tiresome to the flesh then any other work But now Schollars though it is tiresome to the flesh they can go on and make it easy to them why because they find sweetness in their work it is not with them as with â—ther men other men work that they may have wages afterwards but al the while they are about their work they have truths come in and heavenly notions comes in to them while they are about it and so makes the work easy unto them this is happiness of a Christian that the while he is in his work the sun of righteousness shines upon him and there is sweetness comming in unto him and herein is rest and ease in the performance of duty Tenthly and lastly When the soul comes to Christ it finds abundance of rest in holy duties because now it hath the love of God shed abroad in its heart and that makes every thing delightful to it the love of God is shed abroad in the heart you know Jacob because he loved Rachel though he was abroad in frosty nights he accounted it nothing because he loved Rachel Oh! when the love of God is shed abroad in the heart of a Christian then there is nothing that he doth but is delightful to him it makes every thing easy For that is a certain rule that love is ashamed to mention any difficulty you never hear love to complain of any thing to be heard and those that complain of holy duties to be heard certainly they want the love of God Now you have heard in these ten particulars wherein the ease and rest of spirit in performance of holy duties doth appeare there is much more to be said in the latter end of the Chapter when it is said that Christs yoke is easy and his burden light which if God give opportunity we shal come unto APPLIC I. Now from al this first here you may see the happiness of a Christian you do not think that a Cristian is happy here but he shal not have only heaven hereafter but his way to happiness is heaven here Oh how good is the way of the Gospel that gives us rest in our way to heaven such rest that al the malice in the world and of 〈◊〉 cannot disturbe the peace and rest of a Christian II. Hence we see the reason why true beleevers do persevere you hear oftentimes speaking of the doctrine of perseverance you are ready to thinke I but is it certain the soul that once comes to have true Grace shal certainly persevere yes certainly one that is once come to Christ wil not go from him again why because there is so much rest in holy duties It is true those that are drawn to holy duties they wil not abide as it is said The son abides in the house but a servant abides not alwaies in the house So such as perform duties in a legal way they wil be gone they wil not abide but now one that is come into Christ and hath a son-like disposition he continues As we say in phylosophy no violent thing or motion is perpetual and indeed those that performe duties in a legal way a hundred to one but they wil prove Apostates at last but one that performes duties in an Evangelical way wil continue and hold out unto the end III The maine use of al is to stirr up the hearts of those that are Godly to know what the Gospel means to exercise much faith in Christ that they might have much comfort in performance of duties Do not content thy self that thou doest duty but think with thy self Oh I have heard of such a way that Christians in performance of duty find a great deale of rest and ease why should not I get that way Thou hearest of it Oh! that thy soul might be unquiet til thou comest to understand the way then your duties would be more sound more spiritual more supernatural more acceptable then they are The Lord loves a cheerful giver and so he loves a cheerful server you love to heare your servants sing at their work but if you set your child or servant about a work and he goes heavily and dully about is grumbling and pineing and think you to be a hard master then he doth but a little work so they that perform duties in a legal way the truth is they perform little duty and that is not acceptable but when a soul comes to find rest in duty it makes it more spirituall more plentiful and more acceptable and those duties are very pleasing unto the Lord. CHAP. XXXVI Sheweth the Rest from the remainder of Corruption to be Sanctification and that to be a great Rest Laid open in six particulars 1. It is the right temper of the heart 2. In it the soul doth in great part attain its end 3. In it the Soul lives the life of God 4. It raiseth the soul above the region of al troubles 5. It turnes every thing to good 6. It is the beginning of Glory YOu may remember when we handled the point of the load that was upon sinners we shewed that the remainder of corruption was a great burden it was so great a load that it made the Apostle cry out Oh! wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death How that was a load hath been already opened That which we have now to do is to shew what rest is to be had in Christ against this fourth burden Come to me saith Christ al you who are sensible of the corruption of your heart and find the remainder of sin that is in your heart to be a burden come to me I wil give you rest against that We are not now to speak of the rest in deliverance from the trouble of soul in the sense of the guilt of sin that was before spoke of but now we are to speak of the rest in giving power against the remainder of corruption that there is in the heart This rest is the rest of Sanctification that here we are to speak of I wil give you rest And in this point there are a great many of useful and sweet things that might require very large handling but I shal endeavor as much as I can to contract al within a few things for this rest of Sanctification There are in it these five things to be followed that ye may see cleerly the method that I shal proceed in and so go along with me First I shal shew you that Sanctification is a great rest to the soul or deliverance from corruption is a great rest to the heart of a beleever there is much rest in Sanctification Secondly That this rest it is in Christ al our Sanctification and helping against corruption is in Christ Thirdly How Christ comes to be this rest unto the Soul Fourthly Some consequences that wil follow from this consideration of Christs being the rest of Sanctification unto the heart Fiftly Conclude with exhortation to come unto
Now this I might shew you in abundance of Scriptures in the very first commission that Jesus Christ gave unto his Apostles after his Resurrection to go and Preach throughout the world he saith unto them in Mark 16.15 verse Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that beleeveth and is Baptized shal be saved This is cleer that Christ would have us in our first beleeving to have an aime at our own good And so we find such a kind of promise as this is in the Text In Jer. 6.16 verse Thus saith the Lord stand in the waies and see and ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk therein and ye shall find Rest for your Souls Inquire after the good waies and you shall find Rest for your Souls So that you see God propounds duties together with promises the Lord knows what is best for us and what wil work most upon us and therefore for us to think that we must have no aime at all of any good to our selves in coming to Christ and that it is no grace but self-self-love to come to Christ for our own good this is a temptation I speak the rather this point because I know how useful it is unto many poor Souls whom the Lord is drawing unto Jesus Christ the Lord hath taken off their Hearts from sinful self they would not enjoy themselves in the lusts of the flesh as formerly the Lord hath made them willing to deny their own opinion their own wills their own affections their former waies to deny themselves in the comforts of the things of this world so as to prize him and Christ and his waies the way of Christ more than they prize their very lives here in this world and yet for all this there comes a temptation upon them I but you seek Christ only to free you from Hell and to save you and therefore it is but self-self-Love it is no true Grace because that you ayme at your selves rather than Christ the Devil cannot prevaile with a Heart that is drawing to Christ thus telling of it Oh! but you prize your lusts more than Christ or you prize your ease more than Christ or you prize your estate and your liberty more than Christ or your life more than Christ if so be that the Devil shal come thus and tempt such a soul could in some measure be able to answer and to appeal unto God and say Lord thou that knowest all things knowest it is otherwise that howsoever my Heart heretofore went after my lusts after the world after my ease and liberty and I followed the common course of the world and made those things to be my greatest good and comfort yet Lord thou knowest it is otherwise with me now my Heart is set for Christ and I can say from the bottom of my Soul with that blessed martyr Lambert None but Christ none but Christ Now when the Heart is got thus farr one would think thou mightest be above the Devil and come to get assurance I saith the Devil though you be taken off thus far that you dare not commit any known sin and you seek after Christ more than your estate and your liberty yet there is one thing more that your hearts is not taken off from you do not prize Christ most of all you seek Christ to save you from Hell and bring you to Heaven that is it that you seek Christ for and therefore I know your Heart is not right all this while this is a temptation that seizeth upon many men Now I confess it is a temptation that is beyond many men they do not know what this temptation is that I prize Christ only to deliver me from Hell and bring me to Heaven this temptation is above the highest form of the course of the world then ordinary professors Now the Spirit in the Text thus answers this temptation the Soul thus answers It is true I do seek Christ to save me from Hell and bring me to Heaven the fear of the wrath of the great God under which I saw my self to be and the displeasure of God was mighty upon my Spirit the Lord hath made my Soul to be sensible of the dreadful breach that sin hath made between him and my Soul and the Lord hath caused the fear of eternity to fall upon my soul and I come to be convinced of this that such is the breach between God and my soul that there is none but Jesus Christ the Mediator of the second Covenant that is able to make up the breach and my soul makes after him as the Mediator as he is propounded in the word in the Gospel to be a Mediator between God and mankind so my soul makes after him and closeth with him and what can the Devil say to this For my heart doth close with Christ in the way that Christ is tendred unto me in the Gospel for so he is tendered God himself saith thus God so loved the world that he sent forth his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life Thus God sets forth his Son as if God should say thus Be it known unto you O poor wretched sinful creatures that are in danger of eternal perishing that I have sent forth my only begotten son into the world and tender him unto your souls to the end that your souls may not perish but have everlasting Life Thus God tenders his Son Now then when a soul shal be made sensible of the danger of eternal perishing and the Lord shall make it apeare to the soul what the excellency and the glory of eternal life is and the soul shal come to see that the being delivered from perishing and the obtaining of eternal Life is only to be had in Christ and upon this doth close with Jesus Christ and cast it self upon him and adventure it self to lay the weight of its eternal estate upon Christ the soul that doth thus receive Christ according as he is tendred in the word whatever objection may be to the contrary this is to receive Christ according as he is tendred in the word Yet further for the helping against this temptation it fals ful in this Text Come unto me and I wil give you rest Now many poor souls do come to Christ that they might have rest but then the devil puts this in Oh! but you come to Christ for your owne good Now for the helping against this temptation know 1. That the Lord at the first conversion doth ordinarily make use of the creatures self-self-love but it is of self-self-love for eternity and that is a higher degree of self-self-love than the most people in the world do attaine unto Some people in the world they love themselves only for this present life but when God makes a man or woman to love himself for eternity it is a good signe that the hand of God is upon the heart and
