be unthankful to God for his grace and goodness and mercy vouchsafed unto him The second Use Is is so that a child of God may be left to himselfe to Vse 2 fall fouly then let every one that hopes he hath any grace learn the words of Saint Paul Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2 12. Hath any man gotten quickening goe on with fear and trembling hath any got softness of heart in the fear of God goe on with a trembling heart and consider how brittle your hearts are they are like glass you had need goe charily and tenderly up and down grace is a fine delicate thing if it be cherished and preserved and stirred up what a deal of good may a man attain unto if God hath been good to any of us to give us any saving grace we are very fooles if we look not to it it is a dainty and delicate thing it cannot enter indeed into a mans heart to conceive what a great mercy God hath vouchsafed unto him if he hath bestowed any grace upon him therefore be chary of it and remember Lots Wife remember those fearful examples remember how David brake his bones remember the miserable distressed uncomfortable condition thou mayst bring thy soul into if thou dost not take heed to thy selfe and if thou beest in such a condition consider what gracious promises there are to help thee up again and what gracious examples to make thee think with thy selfe there is yet grace and mercy and quickening for me and if I seek God he will assuredly be found of me The third Use Is it so that a childe of God may fall so foulely Then Vse 3 let not any man stumble at this Doctrine let not any think a childe of God cannot fall to be so dead I say doe not stumble at it but rather see if it be not thy case if thou art not fallen down into this depth of misery for what have I said did not I say that a childe of God might lose his zeal Look abroad what zeal is up and down what yearnings when the Church is in misery nay what need we look abroad who hath zeal against his own sins and corruptions Again did I not say that a childe of God may lose his affections what affections are now a dayes we heare Sermons but what affections are stirred up either in hearing or speaking the Word of God So for prayer what affections are there in prayer So for sin what griefe is there for our sins There is no affection or sorrow at all in us Where is that same anguish of heart that should be in us for our corruptions they are even lost I speak not of wicked men only but even of good people though they be sensible of their deadnesse and hardnesse of heart though they see it yet they are not able to relent at it Then for desires where are they Did I say a childe of God may have hardly any desire almost not be able to wrestle with God for grace and tug for it and is not this our case What frozen prayers what cold devotions are sent up from day to day So did I say a childe of God may be senselesse of sin How far hath this distemper grown upon us now a dayes our hearts might even ake to be privy to that backwardnesse and untowardnesse and unfruitfulnesse I say it might make us to be at our wits end until we were delivered and yet no man complaines there is complaining in a dull manner but no mans heart bursts almost Again did I say a childe of God may grow palpably vain and proud and worldly that a man that hath but halfe an eye may see it and take notice of it is not it thus among us how do we discover our shame wheresoever we come those that have but half an eye see how worldly we are and how we have no mind to God and the things of eternal life is not this our conversation from day to day nay the very world sees it they see how heartless good people are grown Vse 4 The last use may be to rap all mens fingers off that think to comfort themselves with this that hath been said there are these things will answer these conceits first all this is nothing to thee unless thou weâ—t once a godly holy zealous man for all these examples are of men that were once zealous and forward for God and goodness they were once changed from the estate of nature to the estate of grace And again when they were fallen they gat up again and were the more wary and watchful afterwards but it is not so with thee Now we come in the next place to shew what are the causes of this deadness of mens hearts in these times wherein God hath revealed himself more fully and clearly the general reason of this is the giving way to sin and not looking to themselves to abstain from sin and have a care of the commandments of God and walking before him as they ought to do which thing is an horrible deader of the heart as Solomon speaks concerning the adulterer he knows not that the dead are there when a man gives way to sin to worldliness or passâ—on or any other corruption he doth even go where the dead are and there where the guests of hell are if a man gives way to pleasure to be carried away with sinful delights this will dead a mans heart as the Apostle sheweth of the Widows that lived in pleasure 1 Tim. 5.6 they were dead while they were alive as soon as ever David gave way to his sinful corruptions his heart was deaded presently upon it as may appear by the prayer he had afterwards when he came to himself and to look out for quickning uphold me with thy free spirit Psal 51.12 as who should say I feel a base dull slavish spirit come upon me that former liveliness that was in me it is wofully decayed sin had made a mighty breach in his soul it had knockt off his wheels and made him dull and therefore he is fain to pray that God would give him a free spirit again so it was with Peter as soon as ever he had given way to his curiosity and security and presumption he would needs go and see sights he would go into the high Priests hall and see how the business went he did not see the proneness of his heart to be carried into sin now you may see how wofully it deaded his heart in a moment as soon as the damsel spake thou also wert with Jesus of Galilee a man would wonder how no life at all almost appeared in that mans heart if he had had any life would he have carried himself in that fashion his life was so gone that he cursed and sware that he never knew the man if he had any life in him he would rather have said what if I were with Jesus of Galilee I was
with him and I am with him and I will be with him I am ready to dye with him I profess my self to be his Disciple he had no heart in the world to stand for Jesus Christ he had no heart to appear in pleading for him and expose himself to danger for him he was now called to it but he had no heart at all sin it is even like ashes cast upon the fire the fire cannot then send forth its heat so sin doth even cast ashes upon the soul that it cannot express such life as otherwise it would The first reason is because sin is a soul killing thing it is like Mare Mortuum the fishes dye as soon as ever they come there so when the Divel hooks a man into sin he hooks him into the dead sea as the Apostle saith of the Ephesians you were dead in sins if the Divel can but hook a man into sin he is presently in the dead sea Hos 13.12 it is said of Ephraim when he offended in Baal he died c. before when their affections were up and they trembled before God they were lively but when they gave way to sin and iniquity the Church presently died they withered away more and more till they came to nothing therefore the Apostle calls the Law of sin the Law of death the Law of the spirit of Christ hath freed us from the Law of sin and of death Rom. 8.2 sin doth even bring a man to deaths door it doth weaken all the powers and faculties of the soul that a man cannot stir to any duty it makes a man like a snake that is frozen with the cold it cannot stir so it is with a man when he gives way to sin and iniquity it freezeth all the powers that are in him and lesseneth all the powers of Gods spirit it is even like a weight as the Apostle calls it Heb. 12.1 If a man should have a great weight upon his back fetters upon his legs how can that man go he must needs go very dully so it is with sin and iniquity when a man gives way to it it is like plumets of lead like great weights and burthens that clog a mans heart and affections it makes them dull and lumpish and heavy to any thing that is good as Christ speaks of the cares of this life if a man give way to them they will overcharge the heart they will lie heavy that the heart cannot stir Luke 21.34 sin poysons all the soul it poysons the mind that a man cannot look upon things as he did it poysons a mans heart though his heart were deeply affected towards God it is strange if a man give way to sin how it will take off the affections from God it separates between God and the soul and comes between God the fountain of life and the soul and therefore must needs be a killing and deading thing Secondly Sin is a deading thing because it doth grieve the holy spirit of God that dwels in a man you know all the quickning of a Christian consists in the gracious assistance of Gods spirit as long as Gods spirit is pleased to go along with us and work our works for us then we can pray and deny our selves then we are fitted to every good word and work but if the spirit of God retire if it withdraw and suspend his actions and forbear his operations what can a man do a man is even a block without the spirit of God now though the spirit of God delight never so much in doing good to the Saints and delight in accompanying of them and aâ—â—iâ—ting of them and enlarging of them in all their wayes yet if they give way to sin directly he will be grieved and sent sad back again to heaven as it were and when the spirit of God is grieved all must needs go sad and heavy with the child of God suppose a child of God give way to vain talk and discourse you shall see what the Apostle saith this will grieve the spirit of God grieve not the spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Eph. 4.13 he speaks of that very sin if a man give way to it the spirit of God will be grieved though formerly he was pleased mightily to help yet now he will withdraw and then how dully shall a man go on so if we should give way to the suffering of our hearts not to be affected with God and his truth not to see God in all his wayes in all his goodness and dealings that we should not be thankful this will quench the spirit of God it will quench its motions as if a man should pour pail-fuls of water upon the fire so this will quench the spirit of God 1 Thes 5.18 19. there is a manifest dependence between all those exhortations and this is certain let a man once not be affected with God let him not see Gods goodness in all his wayes let him not be affected with Gods mercy and loving kindness it will quench the spirit of God and then consider what a lamentable case a man shall be in Thirdly Sin must needs dead a mans heart because it doth put a most woful bitter hard task upon the soul to go through for you know hard tasks stir up reluctancy against them when a man hath an hard task to go through the very thought of it dulls him it is like a stone upon his heart now let a man sin against grace and the goodness of God and Gods gracious dealing let a man sin against these it doth put a man to a most hard task to go through to go and humble himself before Almighty God and the soul shall find a world of conflicts that he is loth to come to it loth to deal about this bitter business to go about to renew his repentance with bitter remorse for his sins it is like a desperate debtor that hath run himself over head and ears in debt the very thought of coming to a reckoning is death to him he cannot abide to think of it it is like a boy that hath made false Latine if his Master should call him to construe and pearse it and give a rule for every word he knows it is not according to rule he hath not looked after rule and every thing is false now he cannot abide to come to construe and pearse it so when a man hath provoked God by his sins and hath broken his covenant and slighted his ordinances when God calls him to construe and pearse what do you make of such an action and such a word and such a thought the heart is even afraid of these things as a dog is of a whip it is an hard task to be brought to this as David when he had yielded to his security and idleness and unwatchfulness and so had given way to Satan you may see what an hard task he brought upon his soul and how his soul was ever
accounting this your principal and total and main good and accordingly affecting this these are the works of faith and if you have these works you may be quickned believe in the Lord Jesus Christ set your hearts upon him and seek after him and you shall have all manner of good even life it self The second meanes is a careful learning of the Word of God preached When the Corinthians were marvellously blocked up in their minds and hearts and were straightned in good things 2 Cor. 6 12. mark what the Apostle saith v. 11. Our mouth is open to you c. as who should say In our Ministery there is abundance of grace abundance of life and largenesse of heart abundance of gracious things all manner of good things we bring with us in our Ministery peace and comfort and hope and all the promises of God and all the rich treasures of Jesus Christ we come with our armes full you are not straightned here but you are straightned in your own bowels as who should say you may be enlarged sweetly by our Ministery we deliver unto you abundance of grace and mercy and abundance of supply all those deadnesses and lockings up of heart in you would be healed by the Ministery of the Word so may I say if your hearts are locked up certainly it is for not taking what the Word offers if you would come hungerly and greedily to the Word of God with an heart desirous to be edified and instructed and to apply what the Word speaks to your soules certainly you shall here meet with abundance of grace and life for the Word is the Word of life and the Ministery of the Word is the Ministery of the Spirit of God and life so that the deadness of all people is meerly from their own bowels you are not straightned in us saith the Apostle no in the Ministery of the Word is abundance of life The third meanes is A careful shunning of all those causes of deadness which we named formerly we must take heed of sin for if we give way to sinne it will dead the heart it will make a make a man shy of God and put a man to woful tasks and breed lothness to goe about duties it will make a man to have a guilty conscience and dead a man that way it will grieve the spirit of God and quench all the operations and sweet influences and gracious motions of the Spirit that the sweet livelinesse of his workings will be gone away if a man give way to sinne if he give way to the world or slackning in a godly course if a man give way to pride or vanity or any sin this will dead the heart a mans heart will presently be deaded if he give way to the Devil and to his temptations In particular you must take heed of niggardlinesse in Religion they that love quickning must labour for a frank and free spirit that will rather overdoe in Gods service then underdoe as long as a man hath a free heart he shall have a quickened heart therefore labour to preserve it doe as Philemon I know thou wilt doe more then I say Paul knew he had a free spirit that if he commanded him a little he would doe more he would rather overdoe then underdoe our Saviour Christ calls for this free spirit If a man take thy coat give him thy cloak also rather overdoe then underdoe in any good thing have a free heart if God bid thee pray pray three times five times a day rather then not often enough there be many duties that God doth not set down how often and how frequent and how long now labour for a free spirit rather do twice as much then underdo Again Take heed of lownesse of Religion of taking up a low and base and mean kinde of Religion that will not reach the Kingdome of God there is a low kinde of Christianity that wil not be able to attain to salvation a low faith that doth not make a man to have his conversation in heaven a low repentance that reacheth not to mortification a low profession of Religion that comes not to the power of Godliness Prov. 15.24 The way of life is above it is an high thing therefore take heed of low Religion for people think that any kinde of righteousness will serve turn if they have but a little Reformation and Religion they presently think this is godliness but let us take heed of this low Religion that will never do the deed Again We must take heed of want of Watchfulnesse we must set up a gracious and Christian watch in our hearts from day to day when the Lord had found fault with the Church of Sardis for being dead in the next words he bids them be watchful as who should say the want of this watchfulness and looking to your selves and having a care over your thoughts and affections lest you should be drawn aside the neglect of this is the cause of all deadness Again We must take heed of vanity as David saith Psal 119.37 Turn away â—â—ne eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me O Lord. Again We must take heed of covetousness for we shall never have any gracious work upon us if we give way of it Again We should take heed of slacking and abating private duties we should carefully call upon God every day in secret when there is no body by but God and our own souls if we finde backwardness to this duty know it comes from the Devil that would drown us in perdition if he could therefore we must resist him and goe about it for certainly otherwise we cannot be quickned Again We should take heed of slighting inward duties the holy ordinances of God in our bosoms holy meditations gracious strivings against corruptions when they arise setting the Lord before us seeking Gods presence in all places we must have a care we have gracious purposes and endeavours and strivings inwardly in our bosomes Lastly Let us take heed of contenting our selves with any pitch we have attained but still labour to grow in grace lest we fall short and never enter into Gods rest The next meanes is to be earnest with God to quicken our hearts to pray to God for his grace that God would be pleased to put life into us we should make Elijahs prayer that prayed to heaven for fire to come downe upon the sacrifice so pray earnestly to God to send down his celestial fire into thy heart to warm thee and heat thee and stir thee up to that which is good as the Church doth Psal 80.18 Quicken us and we will call c. Of all Petitions under heaven we should pray most of all for life next unto the glory of God and the salvation of our souls nay indeed as the very means for both we should pray that God would quicken us into all our prayers let us put in this Petition that God would quicken us evermore to have it as
according to the flesh Rom. 9. yet notwithstanding that Church was cut off When the holy City proved a Harlot when these people grew to be weary of God and his Ordinances and grew to be loose and would not be ruled by God and his Word the Lord gave them a Bill of Divorcement and sent them away therefore let us be warned by them it is a fearfull thing when God for Idolatry shall cast off Churches and yet we not tremble but live under security and hardness of heart and take not warning by it Jer. 3.8 God saith Yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not but played the harlot When God cast off the ten Tribes Judah saw this and heard of this and could not chuse but understand this and yet she did not fear for all this So when this Parish or any other Parish shall hear of any Parish that is unchurched and unministred and God hath taken away his presence from among them and there shall be no signe of his gracious presence any more the Gospel is gone from such a place and we hear of it and yet doe not fear but are as secure as ever as unfruitful under the means as ever and doe not stir up our selves to be more obedient to God and his Ordinances but goe on to play the harlot and goe a whoring from God from day to day nay we are even ready to promise our selves peace for all this this is a fearful thing Mark what the Lord saith Jer. 7.11 12 13 14 15. He speaks there of Jerusalem So when God hath poured out his plagues and punishments upon other Parishes and other places and hath taken away his Ark and the glory is departed from them and they are left in the shadow of death and we see it and yet tremble not at it God calls upon us from day to day to amend our lives that we might finde mercy with him God tells us as he hath done to other Parishes in the Kingdome so he will doe to us the Lord will lay us desolate and waste as other parts of the land are and certainly the Lords wrath and vengeance is hard at our heels if we doe not speedily repent who knows how soon God may deprive us of his Word and Ordinances For I have not found thy works perfect before God If we take these words in sunder they containe these five Propositions First That the covenant of grace requires works Secondly That these works should be perfect Thirdly That they should not onely be perect in the sight of men for that is nothing but perfect in the sight of God before God Fourthly That the Lord Jesus searcheth whither they be so or no. Fifthly Upon due search he finds it out many times not onely in particular persons but in particular Churches as we see here in the Church of Sardis that their works are not so For the first of these That the second Covenant requires works we see here that the Lord Jesus looks for works in the Church of Sardis that were in covenant with him 't is true there is this difference between the two Covenants the first covenant requires works as the condition of it He that doth them shall live in them Gal. 3.12 The doers of the Law shall be blessed Rom. 2.13 Therefore it is called the covenant of works and that in two senses First In that works are the condition of it Secondly In that it is left unto man God gives onely a power not to sin if so be that man will but he doth not give the will Now the second covenant is not a covenant of works the condition of it is not works but the condition of it is faith The just shall live by faith Rom. 1.17 Therefore it is called a covenant of grace and that in two respects opposite to the former not onely in regard that these works are done by another and so nothing is required of the party justified but onely faith for his justification but also because though the covenant of grace require works yet God doth not expect a man should doe any thing of himself but it is by grace we are saved by grace through faith and not of our selves it is the gift of God I say the second covenant is a covenant of grace and yet it requires works And works are here necessary First by necessity of presence for though faith be the condition yet it is such a faith as hath necessarily good works together present with it as the Apostle speaks Faith if it have not works is dead Jam. 2.17 Good works they are inseparably joyned together with true faith for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also not as though works were the essential forme of true faith but the nature of faith if it be true is such as doth necessarily cause good works to accompany with it They are necessary by necessity of inseparable effects good works are not onely present together with faith but they are so present as that they doe flow from faith God hath required such a faith in the covenant of grace as doth produce good works they are not onely inseparable from faith but thus inseparable that true faith must needs produce them He that hath this hope purifies himselfe as he is pure 1 John 3.3 That is He that hath this faith he sets down faith by the effect hope and sets it down by another effect it must needs purifie it makes that man purifie himself as Christ is pure So Christ having exhorted them to believe having raised up their minds to believe the things that are above Lay up your treasure in Heaven Mat. 6.20 in the next verse he shews this will have the effect of all manner of good works For where your treasure is there will your hearts be also it will draw up your hearts and make you heavenly-minded and make you seek the things that are above where your treasure is there will your hearts be also So likewise we may see Heb. 11. thorow the whole chapter what abundance of effects are set down of true saving faith By faith Abel offered sacrifice to God By faith Noah being warned of God obeyed God and did the things that God commanded verse 7. And so by faith Abraham when he was called yielded to God So by faith believers wrought righteousness and did wonderfull things subdued Kingdomes c. They were able to work wonderful effects so that when a man hath not works when he doth not obey God through the power of faith he hath not faith it self Thirdly Good works are necessary by necessity of signs they are not only to be in a Believer as effects but as proofs of his faith for a man must justifie his faith by his works they are signes and proofs whereby he may know whether his faith be true and of the right stamp or no for if a mans faith be a lively faith a faith that doth
another time he helped the enemies of the Lord and loved them that hated the Lord I know not how he was hooked in to joyn with Ahab and goe up to Ramoth-Gilead and when he had done this and had humbled himselfe for this he did it again 2 Kings 3.7 And the Reformation he wrought was not thorough as it ought to have been yet saith the Text 2 Chro. 19.3 There are good things in thee because he was upright the Lord was pleased to accept him nay I will tell you more look upon the people at the Passeover in the dayes of Hezekiah what a company of people came to Jerusalem to keep the Passeover and came horribly unprepared the Text saith they were not prepared according to the Law of Moses which was a grievous thing yet the Text saith the Lord heard the prayers of Hezekiah for them because they prepared their hearts to seeke the Lord they did endeavour to grieve and be ashamed for their failings and want of preparation now on the other side what goodly men doth God reject not being upright and sincere as Jehu what a glorious King was he I warrant all the good people of Judah and Israel blessed God that ever he fate upon the Throne what to root out Baal and to destroy all the Idolatrous Priests and to be zealous in it come and see my zeal for the Lord these were admirable things yet the Lord doth discharge him and would have none of him because he was not upright Look upon the Scribes and Pharisees the nonesuches and mirrours of their times that was a Proverbe in Israel that if but two men in the world should go to Heaven the one should be a Scribe and the other Pharisee they were thought to be the holiest men in the world yet when the Lord saw this was not with an upright heart he denounceth woe upon woe against them Fifthly Consider That if we be upright it will help us to profit by all Gods Ordinances take the preaching of the word Micah 2.7 the Prophet brings in the Lord speaking thus that the word shall do such people good is there any man in the world that walks uprightly that my word doth not do good unto that it doth not comfort his heart and quicken his soul to obedience is it not a light unto his feet and a Lanthorne to his paths so that an upright man when he comes to the Ordinances of God he shall be the better for it when he goes to prayer he shall be the better for it when he comes to the Sacrament he shall be the better for it all the Ordinances of God shall doe him good whereas if a man have a false heart the word hardens him prayer deads him if he come to the Sacrament it is not for the better but for the worse if he be reproved for his sins if he have not a sincere heart he is so much the worse it will do him no good it will make his heart rise up against those that reprove him and hardens his heart so much the more Sixthly Consider that if we be upright what a deal of comfort this will be to our hearts there is no comfort in the world comparable to the comfort of one that hath walked uprightly as Hezekiah when he had received the sentence of death what did comfort him did all his wealth and greatness and renown comfort him no but remember Lord how I have walked before thee with an upright heart marke what he saith he doth not say Remember Lord how I have reformed the Church and purged the Temple and thrown out all the abominations in the Land and purified the Passeover and set the Ordinances of God in his house in due order's no none of all these comforted his heart but looke what he did he did with an upright heart as who should say I might have done all these things but if it had not been with an upright heart it had been nothing that which I did I did from my heart with a fear of thy command I sought thee in it and no by-ends all my care was to approve my selfe before thee â—ow Lord remember this remember the infinite goodnesse and promises that thou hast made to those that are upright before thee Nay if thou hast an upright heart whatsoever troubles come upon the earth or upon thine own soul if thou beest cast into prison or made to flie from one Country to another I tell thee in the midst of all thy afflictions and troubles if thou hast an upright heart thou shalt have peace and comfort Psal 97.11 in the midst of darkness in the midst of afflictions there is some light some cranney some hold some comfort for the righteous on the other side if a man be not upright what a woeful case is this man in nay though a man be upright yet if he doe not apprehend himselfe to be so what a lamentable case is he in he can have no comfort all the skilful Physitians in Gilead can hardly fasten comfort upon that man tell him of all his reformations and prayers and good duties he hath performed O saith he all this is but hypocrisie I am so dead and dull God hath not all my heart tell him of his good desires and purposes and endeavours he is affraid he is not right tell him of Gods promises to pardon him he saith I am not sincere I am not upright Lastly If we be upright we shall be blessed our selves and not only our selves but our very posterity shall be blessed as the Prophet David saith Psal 112.2 His seed shall be mighty upon the earth he speakes of the upright not onely himselfe shall be blessed but he layeth up a blessing for the generation that shall come out of his loins so Prov. 20.7 his very children are blessed after him if thou set thy selfe to serve God uprightly with all thy heart though thou canst not leave thy children any great outward matters yet thou shalt leave them a blessing from Heaven thy children shall fare the better for it if we would know what shall become of our children and would faine provide for them let us be upright and that is the way to lay up a blessing in store for our children now on the other side if a man be not upright he is so farre from treasuring up mercy for his children that he rather treasures up wrath both for them and his own soul nay though a man hath been never such a convert to outward appearance never so strangely reformed that all the Country admires at it as it was the case of Simon Mâ—gus he was a Conjurer yet this man was converted very much to see too he was wonderfully reformed and gave over his Conjuring and embraced the Gospel and would follow the Saints and joyned himselfe to Peter and to Philip also when he came to Town yet having not an upright heart the Text saith he had no Lot nor portion in
therefore it is possible to do it for the law commands things not possible to be done by reason of the weakness of the flesh but this is an evangelical precept now when a man is effectually called of God and is commanded to make his calling sure he may do it the thing is possible and it may be performed and it is a mans own fault if he do it not if a man that is effectually called of God do not know it it is his own fault and negligence and carelesness when God bids his people that are called make their calling sure it implyeth they may do it the Lord laies no impossibility upon his own servants that he hath called to his Kingdome and glory but together with his precepts he sheweth them where grace is and the throne of grace is open for them and they have an interest in God that quickens the dead and have an open highway to the throne of grace to have any thing that they are required to do Thirdly Because the knowledge of our effectual calling is the ground of thanksgiving for it God requires that they that are effectually called to have such mercies should be thankful to God for it now how can a man be thankful for that which he is ignorant of whether he have it or no that is but a mockery as carnal people in their thanks will put in things they know not we returne unto thee O Lord all possible praise and thanks for election vocation justification c. Carnal people put these things into their graces blessing God for these things now if a man come to them do you know that you are elected and called and justified and have a true ground and hope of glory nay that we cannot tell say they this is a foolish thanksgiving this is to make a mock of God and to lie before him the Lord will have no such thanks but sing praises with understanding as the Scripture speaks he will have real and reasonable service now unlesse a man know this he cannot be thankful to God aright The Apostle willing the Corinths to be thankful for their calling the poore Corinths that were despised and ignoble and mean and of the lower rank of all the Town he wisheth them to glory in Gods goodness and in nothing of their own how doth he urge it you know your calling not many wise men after the flesh not many noble c. but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise c.. 1 Cor. 1.26 you see it many there are that God hath called among you and you see what manner of persons they are it is palpable and you cannot deny it therefore I would not have you glory in your selves but in God so Col. 1.12 13. giving thanks unto God the Father saith he that hath made us meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son the Lord expects thanks for this effectual calling when God hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the Kingdome of his dear Son that is when he hath effectually called us we should give thanks to God for it now how can we give thanks to God for it when we are uncertain and ignorant of it surely the Spirit of Christ and the Lord Jesus Christ loveth the glory of God and that God should have praise from his people for every mercy therefore without doubt they may come to know it because otherwise God should require that of them which they are not able to performe Fourthly Because this is the very end of the word of God it is one of the ends why the word of God is written to us indeed there are other ends besids this it is to convert to strengthen to direct to comfort to counsel it is to build up and to pull down the end of the word is to pull and hew some down to be cast into the fire but one end is to acquaint the people of God with the mercies of God and with graces and mercies and kindnesses he hath laid up for them in Jesus Christ and how they are called to these things this is one end of the word that they may know these things that God hath vouchsafed 1 Joh. 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life c. I have written to you that do believe to you that are effectually called that you may know that you have eternal life you have it but I would faine have you know that you have it Now the Word is a sure Word that will not faile us Fiftly Because the soul of a man it hath the power of reflection in it and it is able to reflect upon it self and know what it self doth and what it self hath the soul of a man is a reflective being and reflects upon its own bosom whereby it is privy to what it thinks and what it saith and what passages there be therein 1 Cor. 2.11 What man saith he knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man the spirit of a man that is in him knows the things that be in a man it is privy to its own affaires as it is with wickedness so it is with good actions and thoughts now for wicked courses we see that the conscience is privy to what sins and corruptions are in a man as Solomon told Shimei thou knowest all the wickedness which thy heart is privy to that thou didst to David my Father thou knowest it thy heart is privy to it thou canst reflect upon thine own bosome and canst tell what wretched speeches thou didst speak thou art able to utter them in order as thou art privy to it as Solomon saith Eccl. 7 22. oftentimes thine own heart knoweth that thou thy self likewise hast cursed others he speaks of one that hath cursed thy own heart knows that thou hast done it saith he so it is in good actions and things that are in a man a mans heart is privy to it if a man obey the call of God how can a man do it but he must know that he is effectually called If a man do mourn for his sins and grieve for his iniquities the heart knows its own bitterness it is able to reflect upon what it self doth so if a man do desire grace and hunger and thirst after righteousness and pant after the living God he is able to say I do this Psal 42.1 As the hart pants after the rivers of water so doth my soul pant after thee O God his own heart shall be able to reflect upon it if thou humble thy soul and set thy self to prayer and approve thy self to God from day to day look into thy bosom and there thou mayst see it But it may be
what is this particular word which the Lord speaks to the soul is there any such particular word to be found in all the Scripture Thomas or Richard do you come to me I answer there is a general word in the Scripture and this particular word is in the general so that though there be not a particular word expressively yet there is equivalently and this I will make appear in three or four particulars First what particular place of Scripture saith that Thomas or James or such a one is a childe of wrath by nature is here any Scripture saith so of him I answer yes this particular is in the general we are all the children of wrath by nature Eph. 2.3 and cursed is every one that continues not in all the things written in the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 now though a mans name be not named William such a one is accursed by nature yet notwithstanding he findes his particular in the general that he is a cursed creature Again what place of Scripture saith that Robert or John must love God and is bound to love God is there any such place of Scripture no why will you say then that you are bound to love God and obey him if there be no such place of Scripture yes for this particular is in the general Thou shalt love the Lard thy God c. That Commandment is delivered to all men in the whole world So Thou shalt do no murther thou shalt not commit adultery c. this Commandment lies upon the whole world therefore if thou beest a man though thou canst not finde thy name set down that the Lord speaks to thee yet thy particular is in those generals so though it cannot be shewn in all the Scripture that such a particular man shall rise againe yet when the Scripture saith that all men shall rise againe as John 5.28 Marvel not for the houre shall come that all flesh that is in the grave shall come forth if all that are dead shall rise again then every man shall rise again though his name be not named in Scripture so it is hear we read in Scripture that Christ saith John 7.37 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink now the Lord includes a particular in it and brings it to the soul thou thirstest thou wouldest faine have Christ here are the promises here is all mercy in my Sonne believe in him come and receive him take him and thou shalt have them so if Christ saith whosoever beleeves shall be saved then Saint Paul might safely conclude a particular word to the Jaylor beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Acts 16.31 so that you see here is a particular word though not particular directly yet equivalent to a particular namely a particular in the general and the Spirit of God doth speak this to the soul and makes the soul hear it Every man therefore that hath heard it c. When God calls the soul home he makes the soul hear his voice here a particular voice and word to him believe in the Lord come unto me for salvation relie upon me for eternal life the sinnes that trouble thy soule cast thy self upon me for the forgiving of them the diseases miseries distempers thou art subject unto lay hold upon me and rest upon me for the delivering thee from them the Lord when he calls a man effectually he speaks it not onely the Minister and the Word speaks it but the Lord speaks it and so the soul hearing of the Father comes to Christ thus you may see the Lord holds the free promises of the Gospel before the soul and bids a man relie upon them as Peter dealt with his contrite hearers the Spirit of the Lord going along with his word Acts 2.39 believe saith he for the promise belongs to you and to your children c. as who should say when God calls a man effectually he holds forth his promises and propounds them to the soul beleeve this promise and rest upon me for it thus the Lord doth call a man home he sends his promise before him he sets up hope before him he sends the gracious invitation of the Gospel before him and bids him relie upon it thus God dealt with his Elect Corinths 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful saith the Apostle by whom ye are called to the fellowship of his Sonne Jesus Christ as who should say when God called you he spake to every one of you in particular come and be fellow heirs with my Son come and have every good thing with my Sonne come and be a sonne with him come and be an heir of grace with him and have title to eternal life and salvation God calls you saith he to beleeve that he is faithful So I might instance in many more though there be never so many in the Congregation yet the Lord doth not speak to them all they do not all hear his voice they all hear the Minister but that makes them not to come that doth not the deed but when the Lord calls a man he comes he joyns with the Word and speaks to this or that man and takes him alone and whispers him in the ear and tells him where mercy is and bids him rely upon him and though sense and feeling be against him though all fears and objections be against him he bids him believe and be of good cheere he shall have all these mercies if he will believe in him as he saith Esay 51.20 Look unto Abraham your father for I called him alone and blessed him mark it the Lord took him alone and spake to his heart between him and himself so when the Lord speaks to a soul and calls him by his grace he calls him alone and takes him alone though all the Congregation hears the same Sermon yet he takes him alone and speaks to his heart and bids him beleeve in him for I will never faile thee it is a sure foundation he may build upon it for ever and ever Because no man could come unto Christ else for we see daily though Ministers call all the Congregation and assembly yet people do not stir they are dead in their sins they cannot hear the Minister no it must be a louder voice and one that is more powerful and effectual unlesse the Lord come and bid a man beleeve he can never do it therefore John 5.26 See what Christ saith Verily I say unto you that the hour shall come when the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God here comes an Almighty voice that speaks to the raising of a man out of the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and faith and he shews that there is a voice of Christ that speaks to the soul that though the soul be dead yet it shall heare and live so Ephesians 5.14 and were it not for this call no man could beleeve That so they may have a ground
