Secondly why we should labour to get purity of heart Thirdly what means we should use to have our hearts purified Fourthly in what particulars this purity of heart will especially discover it self I. There are many things implyed or comprehended in this purity of heart First the justification of our persons civilizing morality doth onely furnish men with some sweet sented flowers which may perfume their outward conversation rendring it more acceptable to humane society though still their hearts may continue as filthy and impure as ever they were before Moral men commonly have a high conceit of themselves and yet they may be abominable in the sight of God as Solomon speaks Prov. 30.12 There is a Generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet is not washed from their filthiness but no true purity can be effectually produced in our inward parts until we come to be sprinckled in the blood of Christ Rev. 1.5 Who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood We can never be clensed from our sinful abominations until we be washed in the blood of that immaculate Lamb which takes away the sins of the World when the soul is brought into a state of justification it is cloathed in the wedding Garment of Christs imputed righteousness which is large enough to cover all its natural deformities and then though it were never so black and filthy before it presently appears full of amiable lustre and shining excellency bright and clear beautiful as an Angel without spot or blemish in the sight of God Secondly Purity of heart doth imply a renovation of our nature We are all defiled in our very birth and conception the poysonous Leprosie of Original sin hath spread it self over every faculty of the soul and member of the body therefore if ever we obtain any acceptable purity this corrupt depraved nature must be changed hence is that Petition of the Prophet David which you may read in Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Tit. 3.5 we are said to be saved by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost And the Apostle Paul likewise prays in the behalf of his Thessalonians that they may be sanctified throughout both in body soul and spirit 1 Thes 5.23 The soul and the spirit are here to be distinguished The Spirit here signifies the most Noble sublime and Angelical part of man comprehending his will conscience and understanding the soul that signifies the inferiour faculties of sensitive desires and affections and the body that is the outward man the instrument of the soul In Ezek. 36.25 26. you have an excellent Gospel promise I wil sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be washed from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Oh that men were generally more convinced about the excellency and necessity of this sanctifying work Thirdly purity of heart requires the casting out of defiling sins all sin is of a very defiling nature therefore it s shadowed forth in the book of Leviticus under the notion of a spreading Leprosie t is compared likewise to the vomit of a Dog and to that filthy mire which Swine delight to wallow in But more particularly sinful pleasures must be cast out of the heart In the 47. of Ezek. there you read concerning the River of the Sanctuary that is the Doctrine of the Gospel which is dispersed amidst the wilderness of the Gentiles and most places where it came received a healing vertue from it but in the 11 vers the Miry places and the Marishes thereof shall not be healed By the Marishes and Miry places some fitly understand those men women that have given themselves over to sinful pleasures these kind of persons are very unlikely to be healed by the waters of the Sanctuary what gross defilement do many contract while they let loose the raines to vile affections and drown the masculine activity of their spirit in a loathsome pudle of sensuality Also earthly-mindedness is another sin which must be cast out if we desire to have a pure heart When a thing is mingled with that which is of a superior nature it s thereby made more rich and precious as when silver is mingled with gold but if it be mingled with that which is of an inferiour nature as silver mingled with lead such a heterogeneus mixture doth debase and impoverish it thus when the soul of man is as I may so speak mingled with the graces of the spirit this makes it more Noble exalting it to a higher degree of perfection But if it be mingled with the drossy vanities of the world this makes it base and vile The Scripture tells us concerning the pollutions of the World 2 Epist of Peter Cap. 2. vers 20. and in James 1.27 saith he This is pure Religion and undefiled before God and the father to visit the fatherless and the widows in their afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the world the things of the world they are a dirty defiling nature they are like Pitch t is hard to touch them and not contract some defilement or other How is it possible that that man should have a pure heart that can be contented from morning to night to entertain nothing but the world in his soul John 17.15 saith Christ I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil Fourthly Purity of heart requireth that we should adorn our selves with purifying Graces First Hope 1 