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
THE WORKS OF M R Stephen Marshall late Minister of the Gospel at Finching-Field in Essex And since at Ipswitch in Suffolk THE FIRST PART VIZ. I. Of Christ's Intercession And of Sins of Infirmity II. The High Priviledge of Beleevers They are the Sons of God III. Faith the only means spiritually to feed on Christ. IV. Of Self-Denial V. The Saints Duty to keep their Heart in a Good Frame c. VI. The Mystery of Spiritual Life Attested By Ralph Venning Thomas Lye Thomas Jacomb LONDON Printed by Peter Cole and Edward Cole Printers and Book-sellers at the Sign of the Printing-press in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1661. BEcause it is usual to abuse Readers in thrusting forth broken Notes under the Names of Authors that are of Repute These are to Attest the following fifty Sermons on several Texts Were Preached by M R Stephen Marshall And are now Published by the most perfect Coppy Ralph Venning Thomas Lye Thomas Jacomb Books Printed by Peter Cole and Edward Cole Printers and Book sellers of London at the Exchange Mr. Burroughs WORKS viz. on Matth. 11. 1 Chirsts call to all those that are Weary and Heavy Laden to come to him for Rest. 2 Christ the Great Teacher of Souls that come to him 3 Christ the Humble Teacher of those that come to him 4 The only Easie way to Heaven 5 The Excellency of holy Courage 6 Gospel Reconciliation 7 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment 8 Gospel-Worship 9 Gospel-Conversation 10 A Treatise of Earthly Mindedness 11 Exposition of the Prophesie of Hosea 12 The Evil of Evils or the exceeding sinfulness of Sin 13 Precious Faith 14 Of Hope 15 Of Walking by Faith Twenty one several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into two Volumes Viz. 1 Scripture Light the most sure Light 2 Christ in Travel 3 A Lifting up for the cast down 4 Sin against the Holy Ghost 5 Sins of Infirmity 6 The fals Apostle tiled and discovered 7 The good and means of Establishment 8 The great things Faith can do 9 The great things Faith can suffer 10 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holyness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 11 Satans power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of his People under Temptation 12 Thankfulness required in every Condition 13 Grace for Grace 14 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Naturall Impossibilities 15 Evangelical Repentance 16 The Spiritual Life and in being of Christ in al Beleevers 17 The Woman of Canaan 18 The Saints Hiding place c 19 Christ Coming c. 20 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 21 Grace and Love beyond Gifts New Books of Mr. Sydrach Simpson VIZ. 1 Of Unbelief or the want of readiness to lay hold on the comfort given by Christ. 2 Not goâ—ing to Christ for Life and Salvation is an exceeding great Sin yet Pardonable 3 Of Fâ—ith Or That beleeving is receiving Christ And receiving Christ is beleeving 4 Of Coveteousness Mr. Hookers New Books in three Volumes One in Octavo and two in Quarto These Eleven New Books of Mr. Thomas Hooâ—ker made in New-Edgland Are attested in an Epistle by Mr. Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye To be written with the Authors own hand None being written by himself before One Volum being a Comment upon Christ's last Prayer on the seventeenth of John Wherein is shewed 1 That the end why the Saints receive all glorious Gâ—ace is That they may be one as the Father and Christ are one 2 That God the Father loveth the Faithful as he loveth Jesus Christ 3 That our Savior desireth to have the Faithful in Heaven with himself 4 That the happiness of our being in Heaven is to see Christs Glory 5 That there is much wanting in the knowledg of Gods Love in the most able Saints 6 That the Lord Christ lends dayly direction according to the dayly need of his Servants 7 That it is the desire and endeavor of our Savior that the dearest of Gods Love which was bestowed on himself should be given to his faithful servants 8 That our Union and Communion with God in Christ is the top of our happiness in Heaven Ten Books of the Application of Redemption by the Effectual Work of the Word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners to God By Thomas Hooker D. Hills WORKS The Kings Tryal at the High Court of Justice Wise Virgin Published by Mr. Thomas Weld of New-England Mr. Rogers on Naaman the Syrian his Disease and Cure Discovering the Leprosie of Sin and Self-love with the Cure viz. Self-denial and Faith A Godly and Fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the word of God at Dedham in Essex Mr. Rogers his Treatise of Marriage The Wonders of the loadstone By Samuel Ward of Ipswitch An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew By Mr. Ward The Discipline of the Church in New-England By the Churches and Synod there Mr. Brightman on the Revelation Christians Engagement for the Gospel by John Goodwin Great Church Ordinance of Baptism Mr Loves Case containing his Petitions Narrative and Speech A Congregational church is a Catholick Visible Church By Samuel Stone in New-England A Treatise of Politick Powers Dr. Sibbs on the Philippians Vox Pacifica or a Perswasive to Peace Dr. Prestons Saints submission and Satans Overthrow Pious Mans Practice in Parliament time Barriffs Military Discipline The Immortality of mans Soul The Anatomist Anatomized The Bishop of Canterbury's Speech Woodwards Sacred Balance Dr. Owen against Mr. Baxter Abrahams Offer Gods Offerings Being a Sermon by Mr. Herle before the Lord Major of London Mr. Spurstows Sermon being a Pattern of Repentance Englands Deliverance By Peter Sterry The Way of God with his People in these Nations By Peter Sterry Mr. Sympson's sermon at Westminster Mr. Feaks sermon before the Lord Major The best and Worst Magistrate By Obediah Sedgwick A sermon A Sacred Panegyrick By Stephen Marshal A sermon The Craft and Cruelty of the Churches Adversaries By Matthew Newcomen of Dedham A sermon Clows Chyrurgery Marks of Salvation Mr. Stephen Marshals New WORKS VIZ. 1 Of Christs Intercession or of sins of Infirmity 2 The high Priviledg of beleevers They are the Sons of God 3 Faith the Means to feed on Christ. 4 Self-denial 5 The Saints Duty to keep their Hearts c. 6 The Mistery of spiritual Life Several Physick Books of Nich. Culpeper Physitian and Astrologer and A. Cole c. 1 Idea of Practical Physick in twelve Books 2 Sennertus thirteen Books of Natural Phylosophy 3 Sennertus two Treatises 1. Of the Pox. 2 Of the Gout Sennertus Art of Chyrurgery in six Parts 1. Of Tumors 2. Of Ulcers 3. Of the Skin Hair and Nailes 4. Of Wounds 5. Of Fractures 6. Of Luxations 4 Twenty four Books of the Practice of Physick being the Works of that Learned and Renowned Doctor Lazarus Riverius Physitian and Councellor to the late King c 5
Christianity there is nothing Christianity but the Life of Christ. 2 Aboundance of things go for this Life which are not this Life Quest. How shall we know this Life Answ. By these two Characters 1 Wheresoever the Lord gives Life to any Creature in a Natural way the life is the Preciousest thing in the world to that Creature and so among al that live the life of Christ there is nothing in this world so dear to them as their Spiritual Life is Which valuation of the said Life appears in these three things Page 22 1 In a Natural propensity and inclination and appetite towards those things that are the nourishment of this Life 2 In a most vehement declining of what they know to be destructive to this life 3 In a willingness to part with any thing to save this spiritual Life Page 24 The second Character of this Spiritual Life 2 Consists in some things that are the proper beatings of the pulse as it were of the Soul Arguments of this spiritual Life Aâ— 1 The Natural motion of this spiritual Life is to enjoy God in Jesus Christ as their chiefest good this is the great thing wherin the souls pulse beates 2 There is a Natural making out of the Heart towards holiness righteousness love kindness mercy pitty Page 27 3 The Soul that is alive unto Christ is guided by the word it is his Card his compass his Square his Meet-wand his Eye Looking to the word as his only Guide Who are strangers to the Life of Christ 1 All that know not Christ 2 All that live to their Lusts. 3 All that live to the World 4 All that live to their Pleasures Use 2. This serves to comfort those that live this life considering that 1 This is the highest noblest most excellent Life that ever any Creature did partake of 2 This is the sweetest of all Lives for in all other lives men tast but the sweetness of the Creature but in this the sweetness of God and Christ. 3 It is the greatest pledge of Gods love he gives to any 4 Christ being the fountain of this life you may be bold to rely upon him for the preservation of it Page 32 Use 3. To perswade all men to study and seek after this life SERMON II. DOCT. 2. That life of Christ which all Gods people live in this world they live it by Faith The DOCTRIN is 1 Demonstrated from scripture that it is so that the whol Life of a Christian is led by Faith 2 It is opened by shewing what the Holy Ghost means by this and what it is for a Soul to live the life of Christ by Faith Page 35 Use 1. Hence we may safely and sadly conclude that amongst the great multitudes of those that challenge the Name of Chrstians there are very few that are really Christians For 1 Many are Ignorent of Christ. 2 Many never trouble themselves at the very Doctrine of Faith 3 Many live to their lusts 4 Multitudes live to the world 5 Many live to their own wills Use 2. Real Christians ought to lament nothing so much as their unbelife Quest. Do you think that the people of God are so much guilty of it Judge by these Signs 1 Our not studying of the Word 2 Our little Valueing of the Word 3 Our unevenness in our whol course 4 Our deviations and use of unlawful means SERMON III. Use 3. This shewes what kind of Christians they must needs be who can live in the Flesh above Word and Ordinances having no use of them and as they think nothing to do with them but live in an immediate communion with God and enjoyment of him Use 4. To make this living by Faith better known to the Lords people and more exactly practised then it hath been hitherto For encouragement to study this art of living by Faith consider 1 If you wil be Christians you have no other Mistery to maintaine your lives but Faith 2 All other waies of life that any man pitches upon wil shortly appear to be but a poor thing 3 This Mystery of living by Faith is the best Life the most desirable Life that any Man or Woman can live til they come to enjoy God immediately The Excellency of this Life opened in Particulars 1 It is the life which the Lord hath chosen out to be the life of those that he loved from all Eternity 2 It is most honorable to us 3 In this world it is the easiest Life To live by Faith is the easiest Life under Heaven 4 It is the best Life because it is the surest Life Page 64 Question How shall we do to live this Life Answer 1 The Grace of Faith is the principal of his Life 2 If you would live the Life of Faith labor to be well acqainted with God especially with God in Christ. 68 3 Study to be acquainted with the word 4 Faithfully and Conscientiously serve the Lord in the use of means Page 73 Two Cautions to be taken in with these directions When it is said we must use means and thus live by Faith the meaning is 1 That when we have done we must not limit God God limits you and limits me but Faith must not limit him as to the way how or time when be shall makeâ— good Page 74 2 When you are directed thus to live the life of Faith you must take heed of some other Principles viz. your own Reason and your own sense The Premises considered it is sad to think 1 How the common People of the world live amongst us being wholly Ignorant of these things and setting their Hearts upon wealth and Pleasure and Honor and such perishing things Page 76 2 It is sad to think how many Souls that are Godly and study the Scriptures and attend upon the word yet had rather study nice controversies and things that engender strife then this great comprehensive Duty of living to Christ and living by Faith Page 77 FINIS CHRIST'S INTERCESSION OR Sins of Infirmity Opened in a Sermon at Pauls Novemb. 19. 1654 1 John 2.1 2. My little Children these things write I unto you that you sin not now follows my Text And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whol world THe whol scope of the blessed Apostle in this Letter of his is as himself teacheth us to confirm the people of God to build them up in that great Article of their Faith and their great priviledge which is the Communion of Saints He tels you in the beginning he writes to them that they might have Communion with himself and the rest of the Apostles whose Communion is with God the Father and is Son Jesus Christ presently he proceeds to shew wherein this Communion stands which he doth express First More generally It is to walk in the light when all the world walks in darkness
they by virtue of their fellowship should walk in the light And then Secondly Explains this more particularly in the subsequent discourse and shews that by walking in the light he mainly intends walking in holiness that is to abominate and abandon the waies of sin and to live as becomes those that are born of God in holiness and righteousness and this is the plot of the whol Epistle And then he begins with the first branch of it and that is to depart from the waies of sin and sets down this conclusion That if any man do pretend Communion with Jesus Christ and walk in sin he is a meer Dissembler he hath not one dram of Communion with God and Jesus Christ That is a certain rule no man that hath Communion with Jesus Christ can walk in a sinful life but every branch of the great things that Christ bestows upon his people the purport and intent of them all is to make them leave sinning that they wholly overthrow the very tenour of the Gospel who talk of believing in Christ and walk in a Godless life Now this first Branch the Apostle prosecutes at large both in the first Chapter in this second Chapter and begins the second Chapter thus Now all these things do I write to you that you sin not and presently at the 3d verse takes it up again saith he If any man know him he must walk as he walketh and so proves it by many Arguments Now Brethren you shal see the intent of my Text The Apostle knowing what an uncomfortable Doctrine this would be if it were not explained how uncomfortable it would be even to the best of Gods Saints and people he prevents the sad objection that every gracious heart would be ready to make for when he hath set down this for his Conclusion He that is in Christ cannot sin he cannot sin he deceives himself if he talks of Christ and sins Why A poor Soul would presently come out and say Then am I utterly undone I have then no interest in Christ for I sin I sin dayly I cannot live without it I cannot perform one Duty but my corruption is intermingling it self with it wo be to me if that Doctrine go for currant that he hath nothing to do with Christ that sins Now by way of Prolepsis the Apostle anticipates this objection and cleers the mind of God about it and then proceeds further to prosecute his Doctrine and it is laid down in these words But if any man sin let him know that we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the Propitiation for all our sins and not only ours that are Jews but throughout all the world if they be Beleevers This he laies down to stay the hearts of Gods people in reference to that sadness that they would be ready to be overwhelmed with Now Brethren because there is but one main Doctrine that I intend to insist upon I wil but briefly explain the words to you and then I wil propound the Doctrine First When the Apostle saith If any man do sin he thereby plainly implies that there are certain sorts of sins that even Gods Children though they dare not commit sin nor walk in sin yet even Gods own Children for them he speaks to my little Children I write this to you I say there are sins that Gods own people are overtaken with even after they have fellowship and Communion with Jesus Christ that is the first thing that he takes for granted Then Secondly To that he adds But saith he if any man sin that is when we do thus sin when Gods people do thus sin What then We have an Advocate that you all know the meaning of one that pleadeth our cause that is the office of an Advocate to appear in behalf of another in his cause We have an Advocate with the Father above in Heaven at his right hand that is Jesus Christ our Lord who died for us and loved us and gave himself for us he appears in Heaven for us yea he is Jesus Christ the righteous that is though he be so righteous that he wil never plead an ill cause yet this is a part of his righteousness to intercede and appear in the behalf of his own people even when they sin against him Jesus Christ the righteous who is the Propitiation for our sins that is who once upon earth offered himself up a Sacrifice to satisfie for them and now in Heaven pleads the benefit and virtue of it for ever in the behalf of his people And not for ours only that is we that are Jews but for the sins of the whol world supposing stil he speaks of the same matter of those that believe in Christ that have Communion with him throughout the world Rich and Poor Yong and Old Jew and Gentile this is a truth to them all When Gods people sin Jesus Christ the righteous at Gods right hand maketh mediation for them So the words thus briefly paraphrased upon do afford us this Doctrine which is the only Lesson that I intend to handle this day namely Doct. That the Lord Jesus Christs intercession in Heaven is the great dayly relief that al the Saints have upon Earth against their dayly sins A Doctrine which at the very first propounding Promiseth not only comfort to Believers but carnal men they wil be ready to promise themselves liberty though I hope without cause by that time I have done with it but Jesus Christs mediation in Heaven is the great relief to all Gods Saints upon earth against the dayly sins that they are overtaken with Now Beloved that I may handle this Doctrine for your profit there are two questions which God willing I shal endeavor to cleer and that wil be the sum of all my work the discussing of them First Quest. 1. What sins the Lords Children and People are liable to while they are in this world what those sins are that the Children of God may be overtaken with while they live in this world Secondly Quest. 2. I wil shew you how the Intercession of Jesus Christ is the great relief to Gods Children against these sins For the first First What are those sins which the Lords people his own Children are liable to while they live in this world And to make you the more attentive to it be pleased to note that there are two Conclusions about sin laid down so cleerly in the Scripture yea in this very Epistle that they almost seem to contradict one another and therefore it is of great weight to have that cleared First 1. Nothing clearer then this That he that is born of God doth not sin nor cannot sin and if a man say he hath communion with Jesus Christ and walkes in sin he is a Liar and deceives his own Soul Nothing clearer then this in this Epistle So likewise in Romans 6. How can we that are dead to sin Live any longer therein Sin cannot
