make the word a light unto your feet and a lanthorne to your paths Let your eyes be often upon it and let it be Sit tibi vel oratio assidua vel lectio nunc cum deo loquere nunc deus tecum ille te praeceptis suis instruat ille disponat quem ille divitem fecerit nemo pauperem faciet Cypr. in Ep. 1. ad Donatum p. 9. your Eye Saint Hierome praiseth Marcella a godly woman of his age that he could never come to her but she was asking him somewhat about the Scripture and had so high an opinion of her that he sayes if himselfe had any doubt he would aske her judgement O let not much reading there be a wearinesse to your flesh They are Gods Counsels and may well be our Counsellors Walke with God in their light write your lines by that rule Read often and with judgement alwayes carrying your heart with your eye You will find a glory a majesty a mystery a depth in those lines which you will never be weary of fadoming though you shall never be able to find the bottome I here presume to offer to your hands an Example which I am sure your goodnesse cannot despise for the meannesse of it She is now more Noble than you and in this happier that she hath alreadie been in Heaven a yeare before you Noblest Lady your opportunities are more your talents of Time and Parts are greater Outstrip all Examples and goe on to be as unparallel'd a president of holinesse to others as you are of other Excellencies Now the God of Grace fill you with his fulnesse and be unto you both in life and death advantage and preserve you the crowne of your surviving Noble Parent the Glory of your Sex the Comfort of your Noble friends the continuer of the Religious name of your Family and the joy of his Saints Which is and shall be the continued prayer of him who is ambitious to be accounted Noblest Lady Your most humbly obliged and devoted servant in the Lord Jesus JOHN COLLINGS TO THE Christian READER Reader THese sheets are partly my owne and partly anothers For that part of them that is not my owne it is a Relation of the precious Life and Death of one that was lately Ours but both then and much more now Christs The Relation was brought to my hands many Moneths since but my crowd of occasions hindred me from perusing of it I shall now give thee a true account of it The Relation was penn'd from her mouth by a faithfull friend nor have I injured her or thee in the transcribing of it having only rank'd the Articles of Confession in such order as I conceived most sutable and made a supply sometimes both there and in the Relation of a word or two where was some defect through the neglect or mistake possibly of the first Pen-man and in some places where her phrase though safe if safely understood was more dark subject to ambiguitie I have given thee her sense in a clearer and lesse ambiguous terme I will assure thee I have neither added nor substracted any â—hing which I conceive materiall For what is mine in these sheets It is a short Copy of a Sermon at her Buriall it was composed in a short time and transcribed with as much haste I had rather profit thee by plainnesse than tickle thee with exactnesse I am sure the Sermon hath rather lost than got by keeping in my Study I was willing for thy good to let it wait upon her memorie who while she lived we were all so much beholden to The plainness and meannesse of the Sermon will tell thee I hope I send it not to thee to beg Honour but to serve thy soule in the meanest place Reader thou hast here a Sermon proved by a fresh Experience O adde another Proofe requite my paines by letting the truth delivered have a witnesse in thy bosome Beleeve it Reader thou hast before thy eyes in these sheets a Rule and a President It is Gods word to thy soule Goe thou and doe likewise If thou readest the Relation thou wilt see what is got by seeking God early to what a pitch of grace a Saint may reach the right frame of a sober Gospell-spirit the picture of a Saint If thou readest and gainest nothing thank thy owne base heart Here 's a description of a true Christian a sight of him in a Copy and a Picture Certainly something may be got for thy and my souls profit from either If thou gainest any thing blesse thy God and pray for him who is Norwich Nov. 20. 1648. Thine in the Lord Iesus JOHN COLLINGS Faith and Experience A short Explanation of her selfe concerning divers Articles of Faith especially such as are most fundamentally necessarie to salvation Taken from her owne mouth Concerning the God-head I. I Believe there is a God and that this God iâ— infinite 1. In Substance 2. In Holinesse and in Being that there are 3 Persons in the divine Being The Father the Sonne the Holy Ghost each one God and yet in being but one God Concerning the way to come to know God II. I believe that this God is made knowne to us by his Word and by his Workes That there is a way of the knowledge of God by the Scripture and that there is a way of the knowledge of God in a more speciall way wherein God by his Spirit revealeth himselfe to his people experimentally yet according to Scripture Concerning the Word of God the holy Scriptures III. I believe That the holy Scripture is the very Word of God 1. Because it declares the Wisedome of God 2. Because it discovers our vilenesse and folly 3. Because it puts us upon purity 4. Because it reveales to us the great mysteries of Salvation I believe That God by this his Word is made knowne to us 1. As he is in himselfe by his Nature 2 By his Names which are his Attributes or 2. his Names of Relation Concerning Gods works of Creation and Providence IV. I believe That this God is further made knowne to us by his Workes of Creation I believe His work of Creation was his Creating of all things in heaven and earth I believe That God did create all things in heaven and earth I put a difference between Creating and Making To make is to produce something out of something To create is to produce something out of nothing I believe that God did make all things in heaven and earth for man and man onely for himselfe and his service Concerning the Creation of man in speciall and the state of innocency in which he was created V. I believe That God made man only for himselfe and his service I believe That man was made in such an estate whereby he was able to serve God by that divine grace which was put into him by God himselfe I believe That man being thus created was infinitely ingaged to serve his God because hee had
