pride and that made them even drunk as with wine and so carelesse and secure 1. He pronounceth the woe and then shews their present estate 1. Under pretence of their priviledges they were lifted up in Pride 2. Besotted with VVorld and sensual pleasures as men drunk with wine and hardned in all Two things made them proud 1. Their priviledges of being Gods people 2. The fulnesse of the VVorld and long peace this defection was grown general 1. The People they were lifted up with a singular conceit 2. The Priests and Prophets were grown drunk and bâ—sotted 3. Their Princes were high minded and scorners And so at last in these VVords he proceeds to judgement against Israel shewing what shall befall them â—nd so Prophesies of the Captivity following In which â—e declares formally as in all Courts of justice for the defence of the King his Crown and Dignity For â—herein the cryme being notorious in the Countrey â—nd appearing so before the inferiour Officer they are â—eferred to the judge specially sent by the King before whom they are to receive their final tryal and judgement according to desert VVhere 1. They are called â—o the Bar then the Judgement preferred and sound witnesses produced so judgement and execution So â—oth God here He calls them to the Bar by their names scornful men that rule Israel He prefixes the â—nditement against them because they had cast off the VVord of the Lord by carnal confidence and securitie â—nd so were hardened against God VVhich confidence â—ppeared in three particulars wherein they promise saâ—ety though God had threatned the contrary 1. From Death 2. From guilt and Hell 3 From the Crosse toâ—ether with the ground thereof vanity and falshood
the power of darknesse and death and subdue thine enemies under thy feet and then shall death the last enemie be destroyed that God may be all in all 4. Only in this time take heed of hardning in securitie â—nd blind presumption SERMON XIII Heb. 2 24. Forasmuch as the Children were partakers of Flesh and Blood he also took part with them that he might through death destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil IN the former Chapter he had declared the great and divine power of Christ who was far above all Angels and Power In this he shews that now Christ â—â—eing made the Prophet and High Priest of mans Salvation it became him to be a man like us both to teach and suffer for us which he proves by divers testimonies of the Prophets as I will declare thy name unto my Brethren and Isa 8.18 Behold I and the Children which God hath given me So that he was made even ouâ— brother In these verses he concludes and explaitâ— what he hath said before as if he should say Forasmuch as those Children which thou hast given me were but Fleâ—â— and Blood and not able to free themselves but through the same Flesh and Blood were under the Power of thâ— Devil and by him kept in bondage under the feard death He took flesh and blood on him also becamâ— a weak man that thus he might by death free his Children from that bondage these words declare two thing 1. What man is in himself viz. Weak under the poweâ— of the devil thereby kept in bondage fear of deatâ— 2. What Christ hath done for weak man viz. Takâ— part with us by his death destroyed Satan freed 〈◊〉 Forasmuch as the Children viz. of Adam or rather oâ— the Elect Were partakers of flesh and blood Weaknesse want miserie and death for through the flesh we aâ— subject to all those so that this is our portion the lâ—â— of Spirit is gone our Spirit dead foâ— want of thâ— life of God so also for life and salvation able to do nothing but depend on another So that All men even the Elect of God and faithful have nothing properly their own but flesh and blood viz Weaknesse Want and Miserie till they are supplied bâ— Christ and his fulnesse Gen. 6. His thoughts and imagâ—nations are evil Psal 8. What is man He is a thing 〈◊〉 nought lesse than nothing and lighter than vanitie lowâ— than the Angels and yet he found no stedfasteneâ—â— in them Paul though full of the gifts of God 〈◊〉 the least of all Saints in me dwells no good thing not abâ— to think one good thought Do our holy high thoughteâ— men judge so of themselves Egypt but a Reed anâ— the strength of Pharaoh but a broken staffe and what 〈◊〉 our Riches but as grasse our Wisdom foolishnesse 〈◊〉 Powers not able to make white or black our Righteousnâ— as a filthy Rag our Sacrifice as the cutting off a Dogâ— neck nay all but grasse and as the flower of the field 1. This is plain in experience Doth not the weak heart of man flie any whither for succour though it finds none bowes to the World creaves help of the arm of flesh flie any whither for to hide himself would do any thing for to free himself from the fear of his own heart danted with everie noise dead with any losse can do no good not suffer any evil and yet this silly creature sits in his own conceit as a God a Lucifer Queen that shall see no evil 2. Whence then are all those high thoughts of judging others and justifying our selves seeking honour each of other but because we see not our own weaknesse and bondage Nay if our eye were returned inward we should have no boasting if we saw but the spring of Lust and Pride and how unable we are to resist the least temptation or stand in the least affliction how good soever God be to us yet in our selves but flesh and blood his gifts shews his goodnesse and they are in him not in man enjoyed from him not from our own fountain All high thoughts then are from the devil for all is but flesh and blood Thy high Turrets and great Babels and fair inheritance must come to nought when thy Soul shall be taken and it may be thou shalt see it This great portion gathered and daily increased wherein thou boastest thy self must all be scattered and â—hou not know what shall become of it thy deep wisdom shall fail thee it is but fleshly not able to see into the way of life to prevent or deliver thee from death Thy counsels must perish thy righteousnesse is but a â—ag shall vanish nothing continue Nay what ever thou doest thou mars it if Christ be not there If thou pray or â—alk all is nothing but fleshly only to stablish a fleshly kingdom peace to thy self Nay bring out thy best qualitie it is but fleshly such as the Heathens have as well as thou if Christ be not there else we needed no Christ but our Spirits being lost he came to breath a new life therein to by his power Object But God giveth gifts to men Answ True but if he be not with those gifts man marrs them Where then is the power of good motions or free-will c. To know believe love repent c. Not in us but in Christ And yet this makes not man secure Doth the beggers poverty make him cease begging or the lame man to lye still and not cry for help Nay the feeling of this keeps repentance and prayer a foot in the Church and so had we need of mercie everie day and to pray night and day That when this grasse withers c. Yet that the Word of God may abide in our hearts for ever Magnifie Gods mercie that unto us so poor and weak that can do nothing vouchsafes his help and grace 3. So that all Religion is not any thing we can do to God we are not fitted no What can we add to him but to receive still from him both Faith and Righteousnesse and all for having none he is made all these to us that so we may daily cry Lord increase our Faith help our unbelief 4. But Religion never throve since flesh and blood even mans fleshly wisdom and conceited power and righteousnesse of man got pearckt up in Christs room in the heart of man nor will it thrive in any till this be laid in the dust again and that we begin at the verie earth to abhore our selves in dust and ashes He took part with them That is was made man partaker of all wants and infirmities of man and yeâ— himself conquered being tempted and helps all that are tempted So that Jesus Christ that living Saviour of man is partaker and fellow-seeler of all mans weaknesse infirmities that he suffers and lovingly helps and frees man where all help fails Isa 50.11 Isa 63. In all
left but naked Christ a poor despised man Let the Worlding know that there wil come a scattering night where thou and thy guilty portion must part horror possesse thy mind which all thy Wealth will not quiet Yea thy Father and Mother Childern c. will be found too light in that day Yea thy joy in thy Works and Knowledge Then will he say Bring out thy Righteousnesse and all thy qualities of holinesse thy joy and comfort thy Manna laid up nothing then will serve but praying to escape that hour yet shall not but believing that his grace is sufficient But we drink down sorrow like beasts or we hide as under the World or we make an aggreement and put it off We call for Mountains and high devotions to cover us but all this would not free Job nor preserve Jeremiah but down they must So the time will come that God will either by his Word and affliction try us as by fire and then shall we curse the day of our Birth or else try us at Judgement and say What have I done unto thee Wherein have I failed thee what hast thou wanted I warned thee of this night and told thee of this time but thou would not believe thy Blood be upon thine own head But I have prayed for thee How shall man do in this day of Wrath yet here is a friend at back Christ praying as to the men in the Ship and he gone into a mountain to pray So here he knew the sorrows of his people as a Man of sorrows and so prayed for them So that here we see the brotherly care of Christ So that That in great Dangers and Weaknesse of man Christ doth and is readiest to help What care had he of his Disciples and how earnestly prayed he for them Isa 63. In all their afflictions he was afflicted he leaves the ninetie and nine in the Wildernesse and seeks the lost sheep Heb. 6. VVe have a faithful High Priest touched with our Infirmities Like a loving brother if his brother be overlaid he pitieth his weaknesse and helps him if he be beat he stands by and cryes if he want he gives him half Or as the husband helps his Wife runs rides to do her good For though he was the Word of the Father yet he became a High Priest and fellow-feele of our infirmities he was given as a Testimony and witnesse to the People and the first begotten of many 1. What then are those high mystical Speculations and Comprehensions of Christ making him so high like speculative Angels This is but an airy Christ but our Christ is low and among us suffering watching praying with us and for us He comes not for these high thoughts but for pure and contrite spirits 2. What a hearting is this in trouble to endure when Christ like a husband is present in well and in woe We think our case miserable we bear the burden of sin lo he was forsaken and sick he swate water and blood he bears our weaknesse but who feel it he pities our tears but who sheds them he hears our cryes but who makes them So that all high thoughted Religion is not of Christ but of the Devil He came to bring down high mountains and Imaginations We see then that praying believers have a Friend at back praying when we are suffering Friends may sail and Riches may vanish and life taken away but he endures yesterday to day and the same for ever If then we are weak miserable Christ is never wanting That thy Faith fail not And then let him do his worst while thou sticks to me and goes with me through death and hell So that The only way of safety in all straits is a praying and believing heart and while these continue nothing can prevail Psalm 107. They cried in their distresse and he heard them we are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 6 8. When stedfast resist in the Faith Psalm 9. They that know thy Name trust in thâ—e 1. For them their cause is wholly committed to God and to his Mercy 2. These are the weapons that overcomes by suffering 3. These overcome the World and crucifie the flesh which only worke our bayne 1. But our mouths are stopped and hearts straitned We live by conceits only we are full and pray not Want makes man pray and weaknesse him believe And so Satan never overcomes none but wise strong men these Christ rejects 2. But the time may come when we shall cry and not be heard whatever stops straitens and hinders prayer is a snare But O Praying dayes are gone But Lord increase Faith in all our hearts When thou art converted strengthen thy â—rethren This is the monition that Christ left and thou must go through much fear and have experience of sorrows yet faith shall overcome though Infidelity seem to overcome yet shall faith discover it and then by renewing Repentance Faith shall restore thee So that note That the faith and comfort of a man being over-clouded and covered is renewed by daily Repentance as in David and Peter and the Incestuous man 1. For as Christs Kingdom comes only to repenting hearts at the first and as Sin in the World by accident brought Christ into the World So sense of sin in mans heart brings Christ thither 2. Here is way made in mans heart for mercy and joy in Christ the heart driven to seek him in earnest 3. Though man build hay and stuble on this foundation yet God will destroy them by Fire the Crosse and bring back Israel with joy that went out weeping 1. But herein it is that our Faith is turned to a dead and fleshly security because repenting dayes are gone we did repent and felt the bitternesse of sin but it is all removed and joy and freedom is come thou become secure so that thus turns the eye from our selves and Christ too and so repentance is hid from our hearts Is sin lesse odious to God than before or doth he more tollerate it in thee than others Art thou not more guilty having felt his love to turn from him Is not thy Pride and Self-Will and Love thy security and high thoughts as odious to him and as great rebellion in thee as was the wanton sins in the days of thy Ignorance Hast not thou as much need of his grace and power to preserve thee as ever thou had to receive them Shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under grace Nay as hard shall thou be sifted but I will bring thee back by deep Repentance and thy Faith shall revive though for the present it fail 2. So that Faith is not preserved but by deep daily humilitie and repentance As Saint Paul though he was partaker of great gifts and more experience of Gods love and power than thousands yet hereby was it preserved He stil rejoyced in infirmities when he was weak
