the strength of the arm will take away that though the bias be never so strong as long as the strength of the arm lasts the bias goeth according to the strength of the arm when the strength of the arm is gone then the bias begins to sway it So if a man have strength it will swallow up the bias of temptations but when a man hath no strength then the bias of temptations carries him away then the world bows him then pleasure and his natural inclination sways him this way and that way whereas if a man had strength he might resist temptations 1 Cor. 15. 58. be stedfast and unmoveable abounding in the work of the Lord that is if you were strong you would be unmoveable and abound in the work of the Lord all the world could not withdraw you from the work of the Lord for all temptations you would abound in good things what inâ—inite need have we to resist temptations none of us can arrive at heaven unless we be able to go through thick and thin and a world of temptations blessed is the man that endures temptations he shall have enough of them and happy is the man that can endure them and overcome them if we be not strong if we have not this spiritual might what shall become of us if we have not strong love to the truth we shall be hooked away from it if we have not strong love to obedience we shall be disobedient if we have not strong love to the wayes of God we shall be pulled away from them by force of temptations Fourthly Without strength if we should chance to fall we cannot get 4. Reas James 3. 2. up again what man is there that falls not in many things we offend all how often doth the godly man fall into sin through weakness and infirmity and ignorance and sometimes in a worse manner now if he have spiritual strength in him then he may rise up again if he hath a strong relation to God in Jesus Christ that cannot be broken then he may get up again as the body if it hath abundance of sores and blains and divers diseases and distempers upon it yet as long as the strength of nature lasts it may work them out again if you give this man Physick as long as the strength of nature lasts Physick may do him good but if the strength of nature be gone the disease will overcome him it will be his death so it is with a Christian as long as there is any spiritual strength in him it will work out corruption if a man have strong relation to God strong interest in Christ strong apprehension of the evil of sin and of the goodness of Gods wayes strong fear of God and a strong judgement these will work out any sin and corruption but if he hath not these he can never get up again as the Apostle saith Heb. 12. 12 13. lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and make strait paths for your feet c. as who should say if you will strengthen your feeble knees then though they be lame they will rather be healed then turned out of the way but if you let your feeble knees be weak still then if you have any lameness or any distemper you will be turned out of the way but if you strengthen your feeble knees when you have been lame and have any distemper you will rather be healed then turned out of the way You shall see when Israel were without the true God and were distempered they were Idolators and all manner of wickedness was grown upon them now when God would have Asa purge out these abuses see how he calls upon him 2 Chron. 15. 7. be strong c. now in the words following we may see Asa did strengthen himself and reformed all the abuses and set up the worship of God and went on admirably in that work now he had gotten strength Lastly If we have not strength we can never do any thing God bids us 5. Reas with ease but if we have strength we may not only do what God bids us but do it with ease as when a man hath a strong memory he can get two or three leafes by heart with ease he hath it presently another that hath a weak memory will be conning and conning it I know not how long and as fast as he remembers one thing he forgets another he hath much ado to get it so if a man have a strong judgement and understanding though he meet with an hard word or passage he will understand it and pick out the meaning whereas one of a weak understanding may be studying all the dayes of his life and yet never apprehend it so when a man hath got spiritual strength he can do what God bids him do and leave what God bids him leave with ease he may pray and humble and deny himself with ease and lay those lusts aside which before he had as live have parted with his blood as parted with them when a man is strong in his love to God and strong in the consideration of Gods goodness and mercy he can do these things with ease my yoak is easie saith Christ and my burthen is Matth. 11. 30. light whereas to a natural man it is the heaviest yoak and burthen in the world for a man to be tied to abstain from all vanity from all vile passions and inordinate affections from all sinful pleasures and covetous desires it is a burthen intollerable for a natural man it is because of his weakness but now a gracious heart that hath gotten spiritual strength can do it and do it with ease The first Use is to condemn those that have no strength at all that are Vse 1 not capable of this Exhortation we cannot say strengthen the good things that are in you because they have no good things in them at all they have nothing of saving grace and of the covenant of life wrought in themâ— they have nothing but the common graces that may be in a reprobate as Paul saith Rom. 8. 7. of the carnal mind it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be it cannot be subject there is no strength of grace there is strength enough but it is let out upon the world may be they have strong parts and gifts but there is no strength to this duty to be subject to the Law of God he is not able to do it as Christ saith of the corrupt Matth. 7. 18. tree it cannot bring forth good fruit it hath as much strength to suck from the earth and to bud and blossome and bring forth fruit and as much fruit as a good tree but it cannot bring forth good fruit so a natural man thinks as much and speaks as much and eats and drinks and sleeps as much as a godly man doth and goes about the business of his calling and hearts the word of God may
shall and will know God in Jesus Christ it puts in divine things into the soul whereby the soul must needs know him and come to him and be reconciled to him 1 Joh. 3. 9. he puts his own seed into him he that is borne of God sinneth not for the seed of God remaineth in him the Lord puts an holy kinde of ointment upon his eyes and makes him see and that abides in him 1 Joh. 2. 27. The holy anoynting which ye have received abideth in you Thirdly It is a continual call it is not a call and so away a call for a year Gods call is an effectual caâ—l and so an end but it is a continual call he never leaves calling of him till he comes home to him as 1 Thes 5. 24. Faithful is he that hath called you who will also do it as who should say he hath called you and doth call you and he is faithful and will do it he hath called you heretofore and made you come to him in truth and sincerity and he will still continue his call he will still do it more and more the Lord draws his people nearer and nearer to himself Now I will prove the Doctrine by divers particulars First Because a man then may be able to look back upon all his life even from Then a man may reflect on his life past his cradle to this day even before his call and see Gods love to him as Paul though he could not see it before yet when God had effectually called him he is able to look back upon all his former time and space he had lived even from his mothers womb Gal. 1. 15. Who hath seperated me saith he from my mothers wombe and called me by his grace and so it was with David I have been cast upon thee saith he even from my mothers belly Psal 22. 9 10. it is not likely that David was converted then but when God had effectually called him then he was able to go back all along even to his very infancy and trace Gods goodness towards him in this and that even to his very bringing him into the world Secondly This interests a man in all the promises of God 2 Pet. 1. 3. Who This interest a man in the promises hath given unto us all things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue if we know that God hath called us to glory and vertue then we know that God hath given us all things that pertaine to life and godliness to this life and the life to come we know it when God hath effectually called us we know that all the promises belong unto us as the Apostle speaks Acts 2. 39. For the promise is to you and to your children and to yours that are afar of even as many as the Lord our God shall call look how many God calls so many do the promises belong unto all the promises of mercy and grace and comfort of strength and direction and eternal redemption the compleat working of it all these promises from the first to the last they all belong to a man when God hath called him when the Lord effectually calls a man he takes him out of the world to have fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ and in whatsoever he hath done or suffered or purchased for his people Thirdly It doth sweeten all Gods promises to a man what is the reason we can hear such admirable things out of the Word and yet they affect people It sweetens the promises to a man generally for the most part no more then a dry chip though they hear of the promises of God what promises he hath made to his people to their Prayers to their hearing of the Word to their receiving of the Sacrament what promises he hath made in adversity and prosperity in sickness and in health in life and death when they sin through frailty what promises they have to help them up againe when they are to do any thing what promises to assist them and go along with them when they are called to any employment what promises to sustaine them and bear them out I say though all these things be delivered to people things that were sweeter to David then the hony and the hony combe Psal 119. 103. Yet generally people are not affected with these things the reason is because they are not able to say that God hath effectually called them therefore when they heare such things the heart cannot lay hold upon them they think with Francis Spera I have no part in these things they think 't is true they are so to Gods people but they think there is little comfort little sweetness in them because they cannot say that they are effectually called of God Fourthly If a man be effectually called this helps a man to pray Psal 119. 94. I am thine save me when David was able to say thou hast called me to be one of thine then he was able to pray to God Lord save me Lord help me It helps him to pray I am thine thou art my God when he was able to say that he had interest and propriety in God this did exceedingly help him and encourage him with boldness in prayer but when a man questions his effectual calling every petition a man puts up it is choaked a man cannot pray to God but he is beaten off there is no strength in such a prayer as soon as ever Paul was converted saith God to Ananias behold now he prayes Act. 9. 11. Paul had prayed a thousand times before no man in Judea prayed more then he but God took no notice of his prayers but when God had effectually called him by his grace now the Lord took notice of his prayers and observed them and heard them and regarded them and inclined his ear to them behold now he prayes Fifthly This is a great encouragement to all goodness in outward things Knowledge of our effectual calling a help to good actions it is a great encouragement to a man to take them in hand when he seeth he hath a calling thereunto Gideon was very earnest with the Angel that he might see he had a calling to that he was to go about Judg. 6. 11. So it is in this divine calling it is a great encouragement when a man can see that he is called true it is that every man is called but I speak not of the general calling but of the effectual call when a man can see that he is effectually called of God this helps a man in all good actions then a man may go to God as to â— Father he may go to the Sacrament as the seale of his righteousness and saith then a man may take Gods name into his mouth God challengeth the wicked for doing of it without his call Psal 50. 16. What hast thou to dâ— to take my name into thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be
is all that are born of God they are brought forth in the day of Gods power in the day wherein God is pleased to put forth his power in them therefore they are called the seed of Christ Isa 53. 10. They are his seed but unless he begets them by his Spirit they can never be so Therefore if we consider the greatness of the work it sheweth plainly it must needs be the effect of the Will of God and his good Pleasure towards man and therefore must be wrought by the Spirit Secondly Another Reason is Because it is not a work of this world It No other agent can do it is a work of another world it is none of the creatures of this life it is beyond the sphere of the activity of any natural agent they cannot reach it Joh. 1. 13. Which were born not of the will of the flesh nor of bloud c. It is not of mans Will he cannot so much as Will it or Desire it effectually he cannot wish it truly nay his heart had rather have the world nay saith he It is not of the Will of the Flesh that is a man may go and beget another Child in the world because it is of the Will of the Flesh it is in the power of the Will of the Flesh Gods power going along with him but this is not so whatsoever a man be though he hath never so many excellent parts it is not in the Will of the Flesh to do it Then again it is not of Bloud it is no terrene or earthly thing this new creature is otherwise made than any new creature in the world besides therefore he concludes it is only born of God it is God only that is the great Author of this great work it descends down meerly from above Thirdly Because it is so far from being wrought by any power Man is totally against it of himself in man or any counsel in man or any endeavours in man it is so far from that as that a man is totally against it A man is an enemy unto it a man hath reluctancy and repugnancy against it he would not be regenerate when a man doth think he desires heaven and to be regenerated of God he doth apprehend Regeneration in a wrong way and heaven in a wrong way so as he apprehends it he doth Will it he thinks of heaven as of a fine place and a place full of pleasure and therefore desires it but that he should alwayes be with God that he should alwayes be praysing and thinking of God and minding of God and have his heart weaned from all other things and set it on God this is heaven but he hates these things and so hates heaven so he Wills that which he apprehends to be Regeneration but Regeneration is when a man hath a new heart and when he is a new-man he was wordly before but he is now brought to be spiritual he was proud before but he is now come to be humble but the heart cannot abide this therefore let the Lord fling in abundance of throws into a natural mans heart to begin some preparatory work this way to make a man begin to look out towards heaven he flings all away he is weary of them quickly as a man at a Sermon perhaps may have throws concerning the new Birth but the corruption of his heart will throw all way he cannot endure them they are contrary to the corruption of a mans nature nay when God comes to work upon his own people what a deal of pleading is there with the world the flesh and the Divel that they may not be cast out Therefore when Peter saw that through the grace and power of God this work was wrought in those he wrote unto 1 Pet. 1. 3. Mark how he speaks Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead He lifts up his hands to heaven and blesseth God that ever this work was wrought he saw so much adoe and such a stir and such a deal of opposition this is a plain sign that it is not of man it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God which sheweth mercy Rom. 9. 16. Neither can man Will neither can he run neither go nor stir towards it nay though God make him go how apt is â—e to laggar in the way and draw back again So you see the Fourth Thing Why it must needs be the Spirits Work The Fifth Thing is How the Spirit of God works this Work It is after How the Spirit worketh Regeneration an unspeakable manner Who can declare the noble acts of the Lord The works of God in Nature are marvellous David himself when he looked upon his natural Birth the Conception of him in the Womb of his Mother he wondered at it Psal 139. 14. That was a wonderful work how much more is this unspeakable and unutterable As it is said of our Saviour Christ Who can declare his generations So may I say in a lower sense of this Work Who can declare this Regeneration of his people But yet thus far the Scripture doth authorize and warrant us to go First That he doth it by the word of Life By the Gospel of Salvation by the Preaching of it or otherwise according as he pleaseth that is the By the Word of Life immortal seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God c. And as Paul saith to the Coriâ—thians Though you have ten thousand and instructers yet you have not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4. 15. As who should say You are begotten and born again and you are born again by the Word and I was an instrument under God of your new Birth by the Word which I have Preached among you and therefore 1 Tim. 1. 2. he calls Timothy His own Son So Tit. 1. 4. he calls him His Son in the Faith that is he was an instrumental Father under God by the Doctrine of Faith to bring him to be a Child of God So that I say it is done by the Word Of his own Will hath he begotten 〈◊〉 by the Word of truth Jam. 1. 18. The Spirit of the Lord sanctifies the Word when he is pleased to convert a man the Word shall shew him what a miserable creature he is by nature it sheweth him that flesh and bloud cannot enter into the kingdom of God it sheweth him that he is utterly forlorn in himself and past all recovery and shews him where life is to be had namely in Jesus Christ discovering his worth and excellency and necessity and that all Grace and good is in him and shews him the freedom of this gracious offer Thus the Spirit of God when he
out of heart but have something to lay hold on as Paul speaks of his sins of being a persecutor and a blasphemer 1 Tim. 1. he saith it is recorded that I afterwards may be an help to them that shall believe and as the sins of Gods elect before conversion are recorded that this may be a means to perswade Gods elected not yet converted that they may find grace though they be never so vile sinners for God hath left a pattern and pledge he hath been merciful to hainous sinners so the fall of Gods Saints and children after conversion are recorded to this end and I can tell you in time of temptation when conscience shall be awakned and the wrath of God shall stick in a mans soul a man cannot spare any one sweet proposition in Scripture nor any one example in Scripture nor â—ny tittle of comfort it will be little enough to bear up the soul from despair and from being overwhelmed all will be little enough to assure the soul of Gods favour and that he can and will pardon such transgressors therefore I say look upon this doctrine it is for those that are dejected with their dead hearts that they may yet receive some comfort to their souls The last day I shewed you how far forth a child of God might be dead The deadness of a child of God amplified but some may say I cannot believe a child of God may come to this and thou art confident thou shall not come to this therefore I will speak a little further of it And first Let me tell you there is not the sowlest haynousest abominablest A child of God may fall into very foul sins the most notorious scandalous sin in the world but the most devout godly mortified man upon the face of the earth may fall into it if he take not heed except the sin against the holy Ghost I will instance in some particulars First For Idolatry gross Idolatry will you think that ever a child of God that believes in his name and is acquainted with his word and his goodness and mercy and his jealousie against this sin and iniquity should fall into it should fall down and worship a stock a stone a creature you will never believe it yet you shall see the wisest man that ever was and one that was beloved of God did fall into this sin in a great degree 1 Kings 11. 4 Solomons wives drew his heart away from God they drew away his heart from God in an high degree and they did not nakedly draw away his heart from God but they drew his heart after other gods If a man should say I hope I shall never fall into this sin I say let us hope so still and go on in using the means if we be so confident let us take heed that none of us come to bowe to the creature let our own hating and abominating of it be a watch-word to us to take heed Secondly What say you to apostacy nay almost totall apostacy that a child of God should grow to be an apostate which of you would think it that he should come to curse and bann himself if ever he knew Jesus Christ or loved him or ever did countenance him yet you may see a child of God and a notable one too fell in this fashion Peter he did curse and ban himself that he never knew the man Mark 14. 71. this is very far Thirdly What say you to persecution to persecute a man that is godly dost think that a man that hath the image of God in him that hath the knowledge of the Scripture that hath the fear of God before his eyes and a sympathy with all the Saints of God in the world that this man should ever persecute one that is godly and for his godliness too would you think this yet directly thus it is Asa a godly man for a fit as long as the time lasted when the Prophet reproved him for his sins and dealt roundly with him what was this but gracious dealing yet the man did not only not submit to the Prophets reproof but hiâ— very heart rose up against him and he cast him into prison he was a persecutor of him 2 Chro. 16. 10. in one word what enormous flagitious sin in the world is there but a child of God if he look not to himself may actually fall into but the sin unto death Noah a Preacher of righteousness the holiest man upon the earth the world had not his fellow yet he fell to be once drunk David a man after Gods own heart a man of admirable experience a man that traded as far in mortification in holiness and righteousness and walking with God and acquaintance with him and his Laws and promises as ever any Saint in the Old Testament yet he fell into the sin of murther and adultery yea to make a man drunk and that otherwise a good man too one of the worthiest of all the Kingdom you see this is clear there is no sin so desperate the sin against the holy Ghost excepted but a child of God may fall into it therefore he had not need to be carnally confident Secondly When a child of God hath fallen thus into some sowl sin he 2. A child of God may be hardned in sin may be much hardened wofully deaded and benummed and grow blockish and untoward to call upon God and go on in any of his waies become marvelously unfitted and indisposed to the use of Gods ordinances nay he may be grown to that pass that he should never rise up more but that for the infinite goodness of God that doth bring him again home and lift him up again by renewing his faith and his repentance you may see when Jehoshaphat had struck with Ahab and helped the ungodly and loved him 2 Chro. 19. that hated the Lord though he were smitten in the field and were like to have lost his life and saw what danger he was in for joyning with Ahab yet all this did not humble him the Lord sent after him by hue and cry rousing up his conscience by his Prophets if he had not done thus God knows how long he might have lain thus so David he found a deadness in all goodness when he had committed those foul sins he found no working of Gods blessed spirit his own spirit grew dull his own heart grew dead he was as if he had never known what grace meant create in me O Lord a new heart Psal 51. 10. his sin was like to a sweeping rain that leaves nothing like to a consumption that wastes all it was even like a Thief that breaks into a mans ware-house in the night and a man knows not what he hath lost till he casts up his accounts and then he seeth he hath lost almost all his estate so it is with the best of Gods servants if they give way to sin contrary to evangelical obedience God knows what a Thief