thus made him and all things else for his use and service I believe That all that God made amongst which was man was exceeding good and whatsoever was afterward not good was through the defect of the Creature I believe That man being thus made and engaged to serve his God yet was made liable to fall Concerning the Fall of man VI. I believe That Man fell and that wholly from God and that being thus fallen God might justly have taken advantage upon fallen man and have cast him and his posterity off to all Eternity as hee did the fallen Angels Concerning Gods workes of grace 1. Of Election VII I believe There is an Election of Grace and that according to that Election there shall be but a few that shall participate of the way of recovery by Iesus Christ. Concerning the work of Redemption and Reconciliation VIII I believe That there was no cause in man being fallen to move God to recover him from that fallen estate but onely he was moved from his owne bowells I believe being moved so from himselfe hee found out a way himselfe for mans Recovery I believe That the way so found out and the meanes by which alone fallen man can be restored was by a Mediator taking upon him our Nature that so he might pacifie the wrath of God for the sinne of our Nature that wee might thereby be fit to live with God in our Nature Concerning Originall sinne IX I believe That our Nature was sinfull and that the sin of our Nature was the cause of all our sorrowes temporall and Eternall we dyed spiritually at the instant of the fall and all shall certainly dye a temporall death and only some shall be delivered from dying eternally Further. Concerning the worke of Redemption and Reconciliation the sole Redeemer the fruit of Redemption the mysterie of conveyance c. X. I believe That as the whole Trinity did worke in the Creation of the world so they did also equally worke in the worke of our Redemption God the Father and the Holy Ghost sending and the Son being sent and comming But I believe that Christ hath alone performed the worke of redemption and reconciliation fully satisfying the Iustice of God to the utmost for all his I believe also that every man in the world is beholding to God for Iesus Christ for the enjoyment of their lives and of the creatures and that for the present they are reprieved from hell and damnation I believe That Reconciliation is to be found in no other but in Iesus Christ who is the alone great Reconciler betwixt God and his people I believe That the worke of Redemption is a great mysterie for the divine Nature to take upon him the humane nature O it is a great Mysterie I believe also That it is a great Mysterie in regard of the way of its particular conveyance And that Christ hath not onely purchased this salvation but also makes a particular Declaration of it 1. By his Word 2. By the Worke of his spirit on the soule And 3. By the witnesse of the spirit I believe That in this worke Jesus Christ purchased strength for every beleever to withstand Sin Death and Hell Concerning Perseverance in Grace XI I believe That by the Lord Jesus Christ there is power purchased for every Believer to withstand Sinne Death and Hell Notwithstanding that the fallen Angels the Devils as they were the first occasion of the fall so they are great hinderers of this worke of Grace and Restauration they having us at such an advantage Concerning Death and the Resurrection and the Immortality of the soule XII I believe That all men according to Gods appointment must dye and continue in the Grave The bodies I meane of every Man and Woman that so they might be made fit for eternity some for eternall wrath others for eternall glory I believe That the soules of all immediately after death goe to God that gave them there to give an account for what they have done in the flesh I believe that the Resurrection of the Saints to grace here and glory hereafter is purchased by the Death Resurrection and Ascensian of Jesus Christ I believe That the same bodies both for substance and forme every joint and limbe shall rise againe and not a bone shall be wanting A substantiall body both for flesh and bones that I prove by Christs resurrection who was raised with the same body Object But you will say Christs body lay but three dayes in the Grave and so his body was not rotted in the dust but ours will lye so long that our bodies shall be turned into dust Ans I Answer The same power that made the body of Adam out of the dust the same power can raise our bodies again although turned to dust So that the worke of Resurrection is a curious worke and secretly wrought in the wombe of the earth as the child is secretly wrought in the womb of the mother There shall be the same matter to make the bodies of in the Resurrection at the last day that there was when God first formed the body of Adam viz. The Dust of the earth The same power shall raise all our bodies though turned to dust Concerning the day of Iudgement XII I believe That Christ shall come personally to judge the world and that with an audible voice by the word of his mouth he shall raise the dead And that at the day of judgement all the sins of the godly shall be laid upon Iesus Christ. They here in the world accuse themselves for sinne and so shall be excused at the last day It is the office of conscience to accuse here or hereafter Conscience having done its office there shall be nothing objected against them at that day But they shall heare that blessed Sentence Come ye blessed of my Father Concerning Glorification heaven XIV I believe The godly at the day of Iudgement shall heare that blessed Sentence Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the beginning of the world I believe In Heaven there shall be no Infant of dayes nor old man of yeares The corruptible life of of the creature shall not inherit eternall life there shall no weaknesse no deformity what ever accompany that life there shall be no eating nor drinking in it but singing Hallelujahs to God for ever I will conclude with the Psalmist Psalm 139. I will praise the Lord for I am fearefully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my soule knowes right well Reader Thou hast thus far read her Faith now hear her Storie that was faithfully taken from her own mouth And so also was this that followes being the Relation of Gods dealings with her Psalm 34. 8. Taste and see how good the Lord is Psalm 66. 16. Come and I will tell you what God hath done for my soule I shall speake nothing but what God hath done in me and for me THe
first worke that God ever wrought in my soule was a worke of conviction He convinced my soul of the sin of Sabboth-breaking I found much opposition to that worke and it was some space of time before I could get strength against that sinne but ever and anon I was given up to the sinne againe which was yet a burthen to my soule I had no Observe Gods first worke in conversion strength against it for the present till at length the Lord was pleased to discover another strength than that I had from my selfe which was the strength of Iesus Christ to overcome this corruption A sight Conviction of sinne without a sight of Christ Note is not saving of it self But a sight of sin wrought by God God leaving not the worke till hee hath shewne the soule the sight of Christ That I conceive is a saving work One time me thought my fancy in the night presented to me sinne in a lump with a sight of that Christ which afterwards I saw more perfectly It was thus me Conviction thought I saw sin set out in a market upon a stall The commodity was vended to none but it brought shame and confusion of face to those that set it forth to Sale and me thought I saw likewise Christ comming owning the owner of the commodity which in time I saw he fully did in me and it was a refreshing for the present to my spirit that I saw he would do it for me though he came not presently The next thing I apprehended according to the truth of the word was that A