then he was strong Great Knowledge devote Holinesse and high Thoughts chooke Faith only humilitie preserveth it The one lives by opinion as light as wind but the other by Faith and mercie he feels nothing but weaknesse and guilt 3. Well-worth weak and repenting hearts that weep with Peter We deny him often but repent seldom What ever knowledge or other thing they have yet if this be kept lively Faith shall not fail though it be seemingly lost and he turned his back and he sees no way to peace Yet wait a while and light will spring out of darknesse and well-worth Crosse that preserves Repentance in man when he sees his own beastly guilt how he hath forsaken God and run from him and sees how all fails then he returns So it is hard to preserve Faith lively in prosperitie It is a great point of simplicitie to enjoy all gifts and yet look at none We see then whereby man is preserved in all straits viz a praying and believing heart all else vanish 4. But praying dayes are gone We have wept but now rejoyce We were weak but now strong in our selves Strengthen thy Brethren Pitie not me nor weep for me but weep for thy self and pitie thy Brâ—thren So that As the life of Faith is in Christ only see the practice of Faith is in love to the Brethren David Psal 16. My goodness is nothing unto thee but to the Saints that are in the Earth Thus all rules of practice after Faith that are stablished by Paul are such like as help the weak admonish the un-ruly c. and Christ left this his last Law Love one another and Faith works by love This was Christs practice all his dayes in doing good this is a free disposition of a Redeemed Spirit the flesh seeks its own but love doth not 1. Thus is the Fathers Love spread abroad and the Truth of the Gospel and the Church increased and herein is the Communion of Saints 1. But we all walk in the thearick knowledge of Faith and Christ and nourish our thoughts therein but we foresake the practice of Faith for self-Love and Pride hath drowned all hearty Religion Do we help the poor and relieve them nay we spoil them do we bear with the Weak nay we judge them do we cover the sins of others nay we spread them Do we love our Enemies nay We hate them 2. I wish we had lesse Knowledge so we had more Faith and Love Is it not a shame to see how Drunkards are linkt together and every Sect as one man yet we that professe to believe in Christ lead everie man to his own gain So we thrive we care not who losse who grieves and bears the burden of others I will go with thee though all forsake thee Pride of heart and over-weaning conceit of our own power because of some singular gift above others is the readie way to fall before all so it s in the Jews Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar Lucifer So that There is a presumptuous and proud carlesse confidence from the arm of flesh which goes under the name of Faith and lifts man up in securitie a while but will fail in the end Thus David Psal 30. And his numbering the people SERMON XV. Dan. 3.16.19 Then Shedrach Meshach and Abednegâ— answered and said to the King O Nebuchadnezzar we are not careful to answer thee in this matter IN the former Chapter Daniel had interpreted the Kings Dream concerning the Image of Gold Silver Brasse Iron and Clay and the destruction of several Monarchies by the Stone hewed out of the Mountain without hands that is to say The power of Christ whose Kingdom should overcome all the rest and be everlasting never to be destroyed by which the King was convinced to acknowledge the great Power and Wisdom of the God of Daniel and sell into admiration but understood not the Mysterie of Christ therein nor the downfal of his Kingdom therefore presently returns to his old Idolatrie So that The Word of God from God and the great work of his power doth for the present put man to silence and convinceth him yet where the heart remains hardened and that the mysterie of Christ is hid from man he soon returns to his old vanitie and Idolatrie of his own heart Thus they are often convinced by the great Works of God Psal 16. Yet forgot how they were brought out of Egypt and walked not in the Covenant but returned tâ— their Lusts And the Pharisees in Christs time often put to silence but soon grew wise again to maintain there own Kingdom Yea how manie of his followers who saw his greaâ— Workes and confessed never man spake like him or did the like spake with such power and assurance and yet forsooke him see the stony ground and those of Judea 1. For ease and peace and prosperitie being offered and a man lothe to live without them they choak the VVord 2. The Knowledge of the Gospel without the power of Christ and his death hardens above all none such enemies to the simplicitie thereof 3. For if the Truth and Power of God be revealed yet if God keep not the Promise of Repentance by the Crosse so bring man under the power of that Word he soon starts up and becomes Wise and Righteous in himself not in Christ in the flesh not in Faith 4. Though for the present it dash man and convince him that he confesseth and sweareth that it is the truth yet when it both crosseth his present ease and libertie brings no life but death for the present he grows wearie unlesse the great power and love of God pursue his Soul by his Word and Crosse Hence comes so much back-sliding in the church that men admire the great Power of God yet not living in Repentance under the Crosse Every thing starts up and so they turn to the old way or a new device of their own but do not believe the down-fal of their Kingdom for the present For most men when they have talked and shewed abroad their Wisdom Righteousnesse and increased their Glorie they are the old men again The World is welcome and sweet Sin as light themselves at ease secure as they had never known such a thing 1. And yet they know their ease and securitie ariseth not out of simple confidence of Faith but hardnesse of heart and clothed under a vail of Religion 2. So it is a fearful thing to grow hardened after truth revealed that man joyn hands with the World that sin become lesse sinful in conceit This is a meer securitie and not Faith for if a man flie off and that the Word cease to judge man arraigned at Gods judgement seat For Christ hath two judgements in mans heart viz Judgement and Mercie so it is said Man must give an account of what he hath done Yea of every â—dle Word which is true in mans heart for they are judged and man tormented untill he apply to
then we denie him and limit him by that we see or feel and hence we denie him in our hearts I shall never get out of this Miserie I cannot tell what course to take I see no help I have no friends the enemies is full of Wrath and Power I cannot escape his hand Did he not put a Bridle in the Lips and a Hook in the Nose of Senacherib slaying a thousand and fifteen hundred in one night Hath he not Promised to give thee a Mouth and Wisdom therefore thogh thou canst not tell what to do commit all to him and see what he can do As we do in any trouble when we are weary with striving we give our matters to another to make what end he will and we are content So do with him as Job laying his hand on his mouth and see what an End God made Obj. Yes I know God is able but yet I know not that he will Answ In this nothing but subjection brings peace for it is not our curious searching that finds it We all lost to know and see rather than to be subject to his Will in patience We would all know the time when by what means we would have it now and by Fire from Heaven He hath promised and is able to supplie our wants but we would know and feel it and have it in abundance Thus Man would be a chief Lord in the Church and leave nothing for Christ to do he would have all things in his own hands and yet for ought I know when man hath most he believes God the least and when he hath most confidence in himself he hath least in God But these argued not with God nor tempted him but cast all upon him he is able and if he will he can and if not his will be done Thus man in strength of his own will fights against God daily we pray Thy will be done but we never think of it but rather that our wills might be accomplished that His will might be the fulfilling of our lusts rather than suffering want to believe Him We professe that he will turn all to the good of His we believe not truth for else how comes this murmuring in want but we think nothing can turn good but that wherein we find present good We would know and feel all but believe and suffer nothing And he will deliver us They stick to the Promise are delivered So that Faith and sticking to the Word of Promise gives assurance frees man when all else fails Be it known However He do yet we will not forsake Him So that The believing heart willingly suffers all miserie rather than forsake God or trust any but Christ As Paul For I am not only readie to be bound but to suffer all things Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury When he saw his power contemned his will crossed his glory thus opposed by these and of another which he saw not nor believed his rage was kindled and he grew mad and commanded the furnace to be made seven times hotter than before So that The way of Faith doth most cross the power wisdom of the world of any thing and therefore doth the World cast it off and grows furious and mad against it John preached Repentance and they cast him into prison because he told them that their high mountains must be cast down and that in that way they could not be saved Christ preached faith to the convincing of the world that they should believe and they look at nothing but Him And they hated the light because their deeds were evil Therefore were they mad against Him Paul preached Salvation by Christ and overthrew circumcision and they stoned Him And so the elder brother the prodigal Luther preached free justification by faith without the righteousnesse of man and the whole army of Antichrist was up in arms against him So these stick to God and the King is furious 1. For this leaves nothing for the heart to fix upon but Christ a thing unknown to flesh and blood If man would fasten on the world and rest there Christ shews it is a vain and a broken staff that a mans life stands not in that for moths corrupt it and as the rich man builded his barnes this night will they fetch away thy soul So that the worlding hates it in his heart 2. If man will fasten on his righteousnesse knowledge opinion or any qualitie Christs beats it down Paul makes it worse than nothing and leavs all under sin And so the wise and righteous men are alwayes the greatest enemies to Christ for they think much that all that which they have gotten with such labor cost should serve for nothing For man would have a life out of all things but flees death in all things 3. Nay if man think to store up joy and peace ease by believing and so make his mountain strong by his revelations gifts and great joyes Yet then Christ also comes with darknesse and sufferings and seems to forsake these men and this makes the stonny ground to fall off and these for a time rejoiced in his light but forsakes him after So that Christ may well say Who hath believed our report for of all other things this is least welcome to man Nay all hearts rise against it but he that is down already The Worlding is tyed in his lust and worldly confidence and his ears stopped and his heart riseth against it for he would sit at ease and enjoy his portion So also the righteous and religious man that excelleth others and professeth Christ yet lives by circumcision He storms and argues and disputs against it and gets strong conceits and opinions to joyn the world and ease and Christ together and none embraceth it but the poor and miserable heart SERMON XVI Jeremiah 48.34 56 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel to thee O Baruch thou didst say Woe is me now for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow I faint in my sighing and I find no rest Thus shalt thou say unto him The Lord saith thus That which I have builded I will break down that which I have planted I will pluck up even this whole land THese are the words of the Lord to Baruch by Jeremiah to comfort him in the heavinesse of his soul because of the present persecution of the King and people of Judea against the word of the Lord and the Book which he had written from Jeremiah As also for the ensuing captivitie which he saw He expected peace and ease when he had read the book to them but for that they persecuted both Jeremiah and him He looked they would have repented but they are more hardened and he hath lesse hopes than before Upon which 1. The Lord comforts him by the Prophet wherein Baruchs sorrow and grief is renewed and multiplied and he left without any hope of ease or rest 2. The Lord comforts him in his heavinesse
live in the misery of our own spirits we live then in pleasure or hopes of the flesh But we are all as unclean things He confesseth what man is without God viz. That man separated from God and not guided by Him is but vilenesse and vanitie a lump of filthinesse and good for nothing till he be restored by meer mercy and made subject to God and live in Christ Psal 6 What is man that thou art mindful of him In us dwells no good thing man is a thing of nought Rom. 3. Their throat is an open sepulchre c. no stedfastnesse in the Angels and who can say My heart is clean So David Psal 5. Daniel 9. confesse what man is 1. For God is the life soul and beeing of all creatures and none lives but by Him none but men and devils but are subject to him and obey his will only man hath a will of his own which he would have to reign as God 2. This is the common eye of the world what malice danchour not the like amongst brute creatures even minds to devour one another wrong murder covetousnesse pride lusts and all evil is committed amongst men but all flowing out of this pit 3. Nay the experience of every heart understanding it self sees it dost thou not find in thy self a heart stuffed with pride vain glory lust filthy desires that if the world did but know them thou wart ashamed for ever 4. And that which makes him worst of all this beggar will needs fit on horse-back and boast proclaim himself to be some body 1. But if mans eye were turned homeward we should have no boasting where thou may see in thy self the sins of all men in the world Pharaohs hardnesse Cains murder Sauls doubling Judas treason the fooles worlding for we do the will and lust of the devil 2. So that all thy good thoughts of thy self are from the devil the father of lies nay when ever thou medles with any thing that is good if it be not God that workes in thee thou mâ—rrs it Thou talks of Religion from a proud heart and makes Religion to stink thou prayes out of a rotten heart out of self-love for ease and it is abominable c. 3. O that man saw the filthinesse of his own heart VVhat a hase thing he is It would both bring dowâ— his high thoughts of himself and make him charitable to others 1. Whence then is all this exalting of our selves above others as thinking we have some excellent gifts above others is it not because we know not our selves 2. Whence is this seeking of glory one of another but because we know not our vilenesse we are lothe to see any ill in our selves and thence so many excuses 3. Whence is this judging and censuring of others but because we think well of our selves Object But God hath given excellent gifts to men as Knowledge Wit Joy Comfort Faith and Love c. Answ This declares the goodnesse of God not of man this rests in God not in man this makes not man better in himself but shewes that God is better to him for when man chokes himself with conceits of Gods gifts as his own he becomes proud True it is God restraine and orders man for good of others but if he take good to himself he is deceived 4. Where then are all these good qualities that man brags of True it is for matters pollitical God hath given gifts and fitnesse to man but for the Kingdom of Christ there is no power no fitnesse all power is in Him both in heaven and earth For as in a Kingdom there is no power no will but in the King so in this so that we greatly err in our conceits We think Faith is a vertue and qualitie and power in man but it is indeed the weakness of man trusting in another when the weak dead and beggerly heart of man flies to and lives in another so that there is no goodnesse in man but sight of vilenesse c. 5. O! how much need we then to stand in need oâ— mercie who are vile filthy and rebellious 6. And magnifie we Gods mercie and love that on us so vile and wretched hath shewed mercie and still keeps and preserves us And all our righteousnesse is as filthy rags 1. Here he shews what man is naturally in the general nature of man and here he shews what he is in his better reformed qualities of Righteousnesse and Holinesse wherein he labours to bring down the high conceits of the Jews Who accounted themselves the onlie Holie and Religious People and that therefore God would carrie them into Captivitie But he tells them that even all their righteousnesse that they boast off in respect of God is nothing but filthinesse and vanitie and so the Righteousnesse and Holinesse of the most perfect man whereby he labours to root out of man two things 1. The conceits of all Righteousnesse in himself and so pride and boasting that man may know himself 2. All Righteousness before God but 1. For first he doth not draw man from Righteousnesse but from the opinion of Righteousnesse 2. He speaks not of Righteousnesse towards man but towards God So that Mans best Righteousnesse and perfection of Holinesse with God and before him as also all mans conceits of Gods love and blessing in respect thereof is nothing but filthinesse and iniquitie not able to uphold â—is heart or preserve his peace in fyrie tryals No ' stedfastnesse in Angels Paul counted all losse drosse Psal 16. My goodnesse extends not unto thee when we have done all that we can we are unprofitable servants Isa 66. Their righteousnesse is like the cutting off a dogs neck where there was not a humble and contrite Spirit 1. For the whole depraved nature of man is a like lust in all and the restoring of Righteousnesse is as man is and abides in Christ not as he is partaker of new qualities in himself for Christ is the bringer in of everlasting Righteousnesse and the King of Righteousnesse 1. For the whole depraved nature of man is a like lust in all and the restoring of Righteousnesse is as man is and abides in Christ not as he is partaker of new qualities in himself for Christ is the bringer in of everlasting Righteousnesse and the King of Righteousnesse 2. This doctrine stablisheth and preserveth Faith in the Church and heart of man but mans righteousnesse destroyeth Faith but Faith establisheth the Righteousnesse of God and it is called the Righteousnesse of God and infinite Righteousnesse which swallows up all sin in a moment so that Righteousnesse is preserved by Faith 3. Faith by Righteousnesse a Christian is not righteous formaliter according to his substance or quality but cretum praediuntum ad aliquam In respect of the divine grace and free remission of sin Psal 32. Blessâ—d is he whose unrighteousnesse is forgiven and not who is made habitually righteous 4. Mans righteousnesse is