not go upon such mean and low arguments as you do meane and low arguments may keep men in an orderly course to live quietly with their Neighbors and keep them from thievery drunkenness swearing and the like arguments that the heathen had skil of may keep them from those things But the saints beleevers that are acquainted with the wayes of Christ they have higher arguments they behold him with the eye of faith and so they come to have power against their sin and to have ease in their souls Thus saith Christ come to me you have Corruptions prevailing over you and you perhaps strive with them with such and such arguments but come to me and I wil give you such things you shal see so much against sin and so much for holiness as that that I shal discover to you shal help you against your corruptions and further you in the way of holiness and so you shal have rest unto your souls CHAP. XL. Shewing how Sanctification comes from Christ in six Particulars more 1. It is he that reveals the Father to the Soul 2. Through Christ the Love of God is shed abroad into the heart 3. All the Promises are made to us through him 4. In him all the Ordinances are effectual 5. He sends the Spirit into the heart 6. Christ Rules in the heart SEventhly Christ comes to be our Sanctification we have the rest of sanctification in Christ thus It 's Christ that doth make known the Father unto the soul No man knows the Father saith Christ but the Son and him to whom the Son reveals him I suppose you know the Scripture And if you have seen me saith Christ you have seen the Father in John 14. It is Christ that makes known God unto the soul and there is a mighty power to work Holiness in the heart by the knowledg of God Saith the Apostle St. John in 1 John 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar The knowledg of God cannot stand with the neglect of Gods Commandements There is a mighty power in the knowledg of God for the Sanctifying of the heart the very looking upon Gods Holiness hath a great deal of power to sanctifie the heart and the reason of al the wickedness and prophaness in the world it is because men know not the Lord know not what an infinite blessed glorious God they have to deal withal They that know thy Name will trust in thee saith the Psalmist So may we say Those that know thy Name O Lord will fear thee they will serve thee they will walk before thee in obedience and Holiness Now the knowledg of God it is in Christ there may be some kind of Natural knowledg of God out of Christ in beholding the Works of God we may know somwhat of him But as the Scripture saith in 1 Cor. 1.21 After that in the Wisdom of God that is in the Creature in the Glory of God that shines in the Creature the World by Wisdom knew not God The World by Wisdom that is the World by all their Natural Understanding by al Learning that Phylosophers had that saw much of the Glory of God shining in the Creature yet saith the Text by al their wisdom they knew not God but yet it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that beleeve And what preaching was this verse 23. We preach Christ crucified c. So that there is no saving knowledg but only in Christ when the Soul comes to Christ then the Lord Jesus Christ reveals the Father to him reveals the Counsels of God unto the Soul reveals the very heart of God unto the soul and hence it is that many poor people that are very ignorant before they come to know Christ know little or nothing of God at al but had strange thoughts of God yet as soon as ever the things of the Gospel come to be revealed to them they begin to have high thoughts of God high and honorable thoughts of God and those high and honorable thoughts of God do mightily prevail upon their hearts to purge out sin and sanctifie their hearts exceedingly Do but consider of those places where the preaching of the Gospel hath been but very little what poor thoughts they have of God they know not God and therfore they live in all manner of Ungodliness But now when the preaching of the Gospel comes to any place and God comes to be known there the Devil is cast out and the hearts of people being filled with the knowledg of God they come to be sanctified unto the Service of God That is another thing It is Christ that reveals the Father unto the Soul and so comes for to sanctifie the heart Eighthly It is through Christ that the love of God is shed abroad into the heart of a beleever and that hath a mighty power to sanctify the heart the shedding abroad of the love of God into the heart this only can be in Christ There may be though out of Christ common fruites of Gods bounty general patience goodness and the like but the special love of God that hath a sanctifying power that goes along with it it is that only that is in Christ and when the soul comes once to have union with Christ there flowes the sweet sence of the love of God unto the heart it is shed abroad according unto the scripture Phrase that the heart being filled with the sweetness of Gods love and comes to be sanctified thereby then al base love of the creature and the love of sin comes to be eaten out and the heart comes to be carried on in a blessed sweet and gracious manner after the Lord. Al the terror of the Law cannot sanctifie so as the shedding abroad of the love of Christ in the heart can Indeed by the terror of the Law sin may be restrained but by the terror of the Law the heart can never be sanctified This is a certain truth the terror of the Law may restrain from sin but it can never sanctifie the heart the terrors of the Law are useful to be preached in that way for to restrain Sin but when we preach them we do not think that we can thereby possibly sanctifie the heart corruption may be restrained for a while but that which must sanctifie the heart must be the love of God in Jesus Christ As I remember Fulgentius compares the love of God in Christ in the heart of a beleever to the fire that is within the furnace and the love of God in his common bounty to a few sparkes that fly out at a distance from the mouth of the furnace take al the love of God that is in the creature suppose the Lord should give unto you the possession of al the world and should make a thousand worlds and give thee possession of them al this were but as a spark from the furnace but the love of God in Christ is as the
heat of the furnace and as the heat you know consumes stubble combustible matter put into it so there is that heat in the love of God shed abroad in the heart by Christ that consumes the lust of the heart and the soul growes up into holiness thereby It is with the heart of a Beleever as it is with the fruites of the earth you know that the frost may keep down some weeds but it is the sun-shine it is the beams of the sun and the warme beames that makes the fruit to ripen and to grow up that fruit that growes in the sun is soonest ripe your grasse that growes in the orchard is sowre and the beast wil not eate it and other herbs that grow in the shade comes to no maturity nor to be so good as those that grow in the sun fruit that growes upon the wal how quickly doth that grow ripe whereas the other that grows in the shade withers so there are some that live altogether under Legal feares and trouble of conscience perhaps they have somtimes fruite but it is sour fruit it is not so sweet fruite as comes from those that are under the sun-shine of the Gospel that have the shine of the love of God upon their hearts their fruite is sweet and they thrive better and looke more lovely and live a more amiable and lovely life then the lives of others And this is another way how Christ comes to be our sanctification in shedding abroad the love of God into the heart and that the scripture is ful of how the love of God is shed abroad in Jesus Christ Ninthly Christ is our Sanctification in this respect becaus al the promises of the Gospel are made to us in him he is the foundation of al the promises that are in the Gospel they are al made good in him they have a boundance of sanctifying power in them Christ is our sanctification I say because it is through him that the promises are made which hath a mighty sanctifying power As for the First In 2. Cor. 1.20 For al the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us Al the promises of God in him are yea in him amen al Gospel promises are made unto us by christ that is a very useful a notable meditation to consider of al promises that they come unto us from Christ an excellent meditation to set out the excellency of Jesus Christ that in him are al the promises they are in him yea what is the meaning of that That is they are confirmed to us in Christ in him they are made certain to us they are made good in him or as some of your books read it thus For al the promises of God in him are yea and I find it is I know not whether it be in your books but Calvin Beza and other interpreters say it is read in some copies thus Therefore in him let them be yea and Amen unto the glory of God by us Al the promises of God in him are yea that is they are made certain things in Christ as the foundation therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Beza saith it is read therefore let them be Amen in him unto the praise of God That is as God hath made al promises in him as certain so let us look upon Christ and see the promises of God in him and beleeve in them and so by our faith say Amen unto the promises that are made in him unto the glory of God so shal we Glorifie God when we shal look upon the promises by our faith and say Amen unto our soules Now the word Amen signifies firme and sure that is the meaning of the word Amen Sometimes it signifies at the end of our prayer so be it Amen it is an Hebrew word that signifies so be it let it be O Lord as we have prayed and according to thy promise that is the meaning of the word Amen when you conclude your prayer with Amen It is a word that is used for faith and it is the expression of faith after we have made our prayer and that is the meaning here therefore al the promises in him are yea they are made in Christ and affirmed in Christ as certain therefore in him let them be Amen unto the soul let them be as firme and certain things unto us for us to rest upon unto the glory of God by us and thereby shal we glorifie God ye have so many precious promises in Christ but now they are unto the glory of God by us we by faith say Amen to them and we make them as firme and sure unto our soules by the exercise of our faith upon them So you may understand in some measure this scripture which hath exceeding much in it thus you see by Christ the promises are made to us Quest I but you wil say How doth this help our sanctification Answ I answer exceeding much there is nothing helps the sanctification of the soul of a beleever more then the promises of the Gospel those that are exercised in the promises of the Gospel they grow more abundantly in sanctification then others The promises of the Gospel are channels not only of mercy for our salvation but of holiness for our sanctification and for that you have a most excellent scripture 2. Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us clense our selves from al filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God It is as ful a scripture as I know any here you may see what use the holy Ghost would have you make of the promises of the Gospel and of mercy It may be you think that seeing there is such promises of mercy you may take more liberty to the flesh but that is not the reasoning of the spirit he would not take more liberty therby but seeing we have such promises saith he let us clense our selves from al filthiness filthines cannot stand with beleeving of promises And marke he saith from al filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit So that it is not enough for you to say you have as good a heart towards God as any others I thank God my heart is right my spirit is right I but you must clense from al filthiness of the flesh as wel as of the spirit and these promises if you have the right use of them they wil be mighty clensing And marke from al filthiness it is not enough to clense from some gross filthiness that is that you do not live in the grost sins that others of the world live in and that your neighbors live in that you are not whoremungers drunkards cheaters prophaners of the saboth and the like but these promises wil cleanse from al filthiness that is there shal be no filthiness that shal stick to you as to the wicked and ungodly but it wil clense gradually by degrees from al Filthiness of
out of Christ from Prov. 23.34 II. Five Reasons thereof 1. They are under the curse of God 2. All creatures are their enemies 3. All the waies of Gods providence are against them 4. All their best services are rejected 5. They have no refuge for comfort III. Two conclusions from the premises 1 Most men live and perish in blindness 2 There is an insufficiency in al things out of Christ to give rest with the Reasons thereof Page 205 Chap. 27 The insufficiency of every thing besides Christ to give rest to the Soul is further enlarged with several choice Considerations Page 210 Chap. 28. Of the Rest that a Beleever hath by Christ from the guilt of sin laid out in ten Particulars 1 Christ takes upon himself al the sin of them that come to him stands charged with them before his father 2 He satisfieth for sin 3 The wrath of God is appeased 4 He is continually at the right hand of his Father to intercede for Sinners that come to him 5 Their Souls are sprinkled with the blood of Christ 6 The Soul at the first coming to Christ is made perfectly righteous before God 7 Christ not only undertakes for al the sins past but for al the sins to come 8 Guilt shal never return when it is once taken off 9 The soul at its first coming to Christ is cloathed with the righteousness of Christ 10 Such are sure that the day of judgment shal be the Solemnity of their absolution· Page 218 Chap. 39 The deliverance from the Law by Christ set out 1 Privatively in five Particulars 2 Positively in five Points more Page 228 Chap. 30 The Rest that beleevers have from the burden of the Law by coming to Christ laid out in ten Particulars 1 They do not stand or fal for life by the Law 2 The Law-giver is the Redeemer 3 The least spark of Grace is accepted 4 Their wil shal be accepted as the deed 5 Obedience is required in a sweet and gentle way 6 The grace of God in Christ doth melt the heart 7 Their sins make them an object of Gods pitty 8 They have Christ to undertake for them as a surety 9 They are delivered and yet satisfaction is made to the Law 10 They have assurance that they shal never forfeit the covenant of grace they are under by Christ Page 234 Chap. 31 Containeth divers Consequences from the rest Beleevers have from the burden of the Law And Lessons they are taught from thence Page 249 Chap. 33 Of the rest from Legal performances and the several waies how this rest comes from Christ viz. duties are delightfull to the soul because Christ renders God unto the soul in a gracious way 2. They are not performed as satisfactory but as testimonies of love and thankfulness 3 Christ himself offers up the duties to God 4 They are performed from the Law in the heart 5 They have the Promises joyned with them Page 262 Chap. 35. Two other waies whereby the former point is cleered with some consequences from the same and the use of the whol The First way is that whilst the soul is performing duty the strength of it is continually renewed Secondly The soul hath the love of God shed abroad into the heart The first Consequence is happiness of a Christian here Secondly Hence cometh the perseverance of beleevers The use of all is to exercise much faith in Christ Page 285 Chap. 36 Sheweth the Rest from the remainder of Corruption to be Sanctification and that to be a great Rest Laid open in six particulars 1 It is the right temper of the heart 2 In it the soul doth in great part attain its end 3 In it the soul lives the life of God 4 It raiseth the soul above the region of al troubles 5 It turnes every thing to good 6 It is the beginning of Glory Page 291 Chap. 37. Sheweth that Sanctification is only IN Christ Page 297 Chap. 38. Sheweth how our sanctification cometh from Christ in six particulars 1 It was the end of his coming to destroy the works of the Devil 2 He is the great Ordinance appointed by God to sanctifie his people 3 His death is appointed to mortifie sin 4 By him the curse upon the heart is taken away 5 By his union with Beleevers being the head of the second Covenant 6 In Christ are the strongest arguments for holiness that can be Page 300 Chap. 39 Containing two strong Arguments in Christ for holiness First In him the soul sees the greatest breach between it and God by reason of Sin Secondly In him it sees the greatest Hatred of Sin in God Page 313 Chap. 40 Shewing how Sanctification comes from Christ in six Particulars more 1. It is he that reveals the Father to the Soul 2. Through Christ the Love of God is shed abroad into the heart 3. All the Promises are made to us through him 4. In him all the Ordinances are effectual 5. He sends the Spirit into the heart 6. Christ Rules in the heart Page 317 Chap. 41. Six Consequences from the former Doctrine I. The difference between beleevers and the state in Adam II. We see the difference between Civility and true holiness III. We see the reason why so many Vowes and Covenants to live holily come to nothing IIII. It is impossible for any to be a member of Christ and not be holy V. Be not hindred from comming to Christ albeit you have not so much holiness as you desire VI. Hence we learne how to Vnderstand Christ aright Page 327 Chap. 42. Containeth an exhortation to come to Christ wherein Three hindrances are removed And six encouragements laid down First The Union between Christ and a beleever Secondly From the great Love of Christ Thirdly corruption is the burden of Christ as wel as of a sinner Fourthly He healed the bodies of many he will much more the soul Fifthly he knows what it is to be Tempted Sixtly It is for the Honor of the Death Resurrection and life of Christ to give Holiness Page 337 Chap. 43. Containes the conclusion of the former doctrine of Sanctification with divers directions how to come to Christ for holiness I. Be sensible of the want of it II. Be not satisfied with the ordinances further then you meet with Christ III. Come not so much for comfort and peace as for holiness IV. Be sensible of new supplies V. Converse with Christ in the Gospel Page 341 Chap. 44 Sheweth that a beleever hath Rest in Christ in al troubles he can meet with in the world which is laid out in four Particulars 1 All afflictions are at his disposal 2 In him the curse is taken away 3 They stand with Gods love 4 They are measured by God Page 348 Chap. 45. The Rest beleevers have from Christ in outward afflictions discovered in four Particulars more 1. They shall be to good ends 2 They shall be sanctified to the good of beleevers 3. God is present with his people
