now addresse themselves to Christ seeke interest in Christ or seriously intend and mind Christ Generally then they lay drowned under the waters commonly now they are overwhelmed with the Sea of self-cogitations self-desires and intendments Mans neglect of Christ and self-seeking ever turnes to mans ruine as their neglect of the Arke and seeking other places of refuge proved their destruction Many indeed professe Christ but few intend Christ like bad servants they call him Lord and Master but they doe not his worke they mind themselves and not Christ Rehoboam strengthened himselfe but he did evill and prepared not or fixed not his heart to seeke the Lord. There are many of Rehoboams generation they strengthen themselves in wealth in friends in carnall policies and worldly honours but they prepare not they doe not dispose and frame their hearts to seeke Christ to exalt and set up Christ they doe not fixe their hearts towards Christ in their intendments and undertakings as the rivers are fixed towards the sea in their motion and the arrowes towards the marke in their slying This is an evill from which the Lord disswadeth Seeke ye not saith the Lord by Moses after your owne heart and your owne eyes after which ye use to goe a whoring Wherein the Lord calleth them from their owne wisedome as from a false guide from their owne will as from a corrupt commander from their owne thoughts as from a pernicious suggester and from their owne ends as from low base and carnall markes And indeed self-seeking is a spring of many bitter streames and a poysonous root of many mortall and soule-slaying branches For 1. Self-seeking is insatiable He that seekes the creature and not Christ can never have enough his desires are never answered Like Phâ—raohs leane kine after the eating of the fat his soule is still leane empty hungry he finds no satisfaction Like the dropsie-man he is in a continuall thirst the more man seeks himselfe the further he is from satisfaction his desires are endlesse that desires not the Lord Jesus he is alwayes poore that makes not Christ his riches distracting and perplexing thoughts of want doe ever pester their minds who mind not Christ Jesus in whom is all fulnesse The eye which sees not the Sun of righteousnesse is never satisfied with seeing The eare which heares not the glad tydings of Christ in the Gospell is never satisfied with hearing The hand which receives not Christ is never filled with receiving The soule which finds not Christ is never satisfied with finding though it finds all the fulnesse of the world No man doth lesse enjoy himselfe then he that doth most inordinately mind himselfe Disorderly intendment of the creature deprives man of the comfort of the creature the least of the creature with Christ ministers much contentation the most of the creature without Christ works great vexation and trouble and fils the soule with restlesse and insatiable longing To them therefore that intend themselves and not Christ that mind the multiplication of their worldly abilities and not the exaltation of Christ the Lord threatens emptinesse to them that intend Christ and not themselves the Lord promiseth fullnesse and satisfaction to their desires the soule which applyes it selfe to the creature discernes a seeming beauty in the creature and that inflames the soul with love to it with lusting after it the soule promiseth it selfe great things from the creature and therfore is much in the multiplication of the creature it discernes a pronenesse in the creature to change and therfore labours much to make it sure such a man placeth his confidence in the creature and yet is very jealous least the creature should faile and prove a sandy foundation and therefore is he very sollicitous and laborious about the creature thinkes he never bestowes pains and care enough to make it sure unto himselfe but the man who sincerely minds and intends Christ sees such perfection tastes such sweetnesse discernes such power and stability and meets with and feels such a fullnesse of all goodnesse in Christ that in Christ his soul hath a sweet acquiescence and sure reposall whether he enjoy much or little of the world the more man neglecteth and denyeth himselfe and the creature for Christ the more satisfaction he findeth in Christ the more a man intends himselfe and the world with the neglect of Christ the more vanity vexation and emptinesse he finds in himselfe and in his earthly abundance There is no end saith Salomon of all his labour neither is his eye satisfied with riches He spends his mony for that which is not bread and his labour for that which satisfieth not saith the Prophet 2. Self-seeking makes man hypocriticall corrupt and full of sinister and by-respects in his profession and duties of Religion the wife of Jeroboam comming to the Prophet disguised her selfe and fained her selfe to be another then she was self-seekers comming to Christ taking upon them the profession of Christ disguise themselves and fain themselves to be others then they are to be the friends of Christ the followers and servants of Christ and seekers of the honour of Christ when they are the enemies of Christ followers of the world serve their owne bellies and seek their owne worldly profit and temporall advancement Selfe-seekers make their attendance upon the Lord Jesus a meanes to accomplish their owne carnall purposes like cunning Anglers they make Religion a bait to cover their hooke the more readily to take the fish of some worldly profit men often gaine that riches and ascend the steps of that honour under a pretence of godlinesse which they could never attaine in the way of open profanenesse Anti-christ puts on the hornes of the Lamb and under pretence of being Christs Vicar he sets himselfe in Christs throne and acts the part of the Dragon under colour of seeking the welfare of the Church he doth prey upon and brings ruine to the Church the Pharisees were great self-seekers men of covetous and ambitious spirits they rob'd widowes houses and for a pretence made long prayers their whole Religion who are given to self-seeking is altogether corrupt and carnall Iudas followed Christ not for any love to Christ but because he bore the bagg Man may goe farre in the way of Christ and doe much in the worke of Christ as long as Christs service tends to his worldly advantage having no true love at all to the Lord Jesus why did the Disciples mentioned by Saint John follow Christ but because Christ filled them with the loaves earthly gaine is the only load-stone that draws self-seekers to the observation of religious duties Hemor and Shichem perswading their fellow Citizens to be circumcised drew them by an argument taken from their worldly profit Shall not say they their Cattell and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours and to this they hearkned and were circumcised