never hurts man but this perverts the mind 3 Nay this makes a man a slave to Satan lusts and to worldlie vanitie which he secures all his life and then dies and they forsake him Now this iniquitie above all was their Infidelitie and pride denying God and Christ 1. Thus are we all in miserie and bondage and sees it not nay account this our happinesse and rejoyce â—herein We feel want of the World riches honour but of the Word of Truth no want at all but that wherein we most delight shall be our overthrow 2. Thus hath he dealt with our Land Nation it hath swept away whole Families Towns yet we â—egard it not For it is this that sets all plagues on fire 3. We cry out under plague death O when will â—his ill weather cease But when wilt thou leave sinâ—ing against God SERMON XVIII â—sa 65 2 3.4 I was sought of them that asked not after me I was found of them that sought me not and I said Behold me Behold me to a Nation that called not upâ—n my Name IN this Chapter is laid down the calling of the Gentiles and the rejection of the Jewes the freenesse of Gods mercy to the one and the righteousnesse of his judgements to the other Shewing the constant dealing of God in his Church calling in by the Word of Truth such as have been aliens and enemies thereto casting off such as have enjoyed it yet walks stubbornly in pride after their own wayes The Jewes were a people particularly chosen to God by a special Covenant and preserved by his power according to his promise But the Gentiles were Heathen aliens and Idolaters who walked every one after his own way that had nothing to do with the Covenant and special blessing Not that they were restrained from enjoying happinesse but that none should be blessed but that cleaveth to the God of Israel and became a Jew These were turned from their own wayes to Gods others fell from God to their own for they retained his Word and way before them yet did cleave to their own wits and wills and thereby would accomplish his righteousnesse The Gentiles enquired not after nor sought God till he sent his servants with the Word of Truth to them finding them in their Idolatry and vain wayes said Behold me Behold me For though some in all Ageâ— were called in because the Word light on them yet this was the general and ordinary work So that See by that wayâ— that seems most unlike to manâ— Wisdom and most opposite to mans carnal Judgementâ— doth God worke and stablish His Kingdom and manâ— happinesse that his Power and freenesse of his Gracâ— may appear For they were grafted in contrary to Nature so thaâ— all his Works are contrary to Nature for though he â—estroy not Nature from its being yet he destroyes the Lifâ— Kingdom that seeks in the creature without him Sâ— that so long as man runs after his natural Inclination as we all do he wanders from Gods way therein Foâ— what an unlikely way is it to reason that by dying wâ— shall live and by losing life we shall find it and by suffering get the victorie Not that by dying in our selves we shall live in our selves but in another How unlike that Abraham an Idolater should become the Father of the faithful For he sought nor nor enquired after him yet God called and he obeyed And Paul the great enemy of Christ yet was made the great Champion of Christ Christs way of suffering is a way few do willingly embrace We professe Christ and talks of Christ but we s eek other wayes to come by it and keep this only alive in conceit like a hâ—llow hearted friend who bears fair and speaks well but when it comes to it will part with nothing Thus Paul confounded all those reasonable wayes of the false Apostles and of their knowledge and righteousnesse c. and brings all to simplicity of Babes and helplesse hearts for they kept all alive in conceit but their hearts covered 1. Thus God makes man a depending creature to wait only on his Power and Grace 2. All the wayes of God are wonderful to a believing heart but whatever is within compasse of reason is not wonderful 3. This he doth that he may hide pride from man â—or so the Jews were grown haughtie when they had â—elt his way of Faith and wrought their own safety For that way that man thinks to get life by devising he â—hall not Man grows wise to believe by it and righteous to believe from it and humble that he may gain â—he promise But here simplicity of heart is lost This â—s not the way but by being a fool and sinner in himâ—elf then he is found Now this is abused by hardnesse of mens hearts who â—herefore cast off fear and saith God will find me if I â—eek him not and be merciful though I seek him not â—nd follow not so hard after him and so musled in seâ—uritie because he saith He can do nothing this is the â—lead of a senselesse heart in securitie he saith He can do nothing abusing his absolute power and freeness of â—is mercâ— But I may say Have they not heard Yes the sound is gone through the World so with thee Hath he not sought thee and called thee daily and yet thou hardens thy heart against him Thou hast not sought him but he thee and yet thou hidest thy self from him all thou canst Thus doth every believing heart that knows himself find in experience the wonderful power and mercy in Christ when thou wast wallowing in thy gored blood yea following the sway of thine own will yea feeding thy heart with fleshly pleasures then God knocketh at thy heart when thou little thinks of him nay ever since when thou felt nothing but guilt and death saw no other reason yet then he gave life Nay when thou had in strength of wisdom not from a troubled heart thought to establish thy thought of happinesse yet he beat thee down Yea when thou thought thy self in the likeliest way to become happie then proved it most cursed when thou seems most wretched it becomes ever best from him And all this God hath done that thou mightest for ever believe him who hath chosen and called thee one thou knowes most vile rebel lustful covetous unlikeliest of thousands This confounds all the reasonable wayes of fair projects which man hath framed to himself either out of the world or out of Religion to establish his thoughts of ease and happinesse for we see the offers of grace and his great works and then reasons à posteriore and thinks to ascend thence to happinesse But his grace is free out of our compasse it is to be attended on We would know a reason of God in all his works else we hold him not just But what reason is it thaâ— ever the Gentiles should believe but his mercy And thus all
Christ the Stone hewen out of the Rock without hands they lay among the groves there to enquire of the dead for the want of things and not waiting on God and the Words of the Prophets They eat abominable broth and swines Flesh both which were forbidden by the Law So that in all they forsake Christ signified by all those and chuse their own wayes and this is mans way in the Church We offer not at Jerusalem sitting at the door of the Tabernacle weeping and confessing Where is tâ—e Mercie Seat and Ark of the Covenant but in Gardens of Pleasure in serving God at our leasure and not on the Corner-stone Christ Jesus but on the Altar of our good qualities which we have hewen to our selves We wait not on God his Will Word that we may know it but in the dead groves of our devotions and run back to these rotten effects of care diligence If the World shew good signs we believe if we see signs and Wonders we trust we feed on Swines Flesh Flesh and broth thereof That is we feed on the Flesh and filthy World which begets nothing but flegmatick and cold opinions instead of pure nourishment to Faith and Love Stand by for I am holier than thou So with all these abominations there went still a poysoned opinion of holinesse and high thoughts which made all stink in his nostrils So that when with Religion there goes a high thought in man and exalting of himself above others because of his Religion it poysons all and stinks before God and will bring man to a fearful fall at the last Thus it was with the Pharisee I am not as other man as this Publicane Col. 2. Touch not taste not handle not It was their practice when they had been at the Mercat they washed the false Apostles thought themselves more acceptable to Christ because they were circumcised And those Gadders in the Church that went about talking and thought because of their Religion they should be respected and relieved which Paul writes against that they should not be suffered Thus is Religion turned into mans own glory and not to Christs glory This flows from pride and self-love which had its beginning in man ending in man as all things do This makes men Judges in Religion and not Christ a Saviour and so with all Religion there grows up a cursed opinion and seeking of respect which poysons all But well worth that Religion where man is not listed up by it and hath nothing but all laid up and enjoyed in Christ not in self SERMON XIX Isai 63.1 Who is this that cometh from Edom with dyed garments from Eâ—zra This that is glorious in his apparel travelling in the greatnesse of his strength I that speak in righteousnesse and mighty tâ— save IN the tenth verse of the former Chapter is a large promise of Mans Redemption by Christ under the Type of Israels deliverance out of captivity as Prepare the way of the Lord cast up the high-way gather up the stones lift up the Standard The Lord hath proclaimed to the end of the World to Sion Behold thy salvation cometh his reward is with him and his work before him That is to say Make readie the hearts of men by repentance and then salvation is at hand and thou shalt be a holy people prepared of the Lord Prepare the way that is let not Israel settle in Babylon but come out Remember Jerusalem that you have lost the signs of my presence the Ark of my Covenant the Mercy-seat and all the tokens of my Love and that you are now strangers to me so bring down their hearts and make a way for my mercy that I may do them good that they long for my salvation they shall find it ready at hand Let them not trust in their strength nor rely on the favour of Babylon the world the Flesh for they will still keep them bound but return to me and I will deliver them so that No mercy to man nor salvation from God nor redemption by Christ nor holiness by the spirit but where God makes way in mans heart by dayly repentance dayly turning mans heart from the world himself and all things in true sense of his bondage and longing of the soul after Christ Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Psal 107. He brought down their hearts with sorrow then had mercy on them For all Israels wanderings he plagues them till he made them yield and cry and pray then helps them in distresse It was Johns office to make way for Christ For what should Christ do with an hardened heart filled with conceit of Wisdom righteousnesse and the world or riches For all afflictions that God layes on man either in the world or in himself by the word is but to bring down the heart to let him see how the World hath deceived him sin hath beguiled him and his conceits brought him into a false surmise and so lets him see what a little power he hath in himself that so forsaking and turning to another he may find mercy For though God give gifts to man yet they are kept onlie in the hand of Faith else man turns to them and forgets God and himself and so becomes proud and conceited becomes a Saviour to himself But the salvation of God is never given but to repenting hearts that are ashamed of themselves and their own cursed rebellious hearts and in sighing sorrowing pray seek for mercie But we all would have salvation another way than by repentance as one by knowing another by dying another by gathering strength but none by denying themselves Indeed we daily pray Lord forgive us our sins but sin is not our burden we would all have mercy to our hardened hearts Nay how far are we from the salvation of God whose hearts never felt the bitternesse of repentance or are again hardened through knowledge We all dream of being saved but alace there is no way in thy heart Thou knows how little thou minds God or Christ at all how little thy heart is troubled about life or death but carried away with present losse Where is the place that can witnesse thy sorrow and heavinesse of heart thy sighing folding of thy hands how little is it in thy thoughts What hast thou done daily doest against God or thy self How little art thou troubled about thy eternal being no Repentance being wrought in thee all Religion is but a matter of discourse and circumstance But woe to us for repenting dayes are gone and so salvation hid the time was when we were sinners went mourning weeping all our dayes were repenting dayes And then were vve ashamed to look into our ovvn cursed hearts vain vvayes and all night our very dreams were on misery then light rose in our darknesse but now we are wise righteous see not the pride lust worldlinesse of our ovvn
