of those that perish though he be rich in mercy yet his mercy contradicteth not his libertie he hath a libertie to do what he pleaseth having a soveraigntie over all creatures he is free to chuse more or fewer to his kingdom as he pleaseth and to exercise his severitie as he will Lastly in that it is said hee reapeth where he doth not sow I answer he doth not reape where he doth not sow and therefore in that he sheweth not himselfe a hard master for there are none condemned for more then is revealed to them the Gentiles that had no more then the law of nature revealed to them they are condemned for no more but for the breach of the law of nature If the Gospel never came amongst them it shall never be required at their hands And so the Jews those amongst them that had no more but the old testament made known to them shall never be condemned for rejecting the Gospel but for the breach of that law which they had So Christians as their means have been more as their light is more as more truth hath been revealed to them so God will require more at their hands as he soweth more seed so he will look for a greater Crop at the harvest amongest Christians those that are ignorant if there be no fault in themselves he will not punish for that they know not his will A Second answer to this is that there is a great difference if we consider the manner of Gods shewing mercy for First the primarie intent of God was to shew mercy to all the creatures to men and angels both now the execution of his wrath came in by the way as it were and by occasion that when his mercy took no place then there was a place found for his justice First he began with mercy he set the angels in a hapy condition Justice now came in when his mercy took no place so to mankinde he first began with mercy and set him in a happy estate if mercy might have taken place there had been no room or his wrath for as we say of bees that naturally they give honey they sting not but when they are provoked so God naturally propensely and readily sheweth mercy to the Creatures he never exerciseth his wrath but when we offend him by our words or works Thirdly You must consider that God is exceeding rich in mercy in that he offereth mercy to mankinde it lieth manifested to all if they will not take it it detracts not from his mercy now all mankinde hath had mercy manifested to them it lyeth open to them if they take it not it is not because he is not rich in mercy but because they will not accept it Fourthly He is merciful even to evil men to them he declareth the riches of his patience and long suffering to bear with them from day to day to feed them to cloath them to preserve them and yet they make conscience of nothing their lives are a continual rebellion against him is not here therefore a great deal of mercy manifested Doth he not as the Apostle saith bear with much patience the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Last of all put together the manner of the execution of his wrath and of his mercy and you shall see this difference look what wrath there is executed in the world and you may thank your selves for it The congregation of Corah the text saith Numb 16. destroyed themselves Mercy is not so that cometh from God the day spring from on high hath visited us Luke 1. Thy Destruction is of thy selfe oh Israel saith the Prophet but we may thank him for his mercy the wages of sin is death that cometh as our due debt but the guift of God is eternal life that cometh freely Again the justice of God is but even measure the just wages of an hireling just no more then our sins deserve but the mercy of God runneth over the brink as a mighty sea over his bounds so doth not the other therefore his mercy is exceeding great conclude it therefore and set it down in your own hearts be perswaded of it your selves and be ready to glorify him before the sons of men Last of all the use of this point shall be this that if it be the glory of God to be merciful then labour to imitate his mercy for every excellent thing that is glorious is worthy to be imitated therefore imitate God in this so the scripture would have us be you merciful as your heavenly father is merciful and so again Col. 3. as the elect of God put on tender mercy that is if God be merciful be you merciful likewise and so Ephes 1. forgive one another And why as dear children be you followers of God c. he is so therefore be you so make this use therefore of Gods being merciful be you merciful as he is merciful that is consider the miseries of others and wherein you may be helpful to them and be ready to shew them mercy upon any occasion As it is the glory of God to shew mercy so as Solomon saith it is the glory of a man to passe by an infirmity that is to passe by the faults of others to shew mercy to them to forgive them and not to take things in the worst sence this is acceptable to God for mercy pleaseth him far better then Sacrifice all the duties that you perform to God though you serve him in all the parts of his worship yet put these and shewing of mercy unto men together and he esteemeth mercy to man before all for Isay 58. 