do their duty but with blowes and slashes they are set upon their duty now this is very burdensom if indeed they might be put upon it with love gentle and fair cariages they should do as much as they do with a great deale more ease but when al meanes that is used is rigorous and forcible this makes their lives burdensome unto them so it is here they that are legal performe duties but how the terror of the law the flashes of hel fire in their conscience and the fear of the Judgments of God come unto them except you do this you may fear that the Judgments of God wil pursue and follow you In the night season when they are in the darke they are filled with terror and when this terror comes upon them then they must go to prayer though they have no mind to go to prayer for their conscience else wil fly in their faces in the day time these are just like the Children of Israel in Egypt the taske masters put them upon their worke with rigor that their very lives were tedious to them whereas those that are sanctified they go to performe duties out of love and so their duties are sweet and delightful to them The 6. Burden of legal performances 6. From hence follows that those that are meerely legal in their performances they do their duty with much straitness of spirit they have no inlargment of heart usually very rarely in any thing they do but they do it if they do do it in a dul manner a dead way meerly the work done and no more their spirits are excedingly strait pray they must so much time they spend in prayer but when they are risen from prayer they find their harts are as strait as ever I do not say but a godly man or woman may be so at sometimes but when duties are performed in a legal way this is constantly so and Oh what a burden is this to a soul to think that I can never go into the presence of God but I have stil a dead straight heart others have enlarged hearts but I do the duty and nothing comes of it I feel my heart altogether straitned in the duty and so I go on in the rounds but stil am straitened dead and dul in the performance of the duty The 7. Burden of Legal Performances 7. Those that performe duties in a meer legal way find nothing to come of their duties but are meerly as a horse in the mil go the rounds or as if a man were to rive or cleave a knotty peice of wood he strikes but the knottiness of the wood gives the rebound to the axe and wedges and he can make no marke of it though a man strive and work hard yet if he findes his work goes on here is some comfort but when he works and works and it continues so stil this is burdensome If a man should be set to pull a logg out of a ditch and injoyned to work from morning to night and he pulls and pulls al the day and it stirs not is no further on in his work at night then he was in the morning and he must go to it the next day and nothing comes of his work this is very tedious so it is with those that are meerely legal in their performances they find little or nothing comes of al their performances and this must needs be very burdensome you that have been thus burdened know this very text concernes you and Christ hath thoughts of you and cals you to himself and saith Come to me as if Christ should say certainly there is another way for you to have ease and rest to your souls it is true you must go on and do your duty but you must come to know me in the gospel before yo◠〈◊〉 have ease and rest to your souls The 8. Burden of Legal Performances 8. Those that performe duties in a meer legal way the the truth is let them â—oll never so much in that way they can never attain to their end let them â—oil never so much performe duties never so many increase their duties a thousand fold yet they can never attain unto their end Their end what is that you wil say Their end is that they might have peace with God live and have eternal life it is true base hipocrites look at profit many wil make a show of religion get into houses and talk of good things that they may get good cheere meat and drink and a little gain being of a poor and unworthy Spirit but I speake of those that are grown higher then thuâ— those that performe duties out of conscience and yet never attain to their end nor never wil attain to their end in this way til they come to know more of Christ I speake of such as desire rest to their souls yet in this way of legal performances never gain this rest to their souls and and therefore it must needs be burdensome unto them The 9. Burden of Legal Performances 9. Those that performe duties in a meer legal way they goe on and performe duties but whether God accepts of them yea or no they cannot tel do them they must but whether God be their enemy or their friend they canot tel tender up duties to God they do every day but whether they tender them up to an enemy or a friend they do not know sometimes they have perhaps some good hopes that God accepts them but never come to any knowledg of Gods acceptance they go up and down continually with Jealous thoughts of God fearing leaâ—â—od wil take advantage of them at the last this musâ—â—e burdensome Many poor souls have gon on in tâ—â—tion one seven yeares after another and al for thâ— of coming to Jesus Christ for rest unto their soules then comes rest to the heart of a sinner when it knowes and can say upon good ground though my heart have much corruption though my duty have much imperfection yet through a covenant of grace what I do the Lord accepts of me whereas the other never comes to know that God doth accept them though they performe their duties never so wel The 10. Burden of Legal Performances 10. Those that performe duties in a meer legal way their spirits are hurried on to do the work to do the thing that conscience requires although in regard of their weakness the doing of such a thing at such a time wil hinder the doing of other duties that God requires of them but yet do it they must I do not say duties are not to be done at this time but such things as conscience tels them are good they are hurried on to do them presently though in regard of their weakness the doing of them now doth hinder them from doing other things of more consequence as we find by experience many that are weake yet under the command of conscience and are in a legal way suddenly there comes such a thing into their
instance you know that the Scripture tels us that the flesh fights against the Spirit and the spirit fights against the flesh there is a continual fighting by this Corruption against al that is good now that there should be Corruption in the Heart that continually fights against God that is a more fearful thing so it is in thy Heart Now to be alwaies in a fight or a combate it is a fearful thing we count it a great burden that there should be Wars and Rumors of Wars within our gates I but there is a greater war in thy Heart It is a thing that was not thought possible ever to be in England that there should be found such a Generation that should indanger their lives to make them and their posterity slaves and yet for this they fight who doth not see but the victory wil be this in the Conclusion But I wil shew you a worse thing then this in every of your Hearts there are such Corruptions in your Hearts as put your Souls to fight to mischeif your selves to bring your selves to be slaves to the Devil this is in your Hearts though indeed some are not sensible of this and what is the reason that if corruption be a Burden that some people â—eel it not One Reason is this because they are dead in sins if this whole building should fal upon a dead man he would not feel it and take this as an infallible argument that thou art dead in sins and trespasses if thou dost not feel the Burden of thy corruption that man and woman that is not sensible of the sin that is in their Souls I dare in the Name of God pronounce that Man or Woman dead As it is in Nature though we may loose the sense of seeing or of smelling or of hearing yet we may live yet the sense of feeling or touching that cannot be lost if we be living if we loose the sense of feeling certainly that man or Woman is dead no sense inwardly or outwardly there is some sense of feeling so long as there is life So here though there may be many weaknesses in men and Women yet when they do not feel the Burden of their Corruptions at al certainly they are dead men and Women Now you that are weary and heavy Laden come to me saith Christ And I will give you Rest know that Christ speaks to you not only out of pity as to those that Labor under the Burden of Legal performances but out of love and know that by this you come to be fitted for Christ and it is that that is as delightful to the heart of Christ to give ease and Rest to his poor Servants that Labor under the Burden of Corruption as to do any thing in the world it was a special end why Christ came into the world to dissolve the works of the Devil our Corruptions are from the Devil and are tied close to us and they easily beset us as the expression is now I say it was the end why Jesus Christ came into the world to dissolve the works of the Devil that is when he sees his poor Servants under this burden and to cry out under it as Paul did who shal deliver me then Christ comes to cut this bond and so to dissolve the works of the Devil and give ease and Rest to their Spirits You do wel when you struggle and strive against your Corruptions with all the strength you have but the great work you have to do that you may be delivered from your Corruptions is to renew your act of Faith in Christ to make use of those Scriptures wherein Christ is said to be our Sanctification as wel as our Redemption and to act our Faith upon those Scriptures and that is the way to ease our Souls of these Burdens CHAP. XV. In what respects the stirrings and motions of Corruption 〈◊〉 very burdensom 1. They continually fight against the Spirit of Grace in the Heart 2. They are sudden 3. They are ful of Confusion and disorder 4. They work very Malitiously 5. They watch opportunity to do mischief 6. They are very unseasonable 7. They are very prevalent NOw besides the Corruption of our Nature the stirring of Corruption is very burdensome unto the Soul I suppose if a Man or Woman did know what corrupt Nature is in them and though this corrupt Nature did not stir yet it would be very burdensome but we are to know that this corrupt Nature doth not lie stil but is alwayes working stirring acting and putting it self forth unto that that is evil now the motions of sin are burdensome 1. For First they are continually fighting against the Spirit of God and the spirit of grace in the heart the flesh lusteth against the spirit now to have a continual fighting and Combating in the soul is it not very burdensome as a family where there is a continual falling out never a day that you come to some families but there is falling out and fighting is it not burdensome to live in such a family now in the hearts of men and women there is a continual fighting If one should be in a family where the husband and wife is continually fighting one with an other and the children and servants flying in the face one of an other that would be burdensome now in the heart of man there is the flesh and spirit continually fighting one against another is not war in a kingdome a burden and especially when men shal fight to make themselves slaves as I said before would any man ever have thought it possible that there should be such folly in the hearts of any in England to fight to make themselves and their posterity slaves that the very victory that they should get was to bring them to be slaves now the fight with corruption it is for this end 2 And then the stirring of corruption is sudden many times a man or woman that is gracious and godly that finds their heart in some good temper and working for God suddenly their corruptions wil be stirring in them unexpectedly which is extream greife and damp to their spirits and causeth many times exceeding much trouble to them suddenly that no body can understand the cause of it but themselves 3. And then the stirring of Corruption is violent the stirring of Corruption in the hearts of the Saints are many times extream violent and outragious the divel stirs up their Corruption and indeed the corruptions themselves are as it were divels in them that do as the divel that was ready to be cast out of him that was possessed he causeth him to foam at the mouth so there is extreame violence of corruption in the hearts of the Saints It was a Lamentable conditition of the poor Child that was possessed in the Gospel when the father came to Christ for help because when the evil spirit came it cast him into the fire and into the water So corruption is so violent in
