would haue it by free grace and not of debt for saith hee If I should giue a Law and rules to men and promise them life vpon it when they had performed the worke they would challenge it of debt no saith the LORD it is an inheritance I doe not vse to deale with my children as men doe with their seruants that I should giue them worke to doe and when they haue done it I should giue them wages then they would come and challenge it a my hands by way of debt no saith the Lord this is an inheritance and you are my sonnes and you shall haue it giuen you freely and giuen you as it becomes a Father to giue it so you shall take it therefore that it might bee of free grace and not of debt therefore it is by faith and not by workes And that is added likewise if it had beene by workes men would haue beene ready to boast and haue said I haue done this I am able to keepe the Law therefore the promise of eternall life shall bee made good to mee I shall receiue it as wages men would boast in themselues No saith the LORD no creature shall boast in it selfe for that puts euery man further from the LORD the more a man reioyceth in himselfe the more he stands vpon his owne bottome the more he is diuorsed from GOD and separated from him but saith he he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the LORD for that fits a man for the LORD and therefore I will haue it by faith it shall not bee by workes So beloued you see now what is the Condition Surely looke how Abraham was made partaker of the Couenant so euery one of vs must bee Abraham was made partaker of it by saith so shall euery man be made partaker of it by faith and no otherwise Abraham beleeued God when hee had a promise and because he beleeued him not that particular act of faith but that grace of faith whereby he beleeued this and the other promises of the Messiah was counted to him for righteousnesse and so for this cause because wee beleeue the promises and the Couenant of Grace therefore the LORD accepts vs and accounts vs righteous and because this seemes strange to the sonnes of men therefore we see with how much adoe Paul labours to make it good what strong obiections were against it in all times I haue shewed the reason Now when you reade Rom. 3. 4. and Gal. 3. 4. you may know the better the meaning of those places Well so you see the Couenant secondly you see the Condition now you heare that there is such a Couenant as this The third thing is the confirmation of the Couenant when a man heares that GOD will vouchsafe so much fauour vnto mankinde a man is ready to say as Gedion did alas my family is poore in Manasses I am the least in all my Fathers house And who am I that I should be raised vp hitherto that such a promise as this should be made to mee that I should goe and saue Israel c. I say after the same manner a man might bee ready to obiect Alas what are wee the sonnes of men that the great GOD of Heauen and Earth should enter into such a Couenant with vs that he should make vs such promises as these that he should make vs heyres of the World that hee should blesse vs in that manner to make vs sonnes to make vs Kings and Priests Saith the LORD I confesse it is a Couenant that needes confirmation therefore the LORD hath confirmed it all these wayes the LORD hath confirmed it first by his promise saith he you haue my sure word for it if that bee not enough I will confirme it by an Oath and because he had no greater to sweare by he saith by my selfe haue I sworne that I will make it good this is not enough but he confirmes it by the blood of Christ himselfe the Mediator shall come and confirme this Testament and when the Testament is confirmed by the death of the Testator there is no more altering of that saith hee Gal. 3. A mans Testament no man changeth after once it is confirmed and when the Testator is dead Heb. 9. then the Testament is confirmed so it is confirmed by the blood by the death of the Testator This is not enough but hee hath added seales vnto it hee hath confirmed it likewise by them saith hee I will adde the seale of Circumcision and of the Passeouer For Circumcision saith the LORD Goe and circumcise your selues and when I see the Circumcision I will remember my Couenant and make it good to you that as hee said of the Bow he set the Bow in the Cloud saith hee I will make my Couenant that I will neuer destroy the Earth againe with raine this Bow shall be the witnesse of the Couenant and when I looke vpon it I will remember my Couenant after this manner are the signes and seales of the Couenant saith he Circumcise your selues and when I see that I will remember my Couenant and will spare you and I will make good to you all the promises of it So likewise the Passeouer saith hee See that â—ou keepe it take the Lambe and sprinkle the blood c. Saith he when I see it I will remember my Couenant Where beloued this is to be obserued that these signes or seales of the Couenant not onely confirme the promises on our part but they signifie that faith that condition which is required on our part for when the LORD comes and lookes into his Church and sees a great company in it sees his House full and he comes and askes What doe you in my House What doe a number of those that professe themselues to be within the compasse of the Couenant there Their answer is LORD we beleeue wee are among those that keepe the Condition If you beleeue where is your Circumcision It may be you haue that outward Circumcision in the flesh but where is the Circumcision of the heart for if you did beleeue indeede it would worke a change in the heart as faith I told you that is indeede a liuely faith workes a chaâ—ge it câ—ts off sinfull lusts it makes a man deny himselfe and cleaue to God and serue him with a perfect heart So againe after that manner doth the second signe of the Couenant which is the Passeouer when the LORD shall aske Doe you beleeue Yes heere is the sprinkling of the blood of the Lambe But where is the true sprinkling vpon the heart and conscience heere is the outward Passeouer the outward profession you come and take the signe and the seale but where is the inward sprinkling Therefore you see what was required in the Passeouer saith hee when you eate the Lambe c. haue you tasted of the sweet of the Lambe haue you euer tasted of the sweetnesse that is in Iesus Christ so that you can loue
wayes they cannot sticke fast to God and walke perfectly with him But herein is their sinceritie they choose him they pitch vpon him Now the ground of it is they apprehend him to be All-sufficient though this apprehension be not alwayes kept strong it is not alway liuely and actiue in their minds their perswasion is not alway full and present and therefore they are readie to step out So the latter instabilitie befalles the Saints the former befalles hypocrites and both the one and the other instabilitie still proceede from hence that we apprehend not God to be All-sufficient Holy men haue that apprehension in the maine but not in a constant tenour at all times Hypocrites haue it not so much as in the maine Fourthly This truth will likewise appeare from the nature of faith that which makes a man righteous that which sanctifies a man throughout is faith That which is the cause of all vnrighteousnesse in vs is vnbeliefe for it causeth a man to depart from the Lord as Heb. 3. 12. Take heede least there be in any of you an evill heart of vnbeliefe to depart from the living God In this sence faith is sayd to be accounted for righteousnesse Abraham beleeved God Gen. 15. God indeed made the same proposition that he doth here for substance he tells him what he would doe for him and sayth the Text Abraham beleeved God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Now It was accounted to him for righteousnesse chiefly in this sence as it is interpreted Rom. 4. that his very taking of the promise and his accepting of the Covenant in that he did receiue that which God gaue that put him within the Covenant and therefore the Lord reckoned him a righteous man even for that very acceptation and beleeving But that is not all but likewise he accounted faith to him for righteousnesse because faith doth sanctifie and make a man righteous and therefore Beloved by the way wonder not at this that we put so much vpon faith for let a man beleeue that God is All-sufficient which is the Covenant for iustifying faith is but a beleeving of that part of the Covenant and inabling a man to keepe the other part which is required and I say it makes a man righteous for when a man beleeues that God is All-sufficient it will cause a man to giue vp himself to the Lord. Againe when he beleeues the Lord to be all in all things to him it inableth him to be all in all things to the Lord againe that is to be holy to the Lord in all manner of conversation It knits his heart vnto the Lord. It sanctifieth a man throughout it makes him peculiar to the Lord iâ— makes him wholly to him This is the nature of faith Now marke it faith could not thus sanctifie if it did not beleeue Gods All-sufficiency Againe vnbeliefe could not cause out falling or departing from God if it were not hence that we fayle in beleeving some promise of his or some threatnings we thinke there is not an All-sufficiencie in God you know his promises containe all good things if we cleaue vnto him and his threatnings all evill things if we depart from him If this were fully beleeved our hearts would keepe neare to him as farre as it is not beleeved so farre we step out Now I say hence faith purifieth the heart It sanctifieth is the cause of all righteousâ—esse that is wrought by vs and vnbeliefe is the cause of all vnrighteousnesse that is wrought by vs. Hence we gather then that the perswasion of Gods All-sufficiency keepes a mans heart perfect with God and as farre as you come short of this perswasion so farre you are ready to depart from him And all the ground of it is because that which drawes vs from the Lord is either vaine feares or vaine hopes Those are the two eares as it were by which Sathan takes euery man whereby the drawes him away out of the wayes of the Lords Commandements Now if a man did beleeue that God were All-sufficient he would be subiect to none of these false feares if he did apprehend him to be a Buckler that could keepe him from all ill Againe on the other side if the did beleeue God to be an exceeding great reward that is so great a reward that there can be nothing wanting in him that there is a length and breadth and depth and height in that reward that his heart hath latitude enough to walke in he can dosire nothing out of it this would free a man from all vaine hopes so that the apprehension of it would keepe his heart perfect Contratiwise as farre as you faile in either so farre you are subiect to those two either false feares or vaine and sinfull hopes and that is the cause of our vneven and vnaequall walking with God that we are not vpright and perfect Hence you may see both the nature of sinne and the cause of all sinne for it is profitable for vs Beloved nothing more profitable than to finde out the cause of sinne It is a Rule that Physitians haue that a disease when it is throughly knowne that is when the cause of it is fully knowne it is halfe cured so it is in the disease of the soule to know the very roote and rise from whence it proceeds or commeth to know the principle from whonco it ariseth it is a great helpe to vs to prevent it to heale it But I say this will both shew the nature of sinne and the cause of sinne in vs. First it shewes the nature of sinne how evill a thing it is yea worse than for the most part we apprehend it to be for if there be no sinne committed but it comes from hence that you apprehend not God to be All-sufficient then there is Idoldtrie in a manner committed in every sinne that is you take from God and adde another God to him if you thinke him not to be All-sufficient whatsoever you seeke to and youne with him you make it God as well as he If it be credite if it be honour if it be pleasures if it be riches yea whatsoever it is I say there is a bitter roote of Idolatrie in the commission of every sinne that makes it out of measure sinfull This we may consider by the way but this I purpose not to stand on the thing that I would chiefly presse is to finde out the cause of sinne the cause of that hollownesse and that imperfectnesse and insinceritie that is in the hearts of men towards God which I say ariseth from hence that they apprehend not God to be All-sufficient for this for the most part is the case of men if they did not apprehend some sufficiencie in him they would not seeke him at all againe if they did apprehend him to be All-sufficient they would serue him perfectly but this middle apprehension in men that they thinke there is a sufficiencie in the
Lord but not an All-sufficiencie this is the cause why the hearts of men are hollow towards the Lord. Even as when a man lookes towards a great man that is a man ofsome power able to doe him hurt and that hath some abilitie to doe him good this makes him to feare it makes him carefull to please him and to abstaine from what may offend him yet because he thinkes he is not perfect with him that his heart is but hollow towards him he doth it not fully So it is in our walking before God Because we apprehend him not to be All-sufficient therefore it is that our hearts are not perfect with him We shall best shew you this in instances for example What is the reason that a man is discouraged in seeking to God in praying to God in depending vpon God in any great case of difficultie where there is more then ordinarie difficultie there is more to be suffred there is more to be done what is the reason of it because we apprehend him not to be All-sufficient You know the turning of men away from God commonly it ariseth from this they meete with some rub some crosses some barre Some Lyon in the way which they are not able to grapple with it is too strong for them and then they turne out of the way the reason I say of all sinne and departure from the Lord is because we doe not apprehend him to be All-sufficient for if we did why should not a man in an easie case turne from him as well as in the most difficult As for example David followed the Lord long yet when Saul grew exceeding strong and he very weake then he stepped aside and sayd in his heart I shall perish one day and so he goes out of Gods wayes and flyeth to Achis to the Philistines This was from hence that he did not apprehend the Lord to be All-sufficient and Almightie for the word signifieth both And so likewise Moses Numb 11. what was the reason that he started aside that he did not beleeue as at other times When God sayd to him that he would giue them flesh for a moneth together what sayth Moses againe Shall six hundred thousand men be fed with flesh shall all the Beeues and Sheepe be slaine or shall all the fish in the Sea be gathered together He could not beleeue the Lord here was a difficultie that Moses was not able to reach that there should be so many fed with flesh and that in the wildernes and that for a moneth together he thought it impossible to be done that all the fish in the Sea should be gathered together and all little enough to serue such a turne Now marke the Lords answer there is the Lords hand shortened You may know by the medicine what the disease was Moses sayth he thou thinkest I am not able to doe it thou thinkest my hand is shortened that I cannot doe it And the like was when he came to draw water out of the rocke you shall see Moses there stucke for the case was a case of difficulty If it had beene out of the earth where there had beene probabilitie it had not beene so much but Moses makes two arguments against it you know how great the sinne was for the which he lost going into the Land of Canaan I say he makes these two arguments against it First sayth he the people are rebels and will the Lord giue them water that haue carried themselues in such a manner that was one thing that caused his infidelitie at that time Another was What shall I give you water out of the rocke As if he should say That is a difficult thing So that put these two together out of the rocke and vnto rebels there his fayth fayled for it was difficult and whence came this because he thought the Lord was not All-sufficient And so likewise Martha and Marie when they came to Christ for Lazarus when he was dead they were out of hope the reason was because there was a difficultie now more than before so that I say the cōmon cause of our turning aside from the Lord is because we meete with some difficulties which our faith is not able to grapple with and it ariseth from hence that we forget this that the Lord saith to Abraham I am God All-mightie or All-sufficient I am able to doe whatsoever I will Besides this what is the cause that men seeke after vaine-glory that they are subiect to enuie the spirit that is in vs is subiect to envie for everyman envieth another because he desireth vaine-glory too much to himselfe this ariseth from hence that he reckoneth not God to be All-sufficient That is If we did reckon it enough to haue praise with God if we thought that his knowledge of our vprightnesse were sufficient though no man in the world knew it besides we would be content with that honour that we haue which he hath allotted to vs within our owne compasse but because we thinke him not to be All-sufficient we would haue somthing likewise from the creature we would haue honour loue and respect from men which sinne ariseth hence that we apprehend not him to be All-sufficient so doth that likewise which is contrary to it for sinnes of the same nature they arise both frō the same groūd when men are so sencible of shame and reproach and disgrace and disparagement doth it not arise hence that we reckon mans day too much and Gods day too little We apprehend not God enough in his greatnesse as the Apostle saith I reckon not to be iudged by mans day As if he should say It is but a day it is but a time that man hath to judge there is another day the Lords day that great day If a man did apprehend that which is in God if he did see his All-sufficiency he would not regard to be judged by mans day as long as he were not judged by the Lord he would not care what his fellow-prisoners thought of him as long as the Iudge and the Law cleared him And so likewise what is the reason of the vneven wayes of men which they take to bring their enterprises to passe is it not hence that they apprehend not God to be All-sufficient David when he was in a strait when the Kingdome you know was promised him and many opportunities he had to haue gotten it if he would haue vsed evill meanes when sometimes the Lord put Saul into his hands yet would not touch him but committed it to the Lord for he thought him to be almightie able to bring it to passe as also he did bring it to passe And so likewise Daniell there might haue beene meanes vsed for him to haue escaped you know how he was in danger when he refused to eate of the Kings meate he was in danger againe when they obtained of the King that is any man did make any request to any God or man
fellowship with himselfe if he please to come to the soule of a man to dwell with him to suppe with him as he hath promised so to doe doth then when all other comforts fayle at that time God delighteth to come then thou shalt finde varietie of comfort enough And therefore why shouldst thou not be contented to haue God alone for thy portion Thou shalt finde enough in him as in an adaequate obiect This is the first thing I haue to shew you that in your very communion with him you shall finde enough when the Lord hath done it when thou art filled with the joy of the holy Ghost what will all be to thee what doe you thinke all the world was to them if it should haue beene presented to the Apostles if one should haue presented them with a Kingdome with all that ever the sonnes of men could devise Doe you thinke they would haue regarded them much Surely they would not as they did noâ— regard the contrary Imprisonment was nothing death was nothing to them you see with what facilitie they passed through them By the Rule of Contraries outward happinesse had beene nothing for he that grieues much for any outward losse he would much reioyce in the contrary conâ—â—â—â—ments when the Apostles were thus filled with the joy of the holy Ghost in regard of the one certainely they would not haue regarded the other if it had beene represented vnto them what was now the joy in the holy Ghost it was but the Lord communicating himselfe they had but the Lord alone they were but led into a neerer fellowship with him there was but a little crâ—vis opened as it were to see that excellency and fulnesse and that All-sufficiencie in God and it filled them so that they cared for nothing besides But this I say we would worke our hearts to if we did looke vpon God as an adaequate obiect But you will say though this be something to haue my soule filled with comfort thus yet there are many necessities many vses that I haue of other things Therefore I will goe yet further Doe thou consider the Lord what he is goe through all his attributes consider his almightie power consider his great wisedome his counsell and his vnderstanding consider his great goodnesse and his truth and kindnesse consider his patience and his long suffering c. all these are thine My Beloved God is not knowne in the world we consider not aright what he sayth when he sayth I will be thy portion I will be thy God for so he sayth I my selfe am my beloveds and my welbeloved is mine Now to haue the Lord himselfe is more than if he should giue thee all the Kingdomes of the earth consider this the power of God is thine to worke all thy workes for thee to make passage for thee when thou art in a straite to bring thy enterprises to passe to deliver thee out when thou art in any affliction out of which the creature is not able to deliver thee Thinke what it is to haue an interest in Gods almightie power and thinke this is one part of thy portion the Lord himselfe is thine and all his power is thine Consider likewise his wisedome if thou neede counsell in any difficult case if thou wouldst be instructed in things that be obscure if thou wouldst be led into the mysteries that are revealed in the word to see the wonderful things contained in the Law the wisedome of God is thine thou hast interest in it it is thy portion thou shalt haue the vse of it as farre as he sees it meete for thee And so the Iustice of God is thine to deliver thee when thou art oppressed to defend thee in thine innocency and to vindicate thee from the iniuries of men And so we may goe through the rest Now consider what a portion it is to haue the Lord alone if thou hadst nothing but him thou hadst enough When a woman marries with a Tradsman or with an Artist that is excellent but in some one Art or with one that is excellent in learning and knowledge shee is content it may be and thinkes it to be a great portion as good as if shee had many thousands with him for sayth shee this is as good it will bring it in Thinke then if thou hast the Lord alone for thy portion if thou hast nothing else thou hast sufficient Thinke of all these attributes say within thine owne heart all these are mine And therefore why should I not be content to haue him alone But yet this is not enough I will goe yet further with thee if thy heart be not satisfied with this yet consider all things in the world are thine for whatsoever is the Lords is thine When a virgin marries with a man that is rich shee lookes vpon all his possessions and sees so many thousand sheepe so many fayre houses and so much land he hath so much gold and silver and she sayth thus with herselfe now he is my husband all this is mine I shall haue my interest in them I shall haue that that is fit for me So looke now vpon the Lord consider when thou hast chosen him to be thy portion though thou shouldst be content to haue him alone yet all this comes together with him it cannot be separated from him so that even then when thou art deprived of all yet all is thine he hath it readie for thee to bestow on thee as there is occasion You will say these are notions these are hard things to beleeue to see these really is another thing My Beloved will you beleeue your senses I finde that the Scriptures take away arguments from those things that are exposed to the view of men looke on nature and see what the Lord doth there doe but compare a house-keeper on earth with the Lord and see what the difference is betweene them Consider how many there are in this house of the Lord of which he is Maister how many there are at vprising and down-lying from day to day Consider how he provides for them all in Psal. 104. and in Iob. 38. you see the holy Ghost reasoning with the sonnes of men even after this manner Why sayth he doe you doubt him why are you not content to consecrate your selues to him to be to him alone Doe but see how he deales with all creatures in the morning they know not what to doe but they looke vp vnto him he instanceth in the Ravens and other creatures he openeth his hand and giveth them foode he shuts his hand and they perish That is He feeds them all Consider the Treasures in Iob 38. Doest thou sayth the Lord know the treasures of snow and hayle that I haue hid When there is a snow all the Land over thinke what a great treasure the Lord hath from whence it comes in the mightie hayles that be sayth he to Iob