Christ was come to doe such things as are declared in the word This I no sooner apprehended Illumination but I was set upon with temptations To question whether there was a Christ or no c. Satan wrought Secretly and Subtilly I being ignorant of his mysteries was for a certaine time given up to Sathans subtilty the temptation But as Satan wrought secretly and subtilly so God wrought invisibly and mightily to the suppressing of him For assoon as God delivered me out of the temptation I discovered a Christ fully according as he is revealed in the word to be the Christ the son of God my Saviour then I could see my great deliverance out of the temptation and not till then then I saw that if God had deliverd me finally up to the temptation I had denyed God and his Christ and his word and whatsoever he is necessary to be known by The next thing after I apprehended a Christ come was how he should be made knowne to his people to be their Iesus which in time by the ministry of the word God was pleased to make known unto me viz. that God gave Christ to dwell in the hearts of his people by grace and then my soule began to be panged with the desires of that grace of Regeneration I no sooner had a desire of grace but I fell to question the truth of Satans subtilty Grace where the Devill was subtill as in any temptation but the Lord by his mighty power overcame him for me where the wisedome of God appeared to me in Gods goodnesse Note wher it was she met with God the time as well as in the strait I attended much upon hearing the word by which God answered all my doubts and repelled Satans temptations Then Satan tempted me to doubt of the truth of Gods word I said Blessed be God! if that word be truth and no sooner was I from under the noise of the preacher but I was as full of doubting as before God took me out of that condition by putting me into another trouble which was Satans subtilty by Gods permission for my good The Devill implyed Instruments to taint my soule with monstrous and grosse errours But God of his infinite mercy would not suffer me to speak against the truth with those Instruments of Satan though I could not plead for it The Errours insinuated were these 1 That there is free will Observe her sanctified judgment of some of our new Truths in man to doe good 2 That there is no Electtion 3 That none are irreconcilably lost 4 That Christ was not come in the flesh 5 That most of the Scriptures were to be understood in an allegory These opinions they were very diligent to draw my soule to I being weake in my selfe had fallen from the truth had it not beene for the power of God and his rich condescention to me I told the parties if I did not give them arguments in one week that then I would not speake against but for that which they held and then the Lord set me abundantly to study the divine Scriptures which through ignorance or misunderstanding I thought some thing in the word was for them and something against them while I thought to attaine it only by reading but when I saw it was too hard then the Lord was pleased to help mee by meditation Observe the right way to profit by reading and prayer and strong cryes and then and not till then did I know what it was to pray out of an apprehension of wants I A right frame of spirit in seeking direction tooke the truth and errour with an equall hand neither cleaving in my affections to the one nor to the other till God was pleased to reveale it to me but I desired God to shew me which was the truth and he did accordingly Those Scriptures I apprehended made against the truth he shewed me they made for the truth Now when the Lord had revealed himselfe in this to me I was earnest with God that I might not only know these truths but I might be able to hold out these truths so as to stop the mouths of gainsayers 2 dayes after Gods revealing himselfe these parties came and God gave me to speak that they were not able to answer and at that time God gave me a promise Joh. 1. 50. Iesus answered Joh. 1. 50. and said unto him because I said unto thee I saw thee under the figtree beleevest thou thou shalt see greater A particular promise applyed generally things then these with which my Soule stood a little amazed what should be the greater things that should be revealed I found then that they should be these truths made known by experience to my Soule I went away rejoying in hope to obtaine it from this work of God I concluded that there was a work of grace begun which he would carry on to perfection The next thing I thought upon was to set downe to account the losse it would cost me to hold out these truths to the utmost which was the losse of the favour of friends disingagment to creatures but there was an ingagement to God which made me resolute to stick to the truth whatsoever it cost in the strength of God and then I saw a necessity of walking more close Her Progresse in Piety with God in
the wayes of his worship seeking to him for strength in every estate and condition what ever he put me into whether spirituall or temporall When Satan saw that I indeavored to be holy and strict he set before me a patterne of perfection by his shewing of me perfection I by the strength of Gods grace had such a sight of imperfection that I was Satans policy lost in my owne apprehension and concluded that there was no grace because there was so much imperfection and then God was pleased for to make me apprehend that Jesus Christ must come and take away the imperfections of our duties the defilement of sinne as well as the guilt which he did by revealing those promises which he caused me to rest upon in that 2 Cor. 5. 21. for 2 Cor. 5. 21. he had made him to be sinne for us who knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Mat. 1. 21. He shall save his Mat. 1. 21. people from their sins which I beleeved should be done for the future though they were not done for the present so that I saw Christ to be of use to clense me Sanctification seene before Justification before I saw him Iustifying my person which was a great refreshment to my Spirit then I began to make use of those weapons that the Apostle speaks of which are not carnall but mighty through God for the pulling downe strong holds c. and the Lord did give me much sweetnesse by communion with himselfe so that I could goe to him more The spirit of Adoption freely then to any creature under heaven and the more communion I had with him the more strength I had against temptation and corruption I found it to be The benefit of frequent prayer the most excellent means under heaven the more frequent the more familiar with God and now I began in some measure to apprehended what a temptation was in a time of temptation which was halfe a deliverance out of it this through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus I found by experience in prayer and about prayer I found first the subtilty of Satans temptations wherein I found him Sathans malice against the worke of prayer to be as great hinderer of that work of prayer as of any other if he cannot keep from it he will afflict and discourage in it and notwithstanding all this I was by Satan put upon it to question my Condition againe