friends and welwishers of Christ much desire and with great earnestnesse endeavour gird thy sword upon thy thigh saith the Psalmist in the person of the faithfull unto Christ O most mighty shew thy selfe in thy word and Gospell like a mighty man of warre fully armed to mortifie the lusts to humble the soules and to bring into subjection all the thoughts of thy servants and doe this in thy glory and in thy maiesty make thy selfe appeare dreadfull and glorious by the powerfull and gracious effects of thy Gospell and in thy majesty ride upon the word of truth the Gospell of salvation prosperously Be thou successefull in the preaching of the Gospell for the speedy and universall manifestation of it to all people for the profligating and putting to flight of all false doctrines and corrupt worship as the Sunne doth dispell the clouds and Aarons rod devoured the Magitians serpents for the reclaiming and gathering home the soules of men as the shepheard gathereth home the sheep by his voice for the healing of the diseased soules of men as Bethesda healed the diseased bodies for the setting up of thy throne in their hearts to raigne and rule within them as a King reigneth in his Throne Christs blessed successe in the ministery of the Gospell is both the wish and prayer joy and labour of all that love him He is a very stranger to Christs kingdome that seekes not Christs exaltation The true members of Christ preferre the welfare of Christs Church kingdome and Gospell above the welfare of their owne estate and person As the arme lifteth up it selfe to receive the blow rather then it shall fall upon the head such as clearly discerne and truly taste Christ in the Gospell are very solicitous to uphold Christs kingdome and propagate his Gospell Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seeke thy good saith David to Jerusalem because the doctrine of salvation is there published the worship of God there erected and God there manifested and made knowne I will seeke thy good I will endeavour thy safety I will doe what in me lies to uphold the doctrine there taught and the worship there established I will seeke the good thereof by prayer and supplication by advice and counsell by communicating whatsoever is behoofull either for the supportation honour or comfort of it A good man will not willingly keep backe any thing which may tend to the advancement of Christ his Gospell and kingdome and thus it ought to be 1. In regard of the Covenant between us and Christ we are baptized into the name of Christ into the faith of Christ to beleeve in him as the authour of our salvation into the religion of Christ to adore and worship him as our spirituall and heavenly Soveraigne into the doctrine of Christ to learne him as the truth is in him to heare him as the great Prophet and Doctor of his Church into the profession of Christ openly declaring our hope and expectation of salvation by Christ our subjection under Christ and our dependance upon Christ into the service of Christ being dedicate and set apart by Baptisme unto Christ as his peculiar people to adore and serve him to honour and exalt him and into the death of Christ receiving Baptisme as a testimony of mortification and as an instrument of the Holy-Ghost for the extinguishing and killing of sinne by the death and for the quickning of our soules by the resurrection of Christ to the end that we who live should live no more unto our selves but unto Christ This is the tenour of the Covenant which the Lord himselfe uttered by the mouth of the Prophet I will be their God I will be their King to command them their counsellor to guide them their shield to defend them their Saviour to minister salvation to them their father to make provision for them to communicate the sence of my love unto them and their portion to satisfie them and they shall be my people the schollers of my schoole to learne my will the subjects of my kingdome to honour and exalt me the servants of my family to obey and serve me and the bride of my delight to love me and to bring forth fruit to me By vertue of the Covenant between us and Christ our names are given unto Christ as souldiers to their Captaine to fight for Christ as subjects to their Soveraigne to exalt and magnifie the name of Christ to labour the welfare and honour of the kingdome of Christ Abner entring into Covenant with David went forth to bring about all Israel unto David to exalt and set up David and to increase the kingdome of David Thus man being entred into Covenant with Christ must bring himselfe and all that is his and all other people so much as in him lies into subjection unto Christ he must to the utmost of his power labour the exaltation of Christ and his kingdome such men are very regardlesse of their holy covenant and sacred promise as labour not the exaltation of Christs kingdome and Gosple 2. In regard of the Relation betwixt us and Christ Christ is the King and we the Subjects Christ is the Lord and we the Servants Christ is the Head and wee the members Christ is the Bridegroome and we the Bride true Subjects endeavour the honour of their King and Kingdome Sauls Subjects would put to death all them who would not have Saul to reigne over them Davids Subjects preferred him above themselvs endeavoured his safety put themselves in hazard to safegard him accounted him worth ten thousand of themselves the members support and beare up the head imploy all their strength in the defence and honour of the head good servants labour their Masters honour and welfare Thy servants said Davids men to him are ready to doe whatsoever my Lord the King shall appoint and the Centurian could say of his servant Doe this and he doth it And the faithfull Spouse brings forth children to her husband she was a fruitefull Vine by the sides of his house and her children like Olive plants round about his Table a great honour a crowne as Salomon saith to her husband thus must we by vertue of that Relation which is betwixt us and Christ as loyall subjects mortifie and put to death whatsoever doth in us oppose Christs honour and dominion exalt Christ and his Gosple above our selves our ease profit or credit expose our selves to all difficulties dangers and inconveniences amongst men for the magnifying of Christs name and the welfare of Christs Gosple as good servants be ready to doe whatsoever Christ shall appoint us for the making of him glorious as true and living members of Christs mysticall body we must put our selves under Christ beare up Christ and make him conspicuous in the eyes of others and like a chaste Spouse bring forth all our fruite unto Christ endeavouring to the utmost of our power the
undertakings who strives not to make Christ glorious Christ being by the Disciples set upon this colt a great multitude spread their garments in the way and others cut downe branches from the trees and strawed them in the way When Christ is by his Ministers exalted and lifted up in the preaching of the Gospell many soules vaile and bow to him embrace and reverence him as their spirituall King and Soveraigne prostrating themselves and all that is theirs under him The multitude did not only straw the way with their garments and branches but they also cryed Hosanna to the sonne of David Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Humble and beleeving soules receive and entertaine the Lord Iesus with very great ioy and gladnesse The blessed presence of Christ in the Gospell ministers matter of very great rejoycing here is such a sunne of heavenly light shining such a streame of consolations flowing such a store-house of spirituall treasure set open and such dewes of grace mercy and peace distilling that every man that hath an eye of wisedome to discerne Christ a hand of faith to lay hold on Christ and a heart of love to embrace Christs comming in the Gospell must needs say with the Psalmist Blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord. We are blessed out of the house of the Lord. The words are an Acclamation of the people declaring and setting forth the welcome of Christ to all beleeving soules their ioy and rejoycing conceived upon the comming of Christ among them their gratulation and thanksgiving for Christs appropinquation and comming nigh unto them their vote and exoptation of all prosperity blessed and happy successe to Christ in his kingdome Christs comming proves most ioyfull to them that lovingly receive and entertaine him All true beleevers are holy and hearty welwishers to the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ Iesus all manner of blessings attend and wait on the Lord Iesus in the humble and gracious use of his ordinances True Christians have such experience of the benefits and blessings mercies and comforts flowing from Christ in the ministery of his Gospell that with great joy and thanksgiving they cry out Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. In the words we have in the generall two things considerable 1. A Gratulation uttered by the people Blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord. 2. A Benediction pronounced by the Ministers of the Lord We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. In the gratulation there is 1. the Agent the people they blesse they rejoyce they are thankfull for Christs comming Man hath greatest cause of all creatures to reioyce in and for the comming of Christ Jesus 2. there is the Act Blessed praised exalted magnified be Christ Christ is worthy to be celebrated with all praises for his comming to us 3. there is the manner of their gratulation Blessed expressed 1. by way of thanksgiving and rejoycing and 2. by way of exoptation and wishing Whosoever truly reioyceth in Christ doth also wish well to the cause and kingdome of Christ 4. there is Movens or the party comming He who is the sonne of God by eternall generation and by grace of hypostaticall union the Prince of the Kings of the earth by authority and dominion He who is the head of the Church by spirituall Jurisdiction He who is the Redeemer of man by the merit of his obedience and passion He who is the Conquerour over hell death sinne and Satan by his Resurrection He who by his office is the Prophet instructing us the King commanding and defending us and the Priest offering himselfe a sacrifice for us He who is the Mediator between God and us by his intercession the fountaine of all mercy grace and peace unto us by divine ordination Blessed be he welcome be he in him let our soules rejoyce his comming let us entertaine with the chiefest and strength of our rejoycing The Lord Jesus ought to be the prime and compleat obiect of mans joyfulnesse 5. Here is his Motion Commeth Christ as God is every where and neither goes nor comes but fils all places yet he commeth by his Lawes and ordinances as a Prince by his Proclamations He commeth by his Ministers as a King by his Embassadours He commeth by his Incarnation as a brother taking our nature upon him He commeth by his gifts and graces best owed on us as a friend commeth by his love-tokens He commeth by his Word and Gospell as the Sun commeth by his light enlightening us as a King commeth by his Scepter binding bowing and inclining our hearts unto obedience as a Generall commeth by his military weapons casting downe the strong holds of sinne within us as the Cloud commeth by his dew watering refreshing and fructifying us as the Master of a feast commeth by his dainties feeding and feasting us as a Bridegroome commeth by his voice solacing and comforting us He commeth by his Sacrament as the King by his Broad Seale sealing to us the remission of our sinnes and justification of our soules through his righteousnesse he commeth by his holy and gracious operation upon our soules as the Sunne by casting a sweet and heavenly influence into our hearts as a King setting up his throne within us as a heavenly and Almighty Work-man new moulding new framing and fashioning us all these wayes comes the Lord Iesus to the soules of his servants Blessed is that person that knowes the way and manner of Christs spirituall and gracious comming Here is the terme from whence he commeth from God in the name of the Lord by the ordination and appointment of God with authority and commission from God every way fitted and furnished for the administration of his kingdome and accomplishment of the worke undertaken by him CHAP. II. I Will not insist on all these particulars but onely upon the peoples gratulation and Christs authority or commission First the peoples gratulation Blessed be he that commeth expressing their rejoycing and thanksgiving for Christs comming in his Gospell and spirituall kingdome Man blesseth man by making prayer and supplication for him God blesseth man by bestowing good things upon him by removing evill things from him and by turning all for good unto him and man blesseth God and Christ by thanksgiving to God and Christ well speaking of God and Christ holy and hearty rejoycing in God and Christ gracious and unfained wel-wishing unto the cause of God and Christ and thus the people in this place blesse Christs comming in the name of the Lord and hence we learne That Christ comming in his Gospell spiritual kingdome ought to be received and entertained with much thanksgiving reioycing The Arke was a type of Christ David at the comming of the Arke into the Tabernacle danced with all
spirituall welfare of his children The Psalmist having mentioned and set forth the felicity and prosperity of the faithfull servants of God In the multiplication of their seed in the increase of their wealth in the Lords dispensation of joy in heavinesse of safety in dangers of deliverance in distresses of exaltation after all oppositions to Gods Church and children concludes thus The wicked shall see it and be grieved he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away the desire of the wicked shall perish Wicked men are more grieved at good mens prosperity then at their owne misery It is a sure argument of raigning prophanenesse to sorrow for the welfare of the righteous All Hamans honours and preferments availe him nothing while he sees Mordecai sitting in the gate Wicked men often lose the comfort of all their owne earthly fulnesse whiles they behold the prosperity and welfare of Gods Church and righteous servants The exaltation of Christs Kingdome and flourishing of the Gospell doth fill some men with such vexation that all their wealth honours and high places seeme to them as nothing No doubt it much troubled the Philistines to see the Arke of the Lord stand upright and Dagon broken to a stump It is a great trouble to many people to see the Kingdome of Christ stand and the Gospell to flourish and the Dagon of superstition usury drunkennesse c. disgraced shamed and cast to ground the Priests the Captaine of the Temple and the Sadduces were grieved that the Disciples taught the people and preached through Iesus the resurrection from the dead and the two Prophets in the Revelation are said to torment them that dwell on the earth The glorious shining of the Sunne is a trouble to diseased eyes the bright and cleare shining of the truth is a torment to prophane and ungracious soules such as grieve not for their sin grieve at the Gospell the meanes of mortifying sin such as most rejoyce in superstition prophanenesse and the vanities of the world are most grieved and troubled at the powerfull preaching of the Gospell O how great is mans blindnesse how strange is mans perversenesse that he should be most grieved and troubled at the presence of that which God hath ordained to be the instrument of mans greatest honour profit and comfort CHAP. X. ALl men should learne by this to worke their hearts to imploy their thoughts and to give themselves to the utmost of their abilities to the advancement of Christs Kingdome and Gospell to the setting up of Christ upon his throne in his Church here on the face of the earth Zadok the Priest Nathan the Prophet Benaiah the sonne of Jehoiada and the Cherethites and the Pelithites caused Solomon to ride upon the Kings mule they anointed him King in Gihon and all the servants of King David came and said God make the name of Solomon better then thy name and his throne greater then thy throne All Kings and rulers all Ministers and teachers should set up Christ and cause him to ride in spirituall triumph upon Gods Church and all the servants of the Lord from the highest to the lowest should pray for the prosperity successe honour and enlargement of Christs Kingdome All Magistrates as representative gods should be in stead of God to Christs Church as shepheards they should see that spirituall pastures be provided for Christs flocke and that all wolves beares and foxes all instruments of annoyance be kept far from them as nursing fathers and nursing mothers they should be carefull that provision be made for Christs family and as they are stiled the shields of the earth so they should be carefull to minister defence to Christs Church and people against the power and fury of all that offer any injury to them Thus they must kisse the sonne with the kisse of love and affection with the kisse of honour and exaltation with the kisse of reverence and subjection with the kisse of congratulation and rejoycing with the kisse of prayer and wel-wishing endeavouring to the utmost of their power the propagation of Christ and his Gospell All Ministers as builders in Christs house as stewards in Christs family as teachers in Christs schoole as labourers in Christs vineyard as under-rowers in Christs ship as burning lamps in Christs Temple as watchmen in Christs City should by their frequent preaching wholsome doctrine sharp reprehension wise admonition seasonable and gracious consolation and holy walking propagate the Gospell advance the Kingdome and increase the number of Christs people and make the Lord Jesus every day more and more glorious in the eyes of all beholders All Masters and rulers of families should strive the exaltation of Christs Kingdome by being as Kings Prophets and Priests within their domesticall wals by their godly government Christian instruction and holy prayer and supplication with and for them that are under their jurisdiction teaching them with Abraham to know the Lord bringing them with Cornelius to the ministery of the word and making their houses with Philemon a Church of God All private persons should likewise put their hands to this worke and labour the setting up of Christs Kingdome and Gospell by flowing to the house of God as rivers to the ocean by comming speedily and unanimously as the doves unto the windowes as the Eagles to the carkasse or the lame unto Bethesda by growing in all spirituall gifts and graces as children grow in stature as trees in fruitfulnesse and as the light shineth more and more unto the perfect day by consecrating themselves to Christ and his service as souldiers to their Generall as servants to their Lord and Master and as a Spouse to their husband to fight Christs battels to doe Christs worke to love Christs name and to bring forth all their fruit to Christ as a wife brings forth all her children to her husband and by holy exhortation and gracious counsell perswading and drawing others to Christ to the knowledge faith love and obedience of Christ leaving other imployments at convenient seasons as the woman of Samaria left her water pot to bring other men to Christ as she brought her fellow citizens Considering as the Apostle saith one another and provoking one another to love and to good works being to their fellow brethren as spurres quickning them and as loadstones drawing them daily nearer and nearer unto Christ labouring to make Christ appeare more amiable and glorious in the eyes of all their fellow-servants As all the rivers great and small empty themselves into the sea to the filling up of the sea so let us all high and low young and old rich and poore bond and free empty our selves and all our abilities and endeavours into Christ to the filling up of Christ his Church his Kingdome his mysticall body which is the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all As all the people who were willing hearted both men