6. when the people had fasted and performed those duties to the full yet notwithstanding God makes this exception Is this the fast that I have chosen is it not to break every yoake to relieve the oppressed to shew mercy c. therefore my brethren be readie to shew mercy for in so doing you shall imitate God that is it which indeed makes you good men every man would be a good man now goodness standeth in this to be merciful for goodness is but a relative terme and it standeth in conformity with the chiefest good So carry your selves therefore that you may be counted good men that you may have a good eye which is nothing but this to be ready to do good to those whom you see in miserie herein your goodness consisteth all that you do without it is not accepted whatsoever goodness you do unto men if it be without mercy if it proceed not from that as it is said of love if you give your body to be burned and yet have not love it is nothing So it may be said of mercy God acaccepteth of no action that you performe unlesse it come from mercy labour therefore to have a mercifull heart that so all your works may come from a good principle for actions are not good except they come from some grace
Thus Sampson by the power of the spirit had power to use his strength And in the Acts 4 32 it is said that the Apostles spake boldly That is they had power for you must know that there may be habits of grace in the heart and yet want of power but when the spirit comes then it puts strength in the inward man to do Thus it is said that the spirit came upon Saul and he prophesied That is he was able to do more then before he could do and yet know that you may have true grace and yet now and then for the present want action that is power to do yet is but then when the spirit seems to absent it self from the soul and this was that which the Apostle speaks of Heb. 12. 12. Brethren you have forgotten the Consolation That is your spiritual strength may lie hidden dead and forgotten but the spirit will return and then you shall finde good again The fourth way whereby the spirit strengthens grace in the soul is by giving efficacie and power unto the means of growth which is a special advantage for strengthening of the inward man for as he sets up the building and furnisheth the Roomes and gives power unto the soul to use them so that which makes all these effectual is this when he gives power and efficacie unto the means that are for the strengthening of the inward man Now you know that the word is the onely ordinary means to work new habits and qualities in us that is to câ—lâ—…s and beget us into Christ but if the spirit should not add this unto them namely efficacie they will never beget us into Christ Therefore this is the means to make all effectual that is it gives a blessing to the means of grace The word alone without the spirit is as I told you as a scabberd without a sword or bâ—t as a sword without a hand that will do no good though you should stand in never so great need therefore the Aâ—ostle joyns them together in the Acts 20. he cals it the word of his grace that is the spirit must work grace or else the word will nothing avail you Again prayer is a means to strengthen the inward man but it the spirit be not joyned with it it is nothing worth and therefore the scripture saith Pray in the Holy Ghoâ—t That is if you pray not by the power of the Holy Ghost you will never obtain grace or sanctification The spirit is unto the means of grace as rain is unto the plants that is as rain makes the plants to thrive and and grow so it is the spirit that makes the inward man to grow in holiness Therefore it is the promise which God makes unto his Church in Isai. 44. 3. He will pour water upon the dry ground That is the heart which was before barren in grace and holiness shall now spring up in holiness and grow strong in the inward man and this shall be when I pour out my spirit upon them Therefore you see how the spirit doth strengthen grace in the soul by setting up the building of grace in the soul and then by furnishing the Roomes with new habits and qualities of grace And then by giving power unto the soul to use those habits And then by giving a blessing unto all the means of grace The use of this stands thus If the spirit be the onely means to strengthen the inward man then it will follow that whosoever hath not the Holy Ghost hath not this strength And whatsoever strength a man may seem to have to himself if it proceed not from the spirit it is no true strength but a half and counterfeit seeming strength For a man may thus argue from the cause to the effect That that is the true cause of strength must needs bring forth strong effects And on the contrary That which is not the true cause of strength cannot bring forth the effects of strength so that no natural thing can bring forth the strength of the inward man because it wants the ground of all strength which is the spirit And therefore you may have a flash or a seeming power of strength such as the foolish virgins had in Matth. 25. which seemed to be strong in the inward man but it was but a feigned strength because they had not the spirit It is the spirit that must give you assurance of salvatiâ—n and happiness And I have chosen this point in regard of the present occasion the receiving of the Sacrament before which you are especially to examine your selves whether you have this or no which if you have not then you have neither strength in the inward man nor any right or interest unto Christ. for I may well follow the Apostles rule It is the sign of those that are Christs they have the spirit In the 1 Cor. 2. 