there is no man is dead but he that hath no care to look after Christ and desire him if we would have Christ if our hearts be open to him if we doe but desire him and long for him if we have but these groanes and outgoings in our souls oh that I had but Christ shed abroad in my heart if I had him I should have life and quickning if I had him I should have right and title to all Gods heavenly comforts if our hearts did but goe up and down longing after Christ this is the way to attain to quickning Isa 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. Come and ye shall have waters that shall never be dried up the want of faith is the cause of hardness of heart and of deadnesse as our Saviour Christ when he saw they were dead Matth. 16. he did upbraid them with unbeliefe if a man did but once believe if a man did but truly cast his soul upon God if he had but once his eyes opened to see the vanity of all other things to see the danger of sinne and iniquity the misery of all unregenerate people and to see the worth of Christ and the infinite goodnesse of God in Christ what an admirable pearl it is to enjoy him how it is better then life it selfe better then the whole world yea then thousands of worlds if a man did but see this and had his heart affected with this to be drawn to Christ and to have his heart and minde run after him to be possessed of him this is faith you that would know whether you have faith or no if you had all the faiths in the world you are infidels without this faith but if you have this faith you have true faith if you have a heart running after Christ minding him and longing for him and casting your soules upon him for all good accounting this your principal and total and main good and accordingly affecting this these are the works of faith and if you have these works you may be quickned believe in the Lord Jesus Christ set your hearts upon him and seek after him and you shall have all manner of good even life it self The second meanes is a careful learning of the Word of God preached Second means When the Corinâ—hians were marvellously blocked uâ— in their minds and hearts and were straightned in good things 2 Câ—r 6 12. mark what the Apostle saith v. 11. Our mâ—uth is â—pen to you c. as who should say in our Ministery there is abundance of grace abundance of life and largenesse of heart abundance of gracious things all manner of good things we bring with us in our Ministery peace and comfort and hope and all the promises of God and all the rich treasuâ—es of Jesus Christ we come with our armes full you are not straightned here but you are straightned in your 〈◊〉 bowels as who should say you may be enlarged sweetly by our Ministry wâ— deliver unto you abundance of grace and mercy and abundance of supply all those deadnesses and lockings up of heart in you would be healed by the Ministery of the Word so may I say if your hearts are locked up certainly it is for not taking what the Word offers if you would come hungerly and greedily to the Word of God with an heart desirous to be edified and instructed and to apply what the Word speaks to your souls certainly you shall here meet with abundance of grace and life for the Word is the Word of life and the Ministery of the Word is the Ministery of the Spirit of God and life so that the deadness of all people is meerly from their own bowels you are not straightned in us saith the Apostle no in thâ— Ministery of the Word is abundance of life The third meanes is A careful shunning of all those causes of deadness which we named formerly we must take heed of sin for if we give way to sinne it will dead the heart it will make a make a man shy of God and put a man to woful tasks and breâ—d loâ—hness to goe about duties it will make a man to have a guilty conscience and dead a man that way it will grieve the spirit of God and quench all the operations and sweet influences and gracious motions of the Spirit that the sweet livelinesse of his workings will be gone away if a man give way to sinne if he give way to the world or slackning in a godly course if a man give way to pride or vanity or any sin this will dead the heart a mans heart will presently be deaded if he give way to the Devil and to his temptations In particular you must take heed of niggardlinesse in Religion they that love quickning must labour for a frank and free spirit that will rather overdoe in Gods service then underdoe as long as a man hath a free heart he shall have a quickened heart therefore labour to preserve it doe as Philemon I knâ—w thou wilâ— dâ—e more than I say Paul knew he had a free spirit that if be commanded him a little he would doe more he would rather overdoe then underdoe our Saviour Christ calls for this free spirit Iâ— a man take thy coat give him thy cloak also rather overdoe then underdoe in any good thing have a free heart if God bid thee pray pray thrâ—e times five times a day rather then not often enough there be mâ—nâ— duties that God doth not set down how often and how frequent and hoâ— long now labour for a free spirit rather do twice as much then underdo Again Take heed of lownesse of Religion of taking up a low and base and mean kinde of Religion that will not reach the Kingdome of God there is a low kinde of Christianity that wil not be able to attain to salvation a low faith that doth not make a man to have his conversation in heaven a low repentance that reacheth not to mortification a low profession of Religion that comes not to the power of Godliness Prov. 15. 24. The way of life is above it is an high thing therefore take heed of low Religion for people think that any kinde of righteousness will serve turn if they have but a little Reformation and Religion they presently think this is godliness but let us take heed of this low Religion that will never do the deed Again We must take heed of want of Watchfulnesse we must set up a gracious and Christian watch in our hearts from day to day when the Lord had found fault with the Church of Sardis for being dead in the next words he bids them be watchful as who should say the want of this watchfulness and looking to your selves and having a care over your thoughts and aâ—fections lest you should be drawn aside the neglect of this is the cause of all deadness Again We must take heed of vanity as David saith Psal 119.
sin therefore though when we resist occasions and temptations of sin we are able to abstain and contain our selves yet because we are not perfectly weaned if we give way to occasions we lose all when we will rashly venture upon the occasions of evil we lose our strength therefore saith David Psal 101. 3. I will set no evil thing before mine eyes as he would not do it so he would not have it in his sight every man is privy to himself and may know what thoughts what desires what appearances what customs what speeches are occasions of evil to him he might know what doth occasion him to sin may be he had not committed sin but for this or that now when a man shall give way to these occasions and not stand upon his guard this loseth all a mans strength as Saul he was privy to himself how testy and furious he was and if he had any instrument of fury in his hand he had no power over himself yet he would ever be with his javelin in his hand when he was in the field or in the house still he had his javelin in his hand now you may see what mischief he exposed himself unto he flung it twice at David and a third time at his own son Jonathan if he had been careful not to have given way to the occasions of sin knowing how weak he was and that he had not command over himself he might have escaped this a man that is furious had not need alwayes to have a sword about him a man had need shun all the occasions of evil Joseph was a strong man how can I do this wickedness c. all the temptations of his Mistriss could not allure him what was the cause of this he would not hearken to his Mistris nor be with her Gen. 39. What made Achan to be so weak he must needs take the Babylonish garment and the wedge of gold he gave way to the occasion I looked upon it saith he he being privy to his own covetous heart should have been shy of giving any occasion to the flesh but he giving way to the Josh 7. 21. occasion was weak and not able to stand Fourthly We should never go up and down without a constant continual purpose to please God when we first rise in the morning we should think with our selves well I purpose to take heed of sin this day so when I am at dinner I will take heed that I let not the remembrance of God go out of my mind I will have fresh thoughts of him while I am at board as it is said of Daniel he purposed not to defile himself with the Kings meat So when we go into the fields we should think with our selves I purpose God Dan. 1. 8. willing to beware that I may not come home with a guilty conscience do things that may be to my shame and wounding another day when we are to come among wicked people we should resolve before we come I will let fall nothing to dishonour God thus if we would go armed up and down we should go strongly if we would make serious resolutions to cleave to God and not to do evil this would strengthen us now when temptations meet us unresolved we are not able to put them off Fifthly We should frequent the Ordinances of God First We should be careful of hearing the word of God in a godly manner Strength and beauty are in his Sanctuary Psal 96. 6. there is strength to be had in Gods house in Gods courts his Word and Ordinances are the food of the soul that as bread strengthens a mans body so this spiritual bread of life strengthens a mans soul So again For prayer to go to God in prayer that would strengthen us Prov. 18. 10. So the Sacraments they are a means to strengthen us to go to the Lords Table with hunger and thirst and serious consideration of our own unworthiness and of our need and with true faith unto it the Lords Supper is a means to strengthen as it is noted in the primitive Church Acts 2. 42. so again for meditations if we would meditate of the things we hear of Gods word and his blessings and judgement and warning we have from day to day if we would digest these things and chew them from day to day they would yield a great deal of nourishment unto us as David saith Blessed is the man whose meditations are in Gods Law he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers side and his leafe shall not wither Psal 1. 2 3. that man shall flourish like a green bay tree So for holy conference that is a great means to strengthen all good things as those good people when the times were bad mark how they strengthned themselves that they might not be infected with evil they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Mal. 3. 16. Sixthly We should put forth our selves to the utmost in good duties it is our lazinesse and idleness that we are not more able to do good and that we are so frail and infirm to do any thing that is of God if we would take pains and put forth our selves we should be strong and indeed what is strength but taking of pains when a man puts forth himself as Eccles 10. 10. that is a man must take the more pains the more pains a man takes the more strength he puts forth there is no creature that God hath made besides man but doth act to its utmost strength the fire burns as much as ever it can and the light shines as much as ever it can and the stone goes down as low as ever it can every creature works as far as it can but now man he can limit his strength because he hath reason and will and according as he sees a thing more or less necessary according as he sees it easier or harder to be attained accordingly he lessens or puts forth his strength and it is great reason that God should give man power to limit his strength for he is to deal with the creature as well as with the Creator and if he should love and seek the creature as much as ever he can this were Idolatry therefore the Lord hath given a man power to limit his strength not to let out all his love or fear upon any thing here below but yet God doth not give a man that power to limit his strength and the exercise of it towards his Maker but he should let out all towards God as David saith let all that is within wee praise the Lord he opens his floodgates wide and le ts out all towards Psal 103. God Seventhly Consider that all received strength is worth nothing unlesse God give us new supply wherefore are true Christians weak at any time but because they think thus I had true grace in the morning and an hour ago I had the fear of God and the hatred of sin and
how hath God blessed me since how hath he assisted me and lifted me over many rubs and temptations I will have a care of this therefore afterwards this would strengthen a man wonderfully but for want of this people get little good Eighthly Because Christians do not rowse and stir up the Sacraments that they have partaked of formerly they do not provoke their souls to extort the efficacy and fruit of former Sacraments when Moses had perceived that all Israel had entered into Covenant with God he rowseth up their hearts to look upon this Covenant Deut. 26. 17 18 19. Then hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God c. As who should say you have entered into covenant with God this very day now rowse up your selves and and consider what God hath done this very God hath promised you to set you up above all Nations then stir up your selves and believe God and say Why should I distrust God certainly he will blesse me and do good to me and this day thou hast vowed thy self to God therefore rowse up thy self and think there is no going back I have made a covenant and taken the Sacrament upon it and now there is no going back as Luther speaks of a good Virgin she was marvellously tempted by her lusts and corruptions she helped herself by the covenant I am a Christian and am baptized I have taken the Sacrament upon it and will not yield and this did marvellously help her but when Christians neglect this no marvel though they continue weak still nay most people though they have been at the Sacrament make no conscience of their vows to God they break covenant with God therefore no marvel they get no good by the Sacrament REV. 3. 2. Be watchful therefore and strengthen the things which remain c. STrengthen the things which remain As who should say thou hast some grace in thee but what grace nothing but the remainder of a great deal more thou hast had formerly thou hast been more earnest and more fruitful and hast abounded in the work of the Lord thou hast had more a great deal thou art horribly grown down the wind thou hast nothing but the remainders of what thou hadst therefore it is high time for thee to go and strengthen the things that remain Now here by the way before we come to the main point we may observe A child of God cannot fall from grace That a child of God cannot fall totally away there will be ever something that remains though he may lose much of his good graces he cannot lose all though Sardis was brought to a low ebbe yet there was something remaining I say a child of God can never come to such a low pass but he shall have something remaining he may have horrible declinings and woful decayings of grace but he can never come to this passe to have no grace no faith no love to God no caâ—e of his name to be a wicked man again there will be something remaining in him that is good as we may see 1 Jâ—hn 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God sinneth not for the seed of God remâ—ineth in him a child of God that is born of God cannot sin that is he cannot absolutely and totally fall away there will be good things in him as long as he lives there will be a seed remaining in him for ever he can never be a bankrupt and come to nothing he shall be a godly man and a child of God and one that fears Gods name for ever he cannot lose all though he lose much as it is said of Jâ—hoshaphat though he yielded much to sin and gave way to the lusts of his own heart in an horrible manner yet there was something remaining in him though he had greatly dishonoured God and distempered his own soul so far forth as to love the ungodly and to help those that were the enemies of God yet saith the Text there are good things sound in thee he was not quite deprived of all the graces of Gods 2 Chron. 19. 2. 3. Mat. 25. blessed spirit but there were good things in him still so the five wise Virgins though they slumbred and slept and were exceeding secure yet their lamps were not gone out I may compare a Christian to a cup of right Canarie Wine that no frost in the world can quite freeze it may freeze it very much but yet there will be some spirits of the Wine remaining unfrozâ—n so godly men are an everlasting foundation all cannot possibly be spent and consumed in them they shall have something remaining in them Now I will tell you First What is not the reason of this Secondly What is the reason of it First Not any thing in himself it is not any grace received in it self it 1. What not the Reason is nothing in thee no not the image of God in thee nor any holiness nor mortification there is nothing in him keeps him from falling away for let a man have all the grace that ever any man had he may fall totally for all that nay if he were as holy inherently as Adam in his innocency he may fall away totally nay if he were as holy as the Angels in Heaven and were in the same estate that the Angels in Heaven are they are not immutable in their own nature therefore that they are confirmed in grace it is Gods goodness and mercy to them it is nothing in themselves those Angels that do stand may fall notwithstanding any thing that is in them no grace received will keep a man from falling totally away if he have not the fountain and the favour of God to keep him if he have not a better bottom then himself intrinsecal unchangableness is only a property of the Lord Mal. 3. 6. All creatures may change if they had a thousand times more of the image of God yet they may change and fall and lose all notwithstanding any thing they have received it is nothing in a mans self Now I will make this appear that it is not any thing in a mans self First Because the godliest man in the world is bid to look upon himself Evid as one that may fall absolutely into any sin in the world in himself for all the love he hath of God he may yet hate him for all the fear he hath of God he may yet slight him a child of God is commanded to look upon himself as left to himself to be in a woful case that he may fall finally and totally away to be nothing and worse then nothing as the Apostle saith Gal. 6. 1. if a man be overtaken in a fault ye that are spiritual restore such a man knowing that ye your selves also may be tempted that is consider it may be thy case thou mayst be tempted to fall as well as he and worse too you that are spiritual though you be never so spiritual though your minds be never so