exaltation of Christs Gospell The setting up of the Arke in the house of Obed-Edom caused all that he had to prosper The setting up of the Gospell brings great and singular prosperity to the people Christs Gospell the revelation of Christ and the mysteries of his kingdome is a great blessing Blessed saith our Saviour are the eyes which see the things which ye see having the Gospell preached to them the tydings of salvation published among them Christ revealing and opening himselfe unto them These are blessed in the illumination of their understandings having the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ communicated to them Blessed in the vivification of their soules having the word of life quickning them Blessed in the sanctification of their hearts the Gospell cleansing their sinne as Jordan cleansed the leprosie of Naaman Blessed in their Conquest over sin Satan and the world the Gospell overturning all the holds of Satan as the sounding of the rammes hornes overthrew the wals of Jericho Blessed in 〈◊〉 pacification of their consciences the Evangelicall voice of Christ quieting their perplexed consciences as his personall voice quieted the stormy tempest and blessed in the sweetning of their afflictions the Gospell sweetens all tryals and troubles to Gods children as the tree sweetned the waters of Marah to Israel Blessed in their very temporall possessions and bodily undertakings Where God gives his Gospell the food of the soule he will also give the staffe of bread the food of the body Christ did not onely feed the soules of them who followed him with his doctrine but he also miraculously fed their bodies with corporall provision the Gospell is indeed even the choisest of all blessings where this goes all goes that is behoofull for the welfare of Gods children therefore blessed saith the Psalmist is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his owne inheritance God is the God of all by creation by absolute dominion by common preservation but he is their God to whom he gives his Gospell by gracious manifestation heavenly instruction spirituall regeneration familiar and comfortable habitation sweet and celestiall dispensation of heavenly fulnesse to them God is there alone sweetly and spiritually knowne and enjoyed where his Gospell is erected and for this cause we should mightily endeavour the advancement of the Gospell King David being told how the Lord had blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that pertained to him because of the Arke of the Lord went and brought the Arke into the City of David with gladnesse Men hearing of the prosperity and blessing which doth attend the Gospell should with great care and diligence with much alacrity and cheerfulnesse endeavour the erection of the Gospell among them He is altogether unsensible of the manifold and singular benefits and mercies accompanying the Gospell that doth not heartily desire and effectually labour the welfare thereof As the Gospell excels all temporall endowments so should we endeavour the successe and stability of the Gospell more then of any or all other possessions CHAP. XI ANd for the disposing framing and working our hearts thus to advance the Gospell and kingdome of Christ there must be 1. A distasting disrellishing and being weary of sinne The Gospell never seemes sweet untill that sinne seemes bitter he will never effectually endeavour the setting up of Christ and the Gospell that desires not the deposition of sinne the Philistines having a desire to maintaine and uphold Dagon set the Arke below Dagon on the left hand of Dagon Man having a desire to uphold sinne abaseth Christ and his Gospell puts them below his lusts gives preheminence to his lust above the Gospell and above Christ Herod not disrellishing his incestuous sinne not being weary of it but intending the maintenance thereof cut off the head of the Baptist the forerunner of Christ Man can neither truly desire nor faithfully endeavour the advancement of Christ and his Gospell that is not weary of his sinne as of a heavy burthen Man to whom sinne is pleasant and delightfull is very impatient and weary of the presence and power of the Gospell he alone consecrates himselfe to Christ and the advancement of his kingdome to whom sinne is distastefull as gall to his palate gravell to his teeth a disease to his flesh or fetters to his feet When Abner was wroth with Ishbesheth the sonne of Saul then he came to David to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah from Dan even to Beersheba When man is wroth with sinne full of indignation against sinne then he comes to Christ then he joynes himselfe in a holy and solemne Covenant with Christ then he labours to set up the throne of Christ over his soule and body then he prayes and strives that Christ may raigne from Dan to Beersheba from the highest to the lowest faculty of his soule and from the greatest to the smallest undertaking of his life Man is ever so much the more industrious to set up Christ and his kingdome by how much the more his corruption doth grieve and trouble him 2. A holy and filiall feare towards Christ making loath to offend Christ willing in every thing to please Christ All the Rulers of the Provinces the Lievtenants Deputies and Officers of the King helped the Iewes when the feare of Mordecai fell upon them When the holy and gracious feare of Christ doth fall upon the soules of men enter into and take possession of the hearts of men then they joyne themselves to the help of Christ to the help of the Gospell and Church of Christ then they study and endeavour the advancement of Christ and his kingdome therefore serve the Lord with feare saith the Psalmist rejoyce before him with trembling and kisse the sonne embrace the son rest and relye upon the son acknowledge exalt and magnifie the son put your selves with all readinesse and fulnesse upon the service of the sonne true feare ever makes the Lords servants subject and serviceable to Christ Iesus I will put my feare into their hearts saith the Lord and they shall not depart from me they shall not depart from my knowledge by ignorance from my promises by unbeliefe from my precepts by disobedience from my covenant by unfaithfulnesse nor from my worship by prophanenesse Such as doe not truly and throughly apply themselves to Christs service are prophanely fearelesse A servants true and ingenuous feare makes him labour his Masters welfare the matrimoniall feare of a wife moves her to desire and endeavour her husbands honour feare came upon every soule saith S. Luke and what followed thereupon All they that beleeved were together there is their unity in affection in divine invocation They sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need There is their communication to Christs members their putting of themselves and their
every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemne They who cast the three children into the fiery fornace burnt themselves Pharaoh perished in the very waters into which he forc'd the Israelites there is nothing but an expectation of crosses and curses to that man that doth oppose Christ the fountaine of all blessings 5. Consider when the Church is weakest and the combination strongest against it then God is alwaies nearest to it and most ready to shew his power in the preservation of it The Churches deepest misery is Gods choisest opportunity the Lords people never see and enjoy more of Gods presence then in the fiery fornace God takes occasion by his Churches distresses at once to manifest his power wisdome justice truth and goodnes 6. Consider that Christ is the strength of every thing the foundation is the strength of the house the rootes are the strength of the Tree Christ the Creatour is the strength of the creature He turnes the strength of the mighty into weaknesse and the impotency of the weak into strength the creature alwaies proves more or lesse powerfull according to the concurrence of Christs arme either with or against him all the Nations of the world when the influence of Gods power is suspended are but as a drop of a bucket and as the small dust of the ballance the weakest people the worme Jacob when Christ joynes with them are stronger then the Mountaines No mans station is firme or stable beside his who hath Christ sustaining him Gods Church hath no cause of contracting despairing cogitations either from her owne weaknesse or from the power of her adversaries receiving her supportment from the power of Christ Iesus for he will keepe the feet of his Saints and the wicked shall be silent in darknesse and by strength shall no man prevaile 7. Consider how they who step out from Christ and betake themselves to the shadow of carnall men for refuge doe therein associate and combine themselves with Satan for an uncertaine bodily preservation doe expose their soules unto certaine and inevitable ruine and what can it availe a man to loose the jewell in hope to keep the casket or to destroy the Inhabitant in hope to preserve the house How ever it goe for the present Christ will prevaile at last and whither wilt thou runne then that runnest from Christ now Hee that now flies from the cause of Christ will not be then able to fly from the wrath of Christ He that now refuseth Christ suffering shall with dreadfull horrour and amazement at last behold Christ triumphing Lastly Consider There is more Majesty terrour and security too in the presence and consortship of a few good men then in the presence of a great number of profane men There is a manifestation of God in them which makes the hearts of their enemies to shake as they who came to apprehend Christ fell backward at the very beholding of Christ Gods powerfull and blessed presence among his people the efficacy of their prayers the power of godlinesse apparant in their lives the very perswasion which wicked men have of their integrity of their intimacy and communion with God and of Gods taking part with them doth make their presence dreadfull to the eye and apprehension of profane men thus the Psalmist Beautifull for scituation the joy of the whole Earth is Mount Syon on the sides of the North the City of the great King God is knowne in her Palaces for a Refuge for loe the Kings were assembled they passed by together they saw and so they marvelled they were troubled and hasted away feare tooke hold upon them there and paine as of a woman in travell And in the dayes of Hester the feare of the Iewes fell upon all people And in the dayes of Ioshua such a feare fell upon the profane Nations that their hearts melted neither was there spirit in them any more because of the children of Israel The enduring of affliction with Gods people is better more honourable more comfortable more safe and profitable then the enjoyment of the pleasures of sin for a season 5. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem for the safety unity tranquility of the Church of Christ Pray for the blessing of Heaven upon our deare and dread Soveraigne and upon his great Councell that his Name his Throne and Kingdome may flourish and shine in glory like the Sun to the end of the world and that their Councell may be acceptable to him the divisions of Reuben sweetly and fully reconciled our threatned storm changed into a blessed calm having one Prince of peace commanding us one word of peace instructing us one spirit of peace conducting us one way of peace wherunto the Lord hath called us let every man cast the disobedient Ionah out of the Ship of his own soul which makes our waters tempestuous Let every man cut off the Sheba of his owne rebellious lust which causeth God to threaten the laying of a Siege against the City both of our soule and body Let us meet the Lord as Abigail did David that the Lord may be intreated that all that is amisse may be thoroughly reformed and the Gospel of our peace in the purity and perfection therof continued and the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace preserved 6. Communicate freely and fully to the necessities of the Church of Christ as the Sun his light to them that sit in darknesse the mother her breast to the hungry child and the Cloud its raine to the thirsty ground the Churches wants are for the tryall of thine abundance the Church purchased by the blood of Christ is more precious then all worldly possessions and challengeth preheminence in thy affections above all earthly treasures What thou possessest is not so much thine as Christs and therefore ought freely to be expended in the cause of Christ It is the honour of thy substance to be imployed in the Lords service it is the glory of a Christian to be Christs Almoner to feed his Church and children the Church is a Vineyard whence a liberall harvest returneth to every man that sowes plentifully to it Christs bloud is infinitely more precious then thy gold He gave his blood for thee and how canst thou with-hold thy mony from him Depart rather with all thy substance then that one member of Christ perish for the want of it It is not mans riches but mans bounty to Christs members that honours man it is not the presence but the well using of thy abilities which will give thee comfort in the houre of thy last and dreadfull Summons 7. Be constant in the knowledge faith love feare and profession of Christ Be not in the matter of Gods worship and thy salvation like a Reed shaken with the wind Be not carried too and fro with every vaine and empty Doctrine like a Ship without an Anker Be not tossed up and downe with every gust and wave