worse then his If the King were going in his Robes to the Parliament a long the streets and should see such a poor creature lying by the Walls and should take special notice of him and call him to him and say let that poor creature come to me it would incourage him exceedingly this invitation from Christ is just the very same for the Lord Jesus Christ sees thee lying in thy gore blood as it is described in Ezekiel 16. where the miserable condition of them that are in their Natural estate is most elegantly set down they lay in their blood none Eye pittyed them then I came saith God and said unto thee live and this time was the time of Love so when thou liest in thy poor wretched miserable condition in thy filth in thy baseness in the Gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity this blessed Redeemer this great Prince of al the world he cals to thee and saies Oh! thou poor creature Come to me I You will say this is the discouragement of all I would be glad to go to Christ the Lord knows this is that my Soul pants after that I might go to Christ but I am such a poor vile creature so Wretched so Miserable that it is impossible for me to be accepted you tel me that for an argument that is the greatest discouragement of my Heart because I am so vile and because I am so Wretched this is that discourageth me from coming to Christ ARG. VII To that I answer in the Seventh place Come to me and I will certainly receive you whatever you are Christ will certainly receive all those that come to him whatever they are and for that consider these three things that may make it plain First The Solemn expression of Christ for this purpose that you have in John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out He doth not say he that hath been such a great sinner such a vile wretched sinner but he speaks indefinitly he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out Now this that is translated in your Books In no wise cast out it hath a greater force in the Greek there is two Negatives for though we in English say two Negatives make an affirmative it is not so in Greek for it is for a stronger confirmation of a thing and so it may be read He that cometh to me I will not not cast out as if so be Christ should say he that comes to me I will not I will not cast out As we when we would express the fervency of our Spirits we double our speech so doth Christ he would express the Fervency of his spirit and therefore he saith he that cometh to me I will not I will not cast out Secondly Whoever thou art upon coming to him he will not cast thee off for this was the great errand that Christ came into the world for to receive poor troubled souls and to ease poor Laden sinners it was the very business that Christ came into the world about it is the work that God the Father hath sent his Son into the world about that he might receive such poor wretched sinful creatures as thou art and if it were not that he should receive those that come to him he should lose the end that he came into the world for and therefore he will receive you when you come for Christ saies I shal else lose the end of that that was the greatest work that ever was done since the world began or shal be done to al eternity that is my undertaking the Mediation between God and you if I should not receive poor Souls that come to me that great work would be lost that work wherein my Father and my self is so much glorified for this is the glory of Christ to do so and Christ saw there was so much glory to be had this way that it did move Christ to come into the world to take such a course as this is to save Souls Christ knows that he should to all eternity be magnified by Angels for the saving such Souls as thou art Yea Christ knows that the Father wil love him more for he saies The Father loves me because I laid down my life for the Sheep John 10.17 It is that that will delight God the Father it is that that wil make God the Father to delight in the Son it is that whereby Jesus Christ gets the very end of his death til he had laid down his life till he had made his Soul an offering for sin he was not satisfied This is it that satisfied him that he should see his Seed and amongst others thou art one thou that comest to Christ thou art of the Seed that Jesus Christ is so satisfied with that he gaines the very end of laying down his life for thee and certainly Christ will not cast thee off but wil receive thee and therefore come to him Thirdly He will receive thee for he hath heretofore received as vile wretches as thou art You will say There was never any so vile as we are It s true we may and ought to judg our Selves as vile as the worst though we have not committed such vile sins outwardly as others have yet because we know not the Hearts of other men nor do we know what means others have had therefore we are to judg ourselves as vile as any but know that Christ hath received as bad as thou art those that pierced Christ that shed his blood Christ received 3000. of them in one day he received three thousand in one day of those that had inbrued their hands in his blood and the story stands in the Scripture for an everlasting Monument to incourage poor sinners to come to Christ And besides though thou art a vile sinner and a wretched creature yet know the greater thou hast been in thy sin the more will the Grace of God in Christ be magnified and certainly there is in Christ such a Grace as is able to swallow up great sins as well as little as the infinite Ocean of the Sea is able to swallow up great Vessels as well as smal were it not a silly thing when we were to cast a Vessel into the Sea to say it is too great a Vessel God is willing to have his Grace magnified to thee though it be to the hardening of many thousands If there is an infinite Ocean in God to swallow up great as well as smal sins so long as this keeps thee off from coming to Christ so long thou dishonorest this infinite Grace of God in Christ Were Gods mercy only such as his common bounty is to other of his creatures this might keep thee off but now it being the infinite Ocean of mercy in his Son and purchased by Christ it is an infinite dishonor to the Grace of God in Christ to stand upon tearms and not to come to
look upon their faith as legal As thus because their faith doth not come up so fully to the perfection that they do desire yea to that perfection that the Law requires in any thing that we tender up to God For though the Law doth not mention any thing of our beleeving in Christ yet thus much the Law requires that what we do should be tendered up to God and what we tender up to God With perfection Now beleevers looking upon what they tender up to God as imperfect this makes them to make their faith Legal The Sixth Lesson Sixthly another Lesson that beleevers are to learn from the Rest that they have in Christ from the burden of the Law is this that if they find any way or meanes to be delivered from the terrors that come by the Law certainly then they need not be troubled with al the terror that possibly can come from any creature from any men If thy faith can deliver thee from the terror of the Law and give rest to thy soul notwithstanding al the terrible things in the Law threatned against thy sin then thy faith may deliver thee much more from the terror of men for take al the rage and power of al the men in the world and devils in hel they are not so terrible as the threates of the Law Now if God hath given thee such a grace into thy heart as thou by that comest to know a way to deliver thee from the terror of the threatning of the Law and to give Rest unto thy soul from that then thou needst not be afraid of al terrors from wicked men do but set that grace of thine a work set it in exercise upon such promises as have given thee Rest from the Law and this wil free thee from the terrors of wicked men in the world Truly if beleevers did understand the reality of this point there is nothing in the world could be terrible to them but they would have â—est in their souls in the midst of al the terrors in the world for they might reason thus through the grace of faith that God hath given to mee my soul hath rest when I heare the terrors of the Law dreadfully in my eares yet I have that within me that gives me rest from them and I am sure that al the terrors of al the men in the world and devils in hel cannot be more terrible than the threates of the Law therefore as thou hast made use of thy faith to believe in Christ to get Rest from those terrors in the like manner put forth thy faith when thou hearest the terrors of wicked men to deliver thy soul from them let there be never so much rumors in the world yet thou mayest say my soul returne unto thy Rest The seventh Lesson Seventhly Another Lesson that beleevers are to learn from their deliverance from the law which is of marvelous use to them in their life and conversation is this That certainly it is the most unbecoming thing in the world to see a beleever to be rigorous towards his brethren Christ hath delivered thee from rigor then wilt thou be rigorous Christ hath given thee Rest wilt not thou do what thou canst to give thy brother rest too If Christ hath delivered thee from great troubles burdens and bondage that thou wert under why shouldest thou not endeavor with al thy might to deliver thy brother from burdens troubles any thing that might grieve thy brother Oh! what an unworthy thing is it that a Christian that hath received so much rest from Christ yet should be a troublesome man or woman to his brother or sister Christ doth therefore give Rest to thee that thou mayest be of a quiet disposition towards others that thou mayest be pitiful towards others To see one that professes to have deliverance from the Law and to have Rest in Christ to be rigorous to those under him rigorous to his servants rigorous to his Children it is miserable remember what rigor Christ hath delivered thee from and remember to be quiet spirited to thy brother Hence it follows in the next words to my text Learn of mee for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shal find rest unto your soules I wil give rest to your soules that so you may be of a meeke and quiet disposition towards your brethren but of that when we come to those words that follow we shal then speake of the weakness and quietness of spirit that should be in Christians Now these things are necessarily the consequences that do follow upon the rest that we have in Christ from the Law many other things might be raised but because they are but consequences of what hath been delivered I resolved not to be large upon them CHAP. 33. Of the rest from Legal Performances and the several waies how this rest comes from Christ viz. duties are delightful to the soul because Christ renders God unto the soul in a gracious way 2. They are not performed as satisfactory but as testimonies of love and thankfulness 3 Christ himself offers up the duties to God 