Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	dead_a	sin_n	trespass_n	4,880	5	10.3889	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77504	The mystical brasen serpent: with the magnetical vertue thereof. or, Christ exalted upon the cross, with the blessed end and fruit of that his exaltation, in drawing the elect world to himself, to believe on Him, and to be saved by Him. In two treatises, from John 3. 14, 15. 12. 32. Whereunto is added A treatise of the saints joint-membership each with other. As they were delivered to the Church of God at Great Yarmouth, by John Brinsley, minister of the gospel, and preacher to that incorporation. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy. July 30. 1652.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1653 (1653)	Wing B4719; Thomason E1249_1; ESTC R208891	155,986	284

Deprived of life that life which the Text speaketh of viz. Eternall life which is begun in Grace perfected in Glory of this life are all men naturally deprived Being destitute of the Life of Grace so saith S. Paul of the Gentiles before conversion Eph. 4 18. They were alienated estranged from the life of God That life whereby God liveth in his Saints the life of grace they were strangers to it they knew not what it meant destitute of this Spirituall life and shut out from the life of glory Rom. 3.23 All have sinned saith S. Paul speaking of the universality of man-kind and are deprived of the glory of God They come short of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deficiuntur they are cast behind A Metaphor saith Beza taken from runners in a Race Beza Gr. Ann. who through naturall weaknesse or by a fall or some like impediment are so far cast behind as that it is not possible they should ever fetch it up again so as to win the prize So fareth it with all men naturally through the fall of Adam in whose loyns then they were and through their own naturall weaknesse thereby contracted they are so far cast behind that do what they can improve the power of nature to the uttermost they can never of themselves come up to the goal so as to win the prize never attain eternal life All deprived of life And 2. All subjected unto death 2. Subjected unto death Gen. 3.17 and that by vertue of that first threatning The day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Gen. 3. All subjected to a threefold death Temporall Spirituall and Eternall Temporall of the Body Spirituall of the Soul Eternall both of Soul and Body Being all inevitably subject to the first lying under the power of the second and under the sentence of the third Having their Bodies mortall their Souls dead Dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 Souls and Bodies bound over unto Eternall death which consisteth in an eternall separation from the presence of God in whose presence is life an eternall confinement to that place and state of torment prepared for the divel and his angels all which if need were might be made good in particulars And herein is the forlorn perishing state and condition of all men by nature that it is so it cannot be denyed But how cometh it to be so See the ground and cause of it in the Type This hath the Serpent done Reas This hath the Serpent done The Israelites being stung or bitten by those fiery serpents though both strong and healthfull before they were now but dead men carrying death in their bosomes and so fareth it with the sons of men however created in a blessed state and condition in a healthfull constitution as I may say with a posse non mori a possibility of being immortall yet upon the stinging of the serpent the old serpent fastning his sting in Adam through him transfusing his poyson the deadly poyson of sin to all his posterity hereby they are become so wretched so miserable all dead men in a perishing condition so the Apostle layeth it down clearly and plainly in that knowne Text Rom. 5.12 As by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all for that all have sinned Mark it Here is the head and spring of all that evill of sin and misery which hath broken in upon mankind Adam sinned and sinning died being thereupon subjected to that threefold death Now Adam thus dying and perishing all his posterity perished in him and with him even as it is with a tree the Root dying all the Branches die in it and with it So standeth the case betwixt Adam and his posterity Adam was the common Root of mankind all others of the sons of men were in him Tanquam in radice as Branches in the Root and so consequently he dying they all die in him and with him Thus briefly you see both the truth of this first Conclusion and the ground of it As briefly bring we it home by way of Application and so passe to the other Conclusions which are here more expresly layd down in the Text. 1. By way of Conviction Vse 1. Conviction See this to be our state Is this the state of all men by nature Be we then convinced that this is our estate in particular An easie matter it is to beleeve confesse and acknowledge this truth in the gross in the generall that all men by nature are in a