his might and all the house of Israel brought up the Arke with shouting and with the sound of a Trumpet Thus should the soules of men be filled with very great thanksgiving and rejoycing at the comming of Christ among them this was prophecyed also and also given in charge long before the comming of Christ in the flesh Reioyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King commeth unto thee he is iust and having salvation lowly and riding upon an asse and upon a colt the fole of an asse As men rejoyce at an earthly Kings comming in love and mercy unto them so and much more should we rejoyce at Christs the spiritual and heavenly Kings comming in grace and mercy unto us the people piped with pipes and were exceedingly joyfull in the day of Salomons coronation when he was set up to raigne over them much greater should be our rejoycing in the day when Christ commeth to us by his Gospell and setteth up his spirituall kingdome in the hearts of his people This joy and rejoycing is promised by the Prophet in that day in the day of the Gospell in the day of Christs gracious and mercifull comming in the day of Christs erecting his spirituall and heavenly kingdome thou shalt say Lord I will praise thee I will be thankfull to thee I will exalt and magnifie thee I will confesse and acknowledge thy power to be a rocke that never sinketh thy truth to be a word that never faileth thy mercy to be a river whose water never decayeth and thy love to be a Sunne that never setteth and with ioy shall ye draw waters out of the Wells of salvation then shall we draw by the bucket of a lively faith spirituall and sweet strong and plentifull consolations from Christ who is a fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleannesse and out of the doctrine of the Gospell which like a river refresheth and maketh glad the hearts of the Lords people This joy and rejoycing is illustrated by a similitude taken from the light They that walked in darknesse have seene a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death to them hath the light shined As the comming of the light is very joyfull to them that are in darknesse so is the comming of Christ in the Gospell very joyfull bringing spirituall and heavenly light to them that sate in darkenesse and the shadow of death all light is but darknesse and all joy but heavinesse in respect of that light and joy which ariseth from the comming of Christ Iesus and with great joy and gladnesse hath this comming of Christ been celebrated by the Angels Feare not saith the Angell to the Shepheards behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and suddenly there was with the Angell a multitude of the heavenly hoast praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and in the earth peace good will towards men Thus likewise the multitude of Disciples beholding and seeing Christ come observing his miracles and embracing his doctrine they began to reioyce and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen saying Blessed be the King that commeth in the name of the Lord grace in heaven and glory to the highest The true and saving discerning of Christs comming and mighty operation in the Gospell ever makes the soule joyfull It is said of the Gentiles hearing Saint Paul to cite that prophecye of our Saviour I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends of the world that they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord they were glad as a man that sits in darknesse is glad of a light as a man that is arrested is glad of a surety to pay his debt as a man that is mortally sicke is glad of a Physitian to heale his disease as a man that is condemned is glad to heare of his comming that brings him a pardon very sweet and strong is that soules joy and gladnesse which hath a lively taste of the comforts and benefits springing from the comming of Christ in the Gospell They were not onely glad but they also glorified the word of God by understanding it as a word of wisedome by beleeving it as a word of truth by obeying it as a word of power by loving it as a word of goodnesse and by delighting in it as a word of surpassing and comfortable sweetnesse the soule that looks on Christ with joyfull apprehensions is very active and ready to glorifie Christ by faith and obedience Zacheus was very industrious to see Christ joyfull in his entertainment of Christ he made haste and came downe and received him joyfully Questionlesse every soule that truly desires to know Christ receives Christ comming in the Gospell with much thanksgiving and rejoycing Thus it is and thus it must be In regard of the cleare and comfortable revelation of God in Christ God is truly and savingly knowne only in and through his son God indeed is obscurely darkly known in his works as a God of power in his providence as a God of authority wisedome order in his common mercies as a God of bounty and in his punishments and judgements as a God of justice but in Christ opened preached in the Gospell God is known with a cleare a comfortable and saving knowledge as a father of grace and singular mercy and loving kindnes In Judah saith the Psalmist is God known his name is great in Israel in Iudah in his Church where his Word and Ordinances are where Christ is preached and the mystery of mans salvation is opened there God is knowne truly without errour perspicuously without obscurities and savingly without uncertainties there he is knowne as a King in his Courts for the glory and beauty which he there manifesteth as a teacher in his schoole for the wisedome and knowledge which he there dispenseth as a dweller in his house for the holy orders he there prescribeth and gracious rule and dominion he there erecteth and beareth in the soules of his servants as a bridegroome in the banqueting house for the spirituall dainties he there maketh for the cleare and open manifestations of himselfe and love and comforts hee there ministreth to his spirituall friends and guests and his name is great in Israell His power wisedome truth love and goodnesse is much magnified and very glorious in their apprehensions who know him in Christ Jesus Mans knowledge of God out of the Lord Jesus is nothing else but blindnesse nothing but miserable and uncomfortable ignorance for no man saith Christ knowes the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne will reveale him Christ is the lively image of the
foule hypocrisie is this that wee should professe Christ and yet deny him in his Gospell in his Kingdome Is it not a shame for a wife to professe such a man to be her husband and yet deny him her presence her hand her heart her body her love dwell with a stranger love a stranger delight in a stranger and bring forth children to a stranger what is this but shamefull disloyalty and odious adultery What a shame for a man to professe such a man to be his Master and yet deny him all service and shut the doores of the house against him and what a shame is it for us to professe Christ to be our husband our Master and yet deny him our service breaking his bands and casting away his cords from us shutting the doores of our hearts against him denying him our presence in his house denying him our heart to love him our affections to rejoyce in him our hand to worke for him denying him our soules and bodies to be a holy Temple for him to dwell in bringing forth all our fruit to the flesh and to the world and none to Christ what disloyalty what hypocrisie what spirituall adultery is this certainly such men like the Angell of the Church of Sardis though he had a name that he lived yet he was dead so these though they have the name of Christians yet they are none of Christs This is an evill of which Christ is very sensible whereof he much complaines If saith he a man come unto you in his owne name bring a corrupt and carnall doctrine seeke himselfe exalt and magnifie himselfe him ye will receive his person you will reverence his doctrine you will receive his sayings you will beleeve to his dictates you will vaile and stoop but saith Christ I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not I am come from God I have my calling and commission from God I bring no humane but a heavenly doctrine I seeke not mine owne but my Fathers glory and ye receive me not ye regard not my person ye beleeve not my doctrine ye obey not my precepts you love not me you rejoyce not you delight not in me Generally men are more addicted to and delighted in corrupt and carnall inventions then in the spirituall and heavenly doctrine of Christ and his Gospell Christs comming in the power and brightnesse of his Gospell is very unwelcome to many people as the comming of the King to a Rebell the comming of an officer to a theefe or the comming of the husband to his wife that playes the harlot and what is this but the shame of all shames and dishonour of all dishonours to a Christian to deny his Christ to refuse his Christ not to rejoyce and delight in his Christ comming to him in the glad tydings of his Gospell We all conclude it a foule dishonour to a subject a servant a wife to deny their King their Master their Husband not to rejoyce in their comming in their presence but to shut the doores of their houses against them to deny them entrance and entertainment And is not a foule staine so to deale with Christ so to exclude Christ comming to us by his Word and Ministers If you aske me whence it is that Christ is so unwelcome that many of us are so farre from rejoycing in his comming I answer there are these 5. grounds of this Ignorance Men doe not know Christ they doe not discerne Christ in the Gospell Christ in the Gospell is hidden from them as the light is hidden from the blind the God of this world hath blinded their eyes that the light of the Gospell of the glory of Christ may not shine into them they doe not discerne Christ in his Gospell shining like the Sunne for the excellency of his knowledge there appearing they doe not discerne Christ there triumphing like a conquerour in the subjugation of Satan and their corruptions they doe not discerne Christ there as a Prince of peace sweetly and graciously ruling in their hearts by the Scepter of his Word they doe not discerne Christ there as a Physitian healing their sinfull maladies as the impotent discerned the Angell moving in the poole of Bethesda and healing their bodily infirmities they see not these beauties of Christ which David desired to see in the Temple of the Lord they see not that power and glory of Christ in the Gospell which the Psalmist saw in the Sanctuary and therefore as a blind man rejoyceth not in the appearance and comming of the Sunne because he sees not the Sunne no more doe these in the comming of Christ in the Gospell because they doe not there discerne him 2 Earthly mindednesse Their hearts are glued to the world this is the Master whom they serve this is the rocke on which they build this is the wife or harlot rather whom they marry this is the object of their joy they rejoyce in the creature in a thing of nought saith the Prophet and therefore having another Master whom they serve they cannot receive and rejoyce in Christs Lawes having another rocke on which they build they cannot beleeve and delight in Christs promises having another husband to whom they are wedded they cannot embrace and rejoyce in Christ as the Bride rejoyceth in the Bridegroome when the people rejoyced in Rezin Remalials son they refused the waters of Shiloah When man rejoyceth in the creature he refuseth Christ his soule takes no pleasure in Christ 3. Vnsensiblenesse of Christ they have no feeling of Christ within them the Apostle saith they are past feeling they are past the feeling of their sinne as a dead body is past the feeling of the disease they are past the feeling of the shame of sin as a common harlot hath cast of all modesty is even degenerated from her sexe and takes no shame of her whoredomes they have no feeling of the iudgements of God denounced against them they sleep in the midst of these as Ionah did in the storme they take no notice of them they have no feeling of the workings bitings and convulsions of an accusing and condemning conscience their consciences are like a mastive fallen asleep after long and much barking like flesh seared with a hot yron their sence and feeling is gone they are alienated from the life of God dead and have no feeling of the life of Christ Christ doth not live in them they are blind and have no feeling of the wisedome and knowledge which commeth from Christ as a blind man hath no feeling of the light which commeth from the Sunne they are deafe and have no feeling of the sweet and comfortable voice of Christ in the Gospell any more then a deafe man feeles the sweet sound of a musicall instrument their pallates are distempered and they cannot taste the sweetnesse of Christ they loath him as the full stomacke the honey-combe he
participation of his fulnesse should have his heart revived and his soule made cheerfull Christ in the Gospell ministers all matter of rejoycing to his children in the Gospell Christ commeth as a shining Sunne and here we should rejoyce in him as the eye rejoyceth in the light Here Christ commeth as a King in his armies and we should rejoyce in him as the captive rejoyceth in him that commeth with warlike weapons to beat downe the prison and set him free here Christ commeth as a Physitian with healing in his wings and we should rejoyce in him as the sicke in the Physitian that comes to cure him here Christ commeth as Joshuah came to the Gibeonites to rescue them from the Amoritish Princes and in him we should rejoyce as the besieged City in him that comes to drive away their enemies Here Christ commeth as a Master of the feast in his banquetting house and in him we should rejoyce as the hungry stomacke in a feast of all varieties Here Christ commeth as a bridegroome in his letters in his friend in his voice to wooe and betroth us and in him wee should rejoyce as the bride in the letters voice and presence of the bridegroome superlatively sweet and soule-ravishing are the comforts which Christ dispenseth by his word and doctrine he is altogether unworthy the name of a Christian that doth not joyfully entertaine Christ comming in the Gospell 5. Humbly Abraham entertaining the Angels bowed himselfe to the ground Man must entertaine the Lord Iesus in the Gospell with all humility meeknesse lowly and reverent submission Hee must prostrate himselfe and all that is his at the feet of Christ he must be low and base in his owne eye and apprehension he must looke on himselfe as dust and ashes he that is most sensible of his owne vilenesse is most capable of Christ Iesus he must captivate his owne wisedome and carnall reason he hath the most cleare and comfortable discerning of Christ in the Gospell that is most apprehensive of the vanity of his owne wisedome He that will be made wise unto salvation by the Gospell must become as a foole in his owne opinion he must deny himselfe that will acknowledge and embrace Christ abase himselfe that will exalt and set up Christ and be out of love with himselfe that will be in love with Christ he must discerne and feele his owne sicknesse his owne poverty his owne bondage and emptinesse that will receive Christ in the Gospell as a Physitian to cure him as a surety to make satisfaction for him as a conquerour to free him and as a fountaine to fill him When David sent his servants and communed by them with Abigail to take her to wife she arose and bowed her selfe on her face to the earth and said behold let thy handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord. When Christ communeth with us by his servants the Ministers in the preaching of the Gospell to take our soules to him to wife We must rise up with all lowly reverence entertaine their message receiving it as the Word of God and not of man wee must bow our selves to the earth humble and abase our selves very low shewing all obedience to their doctrine and ready to minister any service to their persons as Saint Paul testifies of the Galathians My temptation saith he which was in my flesh ye despised not nor reiected but received me as an Angell of God even as Christ Iesus I beare you record that if it had been possible ye would have plucked out your owne eyes and have given them to me Great is the love and reverence shewed by Gods children towards Christ and his Ministers in the Gospell Christ is ever so much the more precious unto men by how much the more they are abased in their owne sence and feeling Christs favour dwelling and communion is onely with the soule which is truly humble 6. Chiefly Christ is the highest King and must have the chiefest roome in the heart of man Christ excels all creatures and must have preheminence above all others in the hearts of his receivers Dagon in the Philistines Temple fals before the Arke the creature and whatsoever else in the heart of man must fall before Christ all must be base and vile in comparison of Christ the Elders of Gilead bringing home againe Ieptha to fight for them against the children of Ammon made him their head Man bringing home and receiving Christ into his heart to fight for him against Satan and his corruption must make him his head exalt him and give him preheminence above all creatures Christ is King of Kings and must have preheminence in our obedience as Kings have in the hearts of their loyall Subjects Christ is the husband of his Church and must have preheminence in our love as husbands have in the hearts of their chaste and loving wifes Christ is the pearle of choisest worth and must have preheminence in our choise and estimation as the pearle with the Merchant above the drosse Christ is the Sun of clearest and sweetest light and must have preheminence in our understanding as the Sun in the eye above other lights Christ is the surest the most constant and loving friend and must have preheminence in our delight and joy as a friend hath preheminence in the joy of his friend above all strangers He is farre from the true receiving of Christ that doth not thus exalt Christ he doth very shamefully abase Christ that sets up any thing above Christ hee neither discernes the worth nor tastes the sweetnesse of Christ in the Gospell who makes not himselfe and all things to vaile and stoop to him 7. Fully Whole Christ must be received we must entertaine Christ according to all his Latitudes as all the points and lines are received in one Center whole Christ must meet in mans heart as in a Center We must receive Christ in his person as God and man in one person as our onely Mediator the only Jacobs ladder by whom God and all blessings come downe to us and by whom we ascend againe to God We must receive Christ in his Attributes in his wisedome as a light to guide us in his power as a rocke to support us in his truth as a faithfull witnesse that never deceives us in his justice as a righteous Judge to awe us in his mercy as a King of mercies to forgive us in his holinesse as a fountaine of grace to sanctifie us in his righteousnesse as a royall roabe to cloathe and cover us and in his love as a bridegroome to marry us and in his All-sufficiency as a fountaine to fill us We must receive Christ in all his Offices as a Prophet to instruct us making Christs doctrine the compleat and only rule of our faith and obedience as a King to reigne