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
particulars then he walketh as becomes a Saint in holiness and righteousness but when at any time the Spirit of God for reasons best known to himself doth withold his immediate assistance from that Soul then their habitual inclination is never able to make them do any thing that is good If a temptation to a sin be propounded and a corruption of their nature be a little excited and Satan backing it and the Spirit of God not joyning down they tumble in every temptation and sin against God though never so fouly and if a holy Duty be to be performed pressed with all the moral Arguments in the world if the Lords spirit afford them not assistance and strength immediately they are not able they are unfit unable to do that which they are required and from hence ariseth all the infirmities of Gods people and herein you may see there is a corrupt nature in part remaining There are likwise external objects that would stir up this corrupt nature temptations from the Devil that would inflame it when these stir and Gods spirit doth not assist then are all the Lords people so weak and feeble that infallibly they sin against him and this is the nature of the sins of infirmity that is the first The second thing I would cleer is this Secondly What kinds there are of them because that will further acquaint you for indeed my aim is that all the Saints of God may see the frame of their own spirits as it were in a Glass that so afterwards you may learn how needful the Lord Jesus Christ is to us then the second question is What kinds of infirmities are the people of God subject to To that I answer They may all be brought to these two Heads they are either First Such as are not common to all the Saints No nor to any of Gods Children except upon special desertion or else Secondly They are such as all Gods people while they live in this world are dayly compassed about with For the first of them I. There are Infirmities I say which are not common to all Gods people No nor to any of them unless when very extraordinarily deserted of God and they are such as when the Servants of God do seem to pour their hearts out into wicked waies and commit those sins that are publickly to the dishonor of the Lords Gospel to the wasting of their own Consciences to the defiling of their own holy waies to the scandal of Gods people as suppose to live in Adultery in Uncleanness in wantonness Cursing Swearing Drunkenness false dealing and the like Now two things I would say about this 1. That somtimes Gods own Children for a season are left under such a condition David you know even when he was the Child of God took his neighbors Wife into his bosome and most wickedly plotted to take away her Husbands life and did take it away Peter Cursed and Banned and Swore and counterfeited himselâ— to be a prophane person that he might not be thought to be a follower of Christ So that such things many other instances I might give you that in the greatest the most flagitious way wherein a man may seem to be turned from Christ and betake himself into the Tents of his enemies to fight against him as if he would be a Ranter against him such a thing may befal a Child of God But then I adde 2. But this is not the Lot of all No nor of any but when extraordinarily deserted and that is cleer by this because throughout all the tennor of the Gospel it is sufficiently declared that these are not the spots of Gods Children these are not the waies of the Saints these are the waies in which whosoever walks cannot be saved and therefore what their condition is I shal tel you by and by God willing when I come to cleer it But that is one sort that it is possible the corruption may be so strong the assistance of Gods spirit so wholly withdrawn and the temptation so mighty as that a Child of God for want of strength may fall into the foulest mire and filth in the world That is one sort II. There are other sorts of Infirmities which all the Saints are compassed about with every day that they live and it is rare that any of them spend a day either without al of them or some of those infirmities and if you wil know what they are I answer There are three kinds of them and I think all the infirmities of the Saints wil fal under one of them and I purposely open them that you might have a Glass to see your faces in 1. Some and very many of the infirmities of the Saints of God they are meerly the infirmities of their understandings that is sins of ignorance that they do the things that are contray to God contrary to his will but do not know Gods mind about them and from this sort no man upon earth is free Who knows the errors of his life and I think verily under this head fals those sins of the Patriarchs of the holiest men that walked with God whose hearts were perfect with God they had their many Wives they had their Concubins too not knowing that this was against the Institution of God And so likwise in the sin of omission as you shal see there was from Joshuah's time to Nehemiah's time one of the great solemn Feasts that is the Feast of Tabernacles was never kept according to Gods institution for a thousand years together that they were by Gods institution to keep it not in their own houses but to go to live in Booths in the Fields for that time it is said expresly from Joshua to Nehemiah that that Feast had never been so kept that either they had forgotten it or the generations were unacquainted But now when Gods people do any of them in their speeches or actions do the things that are indeed contrary to Gods wil but especially not knowing it to be so and yet their hearts prepared that if the Lord would but discover his mind to them they would follow him in all things and yet this is one sort that all Gods people are liable to in the world But I tel you by the way that were but this one thing understood it would go a great way to make the Servants of God less harsh than they are one to another The Lord give them so much light to own it he sees such a thing as cleer as the Sun to be the institution of God or the mind of God or the way of God in this or that Duty of the first or second Table and then because he sees it he is ready to condemn all the world as rebelling against God for not being of his practice because the Lord it may be lets not them see it But that is one sort sins in the understanding when Gods wil is not known 2. Another sort of these infirmities when the
is our Choyce that I think I shal not need much to discourse of I have such an infirmity I want strength in me I strength in my Limbs in so much as if any body say Come pra'y will you walk If I walk I must halt every step I go But would you have it so Do you make choyce of it to be so Now there is a mans infirmity he never makes any choyce of it Though it is possible in spiritual things there may be something of the wil in temptations yet no man ever saith Lord give me leave to be a Deceiver or a proud man and the like No if it be an infirmity we never make choyce of it Secondly 2. If it be an Infirmity it is perpetually a burden and according to the nature of it so the burden is greater or lesser And so a man that hath an infirmity in his body if it be in a noble part his Eye Oh! it is a great burden to him if his infirmity be in a very useful part in his Foot every step he takes goes to the heart of him if it be an infirmity in his breast where the Lungs lie Oh! that is a wonderful burden According as the part or faculty is useful so a weakness there is accordingly a proportionable burden So now wheresoever any Child of God hath any passions any corruptions stirring in him to hinder him in his enjoyment of God or walking with him they are his greatest burdens in the world no affliction goes so neer to a man that hath given up himself to walk in the way to Heaven as that that keeps him from walking in the way to Heaven that interrupts his peace and disturbs him in that way So if it be thy infirmity the Soul chuseth it not Secondly It is a burden unto it And then the third is 3. That in an infirmity alwaies there is a desire of curing it that though beforehand I may know I can never cure it totally yet if I can but cure it so as to be less burdensome if I could cure it wholly whatsoever it cost I would yet if not cure it wholly yet to keep it under So here every Child of God whose end is God whose way is Gods word he finds his flesh that that hinders him he cannot walk in it doth he make nothing of it No it is his dayly practice to crucifie it to put off the Old man with all the lusts of it No Chyrurgion more desirous to mortifie a member that must needs be cut off than a Saint is to draw out the life blood of every corruption he bears about him And truly because I see the time hath so prevented me that I shal be hindred I would else have stopped here and made some Application of this but I wil only beg of you because I am in the next question to open a great deal of comfort to every Child of God I beg of you for the Lords sake deceive not your selves about it think not that all that shal be spoken of Christs being a relief against the corruptions of his people wil reach you you that sel your selves to unrighteousness you that would not be made clean and have no mind that the Lord should rend your Harlot from you but your credit and reputation you must have whether it wil stand with Gods or no Flatter not your selves to think that the Blood of Christ wil be your Propitiation and that he appears for you No you have nothing to do with him you choose your waies of sin and the Text hath told you a little before That if any man talk of Communion with God and with Christ and walk in darkness that man is a Lyar and hath no truth in him But if any of you your Consciences bear witness to what I have delivered that your heart is in Gods way Gods word is your way your aim is at it every day in every thing only you are surprised you want light and strength and ability to stand it out when you are put to it Now for that come we to the second Question and that is Secondly To shew you how the Lord Christs Intercession in Heaven is a sufficient relief to al his Children against all their corruptions they bear about them And I know before I enter about it I may say in so great an Assembly all those that are the Lords they wil much more desire to have a relief about their corruptions than about the greatest afflictions that betide them in all the world For I know no such evil that the people of God lie under as their sins in their own apprehensions Now then the Question is How doth the Lord Jesus Christ's being in Heaven serve as a relief to Gods people under their many infirmities And to that I shal bring my Answer to two Heads according as I laid down two sorts of infirmities I told you there is one sort of infirmities that is not common to all nor to any of Gods people unless when wofully deserted Now the Question to that is Quest. 1. What is the Intercession of Jesus Christ unto the Saints under such abhominable fals What Relief is the Intercession of Christ to David when he lies in Adultery To Peter when he denies his Master and to others when they fal into the like sins What is the interecession of Christ to them Answ. That I shal dispatch very briefly and I will lay you down what I have found to be the Lords mind in these two Conclusions First 1. That during the time that any of the Lords people do rant after that maner against him fal in that way against him the intercession of Christ is so far from affording comfort to them that it is the greatest aggravation of their sins and Christs being related to them and so their being related to him doth make their sin beyond al measure sinful that is the first Now a child of God turning rebell against his Father while he lies under this rebellion the intercession of Jesus Christ indeed our selves know upholds him and grace wil bring him home as I shal speak by and by but during that time he is interdicted al communion with God through Jesus Christ. Many are the evidences I could give you of it in the Scripture what was Ephraim God saith he is his dear Child but if he joyn himself to Idols let him alone saith he let him alone he is joyned to Idols let him alone I wil meet him as a Bear robbed of her whelps I will meet him as a Lion or as a Leopard I wil tear the very Caul of his heart And the Prodigal all the while he had run away from his Father and wasted his goods amongst his harlots his Father lets him alone let him starue and giue up the Ghost he never inquires at al after him and had I time I could shew you abundance of particulars to make this good that the Lords People when they fal