hearts even drovvned in pride of our ovvn hearts have a conceit of salvation in our selves Is sin lesse sinful than it was Stand vve not as much need of salvation as before nay our hearts are not prepared for mercie but claime it as a due and therefore is salvation far from us But know that before salvation or freedom come from Christ to our hearts these high looks must down we carried into Babylon God never casts his mercy upon hardened hearts but the poor mourners shall be comforted So that faith holinesse is daily preserved by repentance deep humility vvhen God opens the high vvay of our hearts he gathers out the stones all his mercies though they bring comfort yet still more humblenesse that he should daily be so good we so vile rebellious still so is mercie salvation contained Who is this that cometh from Edom. That is from the land of captivitie from Bozra the chief Citie of the Edomites representing the great povver of Satan Flesh and the World wherein man is bound novv comes the Prince and Captain of our Salvation out of our captivity and death and is consecrated through suffering even in death overcoming all things his garments red with the blood of the Sacrifice Laying it down by way of admiration in the question answer containing wondering and Christs ansvver For the vvhole Chapter is a Prophetical Declaration of Redemption by Christ and the state of man to be redeemed as 1. The Person or Redeemer even Christ discovered by his povver and strength travelling in the greatnesse of his strength and the rest c. 2. By his truth and righteousnesse I that speak in righteousnesse 3. The way means how he hath done it viz. First By death under a Metophor of Trading the Wine-presse 4. What he hath done viz. Troden them in his Wrath. Who is this that cometh This shews the expectation of the captive Church waiting for a deliverer according to the promise after seventy weeks so man after his long bondage under hell and Flesh and seeing Christ a weak poor man and that all in blood crucified dead and buried seems an unlikely man to reason but in his answer he puts away all doubts that he is the only man and Redeemer So that The weary waiting and forlorn heart of man though he see little possibility to obtain life by Christ in sense reason but many more likely devices ye shall never find freedom but only in him For he was ordained of old to break the Serpents head and prophesied to bind up the broken hearted Yet what a doe had he with his Disciples for to perswade them that He was He but still they cried Is not this Josephs Son is this likely to be He He only was Jobs refuge in all his afflictions when he saw nothing but death yet his Redeemer liveth This he witnesseth by word and work By word I am come to save the World I am the Resurrection and the Life By works How many poor lame and blind did He help which He was after to do spiritually the afflicted he comforted as Mary and the Prodigal The Pharisees cryed out Who is this that forgiveth sins that destroyes the Law Nay others said Except ye be circumcised Christ cannot profit 1. For he came to destroy the flesh and redeem the spirit therefore was he weak in the flesh strong in spirit that he might cross the curious witt and pride of man who looked for great things 2. All things prosper according to his presence with man and not he according to the power of the creature all other things are but miserable comforters only puts off for a time but it comes again with all violence like a sore that is ill healed Yet who hath believed this report Nay in any straits we look for other helps The World saith Come see what riches and certaintie I will relieve thy wants be diligent ply thy mind to me and I will ease thee and saith Man This is that comes with full hand and good gain This is like to preserve so much Inheritance so much coming in and is yet never a whit eased but a slave still The flesh saith Come to me I come not in sadnesse and sorrow but in mirth and pastime and pleasure I will put away sorrow from thy heart and season all sadnesse with mirth and yet for all this in the midst thereof the heart is sorrowfull Reason saith Come to me I will shew thee a likelie way do good worke righteousnesse see thy great knowledge and good qualities then believe that Christ may profit but simple believing stands not in this but in another thing and when thou feels nothing in thy self Reason would judge this but a blind way Nay saith Christ But come hither look on me believe my Word I am poor and needie in flesh and so must thou be I will deliever thy Spirit and free thy mind these deceive thee but I speak in righteousnesse though I seem base yet all power is given to me and I am mighty to save So that he that looks for salvation by Christ had need of Faith more than Witt When the poor captive Soul sees nothing but death and bondage no power to free himself and sees nothing but poor Christ all wallowing in blood shut up in the grave sits mourning at the Sepulchre and yet look for salvation in him had need to pray daily Lord increase our Faith and help our unbelief And to this end would Christ confirm his Disciples in expectation of the Promise and Life by his Death and to wait for the Holy Ghost by the Sacraments and pledges of his love and truth which he left them saying I know ye doubt and fear and hereafter ye shal see me forsaken judged and crucified and buried and then will your hearts tremble but that I have spoken in Righteousnesse take this as a pledge of my love and truth when ye come together eat and drink this believe my Promise rejoyce in me in my death for though I must trade the Wine presse alone yet I will trade it in my Furie I that speak in righteousnesse The word of Christ is the word of righteousness to believing hearts and shall be assuredlie fulfilled to troubled Spirits Mighty to save So that All power of saving man is in Christ no power in man to procure or pâ—eserve his own safetie I have troden the Wine-presse So that Jesus Christ hath under-gone the wrath of the Father for man that he might redeem man from wrath and by his suffering hath wrought Redemption for man I have troden the Wine-presse alone So that None partakes with Christ in the work of mans redemption but he is the beginner finisher of mans happinesse Mine own arm brought salvation So that When all povver in man fails miserie strikes then is the power of Gods spirit still at hand I will trade
After these things that is after the many tryals that Abraham had now comes the greatest of all for he had been sore tossed by nine trials as the Hebrews note and this is the tenth 1. Forsaking his Countrey and all 2. Fleeing into E yâ—e for Famine 3. Losse of his Wife and danger of his Life 4. War with four Kings for redeeming Lot 5. Desparing of Issue be married his maid 6. Is glad to put her away and Child too to please Sarah 7. Is circumcised being old 8. Looseth his Wife to Abimelech 9. Cast out Ishmael and his Mother Thus Abraham after he believed the promise and was assured of Gods protection was still exercised under the crosse that he might thereby have daily experience of Gods truth and love and that no fleshly reason might arise in him and now behold a greater than all these for these are but as the prick of a priâ— in regard of this but now Gâ—d comes even with a dart to strike him to the heart So that Abraham had now more need of Faith than ever yea After all these things So that After man be brought to Faith and believing the Promise yet such are the sufferings to be endured hereafter yet no constant safety and peace but by the daily exercise and life of Faith whereby he is to be preserved in all future dangers and temptations that in the flesh will light upon him The just shal live by Faith What wonderful assaults had David what fightings had Paul Satan seeks to devour who persist in Faith 1. For the rest of the sufferings of Christ are to be accomplished in the flesh 2. Manie are baptized into the truth that have not drunk of Christ Cup nor baptizâ—d into his death but slipping the hand of Faith lean to the flesh and overturned 3. For there is a fleshly heart to be purged and a World to be overcome whereunto the power of God and Faith of man are as requisite as all these Isaac must be slain And can the fleshly will of man overcome these 4. Thus God daily weakens the out-ward man and renews the inward that he may draw man to simplicitie of Faith Love and to have his abiding in God therefore will give him no rest else-where 1. Thus is man deceived when having had some light and love of God to shine in his dark Soul thinks all is done and Heaven obtained and so grows presumptuous instead of believing 2. Either proud because he imagines to have power over himself in all which is only in God or securely presumes on Gods power without either fear of Weaknesse or Life of Truth upholding him and so is dayly led into temptation 1. Thou shalt sometimes see the World smiling and offering a fair bait and portion and thy flesh gaping after it and thousands ensnared thereby 2. Sometimes good conceits and by thoughts from that thou knowest or from thy well qualified mind which thou thinks adds much to thy Faith but after these Isaac must die 3. Or sometimes want fear and trouble looks grim at thee and threatens the downfal of all and if Faith do not uphold thee how wilt thou stand nay thou shalt see secret lusts and desires and delights in thy heart ease and peace c. Which must all down so that if God keep not Faith alive in man wearie and uncertain is his way But let all lock for it after many temptations still greater behind one deep calls another for man by the abuse of the liberty of Faith grows secure and proud that must down by the crosse we think when it is fair it will never be soul and when we are rich we shall never be poor Nay but know that a quarter crosse must come to pull that down for that great enemy that is Death is not yet vanquished skin for skin and all for life so that the safe path of man is to settle in nothing but dwell with God for Abraham might think now all is safe seing Isaac is born and well grown but no safetie in that for after a calm comes a storm as we see it in the course of all things so in mans heart day and then night light and then darknesse God doth not take delight in afflicting his people but rather than they shall return to the world and delight and be deceived by the Flesh that his truth should seem a lie he will beat and strike the flesh to the death with one crosse after another till it be subdued 4. Thus we know God hath com'd near us with many afflictions and like Israel when it is past to fall to our courses again but he will come nearer at last till he bind us to himself that we dare not desire to start from him 5. And we see what brings temptations crosses that is to say when flesh makes use of Gods truth to its own advantage that man begins to think of ease and peace in the Flesh then must the crosse come or else thou wilt be lost 6. But where will be our refuge when Isaac must be slain for this will come we have now fulnesse health and peace and prosperity and mercies of God on every side but the day of temptation must come when we must part with our dearest sons and careful father thy kind mother and loving sister thy beloved world and life it self What then shall stay thee or whether wilt thou flee For be sure this day is coming on all Flesh O happy he that hath the Tâ—uth of God to sustain him and an obedient heart a subject will and a patient soul that day for to him only shall Isaac be raised from death and be life in death God did tempt and prove Abraham This a temptation of tryal for otherwise God tempts no man Jam. 1. Not that God was ignorant what was in him but that God might manifest to the world the power and simplicity of Abrahams Fai h and to shew what is the deliverance in all straits that all believers may be blessed with faithful Abel and Abraham So that God sent this temptation to the purifying of his faith and weakening of the Flesh that nothing might be left to Abraham but God and his power and Truth to rest on but God alone thus to Israel 1 Sam. 4. Deliver them into the hand of their enemies that their trust in the Ark might fail Thus to David when he had numbred the People and Psal 107. When his mountain was made strong For hereby he purifieth Faith like gold 1. Pet. 1. Peter must be winnowed as wheat for then all rejoicing is taken away in the flesh when World and all fails 1. For he seeth that man is apt to joyn with flesh against God therefore he keepeth this down by daylie suffering for man is lothe to lay hands on himself therefore doth he fight against it in man both by Word which if it prevaile not he adds blows to weaken the Flesh that so man may see
is total to all his will though never so hard to flesh and blood For these cannot enter into the Kingdom and if it be in God and for God why then not one as well as another for all are a like in him that is wholly given to God by Faith in him So Abraham went three dayes journey And yet saw nothing that Satan might all this while tempt and trye him and yet God still preserves him This is Gods dealing to believing man So that God usually tryes his to the bottom that they may be saved in the Faith and shew forth his power of truth and promise to all Thus Job and David Psal 77. Thus Paul Christ his Martyrers thus was Satan let loose upon Abraham 1. For while man is but crost a little he runs to other fleshly help from one shift to another as here Abraham might Reason though I be banished yet I have the Promise and though it be long deferred yet Isaac is now born but here God strikes down all these proppes at once 2. God doth thus worke good out of evil to man he lets Satan loose to beat and canvisse man in the flesh and drive him out for he is the God of the World and must rule there that he may drive man home to God but if man will make a Covenant with him and stay there he will be his Lord and reward him 3. Man wil catch hold of any thing before he be well drowned even a Leaf or Reed but God plungeth him into the deep then he calleth from thence 1. We have not yet resisted unto blood no temptation hath taken us but such as man can remove with the World or Reason fixed on the Truth revealed or qualities and so we get sin a hiding place in the flesh 2. Believers need yet a great deal of purging through affliction for still we retain something because of which we hope and believe but this is not plain dealing with God nor pure believing 3. But know that day will come when God will trye us to the bottom and leave neither Father nor Mother Wit nor Wisdom we shal be put past all our shifts in the flesh So that 4. We see what a doe God hath to bring man low enough hence it is that we are not enlivened enriched and made free in God because we are not poor weak and blind in the flesh but find ease there and rest 5. Thus God secretlie upholdeth his Children in affliction though themselves see not how they are preserved he still sends Life in Death who know not how they are raised Stay here and I and the Lad All left him and he left these behind So that If man go to ascend to God and meet him comfortablie in any strait no coming with Flesh and blood but leave these and fix on him in naked belief So David with Goliah so Christ was left alone none to assist 1. For flesh and blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of God and His wayes cannot be comprehended 2. Fleshly affection draw men to their own ends but Faith only layes hold on Christ these harden the heart give a hope without Faith which God wil not accept 3. These destroy Faith for the Soul cannot live on both thus would worldly men fain take the World to Heaven with them yea all are lothe to leave all behind but would have something to bear them companie what ever makes for hurting of mans flesh is mans death let Flesh know nothing nor rule nothing Then the Angel said Stay thy hand Here Abraham is brought to the pits brink and sees no deliverance but only is preserved by Faith they saw nothing but death before them Isaac willing and Abraham readie and content both preserved by Faith and subjected So that It is impossible for man to meet death willingly or think thereof but only when lively power of Faith upholds and hath killed and crucified the Flesh and will thereof by the sufferings of Christ This made Paul willing to leave this tabernacle David to commend his spirit into the hands of God and Christ his life to the father and Martyrs to the fire 1. For Flesh fears destruction of it self and if it be not overcom'd and preserv'd by another power it dyes before the time death makes on end of all and leaves nothing neither father nor friends land nor riches but destroyes all for as here Isaac is gone all Abraham children at once the means of promise and also if that his life had been herein he had utterly failed 2. This is the great lust and enemie to be destroyed for skin for skin and all that a man hath will be give for his life and yet to this we must all passe it makes death so fearful to worldly hearts it leavs nothing to hold by other losses leave some hope of recoverie but this without Redemption and yet this will come we see it before our eyes even death coming when thou must part with thy dearest husband loving wife â—eâ—der children and kind brother friends lands world and all and see thy self gasping upon thy death-bed here see Isaac on the Alâ—ar and see how thou wilt hear it 3. Yea this makes death fearful to believers because the Flesh is not mortified but lives in them desires to live and because they live not in God would yet live in the world All put this day afaâ— off one is yet lusty and strong or is yet weak hopes to recover and yet never willing to commune with death because we live not in and by the death of the World another is old yet thinks he may yet laste many years So that Only the believing man in whom life is already overcome shal die chearfully as Paul who said I can die at Jerusalem He sees that death shall free him from the world the Flesh lust and all Stay thine hand Now God comes with help at a pinch when it is not expected if Abraham had a deâ—iring expectation of due deliverance this way God would yet have tryed him further but seeing past help and yet believing he comes So that God comes to help his people in the fittest time when man in reason sees no help in the world or in himself then is God ready at hand As at the Red sea so to Elisha when the King of Assiria had besieged him in Dothan there were mountains full of Chariots of fire So to David against Goliah Psal 107. Hungry and thirsty then they cried unto the Lord The Publicans cried Lord be merciful to me c 1. For at first God made all things out of nothing and so brings light out of darknesse and the poor to confound the rich 2. When the heart hath passed all fleshly power then he rests in faith for he hath nothing to trust to c. 3. Thereby are the sufferings of Christ accomplished in the Saints in earth as with the Martyrs when friends mourned strangers bewailed acquaintance