the Friends of Christ David was a man of love to God a man of sweet and strong affections He useth many feeling and lively expressions hereof and his joy was sutable to his love he was glad to goe up to the house of the Lord he rejoyced in praysing God My lips shall greatly reioyce when I sing unto thee He rejoyced in visiting the house of God he went to the house of God with the voice of ioy and praise with the multitude that kept holy day He rejoyced in the understanding meditation and service of God he rejoyced in the Way of Gods testimonies as much as in all riches He is no friend of Christ that doth not rejoyce in Christ he is no lover that is not a joyfull receiver of Christ in the Gospell His pretence and profession of love is not reall but counterfeit and hypocriticall How canst thou say thou lovest me said Dalilah once to Sampson when thy heart is not with me Thus how can man say he loves Christ when his heart the joy and delight of his heart is not with Christ how is it possible man can love Christ and yet Christ be unwelcome Christs unwelcomnesse to man in his Gospell proclaimes the enmity of mans heart against him Where is our faith in Christ if Christ be not welcome doe we chuse and single out Christ to our selves to be our Mediatour and Saviour Doe we build on Christ as on a sure rocke Doe we apprehend and take Christ by the hand of faith into a spirituall wedlâ—cke as the husband of our soules Doe we make Christ our treasure our crowne our royall roabe of righteousnesse Doe we by the bucket of faith draw waters of salvation out of Christ as out of a living fountaine and yet not rejoyce in Christ not bid him joyfully welcome it is impossible A beleeving apprehension is comfortable an unbeleeving apprehension ministers no rejoycing It is recorded of Jacob that his sons telling him Joseph is yet alive and he is Governour over all the land of Egypt Jacobs heart fainted for he â— beleeved them not afterwards beleeving he much rejoyced but now not beleeving his heart fainted Thus man hearing of Christs life and kingdome hearing him preached in the Gospell as the Author of life and King of Kings and Lord of Lords hearing great and glorious things spoken of Christ and his heart fainting his soule sad dull troubled and not solaced with it that man beleeves not for the soule is filled with all ioy in beleeving Where is our pricing of Christ He that doth not rejoyce in Christ comming in the Gospell hath a very low esteeme of Christ The Spouse had a high esteeme of Christ surpassing all creatures and her soule was ravished with love to him and with joy in him The Merchant in the parable prized the pearle above all that he had and as he highly prized it so he was glad when he found it Did we prize Christ as the hungry prizeth food the sicke health the captive liberty the rich his treasure the King his crowne we could not but rejoyce in Christs comming as people in a famine rejoyce in the comming of the harvest sicke men in restoration of health captives in a Jubilee and the rich in his treasure the true valuing of Christ makes his comming in the Gospell matter of more rejoycing then the comming of all the fulnesse of the world Where is our taste and rellish our sence and feeling of Christ if we rejoyce not in Christ comming in the Gospell the taste of wine rejoyceth the thirsty the taste of meat rejoyceth the hungry He that hath no joy in Christ hath no taste of Christ Christ is not unto him as Isaacks venison was to him savoury meat which his soule loved The things of God are unsavoury unto such but the soule which doth rellish Christ which tasteth how good Christ is doth abundantly rejoyce in Christ to him Christs good oyntments his saving gifts and graces are savory are tasted perceived felt like good oyntments with great joy and revivement of heart and his name is as an oyntment powred forth the doctrine of his grace the name of his wisedome in opening his fathers counsell the name of his merit in purchasing mans salvation the name of his mercy in pardoning mans sinne the name of his righteousnesse in justifying mans soule the name of his love in embracing and solacing mans heart this is an oyntment powred out this in the preaching of the Gospell casteth a sweet savour as oyntment doth in the powring forth as the breaking of the boxe of oyntment in the Gospell and powring it upon Christs head filled the house with the savour thereof so the opening of Christ in the Gospell giveth a sweet savour to the hearts of all Christians The true receivers of Christ find a very sweet and blessed a very gracious and soule-refreshing taste in Christ And as we professe our selves to be schollers in Christs schoole servants in Christs family members in Christs body subjects friends and Spouse of Christ so let us rejoyce in the comming of Christ in his Gospell as a traveller rejoyceth in the comming of the Sunne to guide him as the subject rejoyceth in the comming of the King to honour him as the captive rejoyceth in the comming of the ransomer to free him as the sicke rejoyceth in the comming of the Physitian to cure him as the childe rejoyceth in the comming of the nurse to feed him and as the bride rejoyceth in the comming of the bridegroome to marry her In him let us rejoyce as in the Sun enlightening us as in the friend solacing us as in the shield defending us as in the King honouring us as in the treasure enriching us as in the jewell adorning us as in the fountaine filling us and as in the paradise of our most choise and everlasting pleasures and in the joy of our soules let us say Blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord. CHAP. VIII DAvid did not onely rejoyce in the Arke and dance before it in testimony of his joy but did also erect and set it up in the midst of the Tabernacle Every man that doth indeed rejoyce in Christ every man to whom Christ is truly welcome doth desire and endeavour the exaltation of Christ the setting up of Christs kingdome the welfare of Christ and his Gospell therefore the people here say Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord not only by way of exaltation and rejoycing in Christs comming but also by way of exoptation and wel-wishing heartily desiring the welfare and prosperity of Christ his kingdome and Gospell Blessed be he furnished be he with the greatest and choisest wisedome righteousnesse prudence mercy power fortitude and courage for the administration of his kingdome and people successefull be he in the promulgation and preaching of his Gospell in the gubernation of his
honour dignity and glory of Gods Church and people who labours not the exaltation of Christ and his Gospell CHAP. IX IN this as in a glasse we may with open face behold the great impiety and shamefull prophanenesse of three sorts of men 1. Such as have no regard nor desire unto no pleasure nor delight in the prosperity and welfare of Christs Kingdome and Gospell Like Gallio they care for none of these things it is a matter indifferent unto them whether the Gospell sinke or swim whither Christs Kingdome stand or fall flourish or wither the Lord saith of the wilde Asse I have made the wildernesse his house and the barren land his dwelling Heâ— scorneth the multitude of the City neither regardeth he the crying of the driver the range of the mountaines is his pasture and he seareheth after every greene thing Such wilde Asses are these men the wildernesse of the world is their habitation they regard not they desire nor with David to dwell in the house of the Lord they delight in a barren land where are no waters and wels of salvation they regard not the greene pastures of holy and heavenly doctrine in which the Lord feeds the soules of his people They thirst not after the still waters of the Gospell and sweet consolations of the Spirit with which God refresheth the soules of his children they scorne the multitude of the citizens of the new Jerusalem the holy assemblies of Gods people They goe not to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with the multitude that keeps it holy day neither regard they the voice of the spirituall driver they esteeme not the voice of Gods Minister endeavouring to drive them from the world unto Gods Church from sinne to holinesse and from Satan unto Christ the range of the mountaines is their pasture they seeke no food for their soules but worldly vanities they looke after no treasure but earthly substance they care not what become of Christ and his Gospell if it goe well with them according to the world The Harp and the Violl the Tabret and pipe saith the Lord by the Prophet and the wine are in their feasts but they regard not the works of the Lord neither consider they the operation of his hands Such men are blind and see not the beauties of Christ and his Gospell and therefore as it is a thing indifferent to the blind whether the Sun rise or set shine or be eclipsed so it is all one to these men whether the Sunne of Righteousnesse in the Gospell rise or set shine or shine not they neither rejoyce at Christs comming or grieve at Christs departing Such men are unsensible of the want of Christ and therefore doe no more regard Christs presence in the Gospell then a diseased man that feeles not his sicknesse regards the presence of a Physitian Such men are earthly minded altogether taken up with the world and therefore are uncapable of Christ unable to rellish any sweetnesse in Christ or to give him any audience in his Gospell Eliah spake mockingly of Baal to his worshippers Cry aloud for he is a God neither he is a talking or he is a pursuing or he is in a journey or peradventure he sleepeth and must be awaked and they cryed aloud from the morning to the evening but there was neither voice nor any to answer nor any that regarded We may truly say of these they are men but they are either a talking of the world or pursuing of the world with such earnestnesse or fallen into such a sinfull sleep and slumber that they cannot heare and though the Minister lift up his voice like a trumpet and cry aloud yet there is no voice nor answer of faith and obedience nor any regard shewed by them to Christ and his Gospell Such men are halting Israelites and luke-warme Laodiceans void of all true love to Christ and far from all Christian zeale for Christ Solon reputed him no good citizen who in a civill dissension risen in the City did adhere to neither party Such as cleave not to Christ and the Gospell in the dissention and opposition of the world are no true citizens of the new Jerusalem He that is not with me is against me saith Christ he that stands not on Christs side stands on Satans side he that serves not God serves Mammon he that hath not communion with Christ hath communion with the world Christ lookes upon all such as are not zealous for him as on enemies against him and he will spew them out of his mouth at last as foule abomination 2. A second sort are such as oppose Christs Gospell and Kingdome The house of Saul made long war against the house of David There is a family of prophane Saulites that make continuall opposition against the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ they will not have Christ rule over them they take counsell against the Lord and his Christ and say come let us breake their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us Some are superstitious and as the Philistines would not suffer the Arke to stand upon the right hand of their Dagon no more will they suffer Christ and the Gospell to have preheminence above their traditions and devises some are covetous and as Jesse set David behind the ewes so doe these men set Christ and his word behind the world below their earthly imployments and undertakings some are ambitious and as Josephs brethren conspired against him because they were loth to vaile and bow to him Thus proud men conspire and combine against Christ and the Gospell being loth to deny and humble themselves and put their necks under Christs yoke some are under the power of prophanenesse with Ahab they sell themselves to commit wickednesse they are impatient of reproofe and therefore imprison the Prophet of the Lord Christ comming in the power of his Gospell is very uncomfortable and terrible to such as are under the power of their corruption some are prophanely iealous least the setting up of Christ and his Kingdome will crosse their profit and eclipse their honour and credit amongst men and therefore they seeke to suppresse the Gospell as Saul sought to suppresse David This moved Demetrius to accuse Paul and this caused Herod secretly to plot the death of Christ Christ and his Gospell have ever met with many oppositions from the world 3. A third sort are such as grieve at the prosperity and welfare of the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ When Nehemiah came to repaire the wals of Jerusalem Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite grieved exceedingly that there was a man come to seeke the welfare of the children of Israel It is a great griefe to many ill affected men that beare evill will to Sion to heare that God raiseth up any to repaire and build up Christs Church and Kingdome to seeke the
Stars in the night season communicate the fulnesse of the Sunne to the aire and inhabitants of the earth the Ministers as Starres in the right hand of Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse communicate to the soules of men the fulnesse of Christ Jesus in the night of this world we are all strangers to Christ Jesus without the Lords Ministers Christ is hidden from that people which enjoy not the ministery of the Gospell Gods Ministers by their labours communicate the knowledge of Christ as the Embassador communicates the knowledge of the King and of his mind God saith the Apostle who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined into our hearts to give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus God is knowne in and through Christ as a man is knowne in and by his face We know an earthly Father in the face of his Sonne begotten by him we know God as a father of mercies only and through the face of Christ Jesus we see the face of man in a glasse in the Gospell in the labours of Gods Ministers we behold as in a glasse the face of Christ Jesus Christ is a storehouse in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome The Ministers have the ministeriall key of knowledge to open Christ unto the people Christ is a living fountaine a well of salvation a well sealed and shut up in the Scriptures Jacob rowled away the stone from the mouth of the well and gave Labans flocke water to drinke the Minister rowles away the stone removes the obscurity of the Scripture opens and interprets it and makes the people drinke of Christ the true and everliving fountaine the Ministers communicate the faith of Christ as Gods instruments the worke of faith in men the man of God by his prayer restored Jeroboams withered hand the Minister by his preaching and prayer restores the hand of faith in the heart of man formerly withered dryed up and of no use Faith commeth by hearing Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye beleeved even as the Lord gave to every man The Ministers communicate the life of Christ to men Christ by his corporall voice called Lazarus out of his grave by his Evangelicall voice by his word in the mouth of his Ministers he cals the soules of men out of the grave of sinne the dead in sinne heare the voice of the Sonne of God in the Gospell and they that heare live The ministery of the Gospell is the instrument of the soules vivification a meanes of Christs living in them that are Gods children the Ministers communicate the love of Christ Christ gives his love to the soule of man in the ministery of his word Isaac gave the pledges of his love to Rebeckah by Eleazar his father Abrahams servant Christ gives the pledges of his love to his Spouse the Church by the Ministers God his fathers servants by them he woeth and espouseth them unto himselfe and in the banquetting house of his ordinances his banner over them is love the Ministers communicate the peace of Christ the Embassador speaks words of peace from the King and communicates the Kings peace unto the people the Minister the Embassador of Christ the Prince of peace preacheth peace by Iesus Christ to the soules of men The Lord hath created ordained and appointed the fruit of his lips to be peace to them that are nigh and to them that are afar off Christ feeding the multitude corporally distributed bread unto them by his Disciples Christ feeding the soules of men spiritually with himselfe the true bread of life come downe from heaven communicates himselfe to men by the labours of his Ministers Abraham by the hands of his servants ministred jewels and bracelets to Rebeckah God by his Ministers communicates many spiritual and heavenly jewels even the whole treasury of Christ Jesus to his faithfull Church and servants whom he joynes in wedlocke with his sonne Manifold sweet and gracious are Gods dispensations of his Sonne by the labours of his Ministers Christ in and by the ministery of the Gospell is made very conspicuous and glorious in the eyes of the people very great is their blessednesse who have Christ communicated to them by the labours of Gods Ministers 2. In regard of the evils from which God delivers man by the labours of his Ministers God delivered the woman of Shunems sonne from bodily death by the ministery of the Prophet the Lord delivers the soule of man from spirituall death from being dead in sinnes by the labour of his Ministers the ministery of the Gospell is the instrumentall cause of the first resurrection the word is termed a word of life declaratively revealing life and operatively as an instrument working life God delivered Paul from his bodily blindnesse by the hands of Ananias he delivers man from spirituall blindnesse by the doctrine of his messengers by their instruction he opens their eyes and turnes them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God The Lord delivered Peter from Herods prison by the ministery of the Angell He delivers man from Satans prison and bondage by the worke of his Ministers by this as by a warlike weapon he casts downe the holds of sinne Satan fals like lightening from heaven and the soules of men partake of spirituall freedome as Goliah fell before David with a stone out of Davids sling so doth Satan before the Minister of the Lord with the word of God out of their mouth God delivered Naaman from his leprosie in Iordan and the impotent from their infirmities in Bethesda The Lord in and by the Gospell sanctifies the soules of his children this washeth away their uncleannesse this heales their infirmities this makes them new creatures Christ by his voice appeased the stormy tempest and gave a calme to his Disciples Christ by his Gospell appeaseth the tempestuous and perplexed consciences of his servants and brings them into a haven of spirituall peace and quietnesse He makes his Ministers as an Angell of God and one of a thousand to the afflicted soule comming like Noahs Dove with an Olive branch quieting him that is tossed upon the deluge of trouble turning his perplexity into peace his feare into confidence and his sorrow into sweet rejoycings God abundantly declares his dispensation of blessings by his Ministers through the removall of evils by their labours The Gospell is the choisest instrument averting evill foule and shamefull perplexing and mortall are the plagues and miseries resting upon them that neither enjoy nor regard the labours of Gods Ministers 3. In regard of the blessed state and condition whereinto God puts man by the labours of his Ministers The estate of man under the Gospell making a true use of the doctrines and instructions of Gods messengers is an estate of blessings The blessing