into flagitious scandalous waies they make them so abominable that in regard of Gods glory the good of the Church it had bin better they had never bin born then commit them they do so harden the wicked so dishonor God so deeply defile their own Consciences that here is nothing can be said for any men that they have any part in Christ while they are given up to such waies No saith God Know you not that no Whoremonger nor Adulterer shall come into the Kingdom of Heaven they are as it were interdicted from all right of entring into Heaven while they are in that condition That is the first But then Secondly 2. When the Spirit of God awakens them to repentance that they grow sensible of their unworthy and unchild-like walking then the intercession of Christ so far is for them that there is a free access to come to the Lord to be in his Book and to enjoy Peace with him as if never any such thing had been committed by them at all Though the sins of Gods people when they are thus egregious are beyond al measure sinful and do exceeding mischief to others notwithstanding all this if once the soul be but humbled and that they consider what they have done against God and how they have provoked him and injured him Christ in Heaven prevails that there is no bar in the world against their acceptance but the Lords Arms stand open to receive them as freely as if the things had never been done by them and of this you have a world of Evidences I wil give you but two instances of it and one is that of Ephraim The Lord saith to him he was his dear Child but all the while he walked after that manner the Lord spit in his face and would not own him but you shal read of him in Jer. 31.18 saith the Lord I saw Ephraim bemoaning himself mark there Ephraim was come home by weeping Cross What did he do saith he I saw him bemoaning himself Oh! I have been an untamed Heifer the Lord hath chastised me and I was chastised but I was like a Bullock that would not bear the Lords Yoke Turn thou me and I shal be turned for thou art the Lord my God surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth When this Spirit had seized upon him mark what follows The Lord stands behind the Curtain and hears his Child thus bemoaning and what saith he Ephraim is my dear Child he is a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him stil therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord He breaks out he can bear no longer when once he had a Christ and Mediator in Heaven and when once he was but sensible of it the Lords bowels yerned towards him presently And that other Instance is the example of the Prodigal in Luke 15. that the Lord intended to be the Pattern of those Children that should run away and be brought home again by Grace all the while that Wretch ran away and spent his goods his Father regarded him no more than his elder brother did when he came home but when the man was broken I have a Father saith he And I wil go to my Father and confess I am not worthy to stand before him and when he came tattered and lousie home the Text saith his Father ran to meet him as if he should have said No more of that Son come bring him in kill the fatted Calf and put a Ring upon his Finger and quiets his Elder Brother and it is fit it should be so thy brother is come home again I speak this the rather because if there should be any one here to hear me this day that hath run away from God and the Lord hath touched thy heart and thou beginnest to think how thou hast wronged him the Lord Jesus Christ hath made thy peace the door is open that thou maiest come freely to him as if there had never any such thing been As in Hosea 14. the latter end When Ephraim shal say Come take words and say Father receive us gratiously I wil heal him freely saith he There is the first Question answered I was the shorter in this because I would gladly hope there are none such here so wofully deserted of God as when they have received a new life that they should give up themselves desperately to walk in waies contrary to him Quest. 2. But now for the other question which is the lot of al the Saints of God I know there is no man heares me this day that hath any thing of the life of Christ in him but he carries a body of death about him whereby he is surprised one way or other or for want of sufficient strength he is overcome now such an one must know that when it is thus with him he hath a great reliefe by Christ Jesus his appearing at the right hand of God for him wherein lies that I wil open in four or five particulars with a very short application added Four conclusions I would set you downe about Christs being a reliefe to his Children against their daily corruptions their infirmities The first is 1. That Jesus Christ doth pitty in heauen he pities his Children under their sinful infirmities as much as any Parents pity their Children under their bodily infirmities that is the first That the Lord Christ who is their high Preist their suretie he hath compassion upon them in their infirmities and pitties them under them as Parents use to pittie their Children that lie under bodily infirmities no body I hope wil mistake me when I say pity I mean not such workings of bowels and passions in Heaven which we poor men are subject to upon earth but somewhat that is like to it somewhat that carries the thing in it and that you wil find cleerly in Scripture the Psalmist saith in Psalm 103. when he cals up himselfe to blesse the Lord there for al his goodnesse and tells us the Lord heals his infirmities surely he means his spiritual infirmities and there he blesseth God that pities them even as a Father pities his own Children And we have an high Priest saith the Apostle that cannot but compassionate our infirmities though he was without sin himselfe yet he hath a compassionate heart And there is one passage which if you will but read when you come at home it would give you abundance of satisfaction it is in Ezekiel 34. in the midst of the Chapter the Lord there quarrels with the wretched Shepeard that goared some of his Sheep and trod others under foot and killed some and fleeced some and when he comes to reckon with him he tels him that he would send the Lord Jesus and that he was the good Shepeard and what he
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
the nature of a corruption that can contribute to it No all that is in a corruption is deadly and poysonful and dishonorable to God but as one of the Fathers said of Adams fall Oh! happy fall that did obtain such a Redeemer So you will say happy are the People of God in the midst of their corruptions when the Lord Jesus doth them so much good by them Now if you will know what is the good he doth to them I acknowledg I want strength and time and you would want Patience if I should discourse of them at large I wil name but four Particulars and the naming of them wil confirm you in the truth of them if you compare them with the experiences of all Gods people The first is this 1. By the Corruptions that the Saints of God carry about them the Lord keeps them in a continual self-abhorrency which is the most excellent frame on this side Heaven I know what I speak that there is no frame of Spirit in this world so excellent as a self-abhorring Spirit taken but with the next branch that you shall hear of presently now nothing laies all Gods people so low as their corruptions I tell you if the Saints of God had all the afflictions in the world lay upon them were it not for their own corruptions they would rather be proud of their afflictions they are ready oft-times to murmur against God as David and Job were tempted to it I have walked with God in my integrity and simplicity and yet I must thus be made worse than others Oh! that would be grievous but now when the Soul is sensible of its own corruption dead heart unprofitable Spirit and the like then wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from it I say again nothing in the world keeps Gods people so low as their corruptions and that is a great gain Augustin had a Speech That God would rather allow Lust to keep his Grace humble than Grace to make his heart proud Oh! nothing so abasing as the relicks of corruption which exceedingly advantages Gods Children The Second Advantage is That as it makes us very low in our own eyes so 2· It wonderfully magnifies Christ Oh! it maketh Jesus Christ most precious nothing makes Christ so precious to the Saints of God as the Corruptions that they bear about them Nay I will add more that had Jesus Christ forty years ago done the work satisfied for sin and made me stand in Gods favor and now I had no more need of him I should quickly forget him As suppose a man had forfeited his estate and his Life forty years ago and some dear friend buys all and gives him all and sets him up again now forty years after he hath traded and grown Rich by his own Wit and strength surely he cannot but remember how he was beholding to that friend forty years ago I but he would never remember him so well as he would that friend that should do that every day for him I live upon his Table and Almes every day and yet he Loves me never a whit the less So when a Soul remembers I was a dead Man an enemy and Christ brought me and not only so but every day I forfeit all and grieve God and shall bring ruine upon my self mark how Paul concludes it in Rom. 7. when he said Oh wretched man Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death I thank God through Jesus Christ Oh! Christ Jesus his appearing it was dear to Paul Now here is a wonderful gain beyond all the Righteousness of this world if the Saints of God had in their course as much Righteousness as the glorified Saints in Heaven and the Angels in Heaven have it were not so glorious to God in this administration as a spirit that magnifies Christ and abaseth it self and this is wonderfully advanced by the reliques of corruption that we bear about us Thirdly Another great benefit is 3. Hereby doth the Lord temper his People to make them submit quietly to every bitter Cup the Lord gives them to drink Nothing makes the Soul so Patient under affliction so quiet in the loss of all other things nothing doth it like to this Oh! had I my deserts should the Lord mark mine iniquities it would not be the loss of a Child would serve my turn it would not be the clipping off of a piece of my estate it is mercy I am not destroyed nothing makes the Soul lay its hand quietly upon its mouth and quietly submit to every dispensation of God though never so bitter as the sence of corruption we daily bear about us And in the last place 4. Hereby doth the Lord wonderfully make his People long to be dissolved and get to Heaven where they may leave sinning against him for whatsoever carnal People may think there is nothing so grievous to the people of God as sinning against him and when they shal come to die when they shall put off mortality and leave off dishonoring his name it is more welcome to them then to be rid of afflictions and that made Paul long to be in Heaven because I know while I am in this Body I shal never be with the Lord as I should be but I long til that day shal come Now here is gain when that corruption those reliques of it abase thee and magnifie Christ and fit thee for every dispensation and make thee long to be at home with the Lord and I might add in the mean time make thee attend conscionably upon all the means that may bring thee to him and is not here wonderful gain So that you may see of what use the intercession of Christ is to al the Saints in the middest of all their sinful infirmities that they bear about them I will now dismiss you presently with two short Uses of it First USE 1. This Lesson if truly understood for I know it wil be a hard thing to keep wicked men from laying hands upon it but I think Gods mind is that his own Servants should have their portion whosoever abuse it but here they may have a constant relief against that which is their greatest burden I am sure of it if thou beest the Lords no burden like thy corruptions and thy other afflictions would be easily born by thee if so be corruptions did not aggravate them in thy own apprehensions Now if the world were given thee it would not be such a succor as this to thee when thou canst say in all thy wandrings Oh! I have talked with many a Soul Oh! never such an unprofitable wretch as I saith one I think no one hath such a forgetful head as I saith another and none have such impetuous affections as I saith another Oh! but doest thou remember that he is at Gods right hand that gave himself for thee and in an acceptable day carries thee home and carries thee stil in his bosom how he appears for thee every day
in the midst of all thy corruptions if thou didst know it it would engage thee to joy and to every thing that is Holy and Good the Lord set it home to the hearts of his people and teach them to apply it to their own Souls in secret And then Secondly USE 2. 2. I say to you all from hence All of you learn what need there is of getting an interest in Jesus Christ for that is the end of my Sermon To perswade you to see the need that you have of getting an interest in Jesus Christ. Would you know why I wil tel you Al the sins that you commit as you wil commit sins every day you live but all the sins that you commit are all writ down in Gods Book he numbers your steps though you number them not your selves he hath your iniquities in a Bag and the day is coming when he wil cal every one of you to an account and now Friends what if you have not a Daies-man or a Mediator to appear for you I remember Ely said Oh my Sons if men sin against men men shal speak for them but who shall speak betwixt the Soul and God So you have committed innumerable sins and your own hearts and Consciences tel you more than any man can charge you with How wil you do to appear before God What if you have not a Mediator the Lord Jesus that is a Propitiation for our sins What a woful case are you in Take heed you do not imbrace a Cloud but study Christ and get found Faith in him and if Christ be yours you are secure but look to it or your case is dangerous I dare not stay you any longer The Lord give us understanding in all things FINIS THE HIGH PRIVILEDG Of all True BELIEVERS To be the SONS of GOD. Opened in a Sermon at Suttons Hospital Novemb. 12. 1654. John 1.12 13. But as many as received Him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that beleeve in his Name Which were Born not of Blood Nor of the will of the Flesh Nor of the will of Man But of God THe dependance of the Words stands thus First You have in the beginning of the Chapter a most glorious Description of Jesus Christ both of his person and of his Natures and of his Office under the Name of the Light that inlighteneth every one that cometh into the World Then Secondly You have a description of his Entertainment in the World when this great Lord submitted to this work and manifested himself What was his entertainment First He came into the world and though the world were made by him Yet the world would not know him he came amongst his own that is his own nation and kinred who had been instructed about a Messiah that was to come and had long prayed for him Oh! that he would bow the Heavens and come down amongst us he came amongst them and they would none of him they would not receive him Truly this is the ordinary lot of Jesus Christ wheresoever he cometh but yet there were a remnant that did receive him and shal receive him even those that belong to the Covenant of Grace And what get they by it That Remnant that handful that do receive Christ make the best bargain that ever was made in the world As many as did receive him to them he gave this priviledg that they should become the Sons of God and so here you have the comprehension of all the happiness that Beleevers do receive by Jesus Christ they are made the Sons of God so that the Text hath two things in it First 1. Here is the Means whereby Souls are made partakers of Christ that is upon receiving of him that is the means and condition or instrument All that receive him which is interpreted in the next words even they who believed in him Believing in Christ and Receiving Christ is al one This though it be a Doctrine of wonderfull comfort I shall speak nothing of it but of the second That is 2. The benefit that they all receive who do partake of Christ what they get by him They all of them have this priviledg or Prerogative That they are made the Sons of God and so without any more preparation to the Text or explication for the Doctrine I will explain in the handling of it I say without any more preface I lay you down this Doctrine Doct. That al who believe in Jesus Christ are made the Sons of God the Children of God And that you may receive this with better attention I will to make you the better understand the Lord's scope answer a Question that is this Quest. You say it is very cleer in the Scriptures that al Beleevers are made the Children of God that is one of their Priviledges but what is the reason that no more is named but that one They are Justified they are Sanctified they have the Promises they are Reconciled they have a thousand excellencies in this world yet here is none named but only this they are made Sons Why is no other named but this Answ. I Answer plainly and it will be of great use to understand it namely that though somtimes in the holy Scriptures our Sonship is but one of our Priviledges yet very frequently in the Scripture all that Beleevers do obtain from Christ in this world and the world to come here and to eternity all is comprehended in this one That they are made the Children of God Really you wil see it as cleer as the Sun presently that God comprehends all other priviledges in this one that he that hath this one he that is made the Son of God he hath all other that can be imagined or that you can find any Speech of in al the Book of God so great is this And I wil give you a little light about it and then you wil receive the Doctrine I hope with the more attention and with the more desire to see your own Interest in it You shal see and observe it as a general that very frequently when the Lord describeth the Covenant of Grace the new Covenant what he wil be to his people in the new Covenant he is very frequent in the setting down of this I wil be their Father saith he and they shall be my Sons and Daughters I know not how often the whol Covenant of Grace is expressed in that word I wil be their Father they shal be my Children but very cleerly you shal see it if you turn to Ephes. 1.5 where the Apostle doth bless the Lord for all the abundant Grace that is manifested to us in Christ there he sets it down in this one expression having predestinated us to the adoption of Children What is al that Al the Graces al the Good that we enjoy from Christ you have it in this one Sentence God predestinated us to the adoption of Children he hath done all when he hath
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