perishing state lost men and women children of perdition to bring it home to a mans selfe in particular to be convinced and made sensible that this is my estate thy estate here is a difficulty a thing which few do or endeavour to do and hence it is that men being in the state of nature are so little or nothing affected with the dangerousnesse of that condition They can lie and continue in that estate wherein they were born and yet never be troubled at it never affected with it What is the reason hereof Why they look upon this truth only in the grosse in the generall notion of it Now Generalities doe not affect Genera nec agunt nec patiuntur Certainly were men but once throughly convinced and perswaded that this is their estate in particular they would not so quietly and contentedly sit downe in it they would never be at rest untill they have got some evidence some assurance unto their own souls that they are gotten out of that estate brought out of this state of nature into a state of grace And therefore in the fear of God as many of you as were never yet throughly convinced of the truth hereof now let it into your souls and do not suffer vain thoughts to lodge within you as viz. that you shall do as well as others so you may and yet be miserable enough or that whatever become of others yet it shall go well with you what saith our Saviour to the Jews flattering themselves with the like thoughts viz. That however the judgements of God might light upon others yet they should escape Not so saith he Except ye repent Luke 13.3 ye shall all likewise perish Let it be spoken to every secure sinner that stands before me this day that lieth sleeping in his naturall state and condition flattering himselfe with a selfe conceited apprehension that he is not as some others as the Pharisee said of himself no Swearer no Drunkard no profane no scandalous person and hereupon speaks peace to his own soul promising to himself immunity from that wrath of God which shall fall upon others I tell you nay but except ye repent except ye be renewed changed brought out of that estate of nature and brought home unto God by Christ ye shall likewise perish Your estate being for the present that estate wherein you were born it is a perishing state a state of perdition so as living

live againe True indeed his dead body shall be raised up again but not to the Resurrection of Life This is the portion of Gods Saints John 5.29 They that have done good saith our Saviour shall come forth to the Resurrection of life that is to a Resurrection that hath an eternall life following it this is peculiar to them Luke 14.14 thence called the Resurrection of the Just Luk. 14. As for wicked men they have no share in it they shall also come forth of the Graves But how Why even as condemned malefactors are brought out of their Prisons and Dungeons to the place of Execution So shall they come forth of their graves not to the Resurrection of life but of Condemnation as it there followeth They shall be raised up not unto that blessed life but unto death even to that eternall death which shall be to them a dying life and a living death And here is their perishing But thus shal not the Beleever perish The Beleever shall not perish Die he may and die he must that as other men die so seeming to perish whence even righteous men are said to perish The righteous perisheth no man layeth it to heart Isai 57.1 that is he dieth and that seemingly as others do How dieth the wise man even as the fool saith the Preacher Eccl. 2.16 in the outward appearance no difference as it is said of our Saviour He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death Isai 53.9 So fareth it with Gods Saints they make their graves lie down in the dust with wicked men dying as they die their souls both separated from their bodies and their bodies to dust and who shall distinguish betwixt their ashes in the outward appearance no difference between the one and the other yet a grand difference there is the one perisheth not so the other The one dying dieth to die dyeth Temporally to die Eternally The other dying dyeth to live dyeth a Temporal death that he may live an eternall life so it followeth in the next words He shall not perish but have Eternall life 2. Possitive Eternall life Eternall life Here is the Positive part of the Benefit wherein our Saviour explains what he meant by not perishing viz. he shall not die but live eternally Behold here the Prerogative of Gods Saints even of all true Beleevers wherein they differ from all others Not only from the Bruit creature the bruit Creature perisheth in death so shall not they But even from wicked men Wicked men they do not properly perish in death but they die to die so as they shall never see life this true life They shall never see the face of God never injoy his presence in whose presence is life Being Separated from the presence of his grace here they shall be separated from the presence of his glory hereafter and to this punishment of losse shall be added the punishment of sense They shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.9 