love and patience of hope c. 1 Faith is the first watering grace humility plants faith waters sincerity gives the increase perseverance crowns and a working faith is a watering faith It is a principal member and holds the head to get more nourishment to it self first then conveyes to all the fellow-members other holy graces Faith begins to work so soon as it begins to bee works in desires longings pantings hungrings thirstings when it is yet weak but as it gets more strength it undertakes greater works it works first may bee on a threat then on a promise some single promise afterwards upon all the bundle of the promises then upon commands then upon all duties at last it is able to indure all trials 1 A working faith works upon Christ and works it self into him as the Cony works into the Rock 2 It works upon the promise as a strong stomach on wholesome meat concocts it and getteth strength from it 3 It works upon corruption as Aqua-fortis upon iron to eat it asunder or as a Corrosive on corrupt flesh to consume it 4 It works against temptation as the Pioner works for his life to countermine such as would blow him up 5 It works and tugs at a duty as a Mariner at Sea who hath his hand on the Rudder and his eye fixed on heaven 6 Against Satan it works as a hardy Souldier that stands in the breach and will dye in the place rather than give ground 7 It may bee said to work with God as Jacob did it wrestles strives intreats holds his hold and will not let go without a blessing and when all other emergent works are out of hand it hath one constant business to pursue which as the good huswifes work is never at an end to work up the work of his salvation with fear and trembling So that a true Phil. 2. 12. faith is alway accompanied with and may bee said to bee perfected by works Jam. 2. 22. That it may bee said to every true beleever as to the Church of Thyatira I Rev. 2. 19. know thy works and charity and service and faith and patience and thy works again and the last to bee more than the first This is the lively faith the lasting faith To beleeve is a work Joh. 6. 29. But the faith of hypocrites is a dead liveless imaginary faith Those are the Solifidians and Nullifidians who are the Nullioperists Many think faith hath an easie and idle life of it a Ladies life neither to toyl or spin yet to bee cloathed above Solomon in all his glory with the rich robes of Christs righteousness or the life of an Vsurer who whether hee sleep or wake his profit comes tumbling in and hee hath no more to do but to tell and take it as if faith had nothing to do but to tell the promises accept a Saviour receive a pardon challenge a priviledge and wait for the Rent-day of full payment as if it were to wash his steps in butter anoint his head with oyl and swim in the Rivers and floods and brooks of honey and butter Job 20. 17. Those deeps of the love of God and the blood of the Lamb but these are much mistaken This is the wages not the work of faith the Holy-day work as I may say and not the work-day business Faith hath business for both hands Active and Passive work as well as Applicative Faith is a stout Champion therefore the Lord sets it as David did Vriah in the face and front of sharpest encounters It is sent into the soul as the soul into the body to animate move and guide it or as the Labourer into the Vineyard to work there It must purifie the heart Act. 15. 9. as well as pacifie it Sanctifie Act. 26. 18. as well as justifie Rom. 5. 1. It must fight the fight of faith 1 Tim. 6. 12. Conquer the victory of faith 1 Joh. 5. 4. It must pray the prayer of faith Jam. 5. 15. It must obey The obedience of faith Rom. 1. 5. and 16. 26. It must bee a shield to quench fiery darts Eph. 6. 16. as well as a hand to receive Christs bounty It must bee a Breast-plate 1 Thess 5. 8. It must endure trials The trial of your faith 1 Pet. 1. 7. wee are to live by faith Heb. 10. 38. Walk by it 2 Cor. 5. 7. Receive Christ by it to dwell and rule in us Eph. 3. 17. Resist Satan by this mainly that hee may not get into us or rule over us 1 Pet. 5. 9. Such a faith hath somewhat to do This faith no hypocrite can have His workless faith is a worthless faith The dead faith in the soul is like the dead flye in the boxe of ointment mars the whole Eccles 10. 1. like the Mare mortuum or dead Sea kills every thing that comes near it like the dead first born in the Egyptians houses filled the whole house with mourning Ex. 12. 29. 30. In a word like a dead image of Christ in stone or wood which though an ignorant Papist may adore an understanding Protestant will cast out of doors and abolish 2 Love is the second Nutritive grace and Labour is his Character Love is the glory of the soul and Labour the glory of Love But an unsound Professor wants both hee may have faith but hee wants love hee dreams hee loves God but hee hath no labour in his love It costs him little The spirit of love is ever the spirit of a sound minde and sincere Christian 2 Tim. 1. 9. Faith is a great strengthner but love much more faith makes the first union love the next and the last and most perfect Faith receives Christ Love roots and grounds in him Eph. 3. 17. Grows up to him in all things Eph. 4. 15. Faith makes the contract Love the consummation and the consummation is above any contract Faith Hope and Charity are the three principal Graces but Love is the principal of the three Faiths chief work is to work by love Faith and hope are onely for this life faith for present hope for Gal. 5. 6. the future Love is both for present and future this life and that to come Faith is an Evangelical grace Love an Angelical the work of faith is our work the work of love is Angels Love crowns the soul in heaven Eph. 1. 4. Love crowns the duty on earth Faith is a great uniting grace but Love a far greater Faith unites us to Christ but Love unites him to us and us to him reciprocally Faith unites but two Love unites all Faith us to the head onely Love to the head and to all the members Eph. 1. 15. Your faith in Christ and love to all the Saints Love is the union of Christians yea of Angels yea of the blessed Trinity Faith is a self-saving grace Love the world-saver Self-faith is best faith Hast thou faith have it to thy self Self-love is worst love have love one to
the beauty of the head the face of the face the eye of the eye the Apple such is sincerity the Man the Head the Face the Eye the Apple the Glory the Beauty the All. Of which I might speak a great deal more but I forget that I am but writing an Epistle and a Preface not a treatise at the present Now what remains but that all the people of God bee desired to deal with other controversies and contentions Logomachyes or Theo-logomachyes as they did with Amasa when wallowing in his blood hee caused every man to stand still and not pursue the battel of the Lord I say what remains but to cover this Amasa and to draw him out of the way that wee may pursue this 2 Sam. 20. 12 13. more dangerous Son of Bichri and especially that the Lord Jesus bee desired with humble and incessant supplications to take his fan into his hand and throughly purge his floor gathering out the bryars and thorns one of his Vineyard and if wee may not bee so happy as to see an hedge set about his Vineyard that hee will set up his watch Tower in our hearts and that hee will come with his Refiners fire and Fullers Soap and purge both the sons of Levi and the whole family of Israel as Gold and silver are purged and that hee who hath the keyes of heaven and hearts would open the Es 26. 2. gate that a righteous Nation which keepeth the truth may enter in I. S. To the Unsincere Professor resting in the form of Godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit of Power of Love of a Sound Minde with Repentance I Remember that Learned Perkins that faithfull Servant of Jesus Christ did once direct one of his books to the ignorant and simple people and our blessed Saviour one of his Epistles to the Church at Sardis a people who had only a name to live but Revel 3. 1. were really dead and whose works were not perfect before God the Servant to instruct the one and the Master to awaken the other And therefore though many other godly and painful Writers have directed their writings to the perusal of the godly and Christian Readers I have chose to recommend this following discourse to thee to shew thee first thy self and thy own unsafe condition then to provoke thee to consider thy waies and amend them I must say of this discourse as St. Paul said once of the Law The Law is not 1 Tim. 1. 