in the sight of men for that is nothing but perfect in the sight of God before God Fourthly That the Lord Jesus searcheth whither they be so or no. Fifthly Upon due search he finds it out many times not onely in particular persons but in particular Churches as we see here in the Church of Sardis that their works are not so For the first of these That the second Covenant requires works we see Observat 1. The second Covenant requires works here that the Lord Jesus looks for works in the Church of Sardis that were in covenant with him 't is true there is this difference between the two Covenants the first covenant requires works as the condition of it He that doth them shall live in them Gal. 3. 12. The doers of the Law shall be blessed Rom. 2. 13. Therefore it is called the covenant of works and that in two senses First In that works are the condition of it Secondly In that it is left unto man God gives onely a power not to sin if so be that man will but he doth not give the will Now the second covenant is not a covenant of works the condition of it is not works but the condition of it is faith The just shall live by faith Rom. 1. 17. Therefore it is called a covenant of grace and that in two respects opposite to the former not onely in regard that these works are done by another and so nothing is required of the party justified but onely faith for his justification but also because though the covenant of grace require works yet God doth not expect a man should doe any thing of himself but it is by grace we are saved by grace through faith and not of our selves it is the gift of God I say the second covenant is a covenant of grace and yet it requires works And works are here necessary First by necessity of presence for though faith be the condition yet it is such a faith as hath necessarily good works together present with it as the Apostle speaks Faith if it have not works is dead Jam. 2. 17. Good works they are inseparably joyned together with true faith for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also not as though works were the essential forme of true faith but the nature of faith if it be true is such as doth necessarily cause good works to accompany with it They are necessary by necessity of inseparable effects good works are not onely present together with faith but they are so present as that they doe flow from faith God hath required such a faith in the covenant of grace as doth produce good works they are not onely inseparable from faith but thus inseparable that true faith must needs produce them He that hath this hope purifies himselfe as he is pure 1 John 3. 3. That is He that hath this faith he sets down faith by the effect hope and sets it down by another effect it must needs purifie it makes that man purifie himself as Christ is pure So Christ having exhorted them to believe having raised up their minds to believe the things that are above Lay up your treasure in Heaven Mat. 6. 20. in the next verse he shews this will have the effect of all manner of good works For where your treasure is there will your hearts be also it will draw up your hearts and make you heavenly-minded and make you seek the things that are above where your treasure is there will your hearts be also So likewise we may see Heb. 11. thorow the whole chapter what abundance of effects are set down of true saving faith By faith Abel offered sacrifice to God By faith Noah being warned of God obeyed God and did the things that God commanded verse 7. And so by faith Abraham when he was called yielded to God So by faith believers wrought righteousness and did wonderfull things subdued Kingdomes c. They were able to work wonderful effects so that when a man hath not works when he doth not obey God through the power of faith he hath not faith it self Thirdly Good works are necessary by necessity of signs they are not only to be in a Believer as effects but as proofs of his faith â—or a man must justifie his faith by his works they are signes and proofs whereby he may know whether his faith be true and of the right stamp oâ— no for if a mans faith be a lively faith a faith that doth justifie though in the act of justiâ—ication it be alone yet in existency it is not alone but it hath good â—orks together with it as signs and marks of the same as 1 John 1. 6. If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and 〈◊〉 not the truth Hereby we may know that we are deceived we may think we have saith and so fellowship together with him yet if we walk in darknesse we may know we lye for this could not be if we had fellowship with God So 1 John 2. 4. He that saâ— I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar If a man should once think that he knows God with the knowledge of faith and yet keeps not the commandements of God by this very thing he may know that he is a lyar Hereby shall all men know ye are my discâ—ples if ye love me 〈◊〉 or saith Christ and as it is a sign to others so it is a sign to a mans own self Herâ—by we know that we are passed from death to life it we loveth Brethren He sets down one good work in stead of all other if we bring forth the works of new obedience and if our hearts be purgâ—d of God iâ— we bring forth the fruits of holiness this is a signe we have faith for faith makes a man to choose God for his God and raises a man up to see him to be the chiefest good of all and to see all happiness in him and a supply of all the good we need in him and so it makes a man to love God and by love to doe the works of God Fourthly Good works are necessary also by necessity of commandement not onely to be effects and signes of faith but they are also such things as are commanded of God God hath commanded good works that we should walk in all holiness of conversation to be holy as he is holy that we should be holy in our carriages and behaviour Tit. 3. 8. The same God that commands us to believe commands us to maintain good works as we may see there we sâ—e that Ministers are to urge people and maintaine it against all gainsayers that there is a necessity of good works and that the Lord will have us to go on in them for faith through the Object of it as it justifies is the promise of God in Christ for forgiveness of sins yet faith in it selfe looks upon the whole
word of God and looks whatsoever it seeth joyned together by that it joynes together of it self as the Promises and Commandements are bound together by an inviolable knot so faith joynes them together it cannot take the promises of God but it must take the commandements of God also faith looks upon God and as it seeth him to be gracious whereby it comes to have faith to rely upon him so also it seeth him to be holy a God that is severe against sin and hateth unrighteousness so that it is necessary that works be together with faith for the commandement and nature of God require it Fifthly They are necessary also by necessity of end for God hath ordained his people to this end that they should bring forth good works Eph. 2. 10. We are his workmanship created in Christ to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them We are created in Christ Jesus not onely that we should be saved but that we should bring forth good works Now good works are necessary by necessity of end in divers respects First to this end To glorifie God in the world Let your light so shine before men c. Matth. 5. 16. So 1 Pet. 2. 12. the Apostle saith Having our conversation honest amongst the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers c. For when a Christian that professeth he believes in God and Jesus Christ is plentiful in all manner of good works this stops the mouth of all gainsayers You know Piety and Religion is hated in the world the Gospel finds opposition among men Now when those that are Professors are loose and licentious in their lives this opens their mouths against the truth but when our lives and conversations hold forth Jesus Christ as we take up the profession of his holy name so they are agreeable to his will they are just and holy and righteous and good this makes men think in their conscience this is of God this stops their mouths that they cannot rail at the Gospel Secondly They are necessary to doe good to others and convert others as the Apostle instanceth in women that believe if they be zealous of good works if they be chast and humble and meek and discreet by this means they may be instruments to convert their husbands that believe not 1 Pet. 3. The Lord looks that his people all that believe in him should be fruitful in good works that they may winne and gaine others to the faith Thirdly Another end is to purifie our selves for it is vertue that must throw out vice we are all borne by nature filthy and unclean and full of noysome lusts and the way to expel these is by the contrary vertues 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing you have purified your soules by obeying the truth Fourthly Another end is to qualifie us for Heaven we cannot be qualified for the Kingdome of heaven unless we be holy and godly in Christ Jesus except we have our conversations honest as becometh Saints for though it be faith that entitles a man to the Kingdome of Heaven and gives a man right to the Kingdome of God yet holinesse and conformity to the minde of God and the image of God is that which doth fit and qualifie a man for to enter into the Kindome of God as Christ saith Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you can in no wise enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Though it be true we are saved by grace and so good works have no causality no proper efficiency in our salvation yet notwithstanding they are a cause sine qua non without them there can be no salvation we cannot enter into Gods Kingdome except we be humble and meek and lowly except we fear God and be according to his minde in all things in some measure we cannot enter into his Kingdom Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God A man cannot be admitted to the Beatifical Vision of God except he be pure in heart and he cannot enjoy the Kingdome of grace neither here unless he be pure in heart Rev. 21. 27. Without holiness aâ— man shall see the Lord Heb. 13. It is impossible we should enter into Gods Kingdome by having actual possession of it except we be holy and fitted for it as the Apostle saith Col. 1. 12. It is impossible that drunkards and unclean persons should have society with the blessed Trinity with the eternal God with the Spirit of holinesse to dwell with them for evermore we must be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Fifthly To proportion our Reward for though we are saved only by grace yet God doth proportion our reward according to the multitude and zeal and fervency of our good works for Gods Covenant is a remunerating Covenant for mercy doth not consist only in the pardoning of a man but also in the sanctifying of a man and the inclining of a mans heart to new obedience that there may be remuneration for though God doth not reward people for their works yet according to their works he doth 2 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly c. Though a man be a Believer and a godly man if he be sparing in his godliness he shall fare accordingly and if he be abundant in the work of the Lord he shall reap abundantly for as there are differences and degrees of torments to the wicked so there be degrees in the Kingdom of God and in glory and the Lord doth reward his people according to their works Lastly Good works are necessary by necessity of thankfulness it is necessary that we having received the forgiveness of our sins and God being pleased to be our God and to deliver us from the wrath to come and the power of Satan that we should be thankful for these mercies as David saith Psal 118. 19. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts and be thankeful Col. 1. 15. When David had considered what the Lord had done for his soul saith he what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits as soon as ever God hath been good to a man to open his eyes to let him see his damned estate and condition and to let him have hope and comfort and encouragement in him concerning deliverance from it and bestowing upon him his heavenly Kingdom and glory it cannot be but the soul must be thankful what shall I do unto the Lord for all his benefits you know there is nothing that we can do back again for these benefits except we will praise and glorifie him by living unto him and not unto our selves therefore when the Psalmist had reckoned up the benefits of God to Israel Psal 105. 46. he concludes that they may keep his statutes and observe his Laws First Here we see how horribly the Papists wrong us when they say we Vse 1 do not teach people
good works and therefore nickname us and call us Solifidiaâ—s whereas we maintain a necessity of them and as great a necessity of them as they only we beat down the merit of them that no man may think to be saved by works as a reverend Divine Mr. Carter said we teach people holiness and righteousness and good works as if there were no way to be saved but by good works and again we teach that there must be as much hanging upon the grace of God as if we could shew no more to be saved then the vilest drunkard or adulterer all our righteousness is as a menstruous cloth and it is Gods mercy that any of us have an heart to do good you see how the world runs after their hearts lusts and every man is of this disposition and it is Gods grace and mercy to incline any mans heart to walk in that way that tends to his heavenly Kingdom and if God should not be infinitely gracious to pardon us for our best doings they would rise up in judgement against us God might condemn us for all our prayert and performances Secondly This teacheth Ministers how to preach to people to call upon Vse 2 them that they have an operative faith not only to believe but to have a faith that may be fruitful and make their lives nâ—t to barren in obedience and to be abundant in the works of the Lord and to serve him and fear him and glorifie him in the world as the Apostle having shewed how Christ gave himself for us to purchase to himself a people zealous of good works saith he these things speak Tit. 2. 14 15. We must speak these things and rebuke our hearers with all authority rebuke evil workers and tell them they turn the grace of Christ into wantonness they trample the blood of the Covenant under their feet and kick at the spirit of grace and misconstrue the meaning of the Covenant of God in Christ and rend themselves off that they cannot enter into life for no man without holiness shall see God Ministers should tell people plainly and affirm constantly that unless they bring forth good fruit they shall be cast into the fire and that without holiness they cannot have license and dispensation to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven for God is an holy God and our faith is an holy faith and the promises are made to none but those that lead an holy and a godly life we must preach these things and reprove with all Authority and let people know that are loose Christians and Hell-hounds that if they do not depart from iniquity they shall see God as a Judge to condemn them for evermore Thirdly This confutes all the graceless conceits of men that think to be Vse 3 saved by Christ and yet walk not after Christ they cast not away from them the works of darkness nor renounce their wicked â—ayes and yet hope to be saved by Christ this is a cursed and blasphemous hope whereby a man blasphemes God 1 Joh. 3. 6. whosoever sinneâ—h but 〈…〉 en him neither knâ—wn him if a man live in his sins still that is the meaning of it and walks not after the spirit but after the flesh that man hath not seen him neither ever known him he doth not know Jesus Christ otherwise then the Divels know him otherwise then Hell-hounds and reprobates may know him for the second Covenant is as holy as the first and rather more holy and before God hath done it shall bring a man to a nearer communion with God and a nearer likeness it will raise the powers and faculties of the soul so as I believe Aâ—am in innocency never attained unto so much participation of God as God by degrees will bring a man unto by the Covenant of grace therefore no man can look to â—e saved by Christ except he mean to be ruled by Christ and to have him for his Lord and Master and to obey him in all things if a man should lie sick in his bed of a burning feaver and should say he were well would you believe him so if we see a man that is burning in lust wallowing in sinful courses that hath a carnal and a worldly heart unmortified and unsubdued to God if he should say that he were in Christ and hoped to be saved by him believe him not all the world cannot save this man for the Lord Jesus Christ hath this very name Jesus not only because he shall save his people from hell but also from their sins and make them fruitful in all the works of God Fourthly To exhort that we would consider of this the Gospel doth Vse 4 call for works as well and as strongly yea and more strongly then the Law and there be necessary uses of holiness and obedience and all manner of pious works under the Gospel as the Apostle saith Tit. 3. 4. let us maintain good works for necessary uses c. We are barren trees whatsoever we are we are barren and dead Christians and have no life of God in us if we bring not forth good works for good works are necessary for many uses First They are for signs to shew us what estate and condition we are Motive 1. in we may know what estate and condition we are in by our carriage and conversation whither it be earthly or heavenly holy or prophane so is our condition either happy or damned First They are signs of a mans election 2 Tim. 1. 20. this is a sign and a badge and a token whereby we may know that we are vessels of honour if we be sanctified and made meet for our masters use and furnished and prepared for every good work if we do not deny all ungodly lusts and live righteously and soberly in this present world we have rather badges and tokens of reprobation then election we cannot say that God hath appointed us to attain salvation by Jesus Christ but have rather marks of hell and destruction upon us and what is the reason that men that profess Christ do so much question their election no wonder when we are so scanty in our holiness and obedience to God and so backward to do good there is no nickling of Gods everlasting favour breaking out whereas if we were plentiful in good works it would break forth as the Sun out of a cloud Secondly They are signs of effectual calling Jude 1. if a man be called of God he is sanctified also and kept in an holy course preserved in Christ 2 Pet. 1. 3. you are an holy Nation a peculiar people to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you 1 Pet. 2. 9. so that we may be sure that we yet abide in darkness and are under the power of sin and Satan if we have not given over our sinful courses and conformed our selves to the Gospel of God we were never called according to Gods purpose but lie under the wrath of Heaven to this day it
perfect works as any man yet he confesseth he was not perfect Phil. 3. 12. so likewise here we know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 10. perfection is not yet come in the world to come it may come Heb 12. there we read of the spirits of just and perfect men then men are made perfect but they are not perfect in this life I answer 't is true therefore there is a double perfection First A perfection Answer of degrees to be perfectly perfect and so no man can be perfect by any perfection inherent indeed the Covenant of works requires this perfection but the Covenant of grace doth not indeed when we come to glory there shall be this perfection but not in this life in this life the Lord only subdues our sins but casts them not into the bottom of the Sea til the life to come therefore this perfection cannot be looked for upon earth Therefore secondly There is another perfection and that is a perfection by way of sincerity and uprightnesse Job 1. 1. Job was a perfect and upright man Now this perfection differs from the other five wayes the perfection God requires in the Gospel from that in the Law First The Law stands upon performances as well as the will and desire The difference between Legal and Evangelical Perfection and a man is not perfect unlesse he perform all as well as desire to doe it But now the perfection of the Gospel is without these performances indeed that man labours for as many performances as he can but it may be onely by desires Rom. 7. 18. Paul was perfect by Evangelical Perfection he was upright before God yet he could not reach performances no he had a will to be good he did unfeignedly desire to be godly and serve God in every thing unfeignedly endeavouring after godly courses yet could not attain to that which he did desire So it was with Nehemiah and all the good people of God Nehem. 1. 11. O Lord I beseech thee lot thine ear be attenâ—ive tâ— the prayers of thy servants who desire to fear thy name He could hardly say that he did perform it but he did desire it he could hardly say he did love and obey God and doe his will but this he would say he did desire to doe it and unfeignedly desire it as Solomon saith Prov. 21. 21. He that followeth after righteousnesse and mercy findeth life He doth not say he that reacheth in he cannot reach it may be but he that followeth after it shall have life it is a sign that he hath the life of justification and that he shall have the life of glory Secondly The perfection of the Law it stands upon quantities as well as upon qualities truth it is not satisfied though a man be never so truly holy and religious unless man hath quantities and is so much holy But now the perfection of the Gospel indeed it will have as much quantity as a man can but yet it will stand with truth though a man hath not that quantity of humiliation and self-denial and power against sin yet if he have it in truth he is Evangelically perfect in some measure he is sincere and upright before God as Solomon saith of his Father 1 Kings 13. 6. M. Father had great mercy according as he walked before thee in truth He doth not say he walked before thee in legal perfection he was perfectly righteous but he was truly righteous he was humble in truth and godly in truth and zealous in truth he had none of all these things to the utmost yet he walked before thee in truth So Josh 24. 14. Fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth He doth not say serve him as if you should doe every thing he commands but doe it in truth and sincerity Now sincerity is when there is no commandement but a man sets himselfe to doe it there is no sin but he labours to avoid it and there is no right manner but he sets himself to doe it in the right manner to his power this is the perfection of the Gospel Thirdly The perfection of the Law stands upon full measure whether a man have power or no that is nothing to the purpose the law will have all holiness and righteousness whether a man hath power or no But now the perfection of the Gospel by way of sincerity it looks at what measure God hath given and bestowed and no more but what God hath given and enabled a man to doe as you may see the Lord doth not require the gain of ten talents when he gave but five nor the gain of five when he gave but two the widows two mites were accepted and taken for a good and sincere gift because she gave all that she had Luke 21. 4. as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that a man hath not The law will have perfection whether a man hath power or no or else it will damn a man but in the Gospel a man may say as Peter to the lame man Silver and gold have I none but such as I have that give I thee Lord such a memory and such parts and gifts have I not but such as I have that give I thee according to that measure of knowledge I have according to that grace I have I will give it thee If a man can say thus he is accepted not according to that he hath not but according to that he hath as it was in the law of Moses Levit. 5. 6 7. Atrespasse-â—ffering should be a lamb or a kid but if a man were not able to give that then two turtle doves or two young pigeons if he be not able to give that let him give two or three handfuls of fine flowre Levit. 5. 11. So Levit. 14. 20. Let him give according at he can get he shall be accepted according to that This is the perfection of the Gospel according to the help and assistance God gives a man and according to the means God affordâ— a man it shall be accepted Fourthly The perfection of the law admits of no failings if a man fails no matter though it be out of infirmity the law condemns him the law requires perfection without failings but the perfection of the Gospel by way of sincerity admits of failings as the best gold hath his allowances so it is with a true Christian he may be sincere and upright though he hath a thousand failings as it is said of David 1 Kings 15. 5. He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord in all things but onely in the moâ—ter of Uriah That indeed would not stand with sincerity his sincerity was quite in a swoâ—m then that could not stand with sincerity if he had gone on to sin in that fashion he could not have been sincere but in all other things he did that which