of Gods love he wil interpret every thing wel that God doth to him and he will then trust him and then fear him when he is but perswaded of his love and therefore learn this Lesson here is love indeed here is love the like was never heard of that the Lord should rear poor Worms and let such a work pass upon them to make them the Sons of God That is one collection that therefore the love of God is wonderful great unto those that do beleeve in him And Secondly I have but one Collection more that I will give you at this time and that is this 2. Hence it follows That they who beleeve in Jesus Christ are exalted to the highest dignity that any Creature is capable of that as here is a magnifyng of Gods love to them so here is a magnifying of their State That I hence collect that there are no People under the Heavens Nay let me ad not in the Heavens there are no Creatures so highly exalted as Beleevers and why Because they are the Sons and Daughters of God not in a name only not metaphorically as all the Creatures are but really God hath the heart the Bowels of a Father to them and they the hearts of Children Yea the State Adoption of Children the greatest exaltation that is in this world I remember what David said when some of his Courtiers came to him told him of Sauls good opinion of him to give him his Daughter and wished him to be thankful for it Oh! but saith he is it a smal thing in your eyes for a man of so mean a stock as I am to be made the Son in law of a King So if there be any Beleever here that thy heart tels thee that thou acceptest of Christ to be thy Savior that his Spirit hath laid hold upon thee Is it a smal thing in thy eyes that thou art really the Child of God Is there any thing in Heaven and Earth to compare with it I remember David in 1 Chron. 17. when he had Nathan came to him with a message from God and told him to this purpose saith he I wil raise up thy Child after thee and I will set him upon thy Throne and I wil be his Father and he shal be my Son and thus I wil do to thee David could not hold but runs and sits him down reverently before the Lord Oh Lord saith he who am I What comparison is there Wilt thou be my Father and the Father of my Child Is it true Lord Can this be Oh! it so amazed him that God should be his Father Oh! could we think of it I beseech you tel me to which of the Angels said God at any time thou art my Son he saith to the poorest Beleever in the world thou art my Son It is not only a name that expresseth good wil but a state and condition that the Lord hath set him in so that I dare boldly say I will draw to a Conclusion with it but I would have you study it when you are at home I dare boldly affirm that the meanest Beleever though as we say in the Country he go with his Flail or a Rake or as you wil say in the City he carries the Tankard the meanest Beleever that hath Christ for his Lord and Savior he is exalted to a higher condition than Ahasuerus was when he was made the Emperor of a hundred twenty seven Provinces for let them take al the Pomp Wealth State that is in this world let them have it all if they have not Christ God looks upon them as Satans slaves and over a few daies they wil perish among the Dogs I mean among the Devils be base and be miserable for ever wheras the poorest servant of God that believeth in Christ the Lord tenders him as his first born O! I would fain if it were Gods wil that Gods People would lay this to heart it would comfort them against all the Scorns and Reproaches of the world It is with many of Gods People as it was with Christ when he was upon Earth when he was called King How was he jeered for it Art thou a King saith Pilat when he had a seamless Coat on and bound with Halters belike you are a King So they are ready to jeer the Children of God belike you are the Childrdren of God I let them scorn I have read of Princes that when for some ends they could be strangers from their own Countries a while they could bear the Scorns and Jeers of People but when I am at home I am known what I am So a poor Child of God may say I go in a russet Coat and have never a penny of Mony in my purse and undergo many afflictions and troubles Wel but God is my Father and the very thought of the dignity that God hath exalted him to will make him quietly and contentedly undergo all the afflictions of this world These are but general Collections had I time to enter into the Particulars to shew what Gods Children by Adoption are delivered from Sin and the Law and what they are instated into under his Family under his Provision Protection and the like truly I might set that before you that if a man could hold to it by Faith and the Lords spirit help him to apply it to his heart he would live comfortably here al his daies FINIS FAITH THE ONLY MEANS Spiritually to FEED on CHRIST Opened in a Sermon at Mary le Bow November 12. 1654. JOHN 6.53 54 55 56. Then said Jesus unto them Verily verily I say unto you Except ye Eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day For my Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in Him I Read all these verses because they all hold out one and the same Doctrine though in a little different phrases That you may the better understand the scope of our blessed Savior in these words know that the occasion of it was this Christ having the day before fed the Bodies of many thousands who attended upon his ministry The rumor of this flying abroad the next day great multitudes thronged after him again and Christ knowing what lay at the bottom of the heart told them plainly they sought him for carnal ends because they had eat of the Loaves and were filled but that was not the end of his coming into the world to fil their Bellies No there was better food that he was willing to give all that had an appetite after it and thereupon that I may not stay you fals into a most divine discourse of his own being sent out of the bosome of his Father to be the Bread of life to al who did thirst
how the time is gone nor how burdensom I may be to you and although this was all the use I intended when I prepared this Sermon for this place yet since I finished it there is brought somwhat to my hands that doth enable me to make another use of it at least of one branch of it and I beseech you give attention to it and I have done I am informed that it is one of the ends of this grave honorable and solemn meeting of the Magistracy of the City and of this holy service to promote a work of Mercy and Charity towards the poor of the several Hospitals to let the wel affected be acquainted how things are and what may be expected or desired from them and that I may do it in a few words have patience but while I read this short paper to you and then I shal spend a little more of my Theam about it and then I have done Here is a true report c Thus Beloved I have read over this paper and I think I shal not need to tell you how it fals within my Theam I told you that one special branch of Self denial is to resign up all that we have of Wealth Lands Mony Trades Parts Abilities to resign them up to Christ to serve him with them to lay them out in the way that he wil appoint Now your hearts could not wish for a way more cleer and evident for the testifying your being good Stewards for Christ than in owning the present business that hath been read to you and to make it good I wil say but these two things in a few words First 1. That of al the Services of al kind of Services that ever we can do for Christ next to the saving our souls the work of Mercy and Compassion to People is most accepted with him that that himself wil most own in the great day when there shal not a cup of cold water go unrewarded that ever hath been given for his sake I am confident you so frequently hear of the excellency of the work of mercy and bounty to the poor that I shal not need to spend any more time to commend it to you only I pray you to think of it 2. But the other thing that I would commend to you is this and I beseech you beleeve I would not willingly flatter but according to the best information that ever I could obtain There is no such Treasury in the Christian world no such Banck where a man might promise what he doth to be faithfully and wisely and most advantagiously laid out as in this Treasury of the honorable City of London and the Governors of these Hospitals I have often heard for I am but an ignorant man my self in the affairs of this City Godly men and wise men often say that had they any Hospitals to erect any sums of mony were it a hundred thousand pounds that they would promise themselves to be laid out so that it should not go into private mens purses or be given to Vagrants and Knaves but to the halt and the lame that have need of it they have professed they would put it into the hands of those that are the Governors of the Hospitals about London where things are done in such a way that setting aside such frailties as al humane affairs are suhject to in the generality they are above making personal gains but desire only to be faithful Stewards and therefore if God do put it in any of your hearts that you would shew your self-denial and would indeed make Christ beholding to you as he will be pleased to cal himself your Debtor know that such things as these are very fit objects for your thoughts And the Lord of Heaven direct you about it I dare stay you no longer FINIS THE SAINTS DUTY To keep their HEARTS In a GOOD FRAME Opened in a Sermon at Olaves Silverstreet November 9. 1654. PROVERBS 4.23 Keep thy Heart with all Dilligence or as it is chiefly read Keep thy Heart with all keepings for out of it are the Issues of Life IN most of the Chapters of this Book of the Proverbs there is no connection of one verse with another that one should give light or help to clear the other but they are as a multitude of excellent Pearls put into a large Box whereof every one singly is of a very great price and it is thought by many that they were but so many sentences that King Solomon did utter usually when he sate in judicature according as the cause or condition was that was heard before him so there was a divine sentence in the Lips of the King and the Lord in his good providence and love to his Church hath recorded them to be for instruction for his People to the end of the world and amongst them al if you go from one end of the book to the other if it be lawful to make comparisons I may freely say there is not one Pearl of greater price one sentence of more divine use than this that I have read to you and shal endeavor God willing to open as far as I can within the compass of an hour and in it there are these two things plainly laid down Here is first 1. A Duty enjoyned to all the Lords Children in these words Keep thy heart above al keeings Secondly 2. Here is an Argument to enforce to this Duty in these words for out of it are the issues of life 1. And in the Duty there are likewise two things First 1. Here is the subject matter the thing that is to be done and that is Keep thy heart Secondly 2. Here is the manner how it must be done and that is as we translate it with al diligence Keep thy heart with all diligence or above all keepings keep thy heart Now give me leave briefly to interpret the meaning of the words and then I will put it all into one instruction which I will endeavor to handle in this hour First 1. What is meant by the heart And 2. Keeping the heart And 3. Keeping it above all Keepings And so 4. Of the issues of life that flow from it Let me give you a brief interpretation of each of them 1. What doth Solomon mean by the heart here that must be kept No doubt it is not meant of the heart made of flesh that is in the midst of our bodies it is spiritually meant that no man doubts of Now take the heart spiritually and somtimes in the holy Scripture the heart is put for the whol soul somtimes it is put for the understanding faculty somtimes it is put for the memory somtimes it is put for the Conscience sometimes it is put for the Wil sometimes for one or two Affections it were endless to give you the instances of all these but here is a Key in the Text which will tel you what is meant here for without question that is meant by the Heart here that is
you shal find this That when all their infirmities as many of them had many gross ones and grievous ones when they were all reckoned up if this were but added but his heart was with God his heart was upright with God that was a Salvo for all the other he never broke with any of them or cast them off if so be their hearts were but with him in the midst of al other weaknesses and infirmities if they could but say as Hezekiah Lord remember that amongst all my weaknesses my heart hath been with thee there was Gods content And on the other side Let the performances be never so glorious or in things never so much commended or never so much delighted by the Lord the duties of his Worship and Ordinances if God did but say of them This they did but their hearts were not with God Nevertheless his heart was not upright with God that signified the Lord threw it all away as rubbish stuf that he took no pleasure in the wnrld in So then because that it is the Lord that looks at the heart and if he have that he hath all he hath so much as contents him and never breaks for the want of any thing else as you shal see further anon because where the heart is the best they have wil be brought out therefore above all we should keep that That is a third ground The Lord looks at that above all others therefore we should keep it above all others Then Fourthly which I need but name 4. The Devil who is our Adversary and the Lords Adversary and goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking how he may devour all his assaults and batteries are at the heart and he counts all his labor lost if he do not get into the heart if he gets that he gets the Cittadel that wil command all the rest and if he be kept out or cast out there he himself counts he hath nothing therfore he saith he wil enter into Judas's heart he wil fil Annanias's heart he labors to set up his Throne and his Dominion in the heart of the Children of disobedience that is his great endeavor Now then when we are called home to the Lord we give our selves up to him to fight his battels and where we know the Enemy wil most assault certainly our care should be most to watch If the good man of the house knew at what hour the thief would come he would watch if he knew what part of the house he would assault he would watch that most of all Now Satans whol endeavor though I confess that by his good wil he would not let the Lord have a good word out of the mouth of any of his People nor of any People in the world nor the bending of a knee if it lay in his power but he wil afford that so he may have but the heart and if he can but any waies batter the heart or discompose the heart or bring it out of frame he wil not greatly be troubled at all other formalities they give to God Now because Satan doth so extreamly lay his battery there surely the servants of God should above all keepings with all diligence keep that That is a Fourth ground Fiftly Another that is of equal force is this 5. The Heart even the heart of a Godly man it must be kept above Keepings with all diligence because in truth it is not to be trusted No not the heart of the best man living in the world it is deceitful it is false it is cozenig it is treacherous not that the new heart is so but our heart is renewed but in part and though it be made a Garison for Jesus Christ where our Treasures are kept yet that Garison hath a great many false enemies that lodg within it It were endless for me to explain this sufficiently in so short a time as is fit for me now to speak you know where the Scripture saith that the heart of man of an unconverted man in Jerem. 17.9 It is deceitful above all things it is desperately wicked so desperately wicked and deceitful that none but the God of Heaven can search into the bottome of it the deceitfulness of a mans heart goes as deep as Hel that no plum-line wil go to the bottom of it Now when the Lord plants Grace in any of his Children and brings in some integrity some sincerity yet there remains a woful tang of their former falshood and treachery that was in it before any Grace was brought in and if it be not wel kept and wel looked too the old deceits wil quickly so get up again that all wil be put most wofully out of temper upon a sudden Should I but give you the instances that the Scripture hath left upon record of some of the choycest Servants of God how they have been lamentably befoyled when they have but a little trusted their own hearts and not had a sâ—ickt watch and ward going along with it you would hardly beleeve it That holy Apostle Peter how did he trust his heart when our Lord and Savior asked him whether he would stick to him when he was in danger Lord saith he I wil die with thee and hang with thee if thou beest in danger and he beleeved it and little knew what danger lay in the bottom and David he would not countenance any one that was wicked but when he trusted his heart it led him to Murther and Adultery and Dissembling And abundance of others that when they have but a little beleeved their own hearts the best of Gods Children have found so much that I may say of all the Saints living what Solomon saith in Prov. 28. He is a Fool that trusteth his heart he that trusteth his heart that wil beleeve it No if it be not throughly searched and throughly looked too as Solomon saith of an enemy Beleeve him not though he give the fair words there are seven abominations in his heart So I may say to a Child of God that hath set Christ and Grace and Gods Glory the highest in his heart Beleeve not thy heart there are seven abominations lie in it that if it be not very wel looked to it wil lay thee in the ditch it will bring thee into woful inconveniences Now then as you know in a Garison if so be that we would keep a Garison if there be impetuous enemies without if the Rampires and Wals be strong the Guard may be a little secure but when they know there are a hundred false enemies within their wals that watch for any opportunity to open some postern Gate or other to set fire upon the City to make way for the enemy to come in they are mad that think that it wil be kept without al diligence So that because of the deceitfulness and treachery of our hearts we must therefore keep them with all diligence in the world Lastly to give one more and that is that which my