great and convincing manner it speaks in a prevailing manner it speaks over and above all it speaks in a ravishing manner it makes the soule see a cornucopia of all good an abundant treasury of all mercy in the ways of God and in the promises of the Gospel it makes a man see that whatsoever the heart can wish and desire that is good it is there to be had and no where else to be attained it speaks in an uncontroulable manner to the soul that the soul can stand out no longer but must come off JOHN 6.35 He that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst WE have finished the first part of Effectual Calling and now we come to the second Namely the answer to this Call for this is the difference between effectual calling and that which is not effectual the one makes a man come and the other doth not now this coming is by faith and this we have here in the text He that cometh unto me c. Now before I come to handle this point I must premise something concerning faith Namely that it is not only a bare assent of the minde that all good things are in Christ but it is a confidence for the having of all the good things that are in him it is not only the first act of faith Namely an assent to the truths of the Gospel that God hath put all treasures of eternal life in his Son this I will not speak of because all both Papists and Protestants agree in this that faith is an assent of the minde this is a controversie on neither side therefore I will omit it But it is the second part or act of faith which is the believing that in the Lord Jesus Christ he shall have eternal life which is an act of the heart and this is that which I will stand upon it is a confidence in God and Christ for all good things when a man doth not only believe that all the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ but when a man doth fiducially and confidencially bear himself and rest upon Christ for all these things he comes to Christ for all good he looks for this I will prove to be an act of a justifying faith and that I may not be mistaken I will distinguish There is a confidence in the power of God a natural man may believe the power of God and yet not have a justifying faith all that had miraculous faith did believe the power of God but the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.2 If I had all faith that is all miraculous faith even to the removing of mountaines without charity it were nothing Secondly there is an unrooted confidence of the will which may be in a natural man as a natural man may believe that Christ is the only hope of Glory the only way the Truth and the Life the only one for whose sake he shall be accepted as he may assent to this so he may have a kinde of unrooted confidence in these things which may procure a great deal of peace to his conscience this is that which Divines call a temporary faith Mat. 13. for a time they do believe c. A natural man may not only believe Christ but believe in Christ in some sense truly he cannot but in an unrooted manner there may be such an act put forth though it be not rooted in the heart this you may see John 2.23 24. Many believed on Christ saith the text yet he would not commit himself unto them he would not trust them with mercy and grace and favour he would not trust them in regard of his own body and safety they were not right for all that and yet they did not only believe Christ but in some sense and in an unrooted manner they believed on Christ therefore there is not only a firme assent to the truth which may be in a natural man but also some kind of confidence Thirdly there is a presumptuous confidence in God and Christ for salvation which the workers of iniquity may have they may not only believe the general truths of the Gospel but have some kind of confidence in Christ though not so good as the former for that reformes a man and makes him follow Christ till persecution come and may be in persecution too till he be weary but this is not so good you shall have a drunkard a prophane person he hath confidence in Christ that God heares his prayers accepts his duties and will provide for him our Saviour Christ speaks of such Matth. 7.22 He tells us of many that shall be confident in him how they have done wonderful works in his Name and eate and drank in his presence and have heard him preach in their streets and yet are but workers of iniquity I do not mean this neither these are but false confidences Now there are two godly confidences gracious ones such as are only in Gods Elect and not in all Gods Elect neither but only in such as are effectually called and yet come not within this definition of faith The first is that full special perswasion of the heart a man may have true justifying faith though he never attaine to this for justifying faith is a confidence in Christ for justification now this special and full perswasion of the heart is not only an affiance in Christ for justification it doth not only apprehend Christ for justification but it apprehends justification it self now this must needs be after justifying a man must needs be justified before he can confidently apprehend justification he must first be justified before he can say he is justified the object must be before the act Thus it goeth justifying faith must needs be before justification and justification must be before the sense and feeling of justification before a man can feel and apprehend he is justified the cause goeth before the effect in order of nature for a man is justified by faith Now if a man know he is justified then the thing must be true before he knows it is so now here they differ that faith is a confident apprehending of Christ for justification and this full special perswasion of the heart is not only a confident apprehending of Christ for justification but an apprehending of justification it self Now true justifying faith may be without this Job 13.15 Though he kill me yet I will trust in him That is suppose that I were at an utter losse that I knew not whether God will slay me yet slay me or not slay me perish or not perish I will trust in him Imagine God deliver me up and will none of me yet though he kill me I will trust in him I do not say I am at this losse that he will kill me blessed be God I am not in this case but if I were at this losse that he would kill me for ought I knew yet I would trust in
then the sincere they may multiply duties as well as the other for the things done but here is the thing a wicked man doth duties heartlesly unaffectionately but a child of God doth them sincerely and willingly and le ts out his heart and affections upon them all God loves a chearful giver 2 Cor 9.10 He loves a giver that gives with all his affections so he loves a chearful comer to Church that is glad to hear a Sermon and his heart leapes to hear the Word of God and he is affected with it he loves a chearful praying one that in prayer poures out his soul before him he loves a chearful comer to the Sacrament that delights to shew forth the Lords death till he comes God doth not love a man unlesse he doth this with all his affections as it is said it is good to be zealous in a good matter the worship and Commandments of God are good matters now it is good to be zealous in these matters nay to have the creame and flower and chief of our affections set upon these things we are acquainted with the wayes and histories of grace and we can speak thereof but it doth not sink down into our hearts it doth not warme us nor put any heat into our souls we are not quickened and moved by these things we know Gods attribute his power and wisdome and mercy and justice c. But none sink down into our hearts they affect us not as they ought to do where are our affections in prayer We pray and come to Church and to the Lords Table but where are our affections in all these things The Lord cares not for these services that have not affections to spice them and sweeten them and beautifie them the Lord loves when a man serves him with all his heart when the will hangs off it is base service and the Lord regards it not as the Lord loves that we that are Ministers should preach with a ready minde 1 Pet. 5.2 That we should preach with gracious affections and be affected in the Pulpit and desire from the bottome of our souls to do good to the people and yearne over the people the Lord loves these things when we do them willingly and heartily so he delights in people when they heare and call upon his Name with affection when we go about Gods Commandments as a Bear to the stake God abhors it may be God commands a man to do such a thing he doth it but it is hard saith he when money is to be fetched out of his purse for good duties it is hard saith he and when he must go against the wicked and pull the ill will of the Countrey upon him may be he doth it but it is hard the Lord distasts this the Lord loves a chearful giver and a chearful worker a chearful Minister and chearfull people now if faith comes into the soul it will not only work obedience but chearful obedience and from the bottome of the heart Secondly true obedience makes a man resigne himself to God it makes a man to be altogether at Gods dispose I am thine saith David he looked upon himself as if he were altogether at Gods dispose as if he were his and not his own You are not your own saith the Apostle you are bought with a price 1 Cor. 2 6. So that is true obedience when a man gives up himself to God many will do things that God commands but they know not how to do them with resignation to be altogether at Gods dispose they love to be called Gods servants but they will be only retainers as many will get to be servants to some Gentleman but it is only for their own advantage to save their purses to have the Gentlemans countenance these will not dwell with the Gentleman but in their own houses and when he hath some great strangers at a Feast or when he rides abroad in state then they will attend upon him but yet they will live at home and be their own men so most people are but the Lords retainers this is no obedience at all it is none of faiths obedience Thirdly true obedience puts forth all a mans strength to God Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy strengh Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his Holy Name Psal 103. True obedience lets forth all that is in a man to Christ Mat. 4.20 When Christ called Simon and Andrew they flung away their nets and followed him it was all the living they had and yet they flung away all to follow him so when he spake to Matthew a Publican faith came no sooner into his soul but he followed him presently Mat. 9.9 Though it was a rich office he was a Knight by his place as Cicero speaks it was worth five hundred pounds a yeare of our money yet as soone as ever Christ called him he left his place and went after Christ so when a man will part with purse and friends and all he hath and fling all at Gods foot and give up all to him this is true obedience now if we have not this we have not faithful obedience THE KILLING POVVER OF THE LAW Rom. 7.9 For I was once alive without the Law but when the Commandment came Sin revived and I died IN these words the Apostle shewes Two things First What a jolly man he thought himself to be whilst he was a Pharisee before the Lord wrought upon him by the Law Secondly What a miserable wretched creature he saw himself to be when the Lord took him in hand and discovered his sins unto him before the Law came home unto him and convinced his Conscience he thought himself to be alive but when the Commandment came Sin revived and he died 1. In the former we may observe Two things First The jolliness of the Apostle he thought himself to be alive I was alive without the Law I was a Pharisee and thought my self to be alive I fasted twice a week and prayed every day and made long Prayers each day when he considered how he walked thus in all the Ordinances of God he thought if this was not to be alive he knew not what it was to be alive I was alive once without the Law Secondly We have here the cause why he had this good conceit of himself it was because he was without the Law the law of God had not convinced him it had not discovered his miserable and wretched estate unto him though he had some understanding in the literal sense of the Law yet the Law was not yet come home unto him he was as yet without the Law and that was the reason of that good conceit he had of himself he did esteem himself to be alive And then again in the latter part When the Commandment came Sin revived but I died There we may also observe Two things First
the wildernesse as the wildernesse is open for all wild-beasts so their hearts are open for all temptations that is the reason they have such dead hearts and cold affections that is the reason they look so little after salvation and eternal life because people never look after this duty of watchfulness nay they are so far from watching how to be saved that they watch how the divel may take them when a man sins he wisheth the Divel would help him to more sin a covetous man is so far from watching over his sin that he would have more opportunities and more occasions of getting the Devil cannot come fast enough to fill his heart with these things So if a man be given to pleasure he thinks he cannot have enough but would have more still Thus people would have the Divel put more corn into the hopper They are so far from watching for good that they watch for evil they devise evil upon their beds as the Prophet Micah speaks They are possessed with the spirit of slumber they have eyes and see not they have eares and hear not hearts and understand not they do not know what watchfulnesse is if they do they are the lesse excusable because they practice it not they do not watch and wake unto Prayer that they may not enter into temptation but are carried away with the world and sin The Second Use is To them that are Godly in some measure that we cannot say they altogether do not watch yet how negligent are they in this duty Many Christians are there among us that have some goodnesse in them yet how doth this duty lye unpractised whence come all the vanities in our minds and untowardnesse in the Ordinances of God Whence comes all unfruitfulnesse in our meetings and unsettlednesse in our Consciences It is because we do not watch Whence comes it that we are no more ready to good duties When we are called forth on the sudden to pray or do any thing for the good of Gods Church and People that we are so unfit to do it and so backward it is for want of watchfulness Nay what is the reason that we perform not the Worship of God in our Families better but because we do not watch the very Regenerate themselves what a world of mischief do they do to their own souls for want of this duty of watchfulness How do they swell in sin and are slack in goodnesse and slubber over Gods service How do they favour themselves too too much and suffer the dishonour of God by the wicked and suffer their own hearts to dishonour him too too much Thirdly The next Vse shall be to shew you the Rules that are to be observed in watching and the Rules are these If you would watch over your selves First Count watchfulnesse your very life and think if you let watchfulnesse go you let your life go for if once watchfulness go hovv dead are you in Prayer and hearing the Word of God So that the security of the heart vvill be the death of the heart vvherefore if vve vvould go on in vvatching let us labour to keep this Holy disposition count it your very lives and think vvith your selves I let Life go if I let Watchfulnesse go We use to say of Sleep that it is the brother of Death and 1 Thes 5.6 vve may see the Phrase used by the Apostle vvhere vvaking is put for living and sleeping for dying that is the meaning of the vvords So that as sleep natural sleep doth lively represent death so it is vvith Spiritual sleep vvhich is the death of the soul Therefore dost thou find thy self to be out of frame and not vvatch over thy vvayes then think vvith thy self that thou art a dead man and take up thy vvatch as fast as thou canst again Secondly Thou must let thy watch stand Catholically universally in all duties and all times vvatch thereunto and persevere therein vve must not only watch but Persevere Be careful in the morning how vve may begin our vvatch in the day hovv vve may spend it at night how vve may end it So vve must vvatch in all duties vvhen vve go to Prayer vve must vvatch in prayer vvhen you go about your Callings vvatch about them vvhen vve are alone vve should be vvatchful and vvhen vve are in Company vve should be vvatchful for the Divel and our ovvn souls plot a great deal of mischief against us vve must vvatch in all places in our houses and vvithout doors and in the fields vve are still in danger vvheresoever vve are Thirdly We should proportion our watch according as the duty is we take in hand so our vvatching may bee there is one kind of vvatching for one kind of duty another for another If vve be to go about our callings then our vvatching must be against distrustfulnesse and covetousness and distracting cares that so vve may not be over head and ears in the vvorld If our duty be prayer vve must have an eye to the promises and take hold on the Lord Jesus Christ and come in his mediation and his onely So vvhatsoever duty it be if it be hearing of the Word of God there is a vvatchfulness to be proportionable to it A man should think the vvord will do me no good unlesse the Lord meet vvith my lusts I have an unmortified heart and unlesse the Lord vvork upon me I shall never lie dovvn under him Therefore vve should be vvatchful that vve may practice and be able to apply vvhatsoever is spoken to us vve are to keep a due vvatchfulness for that vvhich is due to one thing is not due to another that vvhich is sufficient for one is not for another Fourthly Take heed of all things that may hinder Watchfulnesse And first Take heed of vain Company If vve will be watchful we must exercise our selves vvith those that are godly To be vvith secure Christians is the vvay to be secure this vvill hinder a man A man had better be alone then be in bad Company as the Prophet David saith Psal 102.7 I watch and am alone as a Sparrow on the house top he was alone and yet he was watching A man when he is alone may be watching rather then when he is in such Company a man can never look to himself well unlesse he prize the Communion of Saints Secondly A man should be sober Take heed of Spiritual Drunkenness Take heed of the cares of this life and that you be not immoderate in any lawful thing we should stand upon our guard and keep our hearts with all manner of keeping if our hearts grow drowzy and idle and if we neglect Sobriety then we are gone therefore in Scripture these are put together be sober and watch 1 Thess 5.6 1 Pet. 5.8 I do not mean Drunkennesse with Wine for there is a Drunkennesse and not with Wine as the Prophet speaks a man may be drunk with
by nature may do the things commanded in the Law but here is the question Whether he doth them with this new nature this heavenly nature The old creature may hear and pray and be sober and moral for by nature the Heathen did the things contained in the Law But if a man be Regenerated as he doth the things contained in the Law and Gospel so he doth them with a new nature as Deut. 5.29 when the Children of Israel had spoken admirable speeches All that the Lord saith to us we will do they made goodly professions now mark what God saith Oh that there were an heart in this people to keep my commandments As who should say These are very good words and I know that you think what you speak but Oh that this were written in your hearts that this were natural to you this will not hold your hearts are not carried this way Secondly If the Spirit of God hath Regenerated a man then the heart begins to be a good soyl for Grace and the heart begins to be sutable so that the heart is fit for Grace A natural heart is not a proper soyl for Grace As if a man should bring a Plant from Spain and set it here in England it cannot thrive unlesse a man meet with a soyl that is fit for it So Grace if it come into the heart and the heart is not a soyl for it it can never thrive there unlesse the heart be Regenerated and unlesse there be a new nature There may be admirable things in a natural man excellent good purposes and resolutions God may come to him as a Passenger that lodgeth for a night but he is gone the next morning he may come as a sojourner to endure for a while but here is no dwelling for him these resolutions and purposes and desires cannot last long that heart will squander them away it is like the putting of a new piece into an old garment Matth. 9.16 When a man puts a new piece into an old garment a fine new purpose into an old heart a new good desire into an old mind the rent will be worse for that man will return back again and will have his lusts and will be worse then he was before for the heart is not able to hold these 't is true in the best hearts of Gods people is a great deal of unnatural soyl for Grace but there is some of this good new soyl that Grace now can hold and shall hold so that the gates of Hell shall not prevail it is not for any goodnesse of the heart but for the goodnesse of Grace in the heart there may be transient acts of goodnesse in a wicked man as Prayer and such-like transient acts but when the transient act is done there is a conclusion but nature is permanent and an enduring thing it is not only to come to Prayer and then be dead to come to a Sermon and then be dead but it is a permanent thing a man is godly between Prayer and Prayer and the religious between Sermon and Sermon and in all his wayes he sets himself to be good and well disposed all his dayes God complains against those that give him transient acts of goodnesse Oh Ephraim what shall I do to thee that art as a morning cloud c Thirdly If the Spirit of God hath made a man a new nature then he cannot live in sin As the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 Joh. 3.9 He that is born of God sinneth not c. he is born of God and it is against his nature to go on in sin a man cannot go against his nature 't is true a man for a little time may go against his nature as Moses though his nature was mild and meek yet he was transported very much Hear ye rebels and shall I bring water out of this rock He was carried away in his passion but he could not hold on in that strain for it was against his nature so if a man be overcome with any other sin yet when a man is renewed as a Spring clears it self of the mud so this new nature is so opposite and contrary to sin that he cannot go on in sin Fourthly If the Spirit of God hath wrought this work in thee Then it is pleasant to thee to do the will of God Look what a man is naturally inclined to it is marvellous pleasant to him to follow it As for example If a mans nature be gluttonous how pleasing is it for him to satisfie his Appetite And if a mans nature be given to Intemperance how pleasing is Excess unto him And if a mans nature be proud how pleasing is it to be flattered and spoken fair to be reverenced and respected at every word A man loves these things a life because they suit with his nature So if a man have a new nature and partakes of the divine nature how pleasing will Prayer be And how pleasing will the Word be how pleasing will Counsels and Exhortations be how pleasing to be corrected and reproved for sin How sweet are thy words unto my mouth saith the Prophet David Psal 119.103 As our Saviour saith Joh. 4.34 It is my meat and drink to do his Will that sent me So I have longed for thy Commandments saith David I have loved to know wherein I might glorifie thee and be serviceable to thee Now when it is irksom for a man to obey he cannot abide strictness and preciseness and be counts it a disgrace to him to deny himself in such a thing and be goeth to duty like a Bear to the Stake and he hath no forwardnesse it is a sign he hath no new nature Fifthly If a man be born again Grace will get the upper hand when a man meets with lusts and concupiscence of Soul though they may exceedingly bear a man down for a time and transport a man beyond himself yet in the end Grace will have the victory and prevail 1 Joh. 5.4 He that is born of God overcomes the world all temptations of the world all pul-backs and draw-backs he that is born of God he will have the mastery so 1 Joh. 5.18 the Apostle saith The wicked oâ—e cannot touch a man that is born of Godâ— that is with a deadly touch as he toucheth wicked men he toucheth wicked men so as he infects them and poysons them and carries them away Sixthly He that is born of God he is one that lâ—ves the Children of God If there be any Saint in the parish any Child of God there is his affection and bowels most I speak of spiritual affections for otherwise Grace doth not take away nature but set it up having refind it But I speak of spiritual love if a man be born of God himself he loves all others that are born of God 1 Joh. 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and he that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten If
sin and grace 11 4 He may grow notoriously vain worldly and guilty 5 The service of God may be a burthen to him 12 6 He may be so dead that nothing can quicken him Quest If a Saint be thus dead where is grace all the while Ans It cannot be taken away because 1 The seed of God remains still in him 13 2 Supernatural habits remain 3 He ever hath an anointing 4 He hath remaining some little strength Use 1 To stir us up to labour against sin 14 2 Let the best of Sains stand on their guard 3 Comfort for those who are dejected with dead hearts 7 A child of God may fall into foul sins 15 1 Into Idolatry 2 Apostacy 3 Persecution of Saints 8 A child of God may be hardned in sin 16 9 He may be long in sin Reas 1 In regard of Satan 2 Of themselves 17 3 Of God himselfe who leaves them to themselves that 1 they may be patterns to others 2 to punish their carelesness 3 that so they may see they stand meerly by grace 18 4 that they may be sensible towards their brethren 19 5 to humble them 20 Use 1 How to order our speeches concerning grace which though it be sufficient 1 to bring a man home to God 2 to keep him from falling away finally 3 from falling away totally 21 Yet Gods people are to stand upon their guard because 22 1 Grace looks for this 2 Promises are conditionall 23 3 Experience in all ages proves the falling of Saints upon Gods withdrawing 24 Qu. Is grace then indifferent in particular passages Ans No. For 1 Grace sets up in the soul an universall principle to serve God in every particular 2 It sets up a watch in the soul Use 2 To work out our salvation with fear and trembling 25 Use 3 Not to stumble at this doctrine Use 4 Not to raise false comfort to our selves from this doctrine 26 Causes of deadnesse The cause in Generall is giving way to sin which is 1 A soul-killing thing 2 It grieves the holy spirit 27 3 It puls a hard task on the soul to goe through 4 It defiles the conscience 28 5 It weakens all assurance of welcome with God 29 Causes in particular 1 The nigardliness of people in Gods service 2 Their unwatchfulness 30 3 Contenting themselves with a low kind of religion 31 4 The vanity of mens minds 32 5 Mutuall example 6 Covetousness and worldinesse 7 Spirituall sloth 33 8 Neglect of secret duties 34 9 Neglect of inward duties 35 10 Contenting themselves with what they have attained unto 36 Means of quickning 1 Believing and looking up to Christ 37 2 Learning of the word preached 38 3 Shunning all causes of deadnesse 4 Being earnest with God to quicken us 39 5 Diligent in all Christian duties and worship 40 6 Exercising that grace we have 7 Considering former and present examples 41 Motives to shake off deadnesse 40 1 Consider the ingredients of this sin of deadness 42 As 1 Dulness and blockishness of mind to good 2 Awkness and avorness of heart to the waies of Jesus Christ 43 3 Senselesness of conscience 4 Coldness of affections 5 Faintness of endeavours 6 Drowsiness of the whole man Mot. 2 Consider that while we are dead we cannot pray not hear c. Mot. 3 We can have no true sign of true grace 44 Mot. 4 We cannot grow in grace 45 Mot. 5 We shall grow deader and deader Mot. 6 This sin of deadness worse then other sins in these respects 46 1 Deadness is in all the whole man 2 It is against all Gods Commandments 3 It is deeper in the soul then other sins 47 4 It is an estate of sin 5 It is a second death 6 More special threatnings against deadness Considerations to quicken us 1 Consider that we owe to God our life and affections 48 2 All the world is alive in their own courses let Christians be alive in theirs 3 Consider the worth of what is lost by deadness 49 4 If we be quickned nothing will be hard 5 We shall have much joy and comfort 6 All Heaven will rejoice at our quickning 7 We shall be enabled thereby to doe good to others 50 Remedies against deadnesse 1 Be watchfull 51 Observ It is an excellent and soveraign thing for a Christian to watch 52 Reas 1 In regard of our selves our selves are false to our selves 1 We should watch our hearts 2 Our thoughts 3 Our affections 4 Our consciences 5 Our tongues 53 2 In regard of the world lest it get into us ibid. 3 In regard of Sathan 54 Because he is 1 A subtle enemy 2 Diligent 3 Strong 4 Malitious 5 Hath nothing else to doe p. 55 4 In regard of the wicked 5 In regard of good things 55 1 Our graces that we may preserve encrease and exercise them 56 2 All good duties before in after duty ibid 3 In regard of God For 1 Sometimes he comes neerer us then at other times 2 Sometimes doth extraordinarily help us 3 Doth sometimes afflict us 57 Use 1 Lament the neglect of this duty ib. 2 Be exhorted to take up this duty ib. 1 Consider the misery of them that do not watch ibid. 2 The good of watchfulness 3 That men doe watch in outward callings 4 We have examples of the Saints Remedie 2 Strengthen the things that remain 58 Mot. 1 Because they are remainders 2 Because those remainders are ready to die 3 Because thy works are not perfect Doctrine It is a Christians duty to labour to be strengthned especialy if he hath formerly had more grace 58 2 Weakness 1 Of people unconverted 2 Of Children of God which is double 1 In beginning 2 In declining Reas 1 We can have no other comfortable argument of true grace 60 2 Else we can doe no act of new obedience 3 Nor overcome temptations 61 4 Nor recover after a fall 62 5 Nor obey God with ease Use 1 To condemn 1 Those that have no strength at all 2 Those that doe not strengthen the good things they have 63 Use 2 To direct us what to doe that we may strengthen c. Direction 1 Labour to have strong minds and understandings 64 2 Strong wills 66 3 Sound affections 67 Dir. 2 Labour to believe 3 Fly all occasions of evill 4 Maintain a constant purpose to please God 68 5 Frequent the Ordinances of God 6 Put forth your selves to the utmost in good duties 69 7 Remember we alway need new supply of strength 8 Take heed of sinning against knowledge 70 9 Make conscience of useing and improving Sacraments 1 Baptisme 2 Lords Supper which is of great use to strengthen believers For 1 It is the nature of the Sacraments 2 It is a seal of Gods covenant 3 It is Communion with Jesus Christ 4 A Sacrament of Communion with the members of Christ 71 Therefore 1 Let us so come to this Ordinance that we may be strengthned 72 2 This condemns the most
Dir. 1 Look to the power of God 2 To the freeness indifferency universality of the promises 3 Send often unto God by prayer John 6.45 Doct. When God calls the soul he makes it hear a particular voice p. 60 Reas 1 Else no man could come to Christ p. 61 2 That we may have a ground for our faith Qu. Why is this act attributed to the Father Ans 1 Not as though Christ did not speak p 62. 2 Not as though we should set up a conceited distinction of works in the Trinity p. 63 Qu. What is this voice of the Father Ans Neg. Not distinct from the word preached Aff. 1 It consists in the opening a mans senses 2 In taking away a mans lameness 64 Called a voice 1 Because joyned to the Word 2 Because it hath a similitude of a voice Qu How may we know whether the soul hath heard this voice p. 63 Ans 1 There is a power goes along with this word 2 This voice makes a man hear more then any creature can speak 3 It is the irrefragable propounding of the promise 66 The second act of faith which is the believing that in Jesus Christ he shall have eternal life 67 To distinguish 1 A natural man may believe the power of God 67 2 An unrooted confidence of the will ibid. 3 Presumptious confidence p. 68 2 Confidence of the godly ibid. 1 In special perswasion of Gods love ibid. 2 A constant expectation ibid. Confidence in Christ for life and salvation is justifying faith p. 68 Arg. 1 From the several expressions of faith in Scripture 1 Trusting 2 Relying 3 Staying on God 4 Rolling ones self on God 5 Adhering 6 Believing on God p. 70 Arg. 2 From the offer of Christ Arg. 3 Because faith is a coming to Christ p. 71 Arg. 4 Because the Doctrine of justifying faith is no proposition but Christ himself p. 72 Arg. 5 Because true faith is faith of union p. 73 Use 1 No absurdity to say faith is in the heart as well as in the mind 75 Use 2 A believer may not be sure in regard of sense True faith may be without sense and feeling Arg. 1 The event is not the object of justifying faith p. 77 Arg. 2 The event is conditional till a man believes p. 78 Arg. 3. 4. p. 79 Arg. 5. Not the truth but the strength of faith apprehends the event p. 80 Doct. It is faith that makes a man obey the call of God p. 83 Reas 1 Because faith seeth Gods purity and mercy to be inseperable attributes p. 83 Reas 2 Because faith looks on Christ not only as a Saviour but as a Lord p. 84. Reas 3 Because faith cleaveth the heart to the commandements as well as to the promises p. 85 Reas 4 Because faith looks for a fitness for heaven as well as a title to heaven p. 86 Reas 5 Is eminently all that a man is to do p. 87 Qu. How doth faith make a man obey p. 88 Ans 1 By setting before a man his corruptions 2 By carrying a man to God p. 89 3 By making a man improve all his abilities p. 89 4 By making a man relie on Christ p. 90 Qu. How doth faith fetch power from Christ p. 90 Ans 1 As an instrument 2 In a moral way Use 1 See what little faith is in the world p. 93 Use 2 Of examination of our obedience 1 It is willing p. 94 2 Works resignation to God 3 It puts forth all a mans strength in God p. 95 Use 1. To condemn security 42 2 to reprove the neglect of it in the godly 3 to direct how to walk Dir. 1. Count watchfulness your life 43 2 Watch universally 3 Proportion it to the duty in hand 4 Take heed of hindrances 1 Vain company 2 spiritual drunkenness 5 Set God before your eyes 44 Use 4. To exhort to watchfulness Mot. 1. Otherwise it will be ill with us at last 2 Our soules are sickly 3 We are already awakned 45 4 The badnesse of the times places families we live in The New birth John 3.6 Doct. The Spirit of God regenerates all the Saints 47 Qu. 1. What is regeneration 48 Ans 1. A renewing of a man 2 A renewing of the whole man 49 3 It is done by degrees 4 It is according to Gods Image 50 5 It is Gods Image in Christ Jesus Qu. 2 Why called Regeneration 51 Ans 1. To shew the great corruption of nature 2 Because great resemblance with generation 1 In both there is a father 2 In both there is a mother 3 A shaping in the Womb before life 4 Pain in bringing forth 5 A new being attained 6 New kindred gotten 52 Qu. 3 Wherein doth it consist 53 An. 1 There is a passive receiving of Christ 2 An active power to become Sons of God Qu. 4. Why doth the Spirit work regeneration 54 Ans 1 It is the good pleasure of God 2 No other agent can doe it 3 Man of himself is totally against it 55 Qu. 5 How doth the Spirit work regeneration Ans 1 By the Word of life 56 2 By a secret supernatual power Use 1 To confute Papists Pelagians c. 2 To inform of our need of the spirit 57 3 To exhort 1 Not to grieve the spirit 2 To doe any thing for God 3 To pray for the spirit Use 4 For examination whether we be regenerated 58 Signe 1 When doing good is natural 2 When heart is a good soyl for graee 59 3 When a man cannot live in sin 4 When it is pleasant to do Gods will 60 5 When grace gets the upper hand 6 When a man loves the children of God 7 When a man loves to profit others spiritually Christians ingrafting into Christ Qu. 1 What is Christs body into which men are ingrafted 62 Ans 1 It is the Church of God 2 It is gathered out of all Nations 3 Predestinated unto life 63 4 Begotten again by the Word 5 Knit and combin'd to Christ Q 2 What is it to be put into this body 64 Ans 1 It is part of the ingrafting into Christ 2 It is done by faith 3 It makes us have a common life with all the rest of Christs members 65 4 It makes a man be of one consent with all the people of God everywhere 5 Is for mutual help care and sympathy 66 Qu. 3 Why doth the spirit of God doe this 67 Ans 1 None else is able to doe it 2 None else fit Qu. 4 How doth the spirit doe this Ans 1 By being one and the same spirit in all the members of Christ 2 By tying a knot between these members Use 1 Informs that the want of the spirit is the reason of the difference of men in the World 68 2 Let none put asunder whom the spirit joyns 3 Try our acquaintance hereby 4 Stir up Sympathy 69 Qu. 5 How shall we sympathize with Christs members Ans 1 By informing our selves concerning one another 2 By visiting
to speak but if others will not he will and he will not stand upon terms and difficulties but come what can come he will stand for God now 't is strange how this zeal may be taken off in a man that is otherwise a good man Secondly He may lose all his affections which is a strange thing you know what the affections are they are the wings of the soul if the wings be off the bird cannot flie now a child of God may lose all his affections as it was with Sardis they had not only lost all their zeal but their affections Rev. 3.2 strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die they had lost all and but a little remained and that little was ready to die what a poor heartless lifeless creature was Asa he was grown to that pass that though God sent his Prophets to him yet his affections were not stirred nay they were stirred the clean contrary way he was angry with him and when God laid afflictions upon him he was so little affected with his sins that he sought not to the Lord but to the Physitians a child of God may lose his sorrow and grief for sin though he be privy to a world of corruption and distempers and dulness and blockishness yet he is not able to relent and grieve for them there is no sorrow in his heart as David when he had committed those horrible sins there were no affections in him when Joab sent him word that Vriah was dead which he had a hand in one would have thought it should have made him cry and roar and made his heart to burst but he was so far from being affected with remorse as that he made nothing of it oh saith he tell Joab the sword kills one as well as another 2 Sam. 11.25 so a child of God may lose all the affection of shame It is one of the duties we owe to God that all the corruptions and untowardness that is in us we should be ashamed of them now a child of God may lose this shame David when he had committed adultery he was not ashamed of it he did not blush nay he was impudent he durst let his servants know it and be privy to his villany he could say to them go and fetch me the woman 2 Sam. 11. Again he may lose all his delights in good duties and the ordinances of God he may go to them but with poor delight what poor delight do you think David had in good duties for the space of ten months till Nathan came unto him we may well think what a blockish and feared heart he had again he may lose all his desires and yearnings he may pray and have no heart to lift up his soul to God and be earnest for the having of those graces he stands in need of but pray so coldly as if indeed he would teach God to deny him again he may lose all his fear he may grow to be so marvellous venterous and bold he may grow to be familiar with sins he may grow to come neer the occasions of sin and thrust himself upon temptation again he may lose his affections of love and have hardly any love at all to God as Christ complains of Simon who otherwise was a good man he forgave his sins and yet he complains he loved him but a little Luke 7.44 sc in one word a child of God may lose all his affections Thirdly He may grow to be even senseless of sin and of the grace of God I may shew this in divers examples to instance in the Patriarchs they conspired the death of Joseph afterwards flung him into a ditch which was a most horrible and unnatural thing one would think this should have been as an arrow unto their hearts and they should have been ashamed of themselves but were they sensible of this or moved at it no but they sate down to eat and drink when they had done Gen. 37. so for the children of Israel in the wilderness when they had committed that horrible sin of making a golden calf and the Text shews that many of the children of God were guilty of it when they had done did their hearts smite them were they affected with their sin did it work any impression upon their hearts no they sate down to eat and drink and rose up to play Exod. 32.6 so David when he had committed those horrible hainous sins of murther and adultery sins which deserved death by the Law his fault was aggravated by many circumstances he had wives of his own he was not a young man but well grown in years he was no novice he was not ignorant of God but an old disciple and one that had had a great deal of experience of Gods goodness one that was the most noted man in all Israel for forwardness for God one that as himself confesseth had more understanding then any one in the world more then his teachers these do aggravate his sin but when he had done was he sensible of this no he was so far from it that he laboured to father his bastard upon Vriah Vriah had been a great whiie from his Wife and must have known it to have been a bastard if he had not sent him down to his house now thought he if I can but get him to go down to his house and lye with his Wife the child may be thought to be his child and not mine nay when Vriah spake words that might have burst his bowels when he bade him go to his house you may see what a gracious answer he gave him 2 Sam. 11.11 The Ark and Israel c. as who should say I had more need to be at prayer and keep a fast all Israel is in the field against their enemies therefore I had more need to seek God then look after my pleasures and pampering my body now one would think this should have been as a dagger to Davids heart and made him ashamed yet he was so senseless that he laboured to do it more and more and was never at quiet till he had made him drunk thinking he would go home thus we see that a child of God may be senseless of his sins Fourthly A child of God may grow to be notoriously vain and notoriously worldly and to be notoriously guilty of sin I do not say to live in sin but to sin notoriously that a man that hath but half an eye may say Yonder man is notoriously proud and conceited of himself he is marvelous froward and given to his passions yonder man is marvelous remiss in his place and calling marvelous dull and idle and sluggish and even those that are without may see this much more the children of God thus it was with many of Pauls brethren and companions he had at Rome though he did conceive these were the children of God yet they were grown notoriously and grossely worldly when Paul had occasion to send some Minister