Being confined to that place of horror and darknesse they shall be subjected both in souls and bodies to endlesse and easelesse unsufferable unspeakable unconceivable torments and so shall for ever be in a perishing condition But as for God's Saints and faithfull ones even all true Beleevers they shall not only not perish as the bruit Creature doth but they shall be possessed of that life which all unbelevers shall be excluded from even Eternall life Eternall Life Eternall life what Under these two words the Spirit of God in Scripture frequently sets forth unto us the state and condition of Gods Saints in Heaven which being a most blessed state full of Glory and Happinesse is therefore called by the name of Life because of all things upon earth life is the most precious most set by And in as much as that state is immutable unchangeable therefore it is called Eternall Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continuing the same to all ages to all Eternity This blessed life the Beleever enters into upon earth when he first beginneth to beleeve on Christ then is he translated from death to life then is this blessed life estated upon him and begun in him thence saith our Saviour This is life eternall to know thee the only true God and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ Joh. 17.3 To know God and Christ to know God in Christ this is life eternall It is so as in regard of assurance so in regard of Inchoation being the beginning of that blessed life which Gods Saints entering upon here in the kingdome of Grace shall have the full fruition of hereafter in the kingdom of glory He shall not perish but have eternall life The Type falling short of the Truth Eternall life Behold here the Truth in the Text advanced above and beyond the Type Those whom the Brasen Serpent cured they afterwards died Not so they who are cured and healed by Christ If a man keep my saying saith our Saviour he shall not see death Joh. 8.51 Joh. 8. They shall live Eternally never seeing tasting of that second death so laith our Saviour expresly unto Martha Joh. 11. He that beleeveth on me John 11.25 though he were dead yet hee shall live and he that liveth and beleveth on mee shall never die Though he were dead Dead Spiritually saith Calvin Dead in trespasses and sins as all men naturally are yet upon this beleeving he shall live viz. live the life of grace here and so living and beleeving he shall never die never die Eternally Or if we take it as Arctius and others expound it of a Naturall Temporall death Whosoever beleeveth though he be dead that is dead as Lazarus was yet dying in the faith he shall live he shall be raised up again to life And he that liveth and beleeveth on me that is say some such as shall be found alive at the coming of Christ they shall never die only be changed Or He that liveth and beleeveth shall never die that is eternally so the words in the Originall may bee construed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non morietur in aeternum though he die Temporally yet not eternally And here is the Benefit it selfe which Beleevers have by beleeving on Christ The Extent of this Benefit followeth 2. The Exte of the Benefit which is as I said as large as may be indefinite universall reaching to all those who performe the condition So you have it in the first word Whosoever Of which but a word The Benefit of Christs death extends to all true believers Doct. To all believers As onely to them so to all and every of them Whether Christ died intentionally for all men as Arminians would have it I shall not stand now to discusse it Sure we are he died for all those that believe on him and to them all and every of them shall

his creature That God bindeth some wicked and ungodly men over unto just condemnation for sin this he doth in justice yet is he not delighted in the destruction of his creature and thence is it that he hath provided a way and means of salvation for others Hee that lift up this brasen serpent in the wildernesse for those surviving Israelites he hath also lift up a Saviour for us delivering his own and onely Son to the death for us that he dying we might not die that believing on him we might not perish but have everlasting life Vse 3. And hath God done this for us Vse 3. Exhortation to make use of this remedy O let not this grace and mercy of his bee in vain to any of us When God had caused the brasen serpent to be set up in the wildernesse such as were stung with those fiery serpents I suppose they should not need to have been pressed to go out of their Tents to repaire and look up unto it for cure Such is our condition as you have heard All stung and that mortally by this old Serpent And such hath Gods mercy been he hath provided a brasen serpent for us caused his Son to bee lift up for us O let us not now neglect so great salvation but come forth of our Tents go we out of our selves and come unto Jesus Christ looking up to him that we may bee made partakers of the benefits of his death and passion To this end was the brasen serpent lift up that the people might