Joh. 3.3 He that hath this hope purifieth himself even as he is pure Raised expectations of future happiness should stir up in the soul strong and vigorous endeavours after present holiness because a defiled heart and a undefiled inheritance cannot stand together Secondly Faith that 's another purifying grace as you have it Acts 15.9 Purifying their hearts by faith Those which perswade themselves that they doe believe in Christ and yet their hearts are as carnal and corrupt as filthy and impure as ever they were before They may know that their faith is but a fantastick dream or deluding shadow there is nothing of truth nothing of reality in it Faith having tied a marriage knot between Christ and the soul layes a strong engagement upon her to keep her self chast and pure till the approach of her glorious Bridegroom when she shall be taken into the everlasting embraces of his love Thirdly Repentance that is another purifying grace Repentance pulls off the mask from the face of sin causing it to appear in its proper colours so that it hath no alluring paint nor counterfeit dress by which it should ensnare or delude the soul any longer Repentance fills the soul of a sinner with hatred and detestation against sin making him restless in his desire till he can procure an
VIA LACTEA or THE SAINTS Onely VVay to True Blessedness Opened in a SERMON from MATTH 5.8 ALSO The Danger of neglecting Gospel-Salvation from Heb 2.3 By Thomas Cheesman Master of Arts and formerly a Member of Pembrook-Colledge in Oxford With his Epistle to Vindicate Himself from those Absurdities of Method and Language and little less then Blasphemies with which he was abused by a Mercenary Pen in the former Impression London Printed for the Vindication of the Author and Satisfaction of the Reader 1663. TO THE READER Courteous Reader MY poor Labours in the Gospel have been of late so wretchedly abused and falsely represented to the World as that I have been in a manner constrained to Print these following Sermons for a necessary vindication of my Ministry from the contempt of those prophane adversaries who would gladly lay hold upon any occasion to vilifie it and load it with disgraceful imputations In partieular that Sermon upon Mat. 5.8 Has been most barbarously handled and contumeliously dealt with for I dare appeal to any judicious auditor which was present at the delivery of it whither the counterfeit Copy can shew almost any thing true and genuine save onely the Text that absurd Pamphlet in which these unparalled forgeries are comprized carries a fair and plausible Title flattering the Reader into expectations of some rich spiritual treasure but he which would take the paines to search shall find his deluded hopes entertained with nothing but dross and dung the very excrements of a sottish distempered brain in a word the discourse is altogether wild brutish and extravagant as if it were ambitious to derive its pedigree from a pure frensie and were calculated for Bedlam rather then any serious Christian auditory or were penned by an author who had publiquely renonnced all congruity of language and had professed himself a sworn Enemy both to reason and conscience before he could be qualified for the work and therefore Christian Reader for the future I desire thee neither to receive or give credit to any thing that shall come abroad in the like nature as mine But I shall dwell no longer upon this unpleasing subject be it known for thy further satisfaction that what is here Printed is the same for the main substance of it with that which was formerly Preached without any considerable addition concerning the whole I shall venture to say thus much that there is the clear water of life drawn from the wells of salvation though not presented to thee in a golden cup wholesome food though the dish be not artificially garnished yet if thou be in the number of hungering and thirsting souls such as relish the simplicity of the Gospel thou wilt not stand upon niceness or delicacy I Intreat that thou do not onely read but weigh and consider never rest satisfied until the truths here contained have made some lively impression upon thy heart so this and all other discourses of the like nature may build thee up in thy most holy faith and bring thee nearer to God which shall be the Prayer of him who would gladly approve himself a faithful Witness to the truth Tho. Cheesman MAT. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God HEre is a description of happiness quite contrary to the expectation of Scribes and Pharises who being strangers to the spiritual interpretation of the Law did commonly teach their Disciples that they need not doubt of obtaining Salvation if they did but lead civil lives if they did but bring forth the fruits of moral honesty and were exactly conformable to the Tradition of their Elders But says our Saviour Do not satisfie your selves with such an empty shadow of outward Traditional and Ceremonial holiness Know it is the inward frame and disposition of heart which you are principally engaged to regard and look after Blessed are the pure in heart c. though there are many persons zealous in the observation of superstitious customes which their own fancy hath made choice of though they stand much upon clean Garments and