turne I haue given him nothing he is vncapable of my gift and therefore I looke for no recompence as by merit from him Againe If God be All-sufficient let vs be exhorted to make a Covenant with him for as I told you before these words doe but containe the Covenant betweene God and vs. Now this is the Covenant that God will make with you if you will enter into Covenant with him that he will be All-sufficient to you Now that which is expressed here generally I finde in other places divided into these three particulars where in the All-sufficiencie of God consists as if they were the three parts of this Covenant First He is All-sufficient to justifie and to forgiue vs our sinnes Secondly He is All-sufficient to sanctifie vs and to heale our infirmities Thirdly He is All-sufficient to provide vs whatsoever we neede so that no good thing shall be wanting to vs. These are the three parts of the Covenant which we finde set downe in divers places in Ier. 31. 34. Heb. 8. 9. 10. 16. But most clearely are they set downe in Ezek. 36. Sayth the Lord there I will powre cleane water vpon you you shall be cleane yea from all your filthines and from all your Idols will I clense you There is one part of the Covenant that he will clense vs from all our sinnes That is From the guilt and the punishment of them Secondly A new heart will I giue you also a new spirit will I put into you and I will take away your stonie hearts out of your bodies and I will giue you a heart of flesh There is the second part of the Covenant consisting of Sanctification The third is You shall dwell in the Land that I gaue to your Fathers and I will call for Corne and I will increase it and I will lay no more famine vpon you and I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field that you beare no more the reproach of famine among the Heathen Here are the particulars set downe some are named for the rest I will call for Corne and Wine That is For whatsoever you want That is the third part of the Covenant These are the three parts of the Covenant which I shall spend this time in opening and shewing you that God is sufficient in all and to answer those objections that mens hearts haue against his All-sufficiencie for the heart is readie to object against these three to haue sinnes forgiven to be sanctified and to haue abundance of all good things belonging to this present life in all these he is All-sufficient to fulfill all the desires of mens hearts Now to begin with the first First I say He is All-sufficient to take away all our sinnes My Beloved it may be when you heare this poynt you will say it is an easie thing to beleeue it there is no difficultie in this the Lord is All-sufficient to forgiue sinnes Surely whatsoever we say or pretend wee finde in experience it is exceeding hard Who is able so fully to beleeue the forgiuenes of his sinnes as he ought Who is able to doe it when he is put to it At the day of death at the time of extremitie at that time when the conscience stirres vp all his strength and opposeth it selfe against him when all his sinnes are presented vnto him in their colours who is able then to beleeue it therefore we had neede to finde out the All-sufficiencie of God in this for the greatnesse and exceeding largenesse of his power is shewed in it in nothing more then in forgiving of sinnes Hosea 11. 9. See there how the Lord expresseth it Sayth he I will not execute the fiercenes of my wrath I will not returne to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man Marke my Beloved when we haue committed sinne against God we commonly thinke thus with our selues if my sinnes were but as other mens if my sinnes wanted these and these circumstances I would beleeue the forgiuenesse of them but something or other a man hath still to object Now sayth the Lord it is very true If I were as man is it could not be but I should execute the fiercenesse of my wrath vpon Ephraim who hath provoked me so exceedingly for Ephraim was a part of Israell and is put for all Israell and the Prophet wrote this in the time of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash when Israell abounded in sinnes and in Idolatry but sayth the Lord though their sinnes be exceeding great yet I am able to forgiue them for I am God and not man As if he should say Looke vpon weake man and compare God and man together and see how farre God exceeds man see how much he is stronger then man being infinite and almightie so sayth he his mercy exceeds the mercy of man As if he should say If I were not God it were impossible I should forgiue the sinnes of Ephraim which they haue multiplied against me from time to time So likewise in Esay 55. 7. the Lord cals them in there and vseth this as an argument for sayth he I will forgiue and multiplie my pardons so the word signifieth in the originall when a man makes this objection But it is more then any man can beleeue that my sinnes that I haue thus and thus repeated that the Lord can so easily put them away and multiply his pardons as I haue multiplied my sinnes Sayth he my thoughts are not aâ— your thoughts my wayes are not as your wayes but as high as the heaven is aboue the earth so are my thoughts aboue your thoughts and my wayes aboue your wayes That is As a man lookes to heaven and considers the great distance betweene the earth and it so farre sayth he doe my thoughts exceede your thoughts That is When you thinke with your selues I cannot forgiue because you measure me and draw a scantling of me by your selues when you haue gone to the vtmost of your thoughts my thoughts exceede yours as much as heaven exceeds the earth And therefore sayth he my wayes are not as your wayes That is When you would not forgiue yet I am able to forgiue in so great a disproportion We doe with this as we doe with all the Attributes of God we are able to thinke him powerfull as a man but to thinke him powerfull as God there we come short We are able to thinke him mercifull as a man but to thinke him mercifull as God there our thoughts are at an end we can thinke and see no reason why he should pardon vs. Now sayth the Lord my thoughts goe beyond your thoughts as much as the distance is betweene heaven earth If you say to me who doubts of this that the Lord is able to forgiue My Beloved if we did not doubt of it what is the reason when great sinnes are committed that you fall to questioning of Gods mercy when you can more
perfect heart And you shall finde this very Storie that I haue now named brought in as an euidence that his heart was not sound that his faith had not a perfect worke so farre his faith went thus far he did by vertue of that faith that he had but a perfect worke his faith had not Another example is in Rehoboam 2 Chron. 11. When the Kingdome was diuided and giuen to Ieroboam and the tenne Tribes had made that defection from Rehoboam hee gathered together ninescore thousand fighting men to goe vp against Israel but saith the Text the Word of the Lord came to Shemaiah a man of God saying Speake to Rehoboam the sonne of salomon King of Iudah and to all Israel and Iudah and Beniamin saying Thus saith the Lord You shall not goe vp to fight against your brethren returne euery man to his house for this thing is done by mee They obeyed therefore the Word of the Lord and returned from going against Ieroboam You see heere a very great worke of faith that caused him to giue ouer to sit downe to be content to lose so great a part of his Kingdome and to looke no more after it that when hee had an Armie ready of valiant men yet hee was conteut to sit downe though he were a man that was not sound-hearted yet faith had thus farre a worke in him and not onely for this time but for three yeeres after hee cleaued to the Lord and serued him in all things and yet for all this it had not its perfect worke it carried him not through for afterwards he departed from the Lord. Beloued this is a signe of an vnsound heart when faith shall goe so farre when it shall inable a man to doe many things and yet for all this it hath not its perfect work Wee see the contrary in Abraham Rom. 4. 19. when he was put to it when God had made him a promise that he should be the Father of many Nations saith the Text he was not weake in the faith The meaning is he was not vnsound but was perfect in the faith What did he doe How did that appeare Saith hee hee went through when the Lord came with such a promise hee considered not his owne body that was dead for hee was a hundred yeeres old nor he considered not the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe but saith he he beleeâ—ned that he was able that had promised This is giuen as an euidence of the truth of his faith he made not a stand in such a difficult case for he was not vnsound but hee was perfect in the faith So likewise when he came to offer his sonne here in the perfection of his faith was seene And beloued by this you may know whether your hearts be right if you suffer euery grace to haue its perfect worke when your faith doth not picke and choose and take heere a promise and leaue there another here to beleeue a threatning another not to beleeue here to take hold on a Commandement to beleeue that this is the will of GOD in another case not to beleeue for so doing is a signe of an vnsound heart If you obiect But faith many times hath not a perfect worke in the Saints as Moses at the waters of strife saith the Text hee fayled through vnbeliâ—fe and againe Dauid when hee fled from Saul to Achis we see his faith there had not its perfect worke so likewise Peter when the waues beganne to arise to swell and hee beganne to sinke his faith had not a perfect worke To this I answer that faith may haue a perfect worke that is there may be an aptnesse in it that ordinarily it goes through the worke â—hough by some accident it may be hindred for marke the faith of those wee see Dauid though he fayled at this time yet at other times he did not no more did Moses nor Peter which is an argument that it rose not from vnsoundnesse from hollownesse of the grace or of their hearts but from some interueniall impediment some passion as it was a passion in Moses he was distempered and so it was a feare a mist that was cast before the eyes of Peter at that time Now you know a man may bee said to haue a perfect eye and yet for all that in a mist he may not be able to see as at other times and a man may be said to haue a perfect hand and yet a fit of a Palsie may make it shake and make it vâ—fit for any thing so a man may haue a perfect taste able to distinguish one thing from another yet when hee is in an Ague in such a fit he takes things amisse things that are wholsome seeme bitter to him so in the graces of the Spirit there may be sometimes much impâ—rfection admitted when a man is in the mist when he is in the fit when some distemper some passion or affection hath ouercast and ouerclouded the soule as it were and possessed he pallate these may be defects and yet the grace may be perfect But you shall know it by this ordinarily it is not so it is but by accident and therefore it comes to passe but now and then And as we say of the grace of faith so to giue you another instance truth or the knowledge of truth this great grace if the heart be sound will haue a perfect worke it will goe through it will not make a stand heere and there as it doth in those that are vnsound as you see Rom. 1. 18. it is giuen there as a signe of an vnrighteous man when they withold the truth in vnrighteousnes that is when the truth is not suffered to haue a perfect worke when there is truth and they suffer it perhaps to informe their vnderstandings but they suffer it to goe no further when they suffer it not to walke abroad into all the corners of the soule into all the inward roomes of it or if they doe that yet they suffer it not to come into the outward Courts of their conuersation it is a signe that this grace hath not a perfect worke but is restrained and such an expression you shall finde 2 Pet. 3. 5. This they willingly know not marke that the heaueâ—s were of old c. Hee speakes there of certaine Atheists that were mockers and despisers that were ready to say Where is the promise of his comming doe not all things continue alike since the time of the Fathers The Apostle answers them thus saith he they haue truth in them there is light enough GOD hath borne witnesse to himselfe in their owne consciences there are many things that they might obiect against these temptations of Atheisme but saith he they willingly will not know them that is they will not take them into consideration as if hee should say their will because they will not be troubled because they will liue loosely it suffers them not to vnderstand and to enquire
he that hath entred into Couenant with mee and therefore saith he it shall neuer be said that the King of Sodome hath made Abraham rich I haue receiued all from him and I will restore all to him therefore you see hee paid Tythes to Melchizedeck he gaue him the tenth of all that he had So is it now saith God that Mesiah that promised â—eed is a Priest after the order of Melchizedeck he is a King he shall come and blesse thee after that manner he shall make thee heyre of all things onely thou shalt doe him homage saith hee as thou didst to Melchizedeck What was that homage That thou shalt giue him the tenth of all thou hast that is by that thou shalt shew thine homage thou shalt shew that thou art bound to yeeld him obedience thou shalt shew vpon what tenure thou holdest all that thou hast thou giuest him that as a rent acknowledging him to bee the Lord of whom thou hast receiued all things and to whom thou owest all things therefore Abraham would take nothing of any else hee would take nothing of the King of Sodome nor he would doe nothing for the King of Sodome that is not to him nor any man but as from God as a meanes vnder him Beloued this is the great Couenant that the Lord made with Abraham So you see how the promise is made to the seed for the promise was made thus to the seed God had promised that hee should bee a King a Priest and a Prophet I haue sworne saith he thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedeck againe I will giue vnto him the Kingdome of Dauid Thus the promises come after in the Old Testament So the promise is made to the seed and againe it is the seede that blesseth him This is the promise Now for the Condition that God required of Abraham it was this Thou shalt beleeue this thou shalt beleeue that such a Mesiah shall be sent into the World Art thou able to beleeue this Abraham He answers Yes Well saith the Lord I will put thee to the tryall I will see whether thou canst beleeue this or no and withall I will giue thee a signe or euidence that I am able to performe it saith he I will giue thee a Sonne It is true thou art as a dead man thou art almost a hundred yeeres old and the wombe of Sarah is dead I will promise thee a Sonne art thou able to beleeue it Againe thou seest the Land of Canaan thou hast not one foot in it I will giue this land from the length and breadth of it for thy possession Art thou able to beleeue this saith the Text Abraham did beleeue and God accounted that faith of his for righteousnesse that is hee accepted him for it for that faith he reckoned him a man fit to make a Couenant with all hee accounted him a righteous person that is hee was willing to enter into Couenant with him because he beleeued him Beloued this was not directly the beleeuing of the Mesiah he did not intend the Mesiah but it was the beleeuing that he should haue a sonne You see the Text is plaine Gen. 15. when God had said to Abraham that hee would bee his exceeding great reward saith Abraham I goe childlesse and the Steward of my house will be my heyre Saith the LORD to him Verse 4. This man shall not be thine heyre but one that shall come out of thine own bowels shall be thine heyre Goe looke vpon the Starres if thou be able to number them then thou shalt number the seed that thou shalt haue Saith the Text Verse 6. Abraham beleeued and hee accounted that to him for righteousnesse So likewise he addes in the Verses following againe hee said I am the Lord that brought thee out of Vr of the Chaldees to giue thee this Land to inherit it So my beloued this was the promise Now when Abraham had beleeued this saith the Lord to him This faith of thine that is not this particular act by which thou beleeuest that thou shalt haue a sonne that shall be thine immediate heyre but that habit that grace of faith that bâ—leeuing disposition in thee whereby thou art able to beleeue this promise saith he with the same faith thou also belieuest the promise of the Messiah that a certaine seedâ— shall be giuen thee in whom all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed Saith he this faith of thiâ—e I take for the condition of the Couenant on thy part I will for this reckon thee as righteous I will account thee as a man fit to be entred into Couenant withall Againe the Lord tryes him afterward when Isaac was growne Verse 22. Goe saith hee and kill thy sonne Abraham was able to keepe it hee went and meant to haue done it in good earnest so there was the same ground for beleeuing now that there was before So saith hee GOD could haue raised him from the dead when I had killed him aswell as make mee when I was dead and Sarahs wombe when that was dead to bring forth a sonne God can aswell raise him from the dead as he could giue him mee from a dead wombe at first Wee see that God vpon this renewes the Couenant againe and renewes it with an Oath sure saith he I will performe my Couenant since I see that thou beleeuest and fearest mee and preferrest me before thine only sonne these are but the concomitants of his faith So my beloued it was this act of Abraham by which hee did beleeue the promise of God that made him partaker of the Couenant And if you aske now what is the condition that makes euery man partaker of this Covenant of grace It is nothing but onely faith ability to beleeue it that GOD would send such a Messiah before the Law and that hee hath exhibited and sent him since for you must know this that all the promises the very giuing of Isaac the giuing of the promised Land all these were but shaddowes as it were of the great promise of the maine Couenant in Christ. So likewise that act of Abrahams faith whereby hee beleeued that he should haue a sonne and beleeued that GOD would giue his children possession of that Land where he had not a foot was but likewise a branch and a shaddow and a pledge as it were of the maine act of faith whereby he beleeued the promised seed should be giuen him in whom himselfe and all the Nations of the Earth should bee blessed So then wee haue found out this what the Condition is that God requires of euery man to bee made partaker of his Couenant it is nothing but to beleeue in God that is God saith I will giue my Sonne to you to vs a Sonne is giuen c. that shall be the promised seede and I will make him a King a Priest and a Prophet to blesse you hee shall giue you remission of sinnes c. he shall
teach you and instruct you to mortifie your lusts and shall make you partakers of his Kingdome he shall make you heyres and sonnes this is a very great promise can you beleeue this If a man will but beleeue GOD now I say it makes him partaker of the Couenant this puts him within the Couenant you will say this is very strange how can it be that so small a condition as this that to belâ—eue should make a man partaker of the Couenant that vpon which all the promises hang initially is nothing but beleeuing You see Abraham did no more but beleeue GOD when hee told him hee should haue a sonne you see how much GOD made of that So it is with vs if we doe but beleeue this God will make as much of it he will make good all the promises of the Couenant to vs But I say this hath need of a reason why it is suspended onely vpon faith and beliefe the reason is this marke it well it is a point of exceeding great moment First though there were nothing but faith yet that beleeuing brings with it and workes sanctification and holinesse of life for whereas you might object May a man beleeue this promise and yet walke according to the lusts of his owne ignorance and so to be made partaker of the Couenant Let him if he can beleeue truly and doe this but it is impossible let him beleeue and the other will follow Behold Abraham himselfe to giue you an instance of it he beleeued GOD and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse I say it was enough for him to beleeue GOD For that drawes after it inherent righteousnesse of sanctification and holinesse of life for saith the Text Rom. 4. Abraham is said to beleeue GOD when hee said he should haue a sonne he gaue him glory that is the ground which drawes with it all other graces after this manner he that beleeues GOD hath a good opinion of him hee loues him hee that loues him must needs be full of good workes Besides he that beleeues him when GOD shall say to him I am thy exceeding great reward see that thou keepe close to mee thou shalt haue an eye vpon mee and walke with mee from day to day Let a man beleeue that GOD is alsufficient that he will be a Sunne and a Shield to him and his exceeding great reward hee will be ready to doe it Abraham did so when God called him from his Fathers house and from his kindred hee was ready to doe so when GOD would haue him to offer vp his onely sonne he was ready to doe it for he beleeued GOD hee beleeued his promise and his ability and willingnesse to helpe him hee beleeued his Almighty power and therefore whatsoeuer GOD bid him doe he would doe it hee preferred GOD before his own ease before his owne profit before his onely sonne whom hee loued Let any man beleeue as Abraham did and of necessity it will produce good workes let a man beleeue truely and truth of beliefe will bring forth truth of holinesse and therefore wee heare what S. Iames saith Iam. 2. saith he Abraham was iustified by faith it is true but saith hee Abrahams faith had workes ioyned with it for it was not a dead a counterfeit faith but a true faith and being a true faith you see Abraham had workes aswell as faith for when GOD bade him offer his sonne he did it Was not that an exceeding great worke saith the Apostle there So say I no wonder that it is by faith that the LORD requires no more but to beleeue for when a man beleeues workes will follow it will breed holinesse of life let him beleeue GOD to bee an exceeding great reward that hee is a Sunne and a Shield he will follow GOD wheresoeuer hee leades him let him beleeue the promise of GOD when he describes himselfe hee must needes haue a good opinion of him and loue him and bee exceeding fruitfull in good workes and obedience to him therefore that is one reason for it A second reason of it is because it could not bee done by obedience to the Law it was impossible to haue made the sonnes of men partakers of the Couenant that way for if it could haue beene done by the Law and by the Commandement it should haue beene but the LORD tryed that in Adam hee gaue Adam a Commandement and ability to keepe it so hee made him perfectly innocent yet Adam did not keepe it Put the case that GOD should haue tryed him the second time and haue giuen him a Commandement againe and not haue required the Condition of faith but of obedience hee would haue broken it as hee did before and therefore it could not bee by the Law Therefore it must needes bee by faith and the promises otherwise it could neuer haue beene sure Adam brake it surely if hee brake it we should haue broken it if it had beene any other way but by faith and therefore wee see what the Apostle saith Galat. 3. 21. Is the Law then against the promise of GOD GOD forbid for if there had beene a Lawe giuen that could haue giuen life surely rigâ—teousnesse had beene by the Law If Adam had stood and had kept the Law and if men could haue entred into Couenant and haue kept it Christ had beene spared the Couenant of Grace had beene spared if righteousnesse had beene by the Law there had needed no Messiah there had needed no Couenant of Grace and therefore through the infirmity of the flesh Adams flesh that would not keepe the Law and ours that is not able to keepe it there was no other way to make mankind partaker of the Couenant of Grace but onely by faith by beleeuing GOD and by taking the promise and the gift of Righteousnesse through Iesus Christ for it could neuer else in likelihood haue beene sure to the seede This is the way to make it sure when there is no more but an acâ—eptation required and not exact obedience to the Commandement Thirdly it is by faith because nothing else can answer the Couenant but faith you see the Couenant is not a Commandement Doe this and liue but the Couenant is a promise I will giue thee It runnes all vpon promises I will giue thee a seed and in that seede thou shalt bee blessed I will giue thee this good Land c. so that the Couenant of Grace stands on GODS part all in promises Now you know that it is faith that answers the promise for the promise is to beleeued if the Couenant had stood in precepts and Commandements and rules of the Law then it must haue beene answered by workes and obedience and therefore it could not be by obedience for that holds not proportion there is not agreement betweene them but since the Couenant consists of promises that must needes bee by beleeuing and not by workes Fourthly and lastly it is by faith because the Lord