10. The spirit searcheth the deep things of God which he hath revealed unto us by his spirit And in the Ephesians 1. You were sealed with the spirit of Promise and in the Rom. 8. That they should be raised by the spirit which dwelleth in them and again As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God Thus you see that it stands you upon to examine your sâ—lves whether you have the spirit but above all places there are 2. places which prove the necessitie of having the spirit The one is this place which is my Text That you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man and the other place is that which Saint Iohn hath in the 1 Iob. 3. 14. By this we know that we are translated from death unto life because we love the Brethren That is if we be united in the bond of love that is a sign that we have the spirit and having the spirit it is the cause that we are translated that is changed we must be changlings from sin to grace before we can be saved Therefore examine what effectual spiritual strength you have what spiritual love there is amongst you And so accordingly you may judge of your estates whether you have any right or interest unto Christ And that I may help you in this thing I will lay down some signs by which you may know whether you have the spirit or no. The first sign whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no is this if you have the sanctifying spirit you will be full of fire That is it will fill you with spiritual heat and zeal now if you find this in you then it is the sanctifying spirit and therefore Iohn saith of Christ in Matth. 3. That he will baptize them with the spirit and with fire That is he will baptize them with that spirit whose nature is as fire that will fill you full of spiritual heat and zeal and therefore it is said in Acts 2. that they had tongues
if you find your own spirit dead in you and Christs spirit quick and lively in you And this you shall know also by your affections That is if you have other affections both to God and Christ to holiness and to the Saints then you had before it is certain you have the spirit for this is that which followes the spirit for when the sanctifying spirit comes into the heart of a Christian it works another kinde of love in a man then a man naturally hath and again it makes a man live another kind of life then he did before Thus it was with Paul in 2 Gal. 20. I live but not I but Christ in me That is there is a proportion and likeness between the life of a Christian and Christ. That is when the spirit enters into the heart Then it will begin to put off the old man and to put on the new man it will put off their own power and strength to good and put on Christ onely Yet mistake me not I say not the substance of the soul is changed for the soul in substance is the same as it was before But here is the difference when the spirit comes it puts new qualities and habits unto it it alters and changes the disposition of it it gives it that sense which before it felt not and the sight which before it saw not hence it is throughly changed in regard of the qualitie and disposition of what it was and yet in substance remains the same as for example put iron into the fire the iron is the same it was in substance before it came into the fire but now it hath another qualitie it was cold and stiffe and hard and unpliable but now it is hot soft and plyable and this change is throughout in every part of it and yet it is iron still So it is with the spirit when it comes into the heart of a Christian he mingleth and infuseth spiritual life into all the parts of the soul and therefore it is said if the Spirit of Christ be in you the body is dead as touching sin but the Spirit is alive That is he is like a tree that wants both sap and root or as a man that is dead that wants a soul he is now dead whatsoever he was before Therefore examine if this thorow and great change be you see then what death there is in you to sin and what life unto holiness I call it a thorow and great change because a little one will never bring you into such a frame as to be fit for Heaven And again the Apostle cals it a great change in Rom. 12. 2. Be you met amorphosed That is throughly changed new moulded again In the 1 Cor. 3. You are saith the Apostle changed from glory to glory and therefore consider that every change will not serve the turn but it must be a great change the changing of Christs spirit for your own spirit which if you have then shall you come out of every affliction every difficulty like gold out of the furnace like cloth out of the die of Lions you shall be made Lambes of Serpents Doves Therefore see if this change be in you or no. If this change be in you Then when your old guest that is your old lusts shall come and find that their old companions be cast out of doors and that the soul is swept and changed they will not stay but seek abiding elsewhere And on the contrary if your opinions of sin be the same if you have the same lusts reigning in you if you use the same evil company and have the same haunts that ever you had you have not the spirit And so long as you remain thus do you think that Christ will come and sup and dine with you And yet you will not erect a building for him in your hearts Therefore if you would have Christ and the spirit labour to get holiness The fourth sign whereby you may know whether you have