pitied their adversaries boiled in all wrath and all hope of life past yet then was God with them and they joyful as with the man that cried Austin He is câ—me 4. Yea thus doth God weaken Flesh by dissannuling the hope thereof and makes his power known in fleshlie weaknesse for he both secretlie upholds at present and sends help when all is past hope SERMON XXI Isa 9.6 7 8. For unto us a child is born and unto us a son is given the Government shall be upon his shoulders IN this Chapter he comforts the Church against all darknesse and desolation threatned in the seventh eigth chapters and that by promise of the Messiah alluding to these calamities that came both by Tilgath Pileazer 2 Kings 15. And that great Salmanazer King of Assiria where all Israel was led captive 2 Kings 17. And thirdly yet greater when Zenaucharib came upon them in the dayes of Hezekiah with two hundred thousand souldiers and railed on the living God even in that darkness when they had no hope of safety Then Hezekiah spred his letter before the Lord and Isaiah the Prophet brought the message of safetie and that without the power of Israel or any man God would overcome and so sent his Angel and slew one hundred fourscore and fifty thousand of the Assirians Armies and here saith he shall our deliverance be He shewes it shall not be by mans power no more than that For thou multiplied the Nations that is of Israel they had a greater Army than before yet more afraid but now they rejoyce as men in harvest He shewes the reason for the yoke and burden of the oppressor is removed and that without the power of Israel even as in the day of Midian then A comparison of these every battel is with blood but this shalt be with consuming fire Thou hast multiplied the Nations but not increased the joy Jerusalem had again gathered strength yet behold greater fear than before 1 King 19. First for he never left afflicting till he had wasted all their strength and put them past it till they bowed down in humility and fear and spred the letter before the Lord then comes the Angel so with us So that It is not increasing our strength wisdom or any gift that easeth or rejoyceth the heart indeed but man walking in faith fear and humility and love shall be comforted in God Thus the Philistins and Goliah and David but still worse thereby So the fool Luk. 12. Jerem. 10. Let not the wise man rejoyce 1. For we are kept by the power of Faith unto Salvation 2. It is the mourner that is comforted not the joyful yea the poor that is inriched and the rich sent empty away Sowe in tears and reap in joy 3. For hereby is the great power of God manifested 1. Thus we see the World still multiplies riches and wealth but not joy increased so we all strive for this and that guilt knowledge righteousnesse c. And so we multiply our strength conceit of Power in man as though he would overcome the King of Ashur yet this still riseth in man but is the greatest opposite to Faith of all things 2. Happy is he that casts down all and spreads the heart before the Lord who in himself trembles in every thing and flies by faith to God the Angel shall come in time man shall overcome as Gideon did Judges 27. God took from him all his strength aâ— 1. All that were fearful and all that lay down to drink so with us 1. He takes away Infidelity which was fearful 2. Earthlinesse and moves man to suffer and then in that wearied and tyred estate he gives victorie to Gideon So that Mans victorie is obtained in weaknesse of man by the power of God and till God have taken from him that strength and wisdom whereby he standeth he never conquers as Paul When I am weak then am I strong of my self not able to think a good thought but through his grace able to do all things 1. For fear weaknesse goes before faith then faith follows and if faith be preserved then man is safe but if a man waxe strong in conceit then farewell faith fear and then hardnesse comes All the whole Scripture workes to bring man down that he might rest in God though he feel no strength though he feel no reason though be be in darknesse yet the promise in Christ dwells in all these 2. For God is not in thunder earthquake winds but in the soft still voice resting heart of man in him 1. But man hath witt and lives by it will followes is power and guardes but all will fail For where Infidelity is or those that went on in worldlinesse these were sent back for there was thirty two thousand but ten thousand went and of these all but three hundred that kneeled down to drink So with us most turn back from Christs battle through infidelity and others that seem to follow Christ most are subdued by the World only a few content with present state follow the Lord in Faith For in the most things we do fear through distrust or else are stopped and cast back through the love of ease that we overcome not as in the day of Midian God sends his spirit into tender soft hearts but all things else are dry then when the heart is refreshed and strengthened he sends his blessing in all he takes in hand To Hezekiah the sign was this year eat whatsoever groweth of it self and the next year without sowing So to us He feeds us his own fulnesse without any help of man or nature and then enables man to be a husband in the Church of Christ and this shal be like joy in harvest-tide Psal 33. These battels were with noise tumbling in blood but this by the feeling of Wrath and Indignation which at last shall fall upon the power of Satan through the love of Christ and consume them For unto us a child is born Here is a Prophesie of Christ and his Kingdom and Government 1 His Person is described unto us with his Title and Office 2. His Kingdom and manner thereof 3. The cause or fountain of all this zeal of Love unto us hâ—re he shews the Proprietie Right that believers have in Christ and by this Union the Victore comes So that Christ truely born to man and living and ruling in the heart of man and man subject to Christ is the Food Fountain of all good Wisdom Happinesse to man He is the Seed of the Woman that breaks the Serpents head He is our Wisdom and Righteousnesse and Peace and our Life For all live through him Paul through him was able to do all things He is the way the Truth and the Life Joh. 14. If you abide in Me and my Word abide in you ask and it shall be given you Christ is that Word of Faith by which all things
are established and made He is the Light Life of Man So that When the ministry of the Word is formed to the Image of Christ and that Word lives in man then enjoyes he all that good and freedom promised in that Word For look what Christ was and did actually and bodily in the World that he is and dâ—th spiritually in the heart of man He came by the will and promise of the Father he was born not of the will of the flesh He wrought miracles to the believing man so in us gives sight to the blind He taught and made known the Will Love and Purpose of the Father to the World So in us He was subject to live in love so in us â—he suffered freely so us he enables makes conquerors So it is plain that the birth of Christ is the beginning and Fountain of mans happinesse and freedâ—m the Life of Christ with the Father the life of happinesse and the Death of Christ the accomplishment of mans blessednesse and victorie See then how all the whole truth of God begins ends in one That which was promised to Adam and Abraham is Prophesied of Here is born in time and sent to everie believer thereâ—ore all our running about conceits buildings and thoughts and imaginaâ—ions and inventions are but vain blasts for here is all â—hat is substantial But who hath believed our report may Christ say for First We hear of Christ born baptized persecuted and â—rucified c. But not to us ray we know this Christ after the â—â—esh we think well of him and love the thoughts of â—im but not born to us Nay we frame a Christ and seem to worship him but not given to us nay we have a conceit that he hath done all for us but not born in us we defend him and plead for him we dispute of him we talk of him we read of him but not born to us This teacheth that Christ was promised of God and sent in fulnesse of time and then his spirit sent into the hearts of men So there is a waiting for the promise under the Law but in the fulnesse of time he shal be born and given For he came when man was out of hope for there was nothing but vexation under the Maccabees and the Romans and then came a deliverer and so to all men When Sarah was past age and without hope then Isaac is born So when thou art past hope and sees no Reasâ—n then shall Christ be born to thee for that is the fulnesse of time and till then the fulnesse of time is not come And we see that Christ is nothing to man till he be born in man that the living Word of the Father live rule in him beyond all Reason and Imagination of Flesh For no Reason can be given of Christ to be born of a Virgin nor that man should believe life in death or a guilty man to be delivered A Son is born Here is the promise of a Messiah this already accomplished both visibly to the World and spiritually to believers So that No power of the adversary or Flesh is able to makâ— void the Word of Truth and Promise nor shake thâ— heart of man stayed thereon by Faith As Abraham believed the Word against plain reasâ— So the Promise of Caanan Pharaoh on the one side and enemies in the way and fourtie Kings in Canaaâ— resisted yet thither they must Heaven and Earth muâ—â— passe away but not that Word of Truth 1. For this puritie of Faith under the Crosse whâ—â— all sights against it yet it stands 2. By this God is magnified and man hath assuranâ—â— of rest therein as when man believes Gods trutâ— though never so unlike God preserves that man For can any man stay a showre of Rain take heed of fighting against God 3 Be subject and stay here though thou see no likely-hood not striving what thou would have but waiting what and when God will do his Will 4. Here is the stay of believers though they see no rest yet they wait on God and know that in fulnesse of time the Child shall be born 5. But though we have a sure word we are lothe to stay the fulnesse of time but now man would be comforted and then eased but thou must be more weak thy Wisdom and Righteousnesse must be troden down that nothing but God and his Truth may live in thee A Son born Some will have this meant of Hezekiah or Isaiah but it agrees not with the Text but only of Christ the Word of the Father which took our nature that he might redeem us and let us see the subjection and losse of all to way of freedom These two natures joyned in Christ by an Hypostatical Union made a perfect Christ as flesh and spirit makes in Moria a Christian these not by confounding their natures but by right ordering of both yet remain distinct the power of the God-head shining through the Manhood Ordering and Ruling and Guiding in subjection to the Fathers Will So in us Religion or Christ born in man is not the confounding of nature in man as with most beginning in the Spirit but ending in the Flesh as First In our glorious notions not rising from Christ stirring up our present passions onlie flesh Mans freedom is not helped by Flesh at all but subjection onlie Manie Sons born to man but Ishmaels or Esaus few have Christ formed or born in them The government is upon his shoulders That is the whole Rule whereby his Kingdom is ordered is in him onlie Jâ—h 5. The Father hath given all government to the Son So that The whole power of governing and guiding man â—ests in Jesus Christ and is enjoyed by Faith in him All power is given to me both in Heaven and Earthâ— to him belongs dominion power and glorie 1. For why he is King and Head of the Church 2. By him only the power of Satan is subdued 3. He is the corner-stone of all buildings Now his power is not of the Flesh for that was kept weak in him and at last so dyeth in us His Kingdom is not of this World but Righteousnesse Peace Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. By righteousnesse of Faith and righteousnesse of Love as peace in the heart with subjection under the Crosse joy in assurance of the love and joy in tribulation But most are not governed by Christ but by their own Witt Will World and Flesh. Where then is the power of man whereby he thinks to obtain Life It remains in Christ onlie enjoyed by Faith from day to day else how doth Christ rule But most will have the government upon their own shoulders He rules all by the Word of Truth Psal 45. His Scepter is a right Scepter his Word returns not in vain he bears up all by his mighty Word He shall be called wonderful Here is his title and of admiration and to be referred to all his Wonders in his
