thing is known it is known that such a thing is contrary to God and I ought not to do it but yet by a sudden hurry of temptation when the violence of temptation surpriseth the Soul many times before ever it can recollect it self it is carried down with the temptation even against a cleer light yea carried against it as if a Cock-boat should be carried down a strong stream they have not so much time to cal themselves to an account to think whether these things become them or no And thus it was with Aaron that Saint of the Lord he could not but know that to make a Calf it was destructive to the Covenant of Grace that God had made with them it was a kind of implicite renouncing of God but a sudden temptation came all the people came saying make us a resemblance of God Moses is gone we wil have it he was surprised before ever he could recollect himself And so Moses that holy meek man when a sudden temptation came that the madness of the people had vexed him that he could not recollect himself he speaks so unadvisedly with his lips to Gods dishonor and this no man is free from but some in one part some in one kind and some in another all Gods people before they are aware are many times carried away and surprised before they can recollect themselves to know what their duty is But yet there is a third sort and that seems to go deeper and that is 3. When they do not only know it to be a sin but deliberatly commit it I mean that the heart is tempted to such a thing saith the soul it is abominable it is against God I will not do it but betakes it self to prayer prayes the Lord to assist and strengthen him the temptation comes again and gathers upon him that though he do resist it yet he hath not strength enough to overcome it the ground of it was because the holy Spirit who is a free agent communicates so much strength to him as to stir up his graces and to draw them out into the Field in Gods Cause and to oppose the Enemy and gives him some strength to resist it but not strength enough to overcome it but leaves him unfit and without sufficient strength against that temptation and of this I think the Apostle Paul mainly means in all his discourse in Rom. 7. where in the Person of a Regenerate man he saith The thing I would not do I do and when I would do good Evil overcomes me I would not do the Evil yet it is too strong for me then complains Wretched man that I am I am even sold under it Now I think under one of these three fal al the common infirmities of all that love Jesus Christ in sincerity they are either meer Ignorances that they know not Gods mind or they are else sudden surprises hurried away before they can cal their hearts and graces to act and have strength to assist them or else the Lord lets out a greater measure of the power of the Enemy to assault than he is pleased to communicate to the soul to resist and under one of these I say do all the infirmities of Gods people fal in their ordinary course Now the third thing which when I have briefly dispatched then I wil go to the next which is the great question is Thirdly How this may be known and I wil speak to it the rather because I find there is no man in the world that lives within the compasse of the Church I mean but is wonderous desirous to have all his lusts and corruptions to be adopted into the name of an infirmity and when they have brought them under that Burrow then they are wonderful safe in their own eyes the man that Keeps a harlot and nourisheth his wanton vain glory or whatsoever it be convince him of it I saith he God helpe me it is my infirmity no man lives without his infirmities and when they have once got them under that name of an infirmity then all that you say concerning Jesus Christ's relief against their daily sins it is all their own though God knows they are as far from it as the East is from the West And on the other side I find many a real Servant of God that if their corruption have any thing in it that carries horridness to the Conscience any strange distemper that is more than ordinary and assaults them and buffets them and treads them under foot Then they are ready to think that all the world cannot satisfie them that these are but infirmities these cannot be the spots of Gods people And so that neither the Lords own Servants may be discouraged nor wicked men get a Cloak I would a little discover how you may cleerly know what are the infirmities of the Saints and wherein they differ from the rebellions of those that are the Lords Enemies and for that I wil give you 1. One Rule that is Negative and 2. Another that is Positive 1. Negative You must take this That an infirmity must not be judged of by the matter of the sin not one whit judged of by the matter but only from the disposition and qualification of the Person that commits it my meaning plainly is this We are ready to think that those sins that are but petty and trivial they must all have the names of infirmities and those sins the matter whereof are odious those must not go for infirmities Now this is a most false Rule for a sin that is a very trifle if it be but an idle word vain thought petty oath any such thing as it may be committed may be a reigning sin and a path of the way that leads to eternal damnation according as the Person is that commits it and on the other side even a great sin for the matter of it should it be Murder and Adultery I instance in them because they both met in David possible it is that the things may so fal out that these may be but infirmities therefore remember that is a corrupt Rule and all you that please your selves with this that God keeps you from the great abhominations you are no Whoremasters you keep not a Harlot and you are no Cozeners nor Cheaters in your Trade though it may be your Oaths are Faith and Troth and prittle prattle and slighting of holy Duties you wil have these things pass for infirmities No you wil see this is no Rule That is one remember you must not judge of infirmities from the matter but only from another Rule which I wil give you and that is this 2. Whosoever can but rightly judge of an infirmity of the body hath a cleer Rule to direct him to an infirmity of the Soul Now all infirmities of the body they have all of them these three things constantly go with them The first is 1. They never are our choyce That that is our infirmity never
have dominion over you you are not under it you are under Grace This is a clear proposition A Child of God cannot sin 2. Yet on the other side it is as clear that if any man that calls himself the Child of God say he hath no sin he is a Liar it is rather an Argument he hath no grace In many things we sin all Nothing clearer then that the people of God his dearest Children do sin Paul in the name of them all talketh of being sold under sin carrying a body of sin about him now these two must of necessity have such an interpretation as to justifie the truth of God in it Be pleased then to know thus much that when the Scripture speakes so positivly and clearly of the Children of God not sinning that they cannot commit sin the meaning is this That whereas the way of sin mark it the way of sin is the only way that al men walk in before they come to Christ as conceive it thus when men first fel from God while he stood in his integrity God was his end God was his portion God was his rule but when man fel from God the whol corruption of mans nature stood in these two things That now he was turned away from God and fallen into the Creature and there he continues til a new life be communicated let him do what he will let him pray let him read let him hear let him walk in workes of justice and righteousness and stil he is but within the compass of injoying the creature and living to the creature making himself and the good that he can find in the creature his portion which is a turning off from God and this is one way of sin and thus all the men in the world walk that although it be true yet some of their sins are greater then others and aggrauated by some circumstances yet look as it is with a man that is in prison though the prison may be very large and he may somtimes walk East West North and South and do some things more clean and some things more gross yet they are al done within that compass of the prison So take a man not in the state of Grace the end he aimes at is himself the rule he walks by is somwhat that may yeild contentment to him from the creature and beyond al this no living man goes til God give him a new life Now when the Lord vouchsafeth to cal a man home to Jesus Christ and planteth in him a new principle of a new life then the Soul returns home to God now for time to come God is his portion and the way that may lead him to the injoyment and knowledg of God is his only way to which he resignes up himself and makes it his daylie study and trade to walk in it now here is his way that as to an unconverted man the creature is his way and al things that may make him injoy the creature or setled in the creature is his way but the new man he hath no way but approaching to God aspiring up to him drawing nigher to him being made more like to him this is his way but now while he intendeth this way mark it he being converted but in part he knows his way but in part and therefore somtimes misseth it for want of light he somtimes likewise stumbles in the right way for want of strength somtimes a violent temptation takes him and turnes him a little out of the way for want of good take-heed these kind of sins Gods Children are liable to while they live in this world So that the sume of it is this no reigning sin a sin that shal have dominion over him to carry him from God and settle him upon the creature can be compatible with the state of a converted man but yet frailties and weaknesses for want of strength those are his sins and they and no other are the sins that Gods Children are liable unto So that the thing I have brought you to is to shew you that the Saints while they live in this world are compassed with infirmities and only with infirmities concerning which because it is a great Doctrine I intend the Lord assisting me to open these three things and that wil be the sume of this first Question What the sins are Three things I will open to you about the sins of infirmities wherewith Gods people are compassed while they live The first is First I wil shew you the nature of them the nature of a sin of infirmity Secondly I wil shew you the kinds of them what kinds of sins of infirmities Gods people may be overtaken with And Thirdly Thirdly I wil shew you how these may be known to be such that no man may deceive his heart about them and these must needs be opened because the latter part of our Question of Christs being a relief to them is so ful of Consolation that I would have no body have it that have not right to it and therefore I would not have them flatter themselves about it For the first First To open to you the nature of an Infirmity Take it thus To enable a Soul to walk in the waies of God as all Gods people do in measure but to enable a Soul to do it there is required a twofold strength the one is I. An habitual strength The other is II. An actual strength 1. The habitual strength that all Gods Saints have it is nothing but the inclination and disposition of their hearts to the waies of God and against the waies of sin which is wrought in them by 〈◊〉 Holy Ghost in the time of their first conversion 〈◊〉 which hour the quickning Grace communicateâ—â—o the Soul doth once for ever make the bent of the heart stand to the waies of God that now there is a complacency a delight a suitableness to them in the waies of God and a displacency and aversion in reference to the waies of sin This now is habitual strength once given to Gods people never taken away from them But now though this habitual strength do give them a good wil as the Apostle cals it a good mind to the waies of God yet 2. To enable them either to forbear any sin or to perform any duty there must be communicated an actual strength and that actual strength is nothing but the immediate assistance of the Holy Ghost who dwels in them drawing out their Graces to work and strengthening them in their working and when this actual strength is communicated to them by the Holy Ghost then if a temptation to a sin be propounded the Saint is too strong for it he overcomes the temptation if a holy Duty be propounded to be done by the help of this God if need be he can leap over a wall Give a Child of God the inward inclination of his heart wrought by Grace and the actual assistance of the Spirit of God when he is called out to