Sacrament and do the outward things of Religion but never come to worship God in spirit and in truth let me tell you all this Religion is nothing at all suppose a man comes to Church only and lives in his lusts what then Who required this at your hands to tread in my courts Isa 1. 12. Who why God requires it 't is true but not without uprightness to be proud still and worldly still he requires you to come into his courts but not in this manner so likewise for preaching it is an ordinance of God but if a man will preach and doth not lead an holy and mortified life and is not zealous for God and against sin and to hold forth a blessed pattern of uprightness God had as live have that mans room as his company Psal 50. 16. What hast thou to do to take my word into thy mouth and hatest to be reformed As who should say what makest thou here it is fitter for thee to be in an Alehouse then in a Pulpit so God hath commanded prayer but if a man pray not in spirit and in truth and is not an holy man his prayers are nothing Prov. 15. 8. The prayer of the wicked is an abomination to God As who should say if you prayed with an upright heart your sacrifice would be a delight to God but seeing you are not upright all your prayers and sacrifices are abominable in the sight of God For humiliation to humble us how should we be ashamed there is no uprightness among us the most of us are not upright before men much less before God For exhortation that we would strive and labour to be upright and upright before him that we would cry out with the Prophet David O let my heart be upright before thee that I may not be ashamed if we find listlessenesse and backwardness for God if we find our hearts side with the ungodly let us know we are wicked people and cannot be of God therefore set us labour to be upright before God REV. 3. 2. I have not found thy works perfect before God THe point of Doctrine is this that the Lord will search whither Doctrine God will search whither we be perfect those that seem to be upright be so or no finding presupposeth searching I have not found thy works perfect Now for the meaning of this searching we must know that Gods searching and mans searching do much differ and they differ in five respects First Mans searching may be without finding though a man search all that ever he can yet may be he cannot finde out the matter how it stands Laban searched in Jacobs tent and Leahs tent and the two maids tent and in Rachels tent for his images and when he had done all he could not tell where they were but now when God searcheth men he is sure to find men out O Lord thou searchest me out saith David Psal 139. 1. This is the reason why men that are sligh and subtil they care not much though they be siâ—â—ed by men especially if there be none to witness against them you shall have them swear and swagger they were never guilty of such a thing because they are confident it shall never come to light but if God searcheth he will be sure to find Secondly Mans searching hath ever ignorance foregoing though after search may be he comes to know yet before searching he knows not Job 29. 16. the case I knew not I searched out he searched because he knew not but God as after searching he is sure to know and find out so he knows before all searching as the Church saith if we be false in thy covenant shall not God finde us out for thou knowest the very thoughts of the heart and the reins Psal 44. 21. you see God searcheth because he doth know man because he doth not Thirdly Mans searching is properly so called but when searching is spoken of God it is after the manner of men God doth rather act a kind of searching then search indeed as he doth act a comming down whereas properly he doth not come down for he is everywhere and so he acts a kinde of ignorance as if he knew not and yet he knows all things as he speaks to Abraham concerning Sodom Gen. 18. 21. I will goe down noâ— there is an horrible noyse what horrible sinners these Sodomites be I will gâ— down now and see whither it be altogether according to the cry that is come up unto me if not I will know He speaks after the manner of men he need not come down for he is present everywhere and cannot move from one place to another and whereas he saith if not I will know these things aâ— improperly spoken after the manner of men Fourthly It is mans duty to search if he know not any particular passage of his life whither it be warrantable or no so Magistrates ought to search matters before they determine sentence otherwise they may judge unrighteous judgement now God searcheth not as though he had any need of searching but to tell us our duty to give us a good example this phrase is given to him to shew us what we should do as when there was an horrible attempt in the old world among the Builders of Babel they would build a Tower whose top should reach up unto Heaven Now the Text saith The Lord came down to see the Tower and the City that was built not as if he came down so as taking this phrase unto himselfe but to shew what our duty and Magistrates duty is to search before they pass sentence and to see whether reports given out be true or no. Fifthly Mans searching is for himselfe that things may appear to himselfe but when God searcheth it is not that it may appear unto him but to the world that it may be manifest abroad that a mans selfe and others may see it it is spoken onely in regard of the nature of the thing some things are manifest and some secret Now God is said to search when he makes other things that in their own nature are hidden to men when God brings them abroad and unveils them and unmasks them and openly reveals them 1 Cor. 4. 5. Judge not before the time till the Lord comes who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness He searcheth them not for himselfe but to make them manifest he saw them before but they were not manifest abroad they were under the hatches no body could tell whether they were so or no. Now God is said to search to bring them abroad Now God is said to search five manner of wayes First By his own Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10. So saith David Whither shall I fly from thy Spirit if I goe up into heaven thou art there c. If thou shouldst goe into the Alehouse or any bad place God is there a spectator though the Devil onely and such as are his Imps are there keeping company with
strange things hath the Lord discovered when men have concluded no eye should see it I hope no body shall know it yet the providence of God comes to finde it out either first or last Now the providence of God discovers mens works that are in secret divers wayes First By letting his people to suspect men 't is true we ought not to give way to an humour of suspition for it is directly against charity for charity thinketh no ill therefore we should take heed of suspition without just cause of suspition for hereby we may wrong persons as the Disciples though Paul was a true Convert yet they suspected he was not and so wronged him It is a dangerous thing to suspect any man without infallible ground yet many times the providence of God doth discover men by this meanes as you may see an example in those false-hearted ones Ezra 4. they would come and build with Zerubbabel and Jehoshua they made as if they did intend the promotion of the Church and Common-wealth Now verse 3. they suspected them Now when they saw that they were shy of them they displayed themselves and laid themselves open and turned to the contrary side and did them all the mischiefe they could Secondly by letting of good people to injure and wrong them this is very true that the children of God should wrong no body especially none that are Christians that we may have any hope they are godly if a child of God should â—ong any man in the least degree he is guilty of all the mischief that shall follow after therefore we should be marvellous careful that we wrong no man in thought word or deed but yet it will be so long as we dwell here in the flesh wrongs will be committed by good people sometimes against their wills sometimes by corruptions rising in their hearts contrary to their minds and principles they goe upon Now when these wrongs fall upon those that are not sound this discovers them for their venom and madnesse falls not onely upon them but upon all Professors these are your Professors and precise fellows nay let but the children of God be indiscreet this by the providence of God doth divers times discover men as Saul a great hypocrite indeed he had many admirable things in him he had admirable Government and though he were not a man that truly loved holinesse yet he did abundance of good things and he hoped he was right Now the Lord discovered him by this by letting him have some indiscretion shewed towards him as the women in the Song Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands it was indiscreetly spoken of them though it were true they ought not to have made such a Song of it though no question the women meant well in what they did and were honest and well-minded people yet through their indiscretion Saul stomachs David and grows to be a persecutor From this time forward be eyed David Thirdly By guiding of his Ministers to home-preaching this discovers people what they are if they be godly and upright when the word of God meets with any corruption of theirs then it shews they are of God for then they fall down before God and acknowledge their sin and repent of it and part with it and loath it and cry to Heaven for the pardon of it and labour to have it rooted out of their soules and consciences and so they are discovered to be sound but when this meets with an unsound heart and comes to display his secret lusts and vile courses not being able to stoop to this it shewes what it is as when Christ preached something sharply John 6. 55 60. O say they It is hard hard saying who can bear it And from that time many of his Disciples forsook him It fares with Gods Church in this case as with Ishbosheth Abner seemed to be his dear friend and stuck close to him yet when Ishbesheth told him of his faults of his whoredome and lying with his Fathers Concubines then he 2 Sam. 3. 8. was mad and was not able to brook him presently he falls off from Ishbesheth because of this away he goes and turns his enemy So it fares with the Saints of God many seem to be their dear friends and keep close to them and joyn with them but when they are dealt withal about things amisse in them they discover what they are they do not like such men they care not how little they come in their company they fail off and so are made manifest what they are Fourthly By their own lusts and corruptions for you shall have men many times hear the Word and being wrought upon in their consciences by the Word or by Gods judgements that startles them they give over their sins upon this and reform and will have good orders in their Families and take up good duties and not having a sound but a false heart a covetous heart in the end this worldlinesse or any other lust that is unmortified the Lord doth use it as an instrument to discover that all thâ—se Reformations of theirs were never sound in the end they come to count this a burden and such a burden as they are not able to bear and so grow to be something weary of their strict courses and give over by degrees not to be so careful in their Families to pray morning and evening and sometimes omit it and not to be so forward for God and goodnesse and at the last they come to shew plainly that there was never any soundnesse in them thus the Lord doth many times lead them forth among evil doers Psa 125. 5. and so such as have kept company among good doers are discovered to be evil doers thus Demas was discovered for a time he followed St. Paul but having a worldly heart the Lord discovered him by it in the â—nd it made him weary of Pauls company and he fell to embrace this present world 2 Tim. 4. 10. Lastly By the times by persecutions that arise against the Church of God and this knocks off all that were but meer hangbyes it knocks them off from the good course they seemed to follow before and they follow the contrary as Christ notes Matth. 13. 20 21. They that received the seed into stony ground when persecution arose they fâ—ll off When persecution and trouble did arise they were offended this discovered them as if there be any rift or unsound place in the house a sharp tempest will discover it and shew where is a flaw in the building so if there be a flaw in a mans faith or profession if a man be not right towards God the times will discover this The Reasons of this are First because it is Gods Prerogative thus to Reason 1 doe because the perfection of mens works though men may give a guesse at it yet it is a secret Now it is Gods Prerogative Royal to reveale secrets Jer. 17. 10. I the Lord search the
have shrewd things against them that they can hardly tell how to answer Now what a comfort is this to them though their consciences be unquiet many times to think that God will search them out they shall not be judged by their consciences altogether but the Lord shall judge them As Paul did not onely set down a comfort against the censures of the Corinths but against his own conscience I am not my own Judge Many times conscience may be abused and cry out there is nothing good nothing sounds no true good in my soul Now a man should say I must not judge my selfe but the Lord must judge me and search me out so that this is a great comfort to the people of God that God will search every man Thirdly This may stir us up to be able to stand out Gods search when he shall come and search First That we may be able to stand when offences come When offences come the Lord searcheth whether people love themselves or love his commandements and love his servants there be such horrible offences sometimes that if he doe not love God indeed he will stumble the commandements of God and his pure worship and service may be so derided and oppâ—ed a man may be offended at it that professed it before if he love it not indeed therefore Matth. 18. 10. our Saviour saith Woe to the World because of offences As if he had said when offences shall come they shall discover thousands in the world to be naught woe to the world when they come for these be searching things therefore let us labour when offences come that we may not be offended as Christ saith Matth. 11 5. blâ—ssed is the man that is not offended in me That man is a blessed man that when all offâ—nces arise nothing can make him offended at Jesus Christ This doth plaâ—nly shew that a man hath the grace of God in him when nothing can offend him not the means of Christ in the world in his members not the crosse that doth accompany Religion not the multitudes of evil men not persecutions revilings nick-names poverty and disgrace nothing in the world can offend him but he will love God and feare him and keep close to his commandements this is a sign we shall stand when God searcheth us Again Let us be able to stand out against affâ—ictions and persecutions these search men as it is said of Josepâ— when he was laid in prison because he would not yield to his Mistris the Text saith The word of the Lord tryed him Psal â—05 If he had not been sincere when he saw how the times went he would have been afraid and yielded to the temptation but the Word of the Lord tryed him and he was found to be sincere and godly indeed So when God afflicted Job Job 10. he saith Thou search â— for â—y sins When God afflicts us or persecutes us or suffers any evil to fall upon us then he searcheth us and then if we be hypocâ—ites and have onely a forme of godlinesse and are not sound at the botâ—ome then God will finde it out it will appear when crosses and afflictions come it will lay a man open therefore let us be able to stand in afflictions to be dead to the world and worldly things to be able to deny our lives and livings and forgoe all the world rather then any of Gods commandements that when we come to be tryed we may be found to have faith more precious then gold Thirdly Labour to stand in time of difficult commandements sometimes God calls a man to difficult commandements that he cannot doe except he cut off his right hand and pull out his right eye except he will lose his life except he will be driven up and down like a vagrant Traitor and cast into prison sometimes may be God puts a man upon commandements that he must lose all that he hath if he doth them Now know God comes to search whether we love him best whether we will rather obey him or the world whether we love profits or credit or any thing more then him So when the young man in the Goâ—pel made as if he were well-minded to enter into eternal life he was an observer of the commandements of God Now when Christ would search him he doth it with a difficult commandement the man was rich and he bids him goe and sell and give it to the poore this was a very difficult commandement and this discovered him to be a very wretch he was not â—ble to doe it â—nâ— hâ— wâ—nt awâ—â—â—orâ—owful this commandement could not â—nk â—own â—nto hâ—s heâ—rt It is so many â—imes the Lord puts a man upon difficult â—â—mmâ—â—dements such commonâ—ements thâ—t if he doe them the world will think him mâ—d such commanâ—ements thâ—t if he doe them he must part with his living and all that he hath Now if we be not able to doe this we shall be discovered not to be â—ood Lastly Let us be able to stand out against judgement for then God searcheth people most of all there may be something left after all the other searchings a man hath stood out persecutions and yet hath turned Apostate but when the panâ—s of death and the day of Judgment comes nothing shall be hid then therefore let us labour to stand then when the King of terrours shall appeare before us nay when the Judge of quick and dead â—hall stand before us The last Use is for exhortation Will God search us out then we should search our selves what our works are whether good or evil as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 13. 5. Exâ—mine your selves whether you be in the faith First Consider we can never repent of what is amisse in our selves or in our works except we search our selves Let us search our selves and turne unto the Lord Lam. 1. 43. If there be hypocrisie or hollow-heartednesse in us if we doe not search it out we cannot bewaile it and shake it off Secondly Consider it is a character and mark of the childe of God that he doth desire and is one that doth search himselfe nay he doth not onely use all the meanes he can to doe it but he doth cry and groan to God to help him as David saith Psalm 139 23. Search me O Lord c. As who should say Lord help me to search my heart I have looked into it and turned it â—opsy turâ—y and I cannot finde but I am upright but I feare mâ— selfe still O help me if there be any way of wickednesse in me shew it me A childe of God is one that doâ—h indeed deâ—â—re to know himself and to know the worst of himself Thirdly Consider if we doe not search our selves it will bâ— the worse for us for God will search us and if we doe search our selves we shall scape well when he comes to search us but if we neglect â—â—is duty what saith Jâ—b Chap. 13 10. So I may say Is it good that God
the very in-let of all the comforts of the holy Ghost and all the hope that the soul can have here is all the satisfaction and content of the soul of man they are bestowed upon a man when he is effectually called there is a way set open unto him that he may have the same Thirdly Because this is the first of all obedience a man cannot obey God Effectual calling is the first point of obedience till he be effectually called nay it is not obedience till he be called if a man should heare Sermons come to the Sacraments give to the poore it is no obedience till a man be effectually called when once a man is bound apprentice and his indentures are drawn his running of errands and all he doth is service to his Master when thou art bound apprentice to Christ and thy indentures are sealed and thou art called to be a servant unto him now all thy works are obedience to him Come saith Christ learne of me c. Mat. 11. 28. first he would have them come to him and beare his yoak and then learn of me then be meek as I am meek and humble as I am humble and then bear my burthen then it is obedience and you are able to go through Faithful is he that hath called you who will also do it effectual calling is the fill-horse of the cart that bears up the cart this is the first draught a Painter cannot lay any colour till the first draught be made this is the very ground of a mans workings this is the ground of all obedience of all prayer and hearing here is the ground of doing all aright otherwise God will say what hast thou to do to take my name into thy mouth unlesse thou wilt submit to my Covenant and be bound apprentice with me a man that is yet in his sins he hath nothing to do as yet but to lye at the throne of grace crying that God would give him a call for he can do nothing till he is effectually called of God Fourthly This is the only way to go forward a man cannot go forward Effectual calling is the only means to go forward there is no proceeding unlesse the beginning be well done as the Apostle saith Heb. 6. 1. leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection as who should say taking it for granted that you are effectually called of God that the principals of Religion are laid in your souls let us go on unto perfection let us wax better and better and pray to God that we may encrease in grace let us walk in holy and sincere obedience to all Gods Commandements let us labour and strive to out-strip our selves and amend our selves from day to day if we have laid the foundation well if that be first well laid a man may go on to perfection a man cannot otherwise go on well nay the further a man goeth on the more mischief he pulls upon his soul Lastly This is the maine stud in the house the very ground a man is to Effectual calling the very ground to stand fast upon stand fast upon this is the ground to keep a man from falling away that God hath effectually called him as the Apostle saith 2 Thes 2. 13 14. We are bound to give God thanks for you brethren because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel therefore brethren stand fast when a man is effectually called a man may say stand fast otherwise he cannot persevere unto the end MATTH 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest WE have been large in the opening of effectual calling and the last thing we handled concerning it was this that it was the first gathering of a man unto Christ the first making of a man to come unto Christ it is a mans first admission into the estate of grace it is the first dawning of the light that shineth from above the first coming forth of Gods good will and pleasure to a man Now before I can proceed to the particular parts of effectual calling I must needs take a thing by the way namely Gods preparatory work that he doth work as a way hereunto though it be not the work of saving grace a man may perish for all that work unless the Lord carry a man further on yet there is a preparatory work that God doth work in the soul before he calls a man effectually the Lord doth prepare a man by detecting of sinne and shewing him his misery by sinne and letting him see and perceive what a miserable creature he is in himself and God doth stop and silence a man before him and leave him without excuse and cut him and hew him down by the law that he may see that he is a dead creature and a damned wretch before this a man will not come though God call him never so often he will not here his lusts carry him away and stop his ears and harden his heart though he seem to come and sets divers steps to come home yet he never comes home indeed till God takes a man down in this fashion Now this is the thing we are to speak of and we have it in the text in the which we may observe three things first the preparatory work which now we are to speak of you that are weary and heavy laden secondly the call it self come unto me thirdly the benefit of this yielding to this call I will give you rest To speak then first of this preparatory work the Lord brings the law to a There is a preparatory work to effectual calling man and laies load upon the soul and makes the soul labour and toile and sweat and makes his heart burst within him and he is heavily laden as if mountaines were upon his back God layeth load upon the soul and then comes effectual calling see what the Apostle speaks Gal. 3. 24. the Apostle here speaks by his own experience once we were strangers from Christ and absent from Christ now how did God fetch us home he sent the law the ferula of the law he sent the law to arrest us and schoole us to Christ it was a Schoole-Master I can speak it for my part it was mine as you may see Rom. 7. from the beginning to the 12. ver So the law fetched Paul home and struck him dead and made him see what a miserable and wretched creature he was it made him see he had no hope nor no hold nothing in the world to trust to in himself he was a dead man the law like a sword stabs him at the heart and so it pleased the Lord to bring him home to Christ that he might be justified by faith first the Israelites were stung with the fiery Serpents before they were healed by looking