9 10. made for the righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane c. So this discourse is not made for the godly and humble and sincere they have an Vnction that teacheth them and a Monitor that remembereth them that wee need not say to such know the Lord therefore I write not to them but to the lawless and liveless to the graceless and Christless Professor And to thee I may speak in the words of Ahijah the Prophet 1 King 14. 6. to the wife of Jeroboam disguising her self I am sent to thee with heavy tidings To these our Mourning Mother saith in the words of Jepthe to his Daughter Alas my Childe Thou hast brought mee Judg. 11. 35. very low thou art one of those that troubleth mee or more sharply in the words of Saul to his Son and with more truth Thou art the shame of thy Mothers nakednesse 1 Sam. 20. 30. I am easily sensible that the Church hath been of latter dayes more fruitful in the number of Professors than formerly as Israel when of a suddain the mixt multitude poured in among them But as I have read of some women that have brought forth numerous or rather monstrous Births as a Countess of Hausbergh that at one birth was delivered of three hundred sixty five as Lud. Vives and others report Another Lady Daughter to the Earl of Holland as many And another in Cracovia delivered of thirty six children yet none of these came to maturity or ever lived to encrease the world So have wee had numbers of Professors added yet not to the encrease of the Church of whom wee may take up that which is said Es 9. 3. Thou hast multiplied the Nation and not encreased the joy I know also that many of our now Professors are in shew more glorious in forms if not some above all forms far more transcendent in self-opinions and admirations more exalted wee have many Absaloms who think if they were in place and they might bee hearkened to they could better wield may I not say wilde Kingdomes and they could better mould and moddle may I not say moulder Churches than ever yet they were since the Apostles dayes when they have nothing but craft and guile if not blood and Treason in their Vows and Sacrifices Once I heard the Christian world groaned and admired it was so suddenly become Arrian now a Prophane world may wonder that it should so soon become Christian and with like words to the Churches wonder Es 49. 21. Who hath begotten mee these who hath brought up these Behold I was left alone these where had they been Wee have now such as say as the Prophet saith In the pride and stoutness of their hearts the bricks of Popery and Prelacy are fallen down but wee will Es 9. 10. build with hewen stones and the low Sycomore trees are fallen down of Presbytery c. but wee will build with Cedars Wee have them that say of their members or Teachers as the Assyrian of his Princes Are not my Princes altogether Es 10. 8 9. Kings Or as the Corinthian Professors who said they were rich and full Reigned as Kings without Paul and such like 1 Cor. 4. 8. Ministers and these say is not Calnoh as Carchemish Is not Hamath as Arpad Samaria as Damascus So now is not Rome as Sodome Prelacy as Gomoâ—rah Presbytery as Babylon Independency also as Egypt But our Land Goshen our Pepuza Jerusalem our Church Capernaum and our members Sion Wee read Jer. 24. 1. that the Prophet Jeremiah saw in a Vision two Baskets of Figs before the Temple the first very good the latter stark naught representing the Professors of the first and second Edition or transplantation Wee have seen the like The former the Lord promised to own and acknowledge the latter hee rejected wee may cry out with the Prophet Micah 7. 1. Woe is mee I am as when they have gathered the Summer fruits as the Grape gleanings of the Vintage there is no cluster to eat my soul desireth the first ripe fruit the goodman is perished out of the earth and none iâ— upright amongst them the best of them is a bryar the most upright sharper than a thorn hedge c. When John the Baptist in his dayes saw a many Pharisees and Sadduces come Mat. 3. 7. flocking to his Baptisme hee wondered more than joyed at the sight looking upon them
13 2 Sam. 2. 4 5. 3 Anointings to his Kingdome or like the three different Crowns set successively on the Roman or German Emperor to compleat his Inauguration whereof one is Iron the second Silver the third Gold The Iron Crown is set on the Christians head at first when hee begins to bee sincere though there bee many imperfections Integrality sets on a Crown of Silver when hee hath made some proficiency and Perseverance sets on the Golden Crown when hee hath concluded well Every hypocrite for want of this as of the other two loseth the Crown Look to your selves saith St. John that yee lose not the things you have wrought but that wee 2 Joh. 8 may receive a full reward That yee begin not in the spirit and end in the flesh Gal. 3. 3 Hee that endureth to the end shall bee saved Matth. 24. 13. Bee thou faithful to the death and thou shalt receive the Crown of life Rev. 2. 10. Here every hypocrite falls short how soon so ever hee begins how fast soever hee runs and how far soever hee proceeds hee holds not out the stony and thorny ground alwayes apostatizeth Hee that was inlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift and was made partaker of the Holy Ghost c. at length falls away and is renewed no more by repentance Therefore saith the Apostle Wee shall bee presented unblameable and holy in the sight of God If wee continue in the faith grounded and setled and bee not moved away from the hope of the Gospel Col. 1. 23. The like Heb. 2. 6. Perseverance is called by Gregory Muria virtutum the preserver of grace without which as Summer-fruits they will perish and putrifie and by St. Austin Regina virtutum for though other graces strive and do masteries Perseverantia sola coronatur onely perseverance gets the Crown Thus wee see the main reason why a formal Professor comes to miscarry is for want of these four kindes of Graces Preparative Radicative Nutritive and Consummative I could adde to these a fifth kinde of Grace wherein also every hypocrite is defective Grace privative or expulsive called Privative or Expulsive Grace Privation is made one of the three principles in Natures Generations though the last it is the first and a material principle in Grace-work It is the one half of the Christian Put off the old man then put on the new Graces-work is as Jeremies to supplant root up pluck up Jer. 1. 10 pull down then to build and plant Eradicating grace must go before Radicating Ier. 4. 3 grace or it is vain to sow among thorns If there bee any root of bittterness left wee shall bee sure to fail of or fall from Heb. 12. 15 Deut. 22. 9 the grace of God The Lords field to bee sure must not bee sown with divers seeds Sin and Grace were never so equally poised in the soul as the elementary qualities in the constitution of the body as to agree or as the twelve of Joabs 2 Sam. 2. 16 2 Sam. 3. â— men and the twelve of Abners were so equally matched both fell together no victory on either side but either as Saul and David if grace assisted it grows stronger and stronger or if sin bee countenanced and get strength it will as Abimelech Iudg. 9. 5 2 King 11. 1 1 Tim. 27. 11 and Athaliah to reign alone cut off all the seed Royal and as David among the Philistines leave not one to tell tales If one sin bee left a little one a very childe as Hadad the Edomite it will set all a fire and breed thee much mischief 1 King 11. 17 as hee did to Israel The Expulsive faculty is as necessary to preservation of life and health as is the appetitive attractive and nutritive Retentio secernendorum parens morborum is an Aphorisme in Physick so it is in the soul If grace expel not what is noxious it is at present but weak but will shortly bee no grace at all All the sowing in the world will do no good if the fouls of the aire be suffered to pick it up All Ordinances Promises and Grace it self is received in vain if wee purge-not our selves from all filthiness of flesh and 2 Cor. 6. 1. 7. 