would do and there he sets down all the infirmities that Sheep are subject to I seek them that are lost some of them wander I seek them that are lost others of them are driven away by a violent temptation I wil fetch back that which is driven away saith the Lord then others of the Lords Sheep are wounded I will heal that that is wounded wounded in their Consciences with guilt the Lord wil heal them others of them their very Limbs are broken I wil bind up that that is broken and compare that with another place where some of them are unable to stir I wil lay them upon mine own Shoulders and bring them home Mark If they wander be driven away wounded broken lamed and spoiled he hath a heart sutably compassionate to them all that is One Jesus Christ compassionates us under our sinful infirmities as we Parents do our Children under their bodily infirmities we are far from loving them the less for them But if any one by the way should ask If he do so Why doth he not heal them Stay but while I come to the last Conclusion and that wil satisfie you that is the first Secondly 2. Jesus Christ at his Fathers right hand prevails that the sinful infirmities of his People make no breach in the league of love that is betwixt God and them mark what I say his Intercession prevails for them he bearing their names and pleading their cause prevails that there is no breach made in Gods good will towards them But even as it is with us that have a poor Child that goes about to do our work and oftentimes spoils it when he would fain do it and somtimes forgets to do it when yet he had a mind to do it we knowing the frame of the Child we kiss it notwithstanding So God is such a gracious Father through Jesus Christ to his people that notwithstanding al our infirmities the Lord never breaks his league of love but we may go to him and pray to him and call him Father leave our supplications with him and make that use of him as the Covenant of Grace holds him out to all his people as freely in the midst of all our infirmities as if we were quite delivered from them Now this the Scripture is wonderful plain in I could turn you to a great many That Speech of Micah is admirable Who hath such a God as we have Why what is our God He passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his Inheritance he never looks after them or if any one shew him them he casts them behind his back drowns them in the depth of the Sea never laies them to the charge of them that fear him Thou art a dead hearted Creature and canst not pray without wandring and do nothing as becomes thee but thy own flesh rangles with it that al is an abhomination in thy own eyes that thou doest thou hast a friend in Heaven that presents all to God as if there were no blemish in them Thou art all fair my Dove there is no spot in thee Is not this good news to all those that endeavor to walk with Christ in sincerity The first is He pities them under them The second is He prevails that there is no breach made betwixt God and the Soul because of them Thirdly Another which is a very great one and that is 3. Jesus Christ gives his Spirit unto his People to relieve their infirmities The Spirit it self helpeth our infirmities you have that expression in Rom. 8. That the Lord Christ our Mediator doth give his holy Spirit to help us against our infirmities What is that I humbly conceive that Christ helping his Saints against their infirmities signifies these three things possibly it may signifie more but these three me thinks are very cleer The one is 1. The Lords Spirit helps the Lords People so about their infirmities that they shal not be quite overrun with them I he doth as he said to the Sea the proud waves of it when they come roaring hitherto you shal go there you shal stop So the Spirit of God keeps our corruptions in bounds otherwise he whose corruption is gotten loose and taints his understanding with a speculation that would carry him on to action and so to an habitualness No saith the spirit of God here I wil stop you you shal go no further that is one It is through the help of Gods Spirit only that the strength of every corruption that assaults us makes us not act it to the very height of it As when I walk with a man that hath overthrown me then I am in his power he may cut my Throat if I had not some friends to succor me Gods Spirit succors us that Satan and our corruptions should not totally subdue us Secondly 2. He raiseth us up again when corruption hath brought us down for you must know Brethren and that you wil easily understand that the nature of sin is such that when a man is committing it that he would rol down to the bottom of the Hil and when he is there the waight would lie upon him that he should never rise again Now the Spirit of God doth like the friend of a Wrastler by him when he hath thrown a man down he plucks him up again and sets him upon his feet again So when any thing hath overpoured the Soul it would never rise again were it not for the Spirit of Christ but Christs Spirit that is sent to relieve us sets us again upon our feet Yea Thirdly which is more 3. The Spirit of Christ so assisteth all his people that notwithstanding their corruptions be too strong for them they shal again oppose it yea and by degrees get strength against it Crucifie it and Mortifie it all As the Apostle expresseth it in Rom. 8. that when our corruptions are most potent by the help of the Spirit you shal mortifie and crucifie the deeds of the Body thus doth Christ for all his people he doth not only compassionate and keeps peace with God for them but keeps their corruptions in some bounds that they do not quite over run them or when they have prevailed in part sets them up again yea and gives them strength to get up again And then Fourthly and Lastly and then I draw to a Conclusion which is the Mystery of all the rest and that is this 4. The Lord Jesus appearing in Heaven for his People doth not only thus succor them but like a Heavenly Physitian maketh Treacle of these Bites he doth his Children Good by their Corruptions and helps them more on in their way to Heaven even by the opposition of their corrupt natures This I acknowledg to flesh and blood is a mystery not to be opened but you will see it cleerly to be so only understand me thus When I say the Lord wil do his people good by their sinful infirmities I mean not that there is any thing in
done that And therefore upon that very account it is that you shall see in Rom. 8.23 where the Apostle speaks there of the Groaning of the Saints the rest of the Creatures groan al the Saints groan for the glorious coming of Jesus Christ To what end saith he That we might receive the Adoption that is the perfecting of our Sonship Now we have Heaven it self when we have but our Sonship made that is plain and you wil see it still plainer in the Epistle to the Galatians Chap. 4 and the beginning the Apostle there speaking of Christs coming as our Surety When the fulness of time was come the Lord sent his Son Jesus Christ made of a Woman under the Law and made him a Curse To what end that we might receive the adoption of Children there is all But that the time would prevent me having many things to deliver I might go on to shew you more Scriptures that fully prove this truth That to be made a Son of God is to have the comprehension of all that is obtained by Jesus Christ so that this is no smal Theam that I am entred upon and I hope if the Lord help me but to make it out to you in this hours discourse you will before you part conclude they are happy men that have gotten an interest in Christ by Faith This premised now I come to the demonstration of the Doctrine That all who have really accepted of Christ for their Savior they are all of them made the Sons of God that is the Doctrine Now to explain it You must know that God is said to have Sons or to be a Father in the Scripture in many senses I may bring them all to these two heads for my purpose 1. Sometimes the Lord is said in a Metaphorical sense to be a Father in divers cases and yet he is not properly a Father he neither hath the bowels of a Father to those whom he cals Sons in that sense nor have they the bowels of Children who cal him Father in that sense for all the whol Creation he is the Father of them all in that respect That their being is from him and their dependance upon him and the like But then Secondly 2. God is said to have Sons properly and I explain when I say properly I mean Sons so that really he is a Father to them hath the heart of a Father the bowels of a Father whatsoever is desirable in a Father and they on the other side properly are his Children in being unto him what Children are unto a Father Now in this sense God is said in the Scripture to have Sons two waies two sorts of Sons The one is 1. Natural Begotten by him in which begetting or generation his own essence is communicated that as we beget a man so in that begetting God may be said to beget a God or a Person that hath the essence of God this is one sense and in this sense he hath no Son but our Lord Jesus Christ who was eternally begotten by him and is God over all blessed forever and it is blasphemy for any but Christ Jesus to challenge to be the Son of God in that sense and therefore the Scribes and Pharisees were right when they told Christ he did blaspheme because he called himself the Son of God they were right I say thus far that had not Christ been the begotten Son of his Father and so had the same nature he had blasphemed in calling himself Gods Son in that sense But then Secondly 2. But God hath other Sons to whom he is properly a Father and those are by Adoption which you frequently read of in the Scriptures especially of the new Testament where all Saints and Beleevers have the Adoption are the adopted Sons and Daughters of God Thus I have brought you to it that Beleevers are the adopted Sons and Daughters of God concerning which I shal the Lord assisting me in the Doctrinal part open these three things to you and the other shall be the Application so far as the Lord shall help me in the compass of the time Three things in the Doctrinal part The first is 1. What this means what it is to be an adopted Son of God Secondly 2. How this priviledg of being made the Son of God by Adoption is wrought that you may see it is not a Fancy I wil shew you how it is wrought and brought about and by it those that will be willing and Faithfull may be able to judg of their own condition whether they are the adopted Children of God or not And then Thirdly 3. I wil shew you in somwhat a more general way What this adoption or being made an adopted Child of God what infinite priviledges it doth comprehend in it For the first 1. What it is to be adopted What is Adoption I Answer Indeed the word was never used in the old Testament and the reason is because that adoption it was not then known though there was somthing like it but in the Roman Empire which was at the height when Christ and his Apostles lived there the thing that we cal Adoption was as wel known as almost any thing that belonged to the government of the Empire the Nature the Laws of it the Duties of it too they were all stated that our Lawyers have not more cleer Evidences how to set out things that belong to our Law now than in the Empire of Rome they were acquainted with the whole Laws and Manner and way of adoption and so because it is of so exceeding great use to shadow out the unexpressable benefits that we have by Christ the Lord was pleased if I may so say to adopt into the Covenant of Grace And amongst the Romans Adoption it was after this manner It was the taking of a Person or Persons who had no natural right to any inheritance a taking them into a Lawful right there are various descriptions of it amongst the Romans but the best of them is this A lawful act imitating nature whereby a Person or Persons who have no natural right to an inheritance are taken in into a lawful right and it was done after this manner in a few words for commonly none but Princes or Senators or great Persons did ever adopt any but this was the way When there was an agreement made betwixt the Persons that did adopt and the Person to be adopted for they never adopted those that were unwilling to it but when there was an agreement it should be so the adopter did carry the Person before the Judges or into some publick and Lawful Assembly and there before them al called the Party Son This is my Son and from that day forward he was his Son to all rights and purposes in the Roman Laws as much as if he had begotten him as you will hear more before I have done my discourse thus it was amongst them Now accordingly if you wil know in the Gospel