any thing himselfe if he hath gotten a little knowledge a little zeal a little faith a little humility a little ability to please God he is apt to think it such a deal and he is apt to cry down every one that is not as he is You are so proud and so thus and thus and to take off his heart from doing those duties which he owes towards him a man is apt to be very insolent in the Church of God many are thus till God doth take them down therefore the Lord by this means doth teach his people gentlenesse and meeknesse indeed God teacheth people many wayes besides this if they will take warning by his Word or some other course they save him a labour but if that will not doe God takes this course with a man to make him see his pride and conceitednesse and his want of mercy and unlikenesse to Christ in bowels and pity and compassion towards his brethren Fifthly The Lord leaves his own children to themselves sometimes to fall so foulely that he may humble them and bring them down low that he may make them see yet further into the corruptions of their own hearts that so he may make them capable of more grace for he gives grace to the humble Now when he would give more grace to a man may be he lets him fall into some horrible sinne that he may be the more humbled and see the naughtinesse of his own heart that he may be driven to God and may be deeper in mortification may be he thought he could goe no furthrer he did please himself in his prayers as I have heard of one that said when he had prayed he could hardly see any sinne in his prayer Now when the Lord is pleased to bestow upon them more grace he doth shew them the corruptions You know how often God let his people fall in the Wildernesse and that horribly by murmuring and repining and infidelity though they were his own chosen yet he let them fall at the waters of strife and at the red Sea he let them fall he let them fall concerning Manna why was this the text saith The Lord thy God he proved thee he led thee up and down in all this barren wildernesse where were Scorpions and fiery Serpents that he might humble thee and doe thee good in thy latter end Deut. 8.15 16. Meaning the Lord let them fall into those horrible evils that he might humble them that they might see the wickednesse of their own hearts and the infinite need they had of grace and the fear of God and standing upon their guard this did he to humble them and do them good in the latter end The first Use may seem to condemn those speeches that commonly go up down in Christians mouths let me tell you they are wicked speeches O say they grace will not let a man have such pride and vanity in him grace will not let a man do thus and thus I say these speeches are not good they favour of a world of ignorance of the grace of God Indeed in three cases these are admirable speeches First Certainly grace will bring a man home to God that belongs to him it will put him into Jesus Christ it will certainly make him a new creature and bring him out of the estate of sinne he shall not live in the estate of sin grace will do that and God in the covenant of grace doth set down that it is a fundamental promise he will do this for every one as the Apostle saith Eph. 4.7 this grace will surely undertake that a man shall be a believer if he belong to God and he shall be justified and sanctified in some measure he shall hate sin and love goodness in some measure and delight in Gods ordinances in some measure he shall be in the estate of grace and not in the estate of sin grace will do this this we may boldly say if a man have grace he must do this for God will teach him to do it Secondly Grace will undertake that a man shall not fall finally away that is certain that we may boldly say if a man be of God grace will teach him that he shall not fall away finally grace will uphold a man and maintain him when we see a man fall away finally we may conclude he had no true grace Gods children shall never fall finally away God will preserve and keep them whom he loves he loves to the end of all those that my Juâ—tiâ—â—â—ath given me I have lost none saith Christ Joh. 17. neither life nor death things present nor things to come shall ever be able to separate us from thâ— love of God in Christ Jesus saith Paul Rom. 8. ult that is most certain blessed and happy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection for over such the second death hath no power Rev. 2 26. that is such a man can never come to be damned he can never fall finally away or perish everlastingly there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 v. 30. whom God hath predestinated them he hath also called c. there is an individual necture of all the links of the chain of predestination in all the several buckles of it there is an indivisible connexion if a man be called he shall be justified and if he be justified he shall be sanctified and if he be sanctified he shall be glorified so that grace will undertake this that a man shall not fall finally away Thirdly We may say that grace will not suffer any man that is of God to fall totally away as not finally for ever so not totally he shall not be altogether without grace from that moment he began to have it for ever and ever he that drinketh of this water shall never thirst c. Joh. 4.14 that is he shall never thirst with total indigency again he shall never thirst with total want he shall ever have some grace and some of the image of God and some of the fear of God and some of the love of his truth and some desire to his name and some hatred of sin though in a poor degree yet he shall have something of God in him there shall be the seed of God remaining in him at all times 1 Joh. 3.9 my feet were almost gone saith David Psal 73.2 they were but almost gone they were not quite gone as it is said of the Church of Philadelphia she had a little strength so let a child of God be at the lowest ebbe yet there shall be a little water of life it shall not be quite exhaust though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord will uphold him Psal 37.24 so that all this you may boldly say for in these things it is not conditionally Gods covenant but absolutely for God will give thee strength and power and
be carefull if not he shall perish no God is absolutely minded he shall be saved and though he hath played the undutiful beast He will chasten him with rods but his loving kindness he will not take away for ever nay he will give him an heart to cleave to him for ever that he shall not goe quite away from him and this is the infinite goodnesse of God that he doth not hang their eternal life upon their own wills if he did no flesh would he saved here is the goodnesse of God but now for particular passages they have no such hold of God but they are turned to the use of the meanes a man is turned to the use of the means in the other too a man cannot think to stand in grace to hold out at all but he must look to the use of the meanes but in case men have neglected God will not take his people upon the lurch but here he may take them and for ought we know he will take them upon the lurch if they grow carelesse when we meet with a temptation we venture upon it suppose it be to be earthly and vain and omit good duties take heed who knowes what God may doe how he may break our hearts and rend us and teare in pieces who knowes what may fall for dulnesse and deadnesse and untowardnesse and want of peace of conscience for irksomenesse and awknesse that a man hath an hellish life from day to day we may fall into this the best of all Gods people if they stand not upon their guard nay watchfulnesse is the thing that is commended to us God hath shewed us when we may have all grace and be kept from all deadnesse and when we may have life and comfort and quickening and when he will be found of us namely when we seek him with all our hearts but let a man be carelesse of seeking of God he will be carelesse of him and if a man doe not stir up the grace of God let him know he falls into the hands of a consuming fire he is not only so to the Reprobate but even to his Saints and children if they grow carelesse therefore when Paul was about to leave the world he gives Timothy this charge O Timothy preach in season and out of season c. what followes watch thou in all things as who should say may be you shall meet with many temptations and discouragements and therefore watch in all things 2 Tim. 4 5. as Christ saith What I say to you I say to all Watch Mark 13.37 Because we see this by experience in the Saints of God in all ages that sometimes God leaves his people and when he doth leave them they fall into grievous sinnes this cannot be denied for experience proves it in every generation You see Jacob himselfe how grievously he sinned he yielded to his Mother to tell a lye thinking to get a blessing by an untruth by saying he was Esau when he was not and you see what misery he brought upon himselfe by it even twenty years bondage that one sinne did cost that poor man he thought to get the blessing for it was Gods promise but by his unlawful going about it God kept him from it in a terrible manner and brought him a wide way about and so we might instance in many other Saints of God for this is most certain let a man be the dearest of Gods servants yet if sinne be yielded unto it will difuse a man of Gods Ordinances and make a man untoward to good duties it will make a breach between God and the soul it will drive him and carry him into thickets and bushes as Adam the Spirit of God will turn away the gale of his breath and then how uncomfortable a man shall be in good duties we may think with our selves and reason the case in our own souls it will be so for God is an holy God for though he love his people that rejoyce in his name yet he hath said that all their wayes should be with trembling Psal 2.11 But you will say Is grace indifferent in regard of particular passages grace will work a man shall be converted and shall not fall totally and finally away but in particular passages is grace indifferent to let a man doe what he lift God forbid that man hath no grace that hath such thoughts For first grace when it comes into the soul it sets up an universal principle to serve God not only in the main course of his life but in every particular to hate all sinne and in every particular to love all good duties and every particular to be careful at home and abroad and in his calling in company and alone in health and sicknesse in all estates whether he be rich or poor whether he be persecuted or not persecuted in all conditions of life to hate all sin and follow all goodnesse grace sets up this principle wheresoever it is but yet a man may fall into a thousand sinnes if he be not watchful but if there be not such a principle in thy heart thou art not a child of God and a believer Psal 119 3. The people of God are described by this They doe no iniquity they walk in his wayes He speaks of this principle not that they may not fall but if they doe it is meerly against the principle if a man hath true grace he hath a principle to love and fear God not only for the main but in every particular passage Secondly It is plain that cannot be the meaning of it that grace is indifferent because that if grace be truly in any man it doth set up a watch in the soul to preserve it that the man shall be eager not to sin in any particular and desirous in some measure and careful in some degree to doe all manner of good if a man give way to the lusts of the flesh his care may be brought to a low ebb but grace sets up a watch in the soule and breeds care and desire and purposes and resolutions and revenge upon his own lusts and abundance of things as you may see 2 Cor. 7.11 So that grace will not let a man be indifferent therefore when we say for particulars God doth not undertake this or that the meaning is not as if grace would only convert a man and keep him from falling totally and finally away but for particulars it is indifferent this is to blaspheme the grace of God but the meaning is though a man be the childe of God and never so much mortified if this man should grow carelesse and remiss and secure and give way to sin grace doth not undertake to keep a man from the fearfullest falls that can be nor from the fearfullest distempers Indeed when a man hath play'd the beast God may preserve him but a man cannot look for this at the hands of God who knows how God will deal with him if he
that deads mens hearts when they give way to it Now for particulars What are those sins that cause this deadnesse up and down First the niggardliness of people in Gods service they will do no more for him then they must needs doe whereas a quickened heart that loves quickning will rather overdoe then underdoe and will rather super-abound then be wanting there are many duties in Religion that we have no express text of Scripture for for such a quantity or such a measure or such a time or how often as how often we should pray in secret every day how often we should meditate and how long at a time how much we should give out of almes how much we should doe thus and thus the duty is commanded but the quantity for time or frequency is not expressed in Scripture there be a thousand things of this nature Now a man that loves his own quickning will rather overdoe in this case then underdoe as it was vvith Philemon Phil. 21. Paul you knovv was to entreat him to doe an act of kindness to receive Onesimus now saith he I know thou wilt doe more then I ask of thee c. He would rather overdoe then underdoe So it was with the Israelites when God would have them offer to the building of the Tabernacle he did not tell them how much but they would rather overdoe then underdoe Exod. 36.5 They brought so much that the Lord was fain to say there was enough and too much So it was with the Macedonians 2 Cor. 8.3 Paul asked a little they gave more So it is with a man that loves quickning if God bid him pray twice a day rather then fail he will pray thrice a day if God hath required some time in his service he will rather give him more time then afford him smaller time as Christ saith If a man will have thy coat let him have thy cloak also as who should say rather overdo then underdoe if thou beest called to doe any thing for the glory of God and the good of thine own soul or the good of others we should imitate God in this God gives his people above that which they ask so we should doe more then is asked I doe not mean as if we could do more then God bids us for God requires all the heart and all the minde and all the strength but I speak of a frank and free heart when he doth not know what measure God sets down in his Word he will rather doe more then lesse he will rather be with the forwardest then with the backwardest if he love his own quickning but when a man growes niggardly in Gods service and will doe no more then needs must and takes advantage that he may doe as little as may be this deads the heart because there is no expresse place in Scripture for prayer in this kinde he will take any advantage in the world for his own security and worldliness and littleness in Gods service he lieth at catch in this case this man sets open his heart to all deadness therefore no marvel he hath no life where is a man in town or country that is like to Philemon that a Minister may say I know thou wilt doe more then I say It were well if we could say thou wilt do as much as I say nay it is come to this pass we may say I know you will doe nothing at all I may bid thee doe this and that but thou wilt do nothing at all people will hardly regard the Communion of Saints at all they will hardly regard secret prayer at all they will heartily regard any of those duties upon which life and quickning so much depends and this is one cause of the horrible deadness that is everywhere Secondly Another cause is unwatchfulness people doe not watch over their soules and over their wayes they doe not ponder their paths they have not an eye to their wayes this is a great cause of deadness of heart therefore here when Christ chargeth the Church of Sardis with deadness I know thou hast a name to live but art dead In the next words he gives a remedy Be watchful therfore as who should say here is the cause of thy deadness thou hast not been watchful if thou hadst been watchful thou hadst escaped all this deadness if thou hadst stoop upon thy guard and looked well to thy wayes this had never been if a man be quickened at any time the Devil lieth at catch and if he doe not vvatch he vvill be deaded again as the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 5.8 A man had need be vvatchful else he can never preserve himselfe from the temptations of Satan when a City is beleaguered with the enemy there are ever some Watchers and Scouts that lie in wait that so if any danger be towards they may give warning lest it be surprized on the sudden so when God doth good to our hearts how should we keep watch over our soules for we are beleaguered on every side sometimes with presumption and sometimes with despair we are every way in danger therefore we had need to watch no sooner had Eve gone apart from her husband and looked here and there but the Devil took her presently no sooner had Noah begun to taste the liquor of the grape he had planted and delighted in it but presently the Devil hooked him in which he might have prevented if he had been watchful the Devil is that Nimrod that greedy hunter that goeth up and down and makes pits and layes snares to catch souls and if we doe not watch we fall into them 1 Cor. 2.13 Paul saith I was among you with much feare he knew what danger he was in therefore he was in much fear if we did love our own quickning and the cherishing of whatsoever grace we have received we would watch over our selves but where is this generally all the world is fast asleep even good men and all the Devil may sow what tares he will there is no watching in prayer and in hearing of the Word and doing good duties no watching in observing the Sabbath no watching in company no watching alone what may not the Devil doe when we are all as sleepy dogs and love to snoar and dulnesse and deadnesse and blockishnesse and worldlinesse and unsetlednesse grows upon us to the utmost there is no body watching against temptations they may come flowing in like violent waters there is no withstanding of them people are like to Saul that was marvellous finely quickned at one time he would not goe on in his envy against David he should not die by any meanes no his heart was so enlarged that he bound his soul by a covenant that he would be as good as his word As the Lord lives he shall not die Jonathan had used many arguments and they so wrought upon him that he could give the right hand to David and all his malice was out and David was
a great man at Court again 1 Sam. 19.6 7 8. But for want of watchfulnesse within a little while the evil spirit came into him and he would have murthered him again so Jonah when he had run from God and God had humbled him now he would never follow lying vanities any more now he would goe to Niniveh and preach let what danger would come but by and by not looking to himselfe he is as much out of tune again as ever he was as if he had never had these shinings he was overgrown with passions I doe well to be angry even to the death I cannot tell which was the fouler distemper A third Cause of our general deadness is the lowness of Religion which men generally content themselves withal a low kinde of Religion that will never reach half way to Heaven that will never attain to any quickning Religion it is a very high thing Prov. 15.24 it is a thing alone a man must raise himself aloft when he means to come into the way of eternal life it is an high calling Phil. 3.14 It is said of Jehosaphat that his heart was lifted up in the wayes of God Jerusalem that is above all godly souls that have true Religion indeed are men above Now people generally content themselves with a low kinde of serving of God that doth not come out of the suburbs of Hell and condemnation the suburbs of hell reach a great way a man may goe even to heaven-gates and yet be in the suburbs of hell but to get into heaven and escape hell beneath is an high pitch but men seek out a low way by the valleys they think to come to heaven this way it would choak most people to say that their conversation is in heaven as the Apostles was that they are strangers upon earth as the Patriarchs were that they hate every sinne as all godly men doe that they go mourning all the day long under their corruptions and failings and that it is the greatest grief of their hearts that they walk not according to Gods goodness and that they use all means to get rid of their sins that they delight in every ordinance that they delight in Gods Sabbaths and hunger and thirst after righteousness it is the greatest desire of their souls and hearts to do thus it would choak them to say thus no they never attain it this is the way of life that is above but it is too high for fooles therefore no wonder that men never come to quickning for they are not in the way of life for the way of life is above and they grope after the things below and have not their conversation above now how can we look for quickning when we do not go in the way of life which is above Fourthly Another reason is the vanity of mens minds this is the cause of horrible deadness Psal 119.37 vanity when a man gives way to it it doth horribly dead the heart vain thoughts vain speeches vain expences of time vain meetings together without benefit these are deaders they lock up mens hearts and exhausts all the good and all the sap of any goodness in them 't is true the children of God may talk how things go in a far country in the Church of God and other places and they may talk of their business in the world and this may be like bottle-beer when it is first poured out into the cup it seems to be all froth but by and by it turns to good liquor again so though these discourses about worldly affairs and how things go are froth if they go no further yet if they turn to good substance and are sanctified and brought home to the heart to edifie and awaken and bring a man nearer to God now they are good where there is a good use made of them but otherwise they are horrible instruments of death and soul-murther among men Fifthly Mutual example we do even dead one another for people are apt to look upon one another Ministers upon people and people upon Ministers and Ministers one upon another and if we be not much cast behind one another we hope all is well with us this is that which deads peoples hearts whereas people should follow Gods light Gods dealing with them and not look upon others and if we look upon others we should look upon those that are quickned Luke 7.44 seest thou this woman c. there was a woman was quickned indeed her bowels melted her eyes were fountains of tears her very soul was affected she was quickned indeed seest thou this woman so if we will look upon others upon the Saints of God seest thou this woman look upon those that are most quickned but when we look upon others and say such a one doth so and so and why may not I I may do as well as he when we do thus this is apt to dead our hearts The sixth cause of deadness is covetousness and worldliness Christians that have been weaned from the world so long as they keep their minds off from the world and set them upon better things they are full of life and quickning and are able to pray and confer sweetly but when as once they come to let in the world again this doth mightily dead and damp their hearts this doth wonderfully lay bolts and fetters upon their soul that it cannot go on as formerly as the Apostle shews 1 Tim. 6.10 as soon as ever a man gives way to look after the world presently if he had any faith he erres from it if he had any quickning before he is now deaded this deaded Demas his heart for a time he was so full of life that he was able to hold company with St. Paul but when this came once to take possession of him Demas hath forsaken me he was gone he was able to hold company with Paul no longer worldliness will quickly take off all the affections and all the quickning that was in the soul it will presently fail and die and decay therefore you shall see when the Lord would set down how dull Ezekiels hearers were and how heartless he sets down this as a reason of it their heart is gone after their covetousness Ezek. 33. no marvel then they went not after Ezekiels Sermons for their hearts could not go after both at once so long as their hearts were after the world and profits they must needs be dead and untoward to the word of God therefore the Apostle saith Eph. 5.3 let not covetousness be named among you as becometh Saints as who should say it will utterly dead and kill all your Saint-qualities and dispositions that are in you if you suffer your hearts to grow earthly the damps of the earth as one saith doth not more quench a candle and put it out then the love of the world doth damp grace and put it out presently and this is the cause of that deadness that is grown among
us we are grown worldly and the world carries us away we are all for the world so that all our words thoughts affections carriages they are all little else but worldly most people have many businesses abroad in the world riding abroad into the world but who takes that short journey into his own heart people can tend businesse with every body else but themselves they know what is done beyond sea and the countries round about and yet hardly any one marks how things go in his own soul whither he goes backward or forward whither he gets or loseth every body can ask how others do but no man looks how his own soul doth people are grown at great distance from themselves I speak not of drunkards or prophane persons such as are absolutely dead in sins and trespasses but I speak of Christians in whom we should look for life we are grown strangers to our selves we are out of our own reach we are grown to a mighty distance from looking to our own estates and conditions as we ought to do our minds are scattered up and down about other things therefore no marvel we are so heartlesse towards God Seventhly The next cause is idleness and spiritual sloth when men let their minds go as a boat without a guide the boat goeth uncertainly when it hath no body to guide and steer it so people let their thoughts and hearts and minds run at all adventures people do not take pains with their own hearts and hold them to that which is good we let our hearts be like the field of the sluggard any thing may grow in them for all us we do not look to our hearts that we may have good things grow in them and that we may fence our hearts from those things which may make us untoward in the wayes of God if we have any stirrings at any time we are like idle huswives when the liquor hath done working they forget to stop up the bunghole so when men have any stirrings then they are in motion and action but when they are gone they let their hearts get a vent and they are deaded again as if they had nothing at all as Solomon shews Prov. 19.15 though a man hath enough for the present yet if he grow idle when that is spent he will famish and starve and die the idle soul shall suffer hunger may be he hath something now but if he be idle and sluggish that may be all spent and then for want of supply he may famish so it is with the soul though it hath something for the present yet if it be idle and sluggish and slothful and take not pains from day to day it must needs go to wrack when God gives us knowledge of sin we should improve that knowledge to root out sin when God gives us insight into graces we should employ it that we may get those graces if God give us his ordinances if he give us a Sermon at any time we should presently work with it As it is with a graft that a man cuts off to plant and set if he lets it lie till it be dead it will never grow but if he presently plant it it will take in the ground and prosper so if a man would presently take a good motion when it comes if he would presently take hold of a reproof or counsel given him out of the word of God while it hath life in it and works upon his heart the heart might receive much benefit but when people are blockish and dull they are not willing to take any pains no wonder though they go down as they do Eccles 10 18. by much slothfulness the building decayeth c. it is so in the spiritual building if people be slothful all gracious things must needs vanish away and go out more and more and this is a most grievous thing it is generally among all people nay among the better sort for wicked men that live palpably in sin they are struck dead in sin and never had any colour of life but I speak of those that have had some kind of quickning yet notwithstanding suffer themselves to be deaded through idleness when we go to prayer we do not put forth our selves in prayer our prayers are dead when we go to the wordâ— we do not put forth our minds and therefore our hearing is dead our hearts are like to a sieve when it is in the water it is full but when it is once taken out again not a jot remains so it is while people are at a Sermon may be they seem to drink in something and their hearts are affected yet these people are rare too but when they are gone all is gone all leaks out again for want of stopping for want of observing the things they have heard this is the reason there is no more life among Christians because they are so idle and sluggish thou evil and slothfulâ— servant saith Christ when a man is a slothful servant he must needs be an evil servant Christians will confer may be now and then of grace but with such loose thoughts that there is no edification or quickning nay their hearts grow dull and sleepy under the same how is it possible a man should get any quickning or keep it without labour and pains men must labour for it as the Apostle saith give all diligence to make this sure it is said of Paul that he followed hard after the mark there is nothing can be done in this thing without labour as it is with our outward callings if a man will have a living in the world he must labour for it the earth will bring forth no fruit unless he till it and take pains about it so it is here much more a mans heart by reason of sin is cursed as the earth is and it will bring forth nothing but weeds vanities fooleries and vile passions and inordinate affections unless a man be still husbanding of it therefore unless a man be diligent in this work he can never be quickned Eighthly In the next place the neglect of secret duties is the cause of the deadness of our hearts in all duties of Religion secret duties are the best quickners when a man goeth alone and serveth God alone as it is spoken of Peter when his heart was dead and untoward in the high Priests hall if he had had any life he would have stood for Christ What if I be one of them what say you to that I am one and I confess it and if that be my fault it shall be my fault still but he was dead and had no life now what course did he take he went out and went by himself and wept bitterly he went to a private and secret duty to humble his soul before Almighty God when a man is sick and would recover his health he goâ—s and betakes himself to a chamber and shuts the windows and will not let the air come in so
behave my selfe as I ought though a persecutor of Religion were in company can he know these thoughts No man can persecute or mock him for any of these a man may think as good thoughts as he will if he hath an heart to them and this will keep up a mans quickning when a man goeth abroad what should hinder but he may be imployed in inward duties considering seriously and thinking solemnly how it stands between God and his soule what shall hinder a man from these duties Now the neglect of these is the cause of the deadnesse of mens hearts people come to Church and hear Sermons but what do ye do within do you set up Gods Ordinances in your bosomes do you set up a Christian watch in your bosomes and prayer in your bosoms how do you go up and down all day long is heaven in your bosoms is the fear of God in your bosoms preserving and keeping of you This is that which will quicken you and a man can never be quickned if he make not conscience of this Lastly Another cause of deadnesse is peoples contenting themselves with what they have attained unto if they have gotten any thing they are apt to set up their staves there and content themselves as if all were well this is the cause of the deadnesse of peoples hearts because every little sufficeth them if they have but any hope that they are of God and fear his name if they finde they have any thing in them they are apt to be secure and not to be earnest to grow in grace from day to day Now when this gets into a mans heart it will dead him presently therefore the Apostle when he perceived many of the Hebrews deaded their hearts this way he shakes them up Heb. 6.1 Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection As who should say Let us on on for shame unto perfection let us proceed further let us not ever be learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth let us not be ever laying a foundation and never building thereupon let us not be ever going about repentance and faith and the first principles of the Oracles of God and never come to perfection This is the effect of the Epistles of Peter that people should not content themselves with what they have but that they may grow and goe forward Desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 and grow in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 He is beating upon this that no man should content himselfe with any measure already attained if he do his heart will be deaded and made dull and blockish to all goodnesse and this is another cause of the deadness of peoples hearts they are at a stay they are at a stand every man may be would be a good Christian and a childe of God and if he can get but any hope that he is a childe of God now he is safe and now he goeth dully and blockishly on if he can but hold there and if he hath any fears that he is not right then may be he begins to stir himselfe a little but as soon as ever he gets any hopes again that he is right he goeth on in a blockish manner and passeth over holy things otherwise then he ought to doe and then if any spurs come into his conscience and awaken him may be he stirs again till he gets up a little hope that his condition is good and then he falls off and grows as secure again as he was before and this deads the hearts of people I come now to the meanes how a man may be quickened and the first is this If we would be quickened we must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ we must goe to him I speak now to good people if you would be quickned you must goe and fetch it from the Lord Jesus Christ he is a fountain of life opened unto all that come unto him I am come saith Christ that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly John 10.10 Christ is not only come to quicken the dead and raise them up that they may be alive towards God barely and nakedly but he came to make all his people lively that they should have more life and quickning and be more enlarged in grace he came not onely to work the thing but to work a growth and increase of it more and more Now if you would know how to come by this life in Christ Jesus the only way is to believe in Christ John 7.38 He that believeth in me out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water there shall be rivers of spiritual life in that man that shall never be drawn dry so then doe any of us stand sticking at this how shall we be quickned and shake off this deadness that is in us I say look up to Christ and labour truly and unfainedly to desire him and hunger and thirst after him if we did search after Christ wee should be quickned presently there is no man is dead but he that hath no care to look after Christ and desire him if we would have Christ if our hearts be open to him if we doe but desire him and long for him if we have but these groanes and outgoings in our souls oh that I had but Christ shed abroad in my heart if I had him I should have life and quickning if I had him I should have right and title to all Gods heavenly comforts if our hearts did but goe up and down longing after Christ this is the way to attain to quickning Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. Come and ye shall have waters that shall never be dried up the want of faith is the cause of hardness of heart and of deadnesse as our Saviour Christ when he saw they were dead Matth. 16. he did upbraid them with unbeliefe if a man did but once believe if a man did but truly cast his soul upon God if he had but once his eyes opened to see the vanity of all other things to see the danger of sinne and iniquity the misery of all unregenerate people and to see the worth of Christ and the infinite goodnesse of God in Christ what an admirable pearl it is to enjoy him how it is better then life it selfe better then the whole world yea then thousands of worlds if a man did but see this and had his heart affected with this to be drawn to Christ and to have his heart and minde run after him to be possessed of him this is faith you that would know whether you have faith or no if you had all the faiths in the world you are infidels without this faith but if you have this faith you have true faith if you have a heart running after Christ minding him and longing for him and casting your soules upon him for all good
with patience the coming of the Lord he quickens them by the example of Job and the Prophets so when he would quicken them up to prayer he presseth them by the example of Elias he was a man as well as we saith he and had the like passions yet he prayed when the heavens had been shut three years and six months c. Consider this the zeal of others may provoke us specially if we set it before our eyes we should think with our selves What he so believing and I so full of doubting he so lively and I so dull and blockish he so affected and I so untoward this should shame us and provoke us to stir up our selves by looking upon such especially upon those that have taken up the profession since we did and yet have gone beyond us it should awaken us this is an excellent means to quicken us as our Saviour Christ when he would exhort his Disciples to suffer persecution saith he consider the Prophets that were persecuted before you so if we would be quickned up we should look upon the Saints that have been quickned before us that we may have their grace and comfort We come now to the last thing and that is to perswade you by some Motives to shake off this deadness Motives are special things to quicken up a man the Apostle when he would quicken up the Corinthians to love he useth divers Motives unto them the first is taken from the collation of love with all the extraordinary gifts of Gods spirit he shews without love they are all nothing though a man had all knowledge and all faith so that he could remove mountains and had not love it were nothing so that you see love is an excellent grace 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. Another Motive he takes from the effects and adjuncts of love love suffereth long c. from the fourth to the seventh verse Thirdly He useth another Motive to shew how love doth generally surpass most graces in the endurance of it Prophesies they shall cease knowledge that shall cease and be done away but love that shall never be done away love never faileth Lastly He compares it with the cardinal vertues with the principal graces namely faith and hope and shews how love is beyond them hope edifies a mans self but love edifies the whole Church of God faith and hope must vanish and will not go into the Kingdom of heaven with us but love it doth alwayes accompany us so that you see the Apostle is careful to use motives to quicken up people to that which he exhorts them unto the Scripture as it doth bid us do a duty so it useth motives to quicken us up to the doing of it And again When it forbids any sin it useth motives to take off our hearts from that sin as when the Apostle would diswade from the unworthy receiving of the Sacrament what abundance of motives doth he heap one upon another to terrifie us from it 1 Cor. 11.23 c. the first is from the institution of the Lord Jesus Christ I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus c. as who should say what will you prophane his institution Secondly From the time when he instituted it the same night he was betrayed in his agony and in the midst of his sorrows he thought of your good will you prophane such a mercy blessing Thirdly From the nature of the Sacrament it is the Sacrament of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and will you not reverence that Another is from the end of the Sacrament it is to shew forth the Lords death till he comes therefore how should we have a care of this that we may come to the Sacrament in a gracious and reverent manner duly meditating what it is having a lively apprehension of the Lord Jesus Christ and to keep a constant memory of what he hath done for us Another is from the greatness of the sin of unworthy receiving he shall be guilty of the body and blood of Christ again from the danger of it whosoever eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks damnation to himself again from the particular judgements that God had inflicted upon that town for this cause many are sick among you and many sleep and questionless it is for this cause for your unworthy receiving of the Sacrament you see what abundance of motives he brings for this now I say if Motives be good in any point look whatsoever we exhort people unto if it be good to use Motives to stir them up to it then much more in this point in the point of deadness to shake it off in the point of quickning that they would labour to get it and indeed when a man useth Motives to faith and repentance it is not only to get that but to quicken them up to faith and repentance when a man spurs a horse it is not only to make him go but to quicken him up to go we are all dull and careless and blockish now Motives serve to stir us up Eccles 12. the words of the wise are as goads to provoke and stir up people Motive 1 Well then The first motive shall be this to consider the woful ingredients of this sin of deadness the horrible sins that are contained in it what a compound of spiritual diseases are in this sin First There is a dulnesse and blockishnesse of mind dull and heavy to learn any thing that is good as it is said of the Jews Acts 28.27 when a man hath an unteachable mind though he be never so long under the word of God it cannot strike into his heart and enter into his understanding his mind cannot feel the weight of divine truths take outward truths of profit and pleasure a man may lead him up and down with these truths he feels weight in these but for the word of God he hath no understanding in that may be he can tell what the Ministers say and talk of it but for the weight of divine reason the mind is blockish to this men are like to a blockish scholler that hath gone seven years to school and yet is not beyond the primmer so when a man shall sit so long under the Ministry of the word and yet be a stranger to it as if he had never heard of it he hears discourses of faith and can speak of it and talk of it of the letter of it as well as the best believer and yet is as blockish to go about it as can be what an horrible thing is this that the truth should come to a mans mind and a man should be dull to conceive it Secondly Another evil is awkness and averseness of heart listleseness to the wayes of Jesus Christ as Christ saith of the Jews Mat. 15.8 their hearts cannot be pulled to that which is good their hearts are untoward and have no list or disposition that way even