1 spirit that wee may perfect holiness in the fear of God CHAP. X. The first Application is of Terror to unsound Professors I Could produce many more reasons to set out more fully the truth of this so weighty a point but I hasten to the use to bee made of it which is various And I shall first begin with an use of Terror to all unsound Professors un-Gospel lived Gospel-hearers Luther wisht once that hee could speak thunder and lightning against the Pope to consume him Oh that I could speak terror and destruction to these to humble them and warn them to flye from the wrath to come and that every word might bee a nayl or goad to stick fast in their hearts as Luther wisht every word a Thunderbolt The Text is nothing but Terror Woe to Chorazin Woe to Bethsaida Woe to Capernaum nothing but Woe Woe Woe as the Angel in the Apocalyps cryed and Jesus Christ pronounceth them not against Infidel-Heathens but against Infidel-Christians impenitent hearers unsound Professors Here is nothing but Terror Terror Terror the sword doubled the third time Ezek. 21. 14. the sword of Christs mouth with which hee doth slay the wicked and it denounced by Christ against the Christian the Pseudo-Christian the Professor the eminent Saint Here is Christ entring into his Temple with his Refiners fire and Fullers sope and who may abide the day of his coming and who can stand when hee appeareth Here wee see Jesus Christ taking the Vials into his own hand and pouring them out not on the Antichristian Synagogue but on the most famous Christian visible Church and the heaviest Vial of all is poured on them who were next the Tabernacle nearest heaven lifted up thither How sad is the condition of unsound beleevers It was a sad day when the Lord rained fire and brimstone out of heaven from the Lord upon Sodome much more sad that the Lord should rain fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven upon Goshen out of the Gospel upon such as have and profess the Gospel The Gen. 19 24. Gospels-Sermon is the sinking Sermon not the preaching of the Law and Terror and hell but the preaching Christ and Gospel and Promise and Grace to despisers these are the damning Sermons The savour of death to death I have read of a Roman Lady pressed to death by the Jewels that shee desired to bee given her for betraying a Castle no death or damnation so bad as to bee pressed to death with Gospel-Jewels Christ Jesus the most precious foundation-stone is the heaviest pressing-stone on whomsoever hee shall fall hee grindes them to powder It was sad that Elias should intercede against Israel more sad that
extraordinary approaches so an ordinary and habitual preparation to ordinary and daily duties The Laver stood near the Altar in which the Exod. 30. 19 20 21 Priests were ever to wash before they did officiate and they were to wash again when they had done Lev. 16. 24. God requireth holiness before in and after our duties Hence St. James Cleanse your hands you sinners and purifie your hearts yee double-minded and then draw near to God and hee will draw near to you Jam. 4. 8 So also the Apostle alludes to that use Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near with a tru heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water The Musician spends some time in tuning his instrument before hee playes our hearts should bee tuned before wee pray Gregory notes how the Cock stirs up himself claps his wings to awake himself before hee crows to awake others so should the Preacher saith hee so may I say also when thou prayest say as Deborah Awake Awake utter a song Awake my harp and I will awake saith David Judg. 5. the Harp makes dull musick if the heart be asleep Stir up thy self and the gift of God that is in thee then preach or 2 Tim. 1. 6 then pray Sampson was wont to shake himself and hee found the Spirit and strength of God come upon him so do thou In a word before duties wash in duties watch and after duties wash again Judg. 16 and keep thee clean wash unclean hands before prayer lift up holy hands in prayer 1 Tim. 2. 8 and lift up holy feet after prayer Bee as careful and constant in acting and using grace before duty and grace after duty as thou art in saying Grace before and after meat And tell not mee what thou art in duty but what thou art before and after thy duty As a man is not so well known by what hee is in affliction as what hee is after 2 The second thing wherein the hypocrite fails in that hee comes off heavily in duty comes unwillingly grudgingly and grumblingly to his duty no love of Christ or love of duty constrains him to exercising acts of piety or charity his feet are not like Harts feet his heart like the Chariots of Amminadib or Cant. 6. 12. of a willing people as the Spouse said but every finger is a Thumb with him His Myrrhe is not Myrrha Libera free flowing myrrhe his giving is not with simplicity or liberality his shewing mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 8. Rom. 12. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 5. with chearfulness his spirit makes him not willing Exod. 35. 21. his body is no living sacrifice no nor himself a lively stone but when hee gives hee doth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either with an ill 2 Cor. 9. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 13. 12. look or with an ill like grudgingly or of necessity when hee preacheth or prayeth hee doth it constrainedly not voluntarily or for love of hire not hire of love and of a ready minde as Peter saith and when hee sacrificeth hee forceth himself as Saul said What a weary life is this saith hee and hee snuffes at it again Mal. 1. 13. and 2. 13. Thus have you done saith the Lord covering the Altar with tears with weeping and crying out insomuch that hee regardeth not the offering any more nor receiveth it with good will at your hands But it is otherwise with a godly soul his spirit is a free spirit his love constrains 2 Cor. 5. 14 him hee delights to draw near to God hee is glad when hee goes to the house of the Lord hee thirsts pants and longs after God the living God and this is one remarkable difference between him and the hypocrite in all his duties hee not onely desires Gods gifts and mercies and blessings but his presence acceptance and favour in all his approaches yea Gods face doth hee seek and is not satisfied without it yea God himself is his expectation and his great errand as I said before Now Lord what wait I for Truly my expectation is from thee Psal 39. 7. 62. 5. So hee rests not in presenting God with any service but with his service hee tenders up himself Oh Lord I am thy servant truly I am thy servant and thou hast loosed my bonds Psal 1 16. 16. Alas It is not sacrifice that God calls for but obedience nor duty but love to duty is accepted hee that loveth mee and Exod. 20. 6. keepeth my Commandements not the gift but the giver is looked upon with God and not the full and great giver but the cheerful giver Non est volantis nisi volentis non clamantis sed amantis Gods people are all a willing people It was not Psal 110. 3. offering in Moses dayes towards the Tabernacle as in Davids towards the Temple but offering willingly which was looked upon Nor is it praying or Exod. 35. 21. 1 Chron. 29. 17. preaching but doing it willing which is rewarded 1 Cor. 9. 17. The truth is as one saith well it is as bad or worse to serve God unwillingly as to sin unwillingly When thou sinnest against thy will the sin is less When thou performest a good duty unwillingly the greater the sin Therefore the godly man in his worst is better than the wicked in his best In his worst hee can alway say through Grace to will is present though to perform as I would is not in my power Rom. 7. 18 when the other must say what ever my performance was my will was absent In a word the hypocrite ever comes unwillingly to his duty goes more willingly from it the godly comes more willingly to it with more unwillingness did not other necessary duties also call him off doth hee depart from it 3 The Hypocrite when hee comes to his duty is liveless sleight and negligent in his duty The prophane person is negligent of his duty the hypocrite in it as in seeing hee sees not and in hearing hee hears not so in praying hee prayes not hee doth but read prayer or say prayer or say Service as it was said or say Grace or say or sing Mass as the Papists call it who are all for opus operatum 1 Cor. 14 15 Jam 5. 17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but one may say a prayer and not pray a prayer I le pray with my spirit and my understanding Elias prayed a Prayer the Greek word is hee prayed in earnest Hannah her heart prayed her words were not heard these their words are heard their heart moves not It is one thing to say Grace a childe may do that another thing gratias agere to act graces or to do thanks otherwise there may bee thanksgiving sine gratiarum actione It is one