look up to it And to this end was the Lord Jesus Christ lift up upon the Crosse that poor sinners might look unto him And this let us do I mean as many of us as feel the need wee have of him as feele the sting of sin sticking in our souls and so desire to be freed not onely from the guilt and terrour but also from the power of it For such and onely such they are that shall have benefit by Christ The brasen serpent being lift up all Israel might look upon it but they only had benefit by it who feeling themselves stung looked up to it for cure Thus is it with our Brasen Serpent the Lord Jesus Others may look upon him and yet be never the better for him So did the Jews who saw him crucified yet had no benefit by him Ferus ad Text. Multi viderunt oderunt Many of them saw him and hated him and so had better never have seen him Thus do many Christians behold Christ in the history of the Gospel behold him crucified before their eyes in the preaching of the word and yet not feeling the neede they have of him they shall never have any benefit by him O then labour wee first to be sensible of this to feele our selves stung mortally stung Be we sensible of our condition So we are whether we feele it or no and the lesse we feele it the greater is our danger and the lesse hope of grace onely labour to bee thus sensible hereof that so wee may feele the need wee have of Jesus Christ that wee may see our selves dead men without him Now and not till now are we fit for him Other qualifications or predispositions hee requireth none onely that we be sensible of the need we have of him Being such now come we unto him and come with boldnesse and confidence being assured that wee shall finde a perfect cure in him and from him wee shall not die but live So much the verse following will assure us of wherein we shall meet with the two other particulars which I took notice of in the Type fully answered viz. the end and efficacy of this our Brasen Serpent To which I now come Ver. 15. That whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have Eternall life IN which words wee may see the Truth not onely Answering The Truth excelling the Type but Excelling the Type advanced above it and that in two particulars In the Effect of it and in the Extent of that effect For the Effect The brasen serpent was the means of a bodily cure of preserving a temporall life But Christ is the means of a spirituall cure of procuring an eternall life For the Extent of that effect The brasen serpent was erected for the use and benefit of the Jew Christ crucified is a Saviour both of Jew and Gentile the efficacy and vertue of his death extending to both alike That whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternall life Division Shall we devide the words we may take notice in them of two things a Condition and a Promise A condition the same with the condition of the new Covenant the Covenant of Grace viz. believing on Jesus Christ Whosoever believeth on him The Promise importing the great benefit accruing to them who shall rightly performe this condition They shall not perish c. Wherein wee may take notice first of the benefit it selfe then of the persons to whom it extends The Benefit it selfe which is partly Privative partly Positive Privative deliverance from death They shall not perish Positive fruition of life and that eternall life They shall not perish but have eternall life The Extent of which benefit is indefinite universall to all those that shall performe the condition That whosoever believeth c. It is not my purpose to insist precisely in the steps of this Division I shall rather for our better and more profitable proceeding draw forth the words into four distinct and plaine doctrinall Propositions or Conclusions The first whereof is necessarily implyed the rest plainly expressed 1. Four Doctrinall Conclusions All men by nature are in a perishing estate and condition 2. The onely way and means of deliverance out of that perishing state is by Jesus Christ and him crucified 3. The onely way and means of receiving benefit by and from Jesus Christ is to believe on him 4. Whosoever so believeth on him shall have perfect salvation by him Four main and usefull Conclusions each a Principle of Christian Religion a Head of Catechisme necessary even for children to know and understand and yet of soveraigne use for the most growne Christian I shall handle them distinctly and plainly still having an eye to the Type here set before us wherein as in a glasse we may read the truth of every of these perticulars and of the greatest part of what I shall say concerning them Begin with the first Conclusion 1. All men by nature in a perishing condition A truth though not directly expressed yet necessarily implyed All men by nature are in a perishing condition Mark it Christ the true Brasen Serpent was lift up that whosoever believeth on him should not perish c. A cleare intimation that without Christ and without faith in Christ all men are but dead men in a perishing state a state of perdition deprived of life subjected unto death 1 Deprived of life 1.