the behalf thereof but that Mordecai stirred her up soundly now is not this a sufficient motive to stir us up to labour for quickning how can we do the things God calls for from day to day we should stand for him and call upon him and set up his worship in our families we should fear his name and set him before our eyes and fight against sin and labour to please him in all our wayes now without being quickned we are fit for none of these things now what a woful thing is it when we shall not be furnished to every good work as we should and fitted to do that which God requires of us therefore let us shake off this dulness and blockishness of spirit Motive 3 Thirdly Another motive is this we can have no true sign at all to our souls that we have any true grace at all as long as we are dead when Christ is said to give a man grace he is said to quicken a man Joh. 5.21 conversion is called the life of the dead a mans repentance is no better then the repentance of a reprobate unless it be repentance from dead works and repentance unto life if a man hath faith it is not the faith of Gods elect if it doth not quicken him I live by faith saith Paul Gal. 2.20 justification is communicated only to a man that is quickned God together with justification doth quicken a man he doth revive him and make him alive towards God nay we have no argument that we have our sins forgiven us unlesse God hath quickned us Col. 2.13 he hath quickned them having forgiven them all trespasses when God forgives the trespasses of his people he doth quicken them he takes away the dulness of their hearts and the blockishness of their minds and the senselesness of their consciences and their awkness and untowardness to that which is good he doth quicken them up every man hath life for we see how lively men are in seeking after their profits and pleasures people have life enough but it is upon things here below and they have affections enough love enough and hope enough and joy and delight enough in the world but they are set upon carnal things but if grace comes into the heart it is the vigour of the heart now as long as we are dead and dull what sign of grace can we have if we have grace yet we cannot have any proof and comfort of it as long as we are drowzy and dull 't is true no man can have any grace but he hath some life but if he doth not quicken up himself he hinders himself of the peace and comfort that otherwise he might have hence it is that the conscience is troubled and people are unsetled and are so full of fears to dye hence it is that people are so like to the sea the waves whereof cannot rest their minds are unquiet and unsetled it is for want of quickning if we were quickned we should have great peace come into our souls Fourthly We cannot grow in grace unless we are quickned as long as Motive 4 we are thus dull and heavy and lumpish to the things that are good we cannot grow in grace Hos 14.7 they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine first they shall revive and then grow first God quickens a man and then he makes him grow the Philippians love was dead to Paul afterwards it quickned again now saith he your love flourisheth Phil. 4.10 now their hearts were quickned it began to grow but when a man hath a dead heart how can he grow as he said Joh. 15.4 can the branch bear fruit without the vine so may I say can a mans heart grow in goodness without life it is only a living creature that can grow if a plant be once dead it withers away and cannot grow if a man have a dead heart though he should hear lectures and sermons every day he would never grow he would be never the more holy never the more godly if he should have family prayer closet prayer yet if he should be dead he should have never the more ability against his temptations though the ordinances of God be admirable helps to growing yet if a man be dead and dull they will never help him to grow in grace though grace be of a growing nature yet a dead heart starves all the graces that a man hath Fifthly Another motive is this as long as we are dead we shall be so Motive 5 far from growing that we shall be hardly able to keep our own Rev. 3.2 strengthen the things that remain that are ready to dye as who should say thou art so far from growing that the good things that are in thee are even ready to dye thou wilt lose that very good that is in thee if thou dost not shake off this deadness and careleseness and heartleseness to that which is good as it is with a man that hath a consumption upon his body he is so far from growing that he rather pines away he waxeth more and more faint and groweth deader and waxeth neerer to his end he pines away so when a man is dead though not quite dead his heart is deaded he doth pine away as the Prophet saith Ezek. 33.10 if we pine away how shall we do yet thus it is if a man hath a dead heart he doth pine away I and again how is it possible for a man whose heart is dead to prayer and he hath no affections to that which is good if there be any opportunity to that which is good he hangs off how can this man doe otherwise but wax worse and worse for he wants that which should work out sin if it be a springing water it will work out the mud but if it be a standing water it will grow thicker and thicker and will be noysome so if the body be alive though it be never so full of ill humours if it be lively nature will work them out but if the pangs of death be upon a man every disease and distemper gets the victory his nature cannot work it out now so it is with a man that hath a dead heart he cannot work out the corruption that daily bubbles up in his heart as Eli though he had never so many corruptions he had no heart to root them out 't is true he reproved his sons but it was to no purpose as good never a whit as never the better so when Solomon was grown dead and had lost his former life of grace afterwards when corruption grew in his heart he could not work it out for when God had chosen Jeroboam to be put in his room though Solomon knew that it was of God and he set him up to be King yet he could not work out this corruption but his heart to his dying day rose up against Jeroboam and he sought to kill him he wanted the life of grace he had before and sin got
be blunt if a man doth not sharpen the edge he had need put the more strength to it Eccles 10.10 So when a mans hâ—art is dull and dead there is the more difficulty in the overcoming of any lust in the doing of any good duty every thing comes hardly off Now when a mans heart is quickned it is like oyle to the wheele it makes it goe easie when a mans heart is quickned up towards God what is it but that man can do Fifthly Consider If we be quickned we shall have a great deale of peace and joy and comfort I may say as the Church in another case Revive us again O Lord and we shall rejoyce in thee Psal 85.6 So I say if we were revived if God did quicken our hearts if we were earnest with him to do it and we could once attain unto it we should rejoyce in God those that follow God with an earnest heart they have those joyes which no other can intermeddle with God gives them unknown comfort unknown peace and unknown support the more a man followes after God the more he shall partake of God a man shall have joy unspeakable and glorious Sixthly We should make all heaven to rejoyce when the Father had his prodigal Son come to him that was before dead and was now alive saith he It is meet we should be glad Luke 15.32 So when any poor creature that was dead before to all goodness is now made alive and is quickned up in all the wayes of God it is even meet that there should be mirth in Heaven that the Angels in Heaven should rejoyce whereas if a man go on in Gods service dully and blockishly it is as vinegar to the teeth and smoak to the eys and the heavens are sad over us Seventhly If we were quickned we should not only do our selves good but we should do others good too we should be earnest to do it there is an excellent place for this in the story of David David being marvellously quickned just as he came from Gath there met him 400 poor destitute and afflicted men and presently he made the 34 Psalm wherein he saith O come and taste and see how good the Lord is blessed are they that trust in the Lord presently he calls upon them to be quickned also So Paul when he was quickned up himself though he were before the Judge and went upon life and death yet he regarded not that but he laboured to quicken Agrippa too insomuch that he made him to cry out Thou perswadest me almost to become a Christian and he would not leave him there but saith he I would not that thou only but that all that do hear me this day were not only almost but altogether such as I am excepting these bonds O thought he that all this company were but acquainted with that I feel and finde a quickned heart will labour and strive to do good unto others REV. 3.2 Watch therefore and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die c. WE told you this Epistle contained three things First a Reproof of the most of them in that Church for their grievous sins Secondly a Remedy to cure them of those sins Thirdly A Commendation of certain vertues in those persons that were not carried away with the iniquities of those times The Reproof we have spoken of already and now we are come to the second part and that is the Remedy for when Christ doth reprove them he doth it not for ill will but for their good and therefore he gives them good directions The Remedies he gives this Church are five The first is Be watchfull as who should say This is the reason you goe down the wind and want life and are dead and dull in Religion because you are not watchful The second Direction is Strengthen the things that remain as who should say if you would be careful to fortifie those good things that are in you you may stand out against these temptations a little grace will go a great way if it be well managed Now he doth urge this direction three ways First because these things they have are but remainders they had a great deal more once Strengthen the things that do remain as who should say all is even almost quite gone you had a great deal more zeal and forwardnesse but what you have now is but the remainders and the leavings therefore it is high time to look about you Secondly Because even those remainders were almost gone too Srengthen the things that remain that are ready to die as who should say they will be gone too if you bestir not your selves and look well to your estates and conditions Thirdly Because thy works are not perfect they are nothing else almost but hypocriticall and unsound I have not found thy works perfect before God The third Remedy is Remember how thou hast received and heard c. as who should say consider how thou hast been formerly consider how the Word hath been delivered and how thou hast received it The fourth Remedy is Hold fast as who should say labour to get up again and hold fast that the Devil and the world and the temptations to sin may not get away the good things that are in thee that they may not spoil thee of the good things of God and of the hope of eternal life The fifth Remedy is Repent that is bewail thy selfe and lament thy unfruitfulnesse and unwatchfulnesse and carelesnesse this way and humble thy selfe before Almighty God thou mayst yet have mercy when a man doth confess his sins God is just to forgive them and is ready to vouchsafe mercy and quickning and comfort therefore repent saith he Well then the first remedy is to be watchful to watch is to be attentive to be considerative to look what may doe a man good and what may doe a man hurt that he may thereafter carry himselfe it is for a man to have his eyes in his head to have his wits about him for spiritual things This is the subject of it it is properly in the minde and in the heart it is a Metaphor taken from the body for the body when it is asleep the senses are lockt up the eye cannot see the eare cannot hear they are all wrapt up they are not lively and operative but when the body is awake the senses are all open the eye can see and the eare hear and the senses are ready for every Object from hence it is derived to the soules of men they may be said to sleep or watch for when the soul is careless and negligent towards a thing may be dangers are towards a man and he doth not fear them nor study to prevent them may be there is a great deal of good coming towards the soule and he goes drowsily about it the soule now is said to be asleep but when the soule looks seriously and consideratively about things then it is
said to watch so that there is a sleep of the soule and a watch of the soule as the Apostle speaks 1 Thes 5 6. So that this watchfulnesse is nothing else but the active prudence of the soule whereby it stirs up all the faculties to look about that if any good be towards it it may get it if any danger be towards it it may abhor it this is the watchfulness here spoken of for this drowsinesse and sleepinesse is a part of the corruption of our natures whereby we are marvellous careless of God and eternal life that though we be in the gall of bitterness and by nature the children of wrath yet this is the corruption of our nature to look sleepily upon this that danger may be upon us and we never observe it and though there be eternal life to be had yet we are as it were asleep we doe not study how to attain it though there be misery insupportable and unspeakable and sure and certain to fall upon us unlesse we be delivered yet we doe not think of these things we have no fear at all or else our hearts are drowsie and are content to make any thing serve the turn Now when the soule is rowzed up and made to have a due consideration of these things now is is awakened now it is watchful The Point we observe from hence it this That it is an excellent soveraign thing for a Christian to watch and therefore Christ commends it to his disciples and commends it to all people to the end of the world Mark 13.37 That which I say unto you I say unto all watch Now it is good to watch in five respects Reason 1 First In regard of our selves for our own selves are false unto our selves if we be godly men and women we are two selves we have a bad selfe whereby we are apt to be proud and carnal and ungodly in all our wayes and to forget God and we have a good selfe that is better minded Now it is an excellent thing when this good selfe shall watch over this bad selfe and have an eye to it as if a man had a pilfering servant in his family would he not watch him and eye him would he not watch him what money he had in his house and observe what is in his house from day to day So we having such a deceitful selfe about us we had need to watch continually as the Apostle speaks 2 John 8. Look to these that we lose not those thingâ— c. As who should say you will lose the benefit of all the good things that are in you if you doe not look to them there is a thief in thy bosome a deceiver that will steale and cosen thee of all if thou look not to it And here first we should watch our own hearts for our own hearts are deceitful as the Prophet speaks The heart is deceitful above all things Jerem. 17.9 It is very sly and how easily doth it deceive us and carry us aside therefore we had need watch over it as the wise man saith Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence If a man were to ride upon a wilde horse would he not have a care to keep the bridle would he let the bridle goe then he would run away and he should hardly catch him again his business will be hindered and his time spent so it is here a mans heart is like a wild Colt like an untamed Heifer if a man let it go a man had need alwayes to have the bridle in his hand if a man do not watch it and observe it and hold it in it will run away and a man cannot catch it again as a man that is ringing a bell if he let the rope go he cannot readily get hold of it again so a mans heart is slippery therefore a man had need ever to be watching of it Secondly We had need watch our thoughts what slippery things are our thoughts if they be upon that which is good will they be long there they are now there now gone again therefore how careful should we be to hold our thoughts to that which is good the thoughts are so loose and fickle and unconstant and uncertain that though they be on good things for a minute of an hour they will be ten times as long upon vain things there is no trusting of our thoughts we need not say as David of the men of Keilah will they deliver me to Saul will the lusts of my heart deliver me to Satan nay they will deliver us if we watch not over our selves Thirdly We should watch over our affections they are admirable things if we set them upon the things that are above and be watchful to keep them there what admirable advantages are they they are the wings of the soul to help us in prayer and any good duty we go about they will wipe away the difficulties of the wayes of God but they are marvelous uncertain things that if we be not alwayes looking to our selves though our joys and delights c. be upon heaven and heavenly things they will run upon the world again and lose themselves there so that our affections had need to be looked unto Fourthly The Conscience had need to be looked unto for though the Conscience be the best part of a man yet it will flatter us and speak peace to us if we look not to it where is no peace and will check us very carelesly and will not hold forth our duties nakedly if we do not watch over it Fifthly So again We should set a watch over our tongues over our very words that we speak as David saith I will set a watch before the door of my lips Psa 141.3 when a man speaks his words it is as if he should bend his bow to shoot now when a man bends his bow to shoot he had need level well or else he will not hit the mark so if we be not watchful over the words we speak we shall speak vainly and to Gods dishonour therefore saith Solomon he that keeps his mouth keeps his own soul he that watcheth over his lips that he may not offend watcheth over his own soul Secondly It is good to watch in regard of the world for the world will Reason 2 get in and undo us if we take not heed when we are about our callings when as we let our eyes look upon our wares and commodities upon our barns or our Cattel or the like whatsoever comes into our eye is apt to poyson us and whatsoever we see or touch or handle is apt to do us mischief how many thousands are carried away by their eyes by what comes into their senses as Amazâ—ah cryed out 2 Chron. 25.9 What shall I do for the hundred talents he could not lose an hundred talents but his eyes were marvellous eager after them they were a stumbling block to him he could not go so freely
reason that so many become very unsavoury and unfruitful in their lives the reason is because they do not watch what drowsie thoughts have we to be delivered from the wrath of God what lumpish heartlesse care have we to doe good duties This is the reason of the vanity of our minds and the hardness of our hearts and that so little good is done by preaching among us because people doe not watch When you sow your corn you set hullers to drive away the fowls so why doe you not set up hullers a watch over your own hearts that so it temptations come to pick away the Word and the benefit of it you may resist them how should we labour to hide the Word in our hearts that it may do us good The second Use is to exhort us all to take up this duty of watchfulnesse Vse 2 nay to watch in all things as the Apostle speaks 2 Tim. 4 5. to watch in our eating and drinking that we may not eat and drink our bane to watch in company that if they be good we may get good by them if evill we may get no hurt from them we should watch in good duties for we shall meet with the Devil there too every one that hath the fear of God before his eyes whatsoever grace he hath he should watch over it whatsoever good work he hath to doe he should watch that he may goe on in it for watchfulnesse is an helpfull duty watch and pray it is helpful to prayer and so for all other duties it is a duty destinated to another duty so that we can doe no other duty without watchfulnesse therefore we had need to watch First Consider the misery of them that doe not watch they must needs decline and wax worse and worse you see the Church of Sardis here for want of watchfulness grew dead nay the very good things in her were ready to die Secondly Consider the good of watchfulnesse if we watch we shall be satisfied with grace if we have grace we shall increase it Prov. 20.13 Slothfulness keeps a man in poverty but he that openeth his eye shall be satisfied with bread It is true as in outward things so in spiritual things let a man be drowsie and slothful he shall be a poor man and a beggar and shall have nothing to shew for eternal life but if thou wilt open thine eyes and look about thee thou shalt be satisfied with bread with the bread of life with the image of God with righteousness and holiness the more thou watchest the more abundantly will God bless thee Thirdly Consider that men in their outward callings are watchful the shepherds watch their flocks and the husbandman his seasons when to sow and when to reap his corne when to sell it and when to buy it how much more should we for the good of our souls Fourthly We should consider the examples of Gods Saints David he watched at midnight I will arise and praise thee he would rise out of his bed in the night and pour out his heart before God and bless God for his goodness he would not doe it in his bed but he would goe out of his bed and doe it by his bedside upon his knees how should this stir us up to watchfulnesse Now I come to the second Remedy and that is to strengthen the things that remain and the rather because they are but remainders and ready to die and their deeds are not perfect before God These words are diversly interpreted by Divines some understand them personally Strengthen those persons that remain as if he should say to the Angel of the Church Thy people are generally cold and dead and drowsie there is hardly any life in them now those that do remain strengthen them that they may be awakened they are ready to die there are hardly any of thy hearers that are upright and sincere before God therefore strengthen them thus Pareus and many others interpret it and this is a very good sense for a Minister is bound to strengthen all his people if any be drowsie to awaken them if any be dead to quicken them and the Lord complains against Ministers when they doe not doe thus Ezek. 3.4 The diseased have they not strengthened c. But then there is another Exposition of these words given by Divines that understand it of things and not of persons and so it is in the Original Strengthen the things that remain that both Minister and people would strengthen the good things that were in them for the Minister was grown weak and remiss and the people weak in all good things Now the Spirit calls upon the Angel of this Church and in him upon all the Congregation to strengthen the good things that were in them So that the point of Doctrine is this that it is every Christians duty to labour that he might be strengthened specially if he hath had more grace formerly then now he hath it is every Christians duty to strengthen the good things that are in him For the opening of this word strengthen it hath an opposition to weakness Now there is a double weakness First Of those people that are unconverted that are weak to the resisting of sin and doing any that is good they have some principles in them to resist sin and doe good but they are weak as common illuminations and natural conscience and fear of wrath and hope of Heaven and shame of others and the good example of others and living under the means and restraining grace and the like these things may do a great deal of good but they are weak and cannot make them resist sinne and doe good soundly thus unconverted people are weak This is not properly the weakness that is opposed to strength that he would have them get out of the weakness of unconverted people Therefore secondly There is another weakness and that is of the children of God themselves they have weakness to resist sinne and doe good and this is twofold First There is a weakness of Beginning Secondly of Declining First In beginning when a childe of God is a beginner in grace and is but a babe Heb. 5.12 When for the time ye ought to be c. Such as are babes have need of milk they cannot digest strong meat they are too weak for that as may be a new beginner hath gotten faith but it is weak he is not able to apprehend the promises of salvation and the assurance of Gods goodness and mercy towards him he hath much ado to apprehend Christ himself and uphold his heart so a man may have some knowledge but it is weak and some resolutions and endeavours but they are weak corruptions bear him down and his mortification is weak he cannot master many of his heady and mighty lusts Now such people as these are to be exhorted to strengthen these good things that God hath begun in them Hath God begun any good things in
labour to strengthen all the good things that are in us that our faith we think we have to shew for heaven may be a strong faith and that our hope may be a strong hope that we may purifie our selves by it and that the fear of God may be a strong fear to make us depart from hell beneath so that our desires may be strong to the throne of grace and our endeavours strong against our corruptions and our care conscience strong from day to day to do the works of God The second Use is an Use of direction what we are to do to strengthen Vse 2 the good things that are in us And first Let us labour to have all the powers of our souls strengthened by the strengthening the powers of the soul I mean this you know that divine operations are above nature above the reach of the powers of our souls naturally Now if we would be strong to doe the works of God and divine things we must get our hearts to be raised and lifted up to an higher strain to a sublimer pitch as it is said of Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 17. His heart was lifted up in the ways of God That is his heart was strengthened to walk in the wayes of God and now his heart was lifted up the Text shewes he did great matters he could restore the worship of God and make the Priests and Levites doâ— their duties he could doe admirable things for the glory of God Now his heart was lifted up above the reach of nature so we should labour to have all the powers of our souls lifted up to God we are not converted to God unless God hath raised up our minds and wills and affections as it is said God raised up Judges to deliver Israel from their enemies The meaning is they were no more able to deliver them then other people but God raised up their spirits and lifted them up that they were able to goe about the function God had set them in So Jer. 51.11 before God had raised up the spirits of the Medes they were a weak people they durst not meddle with Babylon but when God had raised up their spirits and lifted them up to an higher pitch of courage and strength they were not only able to goe against them but to overcome them so before God raise up our minds to an higher pitch we are not able to know God aright we are not able to doe good and mortifie sin and be crucified to the world we are not not able to goe about these things but when God hath raised up our hearts and the powers of our souls we can then goe about them as the water is not able to boil the meat of it self but let the fire come and raise the water to an higher pitch to a seething quality now it is able to boil the meat so it is with a mans heart therefore we should labour earnestly with God in the use of all good means that we may get the powers of our souls raised and lifted up on high that they may be able to reach the works of God and attain unto them And first labour to have strong minds and understandings I do not mean strong literal knowledge for with a little of that a man may have strong love to God and zeal to his glory as we may see in the book of Martyrs Elizabeth Sackwell and Katharine Hurst and others they were marvellous ignorant when they were asked what a Sacrament was and how many there were they could not tell and yet were admirable Martyrs and sealed to Gods truth according to that knowledge they had and laid down their lives for the Gospel though they had not this knowledge therefore I mean not that though that be be very good and without some literal knowledge the mind cannot be good a man may have literal knowledge without spiritual but not spiritual without literal therefore it is good but that is not it therefore we must labour to have strong spiritual understandings that we may understand spiritually the things of God as David saith Psal 119.34 Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law as who should say if ever any man doth sin against thy Law it is because he doth not understand himself therefore you see how eager he is that God would give him understanding that he might understand his wayes and understand what his will is that so he might do it that he might understand it savingly powerfully and deliver his Law into his heart God delivers his Law into every mans heart but saith he grant me thy Law graciously he prays that God would not only deliver his Law to his understanding but in a gracious manner a man never sins against God but his understanding is deceived when we are proud we are deceived for we think too well of of our selves when we are worldly we are deceived for we think the world is better then it is so when we are dead to good duties we are deceived for we look upon Gods wayes and ordinances as if they were not such admirable things it is through the deceitfulness of our understandings that we give way to sin Now if our understandings were strengthened we should be fenced against the deceivableness of sin that when the Devil comes with his delusions and the temptations of the flesh with false colours to put us upon sin the understanding would be strong and see the weakness of all such reasons every man follows reason reason is a strong thing and leads all the world no man doth any thing but he hath some reason for it the worldly man hath some though not true reason why he is so carnal he is afraid he shall not know how to live therefore we should be earnest with God to strengthen our understandings that we may see the baseness and beggery and folly of all such vile reasons as these if the understanding were sound it were a marvellous strong thing A wise man is strong yea a man of knowledge encreaseth strongly Prov. 24.5 Therefore I say we should labour to have sound understandings that God would give us to know his Word as it is and to look upon things as they are that the world may not seem to be otherwise then it is and our names and credit or any thing in the world may not seem to be more beautiful then they are that we may look upon things in their own colours that we may have light if we had the light that comes from above we should be marvellous strong as Paul saith Let us put on the Armour of light So Heb. 10.32 saith he After you were enlightned you endured a great fight of affliction When they had true light come into their hearts that they durst not be impatient then though they had mighty afflictions upon them they endured them they had light come in they could not rise up against God if our knowledge were strong
but when a man hath a care to improve his baptism It is noted of Abraham that he had faith before his circumcision but he received circumcision the seal of the righteousness of faith for this that he might be the father of the faithful Rom. 4.19 Now he could believe incredible wonderful strange things that would have staggered him before So when David was to fight against Goliah he was a great warrier and a mighty souldier and David a weak stripling now see how he strengthned himself against Goliah he useth three argument and one is taken from the Sacrament of Gods covenant he was an uncircumcised man but David was circumcised and within the covenant What is this uncircumcised Philistin to one that is circumcised and in covenant with God and he hath given me the Sacrament of it that he will help me and be with me and stand by me in all estates and conditions So it was with the Gaoler before when the Magistrates bid him put Paul and his fellows in the worst prison he durst do no other and when he saw the prison doors open he would have killed himself he was not able to have any power over himself but when he had faith and was baptized now he was able to take them out of the prison and carry them to his own house and give them the best entertainment though the Magistrates counted them Roagues and vagabonds he had gotten strength now Secondly The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is of great force being used with faith and due preparation according to Gods Ordinance it is a Sacrament for the very nonce to help a mans faith and strengthen him in every good thing First Because this is the very nature of the Sacrament it is the Sacrament of growth and increasing in grace the other Sacrament puts a man into the estate of grace and this strengthens a man in the estate of grace therefore when Christ administred the Sacrament he tells us we may receive it as our very bread now Psal 104.15 bread strengthens a mans heart He tells us if we come to the Sacrament aright as our bodies receive bread and it strengthens them so we may receive that which will nourish our souls take eat this is my body will not this bread nourish you directly my body is such a thing that do but take it by faith it shall strengthen you just as this bread strengthens the body as Eliah went in the strength of that meat he eat forty dayes and forty nights so if we come to this Sacrament understandingly and preparedly it is most certain we shall have strength may be not that we would have our selves may be we would have more grace and more assistance but we shall have that strength whereby we shall be able to go on in the service of God doing good and shunning evil from day to day My flesh is meat indeed c. And indeed it will nourish a man as it is said of Jonathan he was weak and faint and his eyes grew dim but when he tasted a little honey his strength came to him again So the Sacrament received by a true Communicant that sets himselfe to prepare his soul to partake of it he shall have his eyes enlightned and his heart quickned he shall have some succour and relief from it to go about every good word and work Secondly It is a seal of Gods Covenant and therefore must needs strengthen a man that is in Covenant with God if he come to it as it ought to be come unto for what is the Covenant a true believer is in I will make an everlasting Covenant never to turn away from them to doe them good and I will put my fear into their hearts c. Jer. 32.40 It is an everlasting Covenant I will never let them goe I will put a strong fear into their hearts that they shall not doe as the wicked doe they shall stand in awe of God it is a strong light others shall be deluded they shall not be deluded it is a strong apprehension of the Word and Will of God this is the Covenant of God Now when a man shall come to have this sealed when God shall give this Sacrament to make this good and he takes the Sacrament upon it that he will walk according to this Covenant according to the grace that God hath given him this man hath all the witnesses in heaven and earth why should he be weak in faith then There be but three witnesses in heaven he hath these that hath faith there be but three on earth the spirit water and blood by spirit is meant the same spirit that works true faith and obedience in the hearts of his people then water that is the water of Baptism and bloâ—â— that is the blood of the Lords Supper the Lord doth witness eternal life to this mans heart therefore what can this man want Thirdly This Sacrament is Communion with Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ c. So that when a man comes to the Sacrament aright he hath communion with Jesus Christ therefore he must needs be strengthened though he were never so weak before as Solomon saith of the Coniâ—s they are a feeble folke and yet they make their houses in the Rocks Prov. 30.26 So true Christians are a feeble folk and yet they make their houses in the Rock where they eat this spiritual meat and drink this spiritual drink they drink of that Rock Jesus Christ when they draw neer to this Table they draw neer to Christ and therefore must needs gather strength they come to this Rock to be rooted and established in this Rock and therefore must needs get strength Fourthly Because this Sacrament is a Sacrament of communion with the members of Christ a man that rightly receives it doth increase the communion of Saints over all the world though he never saw them yet he is loved more and more of all the Saints therefore he must needs grow stronger Take a man that is woven into every man there is hardly any man of any power but loves him he hath friends everywhere this man is a strong man as it is said of Absolom he grew strong for the people increas'd continually with him 2 Sam. 21.15 So a Christian must needs grow strong that truly heares the Word and receives the Sacrament for people still come flocking more and more unto him for still as the Church comes to grow or any soul comes to believe in Christ he strengthens himselfe as Paul was strong in every Town where he went in regard of the communion of Saints such a man is strong in regard of his infirmities he hath many to help him to bear them he is strong also in regard of advice and counsel he shall have the counsel of the Saints Job 4.3 If a man be doubtful what course to
be beaten with many stripes so when we know it is Gods will we should come preparedly and we will not prepare our selves God will not strengthen us and help us against our lusts but our lusts shal get head against us This is in general Now I come to speak of some particular reasons that hinder men from partaking aright of the Sacrament First Because people come not to the Sacrament with a sense and feeling of their own wants if we would partake of strength by the Sacrament before we come we must feel our wants how we want hope and patience and faith and strength we want spiritual understanding in the wayes of God we should not only see this but feel it people may be see this that they want this or that but there is no sound feeling of their wants they are without faith and do not feel it without hope and patience and doe not feel it they do not find the want of these things Now Prov. 9.4 5. Wisedome saith to him that wanteth understanding Come eat of my bread c. When a man doth want understanding is not onely without it but feels the want of it he is not only without strength and faith but feels the want of it he sees the want of wisedom and discretion and Gods helping of him more and more if it be so eat of my bread c. Secondly Because people come without true repentance to the Lords Table they do not repent of their sins they do not break the league between them and their own wayes they come to the Sacrament and mean to think as they have done and speak as they have done and keep company as they have done and behave themselves in their places and callings as they have done and no otherwise then they have done and though they cry God mercy and make some prayers yet the covenant between them and their wicked courses was never broken and therefore it can do them no good People come to the Sacrament as Judas did he came fresh from the Pharisees conspiring the betraying his Master and as soon as he had done he meant to go to them again and so got no good by it whereas if we would get good by the Sacrament that it may build us up in knowledge and believing in having a care to please God and making conscience of all our wayes we ought to root out our sins and corruptions and fling away our lusts and vile affections we should throw sin out of doors as the Israelites were to throw leaven out of doors and not to have any in their houses nay we should deal with sin as Ammon did with Thamar he hated her now more then he loved her before nay he put her out and bolted the doore after her so though we loved vanity and worldliness and passion before yet now we should hate them and put them out of doors yea bolt the door after them that they may come in no more This is the way to come to the Sacrament so as to get strength thereby and the want of this is the cause that people go away so weak Thirdly Because they come without faith they come doubting to the Sacrament Rom. 14.23 He that doubteth is damned if he eat I may apply it to this he that doubts is damned if he receive the Sacrament his own conscience will reprove him his own soul will say I have not done well I have not pleased God in comming his own conscience will condemn him and damn him when he looks upon the Covenant of grace he cannot apply it conscience puts him off This is for want of true faith if people would come to the Lords Table with faith they would receive strength as it is said of Moses Heb. 11.28 By faith he received the Passeover so if by faith we would receive the Lords Supper and beat down all doubts and fears of flesh and blood and resolve to cast our selves upon Christ and his promises and let him have the disposing of us if we would truly cast our selves upon Christ and believe in his name and so come to the Sacrament we should have strength how can we get strength without this Eph. 3.17 When we come to the Sacrament we come to partake of Christ and receive Christ that we may dwell in Christ and he in us Now he will not doe thus without faith faith is the wedding garment if we come without it we shall be bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkness may be thou wert fettered before but now thou shalt be more bound even bound hand and foot that thou canst not stir as the Apostle saith Above all things take the shield of faith so I may say if you will come to the Sacrament to your own peace and comfort above all things take the shield of faith When men come to the Sacrament only with bodily eyes and bodily hands what do they get nothing but a piece of bread and a drop of wine but if they had faith they should have the evidence of things not seen Christ and heaven and the covenant of grace are not seen with bodily eyes faith would help them to the evidence of these things not seen as St. Austin speaks of a worthy Martyr when he was to suffer Martyrdome he took the Sacrament to strengthen him to suffer Martyrdom and the Martyrs in the Primitive Church every day expecting Martyrdom they every day received the Sacrament to help them with strength but when we come to the Sacrament without faith we deprive our selves of this benefit Now as long as we give way to our sins doubting will reign and faith cannot be in our soules Fourthly Because they do not seek earnestly to God to blesse the Sacrament to them they do not make themselves strong in heaven before they come they do not go with strong cries and groans to the Throne of grace that God would quicken them that they may get the good they ought to do at it If we would come to the Sacrament of Lords Supper as we ought to do we should be earnest with God and wrestle with him that he would make us sensible of our wants and that he would pluck up our hearts to come with faith that he would strengthen us that we may behave our selves well when we are there and when we come away every Ordinance of God is sanctified by the word and prayer 1 Tim 4.5 Now because either people do not pray at all or if they do they are not earnest with God therefore it is that they return home little the better Fifthly Because they do not behave themselves well when they are at it they are not well occupied when they sit at the Lords Table they know not how to employ themselves as the duty requires this is that would help us to true strength by the Sacrament if we were well employed when we were at it Cant. 1.12 While the King sitteth at his table c
saith the Church that is while the King was enjoying communion with me and I with him I was just at the same time very well employed I laboured in some measure to stir up all the graces that were in me that my Spikenard might send up a sweet perfume into his nostrils that my faith might work and my love might work so while we are sitting at the Lords Table and the King sitteth down to bid us welcome we should labour to be well employed to keep vanities out of our minds and employ them well that we may have a good meal before we go Sixthly Because people when they have been at the Sacrament they do not examine themselves diligently whither they have got any good by the Sacrament I have received the Sacrament have I got any good by it is my faith strengthned am I yet backward to Gods will untoward in his worship dead in his service am I still hovering and doubting in my conscience have I no care of God have I got no good by the Sacrament if people would but call themselves to account whither they have got any good by the Sacrament this would do them a great deal of good it would make them bewail and lament and cry out if they got no good people let things run on at six and sevens if they get good so it is if they get none so it is but lay it not to heart whereas a godly heart when he hath been at an Ordinance calls himself to accoÌ„unt and takes it marvellous heavily if he see he hath got no good as the Church when she prayed and saw her prayers did not prevail it was a bitter thing to her Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayer should not pass thorow Lam. 3.44 when she saw she prayed and strived and tugged with God and there was no comfort O how she took it to heart she made it the burthen of her complaint so if Christians would do thus The Sacrament doth not take the Lord covers himself with clouds and hides himself from me he will not own me we should go crying and yelling up and down to see that we do not get good by the Sacrament if we would do thus we might get good by it Seventhly If people do get good by the Sacrament afterwards yet they do not interpret this to be by the goodness of God in the Sacrament may be they meet with some comfort and assistance now and then which might do them a world of good and strengthen their hearts wonderfully if they did look to it when they have gotten many good blessings now they do not construe this to be by reason of Gods Sacrament and Covenant if they did look upon it O this came by vertue of Gods Covenant and the seal of his Covenant to my soul this would make them strong in Gods Covenant and help them exceedingly thus David did if he got any mercy at any time still he laid it upon going to Gods Ordinances this I had because I kept thy precepts This I had because I prayed unto thee and sought thee earnestly I followed God earnestly and now I see his infinite goodnesse and mercy towards me how he hath rewarded me I confess it was a poor thing I did God might even have flung it as dung in my face but see how he hath rewarded me So if Christians would say this I had because I was careful though I had formerly neglected Gods Ordinances yet at last I came to seek him earnestly with my whole heart and to come more preparedly and diligently to the Lords Supper and now this I find I had by it how hath God blessed me since how hath he assisted me and lifted me over many rubs and temptations I will have a care of this therefore afterwards this would strengthen a man wonderfully but for want of this people get litttle good Eighthly Because Christians do not rowse and stir up the Sacraments that they have partaked of formerly they do not provoke their souls to extort the efficacy and fruit of former Sacraments when Moses had perceived that all Israel had entered into Covenant with God he rowseth up their hearts to look upon this Covenant Deut. 26.17 18 19. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God c. As who should say you have entered into covenant with God this very day now rowse up your selves and and consider what God hath done this very God hath promised you to set you up above all Nations then stir up your selves and believe God and say Why should I distrust God certainly he will blesse me and do good to me and this day thou hast vowed thy self to God therefore rowse up thy self and think there is no going back I have made a covenant and taken the Sacrament upon it and now there is no going back as Luther speaks of a good Virgin she was marvellously tempted by her lusts and corruptions she helped herself by the covenant I am a Christian and am baptized I have taken the Sacrament upon it and will not yield and this did marvellously help her but when Christians neglect this no marvel though they continue weak still nay most people though they have been at the Sacrament make no conscience of their vows to God they break covenant with God therefore no marvel they get no good by the Sacrament REV. 3.2 Be watchful therefore and strengthen the things which remain c. STrengthen the things which remain As who should say thou hast some grace in thee but what grace nothing but the remainder of a great deal more thou hast had formerly thou hast been more earnest and more fruitful and hast abounded in the work of the Lord thou hast had more a great deal thou art horribly grown down the wind thou hast nothing but the remainders of what thou hadst therefore it is high time for thee to go and strengthen the things that remain Now here by the way before we come to the main point we may observe That a child of God cannot fall totally away there will be ever something that remains though he may lose much of his good graces he cannot lose all though Sardis was brought to a low ebbe yet there was something remaining I say a child of God can never come to such a low pass but he shall have something remaining he may have horrible declinings and woful decayings of grace but he can never come to this passe to have no grace no faith no love to God no caâ—e of his name to be a wicked man again there will be something remaining in him that is good as we may see 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God sinneth not for the seed of God remaineth in him a child of God that is born of God cannot sin that is he cannot absolutely and totally fall away there will be good things in him as long as he lives there will be a seed