of Application is come the making himself over to them in the consideration or notion of an elder Brother and so they really by their conjunction with him partake of it There is the second work 3. There is the work of the Holy Ghost and til that likewise be past over the Soul never is any man made the Son of God The Holy Ghost and his work is so eminent and apparent that he is called the Spirit of Adoption that when the Lord gives his Spirit unto his Children he cals it by the Spirit of Adoption because it is the great Office of the Spirit to make that great work of Adoption Quest. Now what is the Holy Spirit 's work about it Answ. I Answer It stands in three things and you wil see them all cleer in Scripture and I hope I shal have some time for the Application for I go it over as fast as I can the Holy Ghosts work in making us the Sons of God stands in three things as it is cleer in the Scripture The one is 1. When the acceptable time is come that the Lord means to make a Soul that is by nature a Child of wrath to become the Child of God He sends the Spirit of Jesus Christ into that Soul to be a band of union betwixt Christ and that soul that whereas Christ is to be applied to them as a Brother and they to be mystically united unto him the holy Spirit takes this Office upon himself to come and dwel in the heart as a band of union betwixt Christ and them that Christ and they should never more be separated and this work of the pouring out of the Spirit into the Soul to take possession of him for Christ and to give the possession of Christ unto him the Spirit being the band of it this is the first work of the Spirit as he is the Spirit of Adoption There is one The second work of the Spirit is this 2. That when the holy Spirit comes to make Christ and us one he as the elder Brother and we as his Brethren inseparably united to him whereas he findeth us enemies hateful hating that would rather be united to Harlots to the Creature to any thing the Spirit of God works a Child-like heart in them framing and molding their Spirits that for the time to come they calling God Father as they have warrant to do they likewise shall be made Sons even in the frame and bent of their spirits which is very excellently expressed in the very next words to my Text wherein it is said He gave them this Prerogative that they should become the Sons of God which were born saith he mark not of Blood nor of the wil of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Now no longer shal flesh and blood sway them but being born of God the Spirit of God gives a new birth and a new life now they come to have the hearts of Children that as nature hath planted in the heart of a Child toward the Parent Honor and Love and Reverence and Obedience where sin hath not utterly perverted it this is the natural genius of a Child to his Father So the Spirit of God molds and frames the Soul and this the Scripture signifies when it saith Because you are Sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts whereby now we can cry Abba Father now the hearts of them shal stand to God and be carried to him in Faith and Prayer as the hearts of Children are naturally carried to their Parents That is the second thing And then the third and last work of the Spirit and so you have all this indeed as plain before you as I can set it out briefly the Third Work is this 3. This Holy Spirit even as it is the Spirit of Adoption doth not only unite them to Christ and frame a sutable disposition in them towards God and Christ But it abides in them upon all need to witness to their Spirits that this is their condition to give not only the Seal of it by changing their hearts but by giving them the comfort of it as they need it in their necessities which the Apostle expresseth in those words it is in Rom. 8. And the same Spirit witnesseth to our spirits that we are Gods Children it carries our hearts to God and testifies to the Soul that God is their Father There is the second Now I have been larger in that because in truth the world doth not ponder these things nay few of Gods own Children do ever consider what a strange work it is that none but the blessed Trinity can undertake and each of them have their distant work in it of bringing a poor Child of Wrath to become the Child of God That is the second You hear now what Adoption is and how it is wrought Now the third thing in the Doctrinal part and then I hasten to the Application is Wel What are the benefits of it Now what are the benefits of our Adoption That when the Lord hath took this strange course and brought about this strange work Wherein doth the worth of this Priviledg stand I answer You wil receive a great deal of light of it at least it wil help you to remember it and understand it the better if I do illustrate it by the practice that was amongst the Romans So their Adoption and the Roman Adoption had three things in it it carried three things as all learned men that have read their Stories and Laws do know The first is 1. When a man was Adopted into a Family the Family of a Caesar or the great men by his Adoption he was cut off from the Family from which he sprung by his natural birth cut off from it not simply but from whatsoever was base or unworthy in that Family that if his Father were a Slave and himself by his birth a Slave it was hereditary to him or if any blot or infamy stuck upon his family whatsoever it was the Adopting of this Person into another Family wholly cut him off from al the base ignominious slavish bondage and dangers which belonged to the Family from which he sprung by his natural birth That was the first The second was 2. That by his Adoption he was taken as belonging to the Family into which he was Adopted as much as if he had been begotten by him he was to have by the Laws of the Empire the same respect from his adopted Father the same provision the same protection the same immunities whatsoever that his own begotten Son might claim by nature from the Roman Laws the adopted Child was instituted in them all And Thirdly 3 By his Adoption he had the same right to the inheritance that the begotten Child had if there were no other begotten Children the whol Inheritance sel to the Adopted Child if there were another begotten Child though beloved the Adopted shared with him in it Look how
the inheritance was to go amongst the begotten Children by the Laws of the Empire so by the same Laws it was to go amongst them that were adopted Thus it was amongst them but whether any Lawyers can except against it or no I will not much dispute it but I shal make it cleer to you that it is thus absolutely and fully in our adoption Absolutely and fully in the adoption of a Child by Faith all these three things meet First 1. We are hereby cut off from the Family from which we sprung by nature I speak not now of our Civil birth or rights but of our spiritual standing which is to be Children of wrath Children of Belial Children of old Adam Children of Sin and Death we are cut off from that Family no longer to be reckoned of it the Bondage Baseness Obligations Curses whatsoever lay or doth lie upon Adams Family or upon any that spring from it assoon as ever the Lord cals him Son through Christ he is wholly cut off from all that is plainly thus and because I cannot possibly open these in a short discourse I wil commend it to your studies 1. We are for example all of us by nature under the Dominion of sin that is our birthright sin and the curses of it we are al under it assoon as ever the Lord cals a Beleever Child that he hath let his adoption pass upon him the bondage of sin the curse of sin the dominion of sin it is wholly removed from him ye 〈◊〉 not under sin sin cannot have dominion over you because you are now brought under Grace And then likewise 2. The Law whereby sin is irritated and animated the Law that in the Rigor of it and the Curse of it that lies upon all the Sons of Adam we are cut off from it assoon as ever we are Gods Children and therefore the Apostle expresseth it thus to the Galatians that he made his Son born under the Law that he might Redeem us that are under the Law that we might have the Adoption of Children I hope no Body will mistake me for it is most clear in the word that the Law remains as a rule to Gods Children and that is their priviledg but as for the Rigor and curse of it they are wholly cut off from that when they are made the Sons of God by Adoption That is the First That the Lord calling Sons to Jesus Christ and owning them as his Children for the sake of Christ they are delivered from all the Curses and bondage that belongs to Adams Family and which all the Rest of the world lie under But then the Second is greater then this And that is 2. That by our Adoption we are really I speak of Beleevers not nominal Christians but real Christians they are all of them taken into Gods Family as his Sons and Daughters that is he owneth them to be his Children and hath the Bowels of a Father to them really that they are now under his care under his provision under his Protection under his indulgence and whatsoever he hath commanded the most Holy Parents to exercise towards their own Children that fear them he hath ingaged himself perpetually for ever to do all these things unto those whom he is pleased to cal his Sons and Daughters by Adoption There is nothing so ful no pearle so ful of excellency there is nothing so ful of any thing that is good as this is ful of consolation to the saints of God that can but understand it therefore he must needs bear with them therefore he must needs provide for them therefore if he correct them it must needs be in Love with nothing but a Fatherly rod for we are all taken into his Family and may go to him as to a Father in all things wherein we have need of a Father that is the Second A great comprehension of Priviledges not to be uttered And then the Third branch is as clear 3. That when God calls us to be his Children we are thereby made his Heires we are Heires of God indeed in the Civil Law inheritance it is by a succession