from Christ unto our Justification and Salvation You see the second Question resolved and therein a resolution prepared and in part given to the third which is Quest Why this should be the only way and means to convey this benefit from Christ Quest 3. Why faith the only means viz. to beleeve on him Answ Answ 1. So God hath appointed it To this I might return a sudden and yet satisfactory answer It is enough God hath appointed it so to be even as he appointed looking to be the means of conveying that sanative vertue to the Israelites from that Brasen Serpent not but that he could if he had pleased have directed them to some other way either to touch it or to fall down before it or the like or else he could have made it effectuall to them only by the bare presence of it in the Camp But this is the way which he pitcheth upon requiring them only to look up unto it Thus God could had he pleased have appointed other wayes and means of conveying life and salvation to us but hee hath been pleased in infinite wisdome and mercy to pitch upon this requiring no more from us as the condition of the Covenant of Grace but only this Beleeve on the Lord Jesus 2. Faith onely applyeth Christ 2. But secondly take a reason of this appointment Faith is the Instrument of conveying this benefit from Christ because Faith only applyeth Christ bringeth home Christ This is the proper work of faith Every grace hath its own proper work which is peculiar to it Even as every member of the body hath its proper office and work the Eye to see the Ear to hear the Hand to take or receive a thing so hath every grace its proper work Remembring your work of faith 1 Thes 1.3 and labour of love and patience of hope saith the Apostle to his Thessalonians Now what is the proper work of faith Why to Receive Christ To as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to as many as beleeve on his name Joh. 1.12 To apply Christ to bring Christ home with his merits unto the soul This doth faith It bringeth home Christ and bringing him home it bringeth home his benefits drawing from him that vertue that is in him And this is proper unto faith And therefore is it that God hath appointed this to be the only way to convey benefit from Christ unto poor sinners for their Justification and Salvation You see this third Question resolved and so you have this third Conclusion opened That which now remains hereof is the Application Which shall be only a word of Direction and Exhortation to all penitent broken-hearted sinners such as feel the sting of sin Applic. Seek cure in this way and desire to be healed cured for for such only is this Brasen Serpent erected this means of cure provided Being such now bee you advised and excited to put your soules upon this way of cure to look up unto this Brasen Serpent by faith to look up unto the Lord Jesus Christ Let it not bee enough that you have heard tidings of a Saviour to hear that God hath given his Son that Christ hath given himself for lost mankind or yet to know who and what this Christ was what he hath done what he hath suffered and the like Alas what would this have availed a poor Israelite to have heard of the Brasen Serpent that it was erected in the Camp and that all that came to it were healed by it whilst in the mean time himself lay close in his Tent never looking out for any benefit by it And what will this profit a poor sinner to hear what God hath done for others in giving a Christ a Saviour for them and to them whilst in the mean time himselfe lyeth still sleeping in his sinnes not looking out for cure for justification and salvation by and through him Better such a one had never heard these Gospell tidings His contempt or neglect of so great a mercy will be no small aggravation to his sin and punishment And therefore as many of us as God hath in any measure made sensible of our miserable state and condition by reason of sin as we desire deliverance out of that estate apply we our selves to the right use of this remedy Look we up unto Jesus Christ Looking up unto this Brasen Serpent Look up I say Not looking too much downwards upon our selves not poring too much upon our sins the multitude magnitude number nature quantity quality of them how many how great and grievous they are But look upwards look up unto Jesus Christ who is able to heale us to save us The Israelites which were stung with those fiery Serpents if they onely looked upon their soars and complained of their smart and anguish in the mean time neglecting or refusing to look up to the Brasen Serpent they died for it Such is the condition of a poor despairing soule whose eye is all upon his sore upon his sin and punishment as Cain's and Judas's were Gen. 4.13 My sin is greater then can be forgiven or my punishment is greater then I can bare Mat. 27.3 4. saith the one I have sinned in betraying innocent blood saith the other