thing to pray another to watch in prayer strive wrastle be instant in prayer it is a small thing to fast look sourly hang down the head like a bulrush it is somewhat more to afflict the soul pour out the soul draw out the soul If thou wouldest look on thy fleece when thou hast prayed and see what drops of dew are on it look on thy face when thou prayest and see what drops of sweat are on thy fore head and of tears in thy eyes In this exercise wee must not stir ad ruhorem but ad sudorem ad calorem fervorem Rom. 12. 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be fervent boyling hot in spirit serving the Lord. Holy Bradford never left praying till his heart yeelded and melted But the hypocrites service is a cold dead cheap and easie service hee hath a male in his flock hath activity Mal. 1 14 and spirit in businesses of the world but offers to God a corrupt thing the sick and lame that cannot go alone hee appears before the Lord empty offers to God that which costs him nothing which Davids soul abhorred hee doth the Lords work negligently and cryes out ad quid 2 Sam. 24. 24 profusio istaec whereto serveth this waste of time spirits and strength more than needs In the Law Ceremonial wee read God did reject the firstling of an Ass a dull creature from being consecrated among other firstlings he would rather see his neck broken then his flesh upon his Altar The slow and slothfull Lev. 11. 30. Snail and Tortois might not bee eaten or touched and whatsoever Fowl did creep and what had wings to flye which if it did crawl and creep was above all Lev. 11. 20. 23. to bee an abomination what should the Lord do with a dull Ass or lazy Snail in his service Wee may not say in this case The Lord hath need of him So that prayer that should flye if it do creep and sleep what is it but an abomination The hypocrite thinks it the easiest matter in the world to serve God to pray beleeve c. But the Scripture tells us another tale and makes it a harder matter than most think of Wee will serve the Lord said Israel to Joshuah you say Josh 24. 19 more than you can do said hee Yee cannot serve the Lord for hee is an holy and jealous God And whereas an hypocrite thinks it so easie a matter to pray hee can do it with one hand tyed behinde him hee thinks the godly man complains except the Spirit help his infirmities Rom. 8. 26 hee knows not how to pray at all or to set one word before another any more than the weak Infant who cannot go a step if not held by the hand of the Nurse or the young Schollar who knows not how to hold his pen in writing or make one good letter longer than his hand is guided by his Masters What the one glories hee can do with ease with a wet finger as wee say the other findes by sad experience and laments that hee cannot yet skill of though it hath cost him many a wet eye and cheek 4 The hypocrite is constantly out in his prayers and other holy services ever distracted and at a loss A sincere man is too often the hypocrite ever his holy duties are therefore called Dead works because the heart and soul is separated from them The hypocrites heart is unbroken his prayers broken the others heart is rent but his prayers intire I give my self to prayer said David or I Psal 109. 4 am all prayer as the original hath it The one doth hoc agere the other aliud agere Hee draweth neer with his lips his heart far off Near God in his lips far off Es 29. 13. in his reigns They sit as my people and hear but their heart goes after their covetousness Jer. 12. 2 Eze. 33. 32 The mouth and heart are far asunder in prayer the ear and heart in hearing The godly can often say to his comfort I sleep but my heart waketh Cant. 5. 20 Even when I am about other Civil imployments My soul keepeth silence unto Psal 62. 1 God I am still when I am awake or even at work with thee My soul followeth hard Psal 139. 18 after God and the other must say if hee speak truth I wake and pray but my heart Psal 63. 8 sleepeth my heart is still pursuing earthly objects even when I seem imployed in heavenly services 5 The hypocrite hath ever designes upon God in all his duties and desires that God should comply with him the sincere soul hath designes upon himself and desires help of God that hee may comply wholly with him The one offers ever a Wave-offering he waves his lips to God and when it comes to perfect and Es 43. 24 through obedience hee waves that the godly offers a whole Burnt-offering the hypocrite Vtitur Deo ut fruatur mundo makes use of God and would make him serve as Isaiah hath it serve his turn when hee is in a strait But his end is not God but himself hee fasts and prayes to himself as Zach. 7. 5. Did yee fast at all to mee saith God No no such matter Non tua sed te saith a godly soul Lord I seek not thine so much as thy self Te propter te Tua post te propter te O Lord I seek thee for thy self not thy gifts thy gifts are sweet thy self sweeter thy gifts relieve mee thy self onely can satisfie Psal 42. 2 10 ◠mee My soul is a thirst for God Oh when wilt thou come to mee Thou art my portion saith my soul Nunquani ad te nisi ob te nunquam a te absque te Lord I would never come to thee but for thy self and let mee never go from thy presence but with thee present An hypocrite on the other side hath ever a desire to draw God over to him as Balaam and they Jer. 42. who desired much that Jeremy should pray for them that they might go into Egypt and do what they liked and that God should give his placet and consent Thus devout was Pharaoh and Zedekiah Intreat for us say they This is non te sed tua in plain English to say Lord wee would that thou Mar. 10. 35. shouldst do for us whatsoever wee desire A very reasonable request To whom our Saviours answer is You know not what you ask Quid dabis is the hypocrites first Petition as it was Judasses What wilt thou give mee what profit will it bee c. Job 21. 15. not Quid rependam what shall I render unto the Lord A godly soul prayeth with holy Austin Da quod Jubes Jube quod vis Give mee Lord to will what thou commandest and then command as long as thou wilt 6 An hypocrite cannot take a little more pains in a duty but hee is puft up presently and
another God is not called faith or Rom. 14. 22. hope but the God of them but hee is called Love hee is so Essentially There â— Joh. 4. 8. is little of this to bee found in the world much talk of faith little shew of love No unregenerate person doth love God hee may fear him c. doth not love him his minde is rather enmity no hypocrite can love God hee may beleeve in him cannot love him Many may fear God and perish beleeve and perish none can love and perish O yee of little faith Mat. 8. 25. 26. was the reproof of the weak Disciples once O yee of little love is the charge of the unsound Professors alwayes God hath three Churches or Families 1 The houshold of faith the Church visible wherein are hypocrites and sincere ones 2 The houshold of Truth the Church mystical wherein no hypocrite but all sincere though not perfect 3 The houshold of Love the Church Triumphant where onely sincere and perfected Saints inhabit They who have now truth of love shall triumph in love and become holy and unblameable before God in love Eph. 1. 4. Where their love made perfect shall not onely cast out fear and what hath torment but faith 1 Jo. 4 18. and hope and whatsoever implies a state of imperfection 2 This Love must bee a labouring not lazie love Labour of love once and again 1 Thess 1. 3. Heb. 6. 10. Faith hath his work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but love his Labor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this word which signifies Labor signifies Extream hard and painful Labour Nothing takes so much pains as Love and nothing makes pains seem so little as Love Diligentia comes of Diligo and our best diligence comes onely from Love That is best love which is expressed in diligence that is best diligence which flows from love The Lord calls not for sacrifice but obedience nor obedience so much as love To them that love mee and keep my Commandements in the Law And in the Gospel God calls for no works so much as for Faiths and no work of faith so much as that which worketh by love and for love no such love again as that which Gal. 5. 6. hath life and spirit in it and will take some pains in the work of God nothing is so active nothing so co-active as love The love of Christ constrains Fear may 2 Cor. 5. 