clean Vessels Though they do much for the purifying of the flesh yet notwithstanding this their outward purity they may be objects of Gods reprobating anger they may be condemned to perish with the unbeleiving world and fall short of eternal happiness But blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God By heart here is meant all the powers and faculties of the inward man so purity of heart doth imply an understanding free from error a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man a will freed from the Dominion of sin and Satan affections clarified and refined from the dross of this present World Blessed are they that are thus pure in heart for they shall see God that is they shall enjoy him Vision is commonly put for fruition in the Scripture so in that place Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord that is none shall enjoy him no man without holiness shall be admitted to tast that fulness of joy or bath in those Rivers of pleasures that are at the right hand of God or else we may understand it according to the more plain and familiar signification and thus the pure in heart shall see God in his work of creation they shall behold him in the beautiful frame of Heaven and earth every thing which they see will put them in mind of their creatours wisdom goodness and power they shall see him likewise in the works of providence taking notice of his hand in every mercy and in every judgement and they shall see him present in all his Ordinances but more especially they shall see him in the life to come they shall see the blessed person of Jesus Christ who is the glass of the Trinity and in whom those who are pure in heart shall one day behold the fullness of the God-head dwelling bodily this glass is of a transforming nature for they which see it shall be changed into the same likeness from glory to glory Thus much for the meaning of the words the pure in heart shall see God while they continue in this World by an eye of faith they shall likewise have a more clear immediate ravishing and refreshing vision of him when they are perfectly glorified in the life to come The Text may be divided into a Proposition and a Demonstration The Proposition asserts that the pure in heart are blessed The Demonstration or Argument which the Holy Ghost makes use of in this place to prove their blessedness is taken from their seeing of God blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The principal Doctrine resulting from the words may be this That the pure in heart they and onely such as they are blessed or that true blessedness can never be obtained without purity of Heart In the Prosecution of it I shall first shew what precious ingredients are required to make up this purity of heart
is laid down in the Revelation and then judge whether Goats and Swine are fit to be admitted to be its Inhabitants A bare profession may give you admission into the Church Militant but it is nothing but Scriptural holiness and real purity that can give you admission into the Church Triumphant as for profane persons however they may flatter themselves with vain hopes yet while they continue in sin every leafe almost in the Bible stands as a flaming sword to keep them out of Paradise Fifthly We should labour after purity of heart because without this there can be no perseverance Those whose Religion stands only in a glistering shew of outward profession though they may seem stedfast and flourishing for a while yet they will certainly fall away in an hour of temptation What is the reason that so many have begun in the spirit and ended in the flesh so many with the Church of Ephesus have forsaken their first love It is because their hearts were rotten and corrupt from the beginning perhaps their heads were enriched with choice notions curious speculations and the like but still they were strangers to purity of heart they looked upon Religion as that which could only afford matter of discourse or did consist in disputing for opinions Sixthly We should labour for purity of heart that so we may plentifully tast the goodness of God in all conditions that is a very remarkable place in Psal 73.1 Truely God is good to Israel even to them that are of a clean heart Whatsoever Changes Vicissitudes and Revolutions there may be in the world yet the pure in heart shall experience the mercy and goodness of God In the last place We should labour to get purity of heart because the very life of Christianity doth consist in this In 1 Peter 3.21 Baptisme also now saveth not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God We must consider whether grace have enabled us to answer those solemn engagements which our baptismal Covenant laid upon us it is inward washing which doth principally denominate a Christian Thus much for the reasons and motives stirring up to labour after purity of heart But in the third place What must we do to get our hearts purified First Labour to be heavenly-minded you may observe the nearer things are to heaven the more pure they are Water is more pure than the earth as being higher in its situation Air is more pure then water and the Fire is more pure than the Air because it is nearest to the heavenly bodies If thy heart were turned and taken off from the world if it were more raised