all prostrates it selfe and all that it hath under Christ that it may enjoy Christ it hates all that hinders its comming to Christ and embraceth all that may further its communion with Christ sutablenesse between the soule and Christ readily denyes and rejects all that hinders the fruition of Christ 3. In regard of the vanity nullity and nothingnesse which a gracious man discernes in himselfe and in all things else without and beside Christ he looks upon himselfe as on dust and ashes he is vile in his owne apprehension as a worme and no man he humbles and abhorres himselfe below the dust and ashes he looks on all other things as dung and drosse and a thing of naught in comparison of Christ he reputes all things in respect of Christ as Jothan did Abimelech in respect of the Sonnes of Jerubbaal but as a bramble in respect of the vine fig-tree and olive-tree and having such a low opinion of himselfe and all things else he readily denyes himselfe and all things else and makes all to vaile and stoop to Christ with Simon and Andrew they are ready to leave their nets their ship and their father to deny their possessions and their friends to put all under Christ to leave whatsoever is most profitable and deare according to the flesh for Christs sake with Paul to esteeme their very life as nothing that they may glorifie Christ and finish Christs worke The more any man doth undervalue himselfe and the creature the more he exalteth Christ the more freely fully and readily he prostrates all at the feet of Christ 4. In regard of the holy powerfull and universall raigne rule and dominion of Christ in a gracious and sanctified soule Here Christ reignes as a King in his Throne as Solomon reigned over the land of Canaan from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth so doth Christ raigne in a regenerate and gracious soule from the highest to the lowest faculty thereof and from the head to the feet and from the highest to the lowest undertaking of a Christian Here Christ reignes as a dweller in his house the dweller rules over all the roomes members and goods of his house and disposeth all to his service Christ rules over all the faculties of the soule members of the body and disposeth all the endowments and doings of a Christian to his owne service and for his owne honour Here Christ rules as the head over the body acting moving guiding and framing the whole man to a holy humble and free subjection Here Christ reignes as a Centurion in his army and as the servants of the Centurion did goe and come at his command and doe whatsoever he bad them Thus all the faculties of the soule and members of the body of a true Christian are at the command of Christ receiving their direction and commission from Christ doing every thing in subjection and obedience to Christ Thus the Psalmist speaking of Christs kingdome saith in the day of thy power when Christ should reigne by his Gospell and Spirit in the soules of men the people should be willing free ready and full in their subjection unto Christ and his enemies should bow before him and licke the dust such as were enemies rebellious and disobedient in their unregeneration should after their conversion bow themselves and licke the dust acknowledge and receive Christ as their Lord and King and in very great humility subject and prostrate both themselves and all theirs to him and his service for as Abner entring into Covenant with David and taking David for his King undertooke to bring about all Israelite to David Thus the soule entring into Covenant with Christ and taking Christ for its King brings about all to Christ and puts all in subjection under Christ 5. In regard of the holy and fervent desire of a gracious soule to exalt and set up Christ This is the prime â—â—â—our joy and comfort of a godly soule to see and feele Christs kingdome within him to set up Christ in his heart and to discerne him ruling and commanding there as a King in his Throne as a Pilate in the ship this is his suite and supplication unto God that Christs kingdâ—mâ— may come that Christ may reigne and rule within him as David sometimes thirsted and longed to see the power and glory of God in the Sanctuary so doth a godly man long to see the power and glory of Christ in his soule to behold him raigning in his heart In the day of Solomons coronation the people piped with pipes and rejoyced with great joy so that the earth rung with the sound thereof In the day of Christs coronation and reigne in the soule of man the heart of man rejoyceth with exceeding great joy Christs dominion is a holy soules rejoycing the kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy-Ghost It was the care labour and joy of David to bring the Arke of the Lord into the Tabernacle in that day David danced before the Lord with all his might and all the house of Israel brought up the Arke of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet and set it in the midst of the Tabernacle Thus it is the care labour and comfort of the whole man that is godly to set up Christ in the midst of his soule to see him reigning in his understanding as the Sun in the eye guiding in his will as a Prince commanding it in his imagination as the obiect on which he thinketh with most frequency delight and comfort in his trust as the onely rocke whereon he buildeth in his feare as the King of Kings whom he chiefly reverenceth and in his love as an husband in the love of the wife so powerfull and operative is this desire labour and joy of a gracious soule touching the exaltation reigne and rule of Christ within it that as the people would have all the men put to death which would not have Saul reigne over them so doth such a man mortifie all his lusts which oppose Christs kingdome remove whatsoever may hinder Christs spirituall dominion and makes all vaile and stoop for Christs exaltation within him 6. In regard of a gracious soules acquiescence and contentation with the approbation of Christ In this it pleaseth in this it blesseth delighteth and satisfieth it selfe whatsoever it hath besides it this is in stead of all as the Sun is to the eye in stead of all lights and the fountaine to the thirsty in stead of all bottles the approbation of Christ is of very great price with a true Christian his praise is not the praise of men but of God not to have the approbation of men to his doings but of God not to have his eare tickled with the empty breath of vaine mans applause but with the solide and
the love of Christ he doth glory in tribulation and though he is in heavinesse through manifold temptations yet beleeving in Christ he reioyceth with ioy unspeakable and full of glory Christ to him that denyes himselfe is a crowne in disgrace to honour him a friend in heavinesse to solace him a Sunne in darknesse to enlighten him a precious pearle in poverty to enrich him a helper in all desertions to sustaine him and a fountaine in all wants to supply him sweet and pleasant satisfactory and soule-ravishing are Christs ministrations to mortified and humble soules in their Christian sufferings 8. The prizing and valuing of Christs Crosse above the worlds Crowne He that indeed denyes himselfe esteemes it more happy more excellent and more honourable to partake of Christs sufferings then of the worlds rejoycings to be conformed unto Christ in holy sorrowes and afflictions then to be conformed to the world in carnall pleasures and fleshly exaltations he preferres the poverty reproach exilement bondage and death which doth usually attend Christ in the Gospell above the riches honour favour liberty and life which the world ministers to her followers Thus Moses denying himselfe esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt The reproach of Christ the disgrace losse trouble and persecutions with which the world doth pursue Christ truly preached and sincerely professed in the Gospell was of more esteeme with Moses then all the treasures of Egypt then all the honours riches favours and contentments which the world can affoord without Christ Christs poverty prison contempt hatred persecution is of greater price with him that denyes himselfe then the riches liberty crowne favour and peace which the world bestowes upon her choisest favourites and followers There is more dignity in the contempt of a Christian then in the crowne of a worldling there is more joy in Christian sufferings then in worldly pleasures The losse which man sustaines for Christ is greater gaine then the winning of the whole world without Christ the Devill and the world are much mistaken in their offering of violence wrongs and injuries to Christs members the poverty sorrow shame trouble bondage which they impose upon them prove riches joy honour peace and freedome to them Men are much deceived in their judgements supposing Christian sufferings miserable and contumelious the wife subject souldier servant repute it an honour to suffer for their Husband Soveraigne Generall Lord and Master and doubtlesse he that denyes himselfe cannot but account it as an honour to suffer for his spirituall Husband King Captaine Lord and Saviour He that denyes himselfe will chuse with David to be a door-keeper in the house of God rather then dwell in the tents of wickednesse to live in any low poor contemptible and despised condition enjoying communion with Christ rather then partake of all worldly fulnesse without Christ The Lord Jesus is a humble souls fulnesse whether it hath much or little of the world a little with Christ is honourable and full of contentation the greatest abundance without Christ is shamefull and attended with much distraction therefore the Apostle saith of himselfe and such as he was men denying themselves and enjoying Christ that they were as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we live as chastened and not killed as sorrowfull yet alway reioycing as poore yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things God is wonderfull in honouring protecting delivering rejoycing and satisfying the soules of the humble in sanctifying and sweetning their low poore and sad condition The Lord makes them see such glory springing out of their ignominy and such light shining out of their darknesse that they reioyce they are accounted worthy that they are vouchsafed this honour to suffer for Christs name they rejoyce in filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ suffering for Christ being thereby made conformable to Christ and having thereby communion with Christ and Christ taking their sufferings as his sufferings Christ suffering in them and they for him they are very joyfull in suffering the more a man denyes himselfe the more he rejoyceth in the crosse of Christ in Christ crucified for his sake and in his owne sufferings for Christs sake 9. Man making it his greatest honour to honour Christ He that denyes himselfe is 1. so inflamed with love to Christ that as a wife reputes it her choisest matrimoniall honour to advance her husbands honour to be according to Solomons phrase a crowne to her husband by her subjection under him by her choise sober and pious carriage towards him by her fidelity to him and by her industry and labour for him so the man that denyes himselfe reputes it his highest honour to honour Christ to be a crowne to Christ his spirituall husband by his gracious subjection under Christ by his holy walking towards Christ by his godly labour and industry for Christ 2. He that denyes himselfe hath his heart put into such a holy and humble frame made so graciously subject unto Christ and is so strongly and fully devoted to the service of Christ that as a good servant takes it as his prime glory to honour his Master to advance his Masters credit and profit so he that denyes himselfe like the good servant of Christ taketh it for a speciall honour to serve Christ to have his fruit unto holinesse to please Christ and not himselfe or others 3. He that denyes himselfe is so so sensible of so experienced in the vanity emptinesse basenesse and fugitivenesse of the honour that comes from men so out of love and liking with and so low prizing and esteeming the applause and praise of men that he accounts all other honour as no honour to that which ariseth from the honouring of Christ He esteemes it a greater honour to serve Christ in true holinesse in the lowest and poorest condition then to command nations and rule kingdomes remaining a stranger to Christs Scepter and service for he that in these things saith the Apostle in holinesse and true righteousnesse serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Gods acceptation and good mens testimony is a crowne of much honour to them that serve the Lord Jesus in true righteousnesse 4. He that denyes himselfe is so wrought out of himselfe so taken off from himselfe from minding intending and seeking himselfe that he reputes all his labour lost if it doth not bring some glory to Christ it is in his eye an arrow below the marke a casting of seed upon the sand a sowing to the flesh he reputes it a base and unworthy service which terminates in himselfe and not in Christ it is an abomination to him to be of their number who serve their owne belly their owne lust of pride pleasure or covetousnesse and not Christ 5. He that denyes himselfe is so taken up with the thought of Christ with
By the trouble which remaining and rebelling lusts are unto the soule of man If they be troublesome to the soule as the Canaanites to Israel as thornes in our sides and prickles in our eyes as diseases in our flesh and burthens on our backs as rebels and mutinous persons in a common-weale are a trouble to the common-weale Though we are not fully freed from yet we have truly denyed them when sinne is not sweet as wine but bitter as gall to our palate not pleasant as bread but troublesome as gravell to our teeth not pleasing as the wife of a mans bosom but offensive as a contentious and quarrelsome inmate there the lusts of a man are denyed they doe not raigne and beare dominion they have not the full and peaceable possession where they are a trouble Paul was one that had in a very high measure denyed himselfe yet he complaines of sinne as of a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind and sometimes leading him captive yet this being a trouble to him as a dead member to the body as a mote to the eye as a thorne to the foot the Lord comforts him with the sufficiency of his grace My grace is sufficient for thee 2. By the godly griefe and sorrow of the heart of man for the lusts yet remaining and making warre within him When the presence and opposition of corruption makes man to sorrow as a woman in travell untill his soule is delivered and discharged of them to mourne as the Israelites lift up their voice and wept because the Canaanites continued among them and to grieve for the presence of sinfull lusts in his heart as Sarah was grieved for the presence of the daughters of Heth in her house When a mans sorrow is continually before him because sinne is continually within him such a man may assure himselfe of his self-denyall He that hath a continuall godly sorrow for his sinne is not under the dominion of sinne true repentance argues an infallible denyall of corrupt and carnall affections 3. By a holy gracious and constant Contestation against the lusts which remaine within him He that feeles the Spirit the regenerate part striving against the flesh as Rebeckah felt Jacob striving against Esau in her wombe He that fights against his lusts as Joshuah against the Amalekites he that makes warre against his corruptions as the house of David against the house of Saul and prevailes and increaseth his strength as the house of David did may ascertaine himselfe of freedome from the Lordship and power of his corruptions He that warres against sinne makes no provision for sinne any more then a man doth for the enemy against whom he wages warre He that warres a good warfare against Satan the world and his owne lusts holding faith and a good conscience is a blessed conquerour hath won the conquest though much assaulted by Satan and his owne corruptions It is not mans being assaulted by his lusts but mans yeelding to his lusts which argues absence of self-denyall 4 By mans humbling himselfe for his want of humility and tendernesse and softnesse of heart freely confessing the pride self-love and high thoughts which he discerneth in himselfe shaming and loathing himselfe for the obstinacy haughtinesse and deceitfulnesse of his heart as David considering and feeling the pride and rebellion of Absalon went weeping with his head covered and his feet bare So man that feeles the pride and rebellion of his heart must mourne humble and abase himselfe before the Lord for it the hypocrite is proud of his humility the sincere man is abased and ashamed for the remainders of pride which he discerneth in himselfe The state of him that is exalted with his gifts is very dangerous the state of him that is made vile in his owne eyes with the sence of his corruptions is hopefull and gracious It is a blessed argument of self-denyall when the sence of a mans secret self-love and lurking corruption doth abase him in his owne apprehension pride and self-love have no dominion as long as the soule is moved to humiliation by the sight and sence of them He that abhorres abases and humbles himselfe because his heart is not more humble is undoubtedly truly humbled though his humility want some perfection 5. By mans frequent and fervent prayer to be freed and throughly purged from all pride self-love and sinister respects He cannot be a lover and servant of sinne that prayes feelingly fervently and constantly against his sinne If Moses hands be lifted up the Amalekites will fall If the heart be constantly lifted up in holy and gracious prayer unto God proud lusts and self-respects will fall prayer will surely bring them downe and worke the heart to a very humble and gracious frame The Church prayed and Peter was set free from his fetters from the souldiers and Herods prison holy and earnest prayer hath a very forcible operation to worke the soule to spirituall freedome from all sorts of evill to make it truly sincere and humble both in the inward disposition secret intention and outward execution of every action Certainly mans prayer is but lip-labour no cordiall prayer but vaine babling words of custome or of ostentation if they make not the heart sincere and humble He that knowes the holy humble constant and earnest way of his heart in secret prayer with God may assure himselfe of his self-denyall before God CHAP. XII AS Self-denyall is a holy and gracious worke of Gods Spirit a lively and honourable character of a true Christian the prostrating of mans selfe and all that he hath under Christ The seeking and exalting of Christ above all is the crowne and glory of a Christian so self-seeking and self-exaltation is a very shamefull and dangerous evill an evill indeed very common Most men sowing to the flesh and not to the Spirit to themselves and not to Christ Men generally moving and tending in their understandings wils thoughts and affections to themselves as rivers to the sea levelling the arrowes of their endeavours to some carnall marke of their owne and not to the honour of Christ All saith the Apostle seeke their owne all comparatively in respect of the paucity of others seeke their owne their owne profit their owne ease their owne pleasure their owne honour they confine themselves within themselves they seeke themselves and not the things which are Jesus Christs The honour of Christ the edification of the Church of Christ the propagation and welfare of the Gospell they seeke not this they mind not this they intend not they are all given said the Prophet of old to their covetousnesse to the minding and seeking of themselves their owne low base and unworthy ends from the highest of them to the lowest and from the Priest unto the people Self-seeking like the deluge overslowes the whole world few then addressed themselves unto the Arke few