complaining of the grievousnesse thereof in the mean time never looking up to Christ for cure by this means he perisheth and dieth in his sins To all such then and all others who desire to have any benefit by Jesus Christ let it be spoken Look up to this Brasen Serpent look you up to the Lord Jesus obeying and dying for your sakes and look you up unto him as with desire so with hope with affiance and confidence of receiving benefit by him To set on this Exhortation what Arguments shall I take up Strange Motives there should be need of any I suppose it was argument enough to an Israelite being stung and feeling himselfe so to here that there was a Brasen Serpent lift up for a present remedy to all that should looke up unto it other motive he should need none to perswade him to fixe his eye upon it And certainly so would it be with poor sinners did they but feel themselves stung by sin were they but throughly convinced and made sensible of their wretched state and condition by reason of sin it would be motive sufficient to them to hear of a Saviour whom God hath set forth with promise that upon their looking to him beleeving on him they shall be saved they should need no other argument to perswade them to look up unto him Yet to quicken our dull and dead hearts doe but consider these four or five particulars 1. This is God's Ordinance 1. This is Gods Ordinance the way and means which God himself in infinite wisdome and mercy hath appointed to bring his Elect to life and salvation by viz. by faith in Christ and therefore submit

light and from the power of Satan to God But how was he to do it Why by preaching of the Gospel by bearing the name of Christ before them Act. 9.15 Hereby drawing them out of the World as fishes out of the sea Hereby drawing them out of themselves convincing them of their insufficiencie and Christs all sufficiencie and so drawing them to himselfe first as to a Saviour to beleeve on him working faith in them by this means Faith cometh by hearing Rom. 10. hearing the word the word of the Gospel Then as to a Lord to be governed by him which is also wrought by the same Instrument 2 Cor. 12.4 5. Here is the outward means but this often proveth ineffectuall Many there are who hear the word and hear it powerfully dispenced who yet are never the better for it so saith the Apostle of the Jewes The word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4.2 And so ineffectuall it often proves to many that sit under the sound of it They are not thereby brought home to Christ Even as many of the Jewes saw Christ lift up beheld him crucified who yet beleeved not on him nay therby they were hardned-against him Even so it is now in the preaching of the Gospell Many there are before whose eyes Christ is lift up crucified in the Word and Sacraments who yet are not brought to beleeve on him or submit unto him 2. To this therefore in the second place is joyned the Spirit 2. The Spirit The Spirit of Christ which he sendeth forth to accompany his word and to make it effectuall in the hearts of his Elect and by this means he draweth men effectually even as the Load-stone draweth Iron by a secret efflux and emission of subtile and insensible spirits thereby attracting that which of it selfe was unapt to move So doth Christ draw men to himselfe by sending forth his Spirit Act. 2. By this means did he draw so many at the day of Pentecost viz. by sending down his Spirit upon his Apostles which accompanying the word preached by them made it effectuall in them that heard it There might we have seen the accomplishment of what our Saviour here in the Text foretells and forepromiseth When I am lift up I will draw all men unto me this he did at the day of Pentecost Being lift up first upon the Crosse in his Passion and then upon his Throne in his Exaltation see how he draweth all men all sorts of men some of all nations to himself this he did by powring out his Spirit according as he had promised Act. 2.17 Joel 2.23 I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh hereby multitudes were brought to beleeve on him and hereby it is that Christ draweth poor sinners unto himself at this day viz. by sending his Spirit along with his word The word in it selfe is but a dead letter 2 Cor. 3.6 it is the Spirit that quickneth it that puteth life into it The words which I speak are Spirit and Life saith our Saviour to the Jews John 6.63 What ever efficacie the word hath it hath it from the Spirit Qu Qu. 2. What the Spirit herein doth Why what doth the Spirit in this work Answ An. I answer The work of the Spirit lieth principally in two things in Enlightning the Vnderstanding and Inclining the Will 1. It Enlightneth the Vnderstanding 1. It inlightneth the understanding Gal. 1.16 letting in a supernatural light into the soul a light of knowledge revealing Christ to it and in it discovering to it what need