the spirit is this If it be but a common spirit you shall find that it will do by you as the Angels do by assumed bodies They take them up for a time and do many things with them to serve their own turns but they do not put life into them So in like manner examine whether the spirit makes you loving men or no. That is when the sanctifying spirit shall joyn with the soul of a man it will make him do sutable things and brings forth sutable actions The body is dead without the soul so the soul hath of it self no spiritual life to good without the spirit Therefore that which Paul speaks of unchaste widowes that they are dead while they live so I may say of every man that hath not the Spirit they are dead men dead to good to grace to holiness I say there is no life without the Spirit Men are not living men because they walk and talk and the like but they are living men that live in the Spirit and by the Spirit And on the contrary there is no true life neither are men to be esteemed living men that want the spirit Now the difference between the assumed bodies and the bodies which have the souls joyned with them are these By the examinnation of which it will appear that the most men which think they have the spirit are deceived with the common spirit That is beause they do the actions of assumed bodies The first property of an assumed body is this we have but an assumed body of grace and holiness when in the practise of life we take unto our selves the things that are evil and leave the things that are truely holy and good I do not say when I hate good but when I prefer evil before good setting it at the higher end of the Table and serving it first and attending on it most That is when holy duties become troublesome and wearisom unto you when it goes against the hair as we say that they crosse our nature and yet you will not crosse it for the love of Christ when it is thus with you whatsoever you think of your selves you have not the sanctifying spirit but a common spirit without life The second propertie of an assumed body of grace is if you have it not in a feeling manner The sanctifying spirit works a spiritual sence and taste in the soul. That is if you have the sanctifying spirit then holy things will have a good taste it will be sweet unto you it will purge out that which is contrary to the growth of the inward man On the contrary the common spirit will never make you to taste grace as it is grace or because it is grace That is grace will not be a daintie thing and it will be without a good savour therefore examine what taste of good you have whether you can relish grace or no if not you have not the sanctifying Spirit but an
I say there is a necessity lies upon thee Christ saith plainly to thee he saith to every man if thou wilt be mine I will tell thee before what thou shalt do thou must deny thy self and take up thy cross and follow me Choose whether thou wilt enter into my service and make the match or no but if thou wilt be my disciple this thou must do so when thou art once his disciple thou art bound to it thou art not now left to thy Liberty And besides if there were not this necessity put upon thee yet secondly it is best for thee and indeed that is that which moves every one of us It is best for thâ—… not to seek thine own The reason why men seek their own is because they think it best I say it is best for thee not to seek thine own For you know there are two wayes for a man to provide for himself one is by looking immediately to himself and seeking the things that belong to his profit and credit and pleasure The other is by neglecting himself and by serving the Lord and committing it to him Now consider which is the most compendious way to a mans happiness I say it is the next way the best policie for a man to provide for himself even out of self-love it is for him not to seek his own things but the things that are Christs For there are but two wayes for a man to do good to himself The one is direct when his end is to do good to himself that is his object he goes about without any more ado The other is when he doth it by way of reflexion that is when he serves God and men faithfully and leaves it to him to serve him This is the best way for a man to look to himself to serve God not to seek his own things but the things that are Christs why because he cannot do as much for himself as Christ can Think in all the needs thou hast how little thou canst do for thy self When thou art sick thou canst not heal thy self when thou art at the point of death thou canst not deliver thy self When thou hast businesse to do thou canst not bring thine enterprizes to passe When thou art in a doubtful case thou knowest not how to advise thy self God is onely wise Go through all the business thou hast need of God onely is able to do it Besides if thou go to seek happiness in thy self if thou seek thy own things know that thou seekest that which is not to be had there that is the way to undo thy self because it is not in the nature of the creature the happiness of the creature stands not in its own compass but in another without it self therefore if thou seek happiness in thy self thou art undone by it As if a glass be left to it self and be not held up it falls and breaks in pieces That is the nature of every creature if it go about to stand on its own bottom it is the way to break it assunder to undo