into the right of the Dead but now as the Lord is pleased to apply it to his Children it signifies a certain inheritance but certainly the inheritance that the Lord of Heaven is to give to any or that he hath given to his Son Jesus Christ all his Brethren the Brethren of Christ and the Sons of God have a share in it If you wil have it a little more fully I will tell you in a few words thus for you have the proof of it in Rom. 8.16 That the Spirit witnesseth with our Spirits that we are the Children of God and if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and Coheirs with Christ But I mean these two things by it First 1. The Heir while he is a Child is Lord of all he is Lord of al before he comes to the injoyment of it he is the Lord of it so now while Gods Children are in their minority while they are poor ones in this world they are Heirs of the world the Lord hath called his Children to be Heirs of the world that is whatsoever is in this world is for their sakes the Angels the World the Devils in Hel in spite of their Hearts they are al under the Saints and are compelled by the Lord they against their wills and the Angels with their good wils they all of them are subservient to those that are the Sons of God by Adoption and whatsoever is in the wide world and may be enjoyed any waies for the good of his People they are the Heirs of all this is their Portion while they are in this world the Scripture saith it plain All is yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods and therefore Paul and Apollo or Cephas or whatsoever is in the world all is yours the Saints of God have a real right to al by vertue of their Sonship not in the Law of man but in the spirituall sense that the Scripture holds out And then 2. For the other life where the prepared possession which was cast by God from all Eternity all the Glory of Heaven such as Eye never saw nor never entred into the heart of man to conceive of it is all kept to be the everlasting inheritance of all those that are called the Lords Children Thus Brethren I have as briefly as I could and yet I have through Gods goodness plainly opened to you this great priviledg of all priviledges that whosoever doth beleeve in Jesus Christ really accepts him to be their Savior they are upon their beleeving in Christ made the Sons and Daughters of God Now let me make some Application before I dismiss you and one thing that I would fain have you think upon alone is USE 1. 1. To take heed you be not deceived about it this would require a Sermon whensoever I should treat of it and therefore I wil
but commend it now to you in a few words be not you deceived about it I pray do not all of you take this for granted now I have opened so glorious a Priviledg that every one of you because you are called Christians are all made the Sons and Daughters of God take heed you be not deceived you see it is a mighty work of the whol Trinity to make it and therefore your own fancy and conceit will not give you a share in it No it is here as it is in Saintship many a man is owned as a Saint yea and ought so to be owned by them that converse visibly with him and yet God wil not own him but look upon him as a Devil as he did upon Judas So it is with Adoption there is a visible kind of Adoption that men partake of when they visibly own the Covenant and I think this is the sense the Apostle speaks of when they demand what Priviledges the Jews had above others very much to them belongs the Adoption that is visibly they were owned as Gods people in the face of the world and yet I tell you when many of them came and pleaded their adoption and said God is our Father saith Christ to them The Devil is your Father and you do the works of your Father the Devil So you may say when you come home after the Sermon here is a great priviledge indeed are wee Gods Children I you may say so but God wil say to you you are of your Father the Devil look to your hearts then and examine very much whether this be wrought in you and you shall need no other direction if you will be faithful for this I tel you is not the use I intend to insist upon therefore do but ask whether these works of the Trinity be passed upon you or no and chiefly that of the Holy Ghost Is the Holy Ghost come to dwel in you to unite you to Christ Doth the Holy Ghost work a Childs heart in you Can you honor God and reverence him and turn to him And can you walk before God as obedient Children at least in the constant bent and tenure of your Souls You had best examin that if you wil conclude all is wel Now many force themselves How came you a Child of God By my Baptism as it is in the Catechism because you were once washed Oh! beware of these things it is a hard thing to know that you are the Children of God therefore be not deceived in it but this I say I purposely wave the entring into this because I cannot speak of it in so little a time but that which I wil open to you shal be but two Instructions that flow from this but are likewise very ful of consolation to all Gods People USE 2. Is this the Lot of al the Lords People all beleevers in Christ are they all made the Sons and Daughters of God Then I pra'y be informed of these two things First 1. The infinite love of God to poor sinners Brethren were I able to speak of it though I should borrow half an hour to speak it you could not grudge the time if I could speak of it as it deserveth it would astonish you Behold what love the Father hath shewed to us that we should be called the Sons of God saith the Apostle in 1 John 3. and the beginning Oh! here is love indeed God hath shewed a kind of Phylanthropia a love to man in many things but could we consider what love the Lord shews to a poor Soul when he doth but cal Child in the Covenant of Grace I am assured it would make you all be swallowed up in admiration I wil open it in three things 1. What is the love that God the Father shews 2. The love that God the Son shews 3. The love that God the Holy Ghost shews to thee a poor sinner who beleevest when each of them have this work upon thee as to make thee his Son 1. As for God the Father Was it not a strange love that made him from al Eternity choose thee to be his Child especially this love wil swallow thee if thou wouldest but take in these three Considerations First 1. His Majesty How great and Glorious a Majesty he is that He should condescend This Glorious Majesty could condescend after this manner And Secondly 2. To whom To thee a Worm if he looked upon thee at the best as a thing made of a piece of Clay that hast a heart ful of enmity against him And Thirdly 3. If we could but take in upon what motives or considerations the Lord hath done it for if we mark it Amongst men when any mortal man hath at any time Adopted one to be his Child it was because either they had no Child or no Child that pleased them or because they would perpetuate their Name that their name might continue after them or because there was some worth or excellency in the person that might be an honor to them some such things as these have led all mortal men when they Adopted any to be theirs but why did God chuse thee Did he want a Child Had not he a Son from everlasting Is his comfort increased by it I remember the Romans said It was an imitating of Nature found out for the Solace of the Father But didst thou Solace God Did he need any No but meerly out of his good will to thee and as for the perpetuating his Name thou addest not to it so that it is meer mercy and meer Grace to thee and me and whomsoever he hath set his Heart upon that the Father would condescend after this manner And 2. Is it any less in Christ Jesus the Son of God That he would die to purchase Coheirs with him Amongst men this is not usual an Heir is seldom troubled that he hath no more Brethren and Sisters to share in his Inheritance he is rather afraid that there should be too many to get some of it away from him but that the Son of God when this was his Inheritance from all Eternity should be come in the form of a Servant die undergo the wrath of God to this end that he might purchase poor worms to be Coheirs and a Brother with himself and that he would likewise give himself to thee as a Brother that thou shouldest be one mistically with him And in the Third place 3. The Holy Ghost That he would condescend to come and dwel in thee to unite us to Christ to alter frame our cursed natures and as need shal require to be a constant supplication of comfort and refreshing to us Oh Brethren these things surpass the thoughts of man utterly surpass them but could we ponder them seriously we would say Oh Lord Who am I that thou shouldest remember me it would make us so settled upon the love of God and I the rather press it because when a Servant of God is but perswaded
Disciple of Christ that will not submit to it What Reason for it I answer first 1. Because wheresoever the Lord Christ is received by any soul he wil be received as the All of that Soul mark my words Christ wil be all or he wil be nothing what the Father hath sent him to do he wil be all to do it he wil never undertake a piece of it and the Lord hath sent him to be all that a poor lost sinner can need Now I pray conceive my meaning thus Take a Maid that a Man wil be a Husband to her when she marries to this man he wil be all in the place of a Husband and she must renounce all the men in the world in matters that belong to conjugal Relations the marriage state wil admit no rivalty I but for al that though the Husband must be all in the relation of a Husband yet he is not al that the Wife needs and she may lawfully have application to other Creatures and to other men for some things wherein her Husband cannot be all to her if she be sick she must have a Physitian if she be wounded she must have a Chyrurgeon if she be sad it may be she must have another to comfort her neither can her Husband be her Bread and her Cloaths she must have another must make them and prepare them But now Christ Jesus is All that the soul needs he is their Father their Husband their Brother their Friend their Companion their Bread their Drink their Cloth their Gold their Silver their Honor he is All in All Christ Jesus is so and he wil be so or he wil be nothing and there is this natural reason for it Because every mans heart shares out both its prayers and its confidence and its love and its praises I say it shares it out according as it needs or findeth supply any where If one man be my Patron and give me a great deal of my maintenance I share out my expectations my prayers my love my service most to that man but another helps me with some of these and he hath part of my good wishes and part of my prayers and part of my praises according to the proportion of good I receive from him so is my heart shared out to him in dependance or thankfulness or love But Christ Jesus wil have no sharing he wil have all thy heart all thy prayers all thy love all thy affections all thy obedience Christ Jesus expects all which he cannot have until he be all and he never can be all til al other be renounced til I have no God but Christ til I have no Father but Christ til I have no Wisdom but Christ til I have no Righteousness but Christ I shal never share out al my prayers and confidence and love and the like to Christ for al and therefore wil Christ have al renounced that he may be all That is one Ground and the great Ground There is another which I wil briefly touch and that is this 2. Because al these things that we are to renounce even the best of them al in those notions wherein we are to renounce them they are al of them and wil be adversaries and hindrances to us in the way that Christ Jesus expects we should walk before him and therefore until our souls do totally renounce them we are in perpetual