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
are of the Lords own teaching ever study that Lesson for as for others they love and like their hearts wel that when they are convinced of every thing else in the world they will boast of their heart that that is right but when a man can say as Hezekiah said to God Oh Lord remember I pray thee that I have with an upright heart sought thee as if he should have said If I could have done thee more service I would I would have prayed better and beleeved better and been more active but thou hast had my heart the Soul that can say so the Lord would answer it even as David said to the Lord in 1 Chron. 29. Oh! Lord saith he I know that thou lovest the heart when he had offered up an Oblation he and his People Oh Lord saith he I know thou regardest the heart and hast pleasuere in uprightness as for me in the uprightness of my heart I have sought thee So when thou shalt say Father my memory is weak my utterance bad my temptations strong and my corruptions great I can deny none of these but the Lord knows he hath my heart could I get it in a better frame I had rather see it in a better frame than have the estate of an Emperor Where there is a willing mind it is an excellent Speech of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 8. in the point of Alms and I wil give you an instance in that that you may make of it in a hundred other things when he would stir them up to contribute he saith where there is a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not as if he should have said The Lord hath given me a heart I like this cause so wel I would willingly give twenty shillings to this cause but I am not able to give above a penny Hast thou a willing mind to give more thou art accepted according to what thou hast The liberal gift is but the work of Gods Providence the willing mind is the work of Gods Grace The same wil run throughout all duties go to prayer one man hath such an utterance conception working fancy can speak admirably to the affecting of all but these are but gifts and parts and if he hath an humble broken heart goes with it there is Spirit too but it may be another poor Soul that joyneth in the Duty that can hardly speak a few words of sense together but God knows if they could pray if they could pour out their souls if they could wrastle with God they had rather do it than any thing else in the world that is the work of prayer the other is but the work of common gifts that is for the edification of others therefore know this all of you we poor creatures deal with men and it is almost impossible but we value men according to their parts a man whom God enableth with parts and gifts to edifie others especially if there be Grace in his Heart too he is measured by the value of his parts by all men God goes not by that value No that Soul that takes most care about his Heart give me a Woman a handmaid that wrestles more in secret that she may bring her wil to Gods wil and may love and hate nothing but what God loves and hates find such an one out they are Gods choice ones and his Jewels therfore be not discouraged for the want of any thing while you can say The great God that knows al knows my great study is about my Heart I will conclude this use with a speech I have often heard of one Mr. Banes a man that was indeed an excellent emminent Man for any thing that was good and not long before he died some friends were with him in his Library it was an excellent one and they fel a commending of it I saith he There they stand but the Lord knows that for many years last past I have studied my Heart more then my Books Oh! There was a study give me a Scholler that can say I study my Heart more then my Book I study my Heart more then my Shop-book I study my Heart more then my Counting-House I study my Heart more then a Bargain that it may be pure and Holy this Man is a blessed Man and Woman that hath but attained this and then Lastly the last Use that I would make and I wil but even name it is this USE 3. I beseech you therefore for the time to come will you all make this your study You have heard it is a dangerous Heart you bear about you whatsoever you are that think you may be most secure of your heart you are but Fools to trust it and your Conversation wil be as your heart is remember all the Arguments I gave you and let it prevail with you for the time to come to enter into this serious study how you may keep it in a good frame continually and this now would have been an Introduction to the second Question for this is sufficient to prove that it ought to be so But now the next is Quest. Wherein stands the keeping of the heart in a good frame It is true I confess it is comfortable to hear of the general endeavor of it but what are the rules and directions the Servants of God should attend to when they would keep their hearts in so good a frame that it may be such a Temple of the Holy Ghost for the Lord to delight in Answ. That is too great a Question in truth to handle in a little time only these two or three things I would say in general before I dismiss you As First 1. There is no talking it is not for any man living ever to talk of keeping his heart in a good frame until first the Lord have broken it to pieces and new molded it that is for certain while the heart is as we come into the world as we are in a state of nature the wildest Beast under Heaven will be easilier tamed than the heart of a man wil ever be ordered It is just as a Bel that hath a crack throughout al the Bel-founders in the Town Country they may hew it and chip it and scurfe it and I know not what they wil never make it sound right til it be choped a pieces and new cast So I say the heart of man is by nature so forlorn so ful of wickedness so utterly destitute of all good that if all the Teachers and Tutors under Heaven had it to work to bring a man up and make him right til God take away the heart of stone and regenerate him and give him a new heart there is no talking of ever keeping it in a good frame Therefore if you be not throughly grounded in it get your heart knocked in pieces the first thing you do pray God Almighty to break it through break it down break it up
and then when the Lord hath broke it and new shot it that he hath given you an interest in Christ and the Spirit of Christ is become a new life to you then you are fitted to this Duty but til the Lord hath wrought that in you all other talk is to no purpose therefore your first work must be to get such a heart as is capable of this for every one is not Then Secondly 2. When the Lord hath done so then for the keeping of it in a good frame all the directions though there be very many of them yet I think they may be all brought to these two heads The one is 1. Keep the heart pure keep it pure from sin from the defilement that wil daily grow upon it if it be not wel kept from the stirrings of corruption either to keep them down that they do not stir or when they do stir to get them dayly washed off by the blood of Christ. And then the other is 2. As to keep it pure from sin so to keep it fit for Duty tuned and prepared for the several Duties the word is large and through Gods mercy your instructions are many and whosoever is willing may have constant directions to guide him in all these FINIS THE LIFE OF CHRIST OR THE Great Mystery OF SPIRITUAL LIFE Opened and applied in several Sermons at Olaves Silverstreet Octob. 27. 1653. Gal. 2. part of verse 20. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me now follows that which I shal more insist upon and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me THE Dependance of these words with the former briefly stands thus The Holy Ghost having decried the Law as that which is utterly unable to give life and set up the justification of a sinner only from Gods Free Grace in making over unto him the Righteousness of Christ having I say asserted this great fundamental Doctrine of our Christian Religion wherein the Galatians were begun to be tainted he then comes to answer the common Cavil which not only the Papists but too many among our selves do charge this Doctrine withal namely That it is but a door to al licenciousness and doth take off the rains from any man and give him an occasion to be bold in wickedness for if our righteousness cannot justifie us nor our unrighteousness condemn us but the righteousness of Christ is accepted for us and in him we are compleat without any thing of our own who would not take liberty to indulge himself in such fleshly courses as are agreeable to his nature Now against this the Apostle opposeth several things as arguments to prove that this cannot be a consequence of this Doctrine to a man that rightly understands it Justification by free Grace wil never be a temptation to a man to a sinful life and one Argument is All Pauls Ministry tended to beat down a wicked life and do they think he would come to build up that which he had pulled down that were an absurd thing Secondly The very end of our Justification by Christ is quite contrary to it for saith he through the Law I am dead indeed to the Law but it is that I might live to God as if he should have said It is true that the right understanding of the impossibility of a sinners keeping the Law wil beat down in him al thoughts of ever obtaining any life by the Law he wil be dead as to look for justification or acceptance that way but it is that he might live to God that is the very end of it that he might live to God that is another argument and that being the very end that God aims at it is impossible that the quite contrary of it should flow from the Lords own appointment Then Thirdly Every man that doth but partake of Jesus Christ he is crucified with him and he instances in himself I am crucified with Christ when Jesus Christ hung upon the Cross and there by vertue of his death did kil sin and by vertue of his resurrection hath opened a way to a new life when I partake of Christ I have an interest in this I die with him and am buried with him therefore it is impossible that looking for life by Christ should make a man live a wicked life And Fourthly Which he brings in by way of Answer to a tacite Objection Are you crucified do we not see you are alive Yes I live indeed but in truth more properly I may say it is not I that live but it is Christ Jesus that lives in me by vertue of my interest in him my whol life flows from him and that life that I live in this life that is in this fleshly Tabernacle it is the life of Christ and the way how I live it is by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me And so I have brought you to my Text and in the words without any further interpretation save what you shal have in handling the Doctrine there are these Two Doctrines cleerly laid down The first is That every soul that hath an Interest in Christ while he is in this world it is Christ that lives in him While we live in this flesh in this world the life that we live it is Christs life Christ lives it we do not only when we accept of Christ beleeve in him to be saved by him when we go out of this world and trust al the daies of our life that when this life endeth he hath a better life for us in store that is not al but when we accept of Jesus Christ we so accept him that his life is communicated to us and while we are in this world we live that life That is the first Doctrine That all the Lords people while they live in this world they live Christs life The Second is That the modus vivendi the manner of their living this life in this world it is by faith We shal live the life of Christ to Eternity but when that moment of Eternity cometh faith shal have no hand in it but the life we now live while we are in the flesh it is the grace of faith by which we live it Just as I may express my meaning for I shal not handle that Doctrine as take it of an Infant As soon as ever the body and soul are but joyned together that it is made a living soul it is the life of a man that it lives but while it is in the mothers womb the manner of living is by the navel the navel-string conveyeth al to it when it comes into the world that is cut there is no more use of it and then it lives another way So while we are in this world though we live the life of Christ yet Faith is as it were our navel-string
it draws and receives al from him when we are transplanted into another world that way of living ceaseth and we enjoy God in Christ immediatly These two Doctrines lie in the Text the first of them with the Lords assistance I shal spend one hour in endeavoring to cleer it to you and to make some use of it That all that do receive Jesus Christ even in this world they live his life I live but it is Christ that lives in me and the life that I live in this flesh I live it by the faith of the Son of God Now to make a little way to it That al the Saints live Christs life the life of Christ I would not have you expect that I would spend any part of my hour in a Phylosophical Discourse about the Nature of Life in general No let this suffice That you shal find in the Scripture a two fold Life of man spoke of The one is This present natural life which we al live which we receive from Adam I speak not of the corruption of our Nature but the first man was a living soul that is he was an animal man a man endewed with a reasonable soul and al that come from him have that life which is nothing but the union of the body and soul together and those motions and operations that are in us are acted in us by vertue of that union and this the Scripture somtimes cals the natural man the natural life the animal man as who should say the man endewed with a soul the happiness of whom is to enjoy a soul-life and this life it is somtimes called the present life somtimes called the bodily life the life of man and this life al that proceed from Adam do live in al Ages and parts of the world and to the upholding and beautifying and accommodating of this life are al mens labors and their studies and the good things of this world they are naturally al subservient to it every thing parted with rather than part with it Skin for skin and all that a man hath wil he give for this life Now that there is such a life no man doubts of it But then Secondly The Scripture speaks of another Life and so you shal see my Text leads to it he speaks of another life which is a spiritual life which flows from the second Adam that as the first Adam was a living soul and communicates a living soul to al that come from him the second Adam is a quickning spirit and communicates a quickning spirit to al that come from him that is the Life that my Text leads me to speak of and this Life before I come to speak further of it the Scripture somtimes cals the new Creature somtimes cals it the Life of Christ as in my Text somtimes cals it the Life of God not only because God is the Author of it for so he is of the other Life but because in a sound sense it is the life that he himself lives their Life being but an Image of his Life this is called Eternal Life this is that that is the end and fruit of al Christs undertakings Now this Life this Spiritual Life this Life of Christ this new Life this Eternal Life it is that that I now come to endeavor to demonstrate to you that al the Lords people live this Life while they are in this world Now there are Two things that my purpose is to treat upon in the Doctrinal part of it before I come to the Application but before I come to either of them both I wil crave your leave to set down three or four Propositions that are but preparatory to it I wil not handle them for they would take up too much of the time but to name them is requisite it shal be a kind of inlet or preparation to it The one is That this spiritual Life that the Saints do live no natural men have any understanding of it not any real understanding of it he doth not know the things of God nor can he they are spiritually discerned and therefore if it should prove a Riddle to many of you you may have cause to suspect your condition but not to suspect the truth of the Doctrine Yea Secondly I premise that men may be in the Church live in the Church and have admirable learning and admirable abilities to judg of al other things that fal under humane Capaâ—â—ty yet not be able to look upon this any otherwise than as a meer whimsie or a dark riddle Nicodemus who was a Doctor a Pharisee a Ruler an honest man according to his principles he had been trained up under yet when he comes to Christ to know the way to Heaven he tels him al his other righteousness was nothing if he be not born again and have a new life he could never come into the Kingdom of God What is this saith he this was as dark to him as if he should enter into his Mothers womb and be born again when he is an old man Therefore stil think not that if you be Scholars or wise men or learned men you must needs have the capacity of it though the vulgar cannot No if the Lord give you not a share in it you wil never understand it Thirdly I premise this That there is a double knowledg of this Life The One is Only a notional knowledg the Theory to be able to conceive that there is such a thing and to be able to talk of it and to reason about it And There is another knowledg of it that is experimental and practical and real and convincing Now the notional knowledg I confess by the common Light that accompanies the Ministry of the Word may break in upon some men but for the experimental real inward knowledg of it they wil stil be strangers to it Yea I would premise this also That while we are in this world none living understand this Life none not only natural men unconverted men but the wisest holiest graciousest men that live in this world never come to have any other than some gatherings they have some real knowledg I hope I shal make good to you but for a ful clear understanding of it it is not attainable in this world no more than as our Lord speaks of the wind that we hear the noise of it but understand not where it rises nor when it wil end and no marvel that it be not thus intelligible Because Partly from the depth of the things themselves they are the operations of the spirit of God And Partly from the weakness and corruption of our faculties and understandings which in truth know nothing perfectly No man doth understand how his own bones were framed in his mothers womb and the things that are before our eyes not a man living is able to decipher the life of a Pismire or a Butterfly therefore much less must you think to be able to comprehend this for this