justifie though in the act of justification it be alone yet in existency it is not alone but it hath good works together with it as signs and marks of the same as 1 John 1.6 If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and doe not the truth Hereby we may know that we are deceived we may think we have faith and so fellowship together with him yet if we walk in darknesse we may know we lye for this could not be if we had fellowâ—hip with God So 1 John 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar If a man should once think that he knows God with the knowledge of faith and yet keeps not the commandements of God by this very thing he may know that he is a lyar Hereby shall all men know ye are my disciples if ye love one another saith Christ and as it is a sign to others so it is a sign to a mans own self Hereby we know that we are passed from death to life if we love the Brethren He sets down one good work in stead of all other if we bring forth the works of new obedience and if our hearts be purged of God iâ— we bring forth the fruits of holiness this is a signe we have faith for faith makes a man to choose God for his God and raises a man up to see him to be the chiefest good of all and to see all happiness in him and a supply of all the good we need in him and so it makes a man to love God and by love to doe the works of God Fourthly Good works are necessary also by necessity of commandement not onely to be effects and signes of faith but they are also such things as are commanded of God God hath commanded good works that we should walk in all holiness of conversation to be holy as he is holy that we should be holy in our carriages and behaviour Tit. 3.8 The same God that commands us to believe commands us to maintain good works as we may see there we see that Ministers are to urge people and maintaine it against all gainsayers that there is a necessity of good works and that the Lord will have us to go on in them for faith through the Object of it as it justifies is the promise of God in Christ for forgiveness of sins yet faith in it selfe looks upon the whole word of God and looks whatsoever it seeth joyned together by that it joynes together of it self as the Promises and Commandements are bound together by an inviolable knot so faith joynes them together it cannot take the promises of God but it must take the commandements of God also faith looks upon God and as it seeth him to be gracious whereby it comes to have faith to rely upon him so also it seeth him to be holy a God that is severe against sin and hateth unrighteousness so that it is necessary that works be together with faith for the commandement and nature of God require it Fifthly They are necessary also by necessity of end for God hath ordained his people to this end that they should bring forth good works Eph. 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them We are created in Christ Jesus not onely that we should be saved but that we should bring forth good works Now good works are necessary by necessity of end in divers respects First to this end To glorifie God in the world Let your light so shine before men c. Matth. 5.16 So 1 Pet. 2.12 the Apostle saith Having our conversation honest amongst the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers c. For when a Christian that professeth he believes in God and Jesus Christ is plentiful in all manner of good works this stops the mouth of all gainsayers You know Piety and Religion is hated in the world the Gospel finds opposition among men Now when those that are Professors are loose and licentious in their lives this opens their mouths against the truth but when our lives and conversations hold forth Jesus Christ as we take up the profession of his holy name so they are agreeable to his will they are just and holy and righteous and good this makes men think in their conscience this is of God this stops their mouths that they cannot rail at the Gospel Secondly They are necessary to doe good to others and convert others as the Apostle instanceth in women that believe if they be zealous of good works if they be chast and humble and meek and discreet by this means they may be instruments to convert their husbands that believe not 1 Pet. 3. The Lord looks that his people all that believe in him should be fruitful in good works that they may winne and gaine others to the faith Thirdly Another end is to purifie our selves for it is vertue that must throw out vice we are all borne by nature filthy and unclean and full of noysome lusts and the way to expel these is by the contrary vertues 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing you have purified your soules by obeying the truth Fourthly Another end is to qualifie us for Heaven we cannot be qualified for the Kingdome of heaven unless we be holy and godly in Christ Jesus except we have our conversations honest as becometh Saints for though it be faith that entitles a man to the Kingdome of Heaven and gives a man right to the Kingdome of God yet holinesse and conformity to the minde of God and the image of God is that which doth fit and qualifie a man for to enter into the Kindome of God as Christ saith Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you can in no wise enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Though it be true we are saved by grace and so good works have no causality no proper efficiency in our salvation yet notwithstanding they are a cause sine qua non without them there can be no salvation we cannot enter into Gods Kingdome except we be humble and meek and lowly except we fear God and be according to his minde in all things in some measure we cannot enter into his Kingdom Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God A man cannot be admitted to the Beatifical Vision of God except he be pure in heart and he cannot enjoy the Kingdome of grace neither here unless he be pure in heart Rev. 21.27 Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 13. It is impossible we should enter into Gods Kingdome by having actual possession of it except we be holy and fitted for it as the Apostle saith Col. 1.12 It is impossible that drunkards and unclean persons should have society with the blessed Trinity with the eternal God with the Spirit of holinesse to dwell with them for evermore we
must be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Fifthly To proportion our Reward for though we are saved only by grace yet God doth proportion our reward according to the multitude and zeal and fervency of our good works for Gods Covenant is a remunerating Covenant for mercy doth not consist only in the pardoning of a man but also in the sanctifying of a man and the inclining of a mans heart to new obedience that there may be remuneration for though God doth not reward people for their works yet according to their works he doth 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly c. Though a man be a Believer and a godly man if he be sparing in his godliness he shall fare accordingly and if he be abundant in the work of the Lord he shall reap abundantly for as there are differences and degrees of torments to the wicked so there be degrees in the Kingdom of God and in glory and the Lord doth reward his people according to their works Lastly Good works are necessary by necessity of thankfulness it is necessary that we having received the forgiveness of our sins and God being pleased to be our God and to deliver us from the wrath to come and the power of Satan that we should be thankful for these mercies as David saith Psal 118.19 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts and be thankeful Col. 1.15 When David had considered what the Lord had done for his soul saith he what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits as soon as ever God hath been good to a man to open his eyes to let him see his damned estate and condition and to let him have hope and comfort and encouragement in him concerning deliverance from it and bestowing upon him his heavenly Kingdom and glory it cannot be but the soul must be thankful what shall I do unto the Lord for all his benefits you know there is nothing that we can do back again for these benefits except we will praise and glorifie him by living unto him and not unto our selves therefore when the Psalmist had reckoned up the benefits of God to Israel Psal 105.46 he concludes that they may keep his statutes and observe his Laws First Here we see how horribly the Papists wrong us when they say we Vse 1 do not teach people good works and therefore nickname us and call us Solifidians whereas we maintain a necessity of them and as great a necessity of them as they only we beat down the merit of them that no man may think to be saved by works as a reverend Divine Mr. Carter said we teach people holiness and righteousness and good works as if there were no way to be saved but by good works and again we teach that there must be as much hanging upon the grace of God as if we could shew no more to be saved then the vilest drunkard or adulterer all our righteousness is as a menstruous cloth and it is Gods mercy that any of us have an heart to do good you see how the world runs after their hearts lusts and every man is of this disposition and it is Gods grace and mercy to incline any mans heart to walk in that way that tends to his heavenly Kingdom and if God should not be infinitely gracious to pardon us for our best doings they would rise up in judgement against us God might condemn us for all our prayert and performances Secondly This teacheth Ministers how to preach to people to call upon Vse 2 them that they have an operative faith not only to believe but to have a faith that may be fruitful and make their lives not to barren in obedience and to be abundant in the works of the Lord and to serve him and fear him and glorifie him in the world as the Apostle having shewed how Christ gave himself for us to purchase to himself a people zealous of good works saith he these things speak Tit. 2.14 15. We must speak these things and rebuke our hearers with all authority rebuke evil workers and tell them they turn the grace of Christ into wantonness they trample the blood of the Covenant under their feet and kick at the spirit of grace and misconstrue the meaning of the Covenant of God in Christ and rend themselves off that they cannot enter into life for no man without holiness shall see God Ministers should tell people plainly and affirm constantly that unless they bring forth good fruit they shall be cast into the fire and that without holiness they cannot have license and dispensation to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven for God is an holy God and our faith is an holy faith and the promises are made to none but those that lead an holy and a godly life we must preach these things and reprove with all Authority and let people know that are loose Christians and Hell-hounds that if they do not depart from iniquity they shall see God as a Judge to condemn them for evermore Vse 3 Thirdly This confutes all the graceless conceits of men that think to be saved by Christ and yet walk not after Christ they cast not away from them the works of darkness nor renounce their wicked wayes and yet hope to be saved by Christ this is a cursed and blasphemous hope whereby a man blasphemes God 1 Joh. 3.6 whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him if a man live in his sins still that is the meaning of it and walks not after the spirit but after the flesh that man hath not seen him neither ever known him he doth not know Jesus Christ otherwise then the Divels know him otherwise then Hell-hounds and reprobates may know him for the second Covenant is as holy as the first and rather more holy and before God hath done it shall bring a man to a nearer communion with God and a nearer likeness it will raise the powers and faculties of the soul so as I believe Adam in innocency never attained unto so much participation of God as God by degrees will bring a man unto by the Covenant of grace therefore no man can look to be saved by Christ except he mean to be ruled by Christ and to have him for his Lord and Master and to obey him in all things if a man should lie sick in his bed of a burning feaver and should say he were well would you believe him so if we see a man that is burning in lust wallowing in sinful courses that hath a carnal and a worldly heart unmortified and unsubdued to God if he should say that he were in Christ and hoped to be saved by him believe him not all the world cannot save this man for the Lord Jesus Christ hath this very name Jesus not only because he shall save his people from hell but also from their sins and make them fruitful in all the works of God Vse
4 Fourthly To exhort that we would consider of this the Gospel doth call for works as well and as strongly yea and more strongly then the Law and there be necessary uses of holiness and obedience and all manner of pious works under the Gospel as the Apostle saith Tit. 3.4 let us mainâ—ain good works for necessary uses c. We are barren trees whatsoever we are we are barren and dead Christians and have no life of God in us if we bring not forth good works for good works are necessary for many uses Motive 1 First They are for signs to shew us what estate and condition we are in we may know what estate and condition we are in by our carriage and conversation whither it be earthly or heavenly holy or prophane so is our condition either happy or damned First They are signs of a mans election 2 Tim. 1.20 this is a sign and a badge and a token whereby we may know that we are vessels of honour if we be sanctified and made meet for our masters use and furnished and prepared for every good work if we do not deny all ungodly lusts and live righteously and soberly in this present world we have rather badges and tokens of reprobation then election we cannot say that God hath appointed us to attain salvation by Jesus Christ but have rather marks of hell and destruction upon us and what is the reason that men that profess Christ do so much question their election no wonder when we are so scanty in our holiness and obedience to God and so backward to do good there is no nickling of Gods everlasting favour breaking out whereas if we were plentiful in good works it would break forth as the Sun out of a cloud Secondly They are signs of effectual calling Jude 1. if a man be called of God he is sanctified also and kept in an holy course preserved in Christ 2 Pet. 1.3 you are an holy Nation a peculiar people to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you 1 Pet. 2.9 so that we may be sure that we yet abide in darkness and are under the power of sin and Satan if we have not given over our sinful courses and conformed our selves to the Gospel of God we were never called according to Gods purpose but lie under the wrath of Heaven to this day it is holiness and righteousness that is a sign of our effectuall calling Thirdly They are signs of justification also as the Apostle sheweth but you are washed c. 1 Cor. 6.11 you see if we be justified we are also sanctified so 1 Joh. 1.7 if we walk in the light as he is in the light c. We have not one drop of the blood of Christ sprinkled upon our souls by Gods eternal spirit through faith unless we walk in the light and bring forth the works of the light Fourthly They are signs of adoption John 8.39 If you were Abrahams children you would bring forth the works of Abraham so if we were Gods children we would do the works of God the will of God The Apostle having spoken of the adoption of Saints behold what love the Father hath shewed to us c. presently he tells us that holiness and righteousness follows from hence he that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure So Rom 8.14 As many are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God this is an infallible sign if we be the sons of God we are led by the spirit of God so that we have no mark that we are the children of God but rather of the Divel unlesse we walk in purenesse of conversation from day to day Fifthly They are the marks of our love to God as Christ saith if you love me keep my commandements John 14.15 we love not God except we keep his commandments as ever you would be able to say in truth you love me keep my commandments look that you yield not to the corruptions of the world look that you renounce the Divel and all his works I will conclude you love me not at all if you keep not my commandments and he that loves not Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha saith the Apostle Secondly Consider this that the reason why we cannot pray better is Motive 2 because we are no more abundant in good works not only because we want faith but because we want good works for certainly this is a great help to prayer a great support to the soul a great encouragement to go to the Throne of grace and a great sign that God means to hear a man when God hath given him an heart to fear him and love him and make conscience of his wayes as the Apostle saith 1 John 3.22 Whatsoever we aske we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do the things pleasing in his sight As who should say when we go to God and intreat him to be merciful to us and intreat such and such favours that we stand in need of we know that we shall receive them because we keep his commandments These are admirable supports to hold up the hands to the Throne of grace and to make us importunate in prayer and confident because we know God hath poured forth his gracious good will and pleasure into our hearts and hath given us a mark he loves us and beares us good will indeed Why can we pray no better our hands are weake and our knees feeble there is no power in our supplications to the Almighty the spirit of grace is departed from us why the spirit of holiness is gone there is the reason of it when people are loose and do not mortifie their lusts when they are not abundant in following God in fearing God and serving God and obeying the commandments of God they cannot have confidence at the Throne of grace Thirdly Consider this would be a great chearing and rejoycing in the Motive 3 evil day whatsoever afflictions come upon us in this world if we can carry letters testimonial in our own conscience that we do serve God with a pure conscience in this world as Paul saith 2 Cor. 1.12 God knows what evil may befal us before we are a little older what temptations may await us what distresses and calamities may fall upon us happy are we if we have the testimony of a good conscience that we walk in the wayes of God and fear him and love those things that are beloved of God if we love his children his Ordinances his glory and are tender of it a good conscience tender of the commandments of God and his wayes is the best comfort a man can have in the world setting aside his faith in God and this is an evidence of his faith too how can we tell what may be may be the best of us may come to Davids pass you know how he was put to it once in the time of his misery and affliction he was fain to look if he
he should so abuse Bathsheba that good woman and bring her to sin If David himself may thus complain how much more may we complain and loath our selves for the deal of rottenness that is in our hearts O what windings and fetches are there Austin himself saith I can hardly tell when to believe my own heart so I say what a company of windings and turnings and tricks and starting-holes are there in the hearts of Gods people sometimes we are ready to think we have the good we have not and what evasions have we to put off any good duty if we have not a minde to doe it what put offs what tricks to slip our neck out of the collar if we doe not like it what a company of deceits are in the heart So what a company of slights to doe evil such a company of blindings and besottings and carnal reasons and foolish arguments as if we did well in doing it whereas it is but the falseness of our hearts As Mr. Hearn saith It is better for a man to be delivered up to the Devil then to his own heart We read of a man delivered up to Satan as Paul saith and yet we read that that man was brought home again but we never read of any man brought home that was delivered up to the corruptions of his own heart therefore if God hath made us see the falsenesse of our own hearts and made us humble our selves before him for it and made us to endeavour more and more after sincerity what a mercy of God is this but the people of God have cause to complain of the falseness of their hearts Thirdly Is it so that we must be upright then let this serve to exhort us that we would be upright more and more for this is that which the Lord doth look for and especially look for What though we should do things never so good for the matter yet if we do them not with an upright heart all is nothing though the children of Judah fasted and that for 70 years together four times in a year they sought the Lord extraordinarily yet because they did not seek him thoroughly he did not count it sincerely done Zach. 7.4 5. As who should say You did not fast unto me Doubtless they themselves thought they were very religious what not only to doe the duties of religion but to doe extraordinary duties no question they thought this was very much yet every one were cast off because their hearts were not upright before him Amâ—ziah the Text saith did those things that were good in the eyes of the Lord yet the Text makes this exception against him that it was not with an upright heart 2 Chron. 25.2 Consider first That God delights only in an upright heart Prov. 11.20 They that are of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord but those that are upright in their wayes are his delight Upright Prayer and upright hearing of the Word and upright Preaching of it upright walking in a mans Family and upright carriage in a mans conversation when a man carries himself uprightly in all his wayes this man is a delight to God as he saith Isa 66.2 I can look over heaven and earth but at him will I look that trembleth at my Word The prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15.8 When a man can make faithful pleas to the throne of grace for mercy faithful pleas that God would pardon him faithful pleas that God would enable him and accept him and he doth not make these pleas falsly but his own heart can say there is no sin but he sets himselfe against it and there is no commandement but he sets himself to obey it but the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to him he cannot abide it let them pray a thousand prayers God abhors their prayers if they have not upright hearts So 1 Chron. 29.17 see what David saith as who should say Lord thou hast pleasure in uprightness and then certainly thou hast some pleasure in me for with an upright heart and in the sincerity of my soule have I sought thee Now on the contrary if a man be not upright before God if a man have a loose conversation and he be not sincere the Lord abhors that man Secondly Consider that this is the totall summe of all that God requires in the Covenant of grace that they should be upright and faithful in his Covenant as when he made his Covenant with Abraham Gen. 17.1 he saith Walk before me and be upright This is that God requires and he would be an Almighty God unto him and bless him and do him good to all generations 1 Sam. 12.24 It is the saying of Samuel to the people Only fear the Lord and walk before him with an upright heart As who should say this is the onely thing and God requires no more if God had required more he might lawfully have done it if he had required the fulfilling of the Law to the utmost rigour he might have done it but this is the onely thing that God doth stand upon that we should be upright before him he doth not look that we should be Angels upon earth but that we should be sincere and not goe a whoring from him wittingly and willingly Thirdly Consider The least faith the least grace and goodness if it be with uprightness is better then all the goodly performances of the whole world God liked more of the poor womans two mites then of all the abundance that the Scribes and Pharisees cast into the Treasury And he that gives a cup of cold water to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall not lose his reward Therefore you shall see many poore beggarly things over those things that other men have done have been accepted whereas the building of Hospitals and Colledges have been rejected though a man have but a little knowledge as many of the Martyrs hardly knew how many Sacraments there were yet having uprightness died at stake so if a man have but a little faith with sincerity it shall pass when a thousand presumptuous fools shall goe to hell Fourthly Consider God will wink at manifold and grievous faults so there be sincerity and uprightness Asa his faults were horrible faults 1 Kings 15.14 yet his heart was perfect What a company of faults had he what an horrible failing was this that he should cast the very Prophet of God into prison that reproved him Now God answers he had his failings and horrible ones yet he was a good man for his heart was upright before me Asa was not himselfe in that businesse Asa was not Asa then his heart was upright with the Lord. So good Jehosaphat a man that was grievously besmeared with corruptions and infirmities and those no small ones how fearfully did he marry his daughters into a most devillish Family as if he had no fear of God before his eyes he married them to the house of Ahab and
Jesus Christ nor in the Covenant of grace and mercy but was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity The fourth Use is for examination To examine our selves whither we be upright or no and this is a very necessary Use because those that are not sincere are most subject to think they are sincere and they that are sincere indeed are most afraid they are not sincere Therefore first Consider A sincere man is universal in regard of all the commandements of God he doth set himself in all his wayes to obey God in all his statutes as we may see Psal 119 6. This is an upright man that hath respect to all Gods commandements but a false-hearted man may be he will do something he will pick and choose and take what he likes of the commandments of God some things he will doe others he will not doe he cannot be gotten to stoop to all Gods holy will he will never yield to that may be he will not commit adultery but then he will drinke horribly may be he will not swear but then he will lye if he be good in one thing he will not be good in another if he be diligent in his particular calling he will be negligent in his general calling he will not be holy and strict and one that doth walk in Gods holy Laws a true upright man doth not deal with the commandements of God as the swine doth with the pease-cods that will squeeze them and then leave the rest but an upright man digests all the commandments of God Secondly An upright man he is universal in all graces he is a man of all graces for why is God said to be the God of all grace but in respect that his people have all graces in them and he is the Author of all 2 Cor. 8.7 the Apostle saith therefore as you abound in every grace c. As who should say if you be sincere for so it is in the next verse c. you do not shew your selves to be sincere in your love to God and his Church unless you abound in this grace and that grace and all the graces of Gods holy spirit so that a man must have all graces that is upright there must be none wanting he must have the whole image of God he must have the whole new cloathing he must be a new creature he must be endued with all the cluster of graces Eph. 5.9 And as the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. you may see there how all graces are concatenated and linked together that if a man have one he must have all suppose a man should have faith if he should not adde to his faith vertue what would his faith do him good he is never the nearer his faith cannot save him he must adde to it vertue and when a man hath faith if he have not knowledge what is zeal without knowledge the Apostle preacheth the doctrine of reprobation against the Jews for their zeal when they had not knowledge a man cannot be really vertuous unless he hath knowledge and doth it with wisedom and discretion now if a man had faith and all other vertues and were not temperate he were a very beast and if a man had all these and had not patience a man cannot possess his soul though a man hath faith yet without patience he cannot inherit the promises so that you see an upright man is one that hath all graces so that a man that hath not all the graces of Gods spirit if he want one he hath never a one of them and thus it is with every man that is not right though he may have admirable qualities and endowments of Gods blessed spirit yet if he have not all he is not upright but now an upright man hath all the graces of Gods spirit 't is true some of Gods children are more eminent in one grace and some in another but every child of God hath all the graces of Gods spirit if a man want one he cannot have another Thirdly An upright man is universal in regard of place he is not onely good among good company but good also among bad company he is good out of the Church as well as in the Church and good at home as well as in the streets among such and such he is good abroad as well as in his own Town as you may see Psalm 16.8 I have alwayes set God before mâ—ne eyes an upright man wheresoever he is he sets God before his eyes that he may not provoke him nor offend him The upright dwell in his presence Psalm 140.13 you wil say may be they goe an hundred miles off but wheresoever they go they dwell in his presence and this makes him good in all places now a rotten-hearted man may be he will be good in the Church but leaves his Religion at the Church doore may be he will be good abroad but he will neglect his own family or if he be honest and well ordered while he is in his own Parish yet let him go abroad a far off into another Town where no body knows him may be there he will flie out you shall see many a professor that joyns himself to the people of God at home and will be drunk abroad these are false and unsound hearts that are not good in all places if they be godly openly they are not so secretly thus it is with wicked and ungodly men if they come among good people they will not for shame drinke nor swill nor swear nor speake against goodness but if they be among wicked people they will side with them and may be gird at the Saints of God and give them back blows just as it is with water put it into a Tub it will have the shape of a Tub put it into a Beaker it will have the shape of a Beaker it still fashions it self according to the vessel into which it is put but an upright man is like a solid thing that keeps its own figure he is the same in all places Fourthly An upright man is universal in regard of time he is good at all times Psal 106.3 Blessed is he that keeps judgement and righteousness at all times not as though a childe of God may not fall fearfully many times but it is against the absolute bent of his heart and care and study of his soul a Divine sets it out by a spring between a couple of hills it will alwayes run it will either run thorough those lets that stop it or else it will run over those lets it cannot cease running if it be a living spring so a godly sincere heart is good at all times now an unsound Christian that never had the true grace of life in his heart he will not be good at all times he will be good by fits and turns when he is smitten at a Sermon when he is under the rod under a cross then he will fall soul with
his sins and when conscience is up then he will be good as a Windmill goeth as long as the wind fills the sailes but if the wind be down the grist may lie long enough till the wind blow again but a true Christian is like a good boate-man if the wind blow he may go the better but if the wind be down he will goe too nay he will labour so much the more he will go though it be against wind and tide so it is with an upright man he is good at all times not only when he is well but also when he is sick he is good in prosperity and good in adversity good when his conscience is up and good when his conscience is not so stirring though he wants some helps and drives so much the more heavily yet he strives and will be good but an ungodly heart may be he may be good sometimes but it will not hold as it is said of Sigismund the Emperour when he was sick then he would be good and godly and thought of repentance and sent for a Confessor and would repent and asked him Have I not repented yes saith he if it hold but a wicked mans repentance will not hold let God but pluck out the arrow he will return to his old byas again and he is never the nearer nay may be he is worse then he was before Fifthly An upright man is universal in regard of parts as Christ speaks of his Spouse Thou art all fair my love Cant. 4.7 She was all fair in all parts and there was no spot in her he doth not deny but there was failings and weaknesses but no such soul spots as upon wicked men so a godly man is all fair his understanding that is teachable and made to savour of the truth and capable to be guided and informed by the spirit of God you know there is rebellion in the understandings of men carnal reasons and strong holds and haughty and proud principles of reasoning if they are convinced of a sin they will not leave it they have reasonings for that sin and if they have never such convictions for a duty there is rebellion in the understanding to put off this but an upright heart his understanding is good in some measure he is unfeignedly willing to be instructed of God whatsoever course he takes tell him out of the word of God that it is not good though his life depends upon it it shall goe he dares not stand out against God but a wicked heart hath not a teachable understanding it is still under its stubbornness and stoutness and reasoning against God and things he doth not like he will not see when there is any sin he would not leave or any duty he would not doe as Christ saith Mat. 13.15 he shuts his eyes and will not see What wicked man that lives under the Gospel of God but may see his courses are naught but he will not see it how many sins do ungodly men keep there is light enough and reason enough against their sinnes but they have sturdy mindes and will not be convinced of it Again An upright man his heart is converted and made godly his will is made pliable to be led by God and guided by Gods blessed spirit the stone is taken out of it there may be much hardness but the stone is gone the heart of stone is gone and he hath an heart of flesh given unto him to be sensible of God and sensible of his word and sensible of the light that shines in his face and his heart being converted he is moved by an inward principle and so moves the more willingly and the more freely as David saith 1 Chron. 28.9 He hath a willing heart But now a carnal heart and a heart that is not turned to God the stone is not taken out a man rebels to this day if he be moved to goodnesse it is not by an inward principle but by education or goodnesse of nature or by the stings of conscience that over-power his heart or by reason of a great light that breaks in and over-awes his heart Therefore a naughty heart be he never so good and fair-carriaged may be his conscience sometimes makes him forbear more then he would and makes him doe more good then he would but a godly heart is willing to doe what good he can nay he would doe more good then he can doe nay he never can doe so much as he would he is ashamed of all his works look what he doth he doth it with a willing heart Again A godly heart is good in his memory as David saith Psalm 119.16 I will never forget thy precepts His memory is turned to good things and made to remember good things he hideth the word of God in his heart that he may not sin against him But a carnal heart forgets to be good and zealous and please God and obey God his memory is not washed and sanctified in any measure Again A good man is good in his thoughts he doth not onely purge the outside of the platter but the inside also he labours to have his thoughts set upon things above he labours that vain thoughts may not lodge in him nay his main care is within doors in his own bosome to have his thoughts upright towards God So again he is good in his affections he doth hunger and thirst after righteousness he doth desire the things that are most excellent he doth delight in God and his presence he mourns for his sins and â—ourns that he can mourn no more he hath all his affections in some measure rightly seated and qualified he is good all over as the Apostle Paul saith 1 Thes 5.23 The Good of peace sanctifie you throughout As who should say This is sincerity and I pray God give it you that you may not deceive your own souls but that your whole spirit and body and soule and whole man may be true in the eyes of the Lord But now a carnal heart is not thus though he be like a whited Sepulchre he doth seem outwardly to be a good man and a man cannot check him if a man should say such a one is rotten he should be thought to be censorious and uncharitable yet in his inward parts he is naught if a man be not upright he doth not look to his thoughts but can let them be vaine and unfruitfull and can let his affections run at randome he is not affected with God he doth not mourn for his sins he doth not delight in good things his affections are not set upon things that are above Sixthly An upright man is universal in regard of cases and conditions if he be under any kinde of temptation whatsoever as we may see James 1.12 It is nothing for a man to be godly and meek and patient and vertuous when he is not tempted the Devil himselfe is good when he is pleased as we say This is godlinesse and uprightnesse when a
man resists temptations when a man doth watch and pray and is careful that he may not enter into temptations when a man is careful of all the objects and beginnings and occasions of sin when a man fights against the temptations of the flesh and warres against the suggestions of Satan and puts on all the armour of God to withstand the fiery darts of the Devil though he be tempted to be proud and wrathful and impatient yet he will not 't is true now and then he may be overcome against his principles and care and labour but that is as a dagger to his heart This is his course and practise to fight against temptatiâ—ns nay take him in the desperatest cases yet a godly man is sincere take him when he is most afraid that he is not sincere when he cries out how dastardly am I for God how dead in good duties how full of unbelief what a vile heart have I how filthy and untoward take him in these desperate lists he is not without sincerity and in this case he doth one of these two things either he walks according to the measure of grace given unto him or else according to the condition wherein he is 't is true the conditions Gods people are in are sometimes better and sometimes worse sometimes horrible distempers are up and sometimes they are down but when they are never so up he doth as a man in that case may doe as a man when he is bound hand and foot what can he doe if he rowle himselfe upon the ground that is all he can doe and this he will doe as you may see what David saith Psalm 119.40 It seems he felt himself marvellously dead and dull and wonderfully inobedient and he could not get hold of Gods commandements to doe them as he ought yet he rowls himselfe and thrusts himselfe forward to doe them he longed for Gods commandements he longed for the spirit of grace to assist him and quicken his heart Now a naughty heart is not good in all cases nay there are but a few cases wherein he is good at all Again Take an upright man in the lowest ebb he doth question his sincerity and he cannot quiet himselfe because he thinks he hath it not but this is certain a man that hath most sincerity doth most suspect the want of it that man is most eager and most questions himselfe as David was not he an upright man yet no man did suspect himselfe more Psalm 119.80 as who should say Lord I am afraid I shall be ashamed in the end I am afraid my heart is not sound towards thee and directly sometimes I am horribly afraid I shall be confounded in the end Now good Lord let me be found in thy statutes that I may not be confounded So it was with Christs Disciples when he said one of them should betray him though eleven of his Disciples were privy to themselves that they had not the least thought to betray him yet eleven of the Disciples did suspect themselves I may be the man that he means though they were privy to themselves for the present they had no such thought nay it was against the love and principles they had in them they did love him and fear him and believe in him to be the Saviour of the world and they durst not doe it yet they suspected themselves Master is it â— As who should say I have a baâ—e corrupt heart and it may be I for all the goodnesse that is in me and the love I bear to thee they were all more unquiet then Judas that was the man indeed when all questioned it he would question it also for company Seventhly an upright man is universal in regard of relations Consider him with good people and the Saints of God O how he loves them he honours them that fear the Lord Psal 15.4 Though they be never so poor and vile yet he honours them that fear the Lord as Elisha saith he would not have spoken but onely for Jehosaphat so an upright man he honours the Saints of God All my delight is in the Saints saith David Psal 16. Psal 119.63 Nay an upright man is faithful with the Saints as it is said of good Judah she was faithful with the Saints Hos 11.12 So an upright man is faithful with the Saints his heart closeth with them they are his bosome friends and the beloved of his soule But one that is not sound though he take himself to be a Christian and one of Gods servants yet he cares not for the people of God may be he cares for those that seem to be religious but if a man be religious indeed he cares not for him he is too nice and precise for him and he is false to the Saints and will shew them some slippery trick in the end Now again Consider an upright man with the wicked he carries himselfe upâ—ightly towards them he will not be acquainted with them nor all one with them lest he should countenance their wicked wayes as the Psalmist speaks He despiseth them that are wicked Psal 15.4 Let a vile man be never so brave and excellent and noble and high in preferment yet if he be a wicked man in the eyes of a godly man he is despised I doe not mean for his person he gives him the honour due to his place as he ought to doe a childe to his Father a servant to his Master c. as Paul Acts 22.1 Though they persecuted him he gave them their due but he abhors their courses and practises as Solomon saith A wicked man is an abomination to the just Now an unsound heart though he joyn himselfe to the people of God yet he cannot close with the Saints of God but abhors them and counts them vile Again Consider an upright man with his friends he is true to them especially to their souls Consider him with his enemies he doth not yield them railing for railing he dares not hate them that hate him but blesseth them that curse him and prayes for them that despitefully use him Consider him in his Family he sets himselfe to walk uprightly in the midst of his house if he be a Master he labours to be a servant to Christ and if he be a servant he labours to be the Lords Freeman and to be a profitable servant to his Master if he hath Superiours he gives them the reverence due unto them and if he deal with inferiours he makes himselfe equall with those of low degree Thus an upright man is good in all relations Lastly An upright man is good in all the manners and circumstances of his actions he is careful to doe not onely for matter what God commands him but for the manner as God commands him though he doth what God commands yet if he doth not find the love of God setting him a work he is not contented he must doe it in a right manner constantly duely faithfully and to a right end