4. They are performed from the Law in the heart 5. They have the Promises joyned with them NOw to make some entrance into the next thing which hath great affinity to the other aad that is the rest that is in Christ from the trouble of spirit that there is in many in regard of Legal performances that you know I opened at large the great burden that there is in the spirits of many people who have convinced Consciences and there Consciences pul and hale them to duty and they dare not but performe duty but when they do their duty their very duties are a burden to them for they do them in a legal way There are many I know that are acquainted with this it is impossible to speak of such a subject but that there are divers that know what I meane though others know not to be under so much power of Conscience as not to dare to omit a duty though the duty be burdensom to them There be many that are not under so much command of Conscience but though conscience require them to do such a duty they dare omit the duty and they are not troubled at it but but there are others who have not felt the Grace of the Gospel to set their souls at liberty they are under so much command of conscience that they dare not but do what Conscience requires and yet the Lord knows the duties that they have performed have been girevous burdens them they have gone under the command of their Consciences as under a grievous burden Now to these Christ speaks come ro me and I wil give you rest in the beleeving in Christ in the exercising of faith in Christ there is deliverance from this burden and many poor souls that for many yeares have gone on under this burden whom the Lord hath opened to them the grace of Christ their hearts
us so when we account our duties to be mercies that is an argument there is evangelical obedience in the heart and there wil be a constancy in the heart in performing of them Those that performe duties in an Evangelical way they look upon them as a golden chain about their necks for ornament and not as a chain about their necks as bonds and Fetters to tie them to them Here is the difference between one that performes duties in a legal way and one that performes duties in an Evangelical way One that performes duties in a Legal way he lookes upon duties as bonds about his neck he is bound to them as with a chain but the other that performes duties in an Evangelical way his duties are as ornaments as chains of Gold about his neck And the ground of this similitude I have in Prov. 3.22 My son keep sound wisdom and discretion so shal they be life unto thy soul and grace unto thy neck The wayes of wisdome that is the wayes of Godlyness they are life to the Godly and they are a grace to the neck that is they carry Gods commandments about with them not as a prisoner carries his chaines but as one that carries a chain about his neck and he glories in it That place is very observable likewise for this that you have in Deuter. 33. comparing ver 2. with the words that follow after Verse the second The Law of God is called a fiery Law From his right hand went a fiery Law for them But marke verse 4. Moses commanded us a Law even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob. From hence this note plainly results that let there be never so much seeming severity in any Law of God in any commandement that requires duty yet even this commandement of God is accounted an inheritance unto the soules of the Saints of God to be as the joy of their hearts they account their riches to be in Gods commandements not only to be in heaven but the very commandement they account their riches and their happiness Many men and women take upon them the commandements of God and the duties of obedience as necessary burdens they must do them I but the Saints those that come to Christ they take the commandement of God upon them as that wherein their riches their glory the joy of their heart doth consist and therefore how often do you heare of David saying that the commandements of God were sweeter to him then hony and the hony combe That they were more delightful to him then gold and riches And so in the Proverbs Better then Rubies and precious stones He doth not say the glory of heaven is better then al these but the way of Wisdom and the commandements of God are better then al these So that here is the life of a Christian he performes duties not onely as a way to heaven but as an injoying of heaven while he is serving of God and this is the seventh particular wherein the rest of the soul in Christ doth appear in the performance of holy duties Eighthly When a Christian is brought to Christ Christ gives him rest in the performance of holy duties because that Christ doth elevate and raise his spirit to be some way proportionable to whatsoever God requires of him ther 's an elevation of spirit a strengthening of the spirit in Christ to come to some kind of proportionableness to what the Law of God requires of them It is true set a poor weake man a sick man about any hard worke and Oh! how tedious is it unto him for a sick man to go and carry such a burden or to do such a hard work it is very irksome unto him but now when this man comes to be healthy and strong to have his veines ful of blood and his arteries ful of spirits now he goes along in his work and accounts it no burden at al because he hath got strength in him So the commandements of God they are hard to those that performe them in a natural way from a natural conscience notwithstanding al the strength that can come in by a natural conscience the commandements of God are very hard unto them but when once the spirit of Christ comes there is strength As it is said where the spirit of Christ is there is Liberty so where the spirit of Christ is there is strengâ—h As the holy Ghost speakes in Isa 11.2 The spirit of the Lord shal Rest upon him the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledg and of the fear of the Lord. The spirit of counsel and Might shal Rest upon Christ and so in the measure of it the spirit doth rest upon every member of Christ the spirit of Life of Might and of counsel And therfore the Apostle St. Paul saith in the 2. of Tim. the 1. and the 7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power of Love and of a sound minde This spirit of power is in those that are come to Christ there is a power of godlyness in them They are said in Coll. 1.11 To be strengthened with al might according to his glorious power The Apostle at least prayes for that to intimate thereby to us that there is that to be had in Christ there is a strengthening with al might according to his glorious power unto al patience and long-suffering with joyfulness giving thanks to the father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Though they be weake yet they have a union with one that is strong wherein they may come to be strengthened with al might not only according to Gods power but according to his glorious power unto al patience and long-suffering with joyfulness The duties of patience long-suffering are as hard duties as any hut in Christ there 's the glorious power of Christ let out to strengthen them to the duties of patience and al long suffering with joyfulness CHAP. XXXV Two other wayes whereby the former point is cleered with some consequences from the same and the use of the whol The First way is that whilst the soul is performing duty the strength of it is continually renewed Secondly The soul hath the love of God shed abroad into the heart The first Consequence is happiness of a Christian here Secondly Hence cometh the perseverance of beleevers The use of al is to exercise much faith in Christ Ninthly The Rest that the soul hath in Christ that is to goe on in duties with freedom of spirit without making them burdensome to it is this when the soul comes to Christ it hath not only strength to do the duty but whilst it is performing of duty it hath this strength renewed and it receives in sweetness and good and strength from Christ while it is in action while it is in the performance of duty and his duty is very easy sweet and comfortable
keep from the acting of sin so much as to find that the death of Christ is applied to him And hence you never read of any such thing as mortification in any Heathen Author in the World the mortification of corruption is a Riddle to all Heathen Writers in the World The mortifying of corruption and the mortifying of their own hearts this is a peculiar expression of the Gospel and indeed it is peculiar to Beleevers Many men through good Education are so restrained that they are very fair in their course others as they come to more understanding the vanity of their youth being overcome there is not that prophaneness committed by them as heretofore I but what is this to mortification of the body of death that is in their hearts this is only peculiar to a Christian and it is from the application of the death of Christ the application of a Christ dying of a Christ crucifying of a Christ shedding his blood for sin this hath a virtue to mortifie sin There is a great deal of difference between a mortified lust and a restrained lust a mortified sin and a restrained sin The difference lies in this one thing for I must not go out to handle the Point but only this one thing take it by the way When a lust is mortified there is not only a ceasing from the act of it but there is now an unsuitableness between the heart and the sin whereas there may be much restraint of sin and yet stil there may remain a suitableness between the disposition of the heart and the sin only they dare not commit it but when sin is mortified the heart is so changed that there is an unsuitableness wrought between the heart and corruption now and this mortification of the body of sin is by the death of Christ Fourthly Christ is our sanctification and he only because it is by him that the spiritual curse that is upon every mans heart naturally is taken away it is Christ only that doth deliver the soul from the spiritual curse that is upon every mans heart naturally You know this is the condition of man by nature he is under the curse of the Law Cursed is the man that abideth not in al things that is written in the Law to do it But now we apprehend ordinarily this curse to be either in outward misery or else in hel fire cursed eternally but we are to know that one branch of this curse is that that is upon the souls of men here There is a spiritual curse that is upon the souls of men by the fal of Adam and that is God giving them up unto themselves unto the lusts of their own heart unto their own counsel and wayes Now I confess as it is in the curse of outward afflictions in this world it is in some degree upon some and in a further degree upon others but al are under it naturally so this spiritual death is executed in some degrees upon some and in more degrees upon others but every soule is in some measure in some degree or other given up to the lust of its owne heart there is a final degree of giving the soul up to the lusts of its own heart somtime but there