14. restrain an hypocrite Love constrains onely the sincere Christian Force doth constrain an unwilling minde Love doth sweetly set afire the willing minde There needs no Law bee given to compel the Ant and Bee to labour or the voluptuous man to pursue pleasures the worldly minded man spares no pains to serve his Mammon Hee that loveth learning gets up early sits up late to get it But there is a great deal of lame obedience in the world because so much lazie love Wee love an easie Religion and the cheap Gospel and a salvation which costs nothing But how can wee say wee love God where there is so little labour Love to the world wee know love to pleasure or learning wee know but wee may say How delleth the love of God in us 1 Joh. 3. 17. How sad a charge is that of Christ to some hearers I know you that you have not the love of God in you Joh 5. 42. There are four things remarkable in the beloved Disciple above all the rest 1 That hee lay nearest to Christs bosome at the Table Jo. 13. 23. 2 Followed Christ closest to the High Priests Palace Jo. 18 16 3 And stood close to him at his Jo. 19. 26 Cross 4 To him Christ commended the Jo. 19. 27 care of his Virgin-mother The Disciple of love is the onely one who holds out and to whom the whole charge of Christ and honour of Religion is committed 3 The last Nutritive grace is Hope backt with patience patience of hope 1 Thes 1. 3. where these two meet all is safe Hope is our Anchor patience is the Cable that Heb. 6. 19. holds it Hope makes not ashamed but it Rom. 5. 5. is not the hope of the hypocrite tyed to a Spiders weâ— but held fast by the strong Job 8. 14. rope of patience The good ground in the Gospel was sown in hope mixed the word with faith received the truth in love and therefore brought forth fruit Luke 8. 15. with patience There are many storms to bee endured by the Christian which were it not for hope would break the heart and hope is long held in hand by delayes the hope is deferred which were it not for patience would give up the Job 11. 20. Ghost But hold fast hope and patience and heaven is yours you shall inherit the promises Wee have as much need of patience a passive grace as of faith love and other active graces saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 36. Bee not yee therefore slothful saith hee in the same Epistle but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Heb. 6. 12. Thus wee see the three great Nutritive graces wherein every hypocrite is defective Faith Hope and Charity These three must not bee idle nor solitary but must bee attended with their three seconds Faith and Work Love and Labour Hope and Patience Faith must work by Love Love by Labour Labour must plow and sow in hope and hope must reap with patience I might adde to these a fourth incremental and growing grace viz. Heavenly-mindedness which where ever it takes root causeth the soâ—â— to shoot with the increase of God When trees root downward and shoot upward too then they grow indeed when wee are rooted in humility self-denial and mortification as wee said before and shoot upward in heavenly-mindedness Then wee grow indeed from children to men Wee reckon a childe grown a man when hee hath put away minding childish things and when wee put away the minding earthly things and betake our selves to the minding of heavenly we are men indeed men of God The Christian is therefore described by such characters Hee walks with God dwels on high rides upon the high places of the earth savours Gen. 6. Isa 13. 16. Isa 58 14. Col. 3. 2. Phil. 3. 20. things above hath his conversation in Heaven These never fear them they never miscarry But no hypocrite is heavenly minded hee may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 16. never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super sapere not quae suprâ hee may bee high-minded and high languaged never heavenly-minded heavenly-mouthed may bee but never heavenly-hearted Heavenly-mindedness is our onely Theatre or Jehovah-jireh in this Mount the Lord Gen 22. 14. will bee seen on this Pisgah of Divine Contemplation the promised Canaan is Deut. 34. 1. descryed afar off In this Mountain of Heavenly-mindedness is the souls transfiguration made No man perisheth that Matth. 17. 1 2. is heavenly-minded In
Ezek. 13. 22. who would call for fire from heaven on Luke 9. 54. those whom wee are to save with fear rather pulling them out of the fire of hell Jude v. 23. But wee enter upon this unpleasant task with the like affection to that which was Fuller Proph. state wont to bee shewed at the Degradation of a Knight for high misdemeanour the King and twelve Knights more did put on mourning as an emblem of sorrow for his miscarriage whom they were now to deprive of all his former dignities and honour and to leave an everlasting blot of infamy upon I remember well when the Prophet Ezekiel was commanded to denounce the fatal downfal of Tyrus a heathen City hee was commanded also to take up a sad Lamentation for Tyrus and shall I not much more take up a lamentation for Christians whose rise and fall are both far greater than hers Tyrus her state for the glory of it is described thus by the Prophet Thou hast said I am of perfect beauty Ezek. 27. 3. yea the Lord said of her too Ezek. 28. Thou sealest up the Sum full of wisdome and perfect in Ezek 28. 12 13 14. beauty thou hast been in Eden the Garden of God every precious stone was thy covering the Sardius Topas Diamond Beril Onyx Jasper Saphir Emerauld Carbuncle and Gold c. almost all the precious Ex 28. 17 18 19. Rev. 21 19 20 stones that were in the High Priests breast-plate or in the wall of the New Jerusalem then hee goes on Thou art the anointed Cherub thou wast upon the holy Mountain of God c. High expressions and high priviledges And Chap. 27. shee is described to bee the most famous Mart in the world where there was a confluence of all the riches and best commodities that every Nation did afford yet at length did this Anointed Cherub that was perfect in beauty perish with all her precious stones and all is summed together Thy Riches thy Fayres thy Merchandise thy Mariners thy Pilots thy Calkers the occupiers of thy Merchandise Ez 27. 27. c. shall all fall with thee into the midst of the Seas in the day of thy ruine So mee thinks when all this may bee said in a spiritual sense of a Christian an unsound Professor glorious in his own and others eyes too as of perfect beauty as sealing up the summe omnibus numeris perfectus that hee is adorned with all the precious stones almost that are to bee found in the breast of the highest earthly Saint and are the adorning of the Saint Triumphant in the New Jerusalem Psal 15. 1. that hee hath been in the holy Mountain of God is an anointed Cherub being anointed with the oyle of heavenly gifts above his fellows and made partaker of the Holy Ghost as the Apostle speaks besides that hee should have a contribution of all the spiritual wealth and treasure of the world to inrich him everlastingly viz. the benefit of all the Writings Sermons Observations Admonitions Threats Promises Experiences of all the men of God from the beginning of the world to this present day Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Ministers all the benefit that Scriptures Sermons Sabbaths Sacraments Ordinances Prayers Tears Intreaties Threats Promises Hopes Fears can do all that Heaven and Earth and Hell can say yea the blood of Christ and the convictions and other excitations and actings of the Spirit of grace but rejected and resisted to boot that at length it should bee said That thou thy riches precious stones Anointings thy Scriptures Sermons Ordinances Hopes Fears Experiences Parts Duties Convictions Endowments must all periâ—h together and thou shalt fâ—ll with them not into the midst of the Sea but into the midst of Hell in the day of thy ruine The beholders cryed out Alas Alas what City was like Tyrus for glory before And what City is like Tyrus like the destroyed Ezek. 27. 32. in the midst of the Sea So may wee say Alas how is the mighty fallen the shield of the mighty as if hee had never been anointed with oyle as that 2 Sam. 1. sad singer of Israel in his Elegy upon Sauls Funerals If therefore any misdeeming Israelite should come to expostulate with mee about my design in setting down so close about the hypocrite in the words of that wise woman of Abel to Joab when hee had so close begirt the Town where Sheba had taken Sanctuary and was 2 Sam. 20. 