came down to see the Tower and the City that was built not as if he came down so as taking this phrase unto himselfe but to shew what our duty and Magistrates duty is to search before they pass sentence and to see whether reports given out be true or no. Fifthly Mans searching is for himselfe that things may appear to himselfe but when God searcheth it is not that it may appear unto him but to the world that it may be manifest abroad that a mans selfe and other may see it it is spoken onely in regard of the nature of the thing some things are manifest and some secret Now God is said to search when he makes other things that in their own nature are hidden to men when God brings them abroad and unveils them and unmasks them and openly reveals them 1 Cor. 4.5 Judge not before the time till the Lord comes who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness He searcheth them not for himselfe but to make them manifest he saw them before but they were not manifest abroad they were under the hatches no body could tell whether they were so or no Now God is said to search to bring them abroad Now God is said to search five manner of wayes First By his own Spirit 1 Cor. 2.10 So saith David Whither shall I fly from thy Spirit if I goe up into heaven thou art there c. If thou shouldst goe into the Alehouse or any bad place God is there a spectator though the Devil onely and such as are his Imps are there keeping company with thee yet God is there beholding thee though we should dig never so deep God can trace us and finde us out though we should be never so closely and cleverly wicked God can dive into us what we are Come in thou wife of Jeroboam saith the Prophet why dissemblest thou thy selfe to be another The Spirit of God revealed it When Gehesai wiped his lips O thy servant went no whither Did not my spirit goe with thee saith Elisha when the man returned He shewes how the Spirit of God which he calls his spirit because it dwelt in him did reveal his wretchedness Secondly As the Lord searcheth by his own Spirit so also by the spirit of man as for example by the spirit of the Magistrate he doth search out sly offenders when Solomon had said The King doth scatter the wicked Prov. 20.27 in the next words he answers an Objection How shall he finde out whether such a man be wicked or no A man may be brought before a Magistrate and yet have all the hands in the Parish for his good behaviour Now how shall the Magistrate finde it out saith he The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord that is as Tremelius expounds it the Lord helps the Magistrate to finde out these fellows though they be never so subtle and how doth he help him by the Magistrates own wit and wisedome it is the candle of the Lord the Lord gives him light to sift things and bring things to light and though wicked and ungodly men hang together though they swear and combine themselves hand in hand together yet if a Magistrate be an able man and gifted of the Lord the Lord hath set a candle in that mans minde to light him how to discover them As when the two Harlots came before Solomon the spirit of Solomon was the candle of the Lord that lighted him to discover which was the mother of the childe Thirdly God doth search a man by the conscience in a man himselfe sometimes you shall have a childe of God much afraid that he is not sincere and calls all into question anon the Lord discovers he is sincere and reveals he is upright how doth he doe it by his own conscience as the case was Davids one time he concluded all was naught and he had nothing of God in him and God was gone quite away and had shut up his mercy for evermore at last God revealed David to himselfe and that by his own conscience My own spirit searched saith he Psal 77.6 and then he saw that it was but his infirmity his own spirit and conscience the Lord stirred it up to make diligent search and David perceived himselfe to be as he was so on the contrary a wicked man may seem to have good hopes to be godly and to have an honest sincere heart and be a good Christian and he professeth himselfe to be so and if any one should charge him with the contrary he would say they were uncharitable Now this is a secret Now the Lord searcheth him out by his own conscience thus it was with Pharaoh he thought he did well in not letting the children of Israel goe nay he thought Moses was unreasonable to demand such a thing what to let six hundred thousand of his servants to goe out of his Kingdome at once there was no equity he should let them goe Now the Lord discovered this was nothing but the wretchednesse of his own heart and made his conscience cry out The Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked Rightly doth he call for it at my hands and rightly doth he punish me for not doing of it and I am a wicked man and have done it out of the wickedness of my heart Fourthly The Lord searcheth men out by his Word he doth thereby discover men to be what they are Heb. 4.12 The Word of God is quick and powerful sharper then a two-edged sword c. and is a searcher and discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the hearts the Word of God doth search and discover men though they be never so secretly covered yet notwithstanding the Word of the Lord finds them out as you may see it discovered the woman of Samaria it made her give over all her wrangling and disputing the case with Christ it made her cry out at the last O come and see a man that hath told me all that ever I have done John 4.29 So the Apostle when he would exhort the Corinthians to expound the word in a known tongue he gives this reason O saith he if you doe thus it will discover people if a man should come in he will be judged by you and the thoughts of his heart will be made manifest 1 Cor. 14.24 The Word of God is a divine thing and it is a plain sign that it is the word of an all-searching God for it can meet with mens thoughts and mens secrets When King Ahasuerus said What shall be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour what man living could tell what Haman thought at that time yet the Word of God revealed the thought of his heart Hest 6.6 When David was dancing before the Ark and Michal looked out at the window what man could tell what she thought in her heart yet the Word of God sets it down She despised him in her heart 2 Sam. 6.16 When
Foelix was talking privately with St. Paul friendly and kindly what man or Angel could imagine what Foelix thought at that time yet the Word of the Lord layes it open He thought to have a bribe You will say who could tell that 't is true men know not peoples hearts yet many times the Word meets with them insomuch that they are ready to say sometimes who told the Minister of me certainly he hath some blab how should he come to know this and speak of this in the Pulpit the Word of God meets with them Fifthly the Lord searcheth men by his providence though men carry it out never so handsomely and fairly and can goe in the dark and under the hatches for a long time yet the providence of God will have a time to finde them out as Job speaks Job 12.22 He discovereth the deep things out of darkness c. That is he doth it many times by his providence he reveals things that are otherwise secret and unknown and lie hid yet he brings them out men may blear the world and deceive their own soules but the providence of God in the end will search out all secret things and make them as manifest as things done on the house top it is a strange thing to see how many that have boyled in their hearts against the Saints and Ministers of God and they have carried it out slyly and fairly yet God hath discovered their malice and spight and their venemous speeches and the envy they have borne against the people of God What strange things hath the Lord discovered when men have concluded no eye should see it I hope no body shall know it yet the providence of God comes to finde it out either first or last Now the providence of God discovers mens works that are in secret divers wayes First By letting his people to suspect men 't is true we ought not to give way to an humour of suspition for it is directly against charity for charity thinketh no ill therefore we should take heed of suspition without just cause of suspition for hereby we may wrong persons as the Disciples though Paul was a true Convert yet they suspected he was not and so wronged him It is a dangerous thing to suspect any man without infallible ground yet many times the providence of God doth discover men by this meanes as you may see an example in those false-hearted ones Ezra 4. they would come and build with Zerubbabel and Jehoshua they made as if they did intend the promotion of the Church and Common-wealth Now verse 3. they suspected them Now when they saw that they were shy of them they displayed themselves and laid themselves open and turned to the contrary side and did them all the mischiefe they could Secondly by letting of good people to injure and wrong them this is very true that the children of God should wrong no body especially none that are Christians that we may have any hope they are godly if a child of God should wrong any man in the least degree he is guilty of all the mischief that shall follow after therefore we should be marvellous careful that we wrong no man in thought word or deed but yet it will be so long as we dwell here in the flesh wrongs will be committed by good people sometimes against their wills sometimes by corruptions rising in their hearts contrary to their minds and principles they goe upon Now when these wrongs fall upon those that are not sound this discovers them for their venom and madnesse falls not onely upon them but upon all Professors these are your Professors and precise fellows nay let but the children of God be indiscreet this by the providence of God doth divers times discover men as Saul a great hypocrite indeed he had many admirable things in him he had admirable Government and though he were not a man that truly loved holinesse yet he did abundance of good things and he hoped he was right Now the Lord discovered him by this by letting him have some indiscretion shewed towards him as the women in the Song Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands it was indiscreetly spoken of them though it were true they ought not to have made such a Song of it though no question the women meant well in what they did and were honest and well-minded people yet through their indiscretion Saul stomachs David and grows to be a persecutor From this time forward be eyed David Thirdly By guiding of his Ministers to home-preaching this discovers people what they are if they be godly and upright when the word of God meets with any corruption of theirs then it shews they are of God for then they fall down before God and acknowledge their sin and repent of it and part with it and loath it and cry to Heaven for the pardon of it and labour to have it rooted out of their soules and consciences and so they are discovered to be sound but when this meets with an unsound heart and comes to display his secret lusts and vile courses not being able to stoop to this it shewes what it is as when Christ preached something sharply John 6.55 60. O say they It is hard hard saying who can bear it And from that time many of his Disciples forsook him It fares with Gods Church in this case as with Ishbosheth Abner seemed to be his dear friend and stuck close to him yet when Ishbosheth told him of his faults of his whoredome and lying with his Fathers Concubines then he was mad and was not able to brook him presently he falls off from Ishbosheth because of this away he goes and turns his enemy So it fares with the Saints of God many seem to be their dear friends and keep close to them and joyn with them but when they are dealt withal about things amisse in them they discover what they are they do not like such men they care not how little they come in their company they fall off and so are made manifest what they are Fourthly By their own lusts and corruptions for you shall have men many times hear the Word and being wrought upon in their consciences by the Word or by Gods judgements that startles them they give over their sins upon this and reform and will have good orders in their Families and take up good duties and not having a sound but a false heart a covetous heart in the end this worldlinesse or any other lust that is unmortified the Lord doth use it as an instrument to discover that all these Reformations of theirs were never sound in the end they come to count this a burden and such a burden as they are not able to bear and so grow to be something weary of their strict courses and give over by degrees not to be so careful in their Families to pray morning and evening and sometimes omit it and not to be so forward
for God and goodnesse and at the last they come to shew plainly that there was never any soundnesse in them thus the Lord doth many times lead them forth among evil doers Psa 125.5 and so such as have kept company among good doers are discovered to be evil doers thus Demas was discovered for a time he followed St. Paul but having a worldly heart the Lord discovered him by it in the end it made him weary of Pauls company and he fell to embrace this present world 2 Tim. 4.10 Lastly By the times by persecutions that arise against the Church of God and this knocks off all that were but meer hangbyes it knocks them off from the good course they seemed to follow before and they follow the contrary as Christ notes Matth. 13.20 21. They that received the seed into stony ground when persecution arose they fâ—ll off When persecution and trouble did arise they were offended this discovered them as if there be any rift or unsound place in the house a sharp tempest will discover it and shew where is a flaw in the building so if there be a flaw in a mans faith or profession if a man be not right towards God the times will discover this The Reasons of this are First because it is Gods Prerogative thus to doe because the perfection of mens works though men may give a guesse at it yet it is a secret Now it is Gods Prerogative Royal to reveale secrets Jer. 17.10 I the Lord search the heart c. The heart is deceitfull above all things who can know it 'T is true but I the Lord search the heart and try the reins So you see God takes it to himselfe as his own Prerogative Royal to search men out what they are And indeed the Lord sometimes in Scripture is described by this very thing the searching of the heart Rom. 8.27 He that searcheth the heart Who is that The Apostle doth not tell us who it is but you may guesse who it is by the Epithite he gives him So that God I say is known by this and will be known by this by searching mens hearts and discovering what men are and aym at and intend what men hate and what they love what things they doe and how they doe them Secondly As this is Gods Prerogative Royal so of all things in the world he will bring that which is secret out whether men be sincere or no. Men make a shew O they are baptized and come to Church and take paines in their places and callings and what can you alledge against me Now of all things in the world God will discover this if men be not as they seem to be if men have malice in their hearts and pride if they seek the world and be ambitious and seek to please men and make as if they would please God if they be false-hearted God will discover this he will discover all things but specially Hypocrisie if any will be Adulterers and will not be known to be such if any will be proud or scoffers of Religion and will not be known to be such God will bring this to light as Job saith If you secretly accept persons God will surely reprove you Job 13.10 God will bring all the world and all their doings to light but of all things if men have secret haunts and back-doors to doe evill if men have devices and colours to put off their actions if men can dawb up wretched and filthy cases as if they were good if men will goe about in this fashion to dawb with untempered morter such sins and sinners as these God will lay before him as Moses saith Psal 90.8 As who should say thou layest all our sins before us but if we have any secret sins thou layest them upon a rock in the open Sun the Lord especially ayms at them there be many persons in the world that are godly and honest and yet are covered by the scoffs and reproaches of the world as if they had no good nor did any good and there are others again that are boulstered up in the world as if they were good men and better then those that keep such a pudder Now the Lord as he will bring every thing abroad so specially this Thirdly Because it is for the glory of God to search men out as Solomon saith of a King Prov. 25.2 It is the glory of a King to search out a matter as when the two Harlots were brought before Solomon concerning the child whose it was there was no way in the world to know it there was nothing but their own asseverations the one said it was hers and the other said it was hers the one affirmed the other denied it before the King now we shall see what a glory it was to Solomon to search out who was the mother of the child the Text saith all Israel feared King Solomon because of this thing 1 Kings 3.28 They trembled before him they saw he could search out secrets and hidden things therefore they durst not do wickedness in secret for fear he should finde them out so it is the glory of God to search out secret matters and bring them on the stage if a man be upright and this man is spawl'd and spit upon and born down in the world if the Lord should not search it out what a dishonour would it be to God and if a man should goe for a good Christian and is not and God should not finde them out what a dishonour would it be to him it is the glory of God to search out secret matters Fourthly It is for the truth of God he hath said he will search every one out as you may see Job 34.22 So he hath said He that hideth his sins shall not prosper Prov. 28.13 So he hath said He that walketh uprightly walketh surely but he that perverteth his wayes shall be known If God hath said thus certainly it concerns his truth to see it made good and therefore he must search them out Fifthly This is for the Justice of God that God should search out every one what he is and what his works be how should God judge the world else therefore when God said he would judge Judah and punish them because they had forgotten him he gives this as the reason of it Therefore saith he I will discover thy skirts upon thy face that thy shame may appear So when God means to glorifie his Saints and bestow the Kingdome of Heaven upon them therefore he will discover their honesty and lay open their godly courses and reward them for all the taunts and vile reproaches of the wicked The first Use may serve to reprove most men generally we do not consider that God will search us what a company of pleas are there to doe evil what a company of put offs to doe good duties If men can but find any starting hole glad are they and if they can but finde any silly pretence then
they are made then a man can never get them to doe that which is good When Moses was loth to goe to Pharaoh what abundance of pretences had he to put it off O saith he I am unworthy who am I that I should goe before Pharaoh and another time I am not eloquent He made as if it had been his modesty he was not fit for the office he did not consider that he was to deal with God that could search him out Moses saith he goe before Pharaoh for they are dead that sought thy life As if he had said I know thy thoughts thou hast killed a man in Egypt and thou art afraid that Pharaoh will kill thee but that Pharaoh is dead therefore goe So when a man is unwilling to doe a duty he will have a thousand excuses bid men have prayers in their Family they will say they are not book-learned and cannot pray and how prove you it to be a duty any thing God bids them doe they are willing to doe if you shew them but a place of Scripture for it they make this the reason but this is hypocrisie the reason is they care not for God nor for the Family they care not whether they be saved or damned they care not that the fear of God may be in their children and servants they care not for this but they will not believe this is the cause Again bid another be diligent in his Office alas what shall a man doe I shall doe no good he is a peaceable man and he seeth all the Parish bandy themselves together if he saw there were any hope of doing good he would doe it as if he had a very good heart to doe what God would have him in the end God discovers his hypocrisie it was because he cared not for God he did not hate sin he had no zeal to Gods glory he is a lover of men more then God he loves his owne ease more then holinesse or piety or good order therefore let us know what a dangerous thing it is for a man to dally and double with God when we doe not consider that God will search our hearts the Lord knows whether thou art loth to have such a thing to be a duty or whether thou dost secretly desire it may not be imposed upon thee the Lord knows it therefore doe not put off God in this fashion for God will search thee out it is but a folly for us not to consider that God will search us out as Solomon saith Prov. 10.18 He that covereth hatred with lying lips is a foole that is if a man doe bear secret malice against a man doe not love a man and is not in sincere charity with him may be the man covers it with lying lips O 't is not for this reason and that reason God forbid I should hate him whereas indeed he doth not love him saith Solomon this man is a foole as who should say God will finde him and discover him therefore what a folly is it not to lay this to heart The second Use is to bid us take heed how we hide our sins from others or from our selves First From others you shall have children so they can hide their faults from their parents that is all they care for and so servants if they can but hide their faults from their Masters and Mistresses they care not how bad they be or how false so it is with many you shall have many a man his own bosome knows what an hard heart he hath what a dead heart how carelesse he is of God how that he hath no delight in good duties yet if he can but cover it from the Saints that when he comes to pray before them he may carry it off something handsomely this is all he cares for or look after what an horrible thing is this that people should have no more consideration that God will search us out we had as good that all the world should know it as that God should know it if we do iniquity and be carelesse of his commandements if we do evil though never so secretly it were better all the world should know it then God now God will search it out Jer. 23.24 Prov. 5.21 Therefore we should ever take heed that we may not have this humour in us to venture to do evil so we can hide it from men for what though no man knows it yet we shall finde that God knows it and will bring it to light one day Secondly We should take heed how we hide our sins from our selves this is fearful and in some sense a great deal more fearful then the other for many times when a man hides his sins from others he knows them himselfe but when a man hath a deceitful heart that he hides them from his own eyes how can he repent a man cannot repent without the sight of his sins yet as a Divine saith men desire to hide their sins from God and from others but most of all from themselves Now what a madness is this though a man do hide his sins from himself he cannot hide them from God God will search it out though a man hath never so many colours for his sins he will not believe it is a sin alas poor creature God will finde thee out as a pluralist he will think it lawful to have two livings but what dost thou get by hiding it from thy selfe God will finde it out so for jesting they think it is lawful to do it Elisha jested and did not Aristotle account it a vertue and the like I deny not but men may have jesting if it be convenient but when men are excessive in this and have no meetings without jesting and will stand for it God will find them out so men that will not believe that a man should be so strict and precise God forbid that none should be saved but such thus they hide it from themselves but when they have done all they cannot hide it from God but God will discover them at the last day may be in this world so a man that was never converted nor never had faith he thinks he is converted and hath faith and is religious and a good Christian Thus he hides his woful and vile estate from his own eyes but canst thou hide it from God assure thy selfe God will search thee out Thirdly This may be for comfort to good people First It may be a comfort against others that shall judge them Secondly against themselves First Against others that judge them may be others are harsh towards them and think all manner of evil of them and may be speak it too Now this is a great comfort that God will search them out as they be true and upright and as they doe from the bottome of their hearts set themselves to please God so they shall not be judged by mens conceits but by the Lord this is that which comforted Paul against the censures
and mournes these are sencible he knows what they are many talke of hunger and thirst and reformation c. But to see the saving sanctifying gracious work of God in these things that is a marvelous hard thing to find this and it is very spiritual as Solomon saith Eccl. 11.5 As thou knowest not the way of the Spirit nor how the bones grow in the womb of a woman that is with child even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all if it be so in natural things that we know not how the bones of the child grow in the womb much lesse these things of the Spirit so our Saviour Christ saith Joh. 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou knowest not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth even so is every one that is borne of the Spirit that is every one that is effectually called of God for regeneration is a part of this effectual calling to be effectually called of God it is the blowing of the wind a man knows not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth there is a world of ignorance about the wind so there is about the workings of Gods holy and heavenly Spirit when our Saviour was a working of regeneration in Nicodemus his heart was at the same time saying how can these things be Christ was working these things in his heart and the very same time when he was questioning how can these things be So Gideon at the very same time when God said unto him the Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour Judg. 6.14 15. Gideon was doubting that the Lord was not with him and that he had no might nor strength as our Saviour said of the seed that was sown in the ground Mark 4.26 As if a man should cast seed into the ground and sleep night and day and the seed springeth up and grows he knows not how so saith he is the Kingdome of God and as our Saviour saith so it shall be at the last day when Christ shall say come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you for I was hungry and ye fed me c. But marke at the very same time the righteous that did all this and our Sauiour Christ did witness to their faces that they had done it the righteous shall answer when saw we thee hungry and fed thee c. They hardly knew they had done these things the actions themselves they could not but know of they knew they had fed and cloathed the poore children of God but that they did it to Christ for Christs sake they could hardly see this when did we see thee thus and thus and did so and so that they looked at Christ in this they had hardly so good eyes hardly so good a heart so I might instance in more I say the works of God they are marvelous spiritual and of a wonderful subtil substance they may be wrought in the soul of a man and yet a man may be something doubting and questioning whether they be wrought in him yea or no nay a man may be afraid they are not Fourthly Another reason is because the knowledge of a mans effectual calling may be very much hindered for a time paâ—â—ly in regard of loathness of heart to leave some lust though a mans heart may be subdued and humbled for the maine yet there may be a great deal of holding back though a man cannot stand out in sin as the wicked do yet there may be a great deal of backwardness and unmortifiedness in the children of God and conscience may see it now when conscience seeth it conscience will hide effectual calling from a man and object how can you say you are effectually called when you are so borne down with such a lust and hanker so much after it now if our own hearts condemn us God is greater then our hearts and shall condemn us much more it is a pitiful thing when a man 's own heart shall condemn him and his own conscience shall be questioning whether he be right or no sometimes it falls out thus even those that are called yet in regard of unmortifiedness there is such a deale of matter that the conscience hath to object that a man cannot believe indeed and soundly that he is effectually called for at first when Christ comes into the soul before it hath gotten the mastery and victory the Spirit doth work exceedingly in the dark as when it works poverty of spirit sorrow for sin endeavour to leave all sin hatred and detestation of a mans own wayeâ— loathing of a mans own self shame confusion before Gods footstoole there is such a smoak in the soul where the Spirit doth these that a man cannot see them as if a man be working in a smoaky house though he work excellent things a man can hardly perceive what he doth so there is such a deal of smoak in the heart such a deal of corruption stirring that it hides the sight of the work of God from a man yet the work of God goeth along as suppose two armies in a field and the battel be doubtful the guns fly off and the swords clatter and the dust ariseth and there is such a confusion that neither themselves nor others know which way the battel will go but sometimes some fall on one side and sometimes some on the other side and if a man should stand on an hill and see this battle he cannot tell on which side it will be sometimes he thinks it will be on this side and by and by it is turned on the other side and so while it is doubtful it cannot be determined and concluded on which side the victory will fall So it is with the war between the flesh and the spirit the war is very doubtful before the odds begin for there is a great deal of evenness at first nay the Spirit seems to be the weaker side and the flesh to be the stronger and there are many falls and foiles given to the soul and the flesh is too strong afterwards it begins to be something equal and the battel to be poyzed now while the battel is so doubtful a man cannot tell on which side the victory will be whether on the spirits side or on the fleshes side whether on graces side or on sinnes side but when the warfare is accomplished I do not mean perfectly for that will never be in this life a man may then see on which side the victory will go a man may see ten thousand corruptions lie dead with their throats cut and the Spirit standing triumphing and conquering more and more we may now see which way the victory will go the Spirit reigns and grace reigns and humility reigns and heavenly mindedness reigns and all the graces of Gods Spirit have dominion over the whole man Another reason why the knowledge of effectual calling is hindered is because of ignorance a child is a man though he doth
not know it so it is with a man that is a new beginner in Religion he is a new man though he doth not know it he hath that in him that let him have but time let him but grow he will quickly be able to look upon it and be able to see what it is so it is with the people of God they are at first very ignorant what God hath given them as the Apostle prayeth for the Ephesians Eph. 1.17 that God would let them be no longer children but that God would open the eyes of their understanding that they might know what the hope of their calling was that he would let them know what he had given them they hardly knew what they had at the first they had an effectual calling from God and they had a thousand hopes they might hope to be strengthened against corruptions to be delivered in six troubles and in seaven they might hope when they died to be translated into the Kingdome of immortallity and glory for evermore they had this hope now saith he the Lord of heaven and earth open the eyes of your understanding that you may see the hope of your calling and the exceeding riches of those things that God hath bestowed upon you Againe they may be ignorant of the voyce of the Spirit they do not understand the Spirits language when a child of God is first effectually called he comes into a new world and meets with a new language he is a Barbarian to it and that is barbarous to him he cannot understand the language of the Spirit the Spirit speaks many comfortable things and there are many works of the Spirit whereby the Spirit doth speak to a man for his comfort and consolation if he could take them as a man that comes into a strange Countrey he lives a very uncomfortable life at first he hears them speak but he cannot understand them they speak strange language he cannot tell what to make of it but the longer he is there he comes to understand such a word and then such a word and it may be a sentence now and then and so in the end he understands them plainly so at the first when God calls his people into a new world the Spirit speaks many things to them but yet it is in an unknown tongue it is gibberish to them they cannot tell what to make of it but when they come to understand the dialect they come to rejoyce Againe the children of God are ignorant of the work of grace they think certainly never could any of the children of God that were aright be in that estate that I am they never find their hearts so like a log in prayer when I go to the Sacrament sometimes I behave my self like a block and cannot behave my self in any competent manner as I ought certainly none of Gods people can be thus as I am they are ignorant what may be in the people of God what may stand with the truth of God and so they question their estates and conditions out of ignorance afterwards when they come to more experience and finde the wayes of God in them and come to have a knowledge of their owne corruptions and of the goodness of God in purging them out more and more in the end they are able to speak it to Gods glory and their own consolation Againe the knowledge of a mans effectual calling may be hindered by being unresolved of a mans Christian liberty when there be Christian liberties that a man hath need of every day and yet notwithstanding a man is not resolved upon it many a man thinks verily if he should finde any delight in the good creatures of God if he should be merry or chearful at any time if he should be talking of his calling in the world and speak of it in his communication and follow his calling diligently if he should be angry and let bitter words fly at any time though his nature make him so he thinks verily and concludes that he hath no grace he is a very worldly carnal man he savours of these things here below he savours of the creature and he is carnally merry though a man may take care for outward things moderately and be chearful so for anger a man may be angry be angry saith the Apostle but sin not now if he be angry at any time though the thing be lawful and he hath Christian liberty in the thing yet not knowing his Christian liberty this doth exceedingly trouble a man many times and makes him question his effectual calling there be abundance of Christian liberties that we have need of every day and have need of the knowledge of and when the soul and conscience doth not know his Christian liberty I do not speak of this in regard of the world they had need have straight limitations curbs and we had need put in all the caveats that can be for they are apt of their own accord to take too much elbow-roome every man is ready to stand upon his liberty what he may lawfully do but though wicked men damne their own soules in these things yet it is fit the children of God should have their portion and know it and the want of this knowledge hinders a man from the knowledge of the things given him of God Againe a man may be ignorant of the tenderness of Jesus Christ and of the infinite bowels of the Sonne of God and how chary he is over his people and that he regards a graine of wheat under an heap of chaffe it is very probable that the son of Jeroboam had a taint of the family he was taken from which was marvelous soule yet notwithstanding God takes notice of the good things that were in him though in the Churches in the Revelation foule and grievous things were found yet the Lord notwithstanding takes notice of any thing that was good in them if there be but a drop of true saving grace in the heart God will take notice of it though a man be but smoaking flax God will be tender of it now many a child of God doth not know the tender compassions of Jesus Christ and that he will accept them notwithstanding a thousand weaknesses and though they have but a little hold and a little strength to put forth in the wayes of God and they see how many thousand things they can say against themselves when they see not the tender compassions of Jesus Christ and what a tender Saviour he is the tender mercies of our God as it is Luke 1. This hinders them from the knowledge of that which otherwise they might know Againe it may be hindered very much through melancholy it is the very coach that the devil rides in as Divines speak it corrupts a mans imagination and fills it with groundlesse fears and doubts and makes a man speak he knows not what and he saith he doth not do those things he doth when
to some purpose Sixthly Thou canst not sweetly go on in the waies of God all the duties of Religion will be a burthen to thy soul and thou wilt be weary of them which would be light and pleasant if thou didst know thy effectual calling of God but now they will be burthensome and thou wilt think the Sabbath comes too often and good duties come too often about they come so fast that thou hast no heart or minde to them for want of that which should sweeten the wayes of God to a man the knowing of God and what he goeth about and the knowing of him he hath to deale withal without this a man can never go on nay it is a wonder that thou hast not broken thy neck before this day that thou hast not turned back to folly and revolted cleane to the wayes of sinne that thou hast not turned back to be a drunkard and profane person againe it is a wonder that thou prayest in thy family that thou hast not given over all holy duties and reassumed the works of the flesh and cast off all the courses of a godly life it is a wonderful mercy of God that thou hast not apostatized Take a man that knows he is effectually called it is a wonder to see that man fall I marvel saith Paul that ye are soone removed Gal. 1.6 A man may wonder what ayleth that man that knows he hath an effectual call of God and falls that man is besides himself he is not his own man certainly if he turne back to folly when he knows God to turne from his Commandements to yeild to the lusts of the flesh and grow carelesse and negligent it is a wonder that such a man should be removed back but he that never knew of any such things he hath no knowledge of Gods goodness towards him it is a wounder that he doth not quite fall off for the knowledge of a mans effectual calling is that which doth preserve a man Jude 1. the Apostle saith Jude a servant of Jesus Christ to them that are preserved in Christ and called when a man hath an effectual call he hath that which should preserve him therefore when a man comes to know it what a sweet thing is this to be preserved of God to be kept and carried through when Gods people know not this they are subject to falls and returning back without the Lords wounderful mercy Seventhly What difference is there between thee and a very wretch as long as thou knowest not that thou art effectually called of God what difference between thee and one that is in darkness and under the power of darkness in thy own sence and feeling when David was but afraid of falling into this passe Psal 28.1 O Lord saith he be not silent least I be like them that go down into the pit he was afraid of falling into that estate of doubting of Gods love and the assurance of his love and favour least he should be like unto those that go down into the pit so may I say of those that are unsetled in their minds and do not know whether they have any good at all wrought in their hearts what difference do you see between your selves and those that are wicked and abominable you can hardly pitch upon any thing wherein you differ from a wicked man as Throgmorton said brother what will you say if I dye a reprobate so such speeches may come out of thy mouth what will you say if I dye a reprobate as David when he had committed those two foule sins and had blurred his evidences and could not see Gods goodness and mercy towards him he was faine to begin the world again create in me O Lord a cleane heart c. as though he were to begin from the very ground againe as if he had lost all and had nothing in him what a miserable thing is this Eightly Thou art of all men most miserable if thou knowest not thy effectual calling for other men though they have no comfort in heaven yet they have comfort in the world but as for thee thou hast neither comfort above nor here below the wicked of the earth they care not for thee because thou professest religion and thy conscience that mistrusts that God cares as little for thee because thou art not right and so thou art as a meteor hanging in the ayre cast out from men and God conscience will not let thee close with God nor close with the wicked not with God because thou doubtest whether thou art his or no not with the wicked because thou art strongly convicted that their courses are damnable now what comfort canst thou have when a man cannot tell whether to go this is the case of a man that knows not whether he be effectually called of God or no. Nay lastly Let me tell thee this if thou be totally uncertaine thou wert never effectually called of God to this very day but still remainest under the guilt of thy sins and the wrath of God and the curse of the law and the damnation of ungodly men for if a man be called he presently comes to be faithful chosen and faithful Rev. 19. it is faith that makes up the effectual call for this call differs from the other in that this call makes a man come to God by faith so that a man is a believer if he be effectually called now if a man be a believer there is some knowledge in faith Isa 45.24 Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength saith the text look up and down in all the Scripture there is some surety in every believer that he hath righteousness in God that he hath salvation in his name as the Church saith Isa 53.15 doubtlesse thou art our Father it is the speech of people that are marvelously troubled with unbelief and doubting yet at last they conclude it doubtlesse thou art our Father they cannot deny it so saith David Psal 23.6 Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life 1 Joh. 5.19 We know that we are of God he doth not only say it is thus but we knows it is thus nay take the doubtfullest man that ever was which was Heman Psal 88.1 O Lord God of my salvation saith he he was able in some measure to speak it that God was the God of his salvation he was not totally uncertaine of it wheresoever there is faith there is some knowledge But then you will say what is the difference between the uncertainty that is in believers and other people it is true that all believers are effectually called of God but yet a man may be uncertaine now the question is how differs the uncertainty of a true believer that is called of God and others the difference is in these several particulars First A man that is effectually called of God as it may be he cannot say it so he cannot deny it