danger of being undone by them as I pray conceive my meaning thus in a familiar comparison Suppose in a Civil War wherein a Nation is divided and one Faction engaged against the other if a man that hath been engaged on the one Party do leave that Party and come over to serve that side against which he did oppose before this man must renounce all the other Party though his Brethren were there though his Estate lay in those Quarters he must renounce them all or otherwise he wil never be trusted by them to whom now he pretends to joyn or be sure which is the thing I alledg it for if he hold correspondence with them they wil ever be dropping destructive principles into him against the way that he now engageth for So al these things not only our Drunkenness and Whoredom and Lust and Lying and stealing and slandering but our Reason our Wills our Affections our Wealth our Honor our Children our Friends our Duties our Performances wil lie as blocks in the way to hinder us from some of the things that the religion of Christ wil put upon us there is nothing cleerer Saint John hath an excellent speech in 1 John 2.16 saith he All that is in the world mark his words All that is in the world the Lusts of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of life it is not of the Father It is not of the Father al that is in the world What means he by all that is in the world that that he had said before Little Children love not the world nor any thing in the world his meaning is love not Life love not Wife love not Children Estate Honor Wealth love them not Why They all serve but to nourish the Lusts of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye or the pride of Life and that is not of the Father they wil draw you away from God therefore take heed of them and look what John saith of the things of the world the same may be carried to al the other Love not your Duties love not your Righteousness love not your Performances love not your Honesty love none of these as you in your natural estate cleave to them they al of them tend but only to advance your self and to pul down Christ and wil be hinderances to you in the way wherein Christ wil have you walk And thus I have endeavored Beloved to make plain unto you this great Doctrine of Christianity that is the very first door that we pass through when we come into Christs School to deny our selves Now it remains that I make some Application of it and that I shal do as briefly and as cleerly as the Lord shal please to enable me and among many other things there are but two or three that I intend to insist upon The one is USE 1. Hence from all this discourse it cleerly follows that among the great multitude of those that are called Christians there are but very few who are Christians indeed for Gods sake marke this that I say to you I say If this discourse of mine be true as I hope I have made it cleer out of Gods word to you that a man cannot be Christs Disciple that hath not learned this lesson of self-denial certainly there are very few Christians to be found in Christendome and truly I have often thought and am perswaded it is true that the not understanding of this lesson or the not coming to Christ upon the tearms of this Lesson is the great cause of all the formalities and hypocrisies and the unbelief
and apostacy that is sound amongst Christians I observe and it is an observation that many have made that in the primitive times of the Church when death and ruine was visibly to be expected by any one that would imbrace Christ then it would be hard for any man to enter upon Christianity until he had resolved upon this lesson because they took it for granted I go to poverty I go to hanging I go to stoning I go to beggery if I go to Christ and therefore they had need see so much in Christ that they might be willing to part with all for him and yet even then our Savior Christ noted that a great many came in upon false grounds but now after the name of Christian Religion hath obtained in the world and men are made Christians from their mothers womb I mean in an outward form that assoon as we have a Child born we say it is born a Christian and then we go and Baptize it as a Christian and then when it cometh to Church it hears Sermons as a Christian and then as it grows up and gets a little more knowledg it comes to the Lords Table as a Christian and so men are made Christians by piece-meals and they know not how but the Lord knows mavelous few amongst them ever understood any thing at all of this Point of self-denial that if amongst such a great Assembly as here is if a man in Gods name should come but to enquire and say Are you a Christian Yes Do you follow Christ I And are you his Disciples in truth I hope so Pray have you denied your self Have you learned the Lesson of self-denial God he knows they know nothing of the meaning of it as they say it is heathen Greek to them they are unacquainted with it Wel Friends know you for certain that you may be bred Christians bear the name of Christ make a profession of Christ hear Sermons of Christ partake of the Sacraments of Christ and do a thousand things that may outwardly speak you to be the Servants of Christ and in the mid'st of all these you may be as far from being his Disciples in truth as they were that crucified him and if ever the Lord come but to dispose of you and come to cal for that same beloved Self of thine whatsoever it be that thou must turn it out of door the world shal quickly know that thou never didst receive Jesus Christ in sincerity I am perswaded that so many of you as have but ordinary understandings in the Book of God wil be able to Judg if you compare my Doctrine with the lives of most men You wil say Either this that you have preached is not Gospel or we are not Christians there are very few of us that ever learned this Lesson therefore I desire you before I go any further every one a little to try his own soul what evidence he hath of this Lesson wrought in him you cal your selves the servants of Christ I beseech you examin Have you ever denied your selves I do not ask now whether you have learned a particular Lesson to deny your Credit or your Wil at this time or the other time but this same putting off this old Self this renouncing of thy self hast thou ever learned that and among a great many trials I wil pray you at the present but to weigh these two Considerations First 1. In the presence of God tel me what doest thou weigh in the Ballance This is somwhat a blunt question but it is that that wil mightily determine the case Tel me in the sight of God what doest thou weigh in the ballance my meaning is this I know thou knowest what thou art and what thou hast thou knowest thy self it may be to be a Scholler a wel bred man it may be a great Magistrate it may be of a great estate it may be a great name it may be an honest man it may be an unblameable conversation it may be cried up as one of the eminentest men in the City where thou livest looked upon by all the City and neighborhood as a rare man and it may be al this is true But tel me what doest thou weigh in Gods sight That God that knows how thou esteemest thy self can determine this question Wel thus plainly Art thou one that carriest such thoughts as these there is such and such and such they are great Professors I thank God I am as good a man as any of them all I am sure I have a better estate than they I am sure I have more honesty and as good a wit as they and I can set out my foot by any man let any man detect me I thank God I am not as a great many others are and thus thou judgest of thy self Alas poor soul thou art very far from Christ Jesus But now if God wil bear witness with thy soul that in the mid'st of al these thou sayest I am indeed I am it may be a learned man or a great man or a rich man or a Schollar and the like and I have lived honestly and God hath kept me from many notorious wicked waies that others have walked in but alas what am I for al this a poor undone Creature a worthless Craature not only my lusts but my Prayers my Sermons that I preach or hear my duties that I perform God help me I am a base Creature if God look not upon me in Christ Jesus I have no one thing to commend me to God nothing that ever I had nothing that ever I did is of any worth I loath it all Oh! if God would give me Christ I am wel but for other things I have nothing there is the man the soul that weighs nothing in the ballance is nothing hath denied himself he hath sold himself he saith indeed I am worth nothing Why Is not this house yours It was but I have sold it and spent the mony too God help me so I had these things but alas they are not worth a Groat they are wotrh nothing my worth is this if I have hope in Christ I am wel if not I am lost Ask but thy soul that Secondly 2. Tel me for that fourth branch that I named because I know if thou hast but any face of Christianity thou darest not own those that are known Lusts known Corruptions thou endeavorest to mortifie them but I wil insist only upon that fourth branch Dost thou with all that thou hast look upon thy self as one that is Christs Baylif and Steward he hath laid up thy portion for thee he measures out thy wealth for thee and for him thou livest and for him thou givest that that thou hast and that that thou art and that that thou doest thy honor thy estate thy life thy wealth if Christ may have any service from them by them through them here they are thou tenderest them to him with all thy soul if the Lord have
goes down to tread upon the Devils shoulders to exalt it self to tread upon the world to exalt it self to tread upon Gods shoulders to exalt it self any thing that may exalt it self they are so opposite that it is impossible they should both close Thus far indeed a man that hath made Self and self-interest his portion that man may keep a marveilous fair quarter with Religion as a learned man handling this very Doctrine I am preaching of useth this comparison saith he Those men whose interest is to maintain their own greatness they will entertain those that are cal'd the wits of the time the pleasant Companions the Drols they wil entertain them bid them welcom be glad of them though it be some cost to them it is a part of their grandour it maintains their greatness to have such and they are as welcome to them as any body in the world but if any of these wits or pleasant Companions shal come to engage this man and say pray Sir be you bound with me for ten thousand pound Sir you are welcome to my house and your Horse is welcom but Sir you must pardon me he wil throw him off rather than do so So a man may entertain Christ while hearing of Sermons and discoursing of Religion is only an Ornament to a man a man that is of a selvish spirit may cordially entertain him so far but so as to hazzard their own undoing for Religions sake for Christ's sake to bring me to beggary it may be to hang me upon a Gallows to throw me out of my Office to overthrow my Trade wholly to throw these away no man living can entertain Christ so far It was a notable speech of the King of Navarre that afterwards was Henry the fourth of France The King of Navarre was a Protestant and owned the Protestant cause but his eye was upon the Crown of France to which he knew he was Heir and hoped to come to it and when Beza and the other Protestants did press the King of Navarre to appear cordially in the cause of God saith he I am yours I wil go with you but I promise you I will go no further to Sea than I may come to Land if a storm rises his meaning was he would never hazzard the loss of the Crown of France for the Protestant Religion and so he fared accordingly and truly so may it be now Thou maiest tel Christ after a complemental manner Lord thou art mine it is my honor to be thy servant I delight