but God gave me a word at the same time to stay my Soule upon it was Gods token to know Paul by behold he prayes from which words I saw God took special notice of those that praid and waited upon him and when the Devill saw me bent upon prayer then he put me upon prayer which in time I saw was his work and in time it proved greatly to the Devils disadvantage and much for my incouragement I found by experience that he is like an Ape imitating what ever good God does in the Soule and there is need of much of God to discern his policy in this particular he hath counterfeit grace as well as God hath true grace and he hath evill Ioy as God hath Soule-refreshing reviving and sweet consolation he will have scriptures as well as God only his are to discourage from duties and Gods to incourage all the wayes of Satan are evill and all the Note wayes of God are exceeding good and his paths are very pleasant When Satan saw he could not defile my soule by one temptation he sets upon me by another and with manifold temptations all at once So that he put my Soule into a darke mist by his temptations and I walked sadly for some Dayes together to the wonderment of my friends that were about me I could not expresse my selfe in any thing because my temptations and tumults in my spirit were so high in many things but the Lord at that time did much stay and refresh my spirit with the word Isay 50. 10. whereby Isa 50. 10. I saw that my condition at that time was no other then was incident to Gods owne people and so the Lord carried me on from one condition to another in straights and revealed no more to me for the present then this that my condition was such as was incident to the Saints The next thing I saw was that Iesus More Illumination Christ was the Iustifier of his people and that Iustification was conveyed to the soule in a way of beleeving and then my Soule said oh that I could beleeve on him that Iustifies the ungodly The more understanding I had of God in that way the more I saw of mine owne filthinesse I saw filthinesse in the holy things of God as performed by me so that I found that word of the Apostle good That in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing but to will is by the Rom. 7. grace of God present with me but how to doe good I found not which through the grace of God wrought in my Soule a restlesse desire after a Christ in a way of beleeving that so I might fetch strength from Christ for the subduing of every corruption that I might know whether I were in a state of Iustification this I found that the more Satan tempted me that his temptations were as a weapon put into my hand to fight against himselfe withall through the mighty operation of God his strength was made knowne in my weaknesse Still Faith hard God put into my Soule such a restlesse disposition that I could not be satisfied without Christ so that I said within my selfe give me a Christ or I dy and the disposition to beleeving I found very difficult and hard when God set me upon it a work too hard for me without the power of an Omnipotent God which The way of obtaining it made me the more eagarly to persue it at the hands of him who was able to give it God when his set time was come wrought every disposition in me sutable to the grace that hee was about to convey to my Soule and then I saw nothing in any thing either in heaven or earth that could doe me good but the revealing Iesus Christ to my Soule Duties would not justify no inherent grace was no Iustification in it selfe though a fruit of Iustification yet no cause of it Iesus Christ was the all in all both for Sanctification 2 Cor. 3. last and Iustification and there I saw a way to make use of Christ by way of Iustification I saw more fully then before that all my righteousnesse was imperfect but in Christ it was compleate when the love of God was thus discovered to my Soule then it did constraine me to work out of a higher principle then before I thought with my selfe were there no hell to punish nor Heaven to reward yet there was comfort enough in God and in the
of me as I am of Christ That is in this that I desire to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified and this Scripture this is eternall life to know God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent and this of the Apostle Brethren have fellowship with us for truly we have fellowship with the Father and the Son the Lord Iesus Christ Then I could not but break forth into blessing of God that I have had much fellowship with the sonne the Lord Iesus and as much as God hath seene good for me with the Saints so that I have cause to blesse God and to trust in God who hath given me society with the Saints out of the way as much as in the way so that that which God gives is not in reference to the way but to his owne love I see nothing in the way but what hath been injoyed out of the way and therefore not to be so much lifted up as it hath been and is by some I pray God that while others ingage themselves by covenant to watch over so many soules in a congregation which is a great work they be not to negligent in watching over themselves FINIS THE LIFE DEATH OF A true CHRISTIAN Deciphered in a Sermon Preached upon the 14 Rom. 6 7 Vers At the Buriall of Mary Simpson a Religious young Maid lately living in the City of Norwich BY JOHN COLLINGS Mr of Arts and Preacher of Gods Word to Saviours Parish in the said City 2 Cor. Ch. 5. v. 2. For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven Verse 3. If so that being cloathed we bee not found naked London Printed for Rich. Tomlins 1649. The Life and Death of a true Christian. Rom. 14. ver 7 8. For none of us liveth to himselfe And no man dies to himselfe but whether we live we live unto the Lord or whether we dye we dye unto the Lord Whether therefore we live or dye we are the Lords COncerning the Author of this Epistle none is so ignorant but knowes it is Paul It was written to the beleeving Romans For the subject matter of it it is an Elaborate discourse clearing up the Doctrine of Iustification that 's the subject of the doctrinall part of it in the eleven first chapters the ensuing part of it is more practicall in which the Apostle gives severall precepts to the beleeving Romans whether in publicke Offices or in private relations Instructing them how to carry themselves towards God and each towards another In this Chapter he instructs them how to demeane themselves towards their dissenting weak brethren In those primitive times there were some Christians that were stumbled at the present abrogation of the ceremoniall law and were not so fully as others instructed in the Doctrine of Christian liberty purchased by the comming and suffering of the Lord Iesus Christ Upon this from the too rigid Censoriousnesse of other Christians there grew a division and as I am apt to beleeve a separation in the Church It seemeth the stumble was concerning two points of the ceremoniall law First The eating of meats Vnclean by the law Secondly the other the Observation of such dayes as according to the Iewish law were to be kept holy Those Christians that were well instructed in the Doctrine of the liberty purchased by Jesus