at all you have heard saith he how in times past beyond measure I persecuted the Church c. I confesse I had goodly things in me and I profitted in the jewish Religion above many my equals in my own nation being more qealous for the traditions of my fathers I was marvellous strict and forward and for the letter of the law I was marvellous zealous and blamelesse there were excellent good things in me but I had nothing of Christ all this whyle but when it pleased God who seperated me from my mothers womb and called me by his grace c. as who should say now here was the first dawning of that blessed light in my heart now begun that to appeare when God called me by his grace and first revealed his Son in me then was the deed done and never till then so also he shews that he was a cursed creature living in iniquity it may be himself and his companions took him to be as good a man as any was in all Israel but see how he casts his own water Tit. 3.3 We our selves also were sometimes foolish serving divers lusts c. but after that the kindness and love of God appeared c. from thence he began to be in the estate of grace when God called him out of that bad estate when God made a breach between him and his old courses when he made the first rent and division and revoke then grace began to appeare from that time forward I was in Christ thus you see that effectual calling is the first work of God in a mans soul it is the first bringing of a man to Christ and the first making of a man to put him on Secondly Because before effectual calling all was within God what God would do with this or that man may be he meant to save him may be he meant to dam him may be he meant to open his eyes may be he meant to let him go on and live and dye in blindness may be he meant to turne his heart may be he meant to let him go on with the world all was within his own bosom there was no inkling that ever this man should have grace and eternal life nor man nor Angel nor himself could perceive any such thing a man might have vaine hopes and false conceits but no inkling from heaven but he was as faire to be a reprobate as the devils in hell but when God effectually calls a man then he begins to declare what he intends to this or that man he begins to open his brest and shew what purpose he had in himself from all eternity as Eph. 1.9 having made known unto us saith the Apostle the mystery of his will which he purposed in himself c. it was all in himself before shut up in his own secret and privy bosom but when God did effectually call us saith he then did he make known unto us the mystery of his will it was a mystery locked up it was a secret thing that ever he had a purpose to bring us to such things to let us see such mercies now here was the breaking open of this seale now it began to shew it self now the Lord declared what purpose he had in himself now he makes it appeare that we are his elect and chosen and his beloved ones as Paul saith of the Romans to all that are at Rome beloved of God called to be Saints c. Rom. 1.7 you will say how do you know we are beloved ones If you be called to be Saints I dare be bold to say you are beloved of God God hath made it to appeare that he loves you I could not speak thus before you were as vile drunkards and profane persons as any were in Rome but now I dare be bold to say you are beloved of God nay more grace and peace be to you from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ you are called to be Saints and if you are once called then it doth appeare you are the beloved of God it is Gods golden scepter no man could tell whom the King would call to him no man could tell this or that man should be called rather then another till he held out his golden scepter Hest 4.11 So it is with God when God doth hold out this golden scepter to a man now a man hath an inkling that the Lord hath chosen him and will be good to him and hear him and help him in all his wayes and pardon him and do every good thing for him as Mark. 3.13 I use it onely as a similitude our Saviour Christ was there in the mount and the people were below in the vally now saith the Text he called unto him whom he would and they came unto him he was in the mount and all his Disciples were in the vally now no man could tell who should be an Apostle Andrew saith Christ come up now he was one who should be next no man could tell Peter come up then they knew he was one too c. Therefore this calling was the first intimation of Christs purpose to them it was secret in his own bosom whom he would make Apostles before but when he called them it came forth Andrew sees he is the man and Peter sees he is the man c. Thirdly Because all other works follow this work of effectual calling there be abundance of works that God doth work upon his people that he hath chosen to his Kingdom and glory he doth justifie them and pardon their sins and sanctifie and cleanse them from iniquity makes them grow in grace hears their prayers makes them depend upon him in all their needs and necessities he makes them deny themselves and works the grace of humiliation more and more and a trade of godlinesse and a course of holiness and piety now not one of these works are till a man is called all things work together for the best to those that are called Rom. 8.28 this is a leading work now all works come in now the word works and prayer works and the Sacrament works and afflictions work and sinne works when a man is effectually called this is the great wheele of motion now all things work together for the good of him that is called according to Gods purpose this is the first ground work the first breaking of the ice the first setting of a man forth towards heaven therefore we shall see when the Apostle is to write to any man or Churches commonly before ever he bids them do this or that the first thing he speaks to them about is this he tells them they are effectually called as Rom. 1.7 afterwards he bids them yield their members as weapons to righteousness and adviseth them to walk in the Spirit and give up their bodies and souls as a living sacrifice to God not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed in the spirit of their minds and to walk in love
speaks not there in regard of particulars but in the general it is dangerous to erre in any point but to erre in such a thing as is of this nature it is most woeful Reas 1. Because this is the foundation now it is a horrible thing in intellectuals in matters of theory to erre in fundamentals so it is in practicals it is an horrible thing for a man to erre in the very foundation of Religion in the first acquaintance with God in the very ground and bottom of all a man had need lay the foundation well because else the whole building falls effectual calling is the very ground of a mans going to God it is the very ground of a mans laying hold upon God and of the profession of Religion and all the building must come to nothing if this be not well laid God forbid I should go about to shake any man or call in question any mans Religion or hope or comfort I deny not people the professing of Gods name or the calling upon God or the coming to the Sacraments I do not deny them this but I beseech you be sure that you have a good foundation for all for all will come to nothing elss you remember what became of the mans house that was built upon the sands that had no foundation Mat. 7.26 When the winds came and the floods beate upon that house it fell the house came falling down as if it had never been built so have a care of the foundation it is a most miserable thing if the foundation be not well laid Secondly Because effectual calling is a thing that a man must have a thousand references unto before he die if he lives he must every day have a reference to this a man can do nothing but he must still have a reference to his effectual calling he must ever and anon be looking back to this God hath called me to his glory and vertue he will be driven to this whether he will or no it is like a mans evidence when any wrangling companion shall question his right in his estate he must have reference to his evidences and if he find them hardly currant what a stound will he be put unto if he find his evidences rotten and unsound he knows not what course to take why effectual calling is that which a child of God must have reference unto all the dayes of his life from the first estating of him in the Kingdom of God from the first bringing of him to partake of eternal life when David was in affliction in body and minde and doubts came upon him thick and threefold he was faine to have reference to his effectual calling and that comforted him Psal 119.50 This is my comfort in affliction for thy Word hath quickened me when he was in affliction of conscience and minde and body he began to look back time was when I was dead in sinnes and trespasses I never looked after God but thy Word hath quickened me this raised him up this was his comfort in his affliction the Lord had called him to his Kingdom and made him partaker of the work of grace and this cheared him had he not had reference to this he could have had no hold without this a man is as in a wilderness a lost man therefore what a feareful thing is it for a man to take himself to be effectually called when he is not it is as it were to lay a springe for a mans soul it is as a net for the devil to take a man and to carry him on in hopes and expectations and then when he looks back and sees his bottom and foundation he stands upon is nothing but conceit this is a miserable thing Thirdly Because it is the beginning of the works of God now what a thing is it for a man to strike out of the way at his beginning if a man have a journy to go if he go out of the way as soon as ever he goes out of doores he must needs be wide he had been better have stayed at home a man were better go out of his way at any time then at the beginning if he go ten miles and then go out of his way there is some hope it is not all in vaine he hath gone ten miles onward of his journy but for a man to go out of his way as soone as ever he steps out of doors he is cast further off then if he had never stirred a foot it is an excellent thing when a man begins well Gal. 3.3 Ye began in the Spirit c. though they struck out of the way afterwards and yielded to a great deale of carnal doctrine and fleshly propositions and were a world out of the way yet this was to great purpose that they began well St. Paul durst not but call them the children of God he could hardly tell what to make of them yet he saith little children ye have put on Christ and done thus and thus and went out to eternal life in a right manner therefore God will bring you in againe certainly you must come againe you began well you began in the Spirit but when a man in his very beginning shall erre his error was in principiâ— as ever he set out of doors he went clean contrary this man hardly ever returnes nay he had been better never to have stepped forth when a man steps into a way which seems good to him commonly that way is death to him when he hath gone a thousand miles as he thinks in the profession of Religion and hath gotten the apprehension in his own soul to be the child of God then to lay it down it goes to the heart of him he will build an high wall in his own imagination certainly it is thus indeed it is better to turne then go forward but it is the corruption of a mans heart he cannot abide to returne it will be a shame to him and there must be such a do that he is not able to beare it I do not desire to unsettle any man if a man hath but his fingers ends to lay hold upon Christ any truth to hang upon him let him hang God for bid I should shake such a one but if your error be in the beginning and if you have gone out of the way you were better to returne for you will never go right Vse 2. Here we may see the reason why the Scripture is so urgent to make our calling sure because this is the first entrance and admission into Jesus Christ there is an excellent place 2 Pet. 1.10 11. Wherefore the rather brethren give all diligence to make your calling and election sure for he that doth these things shall never fall for so an entrance shall be made unto you into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ make it sure why for if you do you shall never fall that is not all neither though this is a
were his enemy and would slay him and now he was willing to do it so the Lord deals with a stubborne soul if it belongs to him he will overcome his heart and make him let fall his sinnes he will make as though he would slay him he will make him a weary of keeping his lusts before he hath done with him The Lord deales in this case as he dealt with the Philistins they would not send home the Arke what course did he take to make them send it home and send it home in pomp and great respect God did fling down Dagon which was their chief Idoll and the Lord smote them with Emerods And now they think with themselves let us send home the Arke of the Lord and how shall we send it home Let us provide golden Mice and Emerods they sent it home with cost and offerings So the Lord deals with those that belong to him he tires them in their own ways and makes them willing to come out at last Lastly the Lord doth it to knock his people quite and cleane off from all every man naturally hangs upon something and above all hangs upon his good works and good prayers and performances and this keeps his heart from seeing what a miserable creature he is this keeps him from mourning and zeal and fervency and all this while that he hangs upon these his heart is hard'ned he will never stoop and yield to God now when the Lord means to do a man good he knocks him quite off and plucks out of his hands all his works and makes him let all go not that he ceaseth to work but as the Apostle speaks Rom 4.14 He makes him as a man that worketh not not as though he worketh not for there is no carnal man works more then this poor soul in this estate he keeps a great deal of stir to find out mercy and obtaine grace from God there is none that mournes and laments more and goes to Sermons more but yet he is no worker now he is faine to go to his father to him that justifies the ungodly all his wayes are loathsome and abominable he seeth nothing to trust upon but is driven to him that justifies the ungodly he sees he is a vile wretched creature he sees no worth no reason why God should look upon him he is now pennilesse and worthlesse and miserable in himself the Lord makes him a very bankrout he thought he was a rich Merchant but now he makes him a very bankrout and makes him appeare to be naked First here all Dawbers are to be reproved that preach nothing but mercy and the promises of the Gospel many love alife to be upon such theames O say they the promises are best to humble a man and bring him out of his sins whom shall we believe God or man This not the way Ezek. 13.22 the text saith Ye have strengthened the hands of the wicked that he should not turne from his wicked wayes by promising him life When a man preacheth the promise of God before wicked and ungodly men this hardens their hearts and strengthens them that they will not returne from their wicked wayes because the promises are propounded to them and the Minister makes no distinction between the precious and the vile this strengthens them in their sinnes and makes them think they are not so vile but they hope they are in a good case for all this therefore Saint Austine calls such men desolatores not consolatores such work desolation in their hearers and no sound consolation such Ministers as make their Sermons to be pillowes under peoples elbowes they make themselves guilty of the peoples blood and their souls shall be required at their hands they are the cause of peoples miscarriage when a Minister thinks to do people good by crying peace peace when the Prophet saith there is no peace to the wicked this rather drives people further off from God may be it may make them seeme outward professors but it will never make them sound in the faith rebuke them sharply saith the Apostle that they may be sound in the faith Tit. 1.13 sharp rebuking the powerful delivering of the Law and Gospel is the meanes to mahe men sound in the faith the more humble a man is made to be the more faith he comes to have our Saviour saith of the Centurion he had not found the like faith in Israel how came this the text shewes plainly that we shall hardly heare of a man so humble in an age as he was he did even grudge to think that Christ should come into his house he thought he was unworthy that Christ should come under his roofe though he were in the dayes of his humiliation in the forme of a servant his heart was employed and brought low he had no hope in himself all the worth he saw was in Christ this helps a man to the more faith the more a man is emplyed the more may be poured in Wherefore serve all those texts in Scripture The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousnesse tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soul of every one that doth evill flesh and blood can never enter into the Kingdome of God that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and such a one can never please God while the world stands Wherefore serve all these texts of Scripture when Gods flings balls of fire upon men that live in their wicked wayes Why do we not open them and presse them upon mens consciences Why do we not apply them to those to whom they belong are they not in the Bible were the Prophets fooles were the Holy Pen-men of the Scripture mistaken in putting such texts into the Bible If they be there they ought to be utâ—â—red and applied and if they be to be applied to whom but to those to whom they belong Then such persons had need to look to themselves and we that are Ministers woe unto us if we do not preach terrour to whom terrour belongs as well as mercy to whom mercy belongs but you will say are not we Ministers of the Gospel 't is true and so was Christ yet mark what he saith repent and then believe first he discovers their miserable conditions and breaks their hearts and then bids them lay hold upon the Gospel of peace this is the Method that we that are the Ministers of God should take first wound and then heale first lance and then bind up first detect mens sinnes and shew them their miseries and then shew them a remedy first let them see what they are and then see how they may be better Then you must be content to let us go up upon Mount Eball and pronounce the curses of God upon those that go on in their sinnes you must be content to have your estates and conditions ripped up be not ready to be snappish and murmuring against the revelation of the Law and the
Wildernesse the Lord doth as it were entice a man thus and thus it shall be with thee if thou wilt follow me it is done after such a manner therefore it is called a voice The third thing is how we may know whether the soul hath heard this voice or no I answer first there is a power goeth along with the Word when this voice of the Father goeth with it there is a power put into the promises not only the Minister speaks them or the bare letter of the word utters them but when the Spirit speaks with them there is a power goeth along with them as John 6.44 there is a power to draw the heart when the Lord calls a man when he speaks to a man he puts a power into the promise that it draws the heart of a man the truth the goodness the excellency freenesse attainableness of it the Lord puts a power into these things to draw the heart so that that man is drawn to look after heaven and come to God from day to day the excellency and incomparable worth of these things having the power of God in them woeth the heart and enticeth it and draws it and hales it to come to God and weaneth it from the world and he lets them go more and more not seeing such worth in them to draw his minde away more and more hence the Gospel is call'd the power of God to salvation Rom. 16.6 when God calls a man by the Gospel he puts a power into all the promises to draw a man home to pull a man effectually and powerfully unto him he is enamoured of them and must have them and will have them and casts himself upon God for the having of them when any soul obeyeth the call of God what is the reason that it obeyeth it it feels a power in the Word in the promises of God when he hears it preached as 1 Thes 1.5 Our Gospel came not unto you in Word onely but in power the Lord calling of these good Thes By his grace there was a power went along with the Word and made them receive the Word and that drew their hearts to take it though by nature they were averse from it though by nature they were stubborn and rebellious and would not submit to the Gospel yet when the Lord puts this power into the promise to overwoe the soul more then lusts and sinnes and things of the world could do more then the inclinations of the soul could do it came with a stronger power then all these to the soul and this made the soul hear this voice Secondly he that hears this voice hears more then a man or any creature say unto him beleeve saying unto him come unto Christ cast thy selfe upon God here is mercy here is a promise here is peace that thou needest when he doth not onely hear the Minister say it all the Congregation hears him speak it and no man stirs but when a man hears more then a Minister say so he feels such a coming of the Word to him that all the created powers in heaven and earth could never move him in that manner then he heares the voice of the Spirit of God for when God calls a man effectually he makes the Gospel a glasse for a man to see the glory of God thorow as you may see 2 Cor. 3.18 he means by the glasse there the Gospel the Lord when he calls a man he makes the Gospel a glasse to him that he may behold the glory of God the infinite graciousnesse and lovelinesse of God the infinite goodness happinesse and blessednesse of God and what an infinite fountaine of all goodnesse he is in his own Son Jesus Christ he lets him see not only the Gospel every man seeth the Gospel but every man hath not this glasse it is not this glasse to him to let him see the glory of God when God turns a man he comes with this glorious light thorow the Gospel to his soul there is a great light shines from heaven about a man as there did about Saint Paul the Gospel it self a light and every man seeth this light but there is darkness upon the minde still for all that but when God calls a man there is a great light comes into the soul you are a chosen generation c. 1 Pet. 2.9 mark there is a marvellous deal of light the Lord lets into the soul that the soul can now see how the devil and sin and the world deluded him and how the world and all profits and pleasures are a meer painted thing and are meerly vexations of Spirit now he sees how to distinguish between things and things there is a glorious and a marvellous light come in he sees the wiles of his own heart and how he was beguiled before and betwitched by the devil before he seeth all the folly and the Popery of his own heart such a deal of light comes in that it discovers all so far forth as is necessary to bring him to God now he sees that his moaping and blundering upon his sins and condemning of himself it had a form of humility but it was nothing but pride and stubbornnesse of heart and he would rather have him be without mercy then have it upon Gods termes he beholding the glory of God seeth the wyles and deceits of his own soul this light sheweth him the glory of God and propounds to him these things and makes him beleeve them Thirdly this same voice of the Father when the Father speaks to a man it is the irrefragable propounding of the promise to him when the promises of the Gospel are delivered in an irrefragable mannner contrary to all the objections of the heart of man all the pleas that can be brought against it it comes in an irrefragable manner and holds itself before him that he may believe not that he may not be tempted to the contrary but he sees that they are but temptations O saith the soul I see I am unwilling to do good duties what of that if thou wouldest be willing the promise is free may be saith the soul I am full of stubbornnesse and rebellion and unprofitableness what of that that is nothing saith the promise if thou come to me I can heal thee of this stubbornnesse beleeve in me this is the way to be rid of thy stubbornnesse and to have a better heart and more abilities as long as it is a burthen to thee beleeve in me it comes in an irrefragable manner so that the soul can say I refused comfort all this while as David saith Ps 77. comfort was propounded to me but I would not have it I was sullen and peevish and put it off and withstood my own comforts now the soul seeth its putting off of Gods mercie and the forsaking its own mercies and the gracious proffers tendred to it I say when the Spirit speaks this voice to the soul it speaks in a marvellous
a mans will and seeme to have no good in them What because he assents to the promises that they are true No but because he is confident that the promises shall be performed So Deut. 4.4 there saith Moses to the Israelites You that did cleave to the Lord your God you are all alive at this day as who should say though your brethren went away from God some to satisfie their lusts as in the matter of quailes and flesh-pots and others to humour their fancies as in the matter of the calf and others to fulfill their filthy delights as in the matter of Baal-Peor your brethren went away from God as if they might have comfort and delight and good elsewhere they went from God but you cleave to God and are all alive to this day that is as you did look for good in God you had it your brethren looked for good elsewhere and they are disappointed where are their profits and pleasures They went away from God and are dead but you followed God and are alive to this day So 2 King 18.6 it is said of Hezekiah that he clave to God c. that is he did not only conceive that the chief good was in God but he did stick to God in all his wayes he did cleave to God and would not go away Lastly a true justifying faith is expressed in Scripture by believing on God or believing in God a phrase that is not used in any Greek Authour but only in the Scripture and those that have been acquainted with the Scripture now why doth God pick out a new phrase but to imply a new work What is it only to assent to the truth Then the old phrase would have served the turne but when a man believes on God or in God this is the expression of a justifying faith as you may see 1 Pet. 2.5 So John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth on him should not perish c. So Rom. 4.5 and Rom. 3.26 What do all these phrases import onely a naked consent and belief that all the things in the Gospel are true No but when a man can believe on these things when a man can submit to all the Ordinances of God and embrace Christ in all his wayes and believe that all the good things spoken of in the Gospel are to be had in him I confesse sometimes simple believing Christ without on or in is put for a justifying faith as Ro. 4.3 it is said that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousnes he doth not say he believed in God but that is the meaning of it and if you look into Gen. 15. you shall find through the story that he beleived in God he did not only believe that God was good but he committed himself to God in all his wayes and did relie upon him that God was Almighty and that made him walk before God in uprightnesse and that made him live a different life from all the rest of the Countrey this shews that it was a confidence and affiance in God that was accounted to him for righteousness The second Argument is taken from the offer of Christ which is the giving of Christ to be a propitiation for sin and to be a Mediatour between God and man to be the only means of eternal life this is the offer of Jesus Christ in the Gospel Christ is given to be a redeemer to them that do believe now what can answer this giving Can only an act of the mind answer this gift 'T is true indeed he is the only Mediatour the only Messias the only way the truth and the life and he is freely offered and given in the Gospel I believe this and assent unto it is this taking No this is only believing he may take him therefore true faith must be a taking of Christ that only answers to the giving of Christ giving is a relative which answers to taking a gift is no gift except it be taken the nature of the gift returns back again to the giver if it be not taken so it is here God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life He gave his only begotten Sonne that hath a relation to taking of him he gave him that whosoever believeth on him might not perish that is God gave him that whosoever takes him might not perish but have eternal life though a man offer himself to a woman yet if the woman do not take him he is not her husband the match is made up by taking so though Christ be given to the world in the Gospel yet Christ is not ours but by taking of him when you take Christ then you are in the number of those that shall not perish but have everlasting life when you take Christ that is when you take him to be your chiefe good when you take his promises to be your stay and propp to be the the life and comfort of your hearts when you take his Commandements to do them when you take his ordinances to walk in them when you take his people to have society with them when you take Christ and all Christ now you shall have everlasting life this is to take Christ though the woman assent firmly that the man is a proper man and a goodly man and a godly man and a rich man this makes not up the match but when she takes him to be her husband then she hath interest in his person and all that he hath so when a man takes Christ then he hath title to Christ and all the good things that are in him It is said of the faithfull that they did not only see the Promises afar off but they did embrace them Heb. 11.13 the word signifieth they hugged them they kist them many see the Promises afar off but embrace them not they embrace the things of this present world they hugg them but never take the promises of God home to there soules true faith therefore is such a faith as takes Christ and then it followes that it cannot be an act of the mind but an act of the heart in relying and taking the thing to himself to hang upon it and live by it The third argument is this Faith is an act of coming unto Christ Christ you know is the righteousnesse of God now when a man is come to it he hath it now what motion of coming is this is it only a motion of the mind a Contemplation of the mind when a man seeth Christ afar off I may see a goodly man a goodly thing afarr of my eye sight may go to it but if my whole man do not come to it I am not come to it this cannot be only the Contemplation of the mind when the eye of a mans understanding discovers Christ for this makes him the more foole and the
he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Mark here I know in whom I have believed there is the act of faith I have believed in him he expounds himself there he means I have commited my self to him all I have all I am this was the act of justification and intitling him unto him but now saith he I know this this is an act of assurance whereby he reflects upon himself that God was his God and intended to save him but this was not the thing that justified him No I believe on him and committed my self unto him and I know this this act is but the knowledge of a mans justifying faith and not the thing it self For the use of the point here First we see that it is no absurdity to say that true justifying faith is in the heart as well as in the minde many good Divines as Master Perkins say that faith is only in the minde and this is the opinion of the Papists also the reason why good Divines say so is because they do make faith to be the full perswasion of a man that God hath intended Christ to him particularly but this is not an act of a justifying faith but comes after it it is a consequent of it The reason why the Papists say so is this because they hold that a justifying faith is nothing else but a firme assent of the minde to the general promises of the Gospel and in particular the promise of the forgivenesse of sinnes in and through the Lord Jesus Christ generally taken they say this is a true faith now when we say this may be a dead faith 't is true say they therefore a man is quickened and enlivened by charity and good works so that this faith and good works will justifie a man but this is Antichristian leaven but I say that true justifying faith is not in the mind only but in the heart also Object But you will say is it not absur'd that one grace should be in two powers of the soul that it should stand stradling like a colosse with one foot in the minde and another in the heart Answ 1. I answer it is but a conceit for ought we know we can have no Answ 1 firme ground for it that the understanding and will are two several powers of the soul really and distinct many good Divines both Protestants and Papists deny it as Scaliger and others But they are two several offices of one and the self-same soul the self-same soul able to understand is called the understanding and the self-same soul able to will is called the will the self-same soul is able to understand and will 2. But suppose that the understanding and the will were really different one from another yet I say it is not properly to be said that faith is either in the understanding or in the will but it is properly in the soul of a man the reason is because faith is an act of the new nature a believer is born of God 1 Joh. 5.1 and regeneration or the new nature is not in the understanding or will only but the whole soul is regenerate the very soul hath a new nature I do not remember that Aquinas speaks of regeneration but only in this place and he saith that regeneration is in the soul and the soul is regenerated not as though the substance of the soul were altered but this new nature is as deeply rooted in the soul as the understanding and will it self as it is with the old nature in a man unconverted this old nature moves the understanding to think of worldly things and savour them and moves the will and affections to love worldly things and go after them the old nature moves both minde and will to go this way the old nature is the inclination of a man to the world to the creature to the things of this life now when the new nature comes in and a man is renewed this new nature inclines the minde to minde Jesus Christ and inclines the will to affect Jesus Christ and moves all the soul to go that way so that the very soul is renewed and faith is as deeply rooted in the soul as any thing else Nay as low as the very faculties themselves in some sence for it reacheth so far forth as to move them after Christ and this faith puts forth the mind to assent to the truths of the Gospel and puts forth the will to relie upon Christ Thirdly the Scripture plainly seates faith in the heart as well as in the minde Rom. 10.10 With the heart a man believeth unto righteousnesse neither may a man say that the heart is put for the whole soul of a man it is not put for the will the text plainly shewes he meanes the will because the Apostle puts the believing with the heart to distinguish this faith from all other to exclude hypocrisie and all counterfeit faith for an hypocrite may confesse with his tongue he may have braine faith and notional faith so much as to work upon the outward man but with the heart a man believeth unto righteousnesse if it be a sincere cordial faith as he notionally believes these truths so his heart runnes after them and is set upon them and this is unto righteousnesse so when the Ennuch had asked Philip for baptisme I am a believer and what lets but I may be baptized saith he if thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest As who should say thou saiest thou art a believer but take heed do not deceive thy soul may be thou hast an intellectual faith but is it an heart faith Nay thou maiest have some kinde of cordial faith a temporary faith but doest thou believe with all thine heart Doest thou place all thine heart upon Christ Doest thou place all thy ends and aimes upon Christ Doest thou so reach thy self forth to Christ that in all things Christ have the preheminence Doest thou wholly resigne thy self up unto Christ minde and heart and all that is in thee If thou believest with all thine heart I dare be bold to baptize thee and seale thee up unto eternal life so that the Scripture makes faith to be not only an assent of the mind but an affiance of the heart in Christ Fourthly it is no absurdity to say that faith is in the heart and in severall powers of the soul because faith is such a thing as must purifie the whole man and all the powers of the soul it justifies and sanctifies the whole man it is faith that reneweth the whole man therefore no wonder it is such a thing that the whole man must put forth it self in it is like leaven Matth. 13.33 That leaveneth the whole lump so faith is such a thing that he which hath it purifieth himself himself is the agent all himself is the patient all himself is set to strive against sin and to please God and to draw the whole
Father of the Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead So these men have a hope that makes them lively and full of life as a poor man that hath some grounded hope of an Earthly inheritance it makes the heart lively Poverty deads the heart he that hath nothing to maintain himself and those that belongs unto him it deads his heart but if he hath some hopes of an hundred pound a year and his hope is grounded if he hath sure hope of it and he makes no doubt of it it makes his heart full of life so when a man doth believe that he is in a good case that he is delivered from death that he is in the estate of grace when he hath some probability that God hath justified him from sin this breeds an hope in him of an eternal Inheritance and this hope the consideration of it makes the soul full of life There is nothing can make a man more lively then a hope that he is justified before God and that God will not impute his sins unto him Now when a carnal man conceives he is righteous before God and that God will forgive him his iniquities that God will not damn him nor count him a dead and a damned man so long as a man doth imagine this he must needs be a lively man he is alive in his own apprehension nay all the delights in the world cannot make a man so full of life as this hope It is not mens following their pleasure that makes their hearts so full of life as to have hope that the Lord doth not account them dead men that they are justified men and righteous men that they have salvation to shew for Heaven and eternal happinesse to shew for that they shall go to heaven But if now the Law were charged upon a man if he knew that he were a dead man a damned man it would pluck down his spirits and make his spirits dead for all his pleasures It is the conceit that men are Justified that makes them so full of life so long as the Law doth not come home to a man and point him out in his colours and make it appear to him that he lyeth under the wrath of Almighty God that the Lord doth account him an abominable wretched Creature so long as he doth not apprehend this especially if he have any good Gifts and Parts and Qualities and Moral Obedience to the Law doing good Duties and a general laying hold upon the Promises and a hope they belong to him this makes him alive Phil. 3.9 Paul when he was a Pharisee and did Moral Duties and performed Moral Obedience to the Law of God he thought he had Righteousnesse of his own he calls it there his own Righteousnesse he so apprehended of himself now this is that which makes men alive when they conceive that they have some Religion and some Grace You shall have many men and women that hate the Servants of God and yet think they are godly men and have Grace and Life in them We may see it Acts 13.50 there it is said that the Jews stirred up certain devout and honourable women and raised Persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their Coasts Though they hated Paul and Barnabas yet they are said to be devout and honourable women They imagined they were very Devout they conceived they were Religious How many men and women are there that think they are Righteous and they will do many Duties and take many good Courses in so much that it would pity a man to think they should go to hell they will be very Zealous they will be very Earnest against Drunkennesse and cry out against the abominations of the times they are marvellous Devout and Godly and yet a man that is Devout and Godly in truth and in deed they cannot abide him but hate him Now if the Law should come home unto them and discover how indeed it is with them it would humble their souls and pull down their spirits and make them dead so that this presumptuous hope that men are in good terms with God and that God will be merciful to them and forgive them their sins this makes them to be alive 2. We come now to the Second thing and that is the Effect of this Liveliness what Effects it works in the heart And the Effects of this Liveliness are Four 1. First It makes them sound and heart-whole like a Boyl unlaunced it is yet sound The true sight of sin and wrath of God in the soul is able to break the heart of any man it is able to dead his spirit and kill all the Livelinesse that is in him and make him have little life to go on as he doth But so long as the Law of God is not come home to a man though he have no Title to Heaven though Hell be the Portion of his Cup yet he is as sound as can be as heart-whole as may be Let carnal comfort come he can take it let pleasures come he is able to delight himself therewith and go on in his course as if he ailed nothing Prov. 18.14 the Wise man saith The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities but a wounded spirit who can bear When the Lord comes to wound a mans heart with the sight of his sins and the fearful condition he is in what a cursed creature he is having no Mercy and being out of Christ having no Pardon no Grace no Holinesse but lyeth under the Curse of God If the Law thus come home and wounds his Conscience he is not able to bear it this man let carnal Comforts come he is not able to take them it kills the heart Look as it is with the Stomack if it can take meat and digest it it must needs be alive for if the Stomack be dead it can digest nothing So for the Taste If a mans Palat and all the instruments of the taste be dead he takes no delight in any meats So there is a kind of soundness in the Soul that is the reason why a man can delight in carnal pleasures in Drinking and Sporting and in Profit and Gain There is a kind of soundness and liveliness in the Heart the heart is not yet broken If the Law come and take the Hearts life away this will pull down the Heart it will make a mans heart even break it will pull down his spirit But a man whom the Law hath not yet humbled and shewed him his damned estate his heart is yet whole and sound When the Law of God had but a little killed Ahabs heart you might see it in his very gate he went softly he could not tread so confidently upon the ground as he was wont to do it tamed his very steps it is wonderful how his heart was broken it appeared in his very going up and