to hear thy word preached and worship thee in my Family I rejoyce in it all this fair quarter maiest thou keep but beleeve it if the Lord have not taught thee to renounce thy self when Christ shal come to try thee throughly thou wilt honor him just as you shal find in the Story and it is worth your observation in 1 Kings 20. you have such a Story as this is Benhadad the King of Syria sendeth to Ahab King of Israel such a Letter as this saith he Thus saith Benhadad All that thou hast is mine thy Wives and thy Children are mine thy Gold and thy Silver is mine and al is mine Ahab very loth to quarrel with him returns him a very fine complement My Lord saith he all that I have is at your service all is thine Well Benhadad sendeth next day Wel saith he whereas I sent to thee that all is mine that thou hast I wil send my Servant for to seize upon it while he only talked of it Ahab would own it my Lord all is thine But when to morrow I wil send my servants and they shal seize upon it then he cals his Counsellors See you how this man picks a quarrel with me what a fair answer I sent to him and now he would seize upon all So if Christ come to thee til thou hast learned self-denial and say here I wil lay thee down here thou shalt lose thy credit or thy Conscience peace with me or peace with men thou canst never close with Christ cordially till thou hast learned this lesson And then Thirdly and Lastly for my Motives 3. Know for certain If the Lord have but once taught thee this Lesson there is nothing in all Christianity wil be difficult to thee all the waies of Christ will be as plain as a Bowling-Alley whatsoever thou art called too I know I speak a great word but I bless God I speak not unpreparedly in it all the waies of Christ wil be as plain as a Bowling-Alley to thee if the Lord have but once taught thee to turn Self out of doors thy work wil be brought only to these two Heads 1. One part of it to learn to know what Gods wil is concerning thee what he would have thee do or what he would have thee suffer And 2. The other wil be but to seek strength of him that thou maiest not in thy own power go about it but be supported by him but otherwise all objections and difficulties are removed if Self be but once turned out of doors Why Because all the difficulties in the waies of Christ ariseth from Arguments taken from Self only either this will be against my honor or here I must part with such a pleasure or here my estate may hap to be crack't or here this may hazzard my life or this may deprive me of my Children or this may cut me off from my Friends or this may expose me to scorn some such thing or other comes in but otherwise when a man hath no such thing to take care for I have no honor nor credit nor wife nor Children nor friends I regard the Lord is my portion I live upon him I drink water out of that Cisterne and I care for no other when the soul hath but once learned that it is but with him as it was with Paul saith he I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem and I profess I know not what I shal meet withal saith one then I will tel you what you shal meet withal the Holy Ghost saith the Jews shall bind you and Scourge you and Whip you and send you to Rome and what then they all fal a Weeping for and about him saith he why break you my Heart What care I to die at Jerusalem when it is the work of the Lord he had no self to regard he had turned self out of doors and all the waies of Christ were easie to him and God knows this passage was one of the motives that made me choose this Theam before this grave Auditory Truly our times are extream Ticklish and dangerous and the wisest man under Heaven knows not what wil betide him whether it fals back or edge no man can tel what will become of him nor what to meet withal and a great many wise men are perplexed to know what to do now I tel you if the Lord do but teach you to deny your selves to lay aside all that may be called self
Text holdeth out and therefore I wil speak a little to it Keep thy heart with all diligence Why 6. Because out of it are the issues of life That is plainly because Thy whol Conversation wil be as thy Heart is kept that is the plain meaning of it Thy heart is the fountain and if thy heart be wel kept clean sweet and pure thy Conversation wil be such Now you know that the Conversation of the Lords People it must be pure it must be holy Oh! there is a wonderful deal lies upon it that the Servants of the Lord should glorifie him in a holy unblameable Conversation Jesus Christ redeemed them that they should in their Conversation shew forth the graces of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvelous light made them Inheritors of better things that they should be to the praise and glory of his Grace and to have the servants of God walk unworthily walk in a deformed disordered conversation this makes the Lords name stink amongst his enemies this is the greatest reproach of God that can be in the world to see those that are his redeemed people walk otherwise than as becometh Saints Now our Conversation wil be as we look to our hearts look wel to thy heart keep that above all keeping and then thy Conversation is secure then thy words and thy actions may all be trusted then the Lord will be secure of his Glory if I may speak it with reverence in thy words and Conversation if thy heart be but looked to but if thy heart be disorderly and defiled and polluted then unclean issues of life wil appear A proud Heart will bring a proud Conversation a wanton Heart wil bubble out a wanton Conversation a worldly Heart that drinks in the love of the Creature wil dishonor God in a worldly Conversation be sure of that I thought to have named you the Text but I confess I had not time to look it but you well know it an excellent speech of Solomons to my purpose let me tell you before hand that it is usual in the Proverbs of Solomon that one part of the sentence concerns the wicked and the other part concerns the godly and commonly they are one of them ever set contrary one to another Now he hath this speech towards the latter end of the Proverbs The Tongue of the Just it is like refined Silver mark that expression the Tongue of the just it is like refined Silver what is that the language the savory discourse of Godly men of gracious men it is pure and it is gain to a whol City where they dwel they even scatter refined Silver where they come Oh! it is delightful to sit and partake of the language of gracious men the Tongue of the just is so now you will expect the other sentence should be now the Tongue of the wicked is rotten their speech is rotten No but he saith The Tongue of the wicked is nothing worth as if he should have said never look for any good in the Tongue of a wicked man Why For his Heart is worth nothing and therefore never expect his language should be worth any thing and though it is true some wicked men have so much Hypocrisie that they can express otherwise to men yet God that looks at the Heart he looks upon it as rotten and unsavory but let thy Heart be Silver and thy Tongue will be like refined silver let thy Heart be rotten and nothing worth and thy discourse will be as nothing Now lay these six things together let me endeavor to make some use of it but this is the sum therefore should all the Servants of God all Gods Children look to their Hearts above all things in the world because First It is the best part of them Secondly It is a treasury of that that is better than it self Heaven hath not a better treasury than is laid up in the Heart of a godly man and the Lord looks at it above all other things and Satan assaults it above all other things and even the best men have abundance of corruption and deceit in their Hearts and according as their Hearts are kept so will their life be therefore above all keepings look to thy Heart Now the Application of it I fear I shal not speak so much as I would have done but I would willingly if God help me a little warm your Hearts about it three Uses I would wilingly make of this Doctrine that the greatest the busiest work that the Servants of God have to do in this world is to keep their inward Heart in a good frame to God-ward USE 1. Is this so How lamentably and bitterly doth this speak to the reproof of thousands who yet fain would go for the children of God I might say of it as Ezekiel saith in another case it is a Lamentation and shal be for a Lamentation to a world of People truly almost the whol world many bitter reproofs may be gathered out of this Doctrine two three or four sorts of people I will give you a touch of it and they are found in every place where you come First 1. How many are there that are wonderfully exact in keeping the outward things that belong to them come into the House which is your Housewives care those that are neatly civilly brought up that would go for Housewives how delilcatly are their things kept How are their Roomes rubbed How is every utensil kept tite and clean Come into the Shops of your Trades men How do they keep al their wares and if any thing lie out of its place and pile How impatient are they with their Servants if they have received any mony how wonderfully careful are they to have a Treasury where it may be barred and kept safe for them and come into our Country How do People keep their Cattel their very Swine they will keep them as they ought to be that they may thrive and be for their gain and credit and the like this you shall find common but go amongst these People and how are their hearts kept al this while As if I should come into one of your houses and find it very neat and clean Truly I con you thanks surely this cost somebody hot water to keep all this so neatly but how do you keep your heart Pray how do you keep your heart Friends I fear your Houses your Shops your Chests your Garments I fear they wil all rise up in judgment against you every one of you Have you a Jewel have you a heart wherein you think such a treasury is laid up Do you let it lie open to let every Rogue and Raskal come in and every thing to defile it and can you find time to keep these outward things so methinks I hear a Mother say to her Child that she gives a row of Pins to See you keep them carefully I wil call you to an account for them But saith God to