Blessed are the Peace-makers Opposed against the Pharisees busie pride and judging others Yea Christ could not be quiet in life for them So that Christs Religion is a peaceable Religion and makes men peaceable James 3. Wisdom from above is pure peaceable 1. For it pulls down pride 2. It sets man at work with himself and none else 3. It layes low the World which sets all at strife yet this quiets all 1. Yea though not of the same opinion yet peaceable 2 Though not familiar yet peaceable 1. This is against that Religion that 's nothing but busie quarrelling for victorie in this or that opinion and that only in opposition to Church striving about Christs coat 2. These that are busie with others not themselves that starts quarrels and suits for trifles 3 Religion is not against peace but for the peace of a Land 4. They are at enmity with none but themselves yet bold and stout in Christs cause as Martyrs 5. Decay of Religion is the cause of all contention walk peaceablie and meddle with thy self Seek peace and prevent variance and lose any thing rather than peace SERMON XXII 1 Sam. Chap. 15 Ver. 13 And Samuel came unto Saul Saul said unto him Blessed be thou of the Lord I have c THis Chapter declares Gods dealing with Saul for his double dealing in the matter of Amalek These Amalekites were those enemies which first withstood the passage of Israel as Mount Seir as they passed towards Canaan against whom Moses and Aaron and Joshua warred who would have driven Israel back again into Egypt against whom the Lord threatned that he would destroy them from off the earth and have War with Amalek from generation to generation Exod. 17.14 To those the Lord sends Saul to destroy them and he dealeth haltingly therein and for that is cut off Further note that these Amalakites were of the seed of Esau For Amaleck was the Son of Elyphaz Esaus eldest Son which he had by a concubine Gen. 36. So that they were the Edomites who were still enemies to Israel Here is Esau against Jacob still that is the of spring of the flesh hated of God hunting after the world So that Such and so are the corrupt will fleshlie lusts of man like these Amalekites born of the flesh hated of God forsaken hunting after the World fighting against the spirit of man heir of the Promise hindering in the way towards the Lord of rest Nay and when they were to enter into Canaan they stopped the way and after when they were entred they disturbed Israels peace as here So that Those enemies must be subdued and routed out before man can have any rest in the Land of the living 1. Pet 2. Fight against the Soul Gal 5. War against the spirit These have fleshlie reason for their kingly will and affections for their Captains 1. These like Amaleck one while seeks comfort to the Flesh cannot abide to want 2. Sometimes to deny God through carnal reason nay in believers when we should walk with God in assurance of Faith and subjection of love then starts up some fleshly power or other either a man hath some worldly power to follow or some fleshlie will to stick to or quietnesse ease and peace to preserve or something that he dotes on and follows not God according to the Covenant 1. This shews that we have not rest in our God only because the Sons of Esau the Edomites yet remain in our Land and oppresse the way of God and of Christ And why not peace in thy heart because the Amalakites yet live in thy heart enemies with in thee Thou sighs without with this want and that wrong this inconveniencie and distrust that do daily vex thee For take away these and rest will come in all losses and crosses O that man would once war against himself to destroy these enemies Thou art busie against every body but thy self when thou should be against no body but thy self or else against something else as avoiding this or that Nay stay thy self and take up these and so shalt thou have peace but these must be destroyed without any reserving 1. If it first draw from the Covenant and Faith in Christ 2. If it strengthen thy own will 3. If it make flesh wanton and so harden the heart kill it Nay Christ will destroy that kingly reason which will need fight against God and all his people And that when God hath said Israel shall rest Amalekites saith no. So this turns the truth of God into a lye We see then that the Church need not fear her Enemies for God will roote them out of the earth and have continual War with them that withstand his Truth and Covenant so that while thou sticks to him thou art safe nay and he will warr with the seed of the Flesh in man Doth he war against lust and will daily by his word Nay God is and will be an enemy thereto for the Law condemns it to death and the Gospel is the Executioner of the Law and kills it in the heart of man but if man will spare these God will destroy man with them for they must be destroyed do thou what thou can to save them for all Flesh is grasse and thou thinks to preserve them yet they must down or else Israel and Saul himself must perish But the power whereby thou seest that is Moses praying and crying to God gave them one blow and then at last Joshua even Jesus the Captain of Faith hewed them in pieces So that the power is 1. Prayer 2. Faith waiting on God when the heart is turned to pray then victorie but not by the power of Israel not sword of Saul but by Gods grace and arme vers 7 1â— Blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the Commandments of the Lord. Now when Samuel came to see what Saul had done and to make known what God had determined Saul begins to justifie himself though he knew himself guiltie and to keep peace within approbation without So that So it is with all naturally that when God finds ouâ— man by the light of his Truth that man labours naturally to justifie himself and to cover his guilt though to his destruction rather than to confesse that he may have mercy So to Adam so the Pharisees and the Lawyer willing to justifie themselves 1. For there is no power in nature to condemn it self 2. Flesh cannot be but it must needs have hold of something 3. And the Soul must have something to uphold for the natural of iniquity is in every one We all desirâ— approbation Thus all the World is busie in sewing fig-leaves to hide their own guilt And this stops the course of Faith and Prayer every one labours still to make good what he doth get peace within approbation of others Yet this approbation we all desire so make best of the worst if we may keep credit Hence so manie
when we say We would live in freedom and joy that in that joy we might better praise God our maker but the end indeed is for the good and ease of our selves the flesh especially in things that perfect our ease and peace though the mind be thereby insnared we yet deal easily with it and thus we still reserve our fat things and deal favourably with them and these are our greatest enemies Then Samuel said When thou wast little in thine own eyes This is Gods message wherein he reckons up his favours to him and secondly his rebellion against those I raised thee up of nothing why didst thou fall on the prey as though I would not have rewarded thee This Message and Word was to convince Saul of his disobedience and 1. He shews the door of mercie 2. The way of Life So that The free grace of God is the fountain of life to man and when man is vile and nothing in himself then is the power of God most shown He that humbleth himself shall be exalted He hath filled the hungry and sent the Rich emptie away For so is man capable of grace and the power of God is magnified in weaknesse What is it that stops thee free grace of God to man that is that strength and worth of man that thinks he hath for were man little enough he would pray cry and believe and fear all mischief enters in at the door of pride or rather this is the door that shuts our Christ we still muse what we are but not what God is Then in this little and low condition to wait on God in the Word of Truth and by Faith to walk in his power shal destroy all enemies but when we fight with our power and so cut carve to please the flesh and when we depart from the Word of Truth we never prosper not that man by thinking basely shall procure peace but when simplie he is so so God is and will be with him but mans perverse way is to turn from his God and fall upon his prey So that the daily way of miserie to man is his disobedience and forsaking the way of Faith and turning to the prey So Adam so David Paul to his Revelations so the Prodigal would have the prey so Demas turned to the prey nay almost all have been caught in this snare For such is the force of sensual lust imagination that where God doth not mightilie preserve man still turns hither For the Word of Truth is the Life of man which while it lives in man it suffers nothing else to live in him but when man turns from this in comes a Legion of lusts and base affections and imaginations but this layes all low Thus we fall on the prey of the World which ensnared all men even believers themselves thus God bids flee the filthinesse that 's in the World through lust and promiseth that he will be with us but this we forsake and gather Mammon before hand and fall on the prey and this choaks all So believers dots also on the libertie of the Gospel and turns it to wantonnesse turns to the prey yea whatever God doth to man man turns to it simplicitie of Faith is foresaken But see our safetie God being our portion freedom his Word our Life so shall we live for ever verse 20 And Saul said I have obeyed Here is Sauls second excuse wherein he defends himself that he had done the Commandement of God which indeed he had done in part for he had killed many of the Amalekits but yet with reserving part of the Spoil to himself 1. He sought honour of Samuel Therefore he brought Agag alive and slew him not 2. The Riches in sparing the Cattel under the pretence of sacrifice so it is with all double hearts in Religion So that Man by the light of the Law shining into him and working fear by the light of the Gospel manifested working freedom may restrain and rectifie many things with a seeming obedience yet still with a reservation to himself and some gain to be gotten which mars all As the young man Matth. 19. Had done much with a reservation of false confidence Ezzra 3.3 Their hearts ran after covetousnesse so those Libertines 1. Pet. They promised libertie they had great swelling Words c. Satan is as a Saphira Acts 5. For nothing goes through flesh but Faith in God and the power of God in man this purifies all but flesh would still have something and that makes our obedience not simple For man is seldom so separate from himself in pure love unto God but some self-love there is that is to his fleshly will sticking to him and purloyning something into his pouch to feed flesh with all For mans natural power being enlightned by the evidence of Truth discovering both the happinesse of believers and the miserie of the rest doth produce in man an obedience according to his apprehension and so far as the blind light workes upon him but he never c mes to a real and actual denyal of himself but there is a building up of his hope thereby not to a simple heartie believing and so living but still with a reservation of believing his own work and love of himself and such is the Religion of the most We spare the King and far of the Flock for there is a reservation almost in all For when man would belâ—eve and lieve for ever and with all their hearts see what a reservation hangs on Righteousnesse Reason self-Conceit so we believe God but neither because we are such and such So there is a stop in our Faith we still have an eye to something else in our Faith And so for love we love God but with this limitation not so much because it is good in it self truly manifest to us and that it is good to us and so mans self still comes in for want of mortification For hardly do we any thing wherein we have not some respect to our selves And for the Word we see Religion is the only way and God the only good but still there sticks in us a great lyking of the World we hope for a good in it find a marvelous sweet therein So that none hath any reason to be proud in Religion though he have obtained and done that which many have not done yet there is still more that he knows not loves not does not it may be thou hast a little Faith and now and then trusts God but for the most part denies him and trusts thy self and arm of flesh or trusts him for this or that reason so a little love to God but a full love to the World and thy self And here we see that in all Religion two things poisons all viz. vain glorie and a beloved World for First we still would have it therefore we limite all to this onlie for we have so many reservations for the World as a care
time love delight c. Yet God is shut out of all yea after experience of Gods love how freely do we return to the World again Religion then is an absolute yeelding our selves to God and his grace without reservation of thoughts â—hat Agag that great Captain of michief even Infideâ—itie and fleshly Confidence wherein Amalekite â—rusted yea the Infant and Suckling in broad Lusts â—pen these outward objects must be slain and that by 〈◊〉 pure believing and loving obedience to the Fathers â—ill here we see that all coverings will not serve the turn For when Samuel comes all is destroyed well-worth him that is open-hearted to confesse and live by mercie See the difference of mens double hearts that are still building up and excusing and alwayes on their own side to build up man But Faith sets a man against himself and alwayes on Gods side pulls him down and all things in man For often greatest noughtinesse is covered and hatched under pretence of Religion as that of Jezabel to Naboth See in the World what covering of lust and oppression what greedinesse when man thinks that for Religion he should be respected but Faith and Love teacheth no such thing Then Samuel said to Saul Hath the Lord as great delight So Samuel pursued him still by the Word of the Lord out of all holds and yet by the Word of the Lord opposeth his good seeming intent layed down by a question that Saul might make answer and be convinced in himself 1. He casts out all conceits of a Sacrifice to please God while the heart is not subject 2. He illustrats it by way of comparison of these two that is Obedience is better than Sacrifice 3. He amplifies it by the contraries for Rebellion is as the sin of Witch craft 4. He denounceth Gods righteous judgements against Saul wherein the cause is in Saul to declare the qualitie thereof The judgement it self hath rejected thee c. First note how Samuel pursues him till he make him yeeld at last to the judgement So that This the proper effect of the Gospel viz. The proper and kindly working of Gods Truth in man is still to bring man down and all things in him to lay him low in himself that he may be exalted through mercie iâ— Christ Let man denie himself and become a Fool saying In me dwells no good thing I am not able to think anâ— good thought all our Righteousnesse is as a filthy clout Phil. 3. All these are but drosse Thus the Word brings all Sacrifice to nought the Law given in Thunder to shake mans heart the Promise made freely without any respect of mans Righteousnesse that man may purely believe Nay and the power whereby all is accomplished is in God not in man that man liâ—e a begger daily may wait there Thus it brought Paul to his knees First brings man to fear and weaknesse before it bring him to Faith and it keeps him in fear that he may rest in God For man is grown proud and wise against God else he had never stood need of his Word for it should have been a living Word in his heart for ever as Paul The weapons of our warfare are mighty to bring down strong holds But see the very truth is perverted by man for though Samuel come to beat Saul of his hold yet he still finds other shifts l ke a wilie Fox So men grow wise and cunning and are listed up thereby yea most yeeld fleshly obedience to this spiritual truth and thereby becomes holie in conceit Others conceiving gloriously of Christ and thence grow high minded for knowledge puffs up and so becomes a man of high thoughts but that man in whom the Word lives and man by it keeps the eye inward towards himself and keeps down all high thoughts in a quiet sense of their own Weaknesse and Vanitie to attend with a crying and praying heart for mercie which is sweetly enjoy'd and not lifted up but man freed and not hardened thereby but out of feeling of himself is pitiful towards all judgeth none but himself This shews the wonderful power of Gods truth that it will make Saul to bow so of any man even Pharisees for the present though afterward they get up again Now it is not Sacrifice that he looks for but a believing loving heart So that All Service and Sacrifice that men seem to offer to God not flowing from a loving heart are nothing with him These are like the cutting off a dogs neck Isa 1. Who required these things at thy hand Psal 50 I reprove thee not because of thy Sacrifice wherewith shall I appear c. For he stands not need of thee neither can he be moved by them unlesse we think as Balaam with his seven Bollocks and Rams These are born of the flesh Children of the bond Woman and not of God nor by promise Righteousnesse is nothing when we make it away to Faith but when it is an expression of a believing heart then it is sweet Now it is not Sacrifice that he condemns but the cursed opinion that goes with it Like that in the Law a daily singing a daily sacrifice so with us when we do it with an evil intent and not out of a simple mind But we have one sacrifice that is Christ only who hath sacrificed life and all and that is it that pleaseth God Thus it is with us also our obedience is but to sacrifice to our God at Gilgall that is to purge sin and to please God that we may get an opinion that God is well pleased for that but this opinion maâ—s all it is not our obedience that is any thing to God in the Work but our yeelding heart For most have looking to that which they have done some looking at it as Pharaoh This crosseth the free sacrifice of love it is a great point of simplicitie in the hight of our obedience still to be more vile and this is the power of Faith for it shews from whence we had it not by our own power Nay when even in our own selves we are opposit to God he hath vouchsafed his grace The only sacrifice of God is a broken and contrite heart sacrifice thy self and it is in stead of all thy lusts desires case peace life and all and when thou hast done that thou shall have as Christ had victory over all a Resurrection a Freedom and a Glory and so shall sit at Christs right hand by Faith till all be subdued to thee and then man offers sacrifice of praise confessing his name not to purge sin but in expression of Gods love and manifestation and that in love and mercie and not in sacrifice Obedience is better than Sacrifice So that That which is accepted is an obedient heart subject to the Fathers will in love is the Life of all Religion and better then a thousand Sacrifices Isa 50. God opened mine ear and I was not disobedient and Samuel said Speak Lord