19 20. ready to storm it Thou seekest to destroy a City and a mother in Israel why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the Lord I would reply in no other but his words Far bee it far bee it from mee that I should swallow up or destroy Deliver mee Sheba deliver mee the hypocrite I seek for and I have done onely with this difference hee would have Sheba's head and I would have the hypocrites heart hee would have his blood I his spirit hee his death I his life hee would have him wholly destroyed I would have the flesh destroyed that the soul may bee saved in the day of the Lord according to that power the Lord hath given to his Church and the instructions left with his Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to edification 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13. 12. not unto destruction Yet let mee here premise this withall That a much shorter Ladder of but two steps laid down 2 Cor. 5. 17. to bee in Christ this step cometh from heaven and to bee a new creature this reacheth to heaven would secure us more than those three long Ladders of sixty rounds At least as Noah was safer in his Ark of three stories high than Nimrod and his crew were in their Tower of Babel raised to the height of five thousand one hundred forty six paces as is reported so I Heylin Cosm 13. am bold to say that at most a short Ladder of three steps 1 Christ the foundation 2 Faith the middle step joyning us to the foundation Christ and leading us to the third step the new creature which is our perfection will bring thee certainly and safely to salvation whereas thou mightest mount up to the top of the other three Ladders and bee turned off unto thy destruction of these three it is said each of them that they are all in all all nothing without them 1 Christ Jesus is said to bee all in all Col. 3. 11. hee is all in all to faith and the new creature Circumcision and uncircumcision c. all priviledges of Law and Gospel nothing without Christ 2 In Christ Circumcision and uncircumcision nothing but faith all in all to the new creature Gal. 5. 6. 3 In Jesus Christ again neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision is any thing to faith but the new creature is all in all for evidence Gal. 6. 15. How happy are they where all these three meet This threefold cord holds fast the Anchor of salvation CHAP. XIII Contains the first Ladder
wings a peece they had also hands under their wings and feet besides And it is said their appearance was like burning coals and their motion was like a flash of lightning Here was nothing but activity and readiness for service with the greatest expedition Let mee quicken you with a few Motives 1 Look you faile not of grace for if you do you will faile of glory and faile of Heaven Heb. 12. 15. you read of failing of the grace of God Rom. 3. 23. you read of failing or falling short of the glory of God It is the same word faile of grace and faile of salvation By grace you are Eph. 2. 5. saved The Schollar must bee at School fitted for the University or hee cannot bee admitted there is not the place to learn his A B C or his Eight parts of Speech and the Christian must bee in the School of the Church trayned up and made fit or meet for that heavenly society here practise the singing the Songs Psal 137. 4. Rev. 14. 1. 3. of the Lord in a strange land that hee may sing them the readier upon Mount Sion The childe usually lives not when borne that had not his due time and growth before borne if wee dye before the time before wee have had our due formation and qualification for our translation Christ formed in us there is no possibility of living there The stroke of death and bar of judgement fit no man for heaven There is not the time and place of conversion The stone and timber was hewed and fitted in Lebanon there was no hammer to be used in the building You must get your 1 King 6. 7. work done here in the Grave is no place of opportunity 2 If you faile of True grace the grace of God it is all one you will faile of salvation There is no base mettal currant in heaven but such as hath the Image or superscription of God upon it It must have solidity and weight The Lord weigheth the spirits They must have their weight Thou Lord hast pleasure in uprightness requirest truth in the inward Prov. 16. 2. 1 Chron. 29. 1â— Psal 51. 6. 1 Tim. 1. 5. Rom. 12. 9. Eph. 4. 24. 2 Cor. 1. 12 parts It must not bee the Kings stamp upon Adulterate Coyne It must bee faith unfained love without dissimulation holiness of Truth sincerity of God or nothing 3 If you shall faile in the number and measure of growth and degrees in grace I will not say but you may bee saved that is it is possible but you will have a hard bargain of it to bee as Peter saith Scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4. 18. or as Pauls phrase is to come off with some loss or difficulty and bee saved yet so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 15. Whereas as Paul saith If you come behinde in no gift of grace you may with comfort wait for the appearing of Christ 1 Cor. 1. 7. And Peter saith If these bee in you and abound an abundant or open and easie entrance will bee granted to you into 2 Pet. 1. 8 11. the Kingdome of God 4 On the other side True Grace attained and maintained gives True peace of conscience and security to the soule in whatsoever distresses If pressed above measure even to despair of life the conscience is full of rejoycing upon the testimony of simplicity and godly sincerity that 2 Cor. 1. 12. not in fleshly wisdome but by the undoubted grace of God such have had their conversation in the world Such may say with holy Job Though hee kill mee I will trust in him but I will maintaine my wayes Job 13. 15 16. before him hee also shall bee my salvation for an hypocrite shall not come before him Such may as Peter saith When the heavens shall pass away with a hideous noise and the elements melt with extremity of heat and the 2 Pet. 3. 10 13. earth with all therein bee dissolved then mâ—y they according to the promise of God expect a new and better heaven and a new earth Yea such shall have a heaven on earth such shall see the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven Yea saith Rev. 21. 2. Christ to such I will make him a Pillar in the Temple of my God and hee shall go no more out And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of Rev. 3. 12. my God the New Jerusalem which cometh down from my God out of Heaven and I will write upon him my new name 5 Which is more This is the onely way to glorifie God and his glory is much more to bee prized than our glory yea than our salvation To seek our own glory is no glory especially in competition with Gods glory Prov. 25. 27. and it is less sincerity Joh. 7. 18. God hath no glory at all upon earth but from a few sincere gracious souls of whom God saith This people have I formed Isa 43. 21. for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise And the godly have learnt to set a higher price on Gods glory than their own salvation as did our Saviour Joh. 12. 27 28. When hee first prayed for himself My soule is troubled Save mee c. hee gives that over with submission Thy will bee done I came therefore to this houre But bee I saved or not saved Father glorifie thy Name and in the Lords Prayer we are taught to pray first Hallowed bee thy Name and then Thy Kingdome come A godly soule like his Saviour Jo. 17. 4. Desireth first to glorifie God then that God should glorifie him True Grace doth not onely procure to the soule an heaven upon earth but to God an heaven on earth And hee doth seem to rejoyce more and so do the heavenly Rev. 11. 15. 12 10. host when the Kingdomes of the earth are become the Lords by a considerable increase and addition of new godly Converts then that the Kingdome of heaven is the Lords I read that Israel in the day of their solemn Thanksgiving and Rejoycing Exod. 15. 2. did proclaime God to bee their God and did promise to prepare for him an habitation It is more piety to prepare the heart for an habitation for God than to desire God to prepare heaven for an habitation for us 6 Lastly Bee diligent to get to keep to exercise to increase and improve Grace you will live usefully cheerfully fruitfully you will dye hopefully joyfully heaven-fully and enter into heaven with full assurance by a free and open passage 2 Pet. 1. 11. Now to conclude the Use with a few Directions 1 If thou wouldest not meet with Capernaums sad disappointment in the end Luke 14. 28. when thou first makest entrance begin and count the cost and resolve to goe through or never begin Resolve to regard neither winds nor clouds or never lay thy hand to the Plough nor go out Eccles 11. 4.