Christ from those Iewish ceremonies rightly conceived that First Those beasts which were Vncleane to the Iews were not now Vncleane It was since then that God had given leave to Peter to kill and eate with a command to him to call nothing Common or Vncleane which he had sanctified And I conceive that piece of the Ceremonall law did typifie the Uncleanenesse of the Gentiles till the Partition wall was pulled downe and 2. They knew that under the Gospell Christians were by no morall precept engaged to keep any day holy but the Lords day yet the other Christians not seeing with so cleare a light as they saw durst not doe these things but still persisted in abstaining from some meats and the observation of some holy dayes which needed not had they been but well instructed But as the consciences of these were too scrupulous and Superstitious So the spirits of the other were too rigid and censorious presently upon this to refuse communion with them The Apostle therefore in this Chapter writes to them to mind them how to carry themselves towards their weak brethren First He gives a generall precept To receive them but wisely Not to doubtful disputations and negatively Through the weaknes of their faith v. 2. not to despise them we ought not to despise but brotherly to Receive those that differ not from us in fundamentals though they cannot agree with us in circumstantialls For I conceive that the difference was not here a thing indifferent it was utterly unlawfull and superstitious to keep Jewish holydayes by vertue of an obligation from the Ceremoniall law It was unlawfull for them to account those creatures Common or uncleane which the Lord had Sanctified yet saith the Apostle be tender of them First despise them not Secondly puzzle them not in doubtful disputations Thirdly do not judge or condemne them Fourthly Receive them into your hearts by love and piety and affection toward them Into your Congregations not refusing communion with them Now having given them this generall Lesson of Exhortation he presseth it in the ensuing verses by severall Arguments The first is laid downe v. 3. God hath Received him Received him how he hath loved his soule in Jesus Christ and united him to himself will ye reject whom God receiveth doth God think him worthy of his heart and doe not you think him worthy of yours will God receive him to everlasting communion with himselfe and is he not worthy to be received into the Communion of your Congregations Secondly from the very law of Nature who art thou that condemnest another mans servant he stands or fals to his own master This is spoken to disswade them from censuring or judging why saith the Apostle he is Gods servant not yours who bids you judge him leave him to his owne master and doe not you exercise a rigid unwarrantable Mastery over him Thirdly from the love of God to him Yea he shall be established God that hath shined in with some light of knowledge and faith into him will in his due time saith the Apostle shine with more that though he seemes to be now weak yet he shall be strong though he be a little staggering now for the present yet he shall be setled and established and this is proved from the two strongest Arguments in the world to assure to a true Christian the accomplishing of any promise for the carrying on any work of grace First Gods power v. 4. He is able to make him stand Secondly Gods love he will doe to his utmost for him he shall be established The word is passive to denote
Possession 1 Pet. 5. 3. Eph. 2. 22. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 3. 17. They are his owne he calls them his heritage his habitation his peculiar people The sheep of his pasture The sheep of his flock The temple of God His title to them I cleared before but not altogether All title you know is either 1. By inheritance or 2. By purchase or 3. By gift God hath every of these wayes a title to belevers 1. By purchase So I have already cleared Christs title to beleevers I shewed you 1. Of whom he bought this possession 2. Out of whose hands 3. What he paid for it But you know if a man contract with another for a house or ground and after such a contract pay the price for which he contracts with him that hath the sale in his power yet after all this he must have possession given him and then it is fully and most properly called his own Beleevers are the Lord Christs thus he hath not only contracted for them and paid his full price but he hath also taken livery and seisiu of them Joh. 10. 29. The father hath given them to him and Joh. 17. Of all that thou hast given me I have lost none And now they are his inheritance he hath the fee simple of all his Elect ones and by his 1. Assuming their flesh hath taken livery and seisin of their natures 2. Mystically Vniting himselfe unto them he hath brought himselfe and his furniture for his house all the graces of his holy spirit to dwell in them nay they are his peculiar Mansion in whom he delights to dwell you have I knowne saith he above all the Nations of the Earth Amos 3. 2. though all the world be mine and I can pitch my tent any where and dwell in my owne too yet you only I have knowne you are the Mansion-house which I set apart for my glory where I will come and keep house my selfe in person They are the Lords possession that 's the second 3. They are the Lords by neare Relation Neare relations are ordinarily by way of appropriation called ours wives and children and servants we say of such a woman or child or servant she is such a mans wife or it is such a mans child or they are such a ones servants thus are beleevers to be appropriated to God You may say concerning a beleever There goes the child of God Gal. 3. 7. There goes the heire of Jesus Christ Rom. 8. 17. Children not begotten according to the flesh but of the immortall incorruptible seed of the word 1 Pet. 1. 23. You may say of them 2. There goes the Lambs wife the wife of the Prince of glory the Kings daughter Eph. 5. 29 30 31 32. Hosea 2. 18. You may say of them 3. There goes one of Gods servants 1 Cor. 7. 22. Abraham was stiled by Melchisedech the servant of the most high God Paul often stiles himselfe the servant of Iesus Christ Nay 4. They stand in the relation of members to Jesus Christ the head 1 Cor. 6. 16. This is by reason of the neare mysticall unspeakable Vnion that is betwixt the Lord Jesus Christ and the soule Joh. 15. 3. I in you and you in me We are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Eph. 5. 29. 30. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So then can you say of your wife she is mine canst thou say of thy child it is mine canst thou say of any servant that thou keepest he or she is mine Nay nearer yet canst thou say of thy right hand or foot or any member of thy body it is mine So is the beleever Christs Christs purchase possession Servant wife child brother member c. Beleevers then while they live are the Lords That 's the first branch and that is plain Proceed we now to the second and that is 2. Branch That because of it it is his duty while he lives not to live to himselfe but to the Lord. In the opening and handling of this I will doe these three things 1. I wil shew you how a man may be said to live to himselfe and what that meanes 2. I will shew you how it is the beleevers duty to live unto God and what that meanes 3. I will shew you how the consideration of this that a beleever while he lives is the Lords layeth an engagement upon his heart while he lives not to live to himselfe but to the Lord. Of all these briefly and first of the first How may a man be said to live to himselfe and what doth that phrase meane A man may be said to live to himselfe either in a Civill or in a divine and Theologicall sense in a Civill sense a man may bee said to live to himselfe When he is free from all relations when he trades for himself and lives upon his owne hand as we say thus questionlesse the beleever may live to himselfe Or 2. Civilly a man may be said to live to himselfe that is suo commodo to his own back and belly meerly that as we say none eates of his meat nor drinks of his cup nor is a penny the better for him thus a beleever will hardly live to himselfe Or 3. Civilly a man is said to live to himselfe in respect of Communion when he is nulli comes a companion fit for none either in regard of the morosity or sullennesse of his temper But none of these hits the sense of the text which questionlesse is not to be understood of a privacy of civill life but in a divine sense and so a man may live to himselfe two wayes none of both which are competent to a beleever Not Formally not to please himself not following the corrupt dictates of his owne flesh as the base prophane wretch to whom the Devill doth but say goe and he goeth or come and he cometh and his base heart sayes but doe this and he doth it this is often called in Scripture living to the flesh and living to sin Thus the beleever lives not to himselfe Nor Finally a man may be said to live to himselfe when all the actions of his life pursue but his owne worldly interests of greatnesse and wealth and honour The beleever in his life drives on Gods interests trades for glory and acts for his Master himselfe is but a factor here in a strange country whether he eates or drinkes or sleeps or trades or whatever he doth he doth it for the glory of God whose factor he is Phil. 1. 21. To me to live is Christ and to dye is gaine or as others read it to me both in life and death Christ is gain Thus I have explaned the first particular and by opening of this I have also given some light to the other and in part shewed you what it is for a Christian to dye to himselfe which I shall further enlarge my selfe upon by and by The second thing to be opened is what it is for
a beleever to live to God and how a beleever may be said to live to the Lord. I will open it in three or four particulars 1. A beleever may be said to live to the Lord Ratione Iuris by way of Right owning and acknowledging God to be his God as a Sonne lives to his Father and a Servant to his Master wearing Christs livery and acknowledging himselfe to be Christs Servant Proclaming with David Psal 116. 16. Truly Lord I am thy Servant I am thy Servant and the Sonne of thy handmaid for thou hast loosed my bonds Yea and this he will doe in all places and companies if Jesus Christ be named he is not ashamed to say with M. Herbert My Lord and Master He every where acknowledgeth his subjection and duty to God by his service as his Master by his homage as to his Soveraigne by his dutifull feare as to his Father according to that of the Prophet Mal. 1. 6. If I be a father where is my honour and if a master where is my feare He every where honours God as his Father and feares him as his Master Secondly The beleever lives to God formally He followes the dictates of his word and the motions of his spirit He is come into the world to doe his will he knowes that for this end he was borne and readily in the whole motion of his life sayes I delight to do thy will O my God If God in his word or by his spirit sayes to him Goe he goes Come he comes doe this he doth it He disputes not the rebellion of his owne will nor private interests of his owne spirit against the will of God once revealed unto him Thirdly The beleever lives unto God finally The whole end of his life of all his actions words tradings recreations is to glorify God and he doth nothing but he prefaceth this question to it how may God have glory what shall God get by this Action this is the designe he drives the interest he pursues every of his arrowes are levelled at this white and all his actions ordered to this end it is his work to glorify God both in his body and spirit according to the Apostles exhortation 1 Cor. 6. 20. Lastly He lives unto God dependently Indeed this is rather a living upon God but yet it is a living unto God too The life which he now lives is by faith upon the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. He cleaves unto God in all the Conditions and all the Relations of his life Thus he lives not to himselfe but to the Lord. Yea and Thirdly The third branch It is his duty therefore while he lives not to live to himselfe but to the Lord because while he lives he is the Lords Which is the third thing This is plaine if you doe but consider what I said before in the particular explanation of the first branch of the Doctrine viz. How far the beleever while he lives is the Lords 1. Because he is the Lords purchase What shall I buy a servant and shall he serve another Master Shall I buy an house and shall it rent to another Landlord 2. Because he is the Lords possession See the Apostle pressing this duty from both these Arguments 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. What know ye not that your body is the temple of holy Ghost which is in you and which you have of God and you are not your owne for yee are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit which are Gods Yea and thirdly 3. Because we are the Lords in so neare Relation Would you take it well that your children or apprentices which you maintaine should live to themselves And trade for themselves or others and not live to you and trade for you That your wife should live to another Either formally or finally and not to you whose she is And is there not as great an engagment Christians lyes upon you to live to the Lord you are his Children his spouses his servants nay nearer yet his members There is all reason in the world that you should not live to your selves but unto him And thus I have done with the second Branch of the Doctrine viz. That when the beleever lives he lives not to himselfe but to the Lord and it is his duty so to do because while he lives he is the Lords I passe to the third Branch The third Branch That when the beleever dies he dies not to himselfe but unto the Lord and it is his duty so to doe Here for the explanation of this Branch I shall do these two things First I shall shew how a man may be said to die to himselfe which the beleever doth not Secondly I shall shew you what it is to die to the Lord and how a beleever may be said when he dies to die to the Lord. 1. I conceive a man may be said to die to himself 1. when himselfe is the causer wisher or desirer of his own death thus Saul and Iudas dyed to themselves and could not stay Gods leisure The beleever