for thy Servant heareth Christ yeelded himself to the Father Also David the will of the Lord be done and Christ to the Pharisees Ye tithe mint annise and cummin c. Psal 8. If my people had hearkened For God is the sole Lord over all and man a silly creature and as the life of a subject is in obedience to a Prince so here is mans happinesse in yeelding to Gods will for that must stand whether man be obedient or not for disobedience was that which cast off Adam and Israel that is because man will needs be God Now obedience is two-fold of Faith and Love Obedience of Faith is when the clear evidence of the Truth of the Promise and mans Reason and Wisdom â—eelds to that Truth as Moses at the Red-Sea and Abraham When man sees no reason in himself that God should or will keep promise but the contrary he seeing nothing but rebellion and iniquitie yet stickâ— to that where all reasonable wayes of the World and all threats of Satan are overcome though the World threaten want yet he believes fulnesse for this is the will of God that ye believe But most believe not but rebell in this for though God hath promised yet we obey not believe not but give the promise the lye and say That God will not do and therefore fear So that infidelitie is the great Rebel that strikes at the Truth of God which a man cannot endure This Faith also mars not obedience in neither limiting God a time but waiting nor a measure but believing that it shall be our rest Obedience of love is the end of the Law where the love of Christ enforceth man and this is a sweet and free yeelding up of a mans life unto God as a Sacrifice Rom. 12. Which cannot be till our bodies and flesh be sacrificed and then in the Spirit of our minds we are revived according to the will of God This is not to be a foundation of Faith but a necessary expression of the love and goodnesse of God to man This flows from Faith naturally there is nothing but rebellion and lust if Faith fail to wait on God God doth this obedience and man fleeth and man seeketh shifts or some device The intent is doing what he commands not because the Law forceth so many thievish hearts are bound to be true but not from the heart And warms of Gods love in the heart to suffer for his sake what ever befalls as the Martyrs did but this shews the little obedience in man For indeed neither will ye yeeld but the old contention remains whether shall be God Faith and Love is the obedience life of man and when man lives in 〈◊〉 yeelding temper nothing can vexe him let impossibility come and he is obedient and suffers And so was Christ obedient unto the death of the Crosse But while man hath a will and love of himself he is never freely obedient but would frame Gods will to his and to hearken to Satans voice raither than Gods So that An open ear to hear and a heart to believe and obey the voice of God and the Word of Truth is better than all seeming sacrifice a man can offer Isa 45. Incline your ears c. Then shall ye hear the voice of God and he that hears shall live He opened mine ear and I was not disobedient So to that end God hath given his Word to man that thereby he might be called back again to God Therefore God saith cry aloud to man and bid him return and come and live for ever and so he that hath an ear to hear let him hear When God sets his love and mercie and truth to or beâ—ore man and when man attends and meets God here then is that Word accomplished to man But Christ may still say Who hath believed our report as to Israel but Israel would not hear for man hath two Preachers before him still 1. Satan who by his Ministers the World and the Flesh daily whispers and calls man to obey as to Christ Satan saith I will give thee all those the World calls here is Riches the flesh calls here is peace ease and honour God calls and saith Here is all in me Now look whose voice takes place and is believed so man prospers Man hears as God manifests and herein is a reasonable mystery and spiritual power by the one man growes wise and by the other faithful and obedient For rebellion is as the sin of witch-craft Man through rebellion of his own heart and stubbornesse of his own will runs away from God forsakes the Covenant of peace casts off obedience and himself to misery in the end as Pharaoh and Saul here SERMON XXIII 1. Sam 4.3.4.5 So when the people were come into the Camp the Elders of Israel said Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us this day before the Philistins VVHen God had governed Israel by Judges for many years and manifested his power and truth by his Priests and Prophets in bringing them into the Land of Promise according to the Covenant and given them many victories over their enemies Israel grew secure and presumptuous yea the Egyptian Priest himself grew so carelesse of the Lords sacrifice yea even Ely himself committed them into the hands of his Sons who filled their bellies and lusts and that without reproof Whereupon the Lord intended to destroy that vain confidence and to proceed against the house of Ely which he fore-tells in the second Chapter by a man of God and in the third by Samuel which in the fourth Chapter he brings to passe First by giving Israel into the hands of their enemies once again and then delivering the Ark into the hands of the Philistins destroying Ely and his two sons After Israel had received the overthrow at the hands of the Philistins they make way for a second by running further from God So that This is the way of man for man by every affliction is either brought nearer to God or else driven farther from him and so makes way for greater evils to befall him As David who to hide his shame ran into murther so Adam having sinned to hide his shame hides himself from God so Saul to the Witch of Endor like a child that grows more cunning after the whip more wâ—lly but not more wise And this through stubborness and hardness and pride of wit But Joshua when they fâ—ll before Ai never ceased till he had found out the curse from God cast out the execrable thing Many things light upon man that touch not his heart but is so blinded with lust and self-love that the light of the truth leads him not out but his wit will needs guide him God doth nothing in vain If man regard not Processe or any hatchment that is coming he shall see that a writ of Rebellion is coming and if he regard not that than a Bailiff comes and to prison he must and that God by the righteousnesse of
the Law may bring down mans high heart that he may depend on mercy Thus man grows more vile after a judgement to prevent it but no more yielding and obedient to â—scape it It may be God hath taken away thy wife thy husband and father thy stay and rest and yet thou onlie invents new devices to rise but returns not to God that smote thee But look for it if God have comâ— near thee and thou yet blind he will come nearer thee yet if he intend thee good Shall God be still mocked to see that nothing doth man good till his heart be brought down and flee all that he may rest in God For he hath as much to do to bring down thy wit as thy will and to destroy thy carnal confidence and draw thee from thy object All misery come in at the door that is by fleeing from God Yea thus doth God deal with his people children he delivers them into the hand of their enemies and then they think to worke it out and still God makes their works void then they seek to know all and he makes that void c. and suffers nought to prosper till man rest in Faith The Ark had remained in Shilo three hundred years from Jâ—shua's time as Jos 18.7 All the time of the Judges and now must for the security of Israel be removed away So that The long continuance of the Gospel is no argument to prove the perpetuity thereof in any place As to the Jewes and Churches of Asia and Corinth So when man grows more secure thereby God must remove it even so to man Thou hast lived in the light and peace with God but if a man grow wanton thereby the light will grow to darknesse If with Israel thou grow confident of these in thy self because of these priviledges they will not stand In the words note Israels fainting and trouble â—f heart upon their overthrow 1. Their fleshlie device for future safety 2. Their vain confidence in that device that it might save them 3. Their vain joy arising thence 4. The fear of the Philistins 5. Israels overthrow and losse of the Ark when the Lord had not given them the Victorie they fainted began to enquire and murmure as they did by the Word of Samuel but not by believing hearts but now because they had a Prophet they were strong enough So that A faithlesse way is a fearful fainting way and a fainting way is alwayes vexed and tormented at the heart by every crosse where faith waits not in subjection to Gods will and truth So the Disciples Why do you fear O you have little faith But saith David I will not fear what man can do unto me no not if ten thousands compasse me about Mat. 16. Peter was compassed with fear when Christ should suffer because he savoured not the things of God Nay Experience teacheth us that faithlesse men are ever afraid at every rumor of danger At the last day mens hearts shall fail them for fear of that day When a believing man with David Paul goes through all dangers with courage as those Heb. 11. And the Martyrs nay in mans self he shall find that when faith is darkened he fears every thing but when he believes 〈◊〉 overcomes all For man walks in darknesse therefore is the way so fearful as crosses threaten some ruine to mans fleshlie Kingdom which lust would not part with all he sees no other This is it that makes the World so full of fâ—ar yea other faith fear or security fills all nay everie crosse to the worlding gives a wound to the heart But What shall his case be when all shall be taken away Even so is all the Power and Will of man whereby he stands full of fear because he trusts not God Not a feâ—r in regard of our weaknesse and so attending on faith but a bottom fear for want of God his power and therefore a running to mans shifts No safe way to man then but by believing under the crosse and never to judge according to our selves but still sâ—â—ing and feeling the weaknesse of man to wait on him in patience Come let us fetch the Ark from Shilo Here is their device which seem like to them but prospered not So that All fleshlie devices of Mans wit without simâ—le-hearted believing may gain a brain hope but shâ—ll faâ—l and come to nought when man comes to his 〈◊〉 Fleshly wisdom is a fool in Gods matters ever leading man to a way that will not prosper though it shape like to the eye of man By this Satan beguiled Eve and thought to have seduced Christ to argue the Fathers love by Wisdom that is not subject to the Law of God when Israel believed Gideon Jonathan and David overcame with a few contrary to all reason When they eyed reason only then Sauls Armour and Davids one hundred and fifty thousand could not prevail 1. For God hides his wayes from the wit of man and reveals it to Babes 2. Satan lurks here to oppose the way of Faith God hath revealed his Wisdom but hereby Man becomes wise against God and gives him the lye Thus man deviseth a device against God and thinks thereby to thrive and Satan thereby befools man propounding unto him a likely way great power and approbation that he may fix thereon and yet hath not God in the very eyes of the World frustrated their devices as when thou hast great Riches Land Wisdom Friends and what not had built him an nest that he might never want yet he had never good dayes therewith but either he hath spent all to beggerie or a slave to it while he hath it or a languishing of sicknesse had not Gods foolish way of faith been better Thus Satan casts a mist before the eye of Faith when he would bring God his way within compasse of mans witt Now in the Church we grow wise to comprehend the very purpose of God give a reason of his will set a law to his justice faine a reasonable way of believing his free will the foreseeing of Faith God choose man but it is so reasonable a Doctrine it cannot prove true for Gods truth was ever foolishnesse to wise men See the difference of Gods way and mans witt 1. The one is alwayes dark and uncertain 2. The other sure the one forsakes God his Word the other cleaves to it The one seems well and ends ill the other contrary The safe way of man is not to trust the device of man for thou hast seen these fail thee nay when they seem likest the other quiet contrarie therefore never dispute how like or unlike but lay down all believe Hadst thou no Lust nor Will nor Witt to trust to then had Satan no power against thee For either thy Witt or thy Will draws thee on thy Will when thou art not subject in patience thy Witt when thou wilt do Gods Work thine
it well Know then though thou make a mock of it of us poor silly flesh as thou art and cast it off and thinks to escape Yet be sure it will meet with thee He should not be a God of truth if thou perish not holding on thy course but thou wilt reply Doth he not say also That this brings a heart that cannot repent and thou more unpat than before But he did not excuse his Word to the Ninevites yet for the condition of Repentance was understood his general promise If he return and forsake his way he will have mercie So that the alteration was in the Ninevites not in God Nay how often doth believers start from this believe rather their own devices than God hath he not said That nothing but Faith and Love avails yet we fix our eyes and hearts on something else Nay we believe the truth because of something else and not all things for the truths sake neither because of this or that raither than because the truth hath spoken Sâ— that the way of safety is to believe God in faithfulnesse shall he speak and not man regard Therefore if thou have never so likely means to uphold thee in the flesh yet if thy heart run from God therein it will not prosper and though thou see no way of safetie yet abide patiently by the Word and wait not what thou would have done but what he saith For the vision is for an appointed time but though we have a sure Word we are to stay the appointed time for we would be now eased then comforted yet rest thou hast a sure foundation and it may be thou must become yet more weak Thy Wisdom Righteousness and Power must yet be more troden down that so nothing may live in thee but truth only As with Abraham when there was nothing but the truth of the Promise left The Philistins took the Ark of God The fear of the God of Israel was upon all Nations as upon the Philistins here in these Words 1. The Philistins taking the Ark carreing it to Ashdod one of their chief Cities 2. Their setting it up by Dagon their God the fall of Dagon at the presence of the Ark. 3 Their repairing and setting up again 4. The second fall with the losse of his head and hands First the Ark was taken away for Israel was grown secure because of Samuels words The Ark and Eli the Priest they were proud and fat in their own conceit and so had turned Faith into a blind presumption and securitie therefore it was taken away So that When Man by reason of any gift or priviledges grows proud and secure in himself not sensible of his own weaknesse and power and the promise of God this is the way to lose it When David was lifted up in his high mountain he was soon brought low and when Paul was lifted up in aboundance he had a prick in the flesh When Israel made a Covenant with death God disannul'd it If Nebuchadnezzer be lifted up upon his Babels he must be brought down amongst the Beasts