very ignorant they know not the state and condition of their owne soules Ephraim had gray hairs here and there upon him howbeit saith the Prophet he knew it not Self-admirers are full of the characters of profanenesse carry about them the signes and symptomes of spirituall blindnesse basenesse uncleannesse poverty bondage and everlasting ruine but they know it not No man more ignorant of himselfe then he that hath highest thoughts of himselfe the Pharisees were great selfe-admirers extraordinarily lifted up with the thought of their owne wisdome holinesse and perfection yet very miserably blinde and ignorant blind leaders of the blind without the law as S. Paul confesseth without the knowledge of the law in their understandings without the inscription of the law in their hearts without conformity to the law in their lives Without the light of the law discovering their sinnes without the power of the law humbling their soules ignorance of mans owne vilenesse begets self-admirations the Laodicean was strangely puffed up with thoughts of his owne spirituall excellencies and the maine ground therof was his blindnesse he said he was rich and increased in goods and wanted nothing not knowing that he was poore blinde naked miserable and wretched he that is of all men the worst is usually in his owne opinion the best carnall men thorough their blindnesse doe often take that for very great spirituall riches which in the account of God is no other then very poverty and basenesse 2. Self-admirers are non-apprehensive of the Majesty and perfection of God and transcendent beauties of Christ mans opinion of himself is sutable to his apprehension of God the more apprehensive the soule is of Gods incomprehensible Majesty holinesse and glory the more it is abased in the sense of its owne emptinesse basenesse and impurity I have heard of thee saith Job unto the Lord by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes he that is filled with the admiration of Gods perfections is emptied of self-admiration and made very low and base in his owne thought and meditation of himselfe When the Prophet Esay had in vision seen the Lord sitting upon the throne he cryed out and complained of his uncleannesse then he said woe is me I am undone I am a man of uncleane lips the sight of other mens rich and costly apparell makes a poore man blush and be ashamed of his owne rotten rags God and Christ are questionlesse great strangers to the thought of self-admirers of such the Psalmist saith God is not in all their thoughts were the soule of man well studied and insighted in full and frequent in the meditation of and throughly acquainted with the Lords perfections he could not but be much abased in the knowledge sence and feeling of his owne imperfections His comelinesse with Daniel would be turned into corruption and his face toward the ground he would be humbled below the dust and be baser in his owne eye than the earth mens unacquaintednesse with Gods excellencies is a maine cause of their being self-admirers 3. Self-admirers are very ungratefull and sacrilegious they rob God of the praise of all his gifts they ascribe all unto themselves they say with Nebuchadnezar is not this great Babell that I have built by the strength of mine owne arme and for the honour of my name as they referre all to their owne ends so they looke on all as proceeding from their owne strength They sacrifice saith the Prophet to their net and burne incense to their drag God is neglected their own art wit power and industry are admired they deisie themselves and their own abilities God is not regarded his honour is wholy ecclipsed they go not like David in the name of the Lord in the name of Gods authority commanding them in the name of Gods wisdome guiding them in the name of Gods power assisting them in the name of Gods glory to honour him but like Goliah they goe in their owne name in the name of their owne pride exciting them in the name of their owne fancy leading them in the name of their owne wit art and strength helping them and in the name of their owne praise and honour moving them this is the Alpha and Omega of their undertaking the first in intention the last in execution Self-admirers of all others are the most injurious unto God and Christ Jesus 4. Self-admirers are uncapable of Christ and his graces no man partakes lesse of Christ then he that doth most admire himselfe such a man hath no right nor cleare discerning of Christ no sence and feeling of his want of Christ no hunger nor thirst after Christ no honorable opinion and esteem of Christ no room in his soule to receive and entertaine Christ and therfore continues empty of Christ There is more hope saith Solomon of a foole then of a man that is wise in his owne eyes he is full of self-wisdome and therfore is uncapable of instruction as a full vessell of other liquor the Pharisees had their own learning in such admiration that they utterly rejected Christs Doctrine The full stomack saith Solomon loatheth the honey-combe the full soule loatheth slighteth undervalueth those Doctrines and gifts of Christ which are sweeter then the honey or the honey-combe Self-admirers are very profane despisers of Gods choysest gifts and graces and as they are full of self-opinion so God turns them away empty of things heavenly and spirituall he sends the rich away empty God fils that mans soule alone with heavenly goodnesse who is emptied of all opinion of his own excellencies 5. Self-admiration alienates the soule from God cuts off all communion and acquaintance betweene the soule and God God will not looke in grace and favour towards him God opposeth himselfe against him he resisteth the proud by withholding his grace from him by rejecting his prayer and supplication by infatuating his wisedome by dissipating his power by crossing his undertaking by leaving him as a prey to Satan and powring contempt upon him The Lord is very terrible in his opposition against the proud person Very great and uncomfortable is the distance between God and self-admirers He that admires himselfe cannot draw nigh to God by holy and humble supplication pride hath such dominion within him he cannot draw nigh to God by faith he leanes so much upon himself he cannot draw nigh to God by love self-love doth so strongly oversway him he cannot draw nigh to God by obedience his pride will not suffer him to stoope to Gods precepts he cannot draw nigh to God by holy hunger and thirst after Gods gifts and graces he is so transported with the thought of his owne fullnesse Self-admiration excludes man from all the wayes of communion betweene God and his children therefore trust in the Lord saith the Wise-man and leane not to thine
oppresse him and a prey to the tongues of men to traduce him and the honour and glory of the lives of Gods children is much obscured thorough the scandals which alwayes are cast upon them 4. This likewise comes to passe thorough some corruption yet remaining in Gods children thorough some failings wherewith they are sometimes over-taken though Christ live in them yet they are not so full of life but that there is some sinne like a disease or evill humour in a living body abiding in them they have an Esau as well as a Jaacob in their wombe some tares of sinne growing with the wheate of grace in the field of their hearts they carry a pricke of imbred corruption in their flesh and this lusteth against the spirit against their regenerate part as the Amalekites fought against Joshuah and sometimes it foiles them as they sometime prevailed over Joshuah and as an inward evill humour sometimes breakes out into an open ulcer so doth this hidden and remaining corruption sometimes vent and shew it selfe in some open fayling as in Job David Jeremy Peter and the choysest of Gods servants and as one ulcer doth much obscure the beauty of the face so one failing doth much ecclipse and darken the glory of the conversation of Gods children if a childe of God keepe not himselfe unspotted of the world if hee faile but a little the world will blot and blaze his name all over if they espye but a little spot now and then in him they will report and proclaime him as one that is leprous all over 5. This also commeth thus to passe thorough mens misprision and mis-interpretation of the wayes and workes of Gods children Their eyes are blood shot they behold the doings of Gods servants in a false glasse and they appeare unto them in contrary colours and as Hanuns servants misinterpreted Davids kindnesse and handled his men as spies who were sent as comforters thus they misinterpret the doings of the righteous and censure their knowledge as errour their piety as hypocrisie their zeale as frensie their attendance on Gods ordinances as idlenesse their sacred meetings as confederacies and combinations their workes of mercy as workes of ostentation and vain-glory such as are farthest from sincerity and the greatest deceivers are most ready to charge hypocrisie upon others such as are least industrious to examine their owne hearts are usually the severest censurers of other mens lives and thus they change the cleare and shining day of a godly mans life into an obscure and darke night calling evill good and good evill putting light for darkenesse and darkenesse for light as wee may see in David Paul and others 6. This likewise is so by reason of the base out-side of Gods children They in whom Christ lives are for the most part of low estate and slender reputation in the eye of the world Christ at first was borne of a Virgin espoused to a Carpenter her condition no way conspicuous and glorious in the eyes of men and Christ is now for the most part formed againe in the hearts of men farre from all externall pomp and glory God having chosen poore things and base things and things which are not to confound the things which are and the poore saith Christ receive the Gospell and blessed is hee that is not offended in mee that doth not stumble and take offence at mee by reason of the low and slender estate of them that receive and imbrace me preached in the Gospell And the Prophet hath told us long since that Gods people are an afflicted poore people and this doth much obscure the honourablenesse of their life in the eye of the world who usually judge nothing excellent and honourable but that which is externally pompous and glorious as wee see by experience both in Christ and his members Mat. 13.55 Ioh. 2.1 2 3 4. Ioh. 7.48 49. 7. Lastly thus it likewise commeth to passe thorough the manifold afflictions which attend the righteous they in whom Christ lives are hated of the world persecuted by the men of the Earth and pursued with many troubles walking like the Israelites thorough the red Sea of many afflictions destitute afflicted tormented in Sheepes and Goates-skinnes in Caves and in Dennes Killed all the day long and accounted as Sheepe for the slaughter as the Psalmist speakes and these afflictions are a great darkning of the glory of their life in the eyes of the World as the cloudes darken the Sunne in the eyes of men continuing in it selfe bright and beautifull CHAP. XXV DOth Christ live in the soules of Gods children then the life of Gods children is of all the lives of men the most ioyfull and cheerfull the most pleasant and comfortable The Sunne is the joy and comfort of the world Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse is the glory joy and comfort of the soule The more fully and powerfully Christ liveth in man the greater is the joy of man Christs comming unto man is tydings of great joy Behold said the Angell I bring you good tydings of great ioy which shall be unto all people for unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. This is great joy for the Author matter quality quantity and duration of it All joy is but heavinesse to the having of Christ living in us purging our corruptions pardoning our offences filling us with all heavenly blessings and sweetly and powerfully ruling over us The comming of the Arke ministred such joy to Israel that they gave a shout which made the earth to ring how much more doth the comming of Christ in the Gospell and ministration of spirituall life to Gods chosen make them joyous and comfortable witnesse the men of Samaria of whom it is recorded that upon Philips preaching the Gospell to them the ejection of Satan and consequently Christs beginning to live within them there was great joy in that City And all joy and gladnesse doth indeed accompany Christs living in man 1. Where Christ lives there is the joy of life of spirituall life of the life of God a life in respect whereof all other life is but death and therefore as the Father of the Prodigall said to his servants bring hither the fatted Calfe and kill it and let us eat and be merry for this my Sonne was dead and is alive he was lost and is found Thus the man in whom Christ lives hath great cause to be merry because his soule was dead and is alive was lost and is found 2. Where Christ lives there is ioy of Light The Sunne fils the aire with temporall light Christ fils the soule with spirituall light with all knowledge and wisedome and spirituall understanding And as the beholding of the Starre filled the wise men with exceeding great ioy so doth the shining of Christ into the soule of man fill man with great joy and rejoycing 3. Where
a Christian to have Christ living in him The more we are assured of this the more sweet and comfortable will the meditation of Christ be unto us and the greater our courage against all opposing powers and the more cheerfull shall we be in Christs service And this we shall discerne 1. By the purity of our conversation The order of our life without is sutable to the root and Principle of our life within he that hath a humane soule and life within him doth outwardly walke speake and worke as a man he that hath Christ living in him converseth walketh worketh doth all things outwardly as a Christian conformeth himselfe to Christ is acted moved and guided by Christ living in him as the body is moved and guided by the soule living in the same Christ living in him writes his Law in his heart new moulds new fashions and frames his whole man and makes it sutable to the Law causing him to be holy in all manner of conversation as he that hath called him is holy making him alive to God receiving all his direction from God to be wholly subject unto Gods will totally devoted to Gods service to doe every thing for God and to intend God above himselfe or any thing else as Christ in the dayes of his flesh did all according to the Commandement his Father gave him he sought not his owne but his Fathers honour Thus he in whom Christ lives makes Gods word the rule that guides him he seekes God and not himselfe he purifieth himselfe as Christ is pure and strives what in him lies that he may approve himselfe to God by walking humbly and holily with God 2. By mans invinciblenesse He that hath Christ living in him is very victorious even as Christ is victorious Christ is his life and as Christ is invincible so is the life of Christ in them that are his sinne and Satan may now and then foile them but can never extinguish the life of grace in them because Christ who liveth in them is stronger then all that doth oppose them Ye are of God saith Saint John endowed with the life of God and have overcome because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world Christ living in his children is greater then Satan who lives in carnall men and therefore they are invincible We know saith the same Apostle that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not is not under the power of sinne gives no allowance to sinne makes not a trade of sinne but he that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not he keepeth himselfe that which is proper unto God is transferred to the children of God and they are said to keep themselves who indeed are kept of God being kept as Saint Peter saith through the power of God unto salvation having Christ living in them the whole armour of God put upon them the gifts of the Spirit communicated to them giving themselves to the study and practise of godlinesse and being frequent and fervent in holy and humble