it is an intollerable horror to me it makes my very flesh to shiver and my soul to quake to think what I am in my self Nay if God should lay all the burden of sinne upon the soul the children of God their Spirits would faile they were not able to subsist under it but thus farre the Lord reveals their sinnes and layeth load upon them to break their hearts and rend the kall of their spirits to tame and pull them to him to bring them under and to make them beare his yoake Lastly Because wheresoever the Scripture doth speak at large and professedly of any mans conversation we do not read of any conversation bâ—t 6 From Scripture examples it was after this manner by revealing their misery in themselves and charging their sinnes upon their souls Thus the Lord dealt with Manasses he did mightily afflict him he opened his eyes by outward afflictions and then charged his misery upon his soul Thus the Lord dealt with Ephraim as with an untamed heiâ—er and then he cryed out Convert me O Lord and I shall be converted Jer. 31. 18. And thus the Lord dealt with the woman in the Gospel that washed his feet with her tears you must think it was not ordinary sorrow that could make her tears trickle down in such plentiful manner as to wash his feet thus it was with her before she had the pardon of her sinnes and thus it was with Peters hearers he told them that they were the murtherers of the Lord Jesus and then they were pricked in their hearts before he did preach the Gospel and bid them repent evangelically Thus did John the Baptist deale first he comes with the axe and hews at them and layes at the root of the tree and then he tells them of Christ there comes one after me that is more worthy then I c. First he did lay about him to detect their misery and reveale to their wretched estate and then at the last he preached the Gospel and poured in oyle So it was with Paul the Lord made it appeare that he fought against heaven and persecuted the Lord Jesus Christ and he laid him flat upon his face nay he smote him with blindness and sent him crying and roaring and made him glad to go to their houses whom before he haâ— persecuted and scorned and afterwards he told him that he was a chosen vessel so the Lord dealt with the jaylor he rent and tore him and burst him in peices as if all the devils in hell were about him and afterwards he saith Beliâ—ve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Act. 16. 26 But you will say there are some in Scripture are related not to have any such Object work Lidia she heard Paul preach and the Lord opened her heart at first and was a convert presently Act. 6. 14. So it was with Cornâ—lius and his company â—eter oâ—â—ned his mouth and preached to them and while â—e 〈◊〉 spake the holy Ghâ—sâ— selâ— on them all Act. 10. 24. Therefore it seems all mens conversions and callings home are not ushered by this legal work I answer This is a poore Argument that because the Scripture doth not Answ say this work of the Law did not go before therefore it did not gâ— before a man cannot make such an inference because the Scripture doth not â—peaâ—e it it is sufficient that the Scripture hath related it in other places how the Lord brings his people â—ome and what method he useth in doing them good first he useth the work â— the Law and then of the Gospel the Lord sets it down in other places and therefore though he omits it here it doth not follow there was no such thâ—â—g in Lidia and Cornelius and 〈◊〉 prove there was in both places that there was a pâ—eparatoâ—â— work in Lida is plaine by two Arguments for the Scripture sheâ—â—th 〈…〉 efore this evangelical work came she was a worshipper of God before 〈…〉 g â—here was something went before this opening of her heart there was a work of the Law before for this was the first work of the Gospel when God opeâ—ed her heart another Argument is in the 13 ver where it is said that Lidia before she heard this Sermon resorted to Paul to the Rivers side to pray therefore it is a plaine sign that she was wrought upon by a preparatory work before Paul converted her and wrought upon her by the Gospel And then for Cornelius and his friends for Cornelius himself it is a plaine case that he was wrought upon before the Holy Ghost fell upon him for in the beginning of the Chapter it is said he was a devout man one that called upon God and set times apart extraordinarily to seek God before the Holy Ghost fell upon him and no question it was so with his kinsfoâ—â—s for whom did he call to meet with Peter at this Sermon but those that he had been conversant with therefore it is likely they were wrought upon before as well as Cornelius otherwise he would have had little hope to get them thither well then the first thing we have proved that God doth thus prepare his people legally before he doth effectually call them Now we come to the second thing why God thus and the first Reason Reas 1. To declare Gods justice is because God will declare and shew forth his justice for as God did shew forth his justice in the Redemption of his people so he will also in the application of this Redemption shew some part of his justice in the Redemption of the World he poured forth the full viols of it he required full satisfaction of the Lord Jesus now he will not let justice be utterly swallowed up of mercy when he comes to apply this but justice shall shew his face and they shall come to see what Christ hath done for them and miseries he hath waded through for a man he shall â—ee that God is a just and righteous God that hates sinne and abhors unquity what a consuming fire he is against them that disobey him the Lord makes his justice appeare in the application of Redemption you see how he takes up his people upon Mount Ebal and delivers the curses of the Law and makes his own people to say Amen and subscribe to them Deut. 27. 26. Here he delivers the curses and makes proclamation of his justice and saith he I will have all the people say Amen he will have all lye a bleeding under this curse and marke what Moses saith in the first verse of the next Chapter it shall come to passe if thou wilt hearken to the voyce of the Lord he will set thee up above all nations here comes in a fire Sunshiny day afterwards the Lord will have his people see his justice and what it is to be delivered from sinne the Lord will make them see that he is a just and righteous God and that there is no sinning against him there
hang upon but God knocks her off from all and now she will returne to her husband again so the Lord to make his people stoop to his yoake he shews them their misery and worries them and wearies them that they can hold out no longer and then down go their bucklers and now speak Lord thy servants hear now they are willing to hear him Fourthly God doth it that he may weane his people from sinne and take off their hearts from their own wayes for a man is marvellous eager of sinne 4. To wean men from sin by nature and will not let it go and will not part with it by no meanes his heart is set upon his lusts and he will have them though he hath hell and damnation with them when the Lord calls upon them to walk in his wayes they say they will not walk therein Jer. 6. 16. People will not be diligent in prayer and hâ—ld close to God they will not be strict in their wayes as the precisenesse of the Gospel teacheth them now the Lord breaks in upon them in this fashion and makes them willing As a man deales with a young horse or colt when a man would tame a colt that is lustly and head-strong and violent he carries him out may be and makes him apprehend in his fancy that he will ride him against stone-walls and carries him may be into Quagmires and Muds and rotten Fennes and there he makes him go and spurs him and beats him and raines him and snafles him and thus he breakes his stomack and at last he will beare the saddle and carry a man quietly so the Lord Jesus doth with a poor creature he casts off the bonds of Christ and though the truth begins to work upon his conscience he throwes out the arrow againe and heales himself with vaine healings now the Lord breakes a mans heart and opens a peep hole into hell as though he would throw him in quick thither and shews him his misery to the life and to the quick and so makes them come off as the Lord dealt with Moses when he would make him circumcise his sonne he was loath to displease his wiâ—e she was against it being a Midianitish woman and he was loath to have her ill-will and therefore deserred it now what course took God with him the Lord met him and would have slaine him the Lord made as though he were his enemy and would slay him and now he was willing to do it so the Lord deals with a stubborne soul if it belongs to him he will overcome his heart and make him let fall his sinnes he will make as though he would slay him he will make him a weary of keeping his lusts before he hath done with him The Lord deales in this case as he dealt with the Philistins they would not send home the Arke what course did he take to make them send it home and send it home in pomp and great respect God did fling down Dagon which was their chief Idoll and the Lord smote them with Emerods And now they think with themselves let us send home the Arke of the Lord and how shall we send it home Let us provide golden Miâ—â— and Emerods they sent it home with cost and offerings So the Lord deals with those that belong to him he tires them in their own ways and makes them willing to come out at last Lastly the Lord doth it to knock his people quite and cleane off from all 5. To knock us off from any thing else every man naturally hangs upon something and above all hangs upon his good works and good prayers and performances and this keeps his heart from seeing what a miserable creature he is this keeps him from mourning and zeal and fervency and all this while that he hangs upon these his heart is hardâ—ned he will never stoop and yield to God now when the Lord means to do a man good he knocks him quite off and plucks out of his hands all his works and makes him let all go not that he ceaseth to work but as the Apostle speaks Rom 4. 14. He makes him as a man that worketh not not as though he worketh not for there is no carnal man works more then this poor soul in this estate he keeps a great deal of stir to find out mercy and obtaine grace from God there is none that mournes and laments more and goes to Sermons more but yet he is no worker now he is faine to go to his father to him that justifies the ungodly all his wayes are loathsome and abominable he seeth nothing to trust upon but is driven to him that justifies the ungodly he sees he is a vile wretched creature he sees no worth no reason why God should look upon him he is now pennilesse and worthlesse and miserable in himself the Lord makes him a very bankrout he thought he was a rich Merchant but now he makes him a very bankrout and makes him appeare to be naked First here all Dawbers are to be reproved that preach nothing but mercy Vse 1. To reprove Dawbers and the promises of the Gospel many love alife to be upon such theames O say they the promises are best to humble a man and bring him out of his sins whom shall we believe God or man This not the way Ezek. 13. 22. the text saith Ye have strengthened the hands of the wicked that he should not turne from his wicked wayes by promising him life When a man preacheth the promise of God before wicked and ungodly men this hardens their hearts and strengthens them that they will not returne from their wicked wayes because the promises are propounded to them and the Minister makes no distinction between the precious and the vile this strengthens them in their sinnes and makes them think they are not so vile but they hope they are in a good case for all this therefore Saint Austine calls such men desolatores not consolatores such work desolation in their hearers and no sound consolation such Ministers as make their Sermons to be pillowes under peoples elbowes they make themselves guilty of the peoples blood and their souls shall be required at their hands they are the cause of peoples miscarriage when a Minister thinks to do people good by crying peace peace when the Prophet saith there is no peace to the wicked this rather drives people further off from God may be it may make them seeme outward professors but it will never make them sound in the faith rebuke them sharply saith the Apostle that they may be stand in the faith Tit. 1. 13. sharp rebuking the powerful delivering of the Law and Gospel is the meanes to maâ—e men sound in the faith the more humble a man is made to be the more faith he comes to have our Saviour saith of the Centurion he had not found the like faith in Israel how came this the text shewes plainly that we shall
they differ in two things The first is that this hope I now speak of it ariseth out of the seeds of grace the other out of grace it self there are the seeds of grace which are something of grace in the soul before grace it self comes and though we have not any place of Scripture to shew this yet there are abundance of places that aime at and include this As it may be referred to the woeings of Christ Hos 2. 14. when the excellency and necessity of Christ woes the soul and the possibility of having Christ these things allure a man here is this work when the soul begins to be a neuter before the soul believes yet there is a kinde of bending of faith as the man in the Gospel when Christ asked him if he believed in the Son of God he saith Lord what is he that I may believe as who should say I am ready to believe if I could I am ready to resigne my self to believe do but shew me how I may believe Secondly this may be referred to the forming of Christ in the heart Gal. 4. 19. before the babe is organized there is seed so there is a seed of God in the soul and he that hath this seed cannot sin because he is borne of God as there is a seed of generation so of regeneration as the prodigal before he came home to his Father he saith with himself I will go home to my Father and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee c. Luke 15. 16. What made him do this they are nothing else but the effects of the seeds of grace So the Jaylor Acts 16. 13. that cried out Sirs what shall I do to be saved what were these but the expressions of the seeds of grace that were in him the next newes we heare he did believe now the Lord sowes seeds of grace in the soul and these break forth into hope and desires and waâ—â—ings for grace these are the seeds of grace and from thence comes this hope but the other hope comes from grace it self it is true that these seeds of grace are grace in themselves they are the work of grace for grace but they are not grace fully and compleatly wrought in the soul They come from several apprehensions the hope we now speak of apprehends 2. They come from several apprehensions nothing but a possibility of pardon that he may be pardoned and have power over his sins he may attaine to be a new creature and to be one of the redeemed of the Lord and this is that which sends him after God and makes him trace him up and down till the Lord doth it for him but the other apprehends that he hath it already or else rests upon God for it and hopes undoubtedly for the accomplishment of it this hope I now speak of was in the King of Niniveh Who knows but the Lord may repent and turne from his fierce anger that we perish not I cannot tell but there is hope it may be and who knows but God will do it And this hope made him humble himself and seek to God and there was a publike kinde of reformation outwardly So it is here the Lord lets in some hope who knows but the Lord will yet shew mercy and it is not only an imaginary hope such a hope as vanisheth and leaves a man in the lurch but this hope doth stir up a mans soul and provoke a man to look out to God for that mercy whereof he sees a possibility of attaining I come now to the reasons of the point why the Lord doth work this hope Reas 1. To prevent despaire in the soul and the first is this Lest a man should lie all along in despaire when the Lord shews a man his sins and his misery in regard thereof if the Lord should not put in this hope a man would altogether despaire it is impossible a man should be able to stand as Solomon saith A wounded spirit who can beare So when the Lord chargeth a mans sins and iniquities upon his conscience and aggravates all his sinfulnesse a man would sink under this burthen and never be able to hold up his head were it not for this hope as we use to say were it not for hope the heart would break so this is the reason why God puts in this hope he doth it to stay the soul that it may not sink under the hand of God I will revive the heart of the contrite ones I will not contend with them for ever Isa 57. 16 17. Lest their spirits faile before me as who should say if I should let my wrath into their souls and should not put in this hope and reviving into their hearts their very spirits would faile before me and sink under me they would be at their wits end and be utterly overwhelmed therefore God puts in this that he may help their soules if God should shew a man his sins as they are in his ire and shew him all the corruption of his nature and his filthinesse from the womb till now and reckon with him for this in his soul and conscience and let him see what a cursed creature he is his spirit would faile before Almighty God and the stoutest creature under Heaven were not able to stand under it but would rather take an haâ—tar and hang himself then undergo it now when the Lord deales with a man he puts in this supporting hope to stay him up otherwise the soul were not able to hold Secondly if the Lord should not put in this hope it would utterly disable a 2. That a man may not be disabled from looking after heaven man from looking after Heaven when a man conceives no hope this breaks the neck of all his endeavours a man will not toile for nothing and lay out his strength and all that is in him when he conceives he hath no hope at all He that plowes plowes in hope c. 1 Cor. 9. 10. therefore when a man can hardly see any hope this doth ever vale a man it makes a man rather despaire it makes a man do as commonly people do when they see they must go to hell they fill their souls with pleasures and delights there is little hope for them to come into the strict way that they will ever be able to beare it that they may have mercy like those wretches Jer. 2. 25. There is no hope c. there is no hope â—â—ve have loved our owâ— lusts and after them we will go When people have not hope to get through this makes them desperate they care not what they do and they grow carelesse and negligent many a man hath said so I was of the minde once to be precise but the further I pried into it the worse I was and these Preachers will make a man mad when people finde humiliation so hard a thing they think they are not able to wade through and