it Besides consider what an unreasonable thing it is thou mayest not seek thy self It is true God may seek himself and his own end he is the utmost cause there is none before him there is no end beyond him he may therefore do all for his own end for his own glory he may seek his own things But thou art a creature and every creature stands in subordination to somewhat above it therefore thy happiness is in seeking anothers end if thou seek thy own end thou turnest the course of nature therefore thou art bound to do it Again when thou seekest thy self and thine own things what dost thou please Thy flesh thy disease thou givest it that it calls for that will destroy thee He that hearkeneth to and gratifies his disease strengthens his disease and kills himself So when a man hearkens to himself to his own lusts and desires that the flesh requires of him for whatsoever is contrary to this grace here is but the flesh that the more thou hearkenest to thou strengthenest that wihch will be thy destruction because thou dost not withdraw from it that fuel that it desires Therefore it is best for thee in all respects not to seek thy own things but the things of Christ. But besides this necessity that lies upon thee if thou be his and that it is best for thee Then consider if he do nâ—â— deserve it at thy hands if it were not best for thee is not he worthy Consider that in 1 Cor. 1. The Apostle tells them of divisions among them some were of Paul and some of Apollo c. saith the Apostle Was Paul crucified for you As if he had said you must consider that Christ is he that hath deserved all at your hands and will you tie your selves to Paul or Apollo and not consider what the Lord hath done hath not he been crucified for you And what is it to be crucified for you Is it a small thing to suffer death to have his body broken I but that was the least thing in it to have his soul poured out for your transgressions that is with grief and anguish of heart as he expresseth it himself My soul is heavie to the death And he made it good it fell cut so it was effected in the cold night when Peter crept to the fire he sweat water and blood I say consider that Christ was crucified and what it is to be crucified But this was but little to that conflict on the Crosse that brought forth those words My God My God why hast thou forsaken me I say consider that expression Was Paul crucified for you Consider what it was to be crucified and if it were not best for thee yet Christ deserves it Consider besides hath not he done as much for thee he requires that thou shouldst not seek thy own things but the things that are Christs he hath not sought his own things but denyed himself for thee He might have enjoyed happiness and glory with his father for ever but he denyed himself and was willing to part with his glory and riches 2 Cor. 8. He that was rich became poor for our sakes that we through him might be made rich He was willing to part with every thing to part with his glory and endure shame to part with his life and subject himself to the cursed death of the Cross. He requires no more of thee then he hath done for thee and is not he worthy and deserves at thy hands that thou shouldest serve him upon all occasions and stir up thy grace that thou shouldest not let it lie sleeping sometimes out of negligence sometimes of purpose to serve thy self Besides consider what he hath done for thee and see if he have not deservedit When thou wert subject to death he hath taken thee out of the jawes of death and hath given thee life when thou wert loathsom he washed
of any interest in Christ if thou think him not worthy of this he that hates not son and daughter that neglects not that natural love to them for me is not worthy of me GODLINESS OUR GLORY 2 Tim. 3. 5. Having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away THis duty which is commended to us in these words will well fall in with our general scope which we have told you was to shew you First What we are out of Christ. Secondly What we have by him and how we are ingrafted into him And thirdly What we are to do for him Now we have told you that you are to labor for faith and love and good works which we have already finished But men are apt to have a form a shew and appearance of all this whenas they have not the life and power Therefore that you may not be deceived we have thought good to add this to all the rest take heed how you content your selves in having a form of godlinesse onely without the power of it The Apostle in this place as you may see intends to describe the diseases of the latter times which are the times into which we are fallen And you may see in the former part of the Chapter how many the diseases of the soul are so that the diseases of the body as many as they are do hardly exceed the diseases of the inward man He tells them that in the latter times there should be men that should be lovers of themselves coveteous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce breakers false accusars incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good Traytors heady high minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God And then he puts this as the last of all having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof There is something in that why he puts it down last for when men hear themselves accused of all those things formerly named