is of another spirit Or Secondly when in dying or desiring to die he meerly aimes at his owne end out of a conceit of the ease and rest he shall be at because he knowes if he be in the grave There the wicked cease from troubling there the weary be at rest as Iob passionately spake c. 3. or to deliver himselfe from obloquies as Ionas cap. 3. or to save himselfe from danger as Saul or to be out of the horrors of a guilty conscience as Iudas these men dyed or would have dyed to themselves Or thirdly a man may be said to die to himselfe when he doth no good by his death declares not the glory of God nor faith in God but dyes like Nabal though his spirit be not over-powred with diseases nor he robbed of his senses yet he dyes like a block Now the beleever none of these wayes dyes to himselfe 1. He will not choose his owne speare with Saul nor twist his owne Halter with Iudas He will not only aime at his owne ease in his death but if the Lord stops not his mouth by an over-powring disease nor bereaves him of his sence and speech he will be setting out the goodnesse and glory of God with his very utmost breath as this our precious Sister that had such a mind of her journey that she could talke of nothing else I passe to the second thing propounded Second Branch To shew you What it is for a Beleever to dye to the Lord and how the beleever when he dyes will dye to the Lord. First he will dye at the Lords leasure he wil not hasten his death nor dye the death of the wicked his soule is indeed so greedy of glory that he is continually sighing after a dissolution and crying come Lord Iesus come quickly but yet not so hasty but he leaves God to his liberty for so poor a circumstance of
time this was Pauls case 1 Phil. 23. 24. He had a desire to be with Christ which was best of all can you blame him for that But yet saith he it is expedient for you that I should stay I am content Like a dutifull child that being abroad hath a desire to see his friends and is sometimes wishing O that the holy-dayes were come that he might goe home and it may be he sometimes writes to them for an horse but yet he is not so mad as to run home on foot much lesse to goe contrary to his fathers mind Secondly in dying he will not aime at his owne ease but herein submits himselfe to the Lord and that both for the time of his death and also for the kind of it 1. For the time of his death See Phil. 23 24. If Paul might judge himselfe he thinkes it would be best presently to dye But if it be more expedient for the Churches he should live yet a little while he is content he sometimes sends to his Father to let him know his longing desire to see him but with all lets him know his resignation to his wil and adds yet Father if it be your pleasure I should stay a quarter of a yeere or some few months longer I will submit my will to your pleasure And as for the time of his death so also for the kind of his death if his Father will have him come on foot or on horse-back so he goeth he careth not if he will have him goe on his swiftest race nag or on the dullest jade in the stable he as willingly will be carted as coached thither Now saith Paul I am ready to be offered 2 Tim. 4. 6. It is all one to him to be sent to heaven with a stroke or linger out many days with this pretious one that was severall yeares on her journy to heaven yet seemed not to be tyred with the length of the journy or the slownesse of her horse she knew whose work it was to switch or spurr and therefore held her owne hands This is the true temper of a Christian in dying to the Lord to be content though he hangs a long time and that upon a crosse so the life and death of the Lord Iesus may be made manifest in his flesh to account it all one whether he dye of the plague or a consumption a fever or the stone upon the rack or at the stake whether the sword divides him or the arrowes of the Lord pierce him he dyes not to himselfe but to the Lord. Thirdly he dyes to the Lord as aiming at the Lords glory in his death thence is submiting himselfe to Gods will for all circumstances so also endeavouring to give glory to the Lord in his death and bring the Lord glory by dying Pauls bonds Imprisonment brought glory to Jesus Christ Phil. 1. 12 13 14. And this he may aime at dying severall wayes 1. By his quiet and patient submitting unto God in the messengers of death Psal 39. 9. David was dumbe and knew not how to complain because it was the Lords doing Like Ely It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Like Christ Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me yet not my will but thy will be done He kisseth the stake and imbraceth the flame 2. If his death be violent By undanted suffering at his death Thus the blood of the Martyrs paid God a tribute of glory by being the seed of the Church O how glorious preachers were the Martyrs That as it was said of Samson the number of them that he flew at his death was more than those he slew in his life So we might say of them The number of them that they spiritually quickned in their lives was short of them that were quickned by their deaths Docter Taylor made it a plaine going home and counted his journy to two stiles whosoever reads the stories of Eusebius or the stories of the Martyrs under the ten persecutions or of late in those reaking times of Q. Mary that filled the land with innocent blood will find this abundantly instanced 3. Whether it be a violent or naturall death they will bring glory to the Lord by speaking something to the glory of God at their death some way or other setting out the glory of God and his goodnesse towards them shewed to them in their life or death Thus did many of the glorious Martyrs and an abundant full proofe of this was this our glorious Sister O how busy was she to tell what the goodnesse of God had been to her to glorify his name to direct comfort quicken were not many of you warmed at the heart by her spirituall fire Thus the beleever dyes to the Lord declaring his faith in God Now I know my redeemer lives and that I shall see him with these eyes Yet so it may be that a beleever through the nature or violence of his disease may bee a wanting to this duty if the Lord ties his tongue who can help it but if he suffers him but to open his lips his mouth shall shew forth his praise Indeed sometimes a beleever may dye in the dark in regard of the sensible enjoyments of Christs love but even then though hee may complain of his own vilenesse and unworthinesse yet it is a thousand to one but he gives glory to God he dyes not like Nabal not as fooles dye I hasten to the last branch of the Doctrine which is that Fourth Branch Beleevers in death are the Lords Shortly of it 1. The Lord owns them in Death Psa 73. 26. Though my flesh faileth and my heart faileth yet God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever He ownes them in dying he takes notice of their composing themselves to sleep and hath newes brought him to heaven of every Saints sickening and dying he hearkeneth and heareth their death sighes and grownes yea and after death more then ever then the soul is returned to God and imbosomed in him and mortality is swallowed up of life 1 Cor. 5. 6. 2. They are the Lords then by Vnion the head and the members will be then as much one yea more one then ever they were they that were one in Grace are made one in glory as the scattered Sun beames when they are gathered into the Sun are more gloriously one with the Sun then when there was a seeming division of their vnity for the irradiation of the earth so all the Saints which are but as distinct beames of the Sun of Righteousnesse when they shall be gathered into Christ shall yet continue to be one with him yea and more gloriously one then ever The Bride is now made ready for the Lambe and the private marriage day is come The Bride of the Lambe is here but in her mourning gowne yet Christ who is a pure essence of infinite love delights in her in that dresse and even in that