so leave it when they have no hope to go on they grow remiss and loose and carelesse in this kinde it makes a man desperate when this hope is gone therefore when the Lord hath a minde to do good to a man and encourage him to go on in the wayes of holinesse he puts some hope into the soul and when a man sees some hope then he will pray and fast and humble himself the Lord lets in this hope and so prepares a man for himself Thirdly because he will not do all at once but work upon a man by degrees 3. Because God will not do all at once the Lord could put faith into the soul at first but the Lord will first make a man a probationer of faith the Lord will first have the seed sowen and then quicken in the ground and then have a blade and then an eare and then harvest Again the Lord will so do it that he may be sought to for every mercy 4. That he may be sought to for every mercy and therefore first the Lord gives a man natural parts that he may come to Church and hear the Word and then the Lord knocks him down that he may be abased and then he shatters him all to pieces that he may look out for hope and then when he hath gotten hope the Lord makes him seek out for faith and when he hath gotten faith to seek out for other graces and when he hath them to seek for the accomplishment of them the Lord will be sought to for every thing and it is fit we should seek to him though the parent doth not engender the reasonable soul in the babe but God doth create it immediately yet none of us do count marriage superstuous so though God doth give this grace of faith only yet we are not to account the using of means in vain the Lord doth not power in humane wit into stocks and stones but into a body sitted and ordered for a reasonable soul so it is in respect of faith and grace the creature shall be first ordered and sitted for grace there must be preparation and a foregoing work it is his manner of working he will so work as he will still be sought unto of all his people though they have not faith if they have hope they shall seek to him for faith as it is with a Scholar if he will be a Scholar or Fellow of a Colledge he must sit for it so the Lord will have a man sit for it he will have a man sit at the pool of grace and seek to him for it before he shall have it This shews us the graciousness of our good God that when he takes us to Use 1. To shew the graciousnes of God do for our sins He remembers us when we are in our low estate for his mercy endures for ever Psal 136. 53. when we are at the brink of hell at the very bottome of destruction and in the belly of damnation when we know not which way to turne our selves then he remembers us for his mercy endures for ever thus the Lord deals with his people for their good as he opens the casement that his justice may look out upon us so he sets his mercy in the window that we may see it through the glasse that we may not be overwhelmed this is the goodness of God and were it not for this no man should be able to abide his look nor bear his displeasure when he breakes out upon a man this is the infinite goodness of our gracious God to deal thus favourably with his people therefore you that have gotten this hope know that the Lord night have held you down to this day and he had justly served you if he had done so therefore whosoever of you are in the briars do not repine and grumble because you are not refreshed as others are if you have but the least cranny of hope to hang upon make much of it it is more then God owes you how easily might the Lord teare the soul all in pieces when he comes to deal with a man when he shews a man his sins and abominations he might make them as heavy as rocks and mountaines unto him and break him all to powder it were just if he did so now when the Lord puts in this hope what a wonderful mercy is this When God told Hezekiah Behold thou shalt die he presently bade him take a lump of Figgs and healed the disease so what a mercy is this that God saith Thâ—â— shalt die thou art a damned creature and bids him presently take a plaisteâ— and so recovers him For comfort to all those that are the Lords though it be a poor faith a poor Use 2. Comfort for believers hope that flowes from possibility only yet I tell you that even believers may have need sometimes to have resort unto it for how often hath the Devil been let loose upon poor souls even those that are of God as sometimes he doth tempt them to presumption that so they may neglect their watch over themselves so it is his practice to drive us from one extreame to another and hurry us to despair and urge upon us that we have no faith we have no grace and are as sure to be damned as if we were in hell already David Psal 31. 22. seems to be out of all hope to be saved as if he were utterly undone the servants of light many of them have found this too too true how fearfully they have been perplexed and galled in minde seeking release but could finde none and pronouncing against themselves bitter things as if they had nothing of God in them the devil dazling their eyes that they cannot see and putting out of their minds all the sweet passages of the Gospel and preaching nothing but the terrible passages of the Law he that doubts is damned and he that wavers is like a wave of the sea and he urgeth them with every vain thought with every omission with every failing and every sin they have committed it is strange to see how some of Gods own people have reasoned against themselves as if all the devils logick were in them and all mercy were gone thus the devil sometimes deals with Gods people that they cannot tell where to hold they can see nothing to give any comfort or stay they are ready to let go all and give over all hope now what an excellent thing is this if a man have this hope that he may be never driven from God that there is eternal life and forgivenesse in him and all these things are attainable I tell you it is a great help to a man when he can say with the Church Joel 2. 13. Who can tell whether thâ— Lord will turn and leave a blessing behind him a man that hath but this hope in him it will never let him go off from God and be quite overcome by Satan so that though it
so indifferently why should he confirm it with the blood of his own Son why should there be the Sac 〈…〉 s and so many Seal to establish the truth of it and why doth he propound it so freely to me when he looks upon the promise the promise makes him believe the freenesse of it the universality of it the indifferentâ—y of it to as many as will have it the Lord puts power into the promise to affect the heart fire the heart there is so much truth and goodness in the promise as is able to make the soul beleeve when God speaks it to the heart it is such a good promise and such a free promise and so Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus to all that do but rest upon it the Lord holds the promise before a maâ—s eyes and saith here is a promise for thee beleeve here is mercy here is favour here is pardon here is peace here is Christ here is strength here is wis 〈…〉 thou art a fool here is wisdome for thee to direct thee thou art weak 〈◊〉 strength for thee to enable thee do but rely upon me and thou s 〈…〉 have it the soul doth not first believe the promise and then take it but the Lord first propounds the promise to the soul and makes the soul look up to God in his promise I am a vile sinner but with the Lord there is mercy and I have a cursed spirit within me but with the Lord there is power to subdue it the truth of the promise and the power of God going with it makes the soul beleeve it and this is the reason when God would renew the saith of his people he gives them as it were a new call and holds the promise afresh before them as Gen. 17. 1. I am God alsufficient walk b 〈…〉 me and be upright as who should say Abraham go not away from me 〈◊〉 not any where else thou mayest have any thing in me I am God Almâ—gâ—ty beleeve in me keep by me go not from me but walk before me all the dayes of thy life and I will be a God unto thee and in blessing I will blesse thee therefore Rom. 9. 8. the people of God are called the children 〈…〉 I se because the promise breeds them and converts them and is the ground of all unto them they are the very children of the promise now here be three things I would shew unto you First why this act is attributed to the â—â—theâ— the Father speaks to the soul the soul hears it and so comes Secondly what speech this is which the soul hears and so comes to God by faith Thirdly how a man may know whither he hath heard this voice or no. First why this act is attributed to the Father Every man that hath heard and Quest 1. Why is this act attributed to the Father 1. Not as though Christ did not speak learned of the Father c. the Father speaks and the soul hears from the Father I answer First not as though Christ did not speak but he came to send them to to the Father go to him and hear him that is not the meaning of it no Christ cuts off all such thoughts in the next verse Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father c. not that any man hath seen the Father c. as who should say I do not mean that you should runne to the Father as though I were not able to teach you no man can go to the Father he dwells in light that is unaproachable no man can come to the Father but by me Mat. 11. 27. All things are delivered to me of my Father c. you see here that is not the meaning of it Christ is a sufficient Doctor he is the great Prophet of his Church and is able to instruct his people therefore that is not the meaning of it Secondly not as though we should set up a conceited distinction of works 2. Notes â—hough we should set up a conceited distinction of woâ—ks in the Trinity in the Trinity as though a man should say now a man is under the work of the Father and then under the work of the Sonne and then under the work of the holy Ghost as some imagine sometimes the soul is under the work of the Father as when the soul doth not beleeve the Father draws it and pulls it and when it beleeves then it is under the work of the Sonne and he works upon the conscience and justifies it and afterwards it is under the work of the holy Ghost when it is sealed with the Spirit of promise these things are true yet this is not the meaning neither doth our Saviour Christ intend any such construction neither have we any warrant for any such distinction of works for as this act of drawing is here given to the Father so John 11. it is given to the Sonne When I am listed up I will draw all men unto me and as we say the soul hears the Father so it heares the Son also John 5. 25. so that these are but conceits and as the seal is given to the Spirit so it is given to the Father and the Son sometimes therefore to say that the soul is now under the work of the Father and now under the work of the Sonne and now under the work of the holy Ghost these things are not warrantable in Scripture but the meaning is this our Saviour meeting with the stubbornnesse of the Jews that would not believe but murmured and repined at his doctrine he puts in this no man cometh unto me except the Father draweth him he means their utter inability of coming to him by nature unlesse it be given them from above if he had spoken of it againe may be would have said no man cometh unto me except the Spirit draweth him you must know that all the acts of the blessed Trinity are indevidable 't is true the Father as he is first in order of subsistance so he is first in order of operation and working but look what one works all work one act flows from them all as it is said you are washed in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit had a hand in the same work they all do the same work for any further meaning of this I know not any warrant The second thing is what this voice is that the Father doth speak to the 2. What is this voice Not distinct from the word preâ—ched soul and so the soul is made to come to Christ I answer you must not conceive that here is any voice distinct from the Word it is but imaginary and notional when men dream of any other Relations besides the Word it is not a proper but a metaphorical speech and it consists in two things First in opening a mans senses Secondly in removing a mans lamenesse and inability Consists 1. In the opening a a mans senses First in opening a
5. 8. Be sober and watchful for your Adversary the Divel goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour The Divel is alwayes busie and therefore we had need watch and busie our selves and be careful at all times when we are secure and consider not God and consider not the good of our Souls and the peace of our Consciences Satan presently hath advantage against us If the Divel had any thing else to do it were something but the Divel hath nothing to do but to hurt us and lay Siege against us All his practice from the beginning of the world to this day is to go roaming and ranging up and down to do mischief it is all his employment from the beginning of the day to the end thereof If he get us alone he will ensnare us there if not there he will ensnare us in company if he cannot get us there he will get us in a Sermon and if any thing falls against our lusts he will cause our hearts to rise against it Now when we do not watch over our selves we are led away by Satan therefore we had need be careful for the Divel is alwayes watchful therefore we should labour to be alwayes provided to resist him Again we have the flesh that is continually about us it is an enemy within us it is that which doth betray us to the World and the Divel even our own hearts do betray us and therefore we had need be careful we have enemies from without and our own hearts within and all to undo us Take a man that is in a good way and hath all means and helps to make him Godly though there be no temptation from without yet he may de damned from his own heart if he be not delivered from it Jam. 1. 14. Every man is tempted by his own lusts and Jam. 4. 5. The Spirit that is within us lusteth to envy and covetousness and security and vanity and carnal ease it lusts after these things and therefore we had need to watch A Third reason is Because it will do us a great deal of good for as if we do not watch we are easily surprized so if we do watch it is an easie thing to The certain advantage of Watchfulness stand all our miscarriages in the duties of Religion lye in security whereas if we were watchful and would walk with eyes in our heads and would consider the snares that be laid for us and consider Gods threatnings and Commandments the duties of Religion would be easie For if we do not watch the Divel and the World and the Flesh have advantage against us but if we do watch this is as it were a fence to the hearâ— to hedge a man in to keep him safe Rev. 3. 2. There is an excellent place Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain it is the strength of the soul When a man watcheth let a man have but a little grace suppose a man be marvellously fallen off and hath but a little good remaining a few graces in him a little faith a little hope a little sanctified desire he hath but a little strength to go on against sin if a man doth but now watch if a man do but husband this little how strong will he be A little Faith is able to overcome all the Divels in Hell well managed a little hope is able to keep a man above water from sinking a little strength is able to maintain the Combate a little affection to goodness if a man have a carefull heart to improve it to the uttermost will go a great way if a man did but watch it would strengthen the things that remaine Though a man were never so infeebled and come to never so low an ebb watchfulnesse is a stay and strength to the heart Fourthly Again if we do not watch we cannot so much as pray to God to We cannot else expect help or pardon forgive us our consciences tell us unlesse the Lord save us we cannot be saved now how can we expect that God should save us if we do not pray unto him And we cannot pray to him to save us unlesse we watch it is to tempt God to pray to him to preserve us from evil when we do not watch over our selves it is to tempt God to pray to him to quicken us when vve deaden our selves to intreat God to give us an holy mind vvhen vve our selves let in vain thoughts Therefore see vvhat Christ speaks Mar. 14. 38. Watch and Pray that ye fall not into temptation As vvho should say You cannot Pray that you may not enter into temptation you tempt God if you intreat him to do any thing if you do not vvatch over your ovvn souls Though a man hath no Activity to do any good yet God vvill have him be vvatchful if he mean to purifie a man he vvill make him purifie himself if he mean to keep him from pride he vvill make his ovvn heart resist pride therefore watch that thou enter not into temptation if thou mean to pray to God not to lead thee into temptation But you will say All a mans watching will do no good except God watcheth over him Psal 127. 1. Except the Lord keep the City the Watchmen Object watch in vain I answer 'T is true indeed unlesse the Lord keeps a mans soul all a mans Answ watching is nothing But I tell thee If thou watchest thou hast Two watchers thou hast God to watch over thee and thy self to watch over thee thou hast God to watch over thee and keep thee in all thy wayes and then thou watchet over thy self and art sustained by God so that thou hast two watchers God above and thy own soul within thee employed about this work A Fourth Reason is Because this is the very means prescribed by God to do us good It is the very remedy that the Lord of Heaven hath appointed Gods appointment unto us to save us from danger and keep us from falling the Lord hath sanctified this means to this very end and purpose therefore when our Saviour Christ would disswade his people from carking and caring for the things of this life Luke 21. 36. see what means he prescribeth and layeth down to do it Be watchful saith he and pray the world is ready to get in therefore watch saith he and pray alwayes that you may be accounted worthy to escape these things So that we see this the means prescribed by God himself to escape the falling into sin Fifthly Again We should be so much the more careful in this watch None can Watch for us because no other can watch for us in outward things one man may watch while another sleepeth as in sailing when all the rest are asleep there is one watcheth so in war when all the Souldiers lye in their tents asleep it may be some few are watching that the rest may take their rest but it is not so in
as white from black this is that which doth alienate them from the courses of the world this is that which doth make them to be singular and odde fellows as if they were of another world this makes them lead a different kind of life and follow a different kind of way from all their neighbors because the Spirit of God works in them as Ishmael and Isaac though Ishmael was born after the flesh yet Isaac was born after the Spirit as the Apostle alludes Gal. 4. 23. that is one took one kind of course the other another one was born one way the other another way the Spirit begat one the Flesh the other and this made Ishmael to persecute Isaac because Isaac could not abide his courses they were of different Natures and Dispositions one was born after the Spirit the other after the Flesh Now here be Six Things I would shew unto you First What Regeneration is Secondly Why it is so called Thirdly Wherein it consists Fourthly The Reasons why the Spirit of God only works this work Fifthly How he works it And Lastly The Vses First What Regeneration is And it is thus much namely The renewing What Regeneration is of the whole man and by degrees completed after the Image of God in Jesus Christ This is Regeneration and there be Five Things to be opened in it First That it is the renewing of a man It is not every change there A Renewing may be abundance of changes and alterations and yet a man for the main may be the same man he is a man may be changed from a Drunkard to be sober from an Adulterer to be chaste yet still he was the same man he was before though there be changes wrought in him but Regeneration is the renewing of a man the making of a man another man as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 5. 17. Old things are passed away and all things are become new The Lord doth take away the old frame and the old affections and the old inclinations the old acquaintance the old course and conversation all these things passe away and the Lord puts in new things in the room thereof till all things become new thus it is in this work as the Apostle speaks Tit. 3. 5. According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost the Lord removeth the old rubbish and puts a new fabrick in the room as a Goldsmith he takes a vessel of dishonour and melts it and makes it a vessel of honour God doth undo the old workmanship and makes a new as David saith Create in me O Lord a clean heart c. Psal 51. 10. David thought he had lost all therefore he prayeth to God that he may be new cast that he may be taken all to pieces as a VVatch-maker takes a VVatch that is out of order he takes it all to pieces and sets it together anew again so he prayes God to deal with him he had lost all in sense and feeling and would have God make him a new workmanship it is called the renewing of a man Ezek 11. 19. there is an excellent place I will give them a new heart c. The Lord puts out and he puts in even just as a Suister doth when she works cut-works she puts out the old heart and puts in a new heart he takes out that which was stark naught and puts in that which is good and agreeable to his mind the old heart is corrupt and the old man is stark naught there is nothing good in it these the Lord takes out and puts in all new A man is altogether naught and reprobate before what poor creatures are all people that are not Regenerate they are all proud and vain and foolish and wordly and earthly and harden their hearts and are carelesse of Gods wayes they have no fear of God before their eyes they are altogether rotten how ill-favouredly do they pray How worldly do they go on in their callings How unfruitfully do they come to Church They are all rotten and refractory they do nothing that right is now when the Spirit of God doth make them up he puts out all old things and makes them new This is the First thing Regeneration is the renewing of a man Secondly As it is the renewing of a man so it is the renewing of the whole A Renewing of the whole man man It is not only in some things for Saul was another man in some sense but Regeneration is the renewing of the whole man as the Apostle saith The God of peace sanctifie you throughout in body soul and Spirit 1 Thess 5. 23. it is a work upon the whole man our Saviour Christ compares it to leaven which a woman took and leavened the whole Lump It is like unto Original sin as Original sin infects the whole man so Regeneration doth repair and renew the whole man it is as general and universal as original sin the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse Ephes 5. 9. It is in all goodnesse in the goodnesse of a mans mind and in the goodnesse of a mans affections in the goodnesse of the inclination and dâ—sposition in the goodnesse of the whole man the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness indeed it begins in the goodnesse of the mind as the Apostle speaks Ephes 4. 23. Be renewed in the Spirit of your minds Where he calls upon them for this new work Put off the old man saith he and be renewed in the Spirit of your minds that is the First thing when a man hath a new mind given unto him a new knowledge put into his understanding a man is renewed in knowledge Col. 3. 10. This is the first thing when God reneweth a mans knowledge and apprehension of things when a man begins to know the plagues of his own heart and the evils of all his own wayes now a man begins to see through these things and now he begins to see the wayes of God and to dive deep beneath the irksomnesse of them to know the amiablenesse of them the sweetnesse of them the delights of them are hidden from a man so long as he is unregenerate but when God doth begin to regenerate a man now he begins to discover them to him that a man seeth what they are he could say before that the wayes of God were good but he could never taste and find them so but when a man is renewed now he seeth the lustre and amiablenesse of them so also he seeth the uglinesse of sin this was covered before sin deceived the heart and carried him after it but now sin begins to be laid stark naked and a man seeth the deformity of it here begins Regeneration in the mind for the understanding is the key of the Soul the key of all the Faculties of the Soul it is like a sluce or flood gate pull up that and the water goes out and runs all abroad