correction and have not obeyed the voice of them that taught me nor inclined my eare to them that instructed me His carnal Reasons are now all gone they are in a swound they were true Instructions that I have hated they were true Reports that I have despised and they were base and damned Courses which I have followed How have I lived One would think all his foolish conceits now were gone they are in a swound indeed and cannot get up But the Gospel will give a man his deaths wound a man can never have that good conceit of himself he had before nor of his lusts and vanities and profits and delights his self-conceitednesse hath now got his deaths wound Secondly For self-confidence when the Law hath humbled a man his self-confidence is only in a swound when he lyeth in Hell under the lash of the Law he seemeth to have no power in himself no life or activity to any duty He sees that he is poor and weak and rotten and wretched A poor creature he is he seeth it plainly and all his self-confidence seems to he gone but yet there is a great deal of self-confidence actually in Hell for though they are in Hell yet they think if they were alive again what they would do I would hear the Word and call upon God I would repent and not live in sin and not do as I have done they think they would do thus and thus as it was with Divâ—s Luke 16.30 I have five brethren saith he if one should come to them from the dead they would repent and not come where I am If they knew but as much as I know they would repent I am sure if they were in my case they would if they were in hell where I am if they knew how certain it is that they shall come to hell where I am when they die unlesse they do repent at the preaching of the Prophets and hearken to the voice of Gods-Ministers and yield and submit to God they would do it I would if it were my case This is self-confidence for self-confidence is only laid asleep in Hell and it cannot rise again It is true the Law may dead a man and give him three deaths wounds There are Three Wounds that the Law gives a man First It makes it appear that a man is worthy of death the Law makes him see his guiltinesse Secondly The Law pronounceth upon a sinner the sentence of death as Paul saith of a natural death I received the sentence of death 2 Cor. 1.9 that is I was a dead man I took my self to be a dead man So the Law doth make a man to be a dead man it pronounceth the sentence of death upon him it doth not only make it appear that he is worthy of death for so it may do and yet he may have hope of mercy but it makes a man receive the sentence of death and to be a dead man If a man be once condemned if the sentence of death be passed upon him then he is without hope that the Judge will save him because the sentence of condemnation is passed upon him A man may see himself worthy of death and yet hope for mercy Rom. 1.31 Therefore the Law doth pronounce the sentence of death upon him and makes a man in a second degree dead Nay Thirdly The law makes a man see there is no hope of return as it is with a dead man when a man is truly dead there is no return from death there is no rising again as the Wise-man speaks of the strange women Prov. 2.18 19. Surely her house tendeth to death and her paths unto the dead they that go unto her return not again neither take they hold of the wayes of life Here the Wise-man sets forth the infinite misery and damnable estate of such a creature and the irrecoverableness of such a person without the extraordinary mercy of God Ordinarily such persons are seldom or never brought to repentance ordinarily they are irrecoverable So the Law makes a man see he is guilty of death and it passeth the sentence of condemnation upon him and it makes him see there is no repeal of that sentence thus the law leaves him Now a man would think Can a man be more dead then thus How can a man be more dead Yet he may be a thousand times more dead for the livelynesse of a man is but in a swound all this while a man cannot be brisk and peark and self-conceited he is now laid in a swound but is not stark dead But when a man comes to be Evangelically dead he is more dead a great deale And I will shew you it in these three things 1. First He is most dead that is hardest to recover Now when a man is legally dead it is easie to recover that man let but the lash of the law be taken off let but God let him alone and the profits and pleasures of the world will make him alive again his friends and vanities and delights will put life into him again it is an easie matter to recover this man but let a man be evangelically dead when the Gospel hath deaded a man he is a thousand times more dead and a great deal harder to recover nothing can recover that man but Christ let all the profits in the world come they cannot chear him without Christ if the devil should come and put into his minde all good conceits and the good opinion of the world If the Ministers should tell him he is in a good estate they cannot quicken his heart he is dead still he is harder a thousand times to be revived then the other as the Apostle saith Col. 3.2 3. Set your affections on things that be above not on things that are on earth for ye are dead and your life is hid in Christ The Gospel hath made you dead and you cannot be revived by any thing but Christ your life is hid with Christ do not you set your affections on things that are below they can never put life into you therefore let not them take up your minds and affections any more for your life is in Christ alone 2. Secondly He is most dead that life it self cannot make alive When a man is but legally dead the law hath made him a dead man and killed him and shewed him he is a damned creature this man let him have but a little life or any thought of life come into him let him have any affections towards God any seeming desires it will make him think I am alive But if the Gospel once have made a man a dead man life it self cannot quicken him Christ himself cannot make this man a live man in himself though life come into him and though he hath life from God yet he himself is dead I am dead through the law saith Paul that I might live unto God thus I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and that life I now live
marvellous ready to be carried away therefore we must watch our selves First And in particular we must watch our own thoughts naturally all our thoughts are idle and unprofitable our minds are apt to spend themselves upon that which will do us no good we had need therefore to watch over our thoughts Deut. 15.9 Beware saith the text that there be not an evil thought in thy heart Take heed that vain thoughts come not into thy mind idle thoughts or wordly thoughts will dead us and dull us to the service of God and poyson the heart and no good thing can dwell in us if we do not look unto our thoughts the eyes of the Lord are upon our thoughts therefore watch over thy thoughts Secondly We should watch over the Heart it self The heart is the very spring there be the very issues of Life and Death the actions flow from thence therefore Prov. 4.23 the wise man saith Keep thy heart with all keeping as who should say Thy heart is deceitful and desperate it will make thee believe thou art going to heaven when it leads thee to hell if thou be never so well affected for a time this heart will fly off it is naturally so naught and reprobate to what is good Therefore keep thy heart with all diligence Thirdly Watch over thy Words Psal 141.3 Set a watch O Lord before the door of my lips We must watch our lips and have a care that our words be agreeable to Gods Word and seasoned with salt and that we shun all manner of communication that doth not minister grace to the hearers we must take heed lest idle words proceed out of our mouths for which we must give an account at the day of Judgement how many times do such words proceed out of our mouths that we would give a world to recal again onely because we do not watch over your words that they may be such as may tend to edifying and expresse the grace that is within Fourthly Again we should watch over our Senses we should make a covenant with our eyes as Job speaks chap. 31.1 not to look upon a maid when our eyes are looking up and down though they be not caught with adultery or such gross sins yet there is danger to be caught one vvay or other for when a man looks upon the Objects of the world as good and the like how ready is his mind to be carryed after it Men are led by their eyes they carry the mind and heart with them therefore we should have a care that whatsoever comes to our eyes we make a good use of Fiftly Again we should set a watch before our Ears we should take heed what we hear when we come in company lest we be infected by what is spoken we should have an hedge about our ears to stop them from unsavoury things Doth not the ear taste words saith Job VVe should have tasting ears that should be able to taste and relish the good words that are spoken and hate the contrary and distaste them Lastly We should watch our selves over the whole man Only take heed to thy selfe Deut. 4.9 As who should say This is the only thing have a care of watch over thy self lest thy self undoe thy self there is no enemie so dangerous unto us as our selves the Divel in hell cannot do us so much mischief How many corruptions are there in us to draw us from God and incite us unto sin There are abundance of corruptions lying in the heart of man to make a man unfit for any thing that is good that is idlenesse in the understanding it cannot abide to take pains and exercise it self in Divine matters There is in the will and affections covetousness and abundance of corrupt inclinations that if a man look not to it will break forth So that this is the thing we must watch over our selves Secondly We are to watch over the duties of Religion as for example we are to watch unto prayer as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 4.7 we are to watch to meditating and reading and hearing of the Word of God Otherwise though we do them for the matter of them yet we cannot for the right form and manner of them though our hearts be in a pretty good tune for the present yet we cannot hold this frame if we watch not thereunto Rev. 3.3 is an excellent place If you will not watch saith the Text and hold fast I will come against thee as a thief in the night As who should say Stir up thy self and watch that thou maist hold fast if thou hast got any hatred of sin in thy heart hold it fast if strength against corruption hold it fast How shall I do that why watch saith he or else Christ will come against thee as a thief If a book be in a mans hand when he is drowzy it will fall out he cannot hold it fast So when a mans heart is drowzy and secure it will let go comfort and any thing that God hath bestowed for the good of the soul therefore we ought to watch if we have any sweet disposition of heart to go on in the Service of God and in the duties of Religion we may go on if we be watchful And now to branch this into particulars First We must watch before the Duty Secondly We must watch in the Duty Thirdly We must watch after the Duty First We must watch before the Duty Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Exod. 20.8 So I may say remember Prayer to keep it holy remember Meditation to keep it holy remember all the duties of Religion to keep them holy and perform them in an holy manner think of them before you go about the performance of them we cannot pray unless we watch unto prayer unless we be careful and have our eyes in our heads before we go about the duty In the morning as soon as we awake we should think of prayer and when tempted to sin we should think of prayer If I sin how can I pray unto God I have ever and anon need to poure out my prayers before God now if I commit these and these sins how can I look up to heaven when my conscience doth reproach me for sin So when we hear the word of God look to thy foot when thou comest into the house of God Eccles 5.1 that is Before thou goest into the House of God to hear the Word of Salvation see into thine own heart think whose word it is thou hearest and that thou goest to hear the Word that shall judge thee at the last day When thou comest into the presence of God take heed lest thou hearest as fools hear and take heed lest thou prayest as fools pray and comest to the Sacrament as fools use to come we should watch before the duty that all things may be in a readinesse before we come to the performance of it that we may prevent
all things that may hinder us and be fitted with all things that may help forward the duty that time place and all advantages may meet together for the better doing of it Then secondly We must watch in the duty as well as before the duty As the Apostle speaks concerning prayer so I may say concerning all other duties Continue in prayer and watch therein with thanksgiving Col. 4.2 As we are to watch before that we may have preparation so we must watch in the duty that we may rightly discharge it for though a man hath been watchful before the duty and hath been prepared in some measure and fitted yet you are not without danger But when you are in prayer and when you are at the Lords Table or any other duty for all your former preparation if you be not watchful now you may fail in some kind or other and so mar the duty therefore we should watch in the duty that our hearts may be waking in it and our mind attentive upon it that our hearts may be fixed upon that we are about My heart is fixed my heart is fixed saith the Prophet David he was a joyful man he repeats it again and again as if a man should be jocund and say I have got it I have got it We should get hearts fixed upon the duty that so we may not have wavering hearts half off and half on the duty but that the whole man may be employed about it Thirdly We should be watchful after the duty that we may not lose the benefit and reward of the duty lest the subtilties of Satan and the wiles of our own hearts do rob us of the fruits of it though a man hears very attentively and pray and perform all other duties very enlargedly yet when he hath done all he may lose the comfort and reward of the duty Therefore when we hear the word we should watch over our hearts that the fouls of the ayre may not pluck it out again that if we have any quickning we may not lose it again if we have heard any thing that hath helped us forward in Grace we should take heed that we lose not the ground again As the Publican as soone as he had prayed to God and performed an Ordinance aright how careful was he not to lose the benefit thereof He went to the Temple to pray and he was watchful before the duty thinking I am now going to pray and power out my soul before God He was watchful in the duty for you may see how humbly and feelingly and penitently he did pray standing a far off and smiting upon his brest and not lifting up his eyes to heaven bewailing the hardness of his own heart and rowzing it up Lord be merciful to me a sinner and when he had done this he was careful afterwards for the Text saith Luk. 18.14 As he had prayed for mercy so he was careful to carry it along with him He prayed that he might be justified and as he prayed for it so he was careful to carry home justification in his bosome So when we are at a Sermon we should watch that we may go home quickned and bettered and when we are at conference we should watch that we may return home with the fruit and benefit of the duty So for all other Ordinances we should be careful and watchful that we may not lose the reward for the Divel is crafty and our own hearts are ready to betray us therefore we had need be watchful and that is the second thing we should watch the duties of Religion Thirdly We should watch times and seasons God knows what miserable things are a coming therefore what time the Lord allots us we had need improve it to the best advantage that we may redeem the time How many hours do run from us before we are aware How many dayes and months and years have we let slip away and we are little the better Our time is a special thing and therefore we had need to watch it that we may improve it to the best advantage that we may be no longer fools but wise in the imploying of it Secondly We should watch all the times of Gods anger and displeasure it is a miserable thing when a man passeth on like a fool and Gods anger comes forth and a man is not provided hath not a defence for it There be dayes of anger and visitation when God comes to visit people for their sins to visit a parish to visit a family to visit a person and what a woful thing is it for a man to be drowzy and negligent when Gods anger bursts forth and so he hath no evidence of comfort to his soul he knows not how to meet God in the field But when the wrath of God breaks out in any kind upon his Goods or Wife or Children or Body or Friends or any thing he is at a losse and knows not what to do he is fain to sink under the hand of God and hath no refuge to flie unto therefore we should watch against the day of Gods anger Thirdly We should watch over the times of Grace for there be gracious and acceptable times as the Apostle calls them 2 Cor. 6.21 Many times good motions come in Now if we do not watch to keep them and nourish them in our hearts the Lord will passe us by at another time and we shall not be moved Sometimes God affects thy heart at a Sermon and puts in a good resolution to forsake sin and lead a new life now have a care to keep these resolutions and let them not perish in thee and go out like lightning The Lord hath given many a blessed season and oportunity of mercy the water was moved if he would have but stepped in if he would but have taken hold of the mercy he might have had it but afterwards he may go mourning and thirsting and longing and never have the mercy offered more and it is well if he can be humbled for missing of that mercy by his neglect and watch for the future the times of Grace Again we should watch the times of Death we are all mortal men must die and Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find him so doing Mat. 24.5 If any of us should dye before we are converted and brought home to God we perish for ever Whosoever thou art if thou die in thy sins with thy dead hard unsanctified unregenerate heart thou art damned thou goest to Hell Therefore watch for the coming of death that so when it comes it may not be the King of Terrours and an amazement to thy heart Againe We must watch for the day of Judgment as Death leaves us so Judgment will find us Therefore we should consider with our selves seriously the strictnesse of the account we are to give at the dreadful day of the Son of man when all works shall be brought to a
Touch-stone and all secrets shall be Preached on the House top It is an excellent thing when a man doth consider these things before hand when a man hath looked upon his thoughts for they shall be Judged and upon his speeches and upon all his wayes for they shall all be brought before the Judgment Seat of God and according as a man hath done such reward he shall receive for evermore The next thing is the Reasons why we are to Watch. And the First Reason is Because we are marvellous prone to be Drowzy in Spiritual things In temporal things we are watchful enough for Covetousnesse and Pride and the like we are very watchful but in Spiritual things how subject are we to Drowzyness Paul himself was fain to complain I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7.18 Is thy heart better then Saint Pauls If he were left to himself he should be as miserable and proud and untoward as another and have as vile an heart as another and therefore that made him watch Therefore we had need to watch for how loath are we to be brought to watch And how unwilling to take such an hard piece of service to do we are marvellous apt to be secure If Jonah had watched if he had had a watch over his heart he would have gone to Nineveh but for want of watchfulnesse he ran away Cant. 5.2 I sleep saith the Church it was not like the sleep of the wicked and ungodly for her heart waked but she was asleep she was proud and marvellous secure there was a great deal of untowardnesse of spirit grew upon her And as we are untoward to that which is good so we are prone to that which is evil we are glued naturally to the world and the things of this life it is an easie thing to draw us away into evill therefore we had need to watch As it is said of the Disciples of Christ in regard of temporal drowziness so it is with us in regard of Spiritual drowziness Matth. 26.43 He came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy Though Christ had awakened them and jogged them yet they were asleep again for their eyes were heavy So though the Lord hath awakened us even now we were awakened by a Crosse by Sicknesse by a Sermon by a Reproof something or other God hath been pleased to waken us by but all on the suddain we fall asleep again for our hearts are very heavy as it is with an heavy brain what a doe he hath to keep himself awake though he pinch himself and rowze up himself yet he hath much adoe to keep his eyes open so the heart of man is so drowzy that he hath much adoe to keep any Grace alive in himself we are so apt to be so secure that we had need to watch Zech. 4.1 the Prophet complains of the drowziness of his heart The Angel that talked with me came again and waked me as a man a wakened out of his sleep when God was talking with him he fell into a sleep So when we are in Prayer we have much adoe to hold out in the duty we have such vile natures and cursed dispositions How ought we then to watch over our selves Secondly Another reason why we should be watchful is because our life is a Warfare and we do not lie like two Armies in a field removed one from the other but we lie in the midst of our enemies round about us and so they are ready to surprize us The greatest means of doing us mischief are most commonly those things we have need of as our meat and drink and affaires and callings we cannot go to prayer but worldly thoughts are ready to intangle us we cannot go to the House of God but a man is in danger to be intrapped There is danger in every thing we go about by reason of the worlds powerful enticements therefore we had need to stand upon our guard and be careful for else how can we avoid to be surprized and led away This is the reason why so many sink into Perdition Many that have given good hopes many that have promised excellent things have come to nothing but have fallen away as the fall of a leafe Whence comes this but because they have not been careful and watchful The Divel is watchful to insnare and intrap us therefore we should watch to avoid his snares As the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober and watchful for your Adversary the Divel goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour The Divel is alwayes busie and therefore we had need watch and busie our selves and be careful at all times when we are secure and consider not God and consider not the good of our Souls and the peace of our Consciences Satan presently hath advantage against us If the Divel had any thing else to do it were something but the Divel hath nothing to do but to hurt us and lay Siege against us All his practice from the beginning of the world to this day is to go roaming and ranging up and down to do mischief it is all his employment from the beginning of the day to the end thereof If he get us alone he will ensnare us there if not there he will ensnare us in company if he cannot get us there he will get us in a Sermon and if any thing falls against our lusts he will cause our hearts to rise against it Now when we do not watch over our selves we are led away by Satan therefore we had need be careful for the Divel is alwayes watchful therefore we should labour to be alwayes provided to resist him Again we have the flesh that is continually about us it is an enemy within us it is that which doth betray us to the World and the Divel even our own hearts do betray us and therefore we had need be careful we have enemies from without and our own hearts within and all to undo us Take a man that is in a good way and hath all means and helps to make him Godly though there be no temptation from without yet he may de damned from his own heart if he be not delivered from it Jam. 1.14 Every man is tempted by his own lusts and Jam. 4.5 The Spirit that is within us lusteth to envy and covetousness and security and vanity and carnal ease it lusts after these things and therefore we had need to watch A Third reason is Because it will do us a great deal of good for as if we do not watch we are easily surprized so if we do watch it is an easie thing to stand all our miscarriages in the duties of Religion lye in security whereas if we were watchful and would walk with eyes in our heads and would consider the snares that be laid for us and consider Gods threatnings and Commandments the duties of Religion would be
easie For if we do not watch the Divel and the World and the Flesh have advantage against us but if we do watch this is as it were a fence to the heart to hedge a man in to keep him safe Rev. 3.2 There is an excellent place Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain it is the strength of the soul When a man watcheth let a man have but a little grace suppose a man be marvellously fallen off and hath but a little good remaining a few graces in him a little faith a little hope a little sanctified desire he hath but a little strength to go on against sin if a man doth but now watch if a man do but husband this little how strong will he be A little Faith is able to overcome all the Divels in Hell well managed a little hope is able to keep a man above water from sinking a little strength is able to maintain the Combate a little affection to goodness if a man have a carefull heart to improve it to the uttermost will go a great way if a man did but watch it would strengthen the things that remaine Though a man were never so infeebled and come to never so low an ebb watchfulnesse is a stay and strength to the heart Fourthly Again if we do not watch we cannot so much as pray to God to forgive us our consciences tell us unlesse the Lord save us we cannot be saved now how can we expect that God should save us if we do not pray unto him And we cannot pray to him to save us unlesse we watch it is to tempt God to pray to him to preserve us from evil when we do not watch over our selves it is to tempt God to pray to him to quicken us when vve deaden our selves to intreat God to give us an holy mind vvhen vve our selves let in vain thoughts Therefore see vvhat Christ speaks Mar. 14.38 Watch and Pray that ye fall not into temptation As vvho should say You cannot Pray that you may not enter into temptation you tempt God if you intreat him to do any thing if you do not vvatch over your ovvn souls Though a man hath no Activity to do any good yet God vvill have him be vvatchful if he mean to purifie a man he vvill make him purifie himself if he mean to keep him from pride he vvill make his ovvn heart resist pride therefore watch that thou enter not into temptation if thou mean to pray to God not to lead thee into temptation But you will say All a mans watching will do no good except God watcheth over him Psal 127.1 Except the Lord keep the City the Watchmen watch in vain I answer 'T is true indeed unlesse the Lord keeps a mans soul all a mans watching is nothing But I tell thee If thou watchest thou hast Two watchers thou hast God to watch over thee and thy self to watch over thee thou hast God to watch over thee and keep thee in all thy wayes and then thou watchest over thy self and art sustained by God so that thou hast two watchers God above and thy own soul within thee employed about this work A Fourth Reason is Because this is the very means prescribed by God to do us good It is the very remedy that the Lord of Heaven hath appointed unto us to save us from danger and keep us from falling the Lord hath sanctified this means to this very end and purpose therefore when our Saviour Christ would disswade his people from carking and caring for the things of this life Luke 21.36 see what means he prescribeth and layeth down to do it Be watchful saith he and pray the world is ready to get in therefore watch saith he and pray alwayes that you may be accounted worthy to escape these things So that we see this the means prescribed by God himself to escape the falling into sin Fifthly Again We should be so much the more careful in this watch because no other can watch for us in outward things one man may watch while another sleepeth as in sailing when all the rest are asleep there is one watcheth so in war when all the Souldiers lye in their tents asleep it may be some few are watching that the rest may take their rest but it is not so in regard of our souls one man cannot watch while another man sleeps but every man must watch over his own heart If we do not watch our own souls we shall perish and if we do not perish everlastingly we shall have miserable temptations and evils and many inconveniences we shall be exposed unto But some may say Are not Ministers to watch over us How then is every man to watch over himself Ministers are watchmen Son of man I have made thee a watchman over the house of Israel saith the Lord to the Prophet Ezekiel and Heb. 13.17 The Apostle speaking of Ministers saith They watch for your souls I Answer The word in the Original is not for your souls but over your souls to watch for a man is to watch for another that he may not watch as when a man watcheth for his neighbor that his neighbour may not watch but the Ministers are not so to watch for the people that the people may not watch but the Ministers are to watch over the people that they may watch as when a man watcheth Deer or Hawkes he watcheth them that they may watch and not sleep that so he may tame them as a man that watcheth with a man which is sick of the Lethargy which is such a Disease that if a man be let sleep he goeth away in his sleep therefore their friends stand about them to watch over them that they may not sleep knowing that if they do sleep their lives are hazarded and if they see them but to slumber they awaken them lest in their sleep they die and go away So it is with the Ministers of the Gospel we ought to watch over your souls that you may not sleep for you are all sick of the Lethargy of sin and if ye sleep you go away if you be not careful for heaven and heavenly things if you follow vanity and security of heart and do not take heed to avoid sin your souls will die therefore the Ministers are to watch over you and keep you from sleeping and shew you the danger of it and labour to awaken you and keep your eyes waking The First Use is To condemne the infinite security that is grown upon people that though it be so excellent a duty for a man to watch yet where is the man almost that is careful of it They put this duty over to God as if it did not belong to them they will watch over outward things for plowing and sowing and reaping and the like but for the good of their souls they never acquaint themselves with this watching their hearts are like
that which was stark naught and puts in that which is good and agreeable to his mind the old heart is corrupt and the old man is stark naught there is nothing good in it these the Lord takes out and puts in all new A man is altogether naught and reprobate before what poor creatures are all people that are not Regenerate they are all proud and vain and foolish and wordly and earthly and harden their hearts and are carelesse of Gods wayes they have no fear of God before their eyes they are altogether rotten how ill-favouredly do they pray How worldly do they go on in their callings How unfruitfully do they come to Church They are all rotten and refractory they do nothing that right is now when the Spirit of God doth make them up he puts out all old things and makes them new This is the First thing Regeneration is the renewing of a man Secondly As it is the renewing of a man so it is the renewing of the whole man It is not only in some things for Saul was another man in some sense but Regeneration is the renewing of the whole man as the Apostle saith The God of peace sanctifie you throughout in body soul and Spirit 1 Thess 5.23 it is a work upon the whole man our Saviour Christ compares it to leaven which a woman took and leavened the whole Lump It is like unto Original sin as Original sin infects the whole man so Regeneration doth repair and renew the whole man it is as general and universal as original sin the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse Ephes 5.9 It is in all goodnesse in the goodnesse of a mans mind and in the goodnesse of a mans affections in the goodnesse of the inclination and disposition in the goodnesse of the whole man the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness indeed it begins in the goodnesse of the mind as the Apostle speaks Ephes 4.23 Be renewed in the Spirit of your minds Where he calls upon them for this new work Put off the old man saith he and be renewed in the Spirit of your minds that is the First thing when a man hath a new mind given unto him a new knowledge put into his understanding a man is renewed in knowledge Col. 3.10 This is the first thing when God reneweth a mans knowledge and apprehension of things when a man begins to know the plagues of his own heart and the evils of all his own wayes now a man begins to see through these things and now he begins to see the wayes of God and to dive deep beneath the irksomnesse of them to know the amiablenesse of them the sweetnesse of them the delights of them are hidden from a man so long as he is unregenerate but when God doth begin to regenerate a man now he begins to discover them to him that a man seeth what they are he could say before that the wayes of God were good but he could never taste and find them so but when a man is renewed now he seeth the lustre and amiablenesse of them so also he seeth the uglinesse of sin this was covered before sin deceived the heart and carried him after it but now sin begins to be laid stark naked and a man seeth the deformity of it here begins Regeneration in the mind for the understanding is the key of the Soul the key of all the Faculties of the Soul it is like a sluce or flood gate pull up that and the water goes out and runs all abroad so when the Lord doth pluck up this sluce and lift up a mans heart and mind and understanding now the waters of life flow into the soul this is against them now that have plenty of knowledge and yet notwithstanding go no further that have new minds and old wills and affections there is a new brain but an old heart this is not regeneration regeneration it is true begins in the understanding but it runs along in all the soul it descends into heart and mind and all the whole man and therefore it is called a new creature whosoever is in Christ is a new creature Behold I make all things new saith Christ Rev. 21.5 As Regeneration is the renewing of a man so it is the renewing of the whole man Thirdly It is done by degrees Though Regeneration be in all parts yet it is not in all degrees at once the spirit of God doth renew more and more and beget a man more and more there is of the old birth a great while but he doth eat it out more and more as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 3.18 And we all with open face c. Mark here he calls this change glory because it is a glorious creature as long as a man is not renewed he is a base creature but when he is renewed he is a glorious creature Now saith he when the Lord doth this he doth it from glory to glory from one degree to another as this is done by the spirit of God so he doth it more he proceeds from little beginnings to greater perfections it was not so with Adam God made him in his full stature at the first he was a man at the first dash but this new creature is as a Babe conceived in the VVomb it begins there and so grows up As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 He is a babe first and so growes though it be not a starveling but grovvs yet it is but a vveak one at first and must grovv and come to its strength more and more it is like a good husband that begins vvith a little and ariseth up to a great estate in the end so Regeneration makes a man a good husband puts a little stock into his hands and makes him rise to a great matter Fourthly This is according to the Image of God It is not all kind of Renewing A man may have a new work that he had not before but the work of regeneration as it is a renewing so it is a renewing after the image of God man had quite and clean lost the Image of God which consisted in Righteousness and Holiness Now when Gods Spirit comes to regenerate a man that reneweth him according to this Image As the Apostle speaks Ephes 4.24 That ye put on the new man which is created after his image and how is that In Righteousness and Holiness As it is in Nature though a man be never so godly when he begets a man he begets him after his image as he is by nature polluted and unclean Gen. 5.3 So Adam begat Seth in his own image so when the Spirit begets a man again he begets him after his own image he makes him merciful as his heavenly Father is merciful Luke 6.36 and perfect as he is perfect Matth. 5. ult There are none regenerate and born again but those that are like God the Lord stamps upon them his own
2. Not as though we should set up a conceited distinction of works in the Trinity 2. What is this voice Not distinct from the word preached Consists 1. In the opening a a mans senses 2. In taking away a mans lameness Called a voice 1. Because it is joyned to the word 2. Because it hath a similitude of a voice Quest How may we know whether that soul hath heard this voice Answ 1. There is a power goes along with this Word 2. This voice makes one hear more then any creature can speak 3. It is the irrefragable propounding of the promise 2. Confidence in natural man 1. In the power of God 2. Unrooted in the will 3. Presumptuous 2. Confidence in the godly 1. Special perswasion of Gods love 2. A constant expectation Confidence in Christ for life and salvation is true justifying faith Arg. 1. From the several expressions of faith in Scripture 1. Trusting 2. Relying on God 3. Staying upon God 4. Rolling ones self on God 5. Adhering unto God 6. Beleeving on God Arg. 2. From the offer of Christ Arg. 2. From the offer of Christ Arg. 3. Because faith is a coming to Christ Arg. 4. Because the object of justifying faith is no proposition but Christ himself Arg. 5. Because true faith is a faith of union Use 1. Then no absurdity to say faith is in the heart as well as in the minde Object Use 2. A believer may not be sure in regard of sense Arg. 1. The event is not the object of justifying faith 2. The event is conditional till a man believes Argument 3. Arg. 4. The event is known another way Arg. 5 Not the truth but strength of faith aprehends the event Doct. It is faith that makes a man obey the call of God Reas 1 Because faith seeth Gods purity and mercy to be inseparable attributes 2. Because faith looks on Christ not only as a Saviour but as a Lord. 3. Because faith gleweth the heart to the Commandements as well as to the promises 4. Because faith looks to a fitnesse for heaven as well as a title to heaven 5. Because faith is eminently all that a man is to do John 2. 2. By carrying a man to God 3. By making a man improve all his abilities 4. By making a man relie on Christ Quest How doth faith fetch power from Christ Answ 1. As an instrument 2. In a moral way Use 2. See what little faith is in the world Use 3. For examination Evidences of true obedience 1. Willing and hearty 2. Works resignation to God 3. It puts forth all a mans strength to God The Division of the Text. Obser The latter part of the Text Opened Obser Luke 16. Quest Answ Vse 1 King 21. Acts 5. What it is to watch Literally Ordinary Extraordinary For a civil end For a Spiritual end Spiritually It implies proneness to be drowzy Endeavour to stir up our selves It is an intentive Consideration in all Cases What we must watch Our Selves Our thoughts Heart Words Senses Eyes Ears Whole selves Duties of Religion Before Duty In Duty Time Present time Time of Gods wrath Time of Grace Death Judgment Reasons Our proneness to be drowzy Christians life is a Warfare The world an Eenemy The Divel The certain advantage of Watchfulness We cannot else expect help or â—â—râ—on Object Answ Gods appointment None can Watch for us Object Answ Vse Condemning the general neglect of Watchfulnesse Reproving the godly's too great neglect Directing how to watch Account watchfulness our life Watching in all things Proportioning it to what we are about Avoiding hinderances Vain company Spiritual drunkennesse Setting God before our eyes Vse Exhorting to watchfulnesse Motives Because otherwise it will be ill with us at last Because our souls are sickly We are already awakened Badness of the times and carelessness of the most Regeneration attributed to the spirit Because Christ doth it by the spirit Spirit is the bond of union between us and Christ Because the spirit quickens the word whereby we are born again That the spirit of God doth regenerate all the Saints What Regeneration is A Renewing A Renewing of the whole man By degrees perfected According to Gods Image In Jesus Christ Why called Regeneration To shew the great Corruption of Nature The work well expressed by the Name Father both in Natural and Spiritual Generation A Mother in both First Conception and then Birth Pain accompanies both Births Both come to a Being they had not New Kindred follows both Wherein Regeneration consisteth Passive receiving Christ An active power to become a child of God Reasons why the Spirit worketh Regeneration It is the good pleasure of God No other agent can do it Man is totally against it of himself How the Spirit worketh Regeneration By the Word of Life By a secret and supernatural power Vse 1. Of Confutation of Pelagians c. Information Of our continual need of the Spirit Exhortation 1. Not to grieve the Spirit 2. To do any thing for God 3. To the Unregenerate to pray for the Spirit Of Examination whether regenerated or no. First Signe When doing good is natural The heart 's a good soil for Grace He cannot live in Sin It is pleasant to do the will of God Grace gets the upper hand He loves the people of God He loves Spiritually to profit others VVhat this Body is The invisible Church of God Gathered out of all Nations Predestinated unto life Begotten again by the VVord VVhat putting into this Body is A part of our ingrafting into Christ VVrought by Faith Making us have â—ommon life with other Members It makes of one consent with all the people of God For mutual care and help That this is the Spirits work Reasons why the Spirit of God doth thus unite to the Body of Christ None but the Spirit is able None but the Spirit is fit to do it How the Spirit doth Unite to Christ's Body By being one and the same spirit in all Members By tying a knot between all the Members Vses The want of the Spirit is the cause of difference Let none put asunder what the Spirit joyns To try our acquaintance hereby To stir up a sâ—mpathy amongst the Saints How to work maintain and express this sympathy By informing our selves concerning one another By visiting our fellow-Members By laying to heart their afflictions Proposit 1. A set time for worship Propos 2. Some set time for worship every day Propos 3. Every day in some sort a Sabbath Luk. 1.74 75. Propos 4. A particular special day for Gods worship Propos 5. One day of Seven to be set apart for Gods worship Propos 6. That day of the seven to be kept holy on which God rested Propos 7. All that is in the Fourth Commandment is not essential to it Quest Answ Propos 8. The 4 th Commandment continual alwayes to abide in the Church Gal. 5.2 Exod. 35.3 Propos 9. The first day of the week was the Lords day and so to continue to the end of the world ver 22 23