supplication unto God they are kept that the evill one doth not touch them his temptations are resisted he cannot extinguish the life of Christ in them in all assaults afflictions temptations and tryals they are more then Conquerours through Christ loving them and living in them Christ sustaines them in the deluge of affliction as the Arke sustained Noah in the deluge of waters And though they sometimes slip through the infirmity of the flesh yet they grieve under the burthen of their corruption they are displeased with themselves they depart not from the feare of the Lord they recover and revive they prevaile as Joshuah over the Amalekites they grow stronger and stronger like the house of David they goe forward like Israel in the way to Canaan from strength to strength untill they appeare before the Lord in Sion they shine more and more like the light unto the day of perfection The longer Christ liveth in them the more perfection of life is ministred to them 3. By mans preserving and keeping himselfe from sin and from the world Life preserves the body from putrefaction when the life is gone the body putrifies and rots but whiles life is strong and vigorous in the body the body is fresh and comely Man without Christ doth putrifie and rot in sinne he growes worse and worse but Christ living in man he is preserved from sinne sinne doth not reigne over him they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and dusts their soules are purified by Christ as the gold by the refiners fire and the cloath by the Fullers soape they are kept by Christ as the Garden by the dresser as the house by the dweller they are purged from sinne as the aire is purged from clouds and vapors by the wind and Sun they are washed and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Christ communicates spirituall health and heavenly beauty to their soules he purifies them to be a peculiar people to himselfe he makes them shine as lights he will not suffer sinne to remaine like a mortall wound or loathsome ulcer upon them but he ministers spirituall healing to them by the wings of his ordinances outwardly and of his grace inwardly Secondly they in whom Christ lives are preserved from the world life inables man to lift up his body from the earth to tread upon it with his foot they in whom Christ lives have their conversation in Heaven they mind the things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God they first seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof This is the fountaine after whose waters they thirst the Sunne in whose light they rejoyce the treasure with which they desire to be enriched the thing which they desire suites with the quality and nature of their life Christ living in them they chiefly desire the things of Christ their hearts and thoughts are taken off from the world they prize it as a thing which is not they undervalue it as dung and drosse in comparison of Christ and the things of Christ and they use it as if they used it not Like Gideons three hundred men they lap a little but bow not downe to these waters Christ doth marvellously innoble their disposition in whom he lives he will not suffer them to be carnally affected nor worldly minded The world is crucified to that man in whom Christ liveth 4. By mans oppugning and expelling out of himselfe whatsoever is contrary to Christ It is the property of life to expell what is contrary to it whatsoever doth oppose or prejudice it The life of nature labours to the utmost the expulsion of diseases tending to the dissolution of nature and the life of grace or Christ living in man expels what is contrary to Christ and to the life and worke of grace
Master they goe astray from Christ like wandering sheepe from their Shepheard and harlots from their husband they goe astray from the way of God like erring travellers and blinde men from their path the whole way and walke of carnall persons is a sinfull aberration from God and Christ Jesus Reigning profanenesse dissolves all communion betweene Christ and the soule of man If any man walke in darknesse and say that hee hath fellowship with Christ that man is a lyar and there is no truth in him and the Apostle testifies of such that they are a farre off farre from the life of Christ as the dead are farre from the life of nature farre from the knowledge of Christ as the blind is farre from the sight of the Sun farre from spirituall union with Christ by faith as a branch cut off is farre from naturall conjunction with the vine farre from the love of Christ as a harlot is farre from the love of her husband farre from the fulnesse of Christ as a dead member is farre from the fulnesse of the head farre from the feare and obedience of Christ as a disobedient servant is farre from the feare of his Master and far from the sweet and blessed presence of Christ as exiled Absolom was farre from the presence of his Father Davids face Very great and unhappy is the distance between Christ and all carnall persons Of such therefore the Apostle pronounceth that they are aliens and enemies by their evill works not onely aliens but also enemies The very whole of corrupt and carnall persons is an opposition against God and the Lord Jesus The gate of their hearts is â—hut against Christ their whole way a very contradiction of Christ CHAP. II. Laying downe foure grounds of carnall Mans Alienation from Christ THe Alienation of corrupt and sinfull men from Christ is very apparant and manifest 1. In regard of corrupt and carnall mans plenary and totall subiection under sinne The Scripture saith Paul hath concluded all under sinne All men and all the services of men in their unregenerate estate are concluded demonstrated and determined by the Scripture to be under sinne under the plenary possession of sinne as a house is under the possession of the dweller The whole house and all the roomes thereof are possessed and ordered by the dweller the whole of a corrupt and carnall man all the faculties of his soule and all the members of his body are possessed and ordered by sinne under the dominion of sinne as a servant under the dominion of his Lord and a dead man under the dominion of death therefore stiled the servants of corruption and dead in sinnes and trespasses Under the captivity of sinne as a slave under the command of the Conquerour as voluntary slaves borne under the bondage of corruption ignorant of and despising Christian freedome Under the love of sinne as an Adulterer is under the love of the harlot The young man in Salomon was under the power of the whorish woman she caused him to yeeld with her faire speech and forced him with the flattering of her lips and he went after her as an Oxe to the slaughter and as a foole to the correction of the stocks The corrupt and vicious man is under the power of his lusts he yeeldeth to them is led by them followes after them and fulfils the will of his flesh as an Adulterer the will of the harlot and also under the guilt and condemnation of sinne as a guilty convicted and condemned malefactor is under the sentence of the Law to dye and carnall man being thus under sinne he cannot be under Christ fulnesse of subjection under sinne annihilates Christs gracious dominion in the soule of man The more man applyes himselfe to his lust the more he is estranged from Christ He that is the friend and servant of sinne is an enemy and opposer of Christ The fulnesse of sinne leaves no roome for Christ in the heart of meere naturall and corrupt man 2. In regard of carnall mans uncapablenesse of Christ The kingdome of Israel was uncapable of David untill Saul and his house was deposed The soule of man is uncapable of Christ untill sinne is deposed There is no setting up of Christ and his Kingdome as long as sinne doth beare dominion Alexander told Darius that the world was uncapable of two Sunnes and Asia could not endure two Kings Christ will not divide his Kingdome with mans corruption the soule is not at once capable of the Kingdome and dominion of Christ and of sinne If the one reigne the other must fall there is no competition between Christ and an unregenerate heart The Fort of Sion was uncapable of David untill the blind and lame were removed The heart of man is a Fort uncapable of Christ untill the blindnesse of the understanding and the lamenesse of the affections are removed and taken away Such is the blindnesse of carnall mans understanding that he is uncapable of the knowledge of Christ as the blinde eye is uncapable of the Sun The light saith the Evangelist shineth in the darknesse and the darkenesse comprehendeth it not The Egyptians darknesse was so thicke that it comprehended not the light which shined thereupon Such is the darkenesse of unregenerate mans understanding that it comprehends not the Sun of Righteousnesse shining in the Gospell The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned The carnall mans heart is so wedded to the world and his lusts that as a woman joyned in wedlocke is uncapable of a second husband untill her former husband is dead so is man uncapable of Christ he cannot receive Christ as the husband of his soule untill his lusts are mortified and put to death Such is the infidelity of corrupt man that as Ieroboam could make no use of his withered hand he could neither put it forth nor pull it in no more can carnall man make any use of faith he cannot put it forth to the receiving and embracing of Christ and because of unbeliefe when Christ came among his owne his owne received him not and such is their death in sinne that as the dead are uncapable of the voice of the living they heare it not of the society of the living they rejoyce not in it and of all feasts and provision made for them by the living they feed not upon it Thus are they uncapable of Christ they cannot heare him speake to them in the Gospell they have no communion nor fellowship with him they feed not upon him He is a hidden Manna of whom they taste not and a sealed Well of whom they drinke not There is no sutablenesse betweene their soules and Christ all his Ordinances are unto them as an empty vessell they savingly partake of nothing of Christ in
twice dead and plucked up by the roots according to Saint Jude Every man is a sinfull dead man that hath not Christ graciously enlivening him and this is a great misery a condition of manifold discomforts an estate of great unhappinesse the dead according to the flesh sees nothing of all that sweet and glorious light which the Sun casteth forth upon him the dead in sinne hath no comfortable apprehension of Christ shining in the Gospell more gloriously then the Sunne Christ in the Gospell is altogether hidden from them that have not Christ living in them The dead saith Salomon know not any thing The dead in sinne know not any thing of the wisedome of Christ guiding them of the death of Christ mortifying their lusts of the resurrection of Christ quickning their soules of the dominion of Christ reigning in their hearts of the holinesse of Christ sanctifying their affections nor of the fulnesse of Christ satisfying their desires Prophane persons are altogether empty of the knowledge of Christ Jesus In death saith the Psalmist there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks Under the death and in the grave of sinne there is no remembrance of Christ he is not in all their thoughts they thinke not upon him as the traveller upon the guide leading them as the rich man upon the treasure enriching them as the Bride upon the Bridegroome marrying them Christ with carnall persons like David among his carnall acquaintance is forgotten as a dead man out of minde and like a broken vessell Can a maid saith the Lord forget her Ornaments or a Bride her attire yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number Christ the ornament and attire of the soule of man is forgotten by carnall people as dead men are unmindfull of their apparell 3. The dead are unsensible of all diseases they have no feeling of any burthens Man alienated from Christ and the life of God is past feeling he feeles not his sinne as a heavy burden oppressing him he feeles not Satan as an enemy buffeting him as a Tyrant molesting and captivating him his conscience as a witnesse accusing and a Judge condemning him it is seared with a hot iron Mans unsensiblenesse of his owne wretchednesse argues his unhappy and great estrangement from Christ Jesus 4. The body separated from the soule is an unprofitable lump a loathsome carkasse the soule separated from Christ is an unfruitfull branch separated from the Vine an unprofitable member rent from the body a loathsome object in Gods sight uncleane corrupt abominable and doing no good as the Psalmist speakes The whole man separate from Christ Jesus is a vessell full of all uncleannesse his best service like the savour of a dead man is unsavoury in Gods nostrils 5. The dead is uncapable of the food set before him his body fals to the ground cleaves unto the earth and resolveth into dust Man that hath not Christ living in him is uncapable of the meanes of grace his soules food he thrives not by the ministery of the word his soule is leane and ill-favoured still like Pharaohs leane Kine after their eating of the fat the Quailes choaked the Israelites they proved not a nourishing but a destroying food unto them The word proves the savour of death unto death to him that is separated from the Lord of Life All that are without Christ are fallen from God unto the world they minde onely earthly things they resolve into the very dust they are buried under the world as a dead man under the earth The World hath the full possession of them the sole Lordship over them nothing but the World suites with them nothing but the earth is savoury to them 6. The body without the soule moves not walks not Man without Christ hath no motion no inclination unto God makes no progresse in the way to life Lazarus moved not walked not untill Christ raised him Man moves not in the way towards God and Heaven untill Christ gives him part in the first Resurrection Man in the state of corruption like Israel in the Prophet is bent unto backesliding Mans continuance in sinne increaseth his estrangement from God The longer man lives in the state of corruption the farther he removes from Heaven the greater is the distance between him and salvation Lastly in a word a dead man is offensive to the house where he is hath no communion with the living hath lost all his dignity and priviledges which he enjoyed in his life time can doe nothing for his owne defence but is exposed to the foot to tread upon him to the fowles of the aire to devoure him Thus the carnall man that is without Christ is an offence to them that live the life of grace hath no spirituall communion with Gods children is estranged from all the Prerogatives and dignities belonging to the living members of Christ unable to doe any thing in defence of himselfe against the adversaries of his soule being exposed and laid open as a very prey to Satan And thus mans Alienation from the life of grace and holinesse shewes his great misery in being estranged from Christ Jesus 2. Man that is without Christ is without Light He that is without the Sunne is in darknesse He that is without the Sun of Righteousnesse is in darknesse and the shadow of death There is no oyle of saving knowledge no Starre of spirituall Light shining in the house and region of his soule Of such our Saviour saith they have not knowne the Father nor me They have not knowne the Father as a spirituall Parent regenerating them as a heavenly King reigning and ruling within them as a gracious dweller possessing furnishing and adorning their soules with his gifts and graces as a dweller possesseth and furnisheth his house They have not known the Father in his Word adoring him according to his prescription in his Sacrament as the Master of a feast in his banqueting house feasting and feeding them in his precepts as a Lord and Master fearing him nor in his promises as a sure and faithfull friend resting and relying upon him Neither have they knowne me they have not knowne me in my natures as God and Man in one Person in my Offices as their Prophet instructing them as their Priest offering my selfe a sacrifice for them as their King bearing spirituall dominion within them as their Mediator bringing them night to God making reconciliation between them and God they have not knowne me in my sufferings being crucified together with me in my exaltations being planted with the likenes of my Resurrection in my communications being filled with my fulnesse solaced with my comforts and revived and cheered up with my blessed presence very miserable is the carnall mans ignorance of God and Christ Jesus Therefore stiled darkenesse not darke but darkenesse it selfe Ye were once darkenesse universally darke wholly darke having