the Couenant or no You shall know it by this How did Abraham know whether he was in the Couenant or how will you know whether Abraham or any other were saith the Text Abraham beleeued God and therefore God reckoned him as a man that was righteous and accepted him to bee a partaker of the Couenant and so if thou beleeue it is certaine then thou art within the Couenant but how shall a man know that Gal. 5. 5. Neither Circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue If thou canst finde this now that thou art able to take Iesus Christ to take him as a LORD and Sauioâ—r thou art able to beleeue all the Couenant of Grace thou art by that put into the Couenant But how shall a man know whether this faith be right or no for you know there is a false dead and counterfeit faith if it be right thou shalt finde it to be of a working and liuely nature but many times we may bee deceiued in that A woman many times thinkes she is with childe but if she finde no motion nor stirring it is an argument she was deceiued So when a man thinkes that hee hath faith in his heart but yet he finds no life no motion no stirring there is no worke proceeding from his faith it is an argument he was mistaken hee was deceiued in it for if it be a right faith it will worke there will be life and motion in it As Abrahams faith you see it enabled him to doe whatsoeuer GOD appointed him to offer his sonne to excommunicate Ismael when GOD bid him cast him out though hee loued Ismael exceeding dearely yet he did it and did it readily so whatsoeuer God bade him doe here was a working faith But yet a little further a man may be yet deceiued in this a mans faith may worke and an Hypocrite may doe many workes if it bee but bare working a man may bee deceiued and therefore this is added further it workes by loue Beloued a man may doe exceeding many duties as you know hee may suffer Martyrdome he may giue all to the poore hee may be a very diligent Preacher of the Gospell for Paul saith I may speake with the tongue of men and Angels I may giue my goods to the poore I may giue my body to be burned and yet if these great workes be done without loue they are nothing But on the other side if you finde this that you doe but the least worke if it be but to giue a cup of cold water and doe it out of loue if you abstaine from one sinne if you ouercome any one lust whatsoeuer that is deare and neare to you because you loue Iesus Christ if you set your selues vpon any worke vpon any imployment and endeauour and thy heart witnesseth this to thee it is because I loue the LORD and desire exceedingly to please him he is one that I would faine haue communion with my delight is in him therefore I doe these workes for it is my meate and drinke to doe his will now thou art on a sure ground now thou maist know thou art within the Couenant for thou beleeuest as Abraham did and therefore thou art within the Couenant as hee was thou maist know it because thy faith workes and then thou maist know that it workes right because it is done by loue Well yet there is another way to know this that is in thy seede saith the Text shall all the Nations of the world bee blessed if a man be then ingrafted into this seede into the Messiah once then he shall bee blessed if once he belong to him Well how shall a man know that If thou haue receiued the Spirit of the Son for whosoeuer is in Christ hath receiued the Spirit of Christ if he haue not receiued the Spirit of Christ he is not in him Consider whether you haue receiued the Spirit of the Sonne the Spirit of the promised seede that is thou art made like Christ by the Spirit for the Spirit will assimulate thee and renew this Image in thee he makes thee such another in some degree as he is yea he will not onely doe this but he will witnesse to thee that he is thy God and that thou art of those that are partakers of the Couenant and therefore that is the way to finde it out that is the thing I intend to insist vpon to finde out whether you haue this Spirit you shall finde it this is the great marke that the Apostle Paul insists vpon still in all his Epistles by which a man may know whether he be within the Couenant or no still it is this we haue receiued the Spirit and the Spirit seales vs to the day of redemption we are established and sealed by the Spirit of promise and wee haue receiued the Spirit which is an earnest c. Now to know whether you haue the Spirit I will commend these two places of Scripture to you to consider one is Rom. 8. 15. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of Adoption whereby you cry Abba Father the same spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that wee are the sonnes of GOD. The other you shall finde 1 Iohn 5. 8. And there are three that beare record in Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one If you would finde out whether you haue the spirit of the Sonne or no you shall know it by these three In the Antecedents the Concomitants and the Consequents The Antecedent is the Spirit of bondage beloued that of necessity must goe before so that if thou neuer hadst the spirit of bondage certainely thou hast not yet receiued the spirit of the Sonne for the Apostle speakes of it heere as the common condition to all Christians they doe not receiue the spirit of bondage againe you had it once but now you haue the spirit of Adoption I say euery man must haue this spirit of bondage and the ground of it is this because no man can come to Christ except the Law be a Schoolemaster to bring him to Christ now the Law is not a Schoolemaster it teacheth no man except the spirit of bondage worke feare except the spirit of bondage put an edge vpon the Law put a Sword into the hand of the Law to pricke the heart to wound the heart as it is said Acts 2. this is the spirit of bondage Beloued you may heare the Law and the threatnings and curses applyed to you 10000. times ouer and yet no feare be bred in you except the spirit of bondage ioyne with it that makes it effectuall Now in the Law are included iudgements and afflictions which are but the execution of the Law sometimes it goes with the Law it selfe somtimes with the iudgement and afflictions it is the spirits of bondage that must goe with both as for example when it thundred rained in
Esay 33. 14. when they are troubled they are not able to pray indeed they may haue formes of prayer that they may vse in times of peace but beloued let any great trouble come vpon them let them be put to it and then you shall finde they are not able to doe it but they runne away from God as fast as they can at that time they are not able to come and say Thou art my Father I beseech thee heare me I beseech thee pitty me and forgiue me no but they tremble at Gods presence as the Thiefe doth at the presence of the Iudge the sinners in Sion are afraid in that day when God comes at the day of visitation the sinners in Sion are afraid c. for who shall dwell with deuâ—ouring fire That is they tremble at such a day when the day of death comes when God begins to shew himselfe to them in the fiercenesse of his wrath when he begins to come neere them in the day of visitation then they fly from him as one would fly from deuouring fire they fly not to him as one would fly to a mercifull Father that is ready to heare them and helpe them but they fly from him as fast as they can as one would fly from euerlasting burniâ—g The like place you haue Iob 27. 8 9 10. For what hope hath the Hypocrite when hee hath heaped vp riches when God shall come and pull away his soule Will God heare his prayer when he cryes c. Will he call vpon God at all times A wicked man may make some shew of prayer to God in time of health and in time of peace but at that time saith he when he hath spent his time in gathering vp riches in heaping vp them and GOD comes vpon him suddenly and shall pull away his soule he teares and rends it from him for so the word signifies in the Originall that is he is not willing to resigne it into Gods haÌ„ds as the righteous man doth but he is busie about his wealth and God surprizeth him and rends his soule from him What will he doe in this case What will he pray saith Iob No hee giues two reasons He hath â—o delight in the Lord he neuerloued the Lord there is no such loue betweene the Lord and him as there is betweene the Father and the Childe betweene the Hâ—sband and the Wife he neuer had the spirit of a son he cannot pray for he delights not in God But he doth pray sometimes Yea for some fit he may be in some extremity he may cry as a Thiefe at the Barre may cry to the Iudge as he doth sometimes exceeding hard not because he loues the Iudge but it is a cry that comes from extremity and it is but in extremity and by that the falsenesse and hypocrisie of them is known So an Hypocrite may cry in the time of extremity but it is a cry it is not a prayer and it is but in the time of extremity it is not at all times that he doth it hee is not able to doe it for the Lord is a stranger to hiâ— he lookes vpon the Lord as vpon a terrible Iudge and therefore if you would know whether you haue the spirit of the Sonne As first thou shalt know it by that which went before and as secondly thou shalt know it by that which goes together with it the testimony of the blood the testimony of the water and of thine owne spirit So thou maist know it thirdly by this by the Consequents it makes thee able to pray and in the time of extremity it makes thee able to goe to God as to a Father when another flyes away from him as from euerlasting burnings So much shall serue for this time FINIS THE THIRTEENTH SERMON GENESIS 17. 2. And Iwill make my Couenant betweene mee and thee And I will multiply thee exceedingly THE point which we were in handling was this How a man may know whether he be in the Couenant or no I told you there are 3. waies to know it Let a man consider how Abraham came into the Couenant Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse If thou beleeue then thou art within the Couenant but it must be a faith that workes by loue if it bee a faith which workes not it is but a dead faith and if it doe worke yet if it worke not by loue the Lord regardâ—th it not it is true it is faith that layes hold vpon the Couenant but it works by loue faith is the point of the Compasse that fastens vpon the Couenant but loue is the other part that goes about that doth all the businesse it is that which keepes the Commandements it is that which quickens vs to euery good worke The second way to know whether wee be in the Couenant or no is to consider whether we haue taken the promised seede for in him shall all the nations of the world be blessed How shall wee know that If we haue the Spirit of the Sonne that is knowne by the Spirit it selfe the Spirit beares witnesse the witnesse of the Spirit as I told you it is knowne by that which goes before it by that which accompanies it and that which followes after This is the point that we were in handling and wee were broken off in the middest of it wee will recall it a little and deliuer it somewhat more distinctly to you than wee could doe then for haste First I say whosoeuer hath the Spirit of the Sonne he must haue before it the spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe to feare but you haue receiued the spirit of Adoption As if hee should say there are none but first they receiue the spirit of bondage for there is no man can come to Christ except the Law be his Schoolemaster and the Law is not effectuall without the spirit of bondage neither the Law in the threatnings nor the iudgements which are the executioners of those threatnings you may heare the Law opened vnto you a hundred and a hundred times that is the particular sinnes of which a man is guilty described yea the particular iudgements yea the LORD may follow you with afflictions and crosses yet except there be a spirit of bondage to worke together with these it will neuer molifie an obdurate heart And therefore my beloâ—ed you must make this account if you haue neuer been affrighted with the terrour of God if you haue neuer bin put into any feare by this spirit of bondage be assuted that you haue not yet the spirit of Adoption If men would haue looked to the brazen Serpent without being stung of the fiery Serpents God would haue spared the spirit of bondage but beloued who doth it who is able to doe it Wee bee all in a dead sleepe and except we be wakned with the terrours of the Almighty there is no man would
promises and he begins first to thinke What are these promises true Yes surely they are most true they are confirmed witâ— an oath they are confirmed with the blood with the death of the Testator a mans Couenant after it is once made and the Testator is dead Gal. 3. no man addes to it or takes from it Now when a man considers this Are these the promises of the LORD hath hee confirmed them with an Oath are they confirmed with the blood of the Testator Certainely they are most true I cannot doubt of them but then he begins to consider As they are true how fit are they for mee what is the goodnes of them They are also exceeding good there is nothing in the world so excellent so precious so sweet and so comfortable as these promises bee I say when he hath done these two when the vnderstanding sayes they are true and beleeues them and when the will saith they are good and embraceth them at that very instant saluation is come to thy house and to thy heaâ—t I say Christ Iesus is come to thee at that very instant hee hath made a Couenant with thee though perhaps thou see him not at that time as Mary could not see him but â—ooke him for the Gardner but I say at that time thou art tâ—anslated from the Couenant of Workes to the Couenant of Grace But you will say How comes this blood to be a witnesse Beloued it is a witnesse in this manner when a mans spiâ—it shall consider the promises and ponder them well and shall say this with himselfe Well I haue applyed these promises bâ—t vpon what warrant vpon what ground haue I done it euery body will be ready to apply the promises of mercy and forgiuenesse but what warrant haue I to apply them To know that vpon good ground I lay hold of these promises then a man considers with himselfe the promises they are sure they are cleerely and distinctly set downe in the Word hee considers to whom these promises are offered to those that are vnrigâ— tâ—ous the LORD iustifieth the vnrighteous euen to Publicans and Harlots to sinners such they were that came to CHRIST to such the promises were offered Well I know I am an vnrighteous man and thâ—râ—fore the want of sorâ—ow and conâ—rition and the want of holinesse and the want of tendernesse of heart in the beginning shall not exclude me for they are promises that are made to the vnrighteous to the vncleane and polluted to the hard-hearted such they are at the first to whom the promises are made but what doth the Lord require of those That they thiâ—st all that thirst come I finde an extâ—â—me thirst I would dye that I might haue Christ and his righteousnesse Is this all No it is required further that when thou art come in thou take this resolution now I will serue him now I will loue him now I will obey him I will bee content to take Iesus Christ for better for worse I will be content to deny my selfe to take vp my Crosse to follow him in all his wayes When a mans spirit hath pondred this well when he hath looked on the blood of IESVS CHRIST and the promises and sees himselfe qualified vpon this he sayes surely these promises belong to mee this is the witnesse of the blood then followes the witnesse of the water for the blood hath a double vertue in it it hath not onely the vertue to deliuer vs from the guilt of sinne to cause the LORD to passe ouer vs when he sees the sprinkling of the blood vpon our hearts and vpon our persons but there is this more it hath a clensing vertue in it cleanseth the conscience from dead workes and so hath faith it hath not onely a vertue in it to receiue and to digest and to take the promises but it hath an ability to worke as the hand you know hath two offices it hath an office to receiue and to take and likewise it hath ability to worke Beloued these are neuer disioyned the blood neuer washeth from sinne but likewise it cleanseth the conscience from dead workes faith neuer receiues the promise but it workes likewise indeed for the â—eceiuing part wee receiue all alike precious faith but for the working part there is much difference you know a weake hand is able to receiue as well as a stronger but a stronger can doe more worke therefore as faith growes more so it workes more Some man hath a more working faith then others though as it is a receiuing faith he hath it alike therefore thou maist consider this with thy selfe if I haue the testimony of the blood I haue also the testimony of the water that is a sanctification ioyned with iustification Christ came not by blood onely but by water also if the spirit of a man looke on this now and can say I see I am renewed in the spirit of my minde I see I am washed from my filthinesse I see my conscience is in some measure cleansed from dead workes then he may conclude with himselfe surely I am in the state of grace I am in the Couenant And this beloued is the witnesse of our owne spirits and the witnesse of the water and of the blood But when this is done it may be the LORD continues yet at some fits to write bitter things against thee he seemes to cast thee off hee seemes to wound thee sometimes with the wounds of an enemy This the LORD many times doth that he may put vsto it hee turnes the deafe eare that hee may try what we will doe when the spirit of a man hath now these testimonies and yet hath not rest though it haue them on good ground for I meane not the naked spirit of a man but his spirit enlightned and sanctified by the Holy Ghost yet when hee hatâ— good ground and saith thus with himselfe Yet for all this I will trust in him I haue his sure Word for it I haue his promise I know that heauen and earth shall passe rather then any promise of his shall passe now when the Lord seeth a man beleeuing thus and trusting him vpon his bate word then the Lord goes a step further with him seales the same things to him with the spirit of promise that is as I shewed before out of Eph. 1. 13. In whom after you belâ—â—ued you were sealed with the spirit of promise when you put to your seale that God is true God then comes and puts to his seale he giues you the spirit of promise and assures you that it is so that is he doth by his owne Spirâ—t say to a mans soule that he is his saluation My beloued this is a certaine expression of the Holy Ghost to the soule of a man that we know not how to expresse to you therefore it is called the hidden Mannaâ— it is called a white stone with a new name written in it that no man knowes but he that
the Couenant so likewise you shall sprinckle the doore posts with the blood of the Lambe that when the destroying Angell shall come and see the blood hee may passe you ouer beloued after the same manner for the same end God hath appointed the Sacrament now when you receiue those elements of Bread and Wine Take eate this is my body and drinke this is my blood which was shed for you and for many you may goe to God vpon the same ground and say to him Lord thou hast made a Couenant with me to forgiue me to receiue me to thy mercy Lord these are the seales of thy Couenant that if thou forget them thou hast said that if we doe but shew thee those signes for it is the seale that God himselfe hath put to it thou wilt remember thy Couenant make it good therefore is is an exceeding great confirming to you when you looke vpon them when you may say to the Lord Lord here is thy seale that thy selfe hath put I beseech thee look vpon it and remember thy Couenant that thou hast made And as wee should doe thus for the promises of Iustification so for the promises of Sanctification suppose there be a strong lust hang vpon thee an hereditary disease a lust that is naturall to thee that thou thinkest thou shalt neuer be able to ouercome yet God hath promised to breake the dominion of euery sinne that he will crucifie the flesh with the affections of it that he will sanctifie thee throughout Beloued you must beleeue those promises of Sanctification as well as of Iustification for certainely where the Scripture hath a mouth to speake faith hath an eare to heare and a hand to receiue therefore when you grapple with a strong lust goe to the Lord and say to him I am not able to keepe this Commandement I feele this temptation is too strong for me I find such strong naturall inclinations that I am not able to out-wrestle Lord it is a part of thy Coâ—enant thou hast said thou wilt circumcise my heart thou hast said thou wilt put thy Law into my inward parts thou hast said thou wilt dissolue these lusts I beseech thee to doe it Lord thou art able to doe it as Christ was able to heale hereditary diseases so the Spirit is able to heale the hereditary diseases of the soule those that are most naturall to vs those that are bred and borne with vs and therefore trust him And so likewise for any other blessing go to him whatsoeuer blessing thou needest it is a part of Gods Coâ—enant he saith to Abraham I will blesse thee and I will be thy God that is let a man looke round about and see what blessings he needeth what euill he would be deliuered from and let him goe to the Lord and say Lord it is a part of thy Couenant to giue me such a blessing to guide me to deliuer me from such a crosse and calamity vrge the Lord and tell him it is his Couenant For example if a man bee in some great trouble that hee hath some sore disease some sore affliction as imprisonment or euill â—eport feare of death or whatsoeuer goe to the Lord and say Lord thou hast said that the rod of the wicked shall not rest vpon the lot of the righteous thou wilt affâ—ict but in measuâ—e thou wilâ— not breake my bones as a Father though hee chaâ—ten his childe â—ee will not breake the bones of his childe the â—od of the wicked to some men is the breaking of the bones they know not what to doe thou hast said thou wilt chastise vs according to our strength and thou wilt chastise vs for our good when it is too much thou wilt sâ—ay thy hand As for euill report a man may goe to the LORD and say LORD thou hast said thou wilt blesse the name of the righteous thou wilt honour them that honour thee And so for euery other particular case be it what it will be lay hold on the promise and comfort thy selfe with it it is a great matâ—er beloued when you consider this that God is entred into Couenant with you when you haue promises once therefore if thou finde a promise from GOD beloued build vpon this ground be assured that thou art one within the Couenant secondly if thou finde a prâ—mise in Scripture neuer let thy hold goe but the assured of this that the Lord will surely doe it though he defer long yet he will doe it it cannot bee but hee will performe it c. So much shall serue for this time FINIS THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON Gâ—NESIS 17. 2. And I will make my Couenant betweene mee and thee And I will multiply thee exceedingly YOV remember how farre wee are proceeded in this point for my purpose is not to repeate any thing of that which hath beene deliuered onely this wee must call to remembranâ—e that the maine difference which is betweene the Old Testament and the New it stands in this that the Old Testament was hiâ— with shaddowes and types in the New Tâ—â—stament there is a more cleâ—re 〈◊〉 of all things The things that were â—id 〈◊〉 Paul from the beginning of the world are â—ow reuealed vnto vs that is the great difference betweene them it lyes in this that there is a greater abundance of knowledge discouered to the sonnes of men now in the time of the Gospell then there was in the time of the Old Testament and from hence it is that now God makes a Couenant with vs and wee doe not breake it but saith he Heb. 8. I made a Couenant with your Fathers when I tooke them by the hand and led them out of the Land of Egypt but they broke my Couenant And what was the reason Because their knowledge was exceeding slender and therefore their grace and strength were exceeding little and therefore they were not able to keepe the Couenant there is no other reason and ground why the Couenant is better now as it is said to be a better Couenant Heb. 8. 6. stablished vpon better promises I say there is no other ground for it but this the difference of knowledge between the two Ceâ—enants for for substance they are the same onely in the administration of them the glorious Mysteries of the Gospell are more openly and more cleerely reuealed to vs in the New Testament then in the Old Whence wee will onely make this vse that if we would haue the benefit of the New Couenant wee must labour to get the knowledge of it otherwise it is no aduantage to you at all that you are borne in the time of the New Couenant in the time of the Gospell except knowledge abound except you take the benefit of it except you labour to vnderstand the vnsearchable riches of Christ that are vnfoulded to vs in the Couenant of Grace What is the reason why the Apostle Gal. 4. cals the Old Testament those teachings that the people had then
graces of Gods spirit in you and the actions that flow from them whether they be sincere or perfect but likewise we will shew you the ground of this sincerity whence it ariseth and how it is wrought in every mans heart And thus these words containe the Covenant sayth the Lord to Abraham I will be thy God On the other side thou shalt be mine Now he shewes what a kinde of God he will be to him I will be All-sufficient to thee which consists in two things If you compare this with Gen. 15. 1. I will be thy Buckler to preserue thee from all evill And againe I will be thy exceeding great reward that is I will not onely be a shield but I will be a Sunne to thee I will both preserue thee from all evill and I will fill thee with all good things I will â—ompâ—â—ssâ— thee about with mercy and loving kindnesse so that thou shalâ— finde that I will be an exceeding great reward So God expresseth himselfe to Abraham And this is the Covenant on Gods part Now that which is required on Abrahams part is that he be the Lords as the Lord is his for so you see in the words following The question onely is in what manner Abraham shall be the Lords how that shall be declared Sayth he It is not an emptie relation but thou must shew that thou art mine by walking before me And yet it must not be any kinde of walking before the Lord but it must be a perfect walking before him Walke before me and be perfect and therefore it is added I will make my Covenant that is this is the Covenant of which Circumcision was but a Signe for it was instituted presently as we see in the words following There are three especiall poynts that we will gather out of the words The first is from the connexion and we will begin with that because it is a preparation to the other two In that the Lord vseth this as an argument to Abraham I am All-sufficient therefore walke before me and be thou perfect We may obserue this that The cause of all departure from God of all vnevennesse in our wayes towards God is from hence that we doe not thinke God to be All-sufficient As on the other side the cause of all our sinceritie and perfectnesse ariseth hence that we doe apprehend him to be All-sufficient This you see evidently ariseth from the words for thence is the force of the Argument I am All-sufficient therefore walke before me and be perfect My Beloved it is evident that the cause of every mans keeping off from God the cause of his vnevennesse after he is come in to him is from hence that men thinke not God to be All-sufficient for if a man had enough in the Lord he would never goe out from him but because he wants something he desires something that is not in him or he feares something that he thinkes he cannot keepe off from him hence it comes to passe that he steppes out from God he goeth out of the wayes of his CoÌ„mandements And therefore I say the cause of every mans departure from God the cause of his keeping off from God or of his vnevennesse in the wayes of God is from hence that he thinkes not God to be All-sufficient and this you shall see in three sorts of men First there is a generation of men that liue as without God in the world and that looke not towards God at all that make conscience of nothing and what is the reason of that but because they thinke they haue sufficient of their owne and therefore they walke in their owne wayes and stand vpon their owne bottom and they loue thernselues and serue themselues altogether and apply not themselues to the Lord at all and therefore whensoever any man is brought vnto God the worke is to take him off from his owne bottom to shew him his owne insufficiency in himselfe and the emptinesse of himselfe and of every creature and the All-sufficiency that is in God and vpon this ground he comes in to him As you know the Prodigall Sonne when he saw that he could not subsist longer but he must perish if he stayed where he was and saw againe if he went home to his Fathers house there was meate enough this was that that moved him to go home this course the Lord takes with all whom he brings home to him as we see in the Iaylor and in those Act. 2. They were pricked in their hearts and in Paul when the light shined about him and he was stricken from his horse Act. 9. It was all but to shew them their vanitie to take them off from their owne bottoms to shew them their owne insufficiency and then he discovered that All-sufficiency that was in himselfe for no man will change but for the better he will not deny himselfe and leaue what he hath till something that is better be propounded vnto him So I say the cause why men come not in is because they haue an opinion of sufficiency in themselues and in the creature and they apprehend not an All-sufficiency in God that is an All-sufficiency to be in him alone A second fort of men are such as doe come in and performe many things and bring forth some fruit and become professors of the feare of God and yet they doe it not throughly But by halues the cause of this is likewise from hence that they doe not apprehend God to be All-sufficient for it they did they would be perfect with him as we see the Second and Third Ground for that Parable doth but shew you the kindes of Professors they were all such as professed the feare of the Lord that are there spoken of for we see they brought forth fruit They received the Word with Ioy. What was the reason the second Ground was not perfect with the Lord Because they thought him not to be a Buckler strong enough to beare off all evills to beare off all persecution What was the reason the Third Ground did it not Because they thought there was something in riches in pleasures in divers lusts that they could not haue in the Lord so they departed from him Onely the Fourth Ground kept close because they did apprehend all to be in the Lord that they desired they did apprehend him to be strong enough to deliver them from all the things they feared The third sort of men are such as are regenerate which yet are subiect to many slips and falls to many turnings aside And the cause of all this is that they apprehend not God to be All-sufficient As for example what was the reason that Abraham when he went downe into Egypt being driven thither by reason of Famine saved himselfe with a lye saying that Sarah was his Sister and not his wife but because he thought God was not able to keepe him and defend him If he had thought him to haue beene