by the Apostle perhaps they will be ready to answer We hope we are not so bad I hope we serve God I hope we are worshippers of God as well as others I hope we are not Athiests Saith the Apostle deceive not your selves in that I deny not saith he but that notwithstanding all these diseases which are all mortal diseases you may yet have a form of godlinesse but it is such a form as is disjoyned from the power of it therefore even that he puts among the rest having a form of godlinesse but denying the power thereof It is true this form is good his meaning is not to reject that for wheresoever there is the power of godliness there is also the form that you must take for granted it is impossible that they should be disjoyned Wheresoever there is true gold there will be a yellownesse there will be all the qualities of gold though many times you have counterfeit pieces that carry the colour having not the true qualities of the mettal So here the Apostles intent is not to reject the form but all the scope of the Apostle and the main matter which he drives at is that men should not have the form without the power and life having a form of godliness but have denyed the power thereof The first point that we will commend to you out of these words for you see they need not much explication they are very plain it is this before we come to that which is the main that It is Godliness which is required by God and that is onely acceptable to him You see that lieth in the front of the text and first offereth it self to our view For when the question is about the form and the power of godliness it must needs be taken for granted that godliness is a thing required by God of every man The very light of nature will teach a man so much that there must be godliness Now when we come to consider what this godliness is then there comes in a second consideration not a form of it but the power So we will begin with that first that godliness is here required of every man It is godliness which is not in the form but in the power So then here first of all we must consider that nature is not enough but there must be godliness Nature is not enough that is natural vertues for God hath caused nature to bring forth many excellent vertues which are the common gifts of the holy Ghost as they are called For there is a natural patience a natural weakness a natural temperance Some men by nature are more sober more temperate more abstenious from inordinate and loose courses but it is not this that will be accepted with God It is true indeed these are very beautiful and aimable in their kind considered in their own sphear As you know the flower that the grass beareth hath a beauty in it and all natural vertues are like the flower of the grass that is nature is but flesh and this flesh hath a flower growing upon it and that flower hath a beauty and excellency in it yea it is a flower of Gods own making but yet God doth not accept this as a thing wherein he delighteth because these natural vertues they neither come from him that is not from his sanctifying spirit neither do they look to him and therefore it must be godliness and not nature Secondly It must be godliness and not moral vertues for that goeth a step beyond nature natural vertues are bred and born with us but moral vertues are something more for they are begotten or acquired in us by practise and education and the engraving of the moral Law concurring together And these have an excellency much beyond natural vertues and they are very fair in the eyes of men but abhominable in the sight of God because these moral vertues have no respect to him therefore the Lord hath no respect to them Wherefore I say as it must be godliness and not nature so it must be godliness and not moral vertues But yet you must go one step further it must be godliness and not onely the actions of Religion and worship which may be exhibited and offered to God and yet may proceed from self-love and may tend to a mans self as making himself the utmost end of it For you must know that a man may go far in the duties of godliness and in the outward actions of Religion and yet I say all that he doth may proceed from self-love and he may make himself the utmost end of all That is when a man considers that God is the governor of the world that he alone hath the keyes of hell and of death the power of salvation and damnation and of all good and evil in this life which are but degrees and stairs which lead to those two ends hereafter A man when he considers this may out of the strength of natural
and through temptation it will vanquish and subdue corruption and bring him on his knees and so he falls flat before the Lord In such a case I say a man that hath his corruption subdued though it were a tryal tentimes greater and more sore yet he may live upon better terms with the Lord and more comfortably then another man with a lighter cross As it falls out many times in the time of War and hostility between two Cities or Nations the weaker part in the time of War indures and sustains more inconvenience and blood-shed and loss of men then after the full conquest is made especially if the government of the Conqueror be moderate and just as it is sometimes So as long as a man stands out with God in pride of spirit and will not yield he lives far more uncomfortably then when he is truly humbled and subjected to God