our nourishment comes from Ordinances for though the Lord be the Fountain of it yet the Ordinances are the canales the channels wherein the Lord gives out a greater supply of himself we must receive all these by Faith The Word profits no man unless it be mingled with Faith your Prayers they must be Prayers of Faith the Sacraments they are received by Eaith All Ordinances are so far effectual to the soul as the grace of Faith puts them upon you Faith is not only the means of our Food but for Physick the overcoming of our evil al the Spiritual enemies of our spiritual life all that would destroy it it is Faith alone must do it You shall find Satan the great Enemy how do we overcome him By resisting him in Faith The World another Enemy every one that is born of God overcometh that the world cannot prevail upon them and this is that that overcometh the world even your Faith So All our Lusts it is by Faith that we put off the old man the Scripture is cleer in it nay the actings of our lives all the actions of our spiritual life all the excitings and callings out of all our graces in every relation publick and private the Spirit of God laies it al upon Faith until we come to be consumated and put into Heaven the Lord doth leave the mannagement and carrying on of our spiritual life to the grace of Faith himself is the Sum the fountain but so far as the Creature hath a hand in it that is the sanctified creature it is this faith whereby the whol life is acted Thus you see the first thing I hope sufficiently cleered That the Life of al Gods People while they live in this world it is the life of faith But now comes the greatest Question for there are so many cleer Scriptures about that you cannot doubt of it you had as good doubt of your Christianity as to doubt of this Whether a Christians life is the life of faith But now What the holy Ghost signifies by this what is it to live by faith That is a thing that may be more difficult to be understood and if it please God that I can but cleer it to you out of the Word that you may see wherein the true living by faith doth consist when I have opened this I wil not doubt but so many as are Gods People wil say this is my very condition but as for others they wil say every body talks of living by faith one man makes living by faith only to be a fancy in his own head that God wil do this and that for him without any warrant from the Word another it may be fancies that live how he lists if he hope but to go to Heaven when he goes out of the world then he lives by faith But living by faith is substantial I shal now set my self by the Lords help to clear to you what the holy Ghost signifies when he saith that the life of Gods people in this world they live it by faith and to this end I must premise these two things but to make way The first is That our Lord Jesus who is our Head our spiritual mystical Head he hath not only an Al-sufficiency for al his people for every one that beleeveth til they come to glory but he hath a full purpose in his heart never to be wanting of supply unto his called ones a full unchangeable purpose to supply them with whatsoever is needful to bring them to glory That is the first thing I lay down as a foundation to lead you to know what it is to live by faith there is an all sufficiency in Christ our Head yea a ful purpose and resolution unchangeable to supply to all his people whatsoever they can need in any condition til he hath brought them to glory That is the first thing no body wil doubt this the Scripture is so ful to it The Second thing is more immediate and closer to my purpose and it is this That Jesus Christ hath not only this determinate purpose in his heart but he hath in his Word declared and manifested al that he will do for his people and expect from his people til they come into Heaven mark that is In his Word hath he declared Promises which hold out al the good that Christ means to do for his people not only general promises for pardon of sin to bring them to Heaven but promises for every condition that can be he hath declared what he means to do and which way he wil do it He hath there likewise declared what his will is for al the duties that his people are to perform iâ— the way of obedience he wil never expect from them in al their life time any thing but what in his Word he hath set down And thirdly In the same Word he hath not only laid down Promises what he wil do and precepts what they must do but Directions that hold out both arguments to stir them up and waies that they should take al these hath he laid down in his Word al the means either to attain strength to do duties or to accomplish the benefit of any Promise in his Word he hath laid down al his mind and that is called his will concerning us that is the will of God concerning us Now these three things premised the purpose of Christ to do all that he will do and expect the declaration of all this in his Word These two taken for granted now in the third place which is my Doctrine and which wil make you understand what the living by faith is The Grace of Faith wrought in us by the Spirit of God and acted in us by the Spirit of God it immediately hath its whol application to the Word Good Friends hearken I say the grace of faith is the work of the Spirit in us and is excited and stirred up to work by the Spirit the Spirits proper and immediate work is to deal with the will of Christ revealed in his Word it looks not at Heaven immediately it looks not to Christ immediately but it looks at God and Christ and Heaven mediately through the Word In the Word there saith sees all the good things promised that in its life time it shal stand in need of in the Word it seeth the injunction of al those duties that the renewed soul should be conversant about or be exercised in in the Word and in the Word only he seeth the Methods the Counsels the arguments the Directions that are to be attended upon for the enjoyment of all that which is in Christs purpose to do for us Now mark The grace of faith stirred up by the Spirit of God to look to the Word in every thing in the right way and the Lord by his invisible and secret work making the things held out in the Word effectual to the soul by this act of faith in the whol course of our life applying
it self unto the Word the Word of Promise for matters of Comfort the Word of Precept for matters of Duty the Word of Direction in matters of means and Ordinances the applying of the soul to the Word in all these things the Lord according to his goodness making these things good to the soul that thus applies it self to the Word this is to live by faith So that now to come a little neerer to the business for I have not yet explained it so far as I hope by and by I shall but I say now to live by faith First It is not only for a soul to beleeve in Jesus Christ for salvation or to beleeve all our life time that we shal be saved by Jesus Christ when we go out of the world it is not only that that is but a piece of it But To live by Faith it is in our course to enjoy the whol revealed will of Christ to us as our life thereby fetching all our consolations that are fit for our life from promises thereby fetching all our practices from the declaration of what he makes our duty and applying our selves in the use of those means which the Lord hath appointed us to attend upon for the accomplishment of these this conversation of the soul is the living by faith To live by faith it is this I am not only made partaker of the Righteousness of Christ which is imputed for my justification and is inherent for my new quickening I have not only these principles in me but by the grace of faith al the comfort of my life is fetched from a promise al the rule of my conversation is from the Precepts and all the means I use for the accomplishment of one or other they are those that are prescribed there so that be it to undergo affliction to conflict with a temptation to go through my Calling be it to comfort my heart against temptations when the soul looks to the Word of Christ and there takes the Word for its guide both for comfort and duty until the Lord of his meer grace have accomplished in us all the good that he intendeth to us which wil never be til he takes us out of this world when faith ceaseth but in the mean time this and this only is that which the Scripture cals living by faith But now because I would yet make it a little plainer to you be pleased to know That although there are acts of faith applicable to every particular condition we are in which would require a Volumn to mention yet for the present purpose you must know that there are five things faith doth in this general living by faith that every one that is said to live by faith his faith doth five things in his ordinary course which are applicable to every thing that you can think upon which I shall not need to stand to prove though I will give a touch as I go along because I would spare a little time for the Application before I break off But there are five things applicable First The grace of faith looks at the Word as that which is most sure that is it yields a firm assent to the truth of all that Jesus Christ hath revealed concerning him in his Word The Promises that are made faith assures the soul they are al true they are not whimsies nor fancies The Duties and Directions there prescribed faith assures the soul they are things the Lord looks for so that the Apostle saith in Acts 20. when he lived as a Christian he did exercise himself to beleeve al that was spoken by the Lord in his Law and David saith Thy Word Lord is from everlasting It makes not any scruple or doubt but gives a firm assent to what the Lord hath set down in his Word That is one and that indeed is the Basis and Foundation of the rest The Second It not only assents that all these are true but faith acquiesses that these are the magazine the store house the comprehension of al excellencies that the soul shall ever be made partaker of he desires to be satisfied in the goodness of them he desires no other course of Life to order him but what is set down in the Word he thinks not there are any Councels nor Directions to be regarded nor compared to those set down in the Word he rests in them there his Treasure lies in that great iron Chest and the Word is not only true but his livelihood he knows God hath declared this in his Word and there his soul is satisfied That is the Second And then the third is this The Lord laies al our happiness up in his Word the happiness of our comfort the happiness of our holy conversation therefore faith directs the soul to attend to the Word as to its only guide and comfort that look as a man that is satisfied I am to travel in a dark night and to go through a dangerous place but I am sure I have a mighty guide not a Will of the Wisp as they cal it and an Ignis fatuus to miss-lead me and therefore as I love my life and happiness I will look to the Word by the Word I am guided by the Word I am directed as the Apostle expresseth it It is a thing you do wel to take heed to as to a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawn until the day of Heaven come and you be brought to glory The soul looks to the Word as its only card and compass as the Marriner at Sea looks at his Card and Compass they are his guide so the Beleever he only looks at the Word as his guide There is the third And then the fourth thing that faith doth in al that live the life of faith is this That they make the things revealed in the Word the matters of their prayers they dare not beg a thing of God until they know it is Gods wil that they find a warrant to beg it either absolutely or conditionally they make the Word the matter of their prayers and endeavors and if they go about any thing or be under distress and affliction they labor to get rid of it by making the word their direction in that And Fiftly and lastly Doing al these things as well as it can it staies it self upon the truth and faithfulness and power and wisdom and goodness of God and the Lord Jesus who hath revealed these things to him he staies himself upon him for the accomplishment of these things in his own time and in his own way And he now that doth these five things he truly lives by faith The Lord hath turned the bent of his heart to it and he is assured his Word is true and that there lies his happiness he looks at it as his only guide he makes this the matter of his prayer and endeavors and when he hath done knows all his poor endeavors are nothing but waits upon the Lord to