past feeling being unsensible of their sinne as a dead man of his disease unsensible of the misery of their estate and perilousnesse of their condition as the drunkard in Salomon had no apprehension of his danger unsensible of the word of instruction as a deafe man that heares not is unsensible of advice and counsell They heare saith the Prophet but understand not they see but perceive not they heare outwardly but not inwardly they see confusedly but not clearly the light shines upon them but not within them they walke not in the light they are not guided in their goings by the light they are unsensible of the characteres symptomes of destruction which are upon them as Ephraim had gray haires here and there upon him howbeit he knew it not Unsensible of the goodnesse and sweetnesse of Christ as a distempered palate is unsensible of the sweetnesse of the wine given him to drinke unsensible of the comfort and pleasantnesse of spirituall life as the dead are unsensible of the joyes of the living and being thus past feeling they regard not the life of grace it is of no esteeme with them 4. Their corruption doth oppose the life of grace by causing them to give themselves over to lasciviousnesse to worke uncleannesse disposing and inclining them to evill as heavy things incline downeward the whole current of their affections moving towards sinne strongly speedily undefatigably and unchangeably as the Rivers move towards the Sea soaking and surfeting themselves with carnall delights and pleasures as the drunkard soakes his flesh with strong drinke and the glutton surfets himselfe with sweet meat delighting and sporting themselves in sinne as the fish in the water drinking iniquity as Job speaks like water as the dry ground drinks in the water and looks for more giving themselves over unto sinne as the souldiers to the Centurion to be commanded by it to be wholly subject to it as the harlot to the adulterer prostituting and laying themselves open unto sinne and bringing forth all their fruit to sinne and this their serviceablenesse to sinne delight and pleasure in sinne voluntary and full subjection under sinne doth mightily oppose the working of the life of grace within them so opposing it that none but Christ can worke it Besides Satan doth also with much force and fraud hinder this worke holding the winds that they may not blow endeavouring to the utmost to stop the ministery of the word the meanes of begetting this life in the soules of men blinding the understandings of men that the glorious light of the Gospel may not shine into them labouring by all meanes to hinder the regeneration of Gods children represented in Saint Johns vision of the Dragon ready to devoure the womans childe as soone as it was borne This worke the world also hinders by distracting men with worldly cares by priding men with worldly wealth by ministring many prophane and soule-bewitching examples by with-holding men from attendance upon Gods ordinances the meanes of life by choaking the word of God the instrument of life with worldly cares by disabling men to discerne and judge aright of Christ the Authour of life Such is the opposition made against the worke of grace in the soules of men that there is a meere impossibility of attaining spirituall life without the mighty worke of Christ the Lord of life CHAP. XX. SEe then in this the pride and vanity of such men as dreame of a power and ability in themselves to restore themselves unto spirituall life As Sampson burst his wit hs and went out when Dalilah cryed the Philistines are upon thee Sampson Thus they thinke to breake the chaines of sinne to come forth of the grave of their corruption at their pleasure having the word of exhortation to call them Man indeed indowed with true and saving grace may come when God cals him as Sampson went forth at the voice of Dalilah while his lockes were upon him but as Sampson had no power to preserve himselfe when his lockes were cut off no more hath man destitute of saving grace any power to restore himselfe to the life of grace or to defend himselfe against the adversaries of his peace The branch cannot live without the root nor the soule a spirituall life without Christ Man is wholly disabled unto this worke having no feed nor principle of grace remaining in him being as fully under the dominion of sinne as the dead are under the dominion of death at as great a distance from the life of grace as they who have been long dead and divers dayes like Lazarus in the grave are from the life of nature 2. Being so blinded that they cannot discerne the things which belong to their spirituall vivification from the things which tend to their destruction the wayes of death are wayes of life in their apprehension as the Assyrians smitten with blindnesse thought the way leading to Samaria to be the way leading to Assyria Thus they repute the way which leadeth unto death to be the way leading unto life they call evill good and good evill 3. They decline the meanes of their spirituall quickning they stop their cares against the voice which should awaken and enliven them they shut their eyes against the light which should illuminate them 4. They are full of enmity against the ministery which should convert them they make warre