it hath of him what an all-sufficiency it may find in him convincing it of it own unrighteousnesse and of a perfect righteousnesse to be found in Christ This is the work of the Spirit it is that which out Saviour maketh promise of to his Disciples Joh. 16. that when he was departed from them Joh. 16.7 8. he would send the Comforter the Spirit And when he is come saith he hee shall convince the world of sin and of Righteousnesse c. And this the Spirit doth the Spirit accompanying the word it convinceth men of sin of their own sinfulnesse the sinfulnesse of their natures hearts lives and as of sin so of righteousnesse as of sin in themselves so of a righteousnesse which is to be sought and may be found out of themselves viz. in Christ who is made Wisedome 1 Cor. 1.30 and Righteousnesse to all those who in the sense of their own righteousnesse go out of themselves unto him This the Spirit with clear and convincing evidence revealeth unto the soul And hereby Christ prepareth the hearts of his Elect whom he intendeth to draw unto himselfe 2. Having thus inlightned the Understanding now in the second place he cometh to incline the Will 2. Inclineth the will causing the soul to come unto himself Quest But how doth Christ bring off the soul hereunto what doth hee compell the Will Answ Not so The will being in it own nature free it cannot be compelled being compelled it should cease to bee a will How then Why by a sweet and gentle overpowring of it working upon it in a way sutable and agreeable to it own nature effectually perswading bowing and inclining it to yeeld to what with such clear and strong evidence is held forth unto it Phil. 2.13 so drawing forth a consent from it working in it a will of unwilling making it willing to close with Christ offered and tendered to it to receive him as Saviour and Lord Thus doth the Spirit work upon the spirit the Spirit of God upon the spirit of man And by this means Christ draweth men to himself sending forth his Spirit together with his Word he worketh effectually in the hearts of his chosen causing them to come unto him to believe on him submit unto him And thus have you the Doctrinal part of this useful Truth briefly opened unto you Now bring we it home to our selves by way of Application Applica Examine whether we have been thus drawn to Christ Vse 1. And that first by way of Examination and Triall whether we have been thus drawn unto Christ or no Drawn we have been outwardly all of us None of us but have had Christ propounded offered held forth unto us in the Ministery of the Word there crucified lift up before our eyes Haply some and many of us have also felt an inward drawing felt our hearts at sometimes somewhat moved and inclined to look towards Christ We have at sometime found the Word exciting and stirring up some motions and breathings that way But are we drawn home unto Christ Many there are who through a common work of the Spirit accompanying of the Word are brought to look towards Christ who never yet come at him Acts 26.28 It was the case of Agrippa whom as himself acknowledgeth Paul had almost perswaded to become a Christian

church-members to learne from the members of the natural bodie where the severall members have severall Offices and severall faculties the eye to see the ear to hear the tongue to speak c. And having so each one holdeth to its particular function no one member incroaching upon the office of another even so would he have it for to be in the Mysticall Bodie of the church and so let it be There being therein a like plurality of members and diversity of Offices paralell and answerable to the former the Ruler as the eye the Teacher as the tongue the Hearer as the ear the Distributer as the hand c. some having one function others another let every one look to his owne Thus is it in the Military body where there are Colonels and Majors and Captains and Leiutenants Sergeants Officers and private Souldiers every one intends his own imployment And so is it in Politick Bodies where there are Mayor Bailiffs Sheriffs Justices Constables c. every one looketh to his owne office not interrupting not disturbing one another the inferior by no means intruding upon the place of the Supeior And so let it be in the Church But I hasten Is the church one Bodie Then let all who professe themselves members thereof seek to maintain the unity of it Vse 3. Seek to maintain the Churches unity not rending and tearing it asunder by factions and schimes unwarrantable Separations and Divisions but labor to keep the onenesse the unity of this body The unity not only of those particular congregations whereof they are Members which Christians ought have a speciall regard unto not withdrawing themselves upon every slight occasion or making breaches in them but also of the church catholick So as though it be divided into severall congregations yet all they may keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace as so many lines meeting in the same center by their Associations and Combinations helping and strengthening each other all endeavouring as much as may be a Religious uniformity that they may all walk by the same Rule as of Faith and Manners so if it might be of Discipline a thing much to be desired by all those who pray for the peace of Jerusalem and without which they are not like to see what they long for But I passe to the fourth Is the church one body in Christ Then let all the members thereof know and acknowledge him for their Head Vse 4. Know and acknowledge our head Holding fast to him It is that which our Apostle chargeth upon some in his time Colos 2.19 They did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hold fast the head They did not hold themselves to Christ alone but they would be setting up other Mediators other Intercessours with him and besides him even as Romanists at this day do For us take we heed of the like remember we that Christ is our Head our Mediator our Advocate and therefore hold we to him and him alone not admitting any other to any participation with him in his Headship Submitting our selves unto him to be governed by his lawes leaving him to the regulating and ordering of his Church seeking after a nearer union and a more free and ful communion with him The members of the naturall body the more free communion they have with the head the more active and vigorous they are whereas if that be intercepted and obstructed as in some cases it is as viz. in Palsies and Apoplexies c. they prove useless and dead The Christians life is bound up in Christ whence it is that he is called their life Col. 3.4 And therefore holding fast this head seek nearer union and further communion with him But I promised to give you but a taste of these Come we now to the fifth and last upon which I have a speciall designe as conceiving it to be a branch Vse 5. A fruitfull Branch The Saints Joint-membership which may afford us a great deal of good fruit such as will be well worth my shaking and your gathering much matter which will be very usefull unto you and to all Christians in reference to their church state Where let me only premise one generall caveat what I shall speak of Church members A Caveat concerning the word Church-members and their mutuall respects and duties let it not be construed in too strict a sense as intended only to the members of particular congregations in reference unto that particular body whereof they are members True it is I will not deny what I have already yealded that the Apostle here in my Text in laying down the Doctrine hath a speciall eye to such a particular Relation And so shall I have in the Application But as he doth not so neither shall I impale and confine what I am to say within so narrow a room As for a particular Church as I said before it is but a part a member of the Church catholick visible so much is by some collected from that Text forecited 1 Cor. 12.27 where out Apostle telleth his Corinthians that they were the Body of Christ and members in particular The Originall hath it word for word Members of a part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the vulgar Latine as also Ambrose there renders it Membra de or ex membro possibly by the change of a letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost ad loc Aliquatenùs Nam omnes Ecclesiae per orbem dispersae diversa sunt unius corporis membra Beza Annot. Vide Calvin Con. ad locum as Beza conjectures and Heinsius approves it reading it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 members of a member that is as Chrysostome and Beza gives the sense of it members of that Church of Corinth which was but a part a member of the catholick christian Church but that I will not stand upon conceiving that it may admit of another construction more apposite and agreeable to the scope of that place to which Calvine directs me Neither need I seeing it is a truth clearly held forth by the Spirit of God in the very language of the Scripture which speaking of the church catholick calleth it the church without any other addition or modification As in the ver there fore-going ver 28. God hath set some in the church c. so often else-where But speaking of particular Congregations calls them churches Here what the Spirit saith to the churches Revel 2 3. c. Or the church at such a place and such a place clearly importing that the one is a totum Integrale the whole Body the other parts and members of it And being so parts of an Homogeneall Body what I say of or concerning the one let it be conceived as intended also to the other This generall caution being premised which as my selfe shall so I shall desire you to carry a long with you now come wee to particulars Are the members of the Church Joint-members Vsefull Instructions