but the King for 30. dayes he should be put to death yet he trusted in God he thought him to be All-sufficient able to keepe him and therefore he stepped not out of his way And so Paul when he saw that Festus thought to haue had money give him yet doubtles in those circumstances he thought it not lawfull to doe it therefore he trusted in God though no doubt he might haue made friends to haue gathered the money It is likely Festus thought there was a probailitie for it because he hoped for it but Paul would not doe it because he thought the Lord was able to deliver him But on the other side Ieroboam when he had a businesse to doe you know what course he tooke he joynes them together he addes to Religion he corrupts it that he might keepe his Kingdome And so Saul But I need not giue you Instances I say the cause of all indirect waies we take to bring our enterprises to passe it comes from hence that we trust not in God we thinke him not to be All-sufficient not able to doe it except we helpe him with wyles and tricks and devises of our owne What is the reason of that lying and dissembling that is vsed likwise for the same purpose Is it not from hence that men apprehend not God to be All-sufficient Peter when he denied Christ was it not from feare And from whence was that feare but because he reckoned not God to be a Buckler strong enough and sure enough And so Sarah when shee denied that shee laughed sayth the Text for shee was afraid and therefore shee sayd no I did not laugh when shee did and was charged for doing of it I might giue you many other Instances but I shall not need Goe through all varieties of sinnes and you shall see they arise hence that we reckon not God to be All-sufficient The satisfying of sinfull lusts doth it not arise from hence He that is given to any pleasure to any delight of what kinde soever if he did beleeue those two things that the Lord is able to fulfill him with joy and comfort sufficient that the Lord is able to mortifie those lusts and to heale theÌ„ in him he would keepe close to him would not goe out from him for he need not the Lord is All-sufficient That is He is able to satisfie him he is able to fill him with ioy and peace through beleeving which should be enough to satisfie his heart with contentment he is able likewise to mortifie that lust so that as he is forbidden the satisfying of it so likewise he should haue no such prevailing desire to it And therefore Beloved the way to keepe our hearts perfect with God for that is the thing for which I presse all this for which I bring all these instances it is to come to this to set downe this conclusion with our selues that he is All-suffi-cient No man is ever fit to serue him without this except a man be content to haue God alone for his portion if he will joyne any thing with him if he will joyne God and credit together God and riches together God and pleasures together he will never keepe close to him for one time or other there will fall out a separation between God and these things and whosoever doth not resolue thus with himselfe I will be content with God alone though he strip me of all things in the world I say he will never keepe close to the Lord but his wayes will be vneven towards him The young man in the Gospell would never haue gone away sad if he had thought God had beene All-sufficient but he thought when his riches were taken away that some what was taken from him that belonged to his happpines that he could not haue beene to well without it Againe Abraham on the other side would never haue beene willing to haue offred Isack if he had not thought that God was All-sufficient as we see Heb. 11. 19. It is sayd there that though I sack were the sonne of the promise yet he willingly offred him why sor he thought God was able to raise him from the dead againe from whence he also after a sort received him As he received him from Sarahs dead wombe so he thought he might be raysed againe from the dead ashes What was the reason that Paul served the Lord with a perfect heart You see in 1 Tim. 4. 10. that he trusted in God and therefore saith he we labour and suffer rebuke those are the two parts of new obedience to doe and to suffer and therefore saith he we doe it because we trust in the living God that is We trust in him for all things I beleeue him to be Almightie and All-sufficient every way both to defend me from all evill and also to provide all good things for me and therefore I serue him and labour in his service and suffer rebuke What was the reason on the other side that Demas turned from the Lord was it not because he thought there was not enough in him and therefore saith the Text he imbraced this present world and therefore Beloved the way to keepe our hearts perfect with God is to consider well the great power of God and the great goodnes of God for in these two his All-sufficiencie to wards vs consists consider his mightâ—â— power and say thus with thy selfe he is able to doe all things for me consider withall the greatnesse of his goodnesse and mercy and say he is my father he is willing to doe all things for me Indeed that conclusion we should set downe with our selues if any thing be not done if we want any thing if any crosse lie vpon vs at any time to be readie to say this is not because the Lord cannot doe it for he is Almightie Againe it is not because the Lord will not doe it for he is as infinite in loue to me as he is in power What is the reason of it then because it is not best for me So should every man say if there be any want if there be any crosse it is best for me It is better for thee it may be to be in a low estate than to be in a high it is better for thee to be pinched with povertie than to liue in abundance it is better for thee to lie vnder temptation though it be a great vexation to thee for the present then to be freed from it it is better for thee it may be to haue meane gifts than to haue high gifts it is better for thee to be in a low place than to be in eminent place it is better for thee to be crossed in thy name in thy estate it is better for thee to be sicke in bodie it is better for thee to be troubled sometime in minde than to be freed from it Beloved this we must come to and yet we must thinke the Lord to be All-sufficient
For if it be so thou oughtest to say thus with thy selfe it is best for me to be so You wil say how shall we do to be perswaded of it Beloved there are many instances where in we are in such a condition which we thinke worst for our selues which many times is the best nay alwayes it is best for every man that is in covenant with God For this rule must be kept he is All-sufficient to his children and they finde him so he hath performed it and made it good to their experience and therefore whensoever they finde any want it is best for them to be so It is not either defect in the power of God or in the loue of God for example Abraham thought it a hard thing a great crosse that he was put to expell Ishmaell his sonne whom he loved Was it not better for Abraham had he not another sonne that was fitter for him borne of his owne Wife And so Moses thought it a hard thing to be barred from comming into the land of Canaan but what lost he by it was he not led into a better Canaan into Paradise into a more glorious condition So likewise when he went downe into Egypt if he had had a tongue of eloquence given him to his will that would haue satisfied him but was it not better for Moses to haue a stammering tongue and yet to haue the worke done as well Aaron and he being joyned together For by that meanes Moses was kept humble and his loue likewise was increased For that mutuall indigence knits men together when they haue need one of another In like manner David had an exceeding great desire to build the Temple when it was not the Lords will that he should doe it was he a looser by it David was at that time not fit to haue done it he was not able to haue done it as circumstances were but was he a looser by it had not he a house built him as well as if he had built the house of God had not he as great a reward as if he had performed it So likewise in the losse of his childe it was exceeding grievous to him yet was it not better that that childe should be taken away and that another ther should be given him that was legitimate Did not the Lord recompence it abundantly to him when Salomon was given to him in his stead And so Paul he was exceeding desirous to be freed from that temptation which no doubt was very grievous to him that did gall and vexe his minde continually even as a pricking of the flesh doth yet it was much better for Paul it was not because God was not All-sufficient either in power or in loue to him but he was an exceeding great gainer by that meanes he was emptied of himselfe for that is the scope of God in the wayes of his providence towards his children even to magnifie himselfe towards them which cannot be without emptying them of themselues by discovering to them their owne insufficiencie and that is done partly by affliction and partly by sinne but chiesly by sinne because that workes more immediately vpon man it makes him to see how little excellencie and how little worth there is in him it makes him againe to see the glorie and the power and the purenesse of God to magnifie him and to humble himselfe this Paul got by it and it was better for him he was in a better condition by it Therefore I say this conclusion must be set downe that the Lord is All-sufficient and when we fall short of any thing that we desire lay it not vpon God that the Lord is short of his performance of any promise that he compasseth vs not about with mercie on every side as much as we need that he delivers vs not from every evill for he will make that good alway that no good thing shall be wanting to them that lead a godly life He is a Sunne and a shield to them And whensoever it is otherwise it is because it is not best for them but this is a digression the thing we haue to doe for all this is but a preparation is to perswade you now that the Lord is All-sufficient as we told you we handle this poynt first because it is a preparatiue to the rest It shewes you of what moment it will be so to be perswaded and of what evill consequence it is not to be so perswaded Now I will adde a word of the second poynt that God is All-sufficient To proue that he is so I will propound to you but these two reasons First consider that all that is in the creature all the comforts all the excellencie all the beautie that is to be found in them it is but borrowed and derived God is the primitiue he is the originall he is the first the vniversall cause the generall cause of all hence we gather this that there is an All-sufficiencie in him and in him onely he is All-sufficient exclusiuely so that no creature hath any sufficiencie at all in it selfe for Beloved you must know that the creature addes nothing at all to his sufficiencie but all sufficiency is comprehended in him for if they be all derived and borrowed things then they are in the creature but as farre as it pleaseth him to communicate the same to them now that it is so see Ier. 2. 13. My people sayth the Lord haue committed two evils they haue for saken me the fountaine of living waters and secondly haue digged to themselues pits that hold no water Where we may briefly obserue First that God is the spring from whom all comforts come originally the pits you know haue the water but borrowed and derived from the fountaine secondly there is something in this that he calleth them pits that is the comfort in the creature is a mixed comfort it is like water in a pit it is muddie and not pure and cleare like the water in the fountaine That is the comfort that comes meerely from the creature if you receiue any comfort in the creature and Gods hand be not in it it is alway mixed with some sorrow with some evill but if it come from the Lord it is a pure comfort he giues riches and no sorrow with them Thirdly the comfort that is in the creature it is but a dead comfort cōpared to that which is in the Lord and therefore he is sayd to be a fountaine of living water that is running water The comfort that is in the creature it is able to doe little it is quickly spent and when it is spent there is no more in it but the comfort that is in God it is like water that commeth out of the spring which is still renewed from day to day and therefore it is called living water there is no end of it but still it flowes more and more Last of all they are broken pits that cannot hold the
much from the creature can never be much deceived he that lookes for much from God shall be sure to haue his desire answored and satisfied he shall never fall short of his expectation And therefore Beloved labour to alter your conceits that way that whensoever any thing falle out you may not be troubled â—â—it you may not feare for that a coident for it ariseth hence because you looked for more in it than was in it It is 〈◊〉 saying that we haue in morall Philosophie that after a man is put into expectation of any thing then every affection is stirred more vehemently whereas had he not had that expectation he would haue beene more quiet Therefore if we were perswaded and convinced of the vanitie of the creature and the emptines in it we would never expect much from it and if we did expect nothing our hearts would be quieted within vs for all varieties of accidents that fall out for I say it ariseth hence that we thinke there is some fulnes some stabilitie in them we are not fully perswaâ—ed of the vanitie of the creature we thinke it can doe good or hurt You will say Is not the creature able to doe good or hurt Beloved I will name but one place besides that I named before 1 Cor. 7. 30. Let those that weepe be as those that weepe not and those that reioyce as those that reiâ—yce not and those that buy as thâ—se that possessed not and they that vse this wâ—rld as they that vse it not for the fashion of this world goeth away When the Lord giues such a precept as this certainely there is a ground for it as that we haue often told you that in all the Commandâ—ments of God if they were open to vs if we did see the ground of them we would see that there were so much reason for them that if God did not command them you would see it best for you to practise them you would see reason for it Now when the Lora bids them that grieue to do it as though they grieved not and them that reioyce to doe it as though they reioyced not I gather this from it that the creature can doe very little good or hurt for if the creature could doe much hurt certainly then we might grieue to some purpose but sayth he let the evill be what it will yet grieue as though you grieved not That is Let it be as good as nothing that as a man is said to heare as though he heard not and to see as if he saw not when he doth not intend the tale that is told but yet he heares it so sayth he if you haue some griefe let it be so small so little as if you grieved not And so likewise for Ioy Put the case you had all the preferments all the comforts and blessings in this world heaped vpon you yet reioyce in these so rmisly as if you reioyced not Now it is certaine if they could doe vs any speciall good we might reioyce in a greater measure then so but when the Lord sayth reioyce as if you reioyced not it is certaine they can doe vs very little good That is So little as if they did vs no good at all But you will say it seemes it is a little good that they can doe vs whereas it was sayd before the creature can doe neither good nor hurt We will answer that briefly The meaning is this that the Lord giues vs leaue to grieue a little and to reioyce a little so that it be in a remisâ—e manner so that it be kept within bounds but the creature can doe vs no good nor no hurt at all of it selfe but as it is disposed by the Lord and therefore though it doe something yet that is done by God and not meerely by the creature So the rule holds good though the creature doe something yet seeing it is not of it selfe but as it is an Instrument you may truely say it is not the creature that hath done any thing but the Lord hath done me good and hurt by the creature But why then is it said it is a little for this takes all away I answer the meaning is this it can doe a little That is All the evill any creature can doe it is but a little in regard of the eternall that God inflicts on the soule it is as good as nothing in comparison of those eternall good things As if he should say The things that belong to God immediately the things that belong to the Kingdome of God and to a mans salvation the things that are spirituall and eternall these are good indeede and evills indeed if any of these befall you you must grieue exceedingly for you haue great cause for that can doe you great hurt and so grace can doe you much good for it tends to eternitie it tends to set things even or odde betweene al-mightie God and you and therefore in these things let your reioyching be very great and your griefe very great But for any thing that belongs to this present life it is exceeding small it is as good as nothing So much for this time FINIS THE THIRD SERMON GENESIS 17. 1. I am God All-sufficient THe next Vse we are to make of this that God is All-sufficient is to learne to be content with him alone for our portion That is a Vse both to those that are strangers to the life of God and likewise to those that are within the Covenant To those that are strangers to bring them in for the Lord propounds that but vpon reasonable conditions It is true he requires of you absolute and perfect obedience that you serue him altogether But then withall he propouâ—ds to you an absolute and full reward I am All-sufficient you shall neede nothing out of me As he requires you to Ieaue all for his sake so he promiseth that he will be to you in stead of all things and therefore let men consider that in Heb. 11. 6. Whosoever comes to God must beleeue that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that serue him That is a man will never change except it be for the better except a man thinke his condition will be better with the Lord than it was out of him he will never come in but when he is once perswaded of that he cannot keepe out you know that argument is vsed by the Prodigall sonne sayth he if I stay here I shall perish if I goe to my fathers house his servants haue bread enough that double argument brought him home So when a man considers out of God there is no sufficiency at all there is not any thing in the creature as we shewed to you before at large then if you come home to the Lord there is All-sufficiencie in him That is All your desires shall be satisfied there is nothing that you neede nothing that you want but it shall
of God Beloved if we did it why are our hearts discouraged Why doe wee hang downe our heads vpon every occasion when troubles come If we see the Lord in his All-sufficiencie he is able to stay our hearts if we trust in him alone What though he suffer his Church to be over-runne with enemies for a time What though he suffer men to prevayle against it as you see how the Adversaries prevayle against the Church of God by their strength yet if you did see him in his All-sufficiencie your hearts would not fayle you a jot You may either apply it to the Churches or to your own particular cases And to giue you yet an instaÌ„ce of these sensible things When the disease prevayled farre on Hezekiah sayth the Lord thou seest Hezekiah what I can do I will make the shadow to goe backwards Thinke with thy selfe Though the disease be gone thus farre yet I that make the shadow to goe backwards am I not able to make thy disease to returne And so we may say of any trouble or affliction of any temptation or crosse that lyes on yoâ— that you thinke it so farre gone that there is no recalling of it againe yet he that made the shadow to goe backward is he not able to reduce it And so againe when you see the Church in such a case as it is now in we are readie to cast away all hope and to say What shall we doe Beloved consider that which was sayd to Gideon as we are readie to say when we say the Lord is All-sufficient he hath enough if he be with vs we desire no more we make the objection with Gideon thus If the Lord be wish vs why is it thus Why is Israell oppressed Sayth the Lord to Gideon thou shalt see what I am able to doe when the Fleece is dry all the eaâ—th shall be wet and when the earth shall be dry the Fleece shall be wet That is As if he had sayd Though the Church now be overflowne yet I can dry it vp and lay misery vpon them As againe that little Church that little Fleece when that was in peace they were afflicted as they were in peace when that was afflicted The like you see in Gen. 15. where there is another resemblance of the Church when the Sacrifices were cut in peeces and he had divided the Rammes sayth the Text the Fowles come and would haue devoured them There are two similitudes of the troubles of the Church and Gods rescuing them When the Crowes came Abraham droue them away That was one And the other was when there was a very fearefull darkenesse there came a Burning Fornace and a Lampe The meaning is this The Church then was in Egypt for that he hath reference to it was a dead Sheepe exposed to Ravens and you would thinke there was nothing there to helpe it but it must needs be devoured Why yet sayth the Lord though it be thus neere I will driue away the Ravens and I will saue my Church You know what the strength of Pharaoh and of Egypt was Againe sayth he the Church was in fearefull darknesse in the valley of the shadow of death That is They thought they should never be recovered you know what wayes Pharaoh tooke and at how low an ebbe the Church was when he would haue all the males destroyed Who would haue said that this Church should haue recovered Yet sayth he as after this fearefull darkenes the Fornace came and gaue light so sayth he I will scatter this darknes Beloved consider if you beleeue Gods All-sufficiencie and consider if thou dost thus know him in his greatnes what though the motions be exceeding great and strong that come against the Church yet in Esay 40. it is to that purpose brought in What are they to the Lord they are but as the dust of the Ballance or as the drop of a Bucket The Bucket it selfe is no great thing but the droppes that fall from the Bucket when it ariseth out of the Well they are exceeding small Sayth he the Nations are no more to me than the drop of a Bucket or the dust of the Ballance which doth not sway them either way So looke what I doe the Nations are notable to sway me be they never so strong they are not able to turne me but according as I pitch things they shall stand Now my Beloved consider whether you be able to comfort your selues thus out of Gods All-sufficiencie We doe for the most part as Hagar did when the Bottle was spent she falls a crying shee was vndone shee and her childe should dye and there was no more hope till the Lord opened her eyes to see a Fountaine neere her the Fountaine was neere her but she saw it not when she saw it she was well enough Is it not so with vs all because the Bottle is dryed vp because such a meanes is taken away we thinke presently there is no more hope when the Fountaine is neere the Lord himselfe is the fountaine and he is neere if he did open your eyes to see Consider whether you walke thus with God as seeing him in his greatnesse Beloved if we did see him in his greatnesse why should Torches and Candles haue so great a light before vs That is Why should we regard men so much Put the case many Nations were against thee thou wouldst looke vpon all those in comparison of God as a drop of the Bucket or as a little dust on the Ballance Art thou able to doe so to see and know him thus in his greatnesse if thou be not certainly thou art exceeding short of seeing God in his All-sufficiencie So much for this time FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON GENESIS 17. 1. I am God All-sufficient ANother Vse and deduction that we will draw from this poynt that God is All-sufficient is to comfort vs in regard of our imperfect obedience Wee ought not to thinke because we are not exact in keeping all the Commandements of God because we haue much unevennesse in our wayes because we are not able to keepe the Rule so strictly as wee ought that therefore God reiects vs for he is All-sufficient in himselfe he needs not our righteousnesse and therefore he can well beare with the imperfections of our righteousnesse You shall see this vse made of it Act. 17. 24. 25. God that made all things the world and all that is therein seeing he is Lord of heaven and earth he dwels not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipped with mens hands as if he needed any thing Marke he giues to all life and breath and all things Thus the Apostle makes his argument if God sayth he made the world and all things therein if he giueth to all life and breath and all things then when you doe worship him it is not because he hath any neede of your worship or any need of your righteousnesse or of all that you can doe