is in every one a measure a degree of this and the reason of the prevailing of the corruption of mens hearts may appear in some measure by this It is strange to see that notwithstanding al the convictions of conscience telling men of the dangerousness of their wayes that it wil never be peace in the end that they wil rue it at the last and their consciences give them many a secret nip yet they goe on stil notwithstanding the terror in the Law many times nay notwithstanding the hand of God hath bin strong upon them and they have cryed out against their sins and promised against them and notwithstanding that they find that their sins do destroy the very health of their bodies waste their Estates take away their good names and thereby loose al their friends yet they are not able to overcome it As the Scripture speakes of some that have eyes ful of adultery they cannot cease to sin Now sometimes they plead this as an excuse for their sin and say they would fain leave it but they cannot and they think this is a sufficient excuse for their sin an excuse no this their cannot may be from the spiritual curse that is upon their souls because the curse of God is in a high degre upon their hearts giving them up in just judgment unto the lusts of their own hearts And this I take in some part to be the meaning of that place in 1. Cor. 15.56 verse The strength of sin is the Law Now spiritually the meaning of it is this that al the strength that sin hath to condemn one to kil one to bring death it is by the Law that I take to be the special scope of those words But there is included likewise in that expression thus much that the law of God giues a strength to sin How you wil say doth the Law of God give a strength to sin Thus there is the justice of God in his Law by virtue of the Law of God and the justice of God in it man is given up unto his sin and so his sin comes to have a power and strength over him the strength of sin it is the Law the Law requires this the justice of God in the Law requires this That those that do forsake God should be forsaken of him that those that give their hearts up to satisfie themselves in any way of sin that they should be given up to that sin So the strength of sin is the Law the Law makes sin to be so much the stronger that way Now therefore how should the soul come to be deliuered from the strength of sin the Law must be satisfied the Law must be taken off the strength of the Law must be taken away and none can take that away but Christ Christ takes away the strength of the Law but the Law is not executed upon Christ so as he was to be given up but the text saith he was made sin he came to take our sin upon him it was as neere as might be though he was not capable of having the execution of the Law upon him but the scripture saith he was â—ade sin for us that indeed is a very great meaning of this place though acknowledging of sin and suffering for sin be the cheif meaning of the place yet it hath besides very much of this in it Fifthly Christ is our sanctification by being the head of the second Covenant and so through our mistical union with him there is a virtue of holiness conveyed from him by being the head of the second Covenant and we being members of him as the head we come to have the virtue of holiness to be drawn from him As it was in Adam how come we
body they make some use of Christ some profession of Christ can speake of Christ what they heare spoken of Christ is somewhat serviceable and useful to them I but they have not life from Christ and hence they have not holiness from Christ they have not the true holiness that comes from the Law of the spirit of life that is in Christ Sixthly Another thing that is to be considered of in Christ how the rest of sanctification comes to the soul through him is this In Christ there are the greatest arguments for holiness that possibly can be imagined and Christ comes to be a rest of sanctification that way when the soul comes unto Christ and knowes Christ in the right way the soul sees in Christ enough against sin and for holiness if it never saw any thing else there is enough in Christ to help against sin and for the furtherance of of holiness that that is discovered in Christ hath a mighty power to help the soul against sin and to further it in the way of holiness as now to instance the mighty arguments that there are in Christ against sin and for holiness as CHAP. XXXIX Containing two strong Arguments in Christ for holiness First In him the soul sees the greatest breach between it and God by reason of Sin Secondly In him it sees the greatest Hatred of Sin in God FIrst in Christ there the foul sees the greatest breach that can be imagined that sin made between God and the creature it is true when we preach the Law to you and tel you of the curse of the Law that is due to sin this acquaints you with somewhat of the breach that sin made between God and you and this may terrifie you but the truth is the breach between God and a soul by sin is never throughly seen til you come to Christ the soul never throughly sees sin til then when it comes to Christ and sees Christ indeed sees Christ so as one that hath union with him then it understands the evil of sin after another manner then ever it did before And that is the reason that faith doth more purge the heart from sin then al the terrors of the Law possibly can do yea if God should let a crevis into hel and let you see into al the torment that is there they could not discover so much the evil of sin to you as when you come to have a real sight of Jesus Christ how sin made such a breach between God and us as can be made up no other way but the son of God must come and take upon him mans sin this is the greatest discovery of the evil of sin that possibly can be Object You wil say Others know this as wel as beleevers It is true they know it after a sort but none can know this throughly but those that through faith have the real sight of Christ and so have the real sight of the evil of sin in Christ Secondly another strong argument of the evil of sin in Christ is this the infinite hatred of sin in God that God should so infinitly hate sin that he would not spare his owne son this shewes the evil of sin We heare much of hell and of the terror of the Law now when I come to consider the fruit of Gods hatred of Sin in his son this shewes me a great deale more the evil of sin And therefore though the terror of the law may restrain men from sin I but when the soul comes to know the infinite wrath of God against sin that he would give his son to satisfie for sin this shewes the evil of sin and this shewes the infinite holiness of God that he would send his only son to purchase holiness And in this we see the infinite love of Christ to die for sin the infinite price of the soul to purchase it and the infinite difficulty in the deliverance from sin and nothing can prevail upon the heart more then the viewing of Christ There is so many things that I cannot speak of them that when the soul comes to Christ makes the soul hate sin and makes it in love with holiness The knowledg of Christ in any common way hath as much power to restrain sin as any thing but now the knowledg of Christ in a spiritual way in a saving way it hath an infinite efficacy in it And the truth is the special way for a soul to help it self against its own corruptions it is much to dive into the knowledg of the Gospel look into the Gospel pry into the mystery of the Gospel be much conversant in the mistery of the Gospel and there consider what argument thou maiest draw against thy sins They are poor low arguments that common people draw against their sins they have a temptation to sin and they think Oh! let me take heed I do not do it for my master and mistris wil know of it or such a one wil know of it or if I do it I shal be brought to punishment these are poor low arguments But saith a beleever Oh let me not commit sin Why It is that that brought the son of God down from heaven to be made a curse for man It is that that made the greatest stir in the world that ever was it is that that Gods soul infinitly hates and it is that that made such a breach between the soul and God as only can be made up by the son of God These are the arguments that a beleever hath against sin and a beleever being conversant â—n these arguments and often exercising faith in Christ they being made real to the soul They must needs have a mighty power to overcome any corruption whatsoever As we read in the Gospel when the husband man that let out the vineyard sent for fruit and they took the servant and beate him and killed another at length saith he I wil send my son surely they wil reverence him So may I say there is such and such arguments against thy sin to overcome thy Corruption and to put thee on to the way of holiness perhaps those arguments thy corruptions break and they are but like Sampsons cords thy corruption snaps them asunder like flax I but saith God I wil send my son and reveale the glorious misteries of the Gospel in my son I wil shew to their souls what my son hath done and what the deep counsels for the salvation of their soules in my son are and these shal prevail upon you And here is the reason of al their fearfulness of sin and strictness in walking with God when the Gospel hath convinced them you wonder why they wil be so strict and fearful to offend do you wonder at it Oh my brethren they have arguments perhaps that you know not of God hath revealed much of his son to them the wonderful misteries of Godliness revealed in his son and they are the arguments they go upon They do