Thirdly and lastly these general and greater afflictions may be born more comfortably and a less may more disquiet and trouble the heart because when a man hath been afflicted but in some one thing or a few things and hath many outward contentments and comforts yet remaining to him this is the usual course of men in such a case they think when their spirits are bruised and wounded with grief of heart they have lost such a friend they have lost part of such an Estate or credit then presently they fall to other things that are left them and they think to make themselves whole there when they have lost their contentment in one particular they enjoy they think to make them whole and to supply it with the outward things that remain This succeeds not because the wound that is made in the spirit by the loss of that whatsoever it be thou art crossed with it may be the anger of the Lord is mixed with it it may be the arrow of the Lord sticks in thy soul. Now if that be thy case all the outward application of comforts of the world will not do the turn Onely that hand that strook the arrow in our side is able to pluck it out of us And we see nothing more frequent and usual in the world men as long as they have other things to solace themselves with to set their delight on they never go to God If a man go to God for comfort it is as it were because he shuts every door else against him he hath no passage else that he must needs go that way or no way Therefore as long as God affords men the things of the world to solace and comfort them they do their utmost to seek it there but when God takes away all things and strikes away every prop that he hath nothing to rest on as the Dove that Noah sent that had no rest for the sole of her foot till she returned to the Ark this forceth a man of necessity to the Lord. Now though the wound were ten times more grievous and heavy coming to the right Physitian the Lord that made the wound he can cure it and comfort a man again If a man have but a scratch with a pin if he have an unskilful Chyrurgion the wound goes on to ranckle more and more and at last it costs a man his life On the other side if a man have a wound that is dangerous if he go to one that is skilfull this man recovers and lives in the world So many times many men live with disquiet minds they go to the world and seek to be whole there they seek their Physitian there and make the wound that is made worse and the latter end is worse then the beginning But now though a man be never so empty of comfort and be struck down and the hand of God be never so heavy upon him if he go to God and seek to him the Lord is able to make him a comfortable man again and to revive his spirit and bring him again from the grave So we see that objection fully answered that though we be not able to stand under lighter afflictions we may be able and strong enough to bear greater So much for this time THE LAVV OF SIN and GRACE COMBATING Rom. 7. 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to the law of sin which is in my members THat which is to be done for the solemnity of this day which hath been most profitable and necessarily set a part by the Church for the rememberance of our deliverance from the Gun-powder Treason I leave it to be performed by another We have now pitched upon a text which will serve for our particular use This day indeed puts us in mind of a great Treason which was intended against the whole State both of Church and Common-wealth and this will put us in mind of a Treason within us Now it is true that these outward Treasons and when we hear of Wars and rumours of Wars such things as are terrible to us every man is ready to be affected affrighted with things of this nature change of state loss of goods abreption of life these things are naturally terrible to us the very hearing of them But this now is a War within which is much more dangerous and concerns every one of us to be affected with a thousand times more for it is a deadly War a War that devours the soul the other destroys onely the body this is a War which kills us with an everlasting death when as the other is onely the loss of a temporal life And this is a War which is for the most part forgotten and not minded for it is a fight that makes no noise it comes not with the sound of drums and trumpets it carrieth along with it no terrible appearance hence it is that we think of it but little Now what do we serve for that are the watch-men of your souls but to stir you up to a mindfulness of this War to sound an allarm to you and if you will be stirred up to work your deliverance well if not we have delivered our own souls and he that perisheth his blood shall be upon his own head In this Chapter in the verse before my Text the Apostle Paul triumpheth in that liberty which he had through the grace of God I delight saith he in the Law of God concerning the inner man though I find many temptations to the contrary But when he had exprest that triumph he comes now with another caution which he expresseth in these words that I have read But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and leading me captive to the Law of sin that is in my members That is I find in my self a strong inclination a strong habit of sin carrying me violently to that which is evil Now this he sets forth by these properties First he calls it a Law Secondly he saith it is