the vigor of all carnall joy and sinfull delight So the more you see this All-sufficiencie of God towards you in loue the more you are able to beleeue it and the more it kils sinne in you the more it sanctifies you and the more it drawes you to God Therefore this is to be considered to helpe vs against this objection that there is a double feare the one is that which keepes vs from comming to God The other is a feare that keepes vs from going out from God Wee are very apt to exceede in the first feare And to come short in the second Now the feare that keepes vs from comming in to God is a feare that he is a feare that he is not readie to forgiue that he is not All-sufficient that he hath not power enough of mercy to forgiue our sinnes and to heale our infirmities this makes a man tumorous and fearefull as a man is fearefull to come neere a Iudge to come neere one that is terrible Now the more this feare is taken away the neerer we come the neerer we draw in assurance of faith to him On the other side there is a feare that keepes vs off from going out from Gâ—d and that is the more we beleeue this All-sufficiencie the more we beleeue that happinesse is in him the more we beleeue the riches of his mercy and the abundance of his goodnesse the more we feare to steppe out from him to haue our hearts estranged from him to haue our hearts sit loose Now the more we can beleeue this All-sufficiencie the more it takes away the first feare and increaseth the second it takes away the feare that keepes vs from comming in to God and it increaseth the feare that keepes vs from going out from God So much shall serue for this first the All-sufficiencie of God in forgiuing sinne The second part of the Covenant is his All-sufficiency in healing our sinnes or in sanctisying vs as you haue it in Psal. 103. That forgiues all our sinnes and heales all our infirmities This belongeth also to his All-sufficiencie This my Beloved is a necessary poynt to beleeue It serues likewise to bring vs in to the Lord for a man is readie to make this objection when he lookes vpon Gods wayes the wayes of righteousnesse and then vpon the strength of his lusts he is ready to say with himselfe how shall I be able to leade a holy life as I ought to doe This is the answer to it God is All-sufficient He that is able to bid the light shine out of darknesse sayth the Apostle he is able to kindle a light in thy darke heart where there is not a jot of goodnesse though thy heart be never so averse he is able to change that heart of thine and therefore say not I shall never be able to doe it for he is able to take away all that reluctancy For hence comes the difficultie how shall the strength of my lusts this crooked and perverse heart of mine and the straight wayes of God stand together It is very true Is thy heart continue in that temper it is impossible but the Lord that is All-sufficient is able to take away that reluctancie for he doth in the worke of grace as he doth in the worke of nature he doth not as we doe when we would haue an Arrow goe to the marke when we throw a stone vpward we are not able to change the nature of it but we put it on by force God carries all things to their end by giving them a nature suitable to that end An Archer makes an impression vpon an Arrow but it is a violent impression God carries every thing to that end to which he hath appoynted it but with this difference he makes not a violent impression but a naturall impression therefore he doth it not by an onely immediate hand of his owne as we doe but he causeth the Creature to goe on of it selfe to this or to that purpose to this or that end And so he doth in the worke of grace he doth not carry a man on to the wayes of righteousnesse leaving him in the state of nature taking him as he is but he takes away that heart of his and imprints the habits of grace in it and he changeth a mans heart so that he is carried willingly to the wayes of God as the creature is carried by a naturall instinct to its owne place or to the thing it desires So that thou mayst thinke thus with thy selfe It is true if I haue my old heart my old lusts still there must needs be such a reluctancy as I shall not be able to overcome but if the Lord change this heart of mine and take away these lusts if the Lord put another imprâ—ssion vâ—on on me that is naturall to me which is like that instinct he putteth into the creature then it is easie for me to doe it And this the Lord out of his All-sufficiencie is able to doe But you will be readie to object if the Lord be thus All-sufficient if he be able thus to kindle light in the darke heart to change a mans crooked and perverse spirit to implant and ingraft such naturall habits and instincts into it to carry it on with such facilitie and connaturalnesse to the wayes of his Commandements why am I thus why am I no more able to overcome my sinnes why doe I fall backe so often to the same sinne why doe I come short of the performance of such purposes and desires why doe I finde so many things in my life contrary to the Rules of Sanctification and so contrary to this All-sufficient power of God To this I answer First It may be it is from hence that thou observest not those Rules by which God communicates this All-sufficiency and this power of his What though the Lord be willing to communicate it yet there are some Rules to be observed which himselfe hath given That is Thou must diligently attend vpon his ordinances thou must observe and keepe them thou must be carefull to abstaine from the occasions he bids thee abstaine from if thou sayle in either of these he hath made thee no promise to helpe thee with his All-sufficiencie Sampson as long as the Lord was with him you know had great strength you know the Lord tels him so long as he nourished his hayre so long he would be with him which was but a symboll of Gods presence but it was such a thing as he would haue him to keepe exactly and if he did not keepe that he would withdraw his presence and would not be with him So likewise the Nazarites were commanded to abstaine from drinking wine if they dranke wine the Lord would withdraw himselfe And so it is in this case the Lord hath appointed vs to keepe his ordinances and so long he will be with vs as he was with Sampson to be All-sufficient
Evangelicall manner that is in a true indevour the Gospell requires that we should loue the Lord our God with all our hearts for the truth of it It requires in a word that we should keepe the whole Law in that sence so as to square our liues to it to keepe it all in truth and sinceritie though we cannot reach the highest top and degree of it Now if the heart were not perfectly holy that is thoughout there could be no proportion betweene the Commandement and the facultie and abilitie vpon which the Commandement lyes for it is certaine except the heart were perfectly holy it could not keepe the whole Law there were an impossibilitie we should not reach every Commandement And therefore there must be integritie and entyrenesse in the heart that we may be able to keepe them at the least in a Evangelicall sincere manner though wee cannot perfectly keepe the whole Law of God Fourthly it is required because otherwise there should not be a correspondencie and agreement betweene the Covenant on Gods part and on ours God hath said he will be All-sufficient but he requires this againe on our part that we be altogether his My beloved is mine and I am his and Psal. 18. I will walke perfectly with them that walke perfectly with me there are the termes of the Covenant the Lord will haue it thus farre vpon even termes there shall be an integritie on both sides and therefore if a man be holy but by halues that makes not the match it makes not the agreement betweene the Lord and vs for all and halfe is not a match but all and all is that which makes the match the agreement and sutablenesse betweene God and vs and this is another reason why it is required Now last of all this perfection and integritie is required because otherwise all that we doe is nothing it is to no purpose for except you seeke the Lord and serue the Lord with a perfect heart you serue him not at all you cannot serue him as God you cannot serue him as a Maister you cannot serue him as a Lord as a soveraigne commander except your hearts be perfect with him This reason I take out of Math. 6. a place well knowne No man can serue two Maisters That is It is true a woman may loue many as friends but shee can loue but one as a husband A man may looke to many subordinate ends but he can haue but one vltimate end A man may haue respects he may affect many things in a remisse manner but to affect many things in the highest degree it is impossible it can be bestowed but vpon one Therefore I say to serue him as God it cannot be except the heart be wholly bestowed on him if you will take in any thing with him either credit or profit or pleasure now you make God an Idoll and you make that as God so that whatsoever a man loues and respects or obeyes I would aske him but this question Eyther it commands the same thing with God when it commands vnder him and so in yeelding to that you obey God himselfe or else it commands somewhat different and if you yeeld to that and not to the Lord you reject him and take that for God Therefore I say the heart must be perfect or else the obedience is nothing at all So much shall serue to shew you the grounds of this why such a perfection and sinceritie and integritie of heart is required in all those that shall be saved But the chiefest businesse will be here to shew you what this integritie is the best way to finde it out is to open to you all those expressions in the Scriptures by which it is presented to vs and you shall finde them to be these fiue And in the opening of them we shall sufficiently shew you what this sinceritie or perfection of heart is First you shall finde it often expressed by puritie and soundnesse blessed are the pure in heart and God is good to Israell even to them that are of a pure heart Now what is it to be pure That is pure which is full of it selfe and hath no other Heterogeneall thing mingled with it So that heart is pure which hath no sinne in it which is holy which hath a renued qualitie of grace which hath an inward regenerate man that will mingle with no sinne that is full of it selfe and admits not the mixture of any sinne My Beloved I must be warily vnderstood here I say it admits not the mixture of any sinne It is true sinne may cleaue and adhere to a man as drosse doth to the silver but it mingles not with the regenerate part that mingles not with it that is it enters not into the frame and constitution of a mans heart it is not weaved into the texture of his heart it is no ingredient into the very frame and fabricke of it but though sinne be there yet the heart still casts it out of it selfe it resists it and rejects it and purifieth and clenseth it selfe from it this properly is a pure heart As in other things you say a thing is pure when it is solid and cleare and vnmixed though it may haue some drosse and some mudd cleaving to it you say it is pure gold when it is digged out of the minerall though there be much drosse in it and we say it is pure ayre though for a time there be many fogges and mists and adventitious vapours within it So we say it is pure water though there be many inundations of mud cast into it or that come from the spring or Channell from which it runnes So a man may be said to haue a pure heart that is a perfect heart though there be an adhesion of much drosse many evill thoughts that cleaue to him yet I say they mingle not with him that is Beloved it is certaine that the holiest men haue a fountaine of originall corruption in them and from this fountaine sinnes arise continually as the scumme in the pot but yet if the liquor be pure and good if it be right wine or right honey whatsoever the liquor is though the scumme arise still it purifies it selfe and casts it out this is the propertie of a pure heart with the impure it is quite contrary the scumme ariseth as in the other but it is sodden in it is mingled and confounded with it there is not such a segregating such a clensing disposition in it but there is a mixing of them together this similitude you shall finde Ezek. 24. 12. whence I take it she wearied her selfe with lyes c. And her great scumme went not out of her There is a similitude going before of a boyling pot into which much flesh was put to which he compares the Children of Israell of that time but this is the Conclusion that God makes her great scumme went not out of her As if he should say it is very true the
what becomes of mee You see this disposition was in Moses and in Paul saith Moses Let my name be blotted out of the Booke of life let me lose all my reward and recompence so the Church of GOD may bee safe and so Paul though I bee separate from christ yet so the Church of the Iewes may be safe so christ may be honoured in their worshipping of him and cleauing fast to him it is no matter there is that scope in it So likewise Acts 20. 24. there is an excellent expression saith the Apostle I passe not my life is not deare to me so the ministration be fulfilled that I haue receiued to testifie the grace of GOD that is though I bee a loser euery way though my life be in danger and in hazard though many other afflictions may befall me of diuers kinds I passe not for them so the Ministration may be fulfilled so the Lord may be exalted so the grace of GOD may be testified I passe not I heed it not I regard it not When another man beloued whose heart is not sound and vpright with God saith thus within himselfe It is no matter though such a Church though such a People though such a Kingdome or such a Nation perish so I may be safe so I may enioy my comforts my ease my profit my liberty this in the heart of euery naturall man But a man whose heart is perfect with God still exalts him both in matters of credit and likewise in matter of profit and aduantage Last of all in any matter of pleasure He finds his heart disposed after the same manner hee saith thus with himselfe I care not though my owne desire of pleasure and ease be crossed so men may be pleased in that which is good for edification as we see that disposition in Paul 1 Cor. 10. 33. Saith he I please all men in all things Saith hee I haue liberty to eate flesh and I desire to vse that liberty it is as acceptable to me as to any other notwithstanding I will euen depriue my selfe of that liberty to please men not in this onely but in all things else and why for saith hee I seeke not my selfe and my owne profit but the profit of many that they might be saued and that is the reason of it And why did he seeke the profit of many We see in the 31. Verse hee giues this rule Whether you eate or drinke c. doe all to the glory of God for this cause saith hee I doe not please my selfe but others I please other men in all things because I would glorifie GOD that is in pleasing them God is aduanced he is preferred and exalted therefore saith he I please not my selfe but I please others in all things So I say that is one effect and the first that I name to you That it is the property of sincerity and integrity of heart to set a man aworke to exalt God to preferre GOD before himselfe in all occasions A second effect arising from sincerity of heart from this perfectnesse of heart is this he whose heart is perfect with GOD you shall finde in him this disposition that he is not moued to his maine actions ordinarily but by vertue of some command from GOD if hee haue not some such motiue he stands still and stirres not The ground of this is because while a man seekes himselfe while a man is vnsound-hearted while he is full of himselfe as euery man is till he be regenrate till his heart bee changed come and tell such a man informe him and say to him Sir this will make for your profit or this is for your credit this will be for your aduantage it presently moues him and sets him aworke for his end is to seeke himselfe but let his heart bee changed and be perfect with GOD to seeke him now motiues drawne from these respects doe not so much worke vpon him but let a commandement come from GOD let this bee presented to him this is the will of God this is for GODS glorie this hee will haue performed by thee these are the motiues that worke vpon him in the generall fashion and course of his life other respects that were most preualent with him before they moue him not now but when they are suggested as in former time hee stands still as it were as a Ship that is becalmed that hath no wind to moue it but when a Commandement comes from God that Command fils the Sailes it fils the faculties of the soule that moues it to and fro that indeed is the ground that sets this man aworke in all the Actions and in all the courses of his life you shall see that metaphor vsed Col. 4. 12. it is Epaphras prayer for the people that Paul here expresseth Epaphras a seâ—ant of christ one of you saluteth you and alway striues for you in prayer that you may stand perfect and filled with all the will of the Lord. Marke this is the thing he prayes for that they might stand perfect Why how should it be knowne they were perfect Saith he this is the effect it will produce you shall be filed in all the will of the Lord that is as the word signifieth in the Originall when a man is filled with the Commandement euen as the sayle of a Ship is filled with wind so when a man findes this disposition in himselfe that the principall motiue that which sets him aworke vpon all occasions is some Commandement from God and not selfe-respects it is an argument that he is perfect that he is filled with the will of the Lord otherwise he would stand still as a Ship when the Sayles haue no wind to driue them this is an argument of perfectnesse and integrity of heart The like expression you shall finde Psal. 119. 6. then I shall not be confounded saith David when I haue respect marke the phrase for it is the phrase that hee chooseth to â—xpresse his sincerity by when I haue respect to thy Commandements That is saith he the time was and it is so with other men that when a Commandement of GOD comes they little heede it they little regard it if other motiues come which propound honour credit and adâ—ancement and profit to themselues those things they respect but saith he heerein is my sincerity seene and vpon that ground I desire I may not be confounded that I haue now respect to thy Commandements euen as you see a man that hath some princip all friend that he regards aboue all the world besides it may be when many others come and speake to him and make suite to him to haue something done he regards them not but if such a friend speakes hee hath respect to him or as a seruant if another man bid him goe and bid him doe he stands still but if his Masters command come once he goes about it presently for he hath respect vnto him this is Dauids
meaning for saith he LORD I haue respect to thy Commandements other things moue me not so much but if any Commandement come from thee I haue respect vnto it and I presently goe and execute it and in this regard he is said to be a man after Gods owne heart as we see in Act. 13. 22. I haue found saith the Lord a man after mine owne heart that is a man of a sincere of an vpright heart a man in whose heart is integrity and sincerity a man without guile and he proues it by this saith he He will doe whatsoeuer I will that is if my will be known to him that will he do that is the motiue that leades him that is the thing that stirres him vpon all occasions for that is the effect by which he is described to be a man after Gods owne heart hee will doe whatsoeuer I will Now beloued you may examine your selues by this whether you haue those effects that arise from sincerity and integrity of heart consider what mooues you to euery action Certainely there is no man that goes about any businesse but there is some motiue that sets him aworke Is it by vertue of the Commandement that thou goest about all thy occasions Is it that that moues thee Hast thou that respect to Gods Commandements that when other commandements come thou regardest them little but thou hast still an eye to that as Dauid saith as that is another expression of his sincerity saith he Mine eyes waite on thee as the eyes of the handmaid waite on her Mistris that is I am still looking to thee to thy Word to thy Commandement any becke or nod from thee moues me as the Maide waits vpon her Mistris to see what her will is I say this is the disposition of all the Saints and therefore take heed of being deceiued in this beloued it fals out ofttimes that you shall finde them both implicated and inuolued together and therein commonly we are deceiued a Commandement comes from God and respects of our own concurre marke it well that I may take away this deceipt as for example perhaps there is a seruice which the Lord himselfe commands a man may bee very diligent in this worke but it may bee there is not onely a Commandement of GOD to mooue him but there is much applause there is a certaine lustre and splendour that followes diligence in a good action in some great businesse Heâ—re now is a double motiue here is a Commandement from God and withall there is credit and esteeme from men As I say of doing so likewise of suffering it may be a man is to suffer and it is GODS will to haue him suffer and he suffers for the keeping of a good conscience but withall there is somewhat more mingled with it there is esteeme from men and so for other actions diligence in a mans calling it is true is the Commandement of GOD and the worke is the LORDS he doth it for him hee ought to be diligent but withall there is profit and reputation followes it there is aduantage comes to himselfe here you see there are more respects then one here is the Commandement of GOD and other respects likewise and so for hearing the Word it is true it is GODS Commandement to heare and a man comes it may be out of some respect to that Commandement but withall there may be other respects mingled a man may come to feede his vnderstanding with new notions with nouelty he may come to see wit and learning or to know the humour and the spirit of the Preacher other respects may be mingled Now you will say how then shall a man know whether it bee the Commandement that moues him if that be the proper effect of sincerity Beloued it is easie to know it by this take a man whose heart is not sound whose heart is impure who is hollow toward the LORD and take out the other respects and leaue the naked Commandement alone and he will stand still hee moues not let other respects be tooke away let the worke want that outward glory and he stands still he goes not about it so diligently let the suffering bee sequestred from the praise of men which accompanies it let there be nothing but a bare Command yea suppose sometimes they incurre discredit with men as sometimes they doe in suffering there is onely a naked Commandement to encourage them to it I say if the heart bee vnsound it stands still and moues not but when the heart is vpright take away the Commandement and leaue the other respects and it stands still on the other side by which you may know that it is not respect to mens commandements that moues a man because when that is tooke out when there is not the will of God signified in it when he thinkes with himselfe this is not for GODS glory I haue no warrant from GOD to doe it though there be other respects to my owne credit and profit the heart stands still as a Mill doth when it hath no water nor no wind to driue it This is an argument of sincerity when still the Commandement moues it But this obiection may be made May not a man be moued with other respects may he not be moued with regard to credit and aduancement that may follow vpon the performance of good duties I answer he may in the second place he may not primarily be moued with it it is the Commandement that must set him on worke but when he is vpon the way these respects may carry him on with more facility and alacrity as a seruant that is commanded to goe a iourney if there be concurrence of other things if he haue a good way and good weather and good company and money in his purse it is his aduantage he doth it the more willingly and cheerefully but if there be none of these it is enough that it is his Masters businesse that is enough to set him aworke You know Paul had many hard taskes when he went to Macedonia and vpon other occasions you know what his entertainement was and yet it was his Masters worke it was his Commandement for it is a sure rule that as wee ought to vse all Gods Ordinances so also may wee vse all Gods Arguments It is an Argument that himselfe vseth that we may haue respect to the recompence The reward of the feare of God and humility is riches and honour and life c. If you aske But how shall a man know when he doth it thus in the first place when he is moued with the Commandement I answer you shall know it by this A seruant that seekes his masters profit altogether with the neglect of his owne it is an argument that he serues him not out of selfe-respects but that which he is primarily moued with is regard to his Master Indeed heere is the difference A seruant that trusts not his Master