So let us bee earnest with the Lord to deliver us from this estate of barrennesse and make us fruitfull from this estate of exilement and bring us to the enjoyment of the heavenly Kings face and countenance Let us make Christ our Friend that there may be an end put to the enmity betweene God and us and that we may be set at peace againe with God let us sigh and groane under our sinfull bondage and labour for spirituall freedome Let us labour to have true and saving grace powred into the pot of our soules that all our possessions and undertakings may be sanctified unto us and that the Word which our sinne hath made the savour of death unto death may thorow grace become the savour of life to life to every one of us And to the end we may be translated out of the state of corruption into the state of grace let us 1. Attend upon and hide the word of God in our hearts This is the Word of life by which our soules are quickned this is the Seed of Regeneration by which wee are new born this is the voyce by which wee are called out of the Kingdome of darkenesse into marvellous light this is the warlike weapon by which the holds of sinne are cast downe as the walls of Jericho were cast flat to the ground at the â—ounding of the Trumpets this is the fire by which the drosse of sin is purged out of our souls this is the word of Reconciliation by which wee are set at peace with God On this therfore let us wait this let us treasure up in our souls that therby a gracious change may be wrought in us 2. Let us labour for the sence and feeling of our sinne as of a loathsome disease as of a heavy burthen Complaine of sinne as Sarah did of the daughters of Heth be weary of sinne as a sick man of his disease Cry to the Lord as Paul did O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death the more sence and feeling wee have of sinne the more assurance of a discharge from sin When Israel sighed and groaned then their deliverance from Pharaohs bondage drew nigh when sin is a trouble and man growes weary of it as of a hard servitude then the houre of the soules spirituall deliverance approacheth therefore to such our Saviour speaketh Come unto me all yee that travell and are heavy laden and yee shall finde ease unto your soules 3. Let us get our hearts filled with godly sorrow for sin turne all your sorrow into sorrow for sinne Mourne for this as for the death of your first-borne Mourne secretly without ostentation mourne unfainedly without dissimulation mourne universally without the reservation of any sin as the deluge overflowed and drowned all the Earth hill and valley so let your sorrow drowne all sinne they that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Godly sorrow is ever attended with the joy of conversion remission and spirituall consolation They that mourne shall be comforted 4. Be very frequent and serious in the view and examination of your naturall and corrupt estate consider the basenesse the loathsomnesse the unprofitablenesse the cursednesse and the perilousnesse thereof men could never quiet themselves in this estate were they not inconsiderate of the evill thereof A Travellor that is out of his way would never goe on therein did hee consider that every step he treades is one step further from his home did carnall man consider that every action of his removes him one step farther from God and Heaven and brings him one step nearer to Satan and damnation hee would never please himselfe in this estate inconsideration makes way to all evill the Lord having mentioned the great impieties of Israel layeth downe this as the ground therof They are a Nation saith the Lord void of counsell neither is there any understanding in them O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end they doe not consider how they are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity in the thraldome of Satan under the wrath of God in the state of damnation subject to a thousand easelesse and endlesse woes and miseries did men consider this they would awake out of their sleepe and stand up from the dead that Christ might give them light They would with David consider their waies and turne unto the testimonies of the Lord. 5. Addresse your selves to Christ by faithfull and fervent Prayer the Gibeonites sent to Joshua and he rescued them from the Amoritish Princes We must send by prayer to Christ to rescue us from the Prince of darkenesse the woman of Shunâ—m came to the Prophet cast her selfe downe tooke hold of his feet would not let him goe and hee went with her and raised her dead child thus must we come to Christ cast our selves downe humble our selves under the hand of Christ lay hold on Christ and never let him goe that he may raise us from the death of sin to the life of grace CHAP. VII Perswading to thanksgiving for deliverance out of our naturall and corrupt estate LAstly this ministers matter and occasion of great praise and thanksgiving to all them whom Christ hath delivered out of their corrupt and carnall estate and translated into the state of grace and holinesse Of all deliverances deliverance from sinne is the greatest the sweetest the choisest A deliverance of the greatest cost other deliverances are wrought by the power of God this is a deliverance wrought not onely by the power of God but also by the bloud of God by the bloud of Christ who is God and Man in one person Feed saith Saint Paul to the Bishops the Ministers of Ephesus the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud Give thanks saith the Apostle unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light who hath delivered us from the power of darknes and translated us into the Kingdom of his deare Son in whom we have redemption through his bloud the deliverance of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt and the captivity of Babylon the deliverance of Ieremy out of the dungâ—on of Peter out of Herods prison of Ionah out of the belly of the Whale or the three children out of the fiery furnace or whatsoever deliverance else you can mention cost not God so much as the deliverance of man from sinne for this God gave his owne his onely Sonne This is a deliverance which argues more of Gods love to man then all the deliverances which God hath wrought besides for man Therefore of this the Evangelist saith God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne And Christ saith Saint Paul loved the Church and gave himselfe for it This is a deliverance from greater evils
spirituall liberty and freedome a liberty of grace whereby the whole man is set free from the command and servitude of all sin the understanding is free from ignorance able to know God as a Father with a cleare and comfortable submissive and affective knowledge the will is free from perversenesse able readily and freely fully and sincerely to intend God and his glory the imagination is free from vanity able with much joy to meditate and thinke upon God the affections are free from base feare carnall confidence worldly love and fleshly joy able to scare God filially to trust on God soly to love God unfainedly and to rejoyce in God spiritually the whole man bent and disposed to run the way of Gods commandements as the Sun rejoyceth to run his race and as the Rivers flow towards the Sea this the Psalmist cals an inlargement of the heart to run the way of Gods Commandements and this he mentions as a fruit of the inscription of the Law in his heart Thy Law ô Lord saith he is in my heart and I delight to doe thy will Mans assurance of being within Gods Covenant is sutable to his free and ready disposition in observing Gods precept 5. A fift benefit comprised under the Covenant ministring assurance of mans interest in it is perseverance in the state of grace daily growth in the gifts of the Spirit and a stedfast striving to more perfection I will make an everlasting Covenant with them saith God and I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me they shall not depart from the knowledge of my truth to errour from the faith of my promises to infidelity from the wayes of my Commandements to by and wandring paths from the love of me and my testimonies to the love of earthly vanities God ever preserves in the state of grace whom he receives into the Covenant of grace he that is in covenant with God abides with God as the wife with the husband he follows the Lord fully with Caleb he is with God in every estate in all changes as Ittai resolved to be with David both in life and in death the longer he is in Gods Covenant the more beauty he discernes in God the more sweetnesse he finds in the Word of God the more pleasure he takes in the service of God the more comfortable communion he gaines with God and the more plentifull and soule-ravishing receivings of grace love and peace he hath from God and therefore shines more and more like the light unto the perfect day growes stronger and stronger like the house of David He waits upon the Lord and renewes his strength he mounts up as the Eagles hee runnes and is not weary hee walkes on and doth not faint he goes from strength to strength untill he doth appeare before the Lord in Zion The carnall mans estrangement from the Covenant and his misery in being out of the Covenant ministers matter and occasion of labour and industry to every man to get into the Covenant to be partaker of it and to have assured interest in the benefits flowing from it as Noah entred into the Arke to be preserved from the deluge of waters so should wee enter into the Covenant of God that we may be preserved from the deluge of those miseries which attend and wait upon the breach of Gods precepts The men of Aegypt hearing of the fall of a grievous haile such as would destroy both man and beast Hee that feared the word of the Lord amongst them made his servants and his cattell flee into the house Men hearing of the hayle fire brimstone and horrible tempest which God will raine downe upon the wicked should hasten into this Covenant have sure interest in Gods free and gracious Promise that they may be hid from the Lords wrath And to the end we may have part in Gods Covenant 1. We must forsake our sinnes there must be warre against sin or there can be no peace with God Moses might not come nigh the burning bush untill hee had put off his shoes from his feet Because the ground where hee stood was holy ground Man cannot come nigh God enter into covenant with God unlesse the old-man his old lusts be put off because the Covenant of God is a holy Covenant a Covenant belonging onely to the godly Godlinesse having the promise of this life and of the life to come Joseph shaved himselfe and changed his raiment and then he came to Pharaoh and Pharaoh tooke him to himselfe and made many honourable Promises to him man must shave himself remove the ignorance and errour of his understanding and change his raiment Put off the old-man which is corrupt according to divers lusts and put on the new man which is renewed in holinesse and true righteousnesse according to Gods image and then come nigh tâ—ed and partake of all Gods gracious promises according to that of the Lord by the Prophet wash you make you cleane put away the evill of your wayes cease to doe evill learne to doe well and then come ye and we will reckon together and though your sinnes were as red as scarlet yet will I make you white as snow I will deale mercifully with you be reconciled to you forgive your sinnes and receive you into my Covenant of peace The more the soule is emptied of sin the more capable it is of Gods Covenant the more assured of interest in it Hee that holds fast his sinne cannot lay hold upon the Covenant of God hee that gives not a bill of divorce to his lusts is uncapable of weddlocke with Christ 2. We must forsake our selves we must deny our selves cease from our owne wisdome as from a blind guide from our owne strength as from a withered reed from our owne righteousnesse as from a rotten ragg and from our owne ends as from low and base marks Thus must wee deny our selves or we can be no Disciples of Christ no partakers of the mercies of God in him Such as entered into Covenant with David were in debt in distresse and discontent He that will enter into Covenant with God must see his debt bee sensible of his sinne feele the distresse and anguish of his soule and be very much discontented with his corrupt and carnall estate God communicates his mercies to them that are sensible of their miseries the Lord loves them that are out of love with themselves he esteemes them that loath their own wayes whom doth Christ invite and call but the heavy laden Such as are sensible and weary of their sins as of a heavy burthen to whom is Christ sent with tydings of comfort but to the broken hearted When Ephraim repented smote upon his thigh and was confounded then the Lord remembered him then he was deare and pleasant to him then hee said I will surely have mercy upon him then he proposed and set before him the Covenant of Salvation in Christ
abased shall you be in your owne eye able to say with the Prophet Woe is me J am undone I am a man of uncleane lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hoasts 2. The more ashamed shall you be of your former loosenes smiting with Ephraim upon your thigh ashamed and confounded for the reproach of your youth the more ashamed shall you be of your present uncleannesse abhorring your selfe with Iob below the dust and ashes 3. The more powerfull shall you be in the suppression of all sinne in the repelling of every temptation able to say with Joseph how shall I doe this evill and sinne against God 4. The more fervent and reverent shall you be in your hearing prayer and supplication standing with Cornelius as before the Lord in hearing his messenger and praying like Paul with the understanding and with the spirit 5. The more diligent and industrious shall you be in Gods service knowing the terrour of the Lord running like the Sunne the race which God hath set before you serving the Lord with feare and trembling doing the will of God from the heart 6. The more gracious shall you be in all your speeches speaking the words of God and as in the fight of God 7. The more circumspect shall you be in your carriage being all the day long in the feare of God and walking with God as Enoch and Noah did 8. The more couragious and undaunted shall you be in all difficulties and oppositions made against you not afraid of the many thousands that set themselves against you remembring and apprehending as Ezekiah did that God is with you a present help in trouble for you 9. The more shall you in a holy manner sleight and undervalue all the glory dignity wealth and fulnesse of the world having with you and within you that God who in your eye and apprehension transcends the world more then the most orient pearle the bafest drosse the choisest Paradise the most loathsome prison or the brightest Sunne the rotten glocworme 10. The more easily fully freely joyfully and permanently shall your hearts and thoughts come off from the creature from your selfe and from every thing here below as the eye comes gladly from the candle to the Sun upon the appearing and apprehension of the same as the Bride comes gladly from her owne people and her fathers house to her most honourable amiable and lovely Bridegroome or as the Prodigall came readily from the Swine and the huskes to his Fathers house where he apprehended fulnesse of bread 11. The more patient shall you be in all trouble apprehending God as a Father in love chastising you as a Physician launcing you and as a Refiner purging you you shall say with old Eli It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 12. The more content shall you be in every condition contentedly able with Job to receive the evill of affliction as well as the good of peace at the hands of the Lord the apprehension of Gods presence with you shall satisfie and quiet you when every other thing is taken from you the apprehension of this shall powerfully and sweetly dispose you to quiet your selfe in the will of God humbly and readily to submit your selfe to the hand of God thankfully to take that portion which God giveth you assuring your selfe it is that which God in his wisedome seeth best for you Thrice blessed is that person who hath this apprehension of God still ruling and affecting him setledly dwelling and working within him there is nothing more availeable to keep the soule of man in a holy frame and disposition then the sence and feeling of Gods ever being present with him Secondly this should also move man to labour for infallible and sure interest in God It is the misery of man to be without God the happinesse of man to have God for his God to be able to say with Thomas My God and my Lord and in all estates to cry with David O Lord thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living It is mans having of God that makes the meditation of God sweet and comfortable to man What doth the shining of the Sunne advantage man if his eye receive not the light thereof What doth plenty of water in the well benefit the thirsty if he neither draw nor drinke of it What did fulnesse of bread in his Fathers house profit the prodigall sonne living among the swine and ready to starve with lacke of broad What doth it availe the soule that God is an eternall an Almighty an Al-seeing an alsufficient God if he live like the swine and feed upon the huskes of the world and come not unto God have no interest in God no taste no sence no feeling of the goodnesse of this God he must starve dye perish and be damned without God The charge therefore given to the children in Salomon concerning wisedome let me give to you concerning God Get God get the Lord forget him not neither decline from the words of his mouth forsake him not and he shall preserve thee love him and he shall keep thee God is the principall thing therfore got God and withall thy getting get the Lord. The gaine of all is losse without God the losse of all is gaine with God have all the power of the world without God thou art weake have all the wealth of the earth without God thou art poore have all the learning art and policye of men and Devils without God thou art foolish blinde and ignorant have all the honours of Nobles Kings and Emperours without God thou art base have all the beauty of the comeliest creatures without God thou art ugly loathsome and monstrous have all worldly and fleshly joyes and pleasures without God thy soule is in a condition of torments have all the liberties immunities and prerogatives of the freest Cities States and Kingdomes yet without God thou art in the most dishonourable slavish and basest bondage have God and though thou hast nothing else thou hast the strongest rocke to support thee the brightest Sun to guide thee the noblest crowne to honour thee the choisest pearle to enrich thee the fullest fountaine to fill thee the sweetest Paradise to solace and delight thee even God himself to be all in all in stead of all and ten thousand times more then all for ever unto thee * ⎠* FINIS A Table of the chiefe things contained in this Treatise on Psal 118. v 26. CHAP. I. AN Illustration of Christs comming and entertainment and opening the words Pag. 1. Note 1. Christ comming proves most ioyfull to them that savingly receive and entertaine him p. 4. Note 2. Man hath greatest cause of all creatures to reioyce in and for the comming of Christ Jesus ibid. Note 3. Whosoever truly reioyceth in Christ doth also wish well to the Cause and Kingdome of Christ p. 5.