The Jews being a people alwayes boasting they came to be no people 1 So thus we forsake God and cleave to the creature 2. Hereby simplicitie of believing is lost changed into vain and fleshly confidence 3. This is the way to purge the old heart and to bring in the heart to God or else would man never return to him if he should prosper 4. Nothing more opposit to the grace of God than the pride of man This was the sin of the Angels being so proud and doting upon their own excellencies they despised God in whom they should have been preserved And yet this is the snare we all fall into we enjoy nothing but the mind is fixed on it and grows proud of it and imagines our selves to be strong and safe because of it when it is only in the hand of God to be given and taken at his will and pleasure all gifts are to be rejoyced in but not to be proud of while we rejoyce only the mind is kept humble seeing the fountain and feeling his weaknesse but pride hardens and makes secure Nay what gift is it we look not at and think our selves the better for it and that our Faith and Hope is nourished by these as much as Gods truth and love is enjoyed Hath not the rich man more confidence that he shall not want than the poor man hath not the righteous man more confidence his state is good than the desolate wretch and yet his righteousnesse as his own brings no ground to believe but only Gods free grace Is this any thing but Pride and Securitie making the arm of flesh his stay Yea thus are believers drawn take we heed that this be not the way for our Land to lose all we shall bragg of our peace till we lose it and of our pride till we be subdued yea of our wealth till we have lost all yea of the Gospel till it be taken from us as here they did the Ark. But it is Gods goodnesse to crosse all his in that wherein they are misled that man may see what a weak creature he is and what a weak staff he hath trusted to as the World and now is gone as knowledge and now as he had neither known God nor himself But know there will come a parting day from thy dearest object thy careful Father tender Mother dearest Infants loving Brother Sister all because thou dotâ—st on them The way of safetie is to enjoy all in God but trust nothing else and forget all behind They brought the Aâ—k and set it by Dagon They thought the God of Israel was a terrible God and all Nations stood in fear of him therefore they set him by Dagon thinking now they should be sure to overcome This Dagon was their Idol from the navel downward like a fish and upward like a man but this prospered not them to win God and Dagon to trust to the World and conceive on this God as they did on Dagon it would not serve So that No joyning of the Ark and Dagon in our house nor God and Mammon in our heart nor fleshly Wit nor Gods Truth cannot sute together in Gods Kingdom Christ saith Ye cannot serve two masters God and Mammon Christ and Bellial Christ Antichrist if God be God serve him Rom. 5.6 Know you not to whom ye give your selves Servants his Servants you are This is putting new wine into old bottels Christ gives the Reason either he will love the one and hate the other or else forsake the one and stick to the other The Soul cannot intend two objects at once For look what respect we have to the one it draws from the other God is a spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and truth trusted and loved with the spirit of our minds else no communion with him For as a man hath a Garment a Bodie and a
Soul So Religion the garment is the outward form of Actions Righteousness Holinesse the body is Truth Righteousnesse revealed to the Church apprehended by man but the Soul of it is the Spirit even God himself as the Garment and Body without the Soul are but dead Corps and so this without God So Paul distinguished man into Soul Body and Spirit by the Body the outward Masse of flesh the Soul the vital power and sensitive appetites and natural understanding by the Spirit the immortal or inward part in right disposing of which stands mans peace and happinesse For if the Bodie be in health and the Soul in Life amidst the fulnesse of its natural objects yet no rest unlesse the Spirit be satisfied also now when the Spirit of our minds is drawn by sensual power to bodily objects it wants Life But leaving all these being guided to and joyned to God and Christ it is then satisfied and the body cannot be nourished with the pleasure of the Soul without food nor the Soul with the food of the Body without its objects neither can the Spirit without them both without its proper objects food So that the confounding of these is the confusion unrest of the Soul And yet alace it is thus in the World men will needs joyn God and Dagon Christ and Mammon without any trust or thought of God at all like beasts Others keep a form of God after the flesh as they acknowledge his power and see his justice fear worship him with a far off worship but the heart bowes to Mammon loves and cleaves to him above all Nay believers joyn these together some put confidence in God but more in the World yea how soon after God hath shewed himself to man by his truth and love doth he joyn heart and hands with the World again So that indeed this eats out all Religion amongst us And for fleshly Wisdom how doth this draw from simple believing asking a reason disputing with him joyning the power of man the power of God so making mans free-will a worker with God So that it is that man believes not God True it is that man is the subject in whom God workes yet the life and power of believing working is in God and given to man by Faith according to the Promise and though Paul say They are workers together yet it is in regard of manifestation not of any power they had over the hearts of men Nay let this God of Israel be our only stay and lay Sauls Armour aside so man abiding in his simple and naked heart full of weaknesse like a Child waiting on Gods simple truth the Father will come but when man thinks to help God he mars all Neither is this a way to securitie but onlie unto those that pervert all truth unto their own destruction For this is not a secure resting at all adventures as though the forlorn child could sit down at all adventures and say It cannot help my self my Father must come or I must be lost but not sensible of his own misery and forlorn estate As the Prodigal seeks and cryes and prayes till he come this keeps him froâ— sleeping so with us So that Religion is a simple thing and cannot mix it self with any thing like the Truth that joynes to none till death but simply waits on God with Faith and Love But when man brings in Dagon and sets him up the Soul of man abhors it or is joyned to it or is deceived Then no bringing in of Religion into a fleshly mind but first Dagon must down then Religion will stand If ever it be offered to a Worldly mind it is not an unwelcome guesse for the Life of that Soul is elsewhere It is in the World and pleasures thereof but the Spirit is dead within them Dagon was fallen Thus the power of God destroyes the Idol So that Thus the Truth of God prevails against the Idol and will not suffer any thing to stand equal with God in mans heart Paul destroyed circumcision from Christ and Christ the young man his weapons taken from him his high thoughts pulled down And thus Gods warriours pulls down groves and destroyes Idols That God may thereby let man see the weaknesse of all power in the creatures This is the proper work of the Word to pull down high imaginations and lay them low as the valyes This truth discovers the vanitie of all the rest but we with the Philistins are still building up Dagon nay the Ark is not yet come to us because Dagon is yet standing But know that it must down So that mans happinesse is in the fall of the flesh and all the power thereof SERMON XXV Mark 14.27 I will smite the Shepherd and the Sheep shall be scattered CHrist by his death hath brough life this death was spoken of by the Prophets and often foretold by Christ and spoken of more at large and now is come by suffering to lose all that he may gain all after that he had comforted His Disciples and left them the pledge of his Love he Prophesies of the trouble that shall come to them hereby that they may now begin to suffer with him 1. Grievous wants and persecutions to the offending of all 2. That man shall not stand at that day by any power at all in man In the same he lets them see that this is the way they must still follow This is a sacrifice of his death whereby the same through Faith is confirmed to us He shews what shal become of the head and that they should be offended So that Though we live in the light of the Gospel and Sun-shine of Gods blessing yet there will come a day that will dash all and lay it in the dust So to David Abraham and the Rich Fool. For life gotten by the creature must be laid away Christ is the common stock of believers Woe to the World for all high mountains must down thy dearest object and thou must part When Israel was boasting of the Temple then was the Lord removing it from Shilo or destroying that new Jerusalem might come from heaven See how thou wilt do when this night comes we provide light fire and houses against cold and night but forget this night Let believers look for it in their greatest fulnesse and prosperitie for then will God take away these that he may be perfected in God I will smite the shepherd Yea Christ in the flesh that he may rest solely and simply in God Abraham and the Prodigal Paul I know none after the flesh by taking away fuel from it So that This is the way to bring man to God to purifie Faith to subdue the World and make Gods power known This he doth 1. In that great tribulation that lyes all on heaps 2. By his love that kills all at the heart but then we grow wise in the flesh to separate the confused heap 3. By the crosse
appoints work to his Servants and command the Porter to watch and thereupon applyes the parable and renews the caveat in these words wherein 1. A caveat for all to watch wait for death dooâ— 2. His reason from the uncertainty of the time thereoâ— 3. The danger of being taken unprepared lest he sin us sleepping 1. The master of the house viz Christ is gone into a fâ— Country viz. Far from the knowledge of all humaâ— fleshly wisdom and given authoritie to his Servants viz. to his Ministers to guide and govern his Churâ— and Houshold by his Word and Discipline to eveâ— man his work viz. His Word to husband and to waâ— in love and do good to all to further his glorie kinâ—dom as he gave the Vineyard to husbandmen viz. Hâ— Gospel and commanded the Porter to Watch viz. 〈◊〉 Ministers to watch â—ver the flock Therefore he bâ— both Ministers and people watch attend his comiâ— in faithfulness that so they waiting in Faith may â—ceive mercie So that The work of a believing heart and faithful servaâ— here is nothing else but a daily waiting of the will 〈◊〉 pleasure of the Lord by Faith and patience in love attending his coming by death and doom This Christ often gives in charge as Luk. 1.21 Mâ— 24. Luk. 12. And this Job practised 14.14 This Pâ— saw and waited for 1. Tim. 4. I am now ready tâ— offered and 2. Cor. 5. We sigh and groan desiring to go hence and he with the Lord and the Martyrs 1. For here we have no habitation but like Pilgrims in tents 2. For God hath sent us hither a while to accomplish his Will according to his Word but our abiding hereafter is eternal not to build a rest here or think our houses shall continue but to wait on his coming when we shall have the reward and doom that lasteth for ever We see it in all faithful Servants how careful they are to have all in a readinesse when the Master comes home and the Maid how doth she sweep and wash and scoure that her Mastres may find all right but the carelesse they sport and ravel and spend and waste on their Lusts and when they have done lye down and sleep and say Nay the Master will be long before he come 1. And thus it fareth with the secure World we watch all opportunities but this When a man hath a great businesse to do O! how he museth and thinketh and studieth night and day be it suâ—e in Law or an other project or danger upon the event whereof depends his making or undoing how doth hâ— neglect no inferiour businesse He runs and rides bâ— spares no pains against that day that he may be pr vided for good issue And have we any greater busi esse than this yea when he hath a sum of monie to pay how he cares casts about And is not here a great account to make nay how do we watch for a fair day in harvest and ply our time and yet this great businesse we heed not 2. Nay nothing ill make us wait on God but the Crosse as to the Disciples Do we watch to get out of the World or rather to run farther into it As it was in the dayes of Noah so now nay worse For now the World is drowned in carelesness witness our excessive drinkings and endlesse drunkennesse our too common trade of userie and oppression our neglect of the Word and Sacraments that we watch nothing but our lusts and pleasures Mammon and our own Wills and like these waste our Masters goods and strike our Fellow-servants and withold a portion from the poor Will not the Lord of the Church call for a reckoning for these and if we be taken in these woe unto us We know what is the hire of such faithless Servants We watch the plague to prevent death but we wait not on God to meet death we watch the enemies of our Land that we be not surprized but we have an enemie within that will overthrow us We provide against famine and yet our selves pine Now this watching is not any power in man to preserve himself but sensible of his own weaknesse to preserve himself and longing to be with Christ 1. That we wait in Faith upon the Word of Christ believing the promise though we see nothing but miserie and death yet expecting life and freedom according to that Word 2. That we be working in love and obedient to his Will not seeking or serving our own Lusts even so as we would have Christ to finde us when he comes 3. Truely knowing our own danger the strength of the Devil and the World over us daily drawing us to forget this day That which Christ said come is or should be the care of all our Watch. 1. If our love were to Christ would we not wait for him as the Wife for her Husband and the Child for the Father 2 If we knew our danger we would not sleep and suffer our House to be broken up 3. If we bâ—â—leve the nearnesse or uncertainty of his coming We would watch better For we know not when our Master will come So thâ— in this we see the reason viz. The uncertainty of thâ— tâ—me of his coming 1. The certainty of his coming that the Master will return Death and Doom shall light upon all 2. That he will come at an unset time when the World is secure 3. That none shall escape it 4. That everie one shall be accountant No escaping of this day for as the balliff it pursues man though he flee as a Traitor and having arrested him Phisicians nor friends cannot bail him but he must dye When the Scripture speaks of this day it seems to hasten it aâ— though it were at hand even on our necks as Dan. 7.9 10. And Paul upon whom the ends of the World are come And Peter The end of all things are at hand but of that day knows no man The Father hath put them in his own power So that The dayes of man are only numbred of God and the hour of death unknown to man but he will come when he thinks least thereof When they cry Peace peace c. And yet it cannot belong to any and for the general day all the Prophesies of Christ are near fulfilled as the spreading of Error and Heresies Wars Plagues and Prodigies are now abroad Faith scarcely found trade of iniquitie in growth Love extinct And if the Gospel be preached through the World it may be before we parte this place 1. How fond are they then that will calculate this day as the Heathen of old by their Chimick year and golden number fifteen thousand years as also the Chiâ—eans in Austins time Who said It should be four hundred years after the Ascension and Papists by the â—oming of Anti-Christ who was to be of the Tribe of Dan and reign three years and a half in Jerusalem and subdue all the World