make all good to him according to his wisdom and faithfulness Thus you have heard a Christian ought to live by faith and I hope now you see what it is Now one Question more I must needs briefly speak to and that is this But may some say Do all that live the life of Christ live thus that this is excellent I will not dispute and that this is held out in the Word I doubt it not but will you make true Christianity fall within the compass of this and no further dare you affirm it that none live the life of Christ in this world but those that you have spoken of Now the Answer to this you shall have cleerly in these three things First It is true that even the Lords own people do somtimes too much live to the flesh there is flesh in the best somtimes they are under great temptations somtimes it may be under the sweetness of the Creature and flesh prevails and they walk by other rules so far as they are unregenerate so far as the true Genius of Christianity works not in them for we all know that as we live but in part so we live by faith but in part and too much Gods people fail in this But Secondly I answer That so far as we are Christians so far every man in the world be he strong or be he weak he lives according to these things I fear not to speak it positively that not one man living upon the Earth ought to own himself or any other to own him to live the life of Christ further than he lives according to this that I have set you down though they talk of them preach of them write of them if they practice them not and actually live according to these Rules they live not as Christians But thirdly I answer That many souls do live thus really live thus in their course who cannot speak thus who do not know that they live thus As take my meaning thus It is certain that our life in nature it is lived thus Food is taken into the mouth when it is taken into the stomach it digests it and by a concoction it is so and so separated and al Schollers and those that know the course of Nature know not only that they live by food but can tel you the Methods of it but many thousands that live the natural life cannot tel how they live it And as there is in Logick an Art of Logick which is nothing else but Reason digested into the right Methods to shew you what is the cause and subject and adjunct c. that we cal the Art of Logick doth but cast al these things into their 〈◊〉 place but many thousands do argue and speak from causes and effects and subjects and adjuncts and comparisons and things that are opposite use arguments from them who know not that they play the Logicians in al these So in the great acts of Faith there is no man it is certain partakes of Christ but beleeves in him but doubtless there are many thousands that beleeve in Christ that know not what that act of faith is that gives them an interest in Christ but the Spirit of God carries them on to it So the Saints of God though they cannot speak of these Rules I have shewed you til they be opened to them and then they can close with them so that I am far from saying that no man lives the life of faith but he that understands that he acts al these things but he may understand them really Well this laid as the foundation you will pardon me though I take a little time to give you a tast of the Application before I dismiss you But thus I have endeavored to cleer this Doctrine That all the Lords people while they are in this world while they do partake of the Righteousness of Christ one part of it for their Justification the other for Sanctification the acting of this while they are in this world it is the life of faith Now the use of it is very large and sweet I will give you but a tast of two things before I dismiss you The one is for Instruction Hence therefore you may safely and sadly conclude That among the great multitudes of those that challenge the name of Christians there are God knows and we may know a very few that are really Christians if this that I have opened to you be the Lords truth which I hope through his mercy I have demonstrated but if this be true you shal see that amongst those great multitudes of them that are called Christians there are but a very smal number who really are Christians Oh! Beloved should I as justly I might if the time would give leave but come to separate the chaff from the wheat and to cul out the several sorts of men in this world who live by clean different Rules from this I have spoken to you in what a smal number might the names of real Christians be comprehended what a little Book would hold them all As for Example Do all the Saints of Christ live the life of Christ by faith Then certainly they that are ignorant of Christ and know him not are destitute of all real knowledg of him it is not to be thought that they should live this life of faith They that never troubled themselves at the very Doctrine of faith it is to them but a meer whimsie they are the most ignorant of him surely no man can be careless about that which is the principle of his Life now a careless man about his faith you may be confident that man never lived the life of faith Again All they who live to their lusts as God knows multitudes do what is their life and comfort but to drink to whore to swear to cozen to cheat Multitudes of others live to the world Mammon is the God of their life the end of their life that that takes them up from the beginning of the morning til the evening comes when they are awake the world is in their hearts And They that live to their own wills as look whatsoever their own fancies and wills suggest to them to be advantagious this is that that satisfies them and serves their turn to attain such a corrupt end or such a way as they are in Oh friends there are a smal number that live the life of Christ the Lord help you that you may not be deceived about this I can but name this And then Secondly The other thing I wil name is this and pray carry this home Those that are Christians it hath plainly appeared that of al things in the world Gods people have most cause to lament and bewail their unbelief You hear that faith is your life and livelyhood therefore there is nothing to be so much lamented by real Christians concerning themselves as their unbelief I speak not but there should be somthing more lamented than our own
should we take that we might be as it were Masters of Art in it that we might Commence to a good degree I shall cleerly out of the Word give you some four or five Directions which if you will study you may much enlarge and I hope it is the right way The first is this The grace of faith is the principle of our holy life while we are in this world you must labor to be well rooted and grounded in the grace of faith mark what I say to be rooted and grounded look to that that is your livelihood when I say rooted and grounded in that I mean these two things First You must labor that your faith be a right faith a sound faith for beloved it is not every faith that wil afford a man a livelihood painted fire is fire in the Summer time but it wil never warm a mans hands in the Winter time painted bread will never fill a mans stomach it must be real bread and real drink that wil maintain your life So Brethren that common faith that goes about in the world fancies and conceits people have ungrounded without any work passing upon their hearts to make them new Creatures it may serve for a dead profession it may serve it may be to set you off so far by talking of Religion that if time serve that way you may get an Office a Place and some accommodation for this life but never wil a formal faith enable you to live the life of Christ that must be sound faith faith of the right stamp I and secondly I mean when I say to be rooted and grounded in the faith You must labor for strong faith for Brethren give me leave to say the least degree of saving faith will certainly keep thee from Hell and carry thee to Heaven but the least degree of it will not enable thee to live the life of Christ to his glory and thy comfort If a storm comes little faith shakes Why are you troubled O ye of little faith but never why are you troubled you that have fulness of faith A little childs hand wil serve to receive a penny I but a little hand wil do but a little work there is a great deal of work lies upon faith drawing comfort lies upon faith and quickning to duty lies upon faith and as is the man so is his strength Gideons Son while he is a child he wil not venture to cut off the heads of the Princes of Midian no he dares not fall upon them no a little faith will get but a little comfort but you must endeavor and remember this is taught you as the first Direction to be strong in the faith of our Lord Jesus Oh! if my heart deceive me not I had rather have a strong faith than any thing that may be called strong in the world A strong purse a strong head a strong courage a strong estate will never do that that a strong faith wil therefore I intreat you al if you find your want I am a poor creature I cannot bear afflictions if God come with a heavy affliction it is hard for me to bear strengthen thy faith and thou wilt carry any cross in the world fly to the Lord. The Lord hath given us in our daies many preachers that preach faith many excellent Books that treat of Faith and living by faith and how faith may be strengthened and all that is good about it No Nation in the World since the Apostles daies I think have the like helps that England hath and therefore study it in the first place labor to be rooted and grounded in faith get a good faith a strong faith Secondly If you will ever live the life of Faith labor to be wel acquainted with God especially with God in Christ pray mark that and carry it home labor to know God I know whom I have beleeved saith Paul a man may beleeve confidently but if he have not a ful knowledg of the party he doth beleeve it may be his comfort wil be less To know how all sufficient he is that he can perform Promises easier than any man can to know how gracious how good he is how unchangeable he is there is no knowledg of God but wil do thy soul good but I mean to know God in Christ that is as he stands related to Beleevers in a Covenant of grace and that I rather fix upon because my Text hath it and carries it here as the great Basis of Pauls living by faith saith he The Life I live in this Flesh I live it by the Faith of this Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me he knew the dear regard that Jesus Christ bears to all his people he loves them like the apple of his eye Never Mother tendered her Children as Christ tenders all his Lambs though never so weak though never so feeble though never so dead he and his Father in him is wel pleased when we look upon him in Jesus Christ that not only I beleeve in him but I beleeve in that God who in Christ Jesus loved me so that he gave his Son to shed his blood that I might not perish Now to know God in Christ is the way not to perish Thirdly another great Direction to live by faith is that that I opened at large and now to speak a little more about it Study to be acquainted with the Word If ever you would live by faith you must study to be wel acquainted with the Word for though God be the ultimate object and Christ be the all-sufficient means yet beleeve it it is the Word that faith immediately looks upon and though I dare promise my self great things from my great God in my Christ yet it must all be still as he hath revealed it in his Word therefore if you would ever learn to live by faith soundly comfortably you must be acquainted with the Word And when I say acquainted with the Word I mean these two things The Promises of the Word for the comfort of your lives To get a good understanding of all those excellent Priviledges which are scattered up and down in all those glorious Promises which are as the Apostle saith exceeding great and precious Promises Brethren the Word hath not only the great Promise of the pardon of sin which is an invaluable thing and will carry us safe when we die but you shall find in the Word Promises for every condition it is possible for you to fal into if God should take away al thy children from thee and thy wife from thee and visit thee with sickness and let men loose upon thee and enemies to persecute thee there are Promises in the Word for every one of these Oh! to know the Promises it is an infinite help especially if you ad this which I will make a second Branch of the same Direction When I say acquainted with the Promises I mean We should know not only where the Promises are