to converse with heaven and things of an heavenly nature this would mightily encrease the purity of it Secondly Attend upon the word John 15.3 Now you are clean saith Christ to his Disciples through the word that I have spoken unto you So Psal 119.9 Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to thy word And then get the spirit of grace to dwell in thy heart that is the most effectual way to have the heart purified the spirit is sometimes compared to water for its purifying nature John 3.5 Except a man be born again of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God by water here is not meant the Element of water made use of in baptisme none can conclude baptismal Regeneration from such a place of Scripture as this no but except a man be born of water and the spirit that is of the spirit that resembles water compared to water for its cleansing vertue and efficacy so likewise the Spirit is compared to fire Mat. 3.11 John speaking concerning Christ One cometh after me greater then I whose Shoe Latchets I am not worthy to unloose he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire that is with the Holy Ghost that doth resemble fire so called from its refining vertue In the fourth place I proceed to shew wherein this purity of heart doth discover it self It discovers it self chiefly in these four things an understanding free from error in purity of Works in purity of Words and in purity of Worship First An understanding free from error those that have a pure heart they will strive against Errors in Doctrine as well as Errors in Practice for if the head be once poysoned the venemous influences of it will quickly distend to the heart infecting the very vitals of Christianity corrupt opinions and corrupt practices commonly go together they that have purity of heart will be filled with a love to truth Secondly Purity of heart discovers it self in purity of works if there be a conformity to the Image of God in the heart there will also be a conformity to the Law of God in the outward conversation you may as well suppose the Sun to be without light the fire without heat and honey without sweetness as that saving grace should be rooted in the heart and not bring forth the fruits of holiness in the life Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven therefore those do miserably cheat their own souls which boast as if their hearts were good though they live in the dayly practice of gross and scandalous sins a pure fountain would never send forth muddy streams a good tree would never bring forth corrupt fruit if filthiness appear in the outward behaviour you may certainly conclude that there is much more impurity in the inward parts Thirdly Purity of heart sheweth it self in purity of words James 1.26 If any man among you seem to be Religious and bridle not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans Religion is vain How can the heart be chast when the words are loose and immodest how can the heart be humble when the speech is swelling and lofty how can the heart be heavenly when the discourse constantly runs out and spends it self upon the things of the World the words are still sutable to that treasure which is laid up in the heart Mat. 12.35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things Fourthly They that are endued with purity of heart labour for purity of worship they are Enemies to Will-worship they cannot endure to serve God in any way save that which he has appointed they would not have the gold of the Sanctuary mingled with the dross of humane invention t is the coruption and uncleanness of mens spirits which makes them so violently contend for and obstinately addicted to the observation of Idolatrous customes HEB. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation THe Apostle had told us in the foregoing verse that if the word which was spoken by the Angels that is the Law which was published upon Mount Sinai
guilty of neglecting this great salvation when they will not lay to heart the things of the Gospel when they count it a burthen to be engaged in meditating upon them when they will not consider nor allow the Gospel any room in their serious thoughts but rather do what they can to banish and cast it out of their minds how can you more evidently discover that you despise a thing then when you do not judge it worth the thinking upon Oh! how many are there that melt themselves into luxury and wantonness rufling it out into pride and bravery and wasting their precious time yet they never took any successful care for their impartial souls they never set apart one hour seriously to consider how they might provide for their everlasting state Alas what will become of those men do they not think that they shall taste of Death as well as others and then how can they look their Judge in the face I beseech you sinners take notice of the indispensible necessity that lies upon you to practice the duty of consideration Is Christ before you is grace and a crown of glory before you and will you not consider why is Death ready to seize upon you is the judge at the door and yet will ye not consider why have you any better things to consider upon then the Gospel doth afford what is not a God and a Christ is not the state of your souls worth the