thy sins are forgiven thee vers 47. 50. There is no coming unto Christ at all without Repentance and Contrition There are two great comings and appearances of Christ prophesied of in Scripture and two great mourning dayes and both these fall out on the dayes of his appearing His first coming is in a day of grace when all the families of Israel mourn as for an onely Son Zach. 12. 10. The second mourning is at his second coming when all the kindreds and families of the earth shall mourn because of him Rev. 1. 7. In the one the godly look upon him and say There is hee whom wee have pierced Isa 53. 5. yet did hee bear our iniquities and by his stripes are wee healed Weep and break hearts of flesh tears of love and compunction In the other shall the wicked say There is hee who would have been our Saviour hee whom wee would not have to Reigne over us now comes to bee our Judge and who is able to abide the day Mal. 3. 2. Rev. 6. 16. of his appearing and to stand before the wrath of the Lamb therefore weep and break O hard and stony hearts with tears of horror and despair They who weep not on such a day of grace shall to bee sure weep at his appearing in the day of his wrath The first weeping is like the Summer showers followed with fruitfulness in which is the Rain-bow to bee seen the token of the Covenant This I may call the signe of the Son of man coming in the clouds of Grace The other mourning is like the uncessant mourning of the heavens in the Winter months when there is continual rain and cold withall but no fruitfulness Then shall the heavens melt 2 Pet. 3. 10. and mourn and pass away with a noyse and bee no more and earth and hell shall melt and mourn too but not pass away at all but pass away eternity with a hideous and incessant noyse stridore dentium fletu gemitu weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth In a word thou must either repent in Earth or Hell either mourn with Christ or with Satan either mourn for sin or paine mourn for a Christ here or for want of a Christ for ever Either by thy repentance thou must make God repent as I may say or God will make thee repent Jonah 3. 10. and that for want of Repentance 7 The seventh coming is with urgent importunity and humble submission This Mat. 15. 22 23 c. was the prevalent and successful coming of that woman of Canaan who wrastled and prevailed and had power with God and carried away the blessing and had her petition signed with a full Fiat Fiat voluntas tua as Luther once said O woman thy will bee done Bee it to thee even as thou wilt Her importunity was urgent when shee came a Canaanitess to whom no promise was made but was under the old curse of Cham and under the threats of being spued out and cast out yet saith shee If hee will not cast mee out I will not cast out my self to bee sure that were desperate madness Shee comes in hope against hope in faith without a promise and when shee hears no answer at first shee resolves shee will have an answer or there shee will lye and dye and will not give over praying depending and when a harsh answer came next to a repulse I am not sent but to Israel shee resolves shee must not be so said for a blessing shee came and a blessing shee would have ere shee would let go for a Christ shee came and a Christ I must and will have or I will never away As Ruth would not bee shaken off by her mother Naomi Intreat mee not to leave thee for where thou goest I will follow thee where thou lyest I will lye nothing but death shall part us Ruth 1. 16 17. So saith shee Let him delay I will wait Let him rate mee I will stoop Let him deny mee I will not deny him Let him cast mee off I will not cast him off I must not now give over since I have ingaged If I perish I must on If hee kill mee I will trust in him Shee seemed to Job 13. 15. say in this case as the late King about Tonnage and Poundage I do not challenge it but I cannot want it nor will go without it So she I cannot challenge any part in a Savior my birth is of the land of Canaan but I can worse want him O Lord hast thou any pleasure in the death of a sinner Wilt thou who hast never cast out one that came to thee make mee the first and onely person that was ever disappointed It were just Lord yet strange Shall I dye in thy presence as they Gen. 47. 19. said to Joseph Look on our pale faces pined carkasses give us bread and wee will become thy servants Save our lives take all so they So she Lord Jesus Shall I dye at thy feet Look on this troubled soul at this burdened conscience at this bleeding heart at this grieved and troubled spirit but come on it what will I will wait pray weep hope beleeve hold out and if I perish I perish I will perish at the Pools side I will lay my bones at Christs gate but who knows whether the Lord will not repent and bee intreated Est 4. 16. Jon. 3. 9. Oh the prevalency of this importunity It knocks and opens the treasures of Heaven and never returnes empty Then her humble submission is as remarkable Shall I take the childrens bread and cast it to the dogs saith hee Shee replies Lord I challenge not a childes portion I come not on such termes If I may have the least crumb it is more than I deserve and for the least measure of grace I shall bee thankfull as much as thou wilt or as little as thou pleasest so I may have any Beggars must bee no chusers I put my self upon thee refer all to thee Lord help mee saith shee what will become of mee if here I am said nay with this importunity and submissiveness shee prevails and so shalt thou whosoever thou art These two when they meet are like Sauls sword and Jonathans bow they alwayes speed never 2 Sam. 1. 22. return empty from heaven Christ Jesus will send away such comers as Boaz did Ruth who came to glean in his field with as much as ever shee could Ruth 3. 15. carry away for hee said Thou shalt not go home empty to thy mother in Law They Vers 17. who carry out this precious seed with weeping shall doubtless go home with rejoycing bringing home their sheaves with Psal 126. 6. them The Lord will answer such a soul ever as hee did the Angel Zach. 1. 13. With good words and comfortable words One handfull a small quantity of this corn in the top of the mountains the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon as it is
said Psal 72. 16. There shall bee a mighty increase and rich return to such blessed souls Thou mayest perhaps Reader think mee to dwell long upon this point I answer with Davids words to his brother And is there not a cause I shall confess the truth I have a designe upon thee but it is an honest one The self-same design I would have thee have upon Christ I would not leave thee till by importunity I have prevailed with thee to go to Christ that thou mightest go to Christ and not leave till by thy importunity thou hast prevailed with him to come to thee Importunity prevailed once with a sterne and unjust Judge Luke 18. 5. And shall it not with a meek Saviour It fetched water out of a flint that was dry and shall it not draw milke out of breasts that are full Oh that thou wouldest hearken unto mee in this as Jotham said That God may hearken to thee Do but try and do thou shew the same unwillingness to part with Christ as once Elisha did to part with his Master Tarry thou here saith hee three 2 King 2. 2. c. times for I am sent to Bethel said hee then to Jericho then to Jordan and hee as often doth reply with a peremptory resolution As the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee Do thou so and thou shalt not bee shaken off And bee confident it will bee said to thee as it was to him at last Then tell mee What I shall do for thee Elisha before I go aske what thou wilt then saith hee Let mee have a double portion of thy spirit A hard request said Elijah my only request said Elisha Do thou the like Lord if I may not have thy bodily presence let mee have thy Spirit and a double portion of it There is nothing hard with thee I know my request is great I confess not hard hard for mee to aske not for thee to grant and it is easier for thee to bestow than for mee to beleeve it so Persist and thou hast prevailed Take unto thy self words and if thou receivest a repulse sit not down by it but redouble thy importunity Take Jobs words If I hold my tongue I shall give Job 13. 19. up the ghost I must speak I must and will have an answer what ever come of it Take the Churches words Lam 3. 49. 50. Mine eye trickleth down and ceaseth not without any intermission Till the Lord look down and behold from heaven For the Lord will not cast off for ever But though hee cause grief yet will hee have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies vers 31 32. yea take the Lords own words and humbly retort them Hos 11. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel say thou Lord How shall I give thee up then How shall I deliver thee and part with thee then How shall I be made as Admah and set as Zeboim Oh let thy heart bee turned wthin thee and thy repentings let them bee kindled together 8 The eighth coming is to come to Christ with self-denial Matth. 16. 24. If any will come after mee let him deny himself c. Now there is a threefold self to be denied 1 An Evill 2 A Civill 3 Holy self 1 Evill self Nicodemus denied his evill self when hee came first to Christ by night Joh. 3. 