see God in his attributes as Moses saw him that was inuisible that is he saw in him more then he could see in Pharoah he saw him in his power to recompence him he saw him in his wrath and fearefulnesse if he had disobeyed him he saw him in his goodnesse and mercy and therefore hee chose him rather then Pharoah or his fauour Againe they are able to see him in his works as Iacob did it is said of him hee was a plaine man and he was able to see the LORD he was able to see him in the workes of his prouidence he was able to see him when he got the goods of Laban saith hee God hath tooke the goods from your Father and hath giuen them to me it is his speech to his wiues hee did see him when he met with Esau saith the Text he saw the face of God when hee saw the face of Esau he saw him in his cattell and in his children that he had gotten these are the cattell and these are the wiues and the children and the bands that God of his goodnesse hath giuen mee hee was able to see God in all these hee saw him in all his workes of prouidence and goodnesse so likewise in all his chastisements Dauid saw God in the cursing of Shimei It is the LORD that hath bid him doe it And so Iob hee saw God it is he that hath giuen and he that hath taken away he ouerlooked those that were the imâ—mediate instruments Thirdly they see him in his guidance and direction they are able to see the fiery cloudy Piller which way they are led by him they are able to see which way he would haue them goe vpon all occasions when others walke in darknesse and they see not the way that God would leade them Lastly they see him in his ordinances they see God in the preaching of the Word they receiue it not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God they see him in the Sacraments for they are able to discerne the Lords body that is they able to see Christ crucisied to esteeme him and to set that price vpon him as they ought and so they come prepared this they are able to doe because they are pure but when the heart is yet vnsound and impure they are not able to see God cleerely a sight and a knowledge they haue but it is another kinde of knowledge So much shall serue for that point And I will make my Couenant c. These words containe a further and a greater fauour expressed to Abraham then the former words doe it was a great mercâ— to him to expresse thus much to him I am al-sufficient I am able to helpe thee I am thy exceeding great reward I am able to be a Sunne and a Shield vnto thee to fill thee with all comfort and to deliuer thee from all euill but yet this which is heere added is a mercy of a much higher nature saith the Lord I will make my Couenant betweene mee and thee that is I will not onely tell thee what I am able to doe I will not onely expresse to thee in generall that I will deale well with thee that I haue a willingnesse and ability to recompence thee if thou walke before me and serue mee and bee perfect but I am willing to enter into Couenant with thee that is I will binde my selfe I will ingage my selfe I will enter into bond as it were I will not be at liâ—erty any more but I am willing euen to make a Couenant a compact and agreement with thee I will make my Couenant betweene mee and thee that is the generall You shall finde it expressed more at large Vers. 7. Moreouer I will establish my Couenant betweene mee and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an euerlasting Couenant to be a GOD to thee and to thy seed after thee that is as if hee should say First I am not onely willing to make it with thee but with thy seed Secondly I will not make a temporary Couenant but an euerlasting Couenant there shall be a mutuall ingagement betweene vs and it shall continue for euer both to thy selfe and to thy posterity in particular it is added I will multiply thee exceedingly that is but a branch of the Couenant I will make thee a Father of many Nations thou shalt haue a Sonne and his children shall grow in number as the starres of heauen and as the dust of the earth that is but a particular whence this is the point that wee haue to obserue that God enters into Couenant with all those that are faithfull For it was not with Abraâ—am as he was Abraham but as hee was a faithfull man and therfore all the faithfull are reckoned to be the seede of Abraham For the opening of this to you which is one of the maine points in Diuinity I will shew you these fiue things First what this Couenant is Secondly with whom it is made Thirdly how we shall know whether we bee in the Couenant or no. Fourthly what the breach of this Couenant is Lastly the reasons why God is willing to make a Couenant with men 1. What this Couenant is You must know that there is a double Couenant there is a Couenant of workes and a Couenant of grace The Couenant of workes runnes in these termes Doe this and thou shalt liue and I will be thy GOD. This is the Couenant that was made with Adam and the Couenant that is expressed by Moses in the Morall Law Doe this and line The second is the Couenant of Grace and thaâ—â—unnes in these termes Thou shalt bâ—leeue thou shalt take my Sonne for thy Lord and thy Sauioar and â—hou shalt likewise receiue the gift of righteousnesse which was wrought by him for an absolution of thy sinues for a reconci liation with me and thereupon thou shalt grow vp into loue and obedience towards me then I will be thy God and thou shalt be my people This is the Couenant of grace Thou shalt beleeue and take my Sonne and accept of the gift of righteousnes and I will be thy God The difference between them you shall find 2 Cor. 3. where you shall see 3. differences to reduce them to those heads I will not trouble you with particular places lest I stay too long vpon them The first Couenant was a Ministration of the Letter that is in the first Couenant there was no more heard nor seene but the naked Commandement it was written in Tables of stone and presented to them there went with it no aptnesse no disposition to keepe it they heard what the Law was they saw what God required but there was no more and those that were declaâ—ers of it were but the Ministeri of the letter and not of the Spirit Secondly this Couenant it brings onely a seruile feare and an enmitie for when a
made a Couenant with you and you are in Couenant with him therefore that I may shew it to you we will proceed from the very first preaching of the Couenant to Adam When the Serpent had ouercome the Woman and supplanted her and the Man and had throwne them from their happinesse God himselfe first preached the Gospell to them and that in these termes after he had charged them with their sinne and had humbled them for that method he vseth he sheweth Eue what she had done and saith to Adam Hast thou eaten of the tree of which I said thou shalt not eate he shewes them their sinne and after that the curse then he begins to tell them hee will not leaue them without hope it is true saith hee the Serpent is your enemy and hath ouercome you but saith hee you shall not bee slaues to him and captiued to him for euer but you shall resist him and be an enemy to him I will put enmity betweene the Serpent and the Woman and you shall fight together there shall be a warre betweene you and this shall bee the issue of the warre the Serpent shall afflict you and hurt you something but thou shalt ouercome him and bruise his head thou shalt bee the death of him thou shalt haue the victory ouer him The Woman might aske But how can this bee Alas I am weake I finde my selfe too weake already in the Battell he is too strong for mee Saith hee I will giue thee a certaine seede one that shall bee borne of thee and he shall be an enemy to the Serpent and his seede that is to all euill men that are called his seede because they are like him there shall bee enmity betweene them two and hee shall fight the Battrell for thee and in that Battell betweene him and the Serpent this shall be the issue the Serpent shall bruise his heele that is he shall preuaile so farre as to cause men to crucifie him which is but as the bruising of the heele but saith he he shall breake his head he shall vtterly destroy him and ouercome him for thee so thou shalt preuaile againe and be set in the place and enioy all the promises The Church continued in the vertue of this promise this preaching of the Gospell vntill Abrahams time and then GOD beginnes to manifest his Couenant againe hee calls forth Abraham and tells him he meanes to make a Couenant with him he tells him that hee will blesse him and that all the Nations of the world should bee blessed in him one while it is said thus another while all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed in thy seede Beloued there are many difficulties in this how the promise should be made to the seede how againe it should be made to Abraham himselfe for it is said to be made to both how all Nations are blessed in Abraham and yet it is said they shall be blessed in thy seed Againe the condition of the Couenant which he requires of Abraham is the same thing that God makes a part likewise of his own Couenant Besides GODS Couenant seemes not to bee the giuing of the Mâ—siah but the giuing of the promised Land giuing him a sonne and making him a great Nation many difficulties there are in this Therefore that you may vnderstand them distinctly I will deliuer it thus to you not in the method wherein it is set downe but so as I shall make it much clearer and perspicuous to you and best to bee vnderstoost by you therefore you shall obserue in GODS preaching the Gospell to Abraham First the Couenant Secondly the conditions of it Thirdly the confirmaâ—ion of it Fourthly the parts of the Couenant Fiftly the obiections the Iewes might bee ready to make against it And shewing those fiue we shall open it fully vnto you First The Couenant that GOD made with Abraham was after this manner Abraham saith the LORD I will giue thee a seede and in that seede both thou thy selfe and all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed and the question is how this shall be done Saith the Lord hee shall blesse thee he shall haue power in his hands to blesse thee for I will make him a Prophet a Priest and a King All the blessings that the people euer had they were conueyed to them by these three by their Priests by their Prophets and by their Kings saith he this promise I haue made to that seede that be shall be a Prophet a Priest and a King yea saith he that seede of mine that I shall send that shall bee borne of thee hee shall bee my Sonne and my Heire and in him likewise thou shalt be made an heyre and a sonne an heyre of all the World as he is a Sonne as hee is endowed with all spirituall priuiledges belonging to him yea thou shalt not onely haue this but saith he thou shalt euen haue the Spirit of the Sonne and be made like to him thou shalt be made a Prophet as he is a Prophet he shall â—each thee so by infusing of the same Spirit that dwels in himselfe hee shall â—each thee such knowledge that thou shalâ— be a Prophet as he Yea he shall make thee a Priest as himselfe thine owne person shall bee accepted aswell as what thou dost yea hee shall make thee a King as he is a King that is thou shalt haue the spirit of a King to rule ouer all thy sinfull lusts and dispositions thou shalt haue the peace of a King the ioy the comfort the riches of a King and the victory of a King I will deliuer thee from all thine enemies and for a Type of this for the Couenant was made after Melchizedeck came to him as we may see Chap. 14. thou shalt see a râ—semblance of it in that Melchizedeck hath done to thee hee came to thee and blessed thee and hee was a King a a Priest and a Prophet hee was the King of peace and the Priest of the most high God and what was the blessing that Melchizedeck brought to Abraham Saith hee The LORD blesse thee he blessed him that is hee bade him goe on and prosper hee wished that all blessings might come vpon him that he might ouercome his enemies c. that hee might haue blessings of all sorts they are not set down particularly and in a word hee made him heyre of all things for saith he I am the Priest of the most high God possessor of Heauen and Earth and heere I haue brought thee Bread and Wine that is an earnest a little for the whole to shew this to thee that GOD hath made thee heyre of all things And thereupon when the King of Sodomâ— presently offered him the riches that he had taken when he came backe from the Victory No saith Abraham I will not take them for it is the LORD that blesseth mee it is hee that shall make me rich it is he that is my exceeding great reward it is
euery mans conscience and therefore when the people then desired a Mediator that might speake and that GOD might speake no more another thing was signified by it that no man is able to come to God by yeelding obedience to the Law but he must needs haue a Mediator to goe between GOD and him The other obiection is from the Ceremonies of the Law they were ready to say We haue a Priest we haue Sacrifices we haue diuers washings and Rites c wee were wont to bee saued by them why may we not so still The answer to it is That these were but the oldnesse of the letter for indeed all these did but cloathe the Couenant of Grace the Couenant of Grace was deliuered to the Iewes the Ceremonies did indeede but set it out they were but types and shaddowes by which it was expressed to the Iewes the Iewes by reason of their ignorance were not able to see the body for the clothes they were not able to see the signification of the Spirit for the letter they were not able to see the sword for the sheath the kernell for the shell that is they could not see Christ himselfe the inward promises but stucke in the outward barke and rinde of Ceremonies in the shell of them and so they became vnprofitable but indeed those Rites did nothing but cloathe the Couenant of Grace and set it forth to them So much shall serue for the dispatching of those fiue things Now hence you see how those difficulties may bee answered that I mentioned before For example it is said the promise is made to the seede yet the promise is made to vs and yet againe the Couenant is made with Abraham How can all these stand together The promises that are made to the seede that is to Christ himselfe those are these promises Thou shalt bee a Priest for euer and I will giue thee the Kingdome of Dauid thou shalt sit in that Throne thou shalt be a Prince of peace and the gouernment shall be vpon thy shoulder likewise thou shalt bee a Prophet to my people thou shalt open the prison to the Captiâ—e thou shalt be anoynted c. and then shalt goe and preach to them These are the promises that are made vnto the seede The promises that are made to vs though they bee of the same Couenant yet they differ in this the actiue part is committed to the Messiah to the seede it selfe but the passiue part those are the promises that belong to vs You shall bee taught you shall bee made Prophets likewise you shall haue your sinnes forgiuen you shall haue the effect of his Priesthood made good vnto you you shall be subiect to his gouernment by an inherent righteousnes that he shall worke in you for you shall bee made Kings So the promise is made to vs. How is the promise made to Abraham for it is said In thee all the Nations of the Earth shall bee blessed The meaning of this is they are deriuatiue promises the primitiue and Originall was made to Iesus Christ but why is it said then that in Abraham all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed the meaning of it is this there was none that was euer partaker of these promises but the children of Abraham and therefore they were deriued from Abraham to all the men in the world besides that euer haue beene since Now what is it to be a childe of Abraham not to be borne of Abraham according to the flesh but to be like Abraham you are the children of the Deuill Why You are like him So that all that haue faith are the children of Abraham but more is meant then that I say all that doe partake of this promised Messiah are deriued from Abraham either deriued from him or grafted into him one of these two all that were saued before the comming of Christ were either such as descended from him or were ingrafted into the same Nation But what doe you say of the Gentiles that are now come in How doe they receiue from Abraham How can it be said in Abraham shall all the Nations of the world bee blessed Beloued you know it is said Rom. 11. that the naturall branches were broken off and the wilde Oliue is ingrafted in that is the reason likewise why the Law comes from Sion the Lord will haue the Gentiles to bee ingrafted into the stocke as it were he will haue the Law to proceede from Ierusalem he will haue them put into that Famely as the proselytes and so were all Nations for they receiued it from Ierusalem for they had the Oracles of God committed to them all the Nations in the world receiued them from them they drew that sap of knowledge from them so that they were grafted in thus all the Nations in the world were blessed in Abraham and Abraham was blessed in the seede it selfe But yet one obiection is behinde that is how comes this to passe that to be renewed in the spirit of our minds and to walke in the wayes of the LORD in the way of regeneration should be a part of the Couenant on our part you shall repent and beleeue and be renewed and then you shall be forgiuen c. you shall haue the Kingdome and yet for all this you see it is a paâ—t of the Couenant on Gods part saith the LORD I will giue you a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. I will giue you c. there is an expression of the Couenant and yet it is a condition that is required on our part Beloued to this I answer briefly the condition that is required of vs as part of the Couenant is the doing of this the action the performance of these things it is to repent to serue the LORD in newnesse of life but the ability by which we are able to performe these is a part of the Couenant on the LORDS paâ—t to haue new heaâ—tâ— and new spirits whereby we are able to repeâ—t and to bring forth fruite worthy of amendment of life I say the inward abilâ—ty the change of the heart the renewing of vs in thâ— spirâ—t of our mindes the wrâ—ting of the Law in the inward paâ—ts that is a branch of Gods Couenant but the doing of this the bringing forth the fruite of these inward abilities of these inward habits and graces that are planted in vs by the power of Christ that thing is required in vs. As for example the very habit of faith the very grace and power of beleeuing that God hath promised to giue it belongs to him but to beleeue to take the promises to accept of Iesus Christ and to receiue him and the gift of righteousnesse by him this is required as a condition on our part And so much shall serue for the opening of this and for this point The next question wee had to propound to you was this How a man should know whether he be within
Wheat-haruest 1 Sam. 12 the people feared exceegingly and Ezra 10. when there was an exceeding great raine the people did exceedingly tremble and you know in that Earthquake though all were safe Act. 16. and there was no cause why he should be so vnquiet yet we see how the Goaler was amazed his heart was wounded this was not for these particular Iudgements there might bee a great raine there might be a great Earthquake and thunder in Wheat-haruest and yet mens hearts little moued but there went a spirit of bondage that bred a feare in them this is that I say no man can come to Christ without the Law either in it selfe or in afflictions which are but the executioners of it and these are not effectuall without the spirit of bondage and there is a very great reason for it because otherwise wee should neuer know the loue of Christ he that hath not knowne what the meaning of this spirit of bondage is what these feares are what these terrours of conscience are in some measure knowes not what Christ hath suffered for him or what deliuerance hee hath had by him besides he will not be applyable to Christ But I will not stand more vpon this Hast thou not had the spirit of bondage I say surely if thou hast not tâ—sted of this Christ hath not sowne the seed of grace in thy heart doth any man sow before he hath plowed doth any man make a new impression before there bee an oblâ—tâ—ration of the old Beloued before the heaâ—t be meâ—ted wâ—th 〈◊〉 the spirit of bondage there is no sence of a new spirit to make a new impression vpon it I confesse it is different it is sometimes more sometimes lesse but all haue it more or lesse sometimes the Medicine goes so close with the reuealing of sinne and of Iudgement that it is not so much discerned sometimes againe God meanes to bestow vpon some men a great measure of grace and therfore he giues them a greater measure of the spirit of bondage because God meanes to teach them more to prize Christ he meanes more to baptize them with the baptisme of the Holy Ghost and therefore hee baptizeth them with a greater measure of the spirit of bondage they shall drinke deeper of that spirit because his intention is that they shall drinke deeper of the spirit of Adoption and therefore Christ takes it for an argument concerning the Woman when he saw she loued exceeding much surely she had a great measure of the spirit of bondage she was much wounded for her sinnes there had beene exceeding much forgiuen her in her apprehension and so was Paul exceedingly wounded you know This must goe before The things which goe together with it are these three the testimony of the blood of the water and of our owne spirits First beloued there is the testimony of the blood there are three that beare record in the Earth the spirit the water and the blood though the spirit be set first as it is vsuall amongst the Hebrewes and in the Scriptures to put the last first if a man would know now whether hee be in Christ whether he hath receiued the promised seede or no let him consider first whether hee hath beleeued in the blood that is there is a word of promise that saith thus to vs there is a Sacrifice that is offered there is the blood of the Lambeshed from the beginning of the world and this blood shall wash thee from all thy sinnes when a man stands to consider this promise beloued this promise bath two things in it there is the truth of it and the goodnesse of it a man doth with Abraham beleeue the truth of it he beleeues God and saith it is true I beleeue it but withall there is a goodnesse in it and therefore as the vnderstanding saith it is true so the will saith it is good and therefore he takes it and embraceth it and is exceeding greedy of it for when the spirit of bondage makes a man feare it empties a man of all righteousnesse as a man empties a Caske that there is nothing left in it when it puls away all other props and stayes from it it leaues a man in this case that he sees nothing in the world to saue him but the blood of Christ when a man sees this hee takes fast hold of that he will not let it goe for any thing and though it be told him you shall haue many troubles and crosses you must part with all you haue you shall haue somewhat hereafter but you shall haue little for the present he cares not though it costs him his life so he may haâ—e this blood to wash away his sins it is enough this he layes fast hold vpon Beloued when a man doth this at that very houre he is entred into Couenant he is translated from death to life he hath now receiued the promised seede and he shall be blessed for God hath said it and sworne it and it cannot be otherwise and this is the testimony of the blood when a man can say I know I haue taken and applyed the blood of Christ I rest vpon it I beleeue that my sinnes are forgiuen I graspe it I receiue it this is the testimony of the blood Now when a man hath tooke the blood What shall he continue in filthinesse now and walke after the lusts of his former ignorance No the Lord comes not by blood onely but by water also that is by sanctification that is he sends the Spirit of sanctification that cleanseth and washeth his seruants that washeth away not onely the outward filthinesse but the euill nature the swinish nature that they desire no more to wallow in the myre as before for the Lord will not haue a sluttish Church and therefore Eph. 5. he washeth his Church and clenseth it he washeth euery man in the Church from top to toe there is not one place in the soule not one place in the conuersation but it is rensed in this water and then when a man comes to finde this that he hath not onely found the blood of Christ applyed to him by faith but hath found that he hath been able to purifie himselfe and by the worke of Christs Spirit ioyning with him when he goes about to purge himselfe that helpes to cleanse his conscience from dead workes There is the second testimony Now follows the testimony of our own spirits that gathers conclusions from both these and saith thus Since I haue receiued the blood and seeing I am able to purifie my selfe I conclude I am in a good estate I am a partaker of the Couenant if a man could say this truely it is said whosoeuer beleeues shall be saued but I beleeue this is the testimony of the blood onely but when a man can say I doe labour to purifie my selfe I desire nothing in the world so much I doe it in good earnest this is the testimony of the water to
this signe and testimony of the blood which shewes that it is true it is a linely hope for he that hath a liuely hope hee purifies himselfe 1 Ioh. 3. But some man may say This testimony of a mans owne spirit may deceiue him I answer it cannot because though it be called the testimony of our owne spirit yet it is a spirit enlightned it is a spirit sanctified with the Spirit of Christ and then that Rule is true 1 Ioh 3. If our owne heart condemne not that is if the heart of a man enlightned if the heart of a man with which the Holy Ghost ioynes if the heart of a man sanctified doe not condemne him if hee haue the testimony of this Spirit he shall be saued he needs not doubt it he hath boldnesse towards GOD then againe hee must consider this worke the testimony of the Spirit the water and the blood and these three agree in one it is not the testimony of the Spirit alone but it is the testimony of the water ioyned with it if it were but the testimony of one indeed the ground were not good but they all agree in one and therefore if thou haue one sure to thee it is enough These are the things which goe before and accompany it Now followes the testimony of Gods spirit which we shall see described besides the places I named to you Eph. 1. Wherein after you beleeued you were sealed with the spirit of promise My beloued when a man hath beleeued and tooke lesus Christ secondly when hee hath washed and purified himselfe that is hee hath gone about this worke and so his owne spirit gathers a testimony hence that he is in a good estate after he hath thus beleeued then saith he comes the Holy Ghost and seales the same things vnto you that is the LORD leaues a man alone a while as it were to champ vpon the bridle as I may say he lets a man alone to some doubts and feares that so hee may purge himselfe the more carefully but after a time when a man hath put to his seale that God is true then the LORD seales him againe with the spirit of promise that is the LORD sends the spirit into his heart and that spirit giues witnesse to him and when he hath put to his seale that GOD is true then the LORD puts to his seale and assures him that hee hath receiued him to mercy You will say What is this seale or witnesse of the Spirit My beloued it is a thing that wee cannot expresse it is a certaine diuine impression of light a certaine vnexpressible assurance that we are the sonnes of God a certaine secret manifestation that God hath receiued vs and put away our sinnes I say it is such a thing that no man knowes but they that haue it you shall finde it expressed by all these places of Scripture Reu. 3. If any man will open to mee I will come in and sup with him that is when the Lord enters into a kinde of familiarity with a man when he vouchsafes him so much fauour as to come and suppe and dine with him as it were and to dwell with him and so Reâ— 2. 17. To him that ouercommeth will I giue of the hidden Mannah I will giue a white stone with a new name written in it tâ—at no man knowes but he that hath it that is there shall bee a secret priuy token as it were of my loue giuen him a secret marke of it that there is no man in the world knowes besides So Ioh. 14. 21. If any man loue mee and keepe my Commandements I will shew my selfe to him that is hee shall haue an extraordinary manifestation of my selfe hee shall haue such an expression of loue and peace that shall fill his heart with peace and ioy such a thing that no man knowes but himselfe Beloued this is the testimony of the Spirit I confesse it is a wondrous thing and if there were not some Christians that did feele it and know it you might beleeue there were no such thing that it were but a fancie or enthusiasme but beloued it is certaine there are a generation of men that know what this seale of the Lord is indeed you must remember this to distinguish it from all fancies and delusions this Spirit comes after you haue the water and the blood after you are beleeuers after you haue purged your selues and therefore if any man haue such flashes of light and ioy that witnesse that hee hath receiued the promise and that he is in the Couenant and for all this he haue not the things that goe before it now thou maist take it for a delusion I will come and sup with him but with whom with him that first openeth to me If thou open thy heart to the Lord whensoeuer hee knocks and comes to thee And so To him that ouercomes I will giue of the hidden Mannah If thou be one that art able to ouercome temptations and vnruly affections sinfull lusts thou maist conclude it is a true testimony that thou arâ— not deceiued but if thou be one that art ouercome with euery base lust with euery temptation thou art deceiued if thou art perswaded thou art in a good estate this is not the witnesse of the Spirit for it is to him that ouercomes So againe to him that loues me and keepes my CommandemeÌ„ts c. Now if thou be one that breaks the CoÌ„mandements of God that find'st not that holy fire in thy brest that find'st not thy heart affectioned to him and yet thou hast tâ—ese great flashes of assurance and tâ—inkst thy state good beloued you deceiue your selues whose case soeuer it is the Lord hath not shewed himselfe to thee bâ—t it is a delusion a fancy and therefore I say consider it and this is the consequent of it that he that hath it is able to pray So I will conclude all he is able to cry Abba Father If thou haue such an assurance of a good estate and yet art not able to pray thou art deceiued likewise for that is the property of the Spirit it makes a man cry to God and call him Father You will say Is this such a matter euery man can pray Beloued it is another thing then the world iâ—agines it to be he that hath this spirit is mighty in prayer he is able to wrestle with God as Iacob did by the spirit of Adoption hee had power with God as it is said there and he is able to preuaile with the Lord and why because he can speake to him as to a Father he can continue in prayer and watch ther euntâ— with all perseuerance he can speake to him as one that he is well acquainted with he can not only speake remissâ—ly but he can cry Abba Father that shewes feruency in his prayer there is no man in the world that is able to doe it besides We see a description of other men