against the ministery of the word as Saul against David This troubles them as the Star troubled Herod the Minister is their enemy because he tels them the truth 5. Sinne is a sweet dish to their palate they are insatiable in the commission of it their soules are wedded to it they have made a Covenant with it they boast and glory in it 6. The life of grace and holinesse is dishonourable and contemptible in their eye Nothing with them is beautifull and amiable excellent and honourable but that which is either for the matter or for the circumstances sinfull And therefore when the dead can raise themselves out of their graves when the stones can turne themselves into flesh the thornes into vines when the Leopard can change his spots and the Blackamoore his skinne then may man by his owne power without the mighty worke of Christ raise himselfe to a new life turne his hard into a tender heart his barren into a fruitfull soule and his uncleane into a pure conversation Were man sensible of his emptinesse of all spirituall good of his obstinacy against grace of his strong and unchangeable bent to evill of the desperate disposition of his heart to sinne of his through subiection under Satan and of the prophane antipathy which is in his heart against grace and of his inability to receive it when it is proffered he would never exalt himselfe into Christs roome and take upon him to be the workman of his owne conversion he would never continue in sinne presuming to repent at last when he list
SVVEET AND Soule-Perswading INDVCEMENTS Leading unto CHRIST DEDVCED 1. From the Consideration of Mans Misery Emptinesse Basenesse and Dishonour without Christ 2. From the Meditation of the Comforts attending the Soules receiving of CHRIST 3. From the Apprehension of the Joy and Excellency of Christs living in Man The whole singularly sweetning the Meditation of Christ to the Soule of Man Hoe every one that thirsteth come to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price Wherefore doe ye spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not ISA â—5 1 2. Draw me and we will run after thee the King hath brought me into his chambers we will be glad and reioyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine CANT 1.4 BERN. SERM. 43. in CANT Aridus est omnis animae cibus si non oleo isto infunditur insipus est si non hoc sale conditur si scribas non sapit mihi nisi legero ibi Jesum si disputes aut conferas non sapit mihi nisi sonuerit ibi Jesus By Alexander Grosse Minister of CHRIST LONDON Printed by G. M for Iohn Bartlet at the Signe of the Gilt-Cup neare Saint Austins-Gate MDCXXXII To the Christian READER Reverend and Christian Reader THere is nothing more pleasant and comfortable more animating and inabling more ravishing and soule-contenting to a true Christian then the frequent and serious meditation of Christ then an holy and humble sweet and constant commerce and communion with Christ Christ Iesus being the whole of mans happinesse the Sunne which gives him light in darknesse the Physition which heales his soules sicknesse the wall of fire which defends him in the assaults of all enemies the Friend comforting him in his heavinesse the Aâ—ke supporting him in the deluge of all his distresses the Rocke sustaining him under the heaviest pressures the enjoyment of Christ solaceth in the deepest sorrowes the want of Christ distracteth in the greatest worldly abundance Who but Christ is the cloudy Pillar protecting and leading Gods Israel the heavenly Manna feeding the Lords people the brazen Serpent curing Gods children of the sinfull venome which the fiery Serpent hath infus'd into them Who but Christ is the Propitiatory or Mercy-Seat in whom mercy is seated and through whom it is revealed and communicated to all that thirst after it the Jacobs ladder by whom God descendeth unto man and man ascendeth unto God the Table of Shew-bread on whom our soules are feasted the Candle-stick by which the Church of God is enlightned the Altar of perfume in whose name and through whose mediation we and our prayers are accepted the brazen Laver in whose blood we are washed and the fiery Chariot by which we shall at the last like Eliah be translated in transcendent glory and triumph Nothing can make that man miserable who hath Christ for his possession the fullest confluence of all abilities can never make that mans estate truly comfortable who hath no Christs fullnesse communicated to him Christ being the onely Well which is able to refresh and fill us when all our vessels like Hagars prove empty bottles the onely â—onductor who is able to lead us when we are to passe thorough the Wildernesse and red Sea of manifold adversities the only Companion able to comfort us When God cals us with the three children to walke in the fiery fornace of sharpe and scorching trials the onely Joshua the onely Captaine of the Lords Hosts who can rescue us when the Amoritish Princes either men or Divels doe besiege us sweet and sure is their Refuge who are under the protection of the Lord Iesus He is a hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest rivers of waters in a dry place the shadow of a great rock in a weary Land The life and liberty peace and safety joy and victory wealth and glory of a Christian is treasured up in Christ Be therfore instant and industrious giving all diligence 1. To make Christ sure unto thy selfe With Boaz in another case be in no rest untill thou hast finished this thing this day Christ is richly worth the having all the residue without Christ is worth nothing Stand not upon the cost whither paines or study teares or prayers peace or wealth goods or name life or liberty sell all for this pearle Christ is of that worth and use that thou canst never over buy him though thou gavest thy selfe and all the world for him the making sure of Christ is the assurance of all the rest 2. Stand for Christ take Christs part be on his side whoever be against him the victory ever passeth on Christs side at last all his faithfull Souldiers are glorious Conquerours they all