2. to become his Schollar and to bee informed by him in matters of Religion hee denied his Civil or Secular self when hee openly avowed and pleaded for Christ Joh. 7. 50. But hee went further when hee owned a crucified Christ and joyned in the charge of his honourable burial Here was a Jo. 19. 39. totall self-denial or more plainly in Paul who denied his Evil self at the first call when hee said Lord what wilt thou have mee to do Act. 9. 6. his Civil self hee denied when afterwards hee said I am ready to bee bound and to dye for the Name of Act. 21. 13. Jesus but his denial of his holy and Religious self was highest when hee said I count all loss and dung even my righteousness and all that I may win Christ and bee found in him c. Phil. 3. 8 9. Wee come not to Christ at all if wee come not off from all things else and relye alone on him If our branches to allude to Ezekiels Parable when they grow up shall lean to any other Eagle any other Ez. 17. 6 7 8 9 10. prop to bee supported and nourished by that hee might water it by the furrows of her plantation Shall they prosper shall not the root thereof bee pulled up and all the fruit cut off and all wither when the East wind cometh yea they shall wither in the very furrows where they grow But the example of all examples in this As in all our other duties is Christ himself who bids us follow him and go no further than hee goes before us Hee had indeed no Evil self to deny but what a proof of high self-denial did he give in the first step of his humiliation When hee left a Kingdome and glory in heaven to become the Son of man and when hee refused a Kingdome on earth when offered Io. 6. 15. and almost forced on him was not here a mighty Civil self-denial as when hee refused all the Kingdomes of the world tendred by Satan upon base and dishonorable termes hee shewed hee had no Evil Mat. 4. 10. self to bee corrupted and wrought upon hee denied his Spiritual self when hee said I came not down from heaven to do my own will but the will of him that sent mee Jo. 6. 40. It is as if hee had said to his Father If I have a body or a soul If I have life limbs honour esteem all shall go to do thee service I am content to do thy Psal 40. 8. Mat. 20. 28. will I came not to be ministred to but to minister And to his Church hee said If I have grace spirit righteousness soul body bloud any thing that may do poor sinners good all shall go if you want righteousness merits comfort come to mee you shall never want while I have ought yea let me be taken so that these may escape Io. 18. 8 9. saith hee to his enemies and as Judah to Joseph Let mee bee bound and Gen. 44. 33. remain a Bond-man I refuse it not Let not my poor brother for whom I have undertaken suffer yea further said Christ Let mee bee poor so they may bee inriched 2 Cor. 8. 9. let mee bee a curse so they bee 2 Cor. 5. 21. blessed yea let righteousness and all go and let mee bee made sin so they may become righteousness before God I am content yea he did not onely deny a civil and an holy self but a Divine self when hee was content his glory should bee vailed as Moses his was
his Deity as it were laid by or not observed When it had been no robbery for him to bee equal with God yet hee made himself of no reputation Phil. 2. 6 7. but took upon him the form of a servant and humbled himselfe to the death of the Cross c. Here hee gave not as a King to a King as Araunah to David but as a 2 Sam. 24. 23. God to a God hee said as the Queen to the King Ahasuerus If it had been but Est 7. 4. for my self and my sufferings I could have held my peace But how can I indure to see the destruction of my people And therefore if I have found grace in thine eyes and am hee in whom thy soule delighteth Let my peoples lives bee given mee at my request and their deliverance procured by my intercession sufferings exinanition if the Deity be able to satisfie the Deity and all the Treasures of the Exchequer of heaven bee exhausted to redeem so many Captives I am content If my Person may satisfie I will offer and suffer to the utmost that they may bee saved to the utmost Here wee may justly stop and cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Oh Altitudo Oh the height but Oh the depth of the humility and self-denial of Christ In like manner the beleever cometh to Christ Oh Lord hast thou dyed for mee and shall I not dye and live for thee Hast thou denied thy self thy Civil thy Spiritual thy Divine self for mee and shall I not deny my self my Evil my Civil my sorry spirituall self for thee Vicisti Galilee Vicisti Christe Oh Lord thou hast overcome mee not by force but by irresistible love Oh Lord I lay all at thy feet and hee speaketh to Christ in that submissive language of Ahab to Benhadad It is true my Lord O King according to thy saying I am thine and all that I 1 King 20. 4. have is at thy command And afterwards a Covenant made between them that they should have streets in each others Royal Cities So saith the willing 1 King 20. 34. self-denying soule Lord make thee streets in my heart to command all in mee so I may have but a room a lodging room or one good thought in thy heart 9 The next right coming to Christ is a coming with a holy despair that is a despair in thy selfe and a despair in the creature the Minister and Ordinances This was the coming of the saddest soul that ever came to Christ that sorrowfull Father who came in behalf of his son so extremely tormented so long tormented Mar. 9. 22 23 24. even from a childe and no help could bee had from all the Disciples of Christ therefore it was a desperate case and if Christ could not help him hee was without all hope Therefore hee puts Christ upon it If thou canst do any thing more than another and hast any compassion upon a poor creature have compassion upon us and help us Oh Lord I see vaine is the help of man Not onely a horse but a Disciple yea an Ordinance fasting prayer is a vaine thing neither can they save any by their vertue or holiness Oh Lord I utterly despair of help if not from thee But is there any thing too hard for thee or canst thou shut up thy compassions on a miserable creature I cast my selfe upon Omnipotency and Omnimisericordy upon Almightiness and All-mercifulness with tears hee intreats Lord I beleeve help my unbeleef Do a worke like thy selfe like the Son of God if either thou canst which I doubt not of or ever didst shew pity to poor soules or hast any compassions left which I know endure for ever then help at a dead lift in a desperate case There hee prayes hee cries hee weeps hee fears hee hopes hee beleeves hee doubts he prevails So it will bee with the poorest creature that can bee the poor soul that seeks water and findes none whose soule faints within him and his tongue cleaveth to the roof Isa 41. 17 18. of his month then will Christ not forsake him but make springs break out in the wilderness When thou sayest I have waited Psal 119. 123. long and am not helped Mine eye fails for thy salvation my enemies are ready to say There is no help for him and Satan Psal 3. 2. adds No not in thy God pray no more trouble thy selfe no further see hath not God forsaken thee hee answers thee no more by Vrim or Prophets or any means 1 Sam. 28. 15. thou canst use and my mis-giving heart is ready as Saul to fall apeeces and Vers 20. to dye away with the news and to give assent to the Prince of darkness and to say I fear Satan it is too true I am cast out of his sight I am free among the dead I am clean forgotten I am in the belly of Psal 88. 5. Jonah 2. 2 4. hell yet I say look up to his holy Temple with a holy self-despair out of this hell there is redemption Say I will go to Christ what ever comes of it Who knows what the Lord may do The wounded spirit is the opprobrium medici Theologi is the Kings evil which onely Christ can cure I will go to him though I go upon the waters though I sinke as I go I will cry out Lord save mee I perish who Mat. 14. 30. knows but hee may reach out a hand of love and pity to mee though I cannot reach out a hand of faith to him I may bee comprehended by him though I can-not comprehend him I see love doth descend not ascend it doth so in men doth it not much more in God Why should I give over in despair I will hope in him if hee kill mee I hope God is not as man that hee should repent and deny his word and mercy promised I hope Job 13. 15. 1 Sam. 15. 29. hee will not set his purity against my impurity his holiness against my sin his wisdome against my folly his faith against my unbeleef Shall his faithfulness faile because my faith failes and his foundations bee destroyed because mine are The Lord is yet in his holy Temple and hath Psal 11. 3 4. said our unbeleef shall not make void his faith nor our sin his grace but if wee deny him and our selves hee cannot deny himself nor us if wee bee unfaithful hee Rom. 3. 3. abideth faithful Hold and hang here 2 Tim. 2. 13. 19 in hope above hope and against despair and all will bee well Vna salus in se nullam sperare salutem Wee safest are In self-despaire 10. Tenthly Another right coming to Christ is to take up his yoke and our cross I put them together the one being the description and badge of our active the other of our passive obedience To both which wee are called And hereof can no such pattern bee given as Christ himself was who said