take heed of not comming in when the doore of Grace is open take heede of doing as the foolish Virgins did they would come and came but they stayed still the doore was shut vpon them Beloued there is a certaine acceptable time as we say to you when God offers grace and after he offers it no more as wee told you the time of this life is the time that we can propound we know no other but there are certaine secret times that God reserues to himselfe that none knowes but himselfe and when that time is past ouer hee offers it no more You know those in the Wildernesse they liued many yeeres after and therefore it was not the time of this life to them after God had sworne in his wrath therefore I say take heede of deferring it is an exceeding dangerous thing beloued delay in all things is dangerous but procrastination in taking the offer of Grace is the most dangerous thing in the world beloued we know not what we doe when we doe it I beseech you consider it seriously it is that that deceiues all the world they thinke to doe it to morrow to morrow though they be not come in yet they will doe it and doe it speedily take heed you bee not deceiued in this I will doe it now and now Modò modò c. The Charriot wheeles when they runne the second runnes neere the first all the day long but neuer ouertakes it as in a Clocke the second minute followes the first but it neuer ouertakes it so it is with vs this doing of it now and now and to morrow and to morrow these little distances deceiue vs and delude vs we thinke to doe it in a short time and by reason of the neerenesse and vicinity of the time that we shall doe it easily that we can take hold of that time but it is not so we are deceiued and deluded with it as Grasse-hoppers and Butter flies deceiue children when they thinke to lay their hand vpon them they hoppe a little further and a little further that in the conclusion they take them not at all so it is with vs we coozen our selues in that manner we lose our life wee lose our opportunity of taking grace because wee thinke it to bee so neere we thinke we can take it the next weeke or the next moneth and out of this we are confident it is in our power we may take it No my beloued for the most part wee are deceiued when we thinke it so neere it may flye away so that thou shalt neuer haue part in it you see how God dealt with men in the first Couenant I meane in the time of the Old Testament you see when they would not take the offer how God sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest and I am fâ—lly perswaded that in this New Testament in these dayes of Grace the Lord is much more quicke and peremptory in reiecting men and casting them off the time is shorter he will not wait so long as hee was wont to doe in those times hee will sooner sweare in his wrath now that you shall not enter in to his rest that I speake vpon this ground saith hee if the Lord would doe this for the Law of Moses how much more if wee neglect so great saluation as was preached by the Sonne himselfe as the mercy is much greater now in the new Couenant then it was then so the wrath and danger is greater in refusing therefore when we consider what a hazard it is my beloued me thinkes the doubt and the brittlenesse of this life the vnsearchablenes and certainety of Gods seasons and times that hee hath put into his owne power the liberty of the Spirit that breatheth where and when it listeth the exceeding danger that we precipitate our selues into when we lose the opportunity once me thinkes these should moue vs to come in and to take heed of refusing the offer at any time those expressions you shall finde so often in the Scripture that God stands and knocks that he waites and stretcheth forth his hands that hee will gather vs as a henne gathereth her chickens signifie these two things to vs First how exceeding ready God is to receiue vs if we come in while the acceptable time lasteth Againe withall how dangerous it is to refuse it for who knowes how long the LORD will waite who knows when he will cease waiting and shut vp the doore of grace to vs and then when the day of peace is gone it is no more to be recouered when the acceptable time is past I beseech you therefore consider and apply it take heed of refusing when you heare yet this Couenant of Grace is offered your doores are now open you may come in if you will take heed of staying till the acceptable time is past lest the Lord sweare in his wrath at a time when you thinke not that thou shalt neuer enter into his rest So much shall serue for this Beloued that which I intended most was this the reason why this Couenant is made the reason why God makes a Couenant with man which was chiefely that we might haue strong consolations that we might know his good will towards vs that he might not onely doe vs good but that hee make it manifest to vs. Of this likewise wee should haue made some vse which is the laying hold of the Couenant the promises of free Iustification the promises of Sanctification and the promises of such blessings as belong to this present life those are the three parts of the Couenant we should haue shewed how wee should lay hold of them that when the Lord hath promised once when faith hath a promise to cloze with when it hath such a ground to set footing vpon then to apply them and if the Lord defer to performe them then to put him to it for the fulfilling of them and so wee should doe for the promise of Iustification the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes that you haue cause to make vse of this time when you receiue the Sacrament For what doe you You come to renew your Couenant with God that wee haue now spoken of for it is the seale of the Couenant there is a Couenant that God makes with you and a Couenant that you make with him when you consider this you should strengthen your faith goe to him and say Lord thou hast promised to forgiue me my sinnes and to remember them no more Lord it is a part of thy Couenant Lord it is thy Couenant that thou hast put thy seale to for the seale is put to it for that very purpose that when you see the Bread and Wine you might thinke of these seales as signes of the Couenant you haue Gods owne Word besides as you haue his Word that the raine shall no more drowne the Earth God hath set his Bow in the Cloud that when he lookes he may remember
impotent and beggerly rudiments The reason is because their knowledge was exceeding little therefore it brought little profit to them they were beggerly they had little riches in them and they were impotent they could communicate little power and strength and efficacy to the inward man On the other side now the New Couenant is strong and rich and liuely and effectuall and the reason is because there is more knowledge in it wee are taught to know GOD better and to know the whole mysterie of the Gospell better Therefore I say if you would bee strengthned in grace if we would be enabled to keepe the Couenant more then they were labour to grow in knowledge let it not be vnusefull vnto you whatsoeuer is deliuered but make benefit of it You see what riches of knowledge are deliuered to vs in Pauls Epistles let none of this be lost it is thy benefit that this is now discouered to thee that was hid from all the world aforetimes It is that benefit that the Apostle Paul so exceedingly magnifies that to vs this mystery is reuealed that wee haue this grace to make knowne to principalities and powers the manifest wisdome of God the vnsearchable richâ—s Christ make this vse of it grow in knowâ—edge and thou shalt grow in grace by that 〈◊〉 the strength thou gettest in grace it is â—â—om â—he abundance of knowledge beloued this is an exceeding vsefull point Those are â—he complaints ordinary amongst men they would faine doe otherwise they would abstaine from such sinnes and they would obserue such â—â—uties they intend it and desire it and purpose it but they are not able to performe it What is the reason of that Because they want grace and strength that is the immediate cause But what is the cause they want grace Because they â—ake not paines to grow in knowledge Beloued that place 2 Pet. 3. see how they are put together Take heede you bee not plucked away with the errour of the wicked but grow in grace How shall we doe that Grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. I deny not but a man may haue much knowledge and want Grace but on the other side looke how much grace a man hath so much knowledge he must haue of necessity Though there may be much wood that is not kindled yet looke how much fire there is so much fuell there must needs be Knowledge is the Oyle wherein the flame of â—he Spirit liues and you cannot haue more Gâ—ace then you haue knowledge though you â—ay haue abundance of empty and vnprofitaâ—le knowledge without grace Therefore if 〈◊〉 would haue the fruite of this Couenant laâ—our to grow in knowledge Ioh. 1. 17. that place is excellent for this purpose The Lawe continued till Iohn Baptist the Law came by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. Marke it grace and truth What was the reason there was more grace dispersed by Iesus Christ than by Moses The reason is because there was more truth reucaled to the sonnes of men by CHRIST then there was by Moses truth was hid in Moses time vnder vailes and shaddowes but was manifest in the time of Iesus Christ. Now because truth was more reuealed by him hence it was that there was a greater communication of grace a larger effusion of the Spirit because there is more truth but that place comes as neere to this purpose that you shall finde 2 Cor. 3. you shall see there an expression of the difference betweene the two Couenants Neuerthelesse when their hearts shall bee turned to the Lord the vaile shall bee taken from before their eyes Hee said before To this day when Moses is read there is a vaile laid ouer their hearts but when their hearts shall be turned to the Lord the vaile shall bee taken away And what then They shall behold as in a glasse the glory of God with open face and be transformed and changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. The meaning is this saith he in the time of the Old Testament there was a vaile that couered their hearts and their eyes that they were not able to see the truth cleerely but now saith he that vaile is tooke away and we see the truth with open face euen as you see an Image in â— Glasse But what is the benefit of this knowlâ—dâ—e Now the vaile is taken away we know much more saith hee by seeing with open face we are transformed into the same Image that is by the knowing of it by looking vpon it by renewing those truths that are deliuered in the Gospell by seeing the wayes of GOD and the Image of GOD there described and set forth to vs by this knowledge we are transformed and changed into the same Image from glory to glory that is from one glorious degree of that Image to another not that the very knowledge shall doe it but it pleaseth the LORD to accompany that knowledge by the Spirit this is done saith hee as by the Spirit of the LORD So my beloued the way to grow in grace and in strength to receiue that immediate benefit of the Couenant is to grow in knowledge Ioh. 17. it is a part of Christs prayer vers 17. Sanctiâ—ie them with thy truth thy Word is truth The meaning is this as if he should haue said Oh Lord I know that the way to sanctifie them the way to increase grace and holinesse in their hearts is to reueale more truth to them now Lord I beseech thee reueale thy Word to them for thy Word is that truth teach them to know thy Word acquaint them with it more and more for by that meanes they shall get grace and sanctification So then if you would receiue the strength of the Couenant you must labour to grow in knowldge labour to vnderstand it more and more for beloued this is a very sure rule there is not a new notion that a man gets there is not a beame of truth of new truth there is not a further enlargement of knowledge and illumination but it brings some riches of grace with it it comes not empty but it comes loaded with something it hath some power and strength and it giues a new vigour to the inward man and therefore if thou wouldest abound in grace study the Scriptures much attend to them much meditate in them day and night labour still to get some new sparke of knowledge some new light out of them and thou shalt finde this that grace will follow as it is the Apostles exhortation to Timothie saith he Giue attendance to reading and to learning so thou shalt saue thy selfe and shalt be able also to saue others The meaning is the way to get that grace that will saue a man is to giue much attendance to reading and to learning for beloued whatsoeuer it is that begets a man the increase of that likewise edifies and builds him vp
long as a man doth not chuse another Husband so long the Couenant is not broken though the failings be exceeding many The vse wee are to make of it is this If there be this comfort that though a mandoe commit many sinnes yet so long as he hath the Lord for his husband as long as he is not willing to chuse another Master still the Couenant is sure Beloued then comfort your selues with these words and make vse of the Couenant and apply the promises of the Couenant say this with thy selfe it is very true I am sinfull I prouoke God from day to day yet for all this I am not out of the Couenant and therefore the promises of the Couenant belong to me and therefore notwithstanding my sinnes I will go boldly to the Throne of Grace and I will lay claime to the promises and to all the parts of the Couenant for they belong to me Beloued this vse you should make of it wheÌ„ you heare the Couenant is not broken Now the promises of the Couenant are of 3. sorts the promises of iustification the promises of sanctification and the promises of blessings of all sorts that belong to this life and to the life to come This threefold vse then thou shouldst make of it First put the case there lies vpon thy heart the conscience of any sinne that thou hast committed that troubles thee thou art afraid that this sinne should make a sâ—paration betweene God and thee thou hast yet no assurance of the forgiuenes of it but the conscience of the sinne lyes vpon thee as that expression you haue Heb. 10. what wilt thou doe in such a case Goe to the Lord and say to him Lord notwithstanding this I know I am in Couenant with thee and Lord this is one part of thy Couenant that thou wilt remember our sinnes no more but when they are sought they shall not be found My beloued as you haue heard before they are the very words of the Couenant I say if thou come to the Lord thus and bring Christ in thine armes for that is the nature of â—aith faith first seizeth vpon the dead body as the Vulâ—ures and as the Eagles doe first seize vpon the body so faith first seizeth vpon Christ I say if thou canst go to him and say Lord I haue thy Sonne he hath offered himselfe to me he is freely offered and I haue tooke him and all thy promises in him are Yea and Amen and this is one of thy promises that thou wilt forgiue me if one plead the Couenant hard with God and tell him it is a part of his Couenant and he must be iust hee cannot be a Couenant-breaker doe you thinke that God will breake his Couenant with thee or any man he cannot deny thee he will put away thy sins strengthen thy selfe with this for this Couenant is continuall the Mediator of this Couenant is Iesus Christ who is such an High Priest that is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto him when a man hath commitâ—ed the greatest sinne and sees but the blood of Buls and Goates he might thinke thus with himselfe alas what can this poore and beggerly Ceremony doe to deliuer me from the conscience of my sinne Well saith the Apostle we haue another kind of Sacrifice and another kinde of Priest Heb. 7. We haue such an High Priest as is able perfectly to saue those that come to him And why For saith he he is gone not into the Tabernacle as the other Priests but he is entred into the very heauens Besides saith he he goes not once a yeere as they did but he liues for euer to make intercession for vs hee is not gone with the blood of Buls and Goates but with his owne blood he is a High Priest holy harmlesse vndefiled separated from sinners higher then the heauens and therefore doubt not but hee is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto him Beloued consider this it is the very Vse that the Apostle makes Heb. 10. 22. saith he seeing these things are so since we haue such an High Priest as we haue described since it is the very Sacrifice of his blood it selfe let vs draw neere in the assurance of faith that is if the conscience of any sinne lye vpon vs let vs not goe to God with a quarter wind or wâ—th a halfe wind but with a full assurance of faith let vs make no question but trust perfectly to the grace that is reuealed You must thinke so of Iesus Christ hee would haue you thinke so and conceiue of him that he is now in heauen that he is able perfectly to sauâ— you that there is nothing you haue committed that can doe you hurt he is like a friend in the Court if a man were sure that hee had one that were neuer from the King that hath his eare continually that is alway in his presence that is such a Fauourite of such power with him that certainely he can deny him nothing a man would be secure put the case there were some whispering fellows that would be ready to informe against him yet saith hee I haue one there that will be ready to take care for me My beloued this is thy very case Christ Iesus is gone to Heauen it is a thousand times better for thee that he should be there then that he should be here in this world still there he is thy Attorney as it were he takes care of thee hee sees all the accusations that are brought against thee and he is ready to answer for thee saith the Text he makes intercession if there come any thing that tends to make a breach between God and thee he is the Mediator for thee he dwels there for that end if there be any offence any breach comes that he may make it vp betweene God and thee consider this and when thou hast committed a sin go to this high Priest that is able to saue thee perfectly and remember that it is a part of his Couenant and so labour to grow vp in full assurance of faith that no conscience of sinne may lye vpon thee to make a separation betweene God and thee for beloued you ought to trust perfectly to the grace that is reuealed through him And as I say for sinne so in the second place you are to make vse of the Couenant as put the case there bee some strong lust some violent temptation that thou art not able to outwrestle it is too strong for thee thou wouldest faine be rid of it but thou art not able why what shalt thou doe in this case remember that it is a part of the Lords Couenant that he will deliuer thee from all thine enemies that thou maist serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of thy life It is a part of his Couenant to remember it he hath sworne to remember it he hath said he will write his Law in thy heart and that can
neuer be without he obliterate all old writing he hath said he will giue the Holy Ghost he hath promised to giue thee a new heart and a new spirit now consider this it is a part of his Couenant goe to the Lord and beseech him to make good his Couenant this is the way for thee to ouercome it if thou go about it any other way thou shalt neuer be able to out-wrestle it Beloued for a man to thinke thus with himselfe to say I haue receiued grace I hope I haue some strength therefore I will be bold to venture vpon such a temptation or at least I hope by my promises by my vowes prayers and reading one way one way or other to master it and ouercome it this is not the way thou must goe to GOD and make vse of this Couenant and beseech him to giue thee strength for marke it GOD would not take this vpon him to giue vs new hearts and new spirits to sanctifie vs to make vs new creatures to crucifie the flesh to weaken the dominion of sinne hee would not take this vpon him and make a promise if wee were able to doe it but hee knowes it is in his owne power and he must doe it for vs and therefore in such a case we must goe to him and beseech him to doe it for know this when a man is in CHRIST once when he is in the Couenant he liues by a principle without himselfe and not by one within himselfe as Paul saith I liue by Iesus Christ that is he is without me and it is he still that giues me strength therfore goe to him If you aske the reason why will the LORD haue it so why may not a man haue a sufficient habituall strength in himselfe by which he may be able to out-wrestle lusts and to ouercome temptations The reason is because no flesh shall reioyce in it selfe and therefore Christ is made sanctification that is you deriue it from him from day to day from time to time that you might not reioyce in your selues but in him therfore let no man goe about such a businesse in his own strength for a man to thinke beloued by vertue of that habituall grace hee hath receiued to be able to ouercome sinne and to worke righteousnes it is all one as if a man should say thus with himselfe I see my house is full of light now I will shut vp my doores and windowes I hope to haue light enough when he hath done so you know the light perisheth presently because the Sun is shut out that which giues light I say so it is when a man thinks now I am some body I haue now gotten some strength now I hope I may walke with some confidence more then before this is to shut vp the windowes as it were No thou must haue continuall dependence vpon Christ otherwise if thou goe to ouercome any sin and thinke to doe it with thy owne strength it shall be too strong for thee for you wrestle with spirituall things and without a strength from one without thee they will be too strong for thee goe to the Lord and say Lord I confesse I am able to doe nothing of my selfe but I bring my heart to thee as an empty Caske beseeching thee to fill it with grace Lord I want much grace Iesus Christ is full of grace and hath filled himselfe for that purpose that he might communicate it to vs I say in such a case now if thou goe to the Lord and beseech him to make good his Couenant tell him thou restest vpon his strength thou goest against sinne as Iosuah went against the Caâ—â—â—ites not because he was able to ouercome them for they were Giants and had cities walled vp to heauen but hee went in the Lords strength I say if a man goe in this manner bee assured that the Lord will not faile thee he will giue thee ability to ouercome The third case is when any outward trouble lyes vpon a man let him goe and remember it is a part of Gods Couenant to blesse him To blesse him with what Withall kind of blessings and to be a Buckler to him there is no euill in the world but God hath promised to bee a Buckler to shield him and to defend him from it put the case thou lye vnder any pressure any calamity any crosse any disease any affliction of minde or of body or estate or of name why goe to God now and tell him it is a part of his Couenant to deliuer thee and labour to find out if thou canst beside the generall Couenant some particular The Lord hath said if thou bee in trouble call vpon mee and I will deliuer thee if thou be in a strait in extremity the Lord hath said he will worke thy workes for thee and so yoâ— may goe to him in particulars But when faitâ— hath once gotten a promise be sure that thou keepe thy hold pleade hard with the Lord and tell him it is a part of his Couenant and it is impossible that he should deny thee doe as the woman of Canaan when thou art on a sure ground take no denyall though the Lord may deferre long yet he will doe it he cannot chuse for it is a part of his Couenant Beloued therefore in this case doe as you see two Metaphors vsed in Scripture they are excellent for this purpose Esay 66. 11. there is a Commandement of the Lord for the children of Israel that they should sucke and be satisfied with the brests of consolation c. the words are obscure as they are read to you but the Originall makes them exceeding cleere there are two Metaphors vsed one is to milke consolation out of the promises the meaning is this that the promises are full of comfort as a dugge is full of milke now if thou be ready to faint goe and milke out consolation out of the promises that will relieue thee that will stay thy heart goe saith he and sucke draw out consolation from the dugges from the promises for that is the meaning which he cals the brests of consolation for hee repeates the promise presently after thus saith the Lord behold I will extend peace ouer her like a Flood c. The other Metaphor is to extorâ— to oppresse the promises that as a rich man oppresseth a poore man and gets out of him all that he is worth he leaues him worth nothing he playes the extortioner with him after that manner deale thou with the promises for they are rich there is a price in them be thou as an extortioner to them take out whatsoeuer thou needest or wring it out of the promises as it were Now when a man is poore and needy let him goe to the rich promises and bee as an oppressor to them that is consider the promises to the vtmost see the vtmost riches that is contained in them and they will make thee rich againe draw out the vtmost of