should be exalted above measure she had a thorn in the flesh given to buffet her God visited her with a long and tedious affliction how she demeaned her selfe in the beginning of it what she met with how she conquered you may take from her owne mouth in the precedent Relation I shall only supply the Chronicle of her dayes where her owne Relation ceased We commonly say Affliction is a spending time it was not a beginning to her but it was a growing time of grace The first time I came to visit her when I was but a stranger to her and to this City I remember her first question was Sir I beseech you tell me how I may glorify God in my affliction I told her either by patient submitting to his hand and quieting our selves in his will acknowledging his righteousnesse c. Or by Speaking to his glory to others c. For the passive part it was a lesson she had so well learned that no discontent could either be read in her carriage or countenance nor a repining word be heard from her lipps And it was no light Affliction for a young and Active body in its strength to have Gods fetters laid upon it and to be kept so close a prisoner as she was so long a time But her God had subdued her spirit to the feet of his owne will The latter and Active part she so practised that her chamber was as a room of paradise none came in there but went away Instructed or Satisfied or quickned or some way or other bettred The greatest part of her work was Angelicall a speaking well of God admiring and exalting his free grace telling what he had done for her soule yet she remembred that while she was in the body she had a duty to doe to others and never did any labour more for God with the soules of others than this pretious one Grace had made her eloquent her birth and breeding was meane but the Lord had given her the tongue of the excellent O the abundance of grace that was powred out into her lipps I appeale to you did not your hearts burne within you when you heard her speak the Excellency of sense spirituall sense I somtimes as my occasions permitted went to visit her and while I thought to speak my eares silenced my tongue and gave her leave to be the preacher for the gain of those in the room and that I my self might learn Righteousnes who ever heard her mentioning her affliction discoursing of any worldly thing O that my tongue were so sanctified she seemed to have lost all sense of Affliction and while she was in the body to have been out of it she would often call upon those yong ones that were babes of grace and came frequently to visit her to labour after more communion with God I remember one thing she would often Vrge and I beseech you to remember it viz. The excellency of the benefit the soule might reape by private prayer She told you for this what was her and if you be not your owne foes may also be your experience To make my discourse short The time of her life grew short and as she grew nearer the Earth so she grew more heavenly in her Hallelujahs making of it then her onely work to Glorify God by admiring his grace and exalting his name I went to visit her the day before the Lord took her to himself I found her bereaved of most of her senses but yet God gave her the liberty of speech which she ceased not to improve to his glory Many of her friends were weeping over her she was discoursing of the Creators Excellency and the Creatures vanity and that in such language that one would have thought she had had the tongue of the Eloquent as well as the Excellent And so incessant was she in that her spirituall worke that she would speake even till she had lost her speech and pawsing a little to recover her selfe renewed her discourse to the admiration of my selfe and those others that heard her she had so far lost her understanding that upon such pawses she ordinarily forgat what she had said and renewing her discourse would either beg the help of the standers by or goe on upon some new but as heavenly discourse to give thee a tast thereof take what I took that day from her own mouth Her words were these I tell you friends if any Christian sit down short of Christ he shall faile what is your duties your righteousnes but a menstruous cloath loathsome to your selves abominable to God Our boasting is excluded we can doe nothing what should we stay in any thing that we cannot doe O set up nothing of your own Let God have all your selves are nothing I will tell you my friends my own experience I have found the creature is nothing God is an Ocean c. Here her speech failed and pawsing till she had recovered her self she was not able to remember what she spake last but went on O the depth the height the length the breadth of Gods eternall decrees of love Of his love in Christ to poore creatures Study that Ocean It may be some of you have known what that Fountaine that Ocean of love is Now whatsoever the soule sets up or esteems besides that is but a shadow a fancy Let a man sit never so long by a shadow when he removeth he cannot carry it away with him If we get the substance that will also carry the shadow with it If you get the Lord Iesus Christ you get both substance and shadow whatever you have without him is but the shadow without the substance follow not after shadowes pursue them not strive after Christ and you shall in time see much of God Sit not still because you see some difficulties in the pursuance of this there is scarce any of you but if you knew where to get 5 or 20 shillings but would rise up early and worke hard to get it O why are not Christians covetous why should not they be ambitious Aas the work is small why wil you sit still But take heed of resting in your performances doe them but rest not in them Do not think of going to publike Ordinances and duties enough Alas what are publike Ordinances and duties if they be not followed on by private prayer and seeking God in secret O seek him in secret so you shall find him and that shall make you love him more But when you have done thus rest not in it for I tell you again if you sit downe any where short of Christ you lose all whatsoever you think you enjoy look higher then your selves than your bare performances c. And if you looke well into them you will see nothing in them but abundance of cause to be ashamed Nothing short of Christ I tell you againe can make you acceptable or amiable to God It hath in it the basenesse of our corrupted flesh What if