The Scripture speaks of true holiness there may be abstaining from many sins and performance of many duties but no saving holiness but that that is had from God through Christ as Mediator no true holiness til the Soul comes to be acquainted with Christ and have it that way and the holiness that we have by exercising of Faith upon Christ as the Head of the Covenant that indeed is the mystery of godliness that is the true godliness that is godliness in a mystery which the world is not acquainted with that is the power of godliness the powerful holiness that comes by Christ And indeed that is the Reason why there is so much strength of Grace in the Hearts of the Saints because they have it from Christ it is from the spirit of Jesus Christ that is in him and Christ is the Lyon of the tribe of Judah his spirit is a spirit of might Common gifts have not that strength as this holiness that comes from Christ hath the holiness that is from Christ that is the only supernatural holiness it is that that is the divine Nature whereas that kind of abstaining from sin and performing of duties that civil men have and that comes in by common gifts that is not the divine Nature they have it but in a natural way what they have is by strength of Reason and argument but that which comes in by the exercise of Faith in Christ that is supernatural that is of a divine Nature and that is aboundant aboundant is the holiness that the Soul comes to have in exercising of Faith in Christ In drawing of Grace from Christ the Heart grows more in the way of Holiness it exerciseth much more Faith in Christ in a little time then it did in a long time before though perhaps those were truly godly before and members of Christ yet for want of a right understanding how all Grace comes from God through Christ and so drawing of it that way they did not thrive in the waies of Godliness That text in the 3 of the Ephesians and the 17. Is most admirable for this the Apostle praies That Christ might dwel in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in Love there is the strength of Grace when Christ dwels in our heart That you may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledg that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God Here is the fruite of it that you might be filled with all the fulness of God a strange speech had it not been in Scripture who durst have exprest himself thus that by comming to know God in Christ you may come to be filled with all the fulness of God in Christ It were very much to say thus by knowing God in Christ you may come to have God that is somwhat but secondly that you may come to be filled with God that 's more But Thirdly That ye may come to be filled with the fulness of God that is yet more yea Fourthly That you may come to be filled with all the fulness of God What a gradation is here that shews the admirable use of knowing God in Christ Whereas now other men and women that onely are taught in their childhood to serve God they must serve God and they are restrained from many sins and they performe duties they wil pray and come to heare but not being acquainted with the mystery of the Gospel and drawing holiness from God through Christ how far are those from having this text made good in their hearts that is from being filled with al the fulness of God Whereas afterwards they come to have more cleere understanding of the mistery of Godlyness from Christ then they come to enjoy communion with God more then ever they did whereas before they were strangers to God now they have communion with him yea now they feele Gods fulness come more fully into their hearts then before now they feele a fulness from God and so come by degrees to be what is said in this text to be filled with al the fullness of God The reason of al the emptiness scantiness and barrenness that is in your heart is for want of understanding how God hath filled Christ with al fulness from whom wee are to receive grace for grace and by drawing grace from Christ we come to have permanent holiness and lasting holiness and this indeed is the reason as heretofore ye have heard why the grace of the saints endures for ever and they can never faile whereas the grace of Adam did faile because the one comes from God through Christ and the other did not that did not come from God through a mediator so as this did and therefore this is permanent and the other is not But of that I spake before only we bring it in now as a further motive to make us seek for holiness in Jesus Christ this rest of sanctification Some rules I wil briefly propound by way of direction as helps in seeking of grace and sanctification in Christ As First Labor to get a sence of your want of holiness and of your need of Christ for it Secondly in the exercising of your selves in the ordinances be not satisfied with the ordinances any further then you meet with Christ be not satisfied with a prayer or with hearing but think with your selves what have I of Christ here that I told you in the opening of the point how Christ was the sanctification of the heart because the blessing of al the ordinances is by having Christ there There are two or three things more that I would commend unto you The First Is this in seeking Christ do not come so much for enlargement for comfort for peace as for sanctification you seek your peace for holiness rather then seek holiness for peace this is a special rule of direction to thrive in seeking for sanctification by Christ Many Christians they seek to have Christ but why that they might have peace that they might have comfort and they make their holiness but subservient to their peace and comfort They think thus except I be holy I cannot have peace therefore I wil labor for holiness that I might have peace But a true gracious heart wil rather say thus the more holiness I have the more peace I have and therefore I wil labor for peace that I might have holiness One labors for holiness that he might have peace and the other labors for peace that he might have holiness Now those Christians that labor rather for peace that they might have holiness wil more thrive then the other that labors for holiness that they might have peace It is true indeed it is one good motion to labor for holiness because it wil bring peace I but it is a stronger motive to labor for peace that we might have holiness therefore when we seeke to
that the Lord doth intend good unto that soul when the Lord begins to make thee to love thy self truly for eternity to love that that is true and of eternal good it is a good signe that the Lord doth intend good unto thy soul 2. When the Lord proceeds not only to make thee to begin to love thy self for eternity that is to love that immortal soul that the Lord hath put into thee but when the Lord comes to shew thee wherein thy true good for eternity lies that it doth lye in this that thou shalt be delivered from the wrath of God and shalt not be cast out of his presence but shalt come to have union with God and live in his presence to the praise of his Grace to all eternity this is thy good this thou dost account thy happiness that thou maist be delivered from being cast out of Gods presence and that the Lord would bring thee unto himself to live with him and to joyn with the Angels and Saints to the praise of his infinite Grace in Christ eternally Thou accountest this to be the good that thou wouldest have in thy salvation I say the revealing of this to thee and the carrying of thy Heart unto Christ upon this ground this is faith it is true Grace for here God hath so twisted as I may so speak the glory of his own Name and the good of his creature together as they both are joyned in one and so the Heart may be carryed to both of them at one time to joyn in one 3. Yea further Let me tell you when thy Heart looks at this as thine own good and this is the Rest that thou wouldest have whereas I see that by my sins I am cut off from God and so I can have no peace nor Rest and I see my happiness and the Rest of my soul is to have union with that God that my sins hath cut me off from and that I might live for ever to the praise of the infinite and glorious first being of all things I say herein though thou aimest at thy own good before thou art aware of it and thou dost it may be explicitly Reason with thy own Heart but I do regard God above any good in my self yet in that thy Heart is upon it to that end that thou mayest have union with the Father and live eternally with him to the praise of his Grace in his Son I say in this act though thou art not able explicitly to conceive how thou lookest at God above thy self Yet God sees it there is that work of God in thy Heart to raise God there above thy self and therefore those poor sinners that are much afflicted under the Burden of their sins let them but Labor and Eye God so as to look at Christ as one that is a Mediator between God and them to bring God and their souls together to ayme at this and they need not trouble themselves with answering any further that temptation O! I come to Christ but it is only that I might be saved I do not know that in all the Book of God to give you this one note about it and then we pass from this point that we find this as a note of an Hipocrite that he doth love his own salvation too much we never find it as a note of an Hipocrite that he doth come to Christ that he might be saved and seeing the word of God doth not set it out as the note of an Hipocrite let not us nourish this temptation in our own Hearts so as to hinder us from coming to Christ thy Heart would have Rest in coming to Christ therefore come to him that thou mayest have Rest And thus much for this note from the Connexion of the promise Come to Christ for Rest CHAP. XXIV Of the Rest promised by Christ in general And that there is no Rest for a Soul out of Jesus Christ BUt now for the promise it self We read in the 16. of Isai the first verse that Christ saies The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anoynted me to Preach good tydings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken Hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to those that are bound to proclaime the acceptable Year of the Lord and the day of Vengeance of our God to comfort all that Mourne c. Here we have a prophecy of Christ and in this my Text this prophecy of Christ is fulfilled Christ is come here in the Text to Preach good tidings to the meek to bind up the broken Hearted to proclaime liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound all this is contained in this promise I wil give you Rest Rest is that that all creatures in the world desire the end of all motion is Rest so the Philosophers say the end of motion is quietness it is the end of all motion whatsoever if the creature were where it would be and had what it would have then it had Rest But now in motion what is the Reason that the fire ascends upwards but because the proper place of the fire is above and that the Earth and all heavy things fal downward But because their proper place is below but let them be where they would be and have what they would have and then they are at Rest So it is with the rational creature when the rational creature is in its proper place that that is the proper place for an immortal Soul and when an immortal soul comes to have the Capacity of it to be filled when it comes to have what an immortal Soul is capable of then it comes to have Rest and this is a Rest that Christ doth promise here in the Text and I will give you Rest that is thus If you come to me you shall first be delivered from all your burdens from all misery whatsoever And Secondly you shal be where you would be and injoy what you would have so that indeed this promise containes the freedome from all evil and the enjoyment of all good there cannot be Rest until there be a freedome from evil and an injoyment of all good that is the general here in this promise I will give you Rest There is a great deal of difference between the Rest that Christ here promiseth to give and that that men seek after in the world We read of the Rich Glutton in Luke 12. saith he Soul take thine ease Soul be at Rest for the word there in the Greek it is of the same that here this word is in my Text of Rest Soul take thine ease or Soul be at Rest Why For thou hast goods laid up for many Years Now mark the difference of the Rest of the Soul of a worldling and the rest of the Soul of a Christian A worlding saies Soul take thy Rest for thou hast meat and drink and