I note to prevent a discouragement if any soul should not be able to go along with a man in every thing nor understand every thing it may be an argument to humble thee but not to discourage thee only I shal ad this in the last place They that live this Life the poorest weakest simplest of al that are numbred amongst the Lords people though others may be able to dispute of it better than they and to speak of it to the edification of others better than they yet they that live this life know more of it than al the world besides I only give you these little things beforehand Now I come to the Two things that I promised to treat of The one is I will first prove it cleerly to you out of the Scripture that there is such a Life a spiritual Life a Life of Christ which al who receive Christ live while they are in this world demonstrate the truth of it that there is such a Life Secondly I wil then a little more fully endeavor to discover to you what this Life is and wherein it stands and I do not doubt but if the Lord help me in it the things I shal deliver wil be not only useful in some kind but very comfortable to the Lords people First then The thing that I promised to endeavor the demonstration of it is That there is such a Life besides the Life of eating and drinking and putting on of Apparel and buying and selling and enjoyment of these corporal things there is a Life that is a higher degree of living wherein men are taken up above the life that other people live that there is such a Life and I wil tel you why I undertake to prove this Because as natural men do not understand it so out of the pride of their hearts disdaining that there should be any happiness that the poor creatures enjoy which they themselves cannot understand thereupon they beleeve that there is no such thing and I am confident that most people that live when they hear men talk of the Life of God and the Life of Christ and a new Life a supernatural Life a spiritual Life they look upon it as a meer juggle partly in the Ministers to make the world beleeve that they know more than others do and the simple people that follow them that they may have somwhat to cloke their fantasticalness they give it out but for the thing there is no such matter this men beleeve and the rather because it is a hidden life and hidden both under the poverty and weakness of those that have it and many times hidden under their Infirmities and corruptions that break out which maketh them look like other men and so men force upon themselves and nourish in themselves a conceit that though some it may be may be honester men than others and stricter and devouter and the like yet this is but a little chipping and he wing of the life that other men live and can live as they do if they had a mind to it but as for a life by another principle and Rule and to have other manner of operations than the Life of the rest of the world they abominate the admitting of it into their understandings and I am perswaded this is that that hardens abundance of people that they never look after nor suspect their own condition therefore I say I would now prove to you that there is such a life which the Saints do live and instead of turning you to many particular Scriptures to prove it I wil give you these Four Arguments out of the Scripture which you shal in reading the Scripture find frequently proved to your observation Four Arguments to prove that there is such a Life that is a higher degree of living and another kind of Life than the rest of the world live The one is The comparison between the two Adams Jesus Christ is to al those to whom he is a Root as Adam was to al to whom he was a Root For it is worth your observing that the Scripture speaks but of two Adams from the beginning of the world to the end of it two Men the First Man and the Second Man because they two only were Roots that others do partake of either which they spring from or are grafted into Now the first Man Adam God made him a living soul and of a living soul is he the Root of all us that is that natural rational life that all men in the world have the first Adam he was the Root of it which communicates it Now Jesus Christ is to al us the Second Adam and the Lord made him not only the Lord from Heaven to rule all that should be under him but to be a quickning spirit that as the natural men follow their stock so al that partake of Jesus Christ must follow their Stock and consequently must partake of his Life as the branches of the first Adam do of his Life That is one Argument and pray weigh it for if it please God anon I shal come to examine whether you have that Life or no. Secondly The second Argument I give is this The Scripture holds it out as the proper end of Jesus Christs undertaking his work to give life to al that come to him that upon their coming to him he should give them life I am come that my sheep might have life that they might have it in abundance and herein appeared the love of God that he gave his only begotten Son that we might live by him He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life Now were there no other life than what all natural men live this were an absurd argument and a poor I may speak it with reverence undertaking Suppose I should go visit and ride a Journey of many hundred miles and lay down my life and part with my estate For what end That the party for whom I do it might have have a house that hath a house already why should I do this if there were not another house than that which he dwels in Or why should I go that he might have health that is well without my undertaking if there were not another health besides that So were there not another life to what end should Jesus Christ make that the undertaking of his life and death and burial and communicate life if there were not another Life than the rest of the world live Thirdly Cleerly you wil find this and very frequent in the Scripture that all the world are said to be dead til they come to Jesus Christ all the world are said to be dead rich or poor sickly or healthful yong or old they are al dead Now it is apparent that they are not dead as to their natural life that needeth no confutation to say of this Assembly that they are dead men when they live and move and breath and talk and do all the actions
in our stead and made over to us in the Covenant of Grace That is one Righteousness Secondly There is another Righteousness of Christ which is not only inherent in himself but is communicated to us so that it is wrought in us which is the righteousness of our Sanctification and it is that branch of our spiritual Life that this Text aims at for he did assert the other our quickning from the guilt of sin in al the former part of his discourse Now that no wretch may abuse it and say that then we may continue vassals to sin he proves it that Christs righteousness is communicated to us that is Christs Grace is infused into our souls and that is made up of these three things and I conceive there is nothing else in it but these three things The one is The Spirit of Jesus Christ that holy Spirit of Jesus Christ is communicated to Beleevers to dwel in them to be in them a principle of a new Life Secondly This holy spirit poured into the soul works in them in al the faculties of the soul those gracious dispositions wherein the Image of God stands which is light in the understanding freedom in the will love and fear and joy that is the turning of al these affections or passions to their right object habitually disposing them turning the bent of the heart from sin to God And then the third is This self same spirit that plants in them these Graces abides in them to excite them and stir them up and draw them out in their whol course to think and speak and do the things which in a kind of natural way flow from these inward principles and are a conformity to the Will of God and thereupon al the love of the Saints to God and one to another all their mourning for sin their striving against it all their endeavors after God they are motions of this new life that is wrought in us and this is the life now that all the Lords people do live while they are in this world The Spirit of Jesus Christ bestowed upon them working in them a new frame of heart turning the bent of their hearts to God and remaining as an exciting principle to draw out their graces and strengthening them in their working whereby their endeavor is in al things to live unto God according to his Will and this is that Life which my Text and other Scriptures call the Life of Christ and the Life of God which although it be perfect in none in this world but there are reliques of our old death in us and of our sinful distempers in us yet really and truly these things are found in every soul that is brought home to Jesus Christ. And let this I pray suffice for the Doctrinal part that without being burdensom to you I may make some application of it Thus then you see though I have not turned you to many particular Scriptures yet I know that if you do but read the Scriptures you wil find that this Doctrine it lies written upon the foreheads of abundance of Texts that thus it is with al Gods people Now then for the use of it I intend but three Uses it may be I shal but even name the last First You see by all this how necessary it is that you should al try and examine your souls Whether you be partakers of this Life or no And good friends be serious about it and to make you the more serious give me leave to stir you up by these few Considerations to be willing to have your hearts tried about it The one is That in truth this alone is Christianity mark my words and if you understand them not now study them There is nothing Christianity but the Life of Christ nothing else that is truly Christianity Opinions they may be Christian Opinions they may be Christian Truths but there is no life As we say not of any dead Carkass of any Picture though it be drawn to the life we say not in proper language this is a man though it be as like him as one thing can be like another if it have not a mans soul we say not of a dead man though it be the body of your Father or Mother you cannot properly say this is my Father or Mother it is but the Carkass of them So I say be baptized be in any Church Form or Order wait upon never so many external Duties hear Sermons never so constantly give as good words as you will to those that preach the Truth and hold it out to you this is not Christianity Christianity is to live Christs Life and at that day you shall find the Lord will never own a soul to be a Christian that had not the Life of Christ communicated to him And Secondly I tel you to provoke you to it Abundance of things go for this Life which are not this life because it is the thing that discriminates Gods people from others Satan hath shewed infinite stratagems and discovered all his abilities laid them out that he might make counterfeits of these things that might go currant with people that he could delude Civil Righteousness in some it is not Christianity a form of Godliness in others it is not Christianity and abundance of things that I have not time so much as to reckon up but these are not Christianity though they look like it and therefore I beseech you but think how you could answer this great Question Doth Christ live in you have you the life of God in you The Life you live in this life is it the Life of the Son of God Think what you could answer to it Now if you wil say How shall we know it I wil briefly discover it to you for I will give you but two Characters of it many others might be had but two I would bestow a little time to cleer to you The one is Wheresoever the Lord gives Life to any Creature in a natural way the life is the preciousest thing in the world to that Creature howsoever it may mind other things delight in them be taken with them there is nothing so precious to it as life Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life and if you would suppose as the life of a man it is made up of several lives that that continues the being of his life it is prized above al the others if he wil be impaired in any of them it shal not be in that as neer as he can that concerns the being of his life Now accordingly say I you shal find it cleer that among al those that live the life of Christ there is nothing in this world so dear to them as their spiritual Life is it may be they are dayly mourning for the weaknesses of it but that that they have of it is dearer to them than any thing they have in this world besides and the high
valuing of this spiritual Life wil appear in these three things just as it is in the other life The one is A natural propensity and inclination and appetite towards those things that are the nourishment of their Life Look what God in Nature hath made the means to preserve life those things living man so far as he is living hath the greatest inclination and disposition to and therefore of al desires that man is subject to none so vehement as those of hunger and thirst a man may love Gold or Silver or Lands but there is nothing so vehemently carries him out of himself as the satisfying hunger and thirst So it is with all those that have this spiritual Life Look whatsoever God hath placed their life in as David had learned God had placed it in his Word O Lord saith he give me thy Word my life lies in it and new born Christians if ever you tast how sweet the Lord is desire the sincere Milk of the Word that you may grow by it be longing after a high and reverent esteem and an appetite after those things wherein the Lord hath placed thy nourishment though they be but the channels the vessels whereby his spirit is administred to you the supplies of the spirit comes in them to you of al things in the world these are the most desired Others that are painted Christians may for their reputation and that others may think well of them and to get knowledg c. and for such carnal ends but with an inward savor no man is mightily and eagerly carried out after the means of spiritual Life but he that lives it That is one A Second thing that manifests the high value of that spiritual Life is A most vehement declining of what they know to be destructive to life Let a man that is thirsty come in and give you all his money in his purse for a cup of Beer but let one come and tel him Sir that Beer in that cup is poyson that man wil drink his own Piss rather than that shal go down Oh! it wil destroy Life God hath put it into the bruit beasts as put a Sheep into a pasture he carries that discerning tast he wil not eat the poysonous Weeds that are there the Tree it will shoot no Root that way it will decline it So those that are the Lords People that live the life of Christ what their souls are convinced of to be destructive to their spiritual life that they decline shun and hate and turn from and of all things under Heaven nothing so hateful to them as the waies of sin And thirdly it wil appear in this That look as it is in the natural life every Creature as it longs after that which would nourish it and declines that which would destroy it so if they must come to the parting they wil part with al other good things in this world