considering upon why Crowns and Kingdoms Lands and Lordships they are but toys and trifles but chaff and stubble dross and dung if compared with those everlasting things and yet will you not be perswaded to consider Alas doth not Conscience tell you that you can entertain wanton and covetous and revengeful thoughts from morning until night and that is no wearisomeness to your spirits and have you no leisure no time to think how you may make your peace with God and procure the pardon of your sins That is the second Men are guilty of neglecting this great Salvation when they will not meditate upon the Gospel Thirdly Men are guilty of neglecting this great Salvation when they will not put forth their strength to work out their own Salvation when they resolve to be at no further cost for the saving of their souls then the laying out of a few cold customary desires and sluggish wishes why consider what work you have to do if ever you will enter into life you have a dark understanding to be enlightned an hard heart to be softned a stubborn will to be subdued defiled affections that must be cleansed strong corruptions that must be mortified violent temptations that must be resisted and can all this be done while you sleep in the bosome of brutish security and slothful negligence why doth not the Scripture tell you that if you will be saved you must strive to enter in at the straight gate for many shall seek to enter and shall not be able you must wrestle with Principalities and Powers so run that you may obtain and fight the good fight of faith that you may lay hold upon eternal life and do such expressions as these give the least encouragement to sloath Oh! that men should take more paines to get a morsel of bread then they do to get an immortal Kingdom of glory that they should go to bed late and rise early and eat the bread of carefulness as if they never could take too much pains for the getting of earthly riches yet think every hour too much that is spent for the things of eternity those which will not put forth their strength in working out Salvation they are guilty of neglecting it But in the fourth place what are the causes from whence the general neglect of this salvation may proceed Why first ignorance many are so ignorant as that they do not understand the common termes of Christianity though Ministers do cloath their matter in the plainest and most familiar expressions yet they hear all as if the discourse were delivered in an unknown language Secondly another cause is unbelief why men neglect this great Salvation though they have a competent measure of knowledge yet they do not believe the Gospel of Christ to be true they dont heartily believe that t is the word of God though perhaps with their tongues they may profess to believe as well as others least they should be shamed by the company with whom they converse yet in their hearts they have no stedfast perswasion concerning the truth of these things if there were not so much unbeleif men would be a great deal more diligent in working out their Salvation Multorum fides natat in labris dum nulla est in corde aut vehementer languet as saith Cyprian many profess to have faith when nothing but the works of infidelity appear in their lives Thirdly Hardness of heart that is another reason men are hard enough by nature but by customary continuance in sin and by grieving the spirit and by slighting the means of grace they grow harder so that their hearts will not be broken under the threatnings of the Law nor melted under the promises of the Gospel A broken heart can no more neglect the Gospel than an hungry man can neglect his food But Fourthly The greatest cause of all in the generality of men is earthly-mindedness they are so taken up with the things of the world that they have no leisure to think of heaven their thoughts are earthly their project and endeavours are earthly their affections earthly head heart hand and all conspire to carry on those designs on which their temporal advantages do especially depend You know in Mathew 13.22 those hearers that are compared to the thorny ground they received the word but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choaked the word so that it became unfruitful they were never the better for it If a person goes aside to consider about the matters of his salvation presently some worldly business or other steps in and interrupteth his thoughts The young man in Matthew 19. was very fair for heaven yet notwithstanding the world that was a bar to him for saith the text he went away sorrowful because he had great possessions Christ and the world they are contrary Masters and they set their servants about a contrary work therefore none can serve both of these together I come to the first and last thing which is to wind up all in some usefull application And first If those which neglect the salvation of the Gospel must unavoidably perish then let all take heed how they do attend and give ear to the preaching of the Gospel For first there is much of God and Christ in the Gospel there are thousands amongst the glorified saints and Angels blessing the Name of God for ever for that which they met withal in the preaching of the word if it were possible that sin should be committed in heaven that would be