propounds the Word to the soul holds it before the eyes and conscience and sanctifies it and puts a power into it to enter deep into the soul that it may Conceive in the soul Secondly The Lord doth it by an unspeakable working There is a Divine work which the Lord worketh The spirit comes into the soul after the By a secret and supernatural power manner of water as Christ saith Joh. 3. Except a man be born again of water and the holy Ghost c. that is unless he be born of the Spirit which worketh in the spirit of a man as water doth in working upon a â—oul thing Now what this working is we cannot tell but we can tell you the effects of it whereas the soul was rotten and naught before and impotent to all good now it begins to have a better disposition and a new power And whereas it did savour of the things of this life before now it savours of the things that are above but this is a secret kind of working in the soul therefore it is called the washing and the laâ—er of it And the Apostle speaking of the Corinthians what miserable creatures they were before Regeneration he nameth Drunkards Idolaters Adulterers c. and all manner of filthy persons Such were some of you saith he before your Regeneration but now you are washed and justified and sanctified in the Name of Christ 1 Cor. 6. 11. That same washing there he means by that you are Regenerated so that Regeneration it is a supernatural an unspeakable kind of washing of the soul by the holy Ghost whereby the soul hath its Corruption washed from it in part and made clean in paâ—â— and way made for all the Graces of Gods Spirit to come in now and all the fruits of the spirit to be brought forth Thus the Spirit of God works this work he works it in an ineffable manner by the word of Life and by a secret kind of washing I come now to the Application of this Point And first of all If the Spirit of God be the Regenerater of Gods people then we may here see Vse 1. Of Confutation of Pelagians c. the errour of the Papists Pelagians and others That set up the Will of man and put any activity in the Reason and Judgement and Wisdom and Election of man This Doctrine of theirs is unâ—ound and contrary to the working of Gods holy spirit If it be such a work as God sends his own Spirit to do it What man can do it It is called Regeneration and this shews it is not of man who is able to beget himself and shape himself in the womb and dispose of his own body in the belly Nay more Can any man beget himself again The very name of Again shews that it is a work only of God none but he can do it and we see it plainly it is wrought no where but where God himself doth it and they that have it are able to speak it that they did not chuse God but God chose them I was found of them that sought me not all the souls of his people will subscribe That it was not in them that willed or in them that ran but in God that shewed mercy It is God only that is the Author of this thing and none but he Secondly Again This should teach us to consider that we have alwayes Informaton Of our continual need of the Spirit need of the Spirit of God If the Spirit of God hath begotten us again then we have alwayes need of him it is not in this as in the first Birth when the Child is born though the Father be gone the Child may subsist but it is not so here but the Spirit of God as he begets a man so he is fain alwayes to stand by him and bear him up and give him supplies of Grace from day to day As it is with the Air the Sun doth not only enlighten it but it doth every moment give light to it for suppose the Sun should shine four or five hours in the day yet if the Sun should with-hold its light the Air would be dark presently it is not as it is with Fire let a man heat the water though he take away the Fire the water will keep its heat a while after but do but with-hold the light of the Sun and all is gone in the same moment so it is with this new Creature and the Spirit of God he doth dwell in the soul as the Sun in the Air his presence warms the soul and quickens the soul and inables a man to good and gives a principle of life and enables to all actions that are good therefore how should all Gods people carry themselves towards this Spirit They should have a care that they quench him not nor go against him in any particular The Third Vse is for all Gods people in whom God hath wrought this Exhortation 1. Not to grieve the Spirit blessed work the Spirit of God hath regenerated and begotten them again I say to all such persons Let them endear this Spirit of God let them not grieve or offend or displease him seeing he is such a gracious worker in them Ephes 1. 13. The Apostle makes this very Inference in whom after ye believed ye were sealed by the holy Spirit of Promise that is whereby you were Regenerated Regeneration is the first seal of the Spirit whereby he seals Gods good will to a man Now hath the Spirit of God sealed you Then do not grieve him nor cause him to take any indignation against you for though he will never depart from them whom he hath made new Creatures yet notwithstanding he may hide his face for a time if we displease him Yea Consider Will any natural Child willingly displease his loving Father The Spirit of God is our Father therefore we should have respect to him Again This should be a Motive to Gods people to be willing to do any 2. To do any thing for God thing for God because he hath made them as David saith Psal 100. 3. This very Consideration That God hath made us and re-made us he hath done that for us that all our own wits could never have done that the whole world hath not the like the Lord gener-ally lets the whole World sink in ruine and damnation should be a Motive to you to be willing to serve him gladly and to call upon his Name to be ready prest to execute any of his Commands to enter into his presence upon all occasions seeing it is he that hath made us and not we ourselves To them that are Vnregenerated Here we see where to have Regeneration 3. To the Unregenerate to pray for the Spirit it is only in God and in the Spirit of God to renew a man and make a man up again As David prayed when he had the Spirit Lord take not thy holy Spirit from me Psal 51. 11. So when
coming of the Son of man there is not a jot of Ceremony in the fourth Commandment The First Reason is Because God did institute the Sabbath before there Reas 1 was any room for Ceremonies it was commanded to Adam in his Innocency Now all Ceremonies did prefigure Christ and before Adam fell there was no Promise of the Seed of the Woman nor no need of it and so no need of a Figure to represent it but before Adam fell the Sabbath was prescribed Gen. 2. 2 3. On the seventh day God rested from all that he had made so that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it So that you see God having rested upon this day he sanctified it and put holiness upon it therefore we are not to name that Common which he hath named Holy now though we do not read of Adams keeping this day nor Abels nor Enochs nor Noahs nor Abrahams nor Isaacs nor Jacobs yet it doth not follow it was not kept for Moses doth not take in hand to set down the actions of the Fathers but only generally for you see what a short story we have of Methashelah a good man though he lived a thousand years almost yet we have scarce Three Syllables concerning him Now sith Moses did not undertake to set down all that they did therefore they might keep the Sabbath though he did not set it down neither afterwards doth he set it down for 319. years and 111. years which 430. years to the time of the Judges we have nothing spoken of concerning the Sabbath therefore seeing God did Institute it to Adam in his Innocency that is enough but what though the Fathers had not kept it holy doth it therefore follow that we must not keep it holy They had many wives doth it therefore follow that we must have many wives So suppose they did not sanctifie the seventh day though wee can see no proof that they did not yet this is enough That God did sanctifie it before any Ceremony was Again Though we do not read that they practised this yet the Scripture doth intimate to us that they did it The Second Argument to prove this is out of Exod. 16. 23. before the Reas 2 Law was delivered upon Mount Sinai before the Commandment was spoken from Horeb yet you may see that the Sabbath is spoken of and the Lord doth finde fault with Israel for not keeping of it which intimateth it was a day they well knew and the Lord saith afterwards to Moses How long will ye refuse to keep my Laws and Statutes As in vers 28. the Lord there speaks of a Sabbath as a day well known unto them that it was commanded to be sanctified by them and this was before the delivering of the Ceremonial Law therefore it is not a ceremonial Law but a positive Law equipollent with the moral Law A Third Reason is Because it was written by the singer of God in Tabels Reas 3 of stone and put into the Ark Exod. 31. 18. and Deut. 10. â— the Commandments were written upon Two tables of stone and by the finger of God Now all Divines in all ages agree upon this that the writing of this Commandment in the Two tables of stone is an evident Argument of the morality of it For as a Reverend Divine saith Not to think the Fourth Commandment to be moral is the way to all Atheisme for if one should say the Fourth Commandment is not moral but ceremonial another might step up the next year and say the Second and the Fifth is not So that whereas the Law is written by the finger of God in tables of stone if we root it out of the tables of stone we shall root it out of the heart of man therefore the writing of it in the tables of stone is an evident Argument of the morality of it to all ages A Fourth Argument is this The Lord doth urge this Commandment Reas 4 more then any other Commandment in the Decalogue so that a man may question the First or Second or any of the Ten as well as this for first we know that God hath made this Commandment larger then any of the rest Secondly hee hath made it stronger and urged it with more arguments then any of the rest 3. He hath fixed a memento remember before it As who should say Be carefull of this and take heed of forgetting it take heed of those that shall teach you the contrary that this Commandment is not morall 4. It is negatively delivered and affirmatively the other delivered only one way either affirmatively only as the Fifth Honour thy Father and Mother or else negatively only as all the rest There is never a Commandment delivered both negatively and affirmatively but only the Fourth as Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy there it is delivered affirmatively And afterwards it is delivered negatively In it thou shalt do no manner of work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter c. The Lord hath delivered it both wayes noting that this Commandment is equall and equipollent with the other and the Lord did this in infinite wisdome because he had not written this Commandment in the heart of man by the light of nature therefore the Lord did urge it more with Arguments that what was wanting in the light of nature might be supplyed by the pressing of Arguments 5. Another Argument is Because if this be not morall then we have Reas 5 not Ten morall Commandments there are but Nine now this is false for the Scripture tels us that the Commandments are Ten as Deut. 10. 4. it is not an Ecclesiasticall thing but the Lord hath said it as you may see there And he wrote upon the Tables according to the first writing the Ten Commandments which the Lord spake unto you in the Mount out of the midst of the fire The Lord spake Ten Commandments now if the Fourth Commandment be not morall there be not ten Commandments And you may as well deny the Articles of the Faith and the Petitions of the Lords Prayer as the ten Commandments The Sixth Argument is this Christ tels us plainely that it is a Reas 6 morall Commandment Matth. 24. 20. Pray saith he that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath day Our Saviour Christ here prophesied of the destruction of Jerusalem which was forty yeares after Christs Ascension when all Ceremonies were ceased as Paul had proclaimed before the destruction of Jerusalem That if any man would be Gal. 5. 2 circumcised Christ should profit him nothing Galat. 5. 2. That is if he would keep the Ceremonial Law Now Christ bids those that should live forty years after the Ceremonies were ceased I would have you have a care of the Sabbath and delight in hearing of the word of God and meditating upon it and so forth and if any occasion come that you fall into the hands of your enemies pray that your flight be not in the Winter nor
Lords day In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse which shall stand up for an Ensigne to the people and the Nations shall flie unto it and his Rest shall be Glorious Not only the Fathers Rest shall be glorious when he had Created Heaven and Earth and rested the seventh day but Christs Rest also shall be glorious for all Divines agree that the Prophet speaks of the Rest of Christ from the work of Redemption now his Rest shall be glorious As God the Father Rested from his work and his Rest was glorious for four thousand years together so Christs Rest from his work shall be glorious there shall be glory and honour put upon it as well as upon the Rest of the Father when he Rested from making of Heaven and Earth Secondly Another Argument to prove this is out of Rev. 1. 10. there Reas 2 Saint John speaking of the first day of the week the Spirit of the Lord calls it the Lords Day I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day so that it is not by Apostolical Tradition only but by the Institution of God himself he doth call it the Lords Day I was in the Spirit upon the Lords Day he calls the first day of the week the Lords Day by the same reason that the Sacrament is called the Lords Supper Now the Sacrament is so called because the Lord Instituted it and therefore it must be Holy so the Lords Day is called so because the Lord Instituted it and therefore it must be kept Holy Another Argument is this Our Saviour Christ himself doth Intitle himself Reas 3 to be the Lord of the Sabbath and therefore able to alter it and change it and appoint what businesse is to be done and what not to be done upon that day he doth openly profess that he is Lord of the Sabbath Mark 2. 28. and John 5. 23. he saith They shall Honour the Son as they Honour the Father As they honour the Father with a Sabbath in regard of his Rest from the work of Creation so they shall honour the Son with a Sabbath in regard of his Rest from the work of Redemption which being compared with Rev. 1. 10. where it is called the Lords Day These two being put together do plainly prove it Fourthly Christ himself did command his Apostles to keep this day it Reas 4 was not by the Apostles counsel as if they would set up this day in the Church as some would have it but Christ did command them so to do for the Apostles did deliver nothing Generally to the Church but what they received from the Lord as Paul saith What I have received from the Lora that I declare unto you 1 Cor. 11. But I will prove it was the Commandment of Christ to them by this Argument Because the first day of the week was alwayes kept for the assemblies of the people of God before the Apostles durst order any thing in the Church the Apostles never durst undertake to set up any order in the Church until the Holy Ghost fell upon them in fiery tongues and that was fourty dayes after Now the first day of the week was kept long before this John 20. 19. they kept the first day of the week and again the next week ver 26. they kept the first day of the week and Luke 24. they kept the first day of the week And if you compare three or four places of Scripture together as Mat. 28. 16 20. together with John 20. 19 26. we shall see plainly in John that they did meet upon the first day of the week and in Mat. 28. we shall see that Christ appointed them so to do it was by his Commandment Fifthly Another Argument to prove that it is by Divine Institution and Reas 5 not by Humane Ordinance is this Because the Wisdome of Jesus Christ would never have committed such a weighty thing as this is to the Judgement of man Certainly the Lord Jesus Christ before his ascending up unto his Father would never have left things so raw and uncertain and imperfect as to leave such a Branch of such a Sacred Ordinance to be at the Arbitrament of men being so apt to take liberty and so negligent to keep any day Holy surely the Lord would never have left it to the Arbitrament of men Therefore we may well conclude it is to be found in Scripture by Ordination of God for mark what the Apostle saith As Moses was faithful in all his house so Christ is faithful in all his house Heb. 3. 2 3. He proves that Christ is more faithful then Moses Now Moses was faithful for he delivered the whole mind of God to the people of Israel there was nothing left out for time or place or manner there was not any Ceremony in the worship of God left out but he delivered all to them he was faithful So Christ is faithful in his house therefore seeing Christ knew how ready men were to neglect and prophane the Sabbath plain reason tells us that he would order it himself Again Who should Institute any Ordinance in the Church but only he Reas 6 that is the Head of the Church Again Another Argument is this It hath been the Practice of all holy Reas 7 men since the Apostles daies to keep this day That it was the practice of the Apostles that you will grant that they kept the first day of the week Now if there were no Argument but this that the Apostles did keep it this were enough to prove the change of the day when we find that the Apostles did sanctifie this day this were proof enough to stay our mindes for certainly they had a more Infallible guidance and direction then we have and they insisted upon this day 1 Cor. 16. 1. 2. They ordained and John the Divine kept this day though he were in the place of his banishment where he could hear no Sermon but was all alone yet he would keep the Sabbath on the first day of the week and the Lord rewarded his sanctifying of this day by declaring the Revelation unto him to incourage all good people to go on in keeping this day But to leave these and come to the time of the ancient Fathers immediately after the Apostles they all agree upon the first day of the week Ignatius doth so and Saint Austin saith as the Virgin Mary is among women so is the first day of the week among dayes as she was blessed above women so is the first day of the week blessed above daies No man that makes conscience of his wayes but shall find a blessing upon every day but God hath blessed this day in a more peculiar manner and the soul that makes conscience of the keeping of it may by the Covenant of God expect a blessing Now to come to the dead times of Popery If ever the Sabbath was out of memory and out of date then was the time for then there was a great falling away
his Church indeed the Church of Rome have halfe holy dayes as saint Blacies day which is to be kept in the fore noon so they have other dayes that are to be kept in the after-noone but in the fore-noone they may do what they list so heathens did as Ovid saith the former part of the day is holy the latter part of the day is not holy the Lord hath no such days as these but all holy dayes in scripture if God ever appointed a fast or new moon or feast of Tabernacles whatsoever holy day he did institute it was an whole day and not a part of a day therefore much more this solemn day Again the judgment of all Divines in all ages hath been concerning an whole day I could instance in the fathers as in Irenaeus who saith we are to continue in the Sabbath all the day long for the Lord hath required all the day to be kept holy unto him and the saints of God have alwayes kept an whole day so saint Austin saith It is not enough that wee keep three or four houres of the day but that we rest the whole day And what rest not only to rest from our bodily labours for the beasts keep this Sabbath nor the rest of sport and pastime for that is the Sabbath of the golden calfe they ate and drink and rose up to play No but that thou mayest be vacant to God all the day in prayer and serving of him So in the Councell of Mexicon there was an assembly of ministers out of all nations in Christendome and they ordained a canon concerning the Lords day We ordain that people keep the whole Lords day holy and that they set themselves the whole day to pray to God and delight in God and heare his word and if a countrey-mans servant breake this day his punishment shall be to be beaten with severe blowes ictubus graviâ—ribus are the very words of the Councell and if a Lawyer offer to plead this day he shall not have the benefit of his pleading or case and if a minister breake this day he shall be excommunicated half a year and throwne out of the Church and shall not be received into the Church again but upon great humiliation This was the judgment of Divines in all ages and it is the observation of a reverend Divine Musculus upon Exod. 20. God doth not say Remember the Sabbath to keepe it holy he that keeps it an hour or two keeps it holy but Remember the Sabbath Day to keepe it holy he will have a day kept holy Nay Calvin whom they take to be on their side to be a patron of their liberty he himselfe writing upon Deut. 6 upon these words Remember the Sabbath day he saith we are to keep this day speaking of himselfe and all the people of God we are to keepe this day and not a part of it but all of it The second Use is this we may hence see that sports and pastimes are not Vse 2 agreeable to the Lords day for if the Lord hath forbidden our weekly works on that day then surely he hath forbidden sports and pastimes The reason is good first because our weekly works are things Commanded at other times now sports and pastimes are never Commanded by God but onely permitted now if things commanded and things that are good at sometimes if these notwithstanding may not be done upon the Lords day then much lesse must those be done that are permitted onely Secondly because weekely works do lesse distract a man from God then sports and pastimes I appeale to any man here present if he be not more heavenly and better employed and lesse distract from good thoughts and gracious affections when he is plowing or sowing or threshing then when he is diceing and carding sports and pastimes beat a man further off from religion and let a man go to prayer after sports and pastimes he shall find himselfe more unfit and unaffected a great deal then he shall when he comes from the works of his calling Now if those things that do lesse distract from Gods worship and service are forbidden upon the Sabbath day then surely much more those things that doe more distract must needs be forbidden upon that day THE END