actually part with them to save their lives It was a speech of Esau and had his Birthright been nothing but a Civil Priviledg it would have been justified If I die for hunger what good would my Birthright do me he sels his Birthright for to preserve his life Skin for skin and al that a man hath he wil part with rather than his life Take me a man that is alive to Christ if he must part with his Christ or with his wealth with his Christ or with his outward life though it be the best thing that is to be enjoyed under the name of all worldly things yet to a man that lives the life of Christ that is a poor thing to him in comparison of his spiritual life you shal rather strip him of al. I know when we come to practice our weaknesses ignorances temptations reliques of corruption often over power us which may cause matter of self abhorrence but no man that hath this life of Christ but in the bent of his soul doth these things nothing so lovely as that that preserves his life nothing so abominable as that that wil destroy it and if he must part with any they must go before Christ. Pray lay up these things The Second and other Note whereby this Spiritual Life of Christ may be judged of is this That look as it is in al other Lives there are some vital operations some kind of motions or operations that are properly vital that where they are found you may say and swear it too that there is life and where these are not found there is no life or that life is in a swound As now take the Life of a Tree we know the natural operations of it are al those of vegetation to draw nourishment to expel superfluous moisture to put out their seed in the sap and bark and seed and the fruit according to its kind where you see these things if the sap run if the buds be if there be vegetation the Tree is alive if it appear there be none of these in their season though they may be dead in Winter it is a dead Tree So likewise in the life of man the sensual life of a Beast if there want the pulse that there be not those beatings that there are not such motions of the heart we conclude there is no life there if there be a beating of the pulse though never so weak life is there Now in this Spiritual Life there are some things that you shal find in the Scripture that are the proper beatings of the pulse some operations that though the things the acting of them abroad may be counterfeit as to others yet to a mans own soul that studies his own heart and the motions and operations of his own inward man he cannot be cozened in it and therefore you may by them be able to discern whether the pulse of this spiritual life beateth Now they are many but I thought but of these three and I think most of the rest wil fall under them The one is The proper genuine and as I may so say the natural motion of this Spiritual Life is to enjoy God in Jesus Christ as their chiefest good that I say is the great thing wherein their pulse beats because Jesus Christ is not only the fountain of it and so it must flow back to him but he is the supream good of the soul God in Christ is the supream good and to be carried to that that we fancy to be our supream good it is not in our choyce we do it necessarily Nature compels every man to follow that that he looks upon as his chief good therefore we use to say that of the chief end there is no deliberation a man is not of choyce but is carried to it Now God in Christ being the chief good of the soul the aiming after him the braying breathing after him the mourning for the want of him the joying in the presence of him and all those things that would argue Christ to be the souls chief good are never
inward man where Christ dwels and the things you look at in buying selling and purchasing and sporting and in al the things you may do that are Lawful to you observing Gods Rules you take Gods Word to be your Rule then I tel you for your comfort these two things First The Lord hath communicated to thy soul the excellentest life that ever he gave to any creature Three things I wil speak briefly that you account of First To be thus minded to be thus molded thus framed it is absolutely the highest the noblest the excellentest life that any creature ever partaked of I might shew it you in a world of Particulars out of the Word that there is no life like it We use to say in Phylosophy That the life of a Pismire it is a more noble life than the life of a Cedar though one Cedar be worth many thousand Pismires yet the life of the Pismire is better because it cometh from a nobler spirit Now the Life God hath given thee comes from the spirit of Jesus Christ. It is the noblest the operations of this Life are above what poor creatures can do as we say the Life of Reason it is such a brave flying thing to be a top above the poor sensual things of bruit Beasts and to deal with God And It is the sweetest too that is another for in al other lives men tast but the sweetness of the Creature but here the sweetness of thy Life is God and Jesus Christ himself there is no life so excellent as this is Secondly I say for thy comfort The Life God hath given thee is the greatest pledg of his love he ever giveth to any he hath given thee life it was the end of Christs undertaking to give life to his beloved ones he never giveth this to any man he means hurt to He can give a Kingdom to a man he means to destroy he gave it to Saul and cast him away in his wrath he can give an Apostleship to one that shall be damned he gave Judas an Apostleship and yet he perished but to have this Life to close with Christ to live to him according to his Word had you this Church ful of Diamonds given you to do what you would with and to raise your posterity to be the greatest men in this part of the world it were not such an expression of his love as to give Christ to you And thirdly I tel you This Life that the Lord hath given thee of which Jesus Christ is the Fountain thou mayest be bold to rely upon him for the preservation of it because it flows from him he is the Well-head of it he is the Well spring of it and therefore when thou thinkest how many evils thy Life may be incident unto what temptations thou mayest meet withal how weak thou art to resist them remember man or woman whose Life this is it is not thy life but Christs Life and he ever lives to make us live and therefore thou in an humble walking and dependance upon him in the use of Gospel Ordinances mayest comfortably expect that God wil nourish this Life and cherish it till thou come to be a perfect man till thou come to be transplanted into another Life where Faith and al these things shal cease and God be All in All this the comfort of it Then I thought to have spoken a little to the third Use. That because all the people of Christ live this Life to perswade you all to study it and to seek after it and often compare it with that other life that we so often weary our selves about with a vain shadow hazarding every thing for it to have our accommodation with as much refreshing as can be SERMON II. Gal. 2. part of verse 20. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me now follows that which I shal more insist upon and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me THe Second Lesson which is the manner how all the Saints of God live this Life of Christ while they are in this world The Life which I now live in the flesh By Flesh there he means not his fleshly part as they are said to live to the flesh who live sensually and wickedly but by the Flesh there is meant our mortal condition while we are here upon Earth while we live our natural life the Life of Christ in us it is lived by the faith of the Son of God that is the faith wrought in us by the Son of God which we place upon the Son of God but that grace of faith it is the manner or the instrument or the means of our holy Life while we are in this world And this Doctrine which beloved is the mystery of Christianity is the very life and soul and kernel of true Christianity I shal endeavor according as the Lord shal enable me this day to open to you This is the Doctrine That that Life of Christ which all Gods people live in this world they live it by faith Understand but the scope aright and I hope the discourse may prove useful to those that have this Life My meaning therefore is That the grace of faith it is not only the instrument or condition required to make us partakers of Christ and his Life it is not only one chief grace or one branch of this Life but while the Saints are in this world the mannagement of their whol Spiritual Life is the work of faith Christ indeed is the fountain of it and the Spirit of God is the great administration of it but that which we do while we live in this world our whol spiritual Life is through the assistance of God acted by the grace of faith and I intend the Lord willing to handle it in this Method First I will cleerly demonstrate to you from the Scripture that it is so that the whol Life of a Christian it is led by faith Secondly which I more aim at I shall endeavor to clear to you what the holy Ghost means by this and what it is for a soul to live the Life of Christ by faith that shall be my chiefest work in the Doctrinal part and then I wil come to the application of it For the proof of it that it is so First Mark how cleerly the Scripture holds it out that while we are in this world the life of the Saints it is led by faith There is one place in Habbakkuk 2.4 I wil mention that you shall see the reason by and by the Spirit of God there speaks of the several waies that men had to live in troublesom times for Habakkuk lived in very difficult times of the Church and there in his discourse he shews how proud men lived by maintaining a good opinion of themselves and lifting up their hearts and how worldly men
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
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
damnation but for our selves of al the evils we lie under in this world there is none to be lamented so much as our unbelief Take my meaning thus Suppose a poor child under the care of loving and careful Parents that would neglect nothing that may do the child good but the child cannot eat his meat it hath no appetite or the meat is cast up alass if he have no stomach the child wil languish and for this and other distempers let the Parents weep over it never so much or dandle it never so much the child hath an inward root that wil destroy it I tel you what is true from the Lord there is nothing can undo you but unbelief there is no cross under Heaven can betide you but faith will carry you through it no duty can be preached but faith will carry you through it no Promise so hard in the Word of God but faith wil fetch out the sweetness of it Oh! this unbelief of ours undoeth us But you wil say Do you think the people of God are so much guilty of it I wil give you a little tast and by that you shall judg First All our not studying the Word that we are no more acquainted with the Word for were a servant of God assured that his livelihood in comfort in duty and every thing were to be fetched from the word there is no Merchant that would endeavor to be skilful in the mystery of his Calling more than every Christian would be in the understanding of the word And When the word is held out to us that we do no more value it and that we no more rely and venture our souls upon it it is nothing but our unbelief As if so be a man that I dare put my trust in if he make me a promise to furnish me with so much money at such a time I dare rely upon it But that I do not thus rely upon God in all my temptations and fully perswade my self that the Lord will deliver me it is nothing but my unbelief If a mortal man tel me if I walk thus and thus I will fall into many a danger and thus it wil fall upon me by Law this makes me careful That we deal not so with our gracious God is through our unbelief Nay in a word All our unevenness in our whol course that we somtimes rely so much upon the Creature that when things flow in according to our minds then my Line is cast in a fair ground then God hath made my Mountain stand strong while the things of the world are with me at another time if I see a visibility of ruine then I cannot say that the great God wil stand by me in these difficulties this is nothing in the world but unbelief Nay All your deviations If you find David using unlawful means going over to the King of Gath to gain relief it is nothing but unbelief If you find a man venturing out to take any unlawful comfort in the Creatures it is nothing but unbelief it is a thrid runs through the whol course of Gods people to make them live low lives and hinders them from the obtaining of that that would be consolation to their own souls therefore I beseech you you that have made Christ your portion and make account that faith must be your livelihood lay it to heart mourn under it pray the Lord to root out this bitter weed and make you masters over it for certainly it is a great evil we stand by faith we fal by unbelief it is that that occasions all the disquiets of our lives The Lord set it to our hearts and deliver us from it SERMON III. Gal. 2. part of verse 20. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me now follows that which I shal more insist upon and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me NOW I proceed and there is but one great Use that I intend though I would a little mention another and speak a little of it in the first place Good Christian Friends weigh what I have said and regard it not because I say it but because of the evidence I hope goes along with it But the thing I collect is That you may all hence learn what kind of Christians they must needs be who can live in the flesh above the Word and Ordinances having no use of them and as they think nothing to do with them but live in an immediate Communion with God and enjoyment of him This is one of the wildnesses and infatuations that the Lord hath let out amongst us in this sinful Nation that many that have gone for sober humble gracious men and women they look upon al those that have to do with Ordinances that study Scriptures and tend upon Sermons they look upon them but in the A B C Form they are of a low pitch and rank themselves are above these things they have attained to a higher Form But this Doctrine that I have opened will cleerly direct al Gods people what to judg of them for if they live the Life of Christ for that they pretend to it is either the life of spiritual sence immediate enjoyment or the life of Faith if they pretend to an immediate enjoyment of God without the intervention of faith beleeve it they are beyond the Apostle Paul that professed in his own name and in the name of al the Saints that then lived That the life that they lived in this life it was by faith and not by sence yet these have learned that they are beyond his Form I will not say much good may do their hearts with it but poor Creatures their delusion will one day afflict them But if they say No we grant you it is the life of faith we live in this world Then say I Unquestionably and without all dispute it will appear faith hath its subordinate work it is the declaration of the Lords mind in his Word that faith meddles with and all the Ordinances and all tending upon the Word and Sacraments c. are the administrations of Christs will that is carried on in Ordinances and no other way I know sure I am the Scripture is silent in it Therfore Friends for such as are concerned in it they wil not be here to hear it nor any where else they count it a folly but to your sober Christians that desire to go to Heaven and to walk with the Lord in his own way give me leave to say this Therefore I confess our divisions and subdivisions in other matters of Religion are very sad the cutting of the people of God a pieces in the several molds and forms of Government and therby alienating their spirits one from another it is very sad and the Lord in his mercy remove those things But