are not led into the truth of these poynts because that is proper to the holy Ghost it is he onely that leades vs into them it is he onely that enableth vs so to see them as to be fully convinced so as to resolue vpon the practice of them and therefore you shall finde the Apostle S. Paul Ephes. 1. when he revealeth there those spirituall blessings that we haue in Christ when he had declared many of those glorious priviledges in the 18. verse he prayes that the eyes of their vnderstandings might be opened to see the hope of their Calling and the riches of this glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints the exceeding greatnesse of his power towardes them that beleeue The meaning of it is this when Paul had discovered all this sayth he this labour of mine will be but in vaine except the Lord open the eyes of your vnderstanding So it is when we preach to you of the All-sufficiencie of God when wee discover to you those glorious priviledges that we haue by Christ except the Lord open mens eyes except he send the spirit of revelation into mens hearts to discerne those things except he preach to the heart as well as we doe to the eare it is but lost labour sayth the Apostle if he would open your eyes to see the hope of your Calling to see those great hopes that you haue by reason of your Calling to see the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints it is not onely rich but abundant riches Againe sayth he to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power A man is able to see some thing that God is able to doe this and to doe that but to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power how farre it reacheth this none is able to doe vnlesse he haue the spirit of revelation to open his eyes to see it That even as Elisha sayd to Gehasiâ— there are more with vs them against vs. But how came Gehasie to know that Elisba prayes the Lord to open his eyes and when his eyes were opened he saw it visibly after this manner the Lord deales with his children when such truths as these are propounded to them that God is All-sufficient yet all this is nothing except God will open their eyes except he will be with them as he was with Iob all that his friends said to him would not perswade him till God himselfe spake to him out of the whirlewinde When God himselfe will say to a man as he did to Abraham I am All-sufficient then he perswades him and not before And this Beloved is the office of the holy Ghost it is he that shewes the Father and the Sonne to the sonnes of men it is he that glorifies the Father and the Sonne And in this sence he is said to fill them with Ioy vpon all occasions for the cause why a man rejoyceth is because he is informed of some good newes something he is perswaded of and when he heareth of it there followes sudden Ioy So when the Apostles were in distresâ—e in prison when they were in danger the holy Ghost brought good newes to them he revealed to them such and such things vpon this revelation vpon this good newes that was brought to them it is oft said they were filled with Ioy which is therefore called the Ioy of the holy Ghost which the holy Ghost workes in men by perswasion by revealing to them the hope of their Calling and the riches of their glorious inheritance and the exceeding greatnesse of his power working in those that beleeue And therefore this you must coÌ„sider that though we preach to you and you heare all these truths of Gods All-sufficiencie yet you are able to practice nothing till Christ reveale it to you If he come to a man when he is in a strait and say to him as he did to Paul vpon severall occasions feare not Paul I will be with thee I say if he himselfe would come thus and speake to the heart of a man that is if he would reveale it by his spirit wee should be able to practice it we should be able to stay our selues vpon him wee should be able to trust him in his All-sufficiencie and would venture vpon any thing we should be able to doe our dutie wee should be able to suffer persecution as the Apoâ—â—le speakes because we trust in the living God It is a certaine and true rule no man is able to guide his life aright his riches his credit his libertie aright except he be able to neglect them and no man is able to neglect them except he haue some thing that is better in stead of them except he see these two things An emptinesse in them And a fulnesse some where els But now who is able to perswade men of this Surely he that perswaded Salomon that all was vanitie it is he that must perswade vs without him it cannot be done What was the reason else that Peter Andrew Iohn and the rest of the Apostles were able to forsake all things when others were not Doubtlesle because they were perâ—waded they should finde it againe in Christ when others were not so perswaded flesh and bloud did not teach them but the holy Ghost revealed it to them that though they had lost all yet they should find all yea they should finde an hundred fold more What was the Reason that Demas and others when they met with persecution and temporall preferments in the world were not able to keepe on their course but turned aside when Paul who had the same temtations did not The reason was because it was not revealed to Demas but it was to Paul A window was opened to him in heaven as it were to looke into Gods All-sufficiencie to see the treasures there to see Gods power and eternitie and blessednes and when he walked in a continuall sight of this All-sufficiencie Paul cared not whither he went nor what became of him it was nothing then for him ot passe from prison to prison from affliction to affliction So as long as a man walkes in a continuall sight of Gods All-sufficiencie as long as he sees him that is invisible so long he is full of comfort so long he is able to doe any thing but when once his sight is taken from him when once he is left in darkenesse that Torches and Candles begin to appeare great lights vnto him as you know it is in the darke night that is a signe that a man is in darkenesse when the feare of men and the favour of men seeme great vnto him So it will be when God doth but leaue vs a little when he doth but cloud vs when he withdrawes from vs that light of his All-sufficiencie then we are readie to sinke and to fayle in our dutie and to turne aside to balke the wayes of righteousnesse And therefore if you would haue the vse of this All-sufficiencie if you would be perswaded that all
is exceeding hard because it is not in the power of any man to know it except God guide him to see it there are not principles in man there is not the sufficiencie of wisedome to finde out the fitnes of time except God guide him to pitch vpon that time Now if the Lord were pleased to reveale to men these seuerall times allotted to actions it were an easie thing to finde it out but he hath kept them to himselfe and that for these two Causes One is That men might watch for if men knew the time they would be loose and neglect till the time came Therefore sayth he seeing thou knowest not the time when he will come whether at night or at what time of the night whether at the dawning or at the Cocke-crowing whether at the first watch or at the second therefore watch As if he should say If men knew the time certainely they would sleepe till that time and then they would be awake but God will haue men watch Secondly God hath appointed these times and reserved them to himselâ—e that men might learne to feare him that they might learne to keepe a continuall dependance vpon him for if the times were in our owne hands we might mannage our businesse with our owne strength but when they are in Gods hands we know not what to morrow will bring forth Therefore Iames sayth say not I will doe such a thing I will goe to such a place and stay there a yeare and buy and sell for sayth he it is not in your hands your life is not in your owne hands to effect this busines If you doe liue it is not in your hands and therefore you ought to say if the Lord will And therfore to keep men in this dependancie vpon him God hath reserved these times vnto himselfe The third and last proposition is That because men misse of these times therefore their miserie is great vpon them partly because they do not effect the thing they goe about when they misse of their time for the Lord workes not with them when they hit vpon a wrong time partly also because they fayling in their dutie not taking the good time that God hath appointed he in his most just judgement sends vpon them evill times that suddenly come vpon them euen as a snare vpon the birds As you see when birds are feeding quietly and fearing nothing then an evill snare comes and takes them So it is with men when they haue missed their times when they thinke they are safest when they speake peace to themselues when they thinke that danger is farthest off then evill times come suddenly vpon them This you shall see best in examples Gehezi when he tooke a gift of Naaman The Prophet his Maister reproues him in these words Gehezi sayth he is this a time to receiue gifts As if he should say To take a gift in it selfe is not amisse but this is not a time for it for Naaman was but a stranger Againe he was but a beginner in beleeving in the true God and therefore to take a gift of him that was not a time It was the manner you know to bring gifts to the olde Prophets not for reward of their Prophesies but for the maintenance of their estate So Saul brought to Samuel a gift and therefore in some cases it might haue beene seasonable but sayth he is this a time to take a gift of such a man vpon such an occasion at such a season And what miserie came vpon Gehezi for missing his time sayth his Maister The leprosie of Naaman the Assyrian shall cleaue to thee that miserie came vpon him So you shall see Haggai 1. The people did a lawfull action but they missed of the time Thus sayth the Lord of hosts This people say the time is not yet when the Lords house should be built Then came the Word of the Lord by the ministerie of the Prophet Haggai saying Is it a time for your selues to dwell in seeled houâ—â—s and this house lie wast Therefore now saith the Lord of hosts you haue sowne much but you haue brought in little you eate but you haue not enough you drinke but you are not filled you cloath you but you are not warmed and he that earneth wages he puts it into a broken bagge It was a lawfull thing for them to build houses to dwell in and to enioy but sayth he is this a time to dwell in your seeled houses As if he should say You haue misâ—ed of the time And what then You see therefore their misery was great on them you haue sowne much but you bring in little c. Iacob It was lawfull for him to haue sought the blessing but because he missed of the time you see his misery was great vpon him how many sore yeares of travaile had he vnder his vncle Laban And this was because he missed of his time On the other side David that did hit vpon his time God promised him a Kingdome and he stayed his time you see he had it with good successe he had it in such a manner as was fit for him for he stayed his time Rehoboam is another example when he consulted with the olde men They tolde him that if he would serue the people at that time they should be his servants for ever but he followed the counsell of the young men and you see what fell out vpon this the missing of his time for that was the counsell that the olde men gaue him if thou wilt serue them at this time c. As if they had sâ—yd Rehoboam thou thinkest it will be disadvantage to thee if thou let the raines loose vpon them and not restraine and curbe them in the beginning but thou missest of thy time There is a time for meeknes and a time for roughnes There is a time for clemencie there is a time againe for severitie but this is not a time for Rehoboam to vse severitie in the beginning of his Raigne therefore you see his miserie was great vpon him he lost ten tribes by this meanes So likewise The people of Israell when they sought a King for themselues it was lawfull for them to seeke a King for God had appointed from all eternitie David to be their King and if Saul had not beene their King David had beene King at the same season that he was but their error was in the time they would haue a King when Samuel raignâ—d over them when God was pleased to Iudge them by the hand of the Prophets more immediately then by the hand of the King and therefore he sayth that himselfe ruled over them and therefore God tels them because they would needes haue a King now because they would anticipate him they would haue a King before God had appointed them a King therefore this curse should goe with their King he shall doe thus and thus to you he shall take your sonnes
to many sweruings and declinings yet still he makes them vp againe still hee repaires those breaches in his heart and though many times he step out of the way still he recouers himselfe againe so that his constant and ordinary worke is euery day to make his heart perfâ—ct where he finds any crookednâ—sse to set it streight againe where he finds any defect that he labours to supply this is â—is ordinarie and constant course So beloued you shall finde this difference betweene a man that is imperfect and another that is sound hearted that he still amends his heart he still makes it vp he still brings it to a good temper that is his worke from day to day that he sets it right and streight before God in all things and you shall see Mat. 18. 1. such an expression there the Disciples aske Christ this question Master say they who shall bee the greatest in the Kingdome of God Our Sauioâ—r takes a little child and sets him vp amongst them and saith except you bee conuerted as one of these little children you shall not enter into the Kingdome of God The meaning is this I see there is pride arising in your hearts you are looking after great things for your selues that ariseth of a selfe-conceit you haue I tell you saith hee Except you conuert from this euill except you turne your selues from it except you become as this childe and empty your selues of this pride and become humble as this childe become little in your owne eyes as this childe is you shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen So that the meaning of it is this that a man who is sound-hearted he is still following hard he is still making his heart perfect from day to day he is still turning to God againe and againe as it is said Lam. 3. 40. Let vs search and try our wayes and turne againe to the Lord that is it is his constant worke My beloued this is the nature of a mans heart still there is something or other rising amisse in it as you see weeds in a field As it is in a Corne field except you weede it and till it aâ—d plow it and manure it and neuer giue it ouer it will bee ouer-growne with weeds and waxe fallow againe and not be fit to beare Corne with any constancy so it is with our hearts except wee still plow them and weede them and watch ouer them they will be ready to grow fallow they will be ready to be ouer-growne therefore I say it is the property of a man that is perfect he is still returning and making vp the breaches and defects as we see 2 Ioh. 8. Let vs looke to our selues that we lose not the things that we haue wrought but that wee may receiue a full reward Marke let vs looke to our selues that we lose not the things wee haue wrought as if he should say euen those that are perfect that are sound-hearted there is this property in them though he deliuer it by way of Exhortation yet is a property that neuer is seperate from them they still looke to themselues that they lose not the things they haue wrought and see my beloued there is great reason for it for a man may lose all that he hath wrought he may lose his reward altogether as you see Reu. 3. 11. Take heed hold that thou hast lest another take thy Crowne You know Ioash went farre and so did Iehu and so did those Israelites in the Wildernesse and yet they lost their reward for not looking to themselues but this is for those that may fall quite away But for the Elect that can neuer fall quite away this diligence is required and is proper to them they still looke to themselues lest they lose that which they haue wrought lest they should not receiue a full reward for though they cannot lose their reward altogether yet they may lose a part of their reward as you see Dauid did because he did not looke narrowly to himselfe he did not follow hard to the marke for in some things they may faile though it bee their property to looke to themselues that I expresse to you by the way I say part of their reward they may lose for the Sword departed not from his house if like those builders 2 Cor. 3. you build hay and stubble then you shall bee saued if your hearts be vpright yet as by fire that is you shall be scorched by the fire it shall haue some impression vpon you something or other vpon your name or some other iudgement somewhat you shall haue but this is their property They looke to themselues that they lose not the things they haue wrought but that they may receiue a full reward For still they are apt to fall backe from the degree they haue attained And againe the sinfull lusts they thought they had mortified are ready to returne now he that is perfect is thus minded hee not onely aymes at the vtmost but from day to day hee makes vp the defects that he findes in his heart and againe labours to bring downe and to mortifie those lusts that are renewed and begin to gather a new strength and to bud forth againe this is their property so I say if thou wouldest kâ—ow it marke what thy aime is whether thou ayme at the vtmâ—st degree of holines or whether thou set liâ—its to they selfe and likewise whether thy constant course be to make thy heart perfect with GOD from day to day and to walke exactly with him whether thou be carefull to husband thy time that thou mayest haue leasure to doe it for my beloued a man cannot doe a thing exactly except hee haue time to doe it in And therfore Ephes. 5. Walke exactly not as foolish bâ—t as wise redeeming the time As if hee should say if you would walke exactly redeeme the time it is your wisdome for else you lose all your labour walke exactly and not as fooles for else you had as good doe nothing at all be so farre wise that you doe not lose the things you worke and to doe this redeeme the time that you may haue leisure to doe it I say consider whether yoâ— be willing so to husband time to gaine so much leasure from your other calling and affaires that you can spend time to search your hearts in trying your wayes in setting all things straight within you that you may walke perfectly with GOD from day to day So much for this property likewise So many as are perfect leâ— them be like minded The next property of this perfectnesse of heart you shall find in those two places compared together Ier. 3. 10. They haue not returned to me with their whole heart but feignedly if you compare that with Hosea 7. 14. the Lord there complaines though they did returne and sanctifie a Fast and did seeke him very deuoutly saith he you returned not to
the most high but against me haue you rebelled The meaning of both places is this they haue not sought meâ— with their whole heart but feignedly the word feignedly shewes that by whole heart hee meanes there a true heart So that as you would iudge now of an vnsound-hearted friend you say he is not perfect he is not sound he is not true when his actions carry a shew and appearance of loue and his heart doth not answer it there is a dissonancy betweene the appearance he makes and his heart his heart is knowne by this he loues not the person of his friend he may obserue him for some otheâ— respects but his person he doth not inwardly respect So if a man would know whether his heart be perfect with God let him consider whether he do not as false-hearted men are wont to doe that obserue other men out of respects because they see those parties haue power to doe them good or hurt therefore they are diligent to obserue them as the Apostle saith They haue the persons of men in admiration because of aduantage that is they haue them in admiration they are very obsequioâ—s to them ready to doe them offices of friendship but it is for their owne aduantage not because they loue their friends they are nor affâ—cted to their persons Contrary to this is singlenesse of heart when wee loue not in word onely in deed and in truth when we loue with a pure loue such a man we say comes to be perfect with his friend and so it is in this case when a man lookes on God as one that hath power to doe him good and euill as one that hath power to aduance him or to cast him downe and out of these respects he serues him and obeyes him and will doe many things for his sake but yet he doth not serue him with a single heart that is he doth not inwardly loue the person of God he doth not looke on him as he is seperate from all punishments and rewards as he is sequestred from all such respects so as to be hearty to him This was the fault of the Iewes saith he they returned againe but to whom was it to their corne to their oyle and not to the most high they returned and were very deâ—out to keepe the Fast ready to heare but against mee they rebelled The meaning of it is this the Iewes returned to the Lord they were carefull to please him but it was because they desired freedome from the Famine and Warre and othâ—r Calamities and therefore they serued the Lord but they did not lay hold on God himselfe vpon the graces and comforts of the Spirit vpon aeternall life these were not the things they did inwardly respect and therefore God himselfe they loued not to him they did not returne as you shall see because I will vse that exppession of laying hold vpon God and vpon aeternall life 1 Tim. 6. when the Apostle Paul had spoken there of diuers men that were contentious he puts these two properties together they are exceeding contentious and couetous they reckon gaine godlinesse but thou saith he doe not so but fight the good fight of faith doe not contend with such a kind of contention and in such a manner as they doe and againe saith he when they lay hold on wealth and preferment and such aduantages doe thou lay hold vpon aeternall life I say this was the case of the Iewes they laid hold of such benefits as a carnall man is capable of such as indeed they conceiued to come from the Lords hand onely and therefore they returned vnto him but they did not lay hold vpon God himselfe vpon aeternall life vpon the spirituall priuiledges and promises of grace and therefore they returned to him but feignedly that is they did not seeke the face of God that which is required 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my People humble themselues and seeke my face that is seeke my presence this they did not Now with those that haue sound hearts it is not so but they seeke the Lord himselfe they are thus minded that if they may haue the Lord himselfe though they be stripped of all things else they doe not much heed it though they passe through euill report though they lose their estates though they bee put in what condition they can be yet they are content to haue the Lord aboue for their portion for they looke on him as an exceeding great reward as long as they may haue his loue as long as they may haue him though alone they care for nothing else thus they are affected when God puts them to it as you see Naomi put Ruth and her other daughter to it saith shee Wilt thou goe with mee I haue nothing for thee Gods hand is gone out against me I haue no more sonnes in my wombe or if I had thou wouldest neuer stay vntill they were of age when they were put to it thus one daughter forsooke her namely Orphah and returned backe to her people but Ruth gaue her this answer Bee it so â—yet whither thou goest I will goe I will dwell where thou dwellest I will neuer forsake thee So it is with the Saints they choose the Lord though alone they cleaue to him alone they reckon it reward enough if theâ— may haue him as you see Abraham did as GOD said to him I my selfe will be thy exceeding great reward he would not so much as take any thing from the King of Sodome Why because saith he it shall neuer be said that hee hath made Abraham rich GOD alone shall make me rich hee is reward enough he is alsufficient I will not take any of these things in with him So all the Saints are thus minded they are contented with GOD alone because they looke on him as an alsufficient reward they haue a good opinion of him and therefore they forsake him not whereas others haue beene in admiration of him but for aduantage when they haue gotten what they would haue and are deliuered from what they feare they start aside as a broken Bow Hosea 7. the place before named as you see Rehoboam 2 Chron. 12. 1. Saith the Text the Lord helped him till hee was strong and when he was strong hee and all Israel departed from following the Lord. And so Vzziah 2 Chro. 26. It is said the Lord helped him vntill hee was mighty and what then when hee had gotten what he would haue his heart was listed vp to his destruction that is he serued GOD as it were a slippery tricke then he departed from him when hee had gotten what hee desired which was a signe hee did not returne to the Lord or that he did serue him with his whole heart but feignedly he did not seeke the Lord himselfe he did not seeke his face and presence And the ground of all this is because they haue no constant fixed good opinion of GOD but they thinke well of God