the people of God and had Abraham for their father and were barren and fruitless and dissolute in their lives you may see how John Baptist answers their foolish conceit think not with your selves we have Abraham to our father c. Mat. 3. 9. he hath no need of you you are the children of Abraham but know God can cast you into Hell for all you are the children of Abraham and can make Heathens and Infidels children of Abraham so when the Jews boasted Mal. 1. that God had chosen them he hated Esau and loved Jacob and they grew to be insolent and disobedient to God and polluted his holy Temple and despised his name see what God saith I will accept none of these things at your hands I will gather me a people among the Heathens Mal. 1. 13. As who should say I want not people I can go among the Heathen and there have my worship regarded which you have slighted and neglected Thirdly There is no particular Church in the world hath a promise 3 No particular Church hath a promise of continuance alwayes to be a Church but it they grow careless and secure and unprofitable under the means the Lord will be gone he hath made no such promise to continue with them for ever 't is true there is never a godly soul never a member of the Church but God hath promised he will never leave him 2 Tim. 2. 19. and Mat. 28. 20. he saith so of his own people he will never leave them but the good things he hath begun in them he will perfect them in the day of Christ nay though all particular Churches should be destroyed God will have a care of these particular Saints of his Catholique Church that not any limbe of it shall cease but for particular Churches God hath made no such promises but upon condition Rom. 11. 22. if a Parish or Kingdom continue in the fear of Gods name and regard his commandements be fruitful under his Ordinances and thankful for his goodness then he will stay but otherwise saith he thou shalt be broken off though thou be the famousest Church in the world This may conâ—ound the Church of Rome who promise to themselves they â—se 1. â—o conâ—ound the Church of Rome shall never be unchurched though they have been unchurched many years yet they brag they are the only Church in the world Bellarmine brags that St. Peters chair shall never go from Rome and no wonder for the spirit of God foretold it Rev. 17. I sit as Queen and shall never be a Widow I shall be a Wife a Spouse for ever I shall see no sorrow you see how secure she is just the child of her proud mother Babylon Isa 47. 8. So 't is with the Church of Rome I am and none else I am she calls her self the Roman Catholique Church as if there were no Church but Rome all the Nations of the world if they will be a â—hurch must be members of that Church as it was said of Rome in Augusius time If Jupiter should come down from Heaven there is no Country for him to come into but Rome look into this or that country Rome hath to doe there so Rome notwithstanding her Apostacy is grown to that height of pride and security as if she were and none but she O poor deluded company there is scarce any true note of a Church of Christ among them and yet they make themselves to be the onely Church This may be an Item for all the particular Churches in the whole world Vse 2. To all particular Churches for England Denmark France wheresoever is any Here you see the Church of Sardis had but a name to live and was dead there was nothing but remainders in her and they were ready to die and come to nothing But what speak I of the Church of Sararâ— Where are all the famous Churches of Asta of Pergamus and Thâ—atâ—ra c. what is become of these famous Churches are they not turned into a wilderness and to worship Mebâ—met and Idols and are even grown as bad as Heathens But what need I speak of these Look upon the Church of the Jewes that were thâ— priâ—cipal people of God no Church like that Israel is my first borne there was never any Church under the Gospel that was his onely Church but Judaea was his onely oâ—e his pleasant Plant nay they were the Fathers of Jesus Christ according to the flesh Rom. 9. yet notwithstanding that Church was cut off When the holy City proved a Harlot when these people grew to be weary of God and his Ordinances and grew to be loose and would not be ruled by God and his Word the Lord gave them a Bill of Divorcement and sent them away therefore let us be warned by them it is a fearfull thing when God for Idolatry shall cast off Churches and yet we not tremble but live under security and hardness of heart and take not warning by it Jer. 3. 8. God saith Yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not but played the harlot When God cast off the ten Tribes Judah saw this and heard of this and could not chuse but understand this and yet she did not fear for all this So when this Parish or any other Parish shall hear of any Parish that is unchurched and unministred and God hath taken away his presence from among them and there shall be no signe of his gracious presence any more the Gospel is gone from such a place and we hear of it and yet doe not fear but are as secure as ever as unfruitful under the means as ever and doe not stir up our selves to be more obedient to God and his Ordinances but goe on to play the harlot and goe a whoring from God from day to day nay we are even ready to promise our selves peace for all this this is a fearful thing Mark what the Lord saith Jer. 7. 11 12 13 14 15. He speaks there of Jerusalem So when God hath poured out his plagues and punishments upon other Parishes and other places and hath taken away his Ark and the glory is departed from them and they are left in the shadow of death and we see it and yet tremble not at it God calls upon us from day to day to amend our lives that we miâ—ht finde mercy with him God tells us as he hath done to other Parishes in the Kingdome so he will doe to us the Lord will lay us desolate and waste as other parts of the land are and certainly the Lords wrath and vengeance is hard at our heels if we doe not speedily repent who knows how soon God may deprive us of his Word and Ordinances For 〈◊〉 not found thy works perfect before God If we take these words in sunder they containe these five Propositions First That the covenant of grace requires works Secondly That these works should be perfect Thirdly That they should not onely be perect
be but a poor thing yet it is worth a Kings ransome in time of trouble To shew unto us how God doth work this hope and he works it first Use 3. Informe how God wo 〈…〉 this hope 1. By rooting out all vain hopes by rooting out of the heart all vaine hopes and bringing in a better hope as the Apostle speaks Heb. 7. 19. The Law made nothing perfect when God brought in Christ he brought in a better hope when God brings Christ to the soul he brings a better hope into the soul the soul before had a vaine hope he prayed and came to Church and was civil and well brought up and had many good gifts and many terrours and affrightments all these are nothing but legal works a man can never have hope in this but when God brings in a better hope he throws out all the other he shoots his Law like a great Ordnance into the soul and strikes him dead and makes him see there is no hope all his vaine hopes are nothing and still the soul will be gathering false hopes and returning to them but the Lord throws them out still and puts in a better hope By setting a look upon the Gospel as the Gospel tenders this to every creature 2. By setting a look upon the Gospel to one as well as to another so the Lord puts a particular look upon the Gospel as Peter said to the lame man look upon me and this made him expect to receive an alms from him Acts 3. 4 5. So the Lord makes a man look upon the Gospel to minde the Gospel and regard and take notice of it what it saith for people let these things slip but when God works this hope in the soul he makes a man to mind the Gospel and makes as if it looked at him and so he comes to have sound hope in the Gospel as a beggar when a Gentleman puts his hand into his purse though he sees nothing yet he thinks he will give him something so the Lord puts his hand into his purse as it were he lays his hand upon mercy and lets the soul see him tendring of mercy and this makes him hope he shall have mercy he casts a look upon him and so affects and draws the soul and he finds the Lord moving the soul and inclining the heart and weaning the soul from the world and quickning him to seek after the things that are above By removing of all impossibilities that lie upon the soul you know there 3. By removing all impossibilities is abundance of impossibilities that appear as for a man to live in his sinnes a man then hath no heart to Christ no heart to heavenly things no mind to pray and to strict courses it is impossible for a man in this case ever to attaine these things when he hath no heart to them now the Lord takes away that impossibility and makes the soul see it is possible to attain these things therefore there is a kinde of seed of regeneration going along with this 1 Pet. 1. 3. as there is a seed before regeneration it self before that hope that proceeds from justifying faith so these seeds of regeneration are before this hope I now speak of the soul hath something wherby it seeth a possibility and the Lord shews him a way of recovery and sets up a standard to guide him in the way and takes away all impediments that hinder him in the way and now the soul seeth it is possible to attain unto these things If we have any such hope as this let us not labour to diminish it but Use 4. Labour not to diminish this hope let it grow in us it is an excellent mercy of God to begin this hope if we have the least crevis or cranny of it let us make much of it let us tender it cherish it for it will help us to pray and seek God and let go our corruptions it will enable us to do many things when a man hath gotten this hope once therefore if we have it let us put it on as the Apostle saith if you mean to go to heaven you shall be sure to meet with blows therefore you should have your helmet on the devil will say have you any hope to go to heaven having such a vile cursed heart you were better give all over for your betters have missed it now we had need of this hope to be nourished and cherished in us nay though a man hath never so much faith he should cherish this more and more But how shall a man cherish it Quest How may this hope be cherished Ans 1. Look to the power of God I answer first look to the power of God do not say how shall I be able to do this and that how shall I get my lusts to be mortified and how shall I get my heart to submit to God but look unto the power of God and do not limit the holy one of Israel the Lord may pardon thy sins and renue thy heart therefore look unto the power of God When Christ told his Disciples Mat. 16. 24. that it is easier for a Camel to go thorough the eye of a needle then for 〈…〉 ich man to enter into the Kingdom of heaven they were all astonished O say they who then can be saved Oh saith Christ look unto God 't is true with mâ—n it is impossiblâ— for the heart and affections of a man are so glued to the things of this world aâ—â—â—e hath so much pleasure and delight in the things of this life that his heart cannot look after mercy with zeal and fervency it is as impossible as for a cable to go through a needles eye but saith he look to the power of God he is able to work it a rich man may be saved for all this if a rich man be touched with the sence and feeling of his sinnes and have a heart to come to God though he meet with never so many difficulties in his way let him look unto the power of God to whom nothing is hard Secondly look to the freenesse of Gods promises the indifferency and universality 2. Look to the freeness indifferency and universality of the promises of the tender of them whosoever thirsteth let him buy wine and milk without money Esay 55. 1. when a doale is tendred to all at the doore Why may not every beggar hope to receive it so if mercy be free for every one that comes to Gods door for it why mayst not thou look up with hope if thou hast an heart to it thou mayest if thou hast not an heart thou art none of Gods but if thou hast an heart look up to God and be not dismayed but see the infinitenesse of Gods mercy that as the heavens are 〈…〉 her then the earth so his mercies are far above our thoughts and apprehensions and where sinne abounds grace abounds much more there are many poor souls that
his heart by faith without faith you can do nothing saith Christ and faith tells a man this it makes him know what a wretched creature he is and what a damned nature he carries about with him and that he must not follow and please and give satisfaction to that at any time Now a natural man may see his insufficiency of himself and the vilenesse of his nature but conscience only shewes him this but because he hath not faith it doth not humble him and put him down but he will follow his own thoughts and go after his own reason for all this he hath not true and saving faith to reveal these things in power to him but when faith comes into the soul it doth it to the purpose it makes a man not to be a little affected with his sinnes but â—oundly affected and makes him see that he is undone for ever if he go on in that course he was wont to do and thus faith working in this fashion delivers a man over to Christ by taking a man off from that which was his Pilate and guide before and making him to be guided by Christ Secondly Faith works obedience by carrying a man to God it 2. By carrying a man to God makes a man seek to God how to obey Teach me O Lord to do thy will Psal 143. 10. Faith carried him to God so faith doth wheresoever it is it brings a man to God that God would be pleased to strengthen our apprehension that so we may look upon his will and to fortifie our understandings that we may conceive of all his wayes with a Divine and heavenly understanding and to fortifie our wills that the feeblenesse of them towards God may be removed it crieth to God from day to day that he may not do as he hath done nor live as he hath done faith wheresoever it is drives the soul to God and to lie at him from day to day to guide him and teach him and instruct him and shew him his wayes and reveal unto him his Statutes as David Psalme 119. 35 36. Incline my heart to thy Testimonies and not to Covetousnesse As who should say Lord here is my heart will and whole man I beseech thee make me walk in thy wayes I am very loath and untoward I beseech thee put some strength into this will of mine when I go to thy Word let me heare it with trembling when I go to prayer let me go to it with an heavenly minde encline my heart this way and make it stand bent this way 't is true when naturall men are convinced that all strength is from God they pray too but this is not faith in prayer but faith makes the soul that it cannot be quiet but it must obey and stoop to him in all his wayes Thirdly Faith works obedience by making a man improve all the abilities that God hath given him already and this is the best way to 3. By making a man improve all his abilities encrease them Matth. 13. 12. When a man hath grace hath a Talent and makes use of it and hath it to some purpose and layeth it forth that man shall encrease his Talent and abound God will give him more now as faith works obedience by shewing a man his own wretchednesse that he must not yield to his own desires and be carried by his own vaine imaginations that for his part would conclude such a course is lawful and why not Though God saith the contrary faith makes him consider that and so drives him to God and so also it makes him go and improve those gifts and parts and strength that God hath given him already that he may lay it forth and use it to the uttermost as if a man be haunted and baited by any lust deadnesse security coldnesse in duty or some other lust Now Faith when it would make a man obedient to God to crucifie these lusts it makes a man look out to see what power God hath given him what abilities God hath lent what helps and furtherances God hath reached out unto him and he takes all to fight against that lust hath he understanding that he employes to think of the evill of the sinne to consider of the danger of the sinne how he may avoyde it and what course he may take to overcome it if God hath given him a memory he layeth it forth to remember and recollect such things as he hath heard and hath been told of he layeth all his Talents forth that ever he can to master that lust and so works obedience as faith drives a man to God for help so look what help God lends and what Talent God puts into his hand he layeth all forth for the working of obedience he will not let any one lye idle but will employ all to help him forward in obedience Fourthly Faith doth work obedience by making a man to relie upon Christ it doth look unto an union with Christ it doth make 4. By making a man relie on Christ a man to cast himselfe upon Christ for power against his sinnes it doth extract vigour from Christ against corruption it doth distill and draw down graces from him faith is the pipe whereby grace is conveyed from Christ to the soul and faith opens the passages of this pipe that it may descend down to the heart from the Lord Jesus Christ faith is a marvelous excellent thing it doth extract efficacy and validity and power from the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ for the crucifying of the flesh for the mortifying of the deeds of the body and thus it changeth the heart and brings willingnesse to every duty by doing thus I say faith goeth to Christ and casts it self upon him for all things it wants for the performance of all good courses and wayes Thus David got power against his carnal â—eare when he was afraid of Saul on one side and the Philistins on the other side how doth he fence himself against this Psalme 56. 4. I put my trust in God and therefore need not feare what man can do unto me and so faith was able to root out his feares So it was with the remnant of Israel Zeph. 3. 13. They shall do no iniquity you will say how can that be Can flesh and blood do that As long as a man is flesh and blood he will be doing some iniquity or other how shall a man be able to do no iniquity and let no iniquity have dominion over him it goeth before in the twelfe verse They trust in God They trust in God and so shall 〈◊〉 iniquity When a man doth trust in God and hath faith to relie upon him aâ—d distill down power and strength from Christ this will help him to do no iniquity and help him to oppose himself against all his corruptions and fight against the strength of all his lusts as the Apostle saith Rom. 3. 13. let us therefore cast off the workes
of darknesse You will say this is very strange are we able to do this can we tame our own hearts or change our own minds are we able to purge out these corruptions is this possible how shall a man do this Why put on the Lord Jesus Christ in the next words go to him by a true and lively faith and then you may be strong in Christ and able to do every good Duty and subdue every sinne receiving strength from Christ when a man is to go through thornes and briars a man is not able to go through but if he put on his Bootes and his Gloves c. he may so when a man goes on in his owne wayes he cannot avoide sinne pride and covetousnesse and vanity how shall he avoide these things 't is true he cannot avoide them if he go naked but if he put on Christ he may it is a similitude taken from a garment and that in two respects First it must be fitted and then it must be put on so Christ first takes measure of all the infirmities and frailties of his people and communicates to them a sutable grace are they troubled with afflictions then he measures out patience to beare them are they persecuted then he makes them able to stand for his Name are they to pray to deny themselves to sight against Satan he measures them out a sutable proportion of his grace and Spirit to him and now when a man hath his Gloves and all provision on he may go about hedging or ditching or any businesse so when a man hath put on Christ and is armed with grace and strength from him what is it but a man may do In that very moment wherein a man casts himself upon God in Christ and doth lay hold upon Christ by a true and lively faith this grace is made over to him the same moment may be the grace of victory he must stay for a while but there comes a grace of sincerity from God that very moment that he believes in Christ though may be there comes not that power from Christ he would have yet that power that he shall be sincere and will never let corruption make him a slave he shall never walk after the flesh never be stubborne and worldly never do as the wicked do never depart from God as unbelievers use to do he shall depend upon God and waite upon him and adhere and cleave unto him and continue a faithfull Souldier to Christ fighting against sinne and corruption to the death a man shall have power from Christ to do this if he have a true and a lively faith By faith â—aith the text Hebrewes 11. 5 Enâ—ch walked with God how is it possible could he walk with God what a strange kinde of life is this How averse is the heart of man from it People cannot abide such strictnesse to have commerce and society and communion with God to keep close to God and not go away from him how could he do this Why By faith he walketh with God So Abraham God bade him leave his Countrey and all he had you must think a thousand things were objected to him you must think he had abundance of reasonings to and â—ro in his minde I am in yeares unfit for travell and I shall now travell God knowes whither and I am now where I was bred and brought up and I have hear meanes and maintenance and friends and know how to live and for me to go into a strange Countrey where I know no body and I know not what may become of me and for me to leave certainties for uncertainties all the world will count me a foole how did he do this By faith he obeyed saith the text c. Faith helped him with power to look up unto God and cast himselfe upon God that helped him against all difficulties that helped him against all the backwardnesse and dulnesse of his nature he committed himself to God and would do it he packt up himself never once standing upon the matter but away he goeth By faith he obeyed c. So By faith Abel offered up a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain Hebrewes 11. 4. How is that possible Was he not made of the same mettall Cain was was he not borne out of the same womb digged out of the same pit As apt and prone to serve God after an earthly manner as Cain How was he able to offer up a more acceptable sacrifice He had no better sheep then Cain Why it was done by faith he had faith in God he renounced himself and was divided from himselfe he was united to God by faith and resolved to hang upon him and so leaned upon him for every thing he had promised and so got acceptance with God So Rahab by faith entertained the spies Hebrewes 11. 31. It was a hard piece of service a marvelous difficult piece of businesse you must think she thus reasoned with her selfe shall I entertaine Traytors Shall I betray my owne Countrey The Town will see it it will come to the Kings eare and I shall become a Traytor to my Countrey and Prince and a thousand to one but I shall lose my life if I suffer them to be here but how did she overcome this By faith by faith she entertained the spies for all it was so hard for all death was at the doore yet by faith she was able to do it What shall we say to Gideon Baruch c. Who by faith subdued Kingdomes c. Hebrewes 11. 37 Out of weak they were made strong How did they work righteousnesse They were as weak as others but saith made them of weak strong faith strengthened their wills to that which was good faith corroborated their resolutions and purposes towards the pleasing of God and resisting corruptions faith made them strongly resolve that they would not be led by their owne wills they believed in God and so were able to do it What shall I say of Moses Hebrewes 11. 24 This is a wonderful thing that he should refuse to be called the sonne of Pharoahs daughter a meane man born and yet refuse to be called King Pharoahs Grand-childe who would refuse such excellent hopes of honours and preferments may be he might be King afterwards Nay when he was come to yeares to do it if he had refused it when he was a childe before he had come to yeares it had been no such wonder it might have been attributed to his childishnesse Nay but he was come to yeares and was a learned and understanding man what man would have done this Indeed rare are such persons that are able to renounce themselves in this fashion but you see what faith can do Quest Thus you see how faith doth work obedience and now if Quest How doth â—aith fetch power from Christ you would know how faith doth fetch power from Christ to do these things I answer it is by two wayes Answ 1. As an instrument First Faith