yet this I must say That while these lower conditions are and as long as each form carries people to the Word holds out Christ in his Word Christ in preaching Christ in the Sacrament there is food for souls and if we could look aright it may be we would not be so angry with one another about it as we are for there is but one Truth and we pray the Lord to reveal it but stil here is carrying on the life of Comfort Duty Direction and all that faith meddles with that the Lords people may enjoy but for Gods sake and as you love the life of your souls watch against temptations that would take you off from the Word that the Scripture should be nothing this takes you off from that that your faith wholly meddles with for if you can say I beleeve God for such a thing and Christ for such a thing unless you find it promised in the Word it is presumption Therefore Pity such poor souls your own experience may tel you do but mark them generally they that live above Ordinances see whether the Spirit of God do not withdraw see whether the Lord hath any other way to convey himself to them than what he hath held out in his Word their loosness folly pride and joyning in any thing else that is naught almost plainly shews that the Lord hath withdrawn from them And secondly You wil find that such of them as have grace in them for I am far from thinking any that have grace cannot be under such a temptation but I fear not but the Lord will awaken them again though they be asleep because faith must be the navel and the string that must maintain them here But this I did not intend to be large in The great Use that I intend is To all the Lords people whose Life is Christ and in whom Christ doth live I would endeavor in the rest of this hour to give them some help out of the Word that this living by faith might be better known to the Lords People and more exactly practised than it hath been hitherto and if the Lord help me to divide it and you to receive it I will not fear but your life will be more honorable to the Lord and sweeter to your selves than it hath been and there are but two things that I intend to treat upon The one is Some serious Considerations or Motives to provoke all who have any thing of Christ in them that they would study this art of living by faith more than in time past And secondly and principally To lay out of the Word the true Directoins the easiest and the readiest way that a willing soul may take to be built up in it For encouragement to provoke you to it I pray think of these things First If you will be Christians it is our Trade and the way of our livelihood we have no other mystery for the maintainance of our lives but faith that is cleer Schollers may live by their Wits Trades-men upon their Mysteries and Gentlemen upon their Wealth But as a Christian we have no other living or way of living to God but only our faith Now because it is our Life and our Trade and our Profession it would be a horrible shame to be found Bunglers in that that is properly our own Mystery If a man should come and examine me a Minister of the Gospel and put into my hands a Merchants Book and bid me cast up such an Account and I could not this were no shame to me but if he should come and give me a Bible and bid me open a Text if I could not do it it were a shame to me So friend have you the right skil of living by faith No It is thy Trade As thou art a Member of the Common-wealth or one of the Army thou mayest have a Calling but as thou art a Christian which is thy best Life thou hast no Trade but to live by faith no other way to honor the Lord nor to manifest the Life of Christ nor to turn all things for thy good and the Lords glory it is thy living by faith must do it what a horrible disgrace will it be for thee to be found ignorant of it Secondly I tell you there is no other way of Life that any man pitches upon but it will very shortly appear to be but a poor thing If you should think that the living upon God this holy life it is a thing that is a mystery that you do not study but for the present life that you mind and you mean to follow the things that will help you to live in the world I tell you all those after a little while will prove meer delusions If any of you have the way as some of you have found it to raise up your selves to great estates of a poor servant in few yeers to become a great man in the place where you live and now you are wealthy Before our eyes God hath overturned all these things hath not God let us see how he hath pulled down great Princes and Kings hath he not let us see a thousand ten thousand a yeer a man may have and yet live to see them al buried and himself come to beggery doth not God tell us they are not al worth our study The Lord my meaning is dayly before our eyes stains the glory of all other waies of living never to the worlds end did he or wil he stain the glory of living by faith because you can no where else close with him Thirdly that which I most aim at in my Considerations is to acquaint you with this That this same Art this excellent Christian Mystery of living our life by faith it is absolutely the best life the most desirable life that any man or woman can live til they come to enjoy God immediately This I wil demonstrate and I hope I shal make it plain that if a man had the comfort of al other waies of living in any kind never would the learning or wit of man find out any life to be compared with the life of faith for the excellency of it and the excellency of the life of faith I would open to you in four or five Particulars the Lord perswade you but to study them when you are alone One is more general It is the Life which the Lord hath chosen out to be the life of those that he loved from all eternity The Lord you grant him al of you to be infinite in wisdom and therefore before his eyes al waies of living happy were apparent and out of them all he chose this same life of faith to be the life of those he loved from al eternity It is the Prophet Malachi's argument it is the best Conjugal condition for a man to have one wife and a woman to have one husband because else God could have made ten women if he would but he made but one that is Gods choyce
but what they signifie what doth a Promise signifie that God in his Gospel maketh to souls for a man may have Promises and truly from a great many able and great men good Promises signifie very little from many great men and mighty men but to know what Gods Promises are and what they signifie it would be a great comfort and I wil tel you briefly what they signifie and it may be a key to unlock all the Locks in the House that is al the Promises in the Bible First of all The Promises of God they do for the present at the instant of their making signifie That God loves us for all the Promises come from his heart his Providences come from his hands the Promises come from his heart and when the Lord makes a Gospel Promise to a soul he doth as if he should say to that soul I love thee dearly at the present before the thing be accomplished thou mayest say it signifies thus to me If the Lord make such a Promise to me he loves me And Secondly A Promise signifies thus much at present That God wil never hurt me God gives in a way of Providence those things to many men whom he wil hurt and destroy nay he will destroy them even by the things that he gives them but to the souls to whom his Promises belong they signifie not only Gods good will but nothing in the world that can betide them shal ever hurt them because they are all Branches of that Covenant of grace in which Covenant of grace there is no evil shal light upon the soul that is under it therefore God wil one day make thee to know that he intendeth thy good in it this is signified for the present And For the future A Promise is a certain infallible pledg of a seasonable performance His Covenant he wil never break he will not alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth All the Promises of the new Covenant are all backed with an Oath of him that is unchangeable Here is a Promise for my poverty for my temptation it comes from the God that first loves me and will do me no hurt and wil accomplish it Brethren Do you beleeve this As Jesus Christ said to Martha He that beleeveth in me though he were dead he shall live and if he live he shall never die Doest thou beleeve this I Lord I beleeve it So say I Do you beleeve this Do you not think you shall live comfortably And Secondly when I said in this third Direction about being acquainted with the Word I mean Be acquainted with the Duties held out in the Word as wel as the Promises for it cals to holiness as well as to comfortableness therefore in the Word learn your Duty and I the rather tell it you because many a poor soul takes a great deal of care and pains in some things that God never required and they afflict themselves and make their lives uncomfortable in things that God hath not appointed as not to tel you of many poor creatures in Popery that would thrust themselves into Monasteries God never required it but my meaning is study the Word you can never study any thing that so much concerns you therefore there learn your Duties the Duties that belong to your relations and particular places where God hath set you for to know the will of God concerning me argues an honest heart more than to know the will of God concerning others but study to know the Word in the Promises and in the Duties That is the Third Fourthly which must not be neglected When you have done all this faithfully and conscienciously serve the Lord in the use of means serve the Promises and Commandements serve them faithfully in the use of the means without distraction but out of conscience resigning up your selves For for me to go to labor for an enlarged faith and to know the all sufficiency of God and to have the Promises as familiarly as my Pater noster as they use to say for me when I have done this to neglect the means the Lord hath appointed this is not good But look as an Husband-man What rational Husband-man is there especially if he know God but he knows that the Corn upon the ground cannot yield him a Crop unless rain from Heaven water it and it cannot fall from Heaven unless God send it and notwithstanding all this unless God give the Corn a new body but because he hath likewise learned that ploughing sowing and harrowing and dungcarting c. are all duties belonging to Husbandry he serveth the Providence of God and God blesseth him accordingly Do thus with your souls God hath given you Promises for some things Commandements for other things serve him diligently in the use of the means but remember what I taught you before that by the use of the means I mean means only of his own appointment for faith dare not go out of his own line Lawful means that are agreeable to a particular calling to reason c. I have often thought and I speak it to you from the Lord that when a people walk with a Word in one hand and the use of the means in the other hand we fairly leave the business at Gods feet whatsoever the success shall be we will be his Servants when such a thing hath betided me I find this is my duty by the best Counsel I can get and so we leave it at his door and whatsoever will come fall back fall edg we may have peace and comfort These are the great Directions only with these I must put in two Cautions and when I have done them I think I may have said that which may be helpful to them that would walk by Faith The one is When I say we must use means and thus live by faith my meaning is First That when you have done you must never limit God God limits you and limits me but for himself Faith must not limit him My meaning is Do not limit him to the way how he shal make it good for he often works by contraries do not limit him for time when he shal make it good for it is good to wait patiently the Lords leisure though it be al the daies of our appointed season and we injure God and our faith doth not work up to its true height when we will come and say do it to day Lord or else I will question it to morrow no limit him not chalk him not out his way I may Lawfully expect from God that such a thing shall do me good but I may not Lawfully tell God which way it shall do me good I may Lawfully say from such a temptation God wil deliver me but I may not Lawfully say he wil deliver me from it within this week or fortnight but quietly wait upon the Lord as one that infallibly wil do what he hath spoken and is not here enough It may be some will add now
by way of Objection But what if my difficulty be such an one that I can find nothing in the Word about it What can my Faith do then Where is your circumscribing Faith within the compass of the Word It may be my difficulty is such as I find no Promise for it in all the Word I dare confidently then say it is a matter of no great consequence it may be in thy fancy some great thing as the fancy of man can blow up a Molehil to a Mountain but beleeve it if it be such a trouble as hath not a Promise it is not worth the taking notice of for all things that concern the Lords Glory and good of his People there are Promises in abundance That is my first Caution And the other Caution is When I direct you in all this to endeavor thus to live the life of Faith you must take heed of some other principles which will put the wisest of you all to the utmost of your graces and that is your own reason and your sence I mean not sanctified reason nor your holy experience but I mean carnal reason and carnal sence which in spight of our teethes will have an Oar in every Boat it will be putting in in all things that concern our whol Conversation If a Duty be propounded of a sudden I am called out to it it may be my Reason puts in twenty things against it You wil lose your Credit in it and your Labor and it will come to nothing it may be our Sence will oppose it You do but water a dead Plant a dead Stock nothing will come of it and I will tell you all the experiences that the People of God hitherto have found of our carnal Sence and Reason in all things that belong to the Waies of God they are but like a Sophister in the Schools a Sophister that hath a wrangling head will blur and blind and slur the clearest Positions in any Art in Logick Grammer Rhetorick Phylosophy or what you will when a Conclusion is made and proved a Sophister riseth up and he shal slur it all especially with weak people So it is with carnal men whereas a Promise and a Direction of the Word looked upon by Faith appears like the Sun in its strength look upon the very same with carnal Reason and carnal Sence and it looks like the Moon in Ecclipse a dark Body it hath no light at all in it Oh therefore watch against it and the rather because we are men and from our Mothers Womb we are corrupt men and therefore these things are bred in the bone and will not easily out but while we carry flesh about us they will never be subdued And therefore one handsomly expresseth it as Abraham did when God called him to that Duty it was cleer that God made it his Duty when he had called to it he never goes to call his Wife for she would have said Husband it is impossible this is but a delusion it is not possible the Child that must be the Heir of all Nations and in him they must all be blessed What! for you to kill him it is not from God never talk of it Friends I the rather desire to open these things because in truth to a great many the Life of Christ is not known and many holy souls do want plain Directions how they should order their Conversation as becometh Christians and in our uncertain daies wherein we are every day looking what new Confusions shall break out Oh! it were a sweet thing for a man to be stablished that he might possess his soul in quietness in the midst of all the Changes in the World and really it many times grieves my heart to think First How the common People of the World live amongst us they are totally ignorant of these things but they set their hearts upon Wealth and Honor and Pleasure and these perishing things these men are carried after when God knows these things are not worth the while I wil briefly shew you one instance in Dan. 8. you shal reade of a Goat that came with one Horn and he ran and killed all other Beasts that were in his way and that Goat was Alexander and this same Alexander in ten years space did conquer one of the greatest Empires I mean he brought into his own hands one of the greatest Empires that ever were in the World in all the four Quarters of the World except America had he a great part within ten years there was an end of him and not one of his posterity had one foot of it and yet he left a Son and Heir but al was carried away to others And so will al Earthly things we may struggle and strive and weary our selves in a vain shadow and when we have done no man knows for whom he have labored it may be we expose our Posterity to the greater malice envy and hatred and they wil be the sooner ruined What a pity is it that such beggerly things as these should be so looked after and Faith so little thought of I in the Second place It grieves me to think how many souls that are Godly and study the Scripture and attend upon the Word yet they rather study nice controversies and things that gender strife and help it may be to maintain a Party on this side or the other side and this great comprehensive Duty of living to Christ and living by Faith preached by many studied by few little regarded these are common Dunstable Truths that the old Puritans did preach a long time ago but we have a more Seraphick vein and Spirit and so God suffers us to be gulled of our Religion which is the sweetest Portion that can be enjoyed in the world we make it a matter of brangling and little comes of it either to the Honor of God or Comfort of our souls And upon such thoughts as these while the Lord shews me that mercy that I may preach any thing unto you I would fain acquaint Gods People with these things that they may know wherein their life lies and how they may lead it to the glory of God and comfort of their own souls I presumed upon your Patience if God please to lay these things to your hearts it wil not offend I hope FINIS Doct. 1. Doct. 2. Doct. 1. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. Quest. Answ. Vse 2. Vse 3. At Mary Magdalens Milkstreet Octob. 30. 1653. Doct. 2. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. Vse 2. Quest. Answ. At Mary le Bow Octob. 30. 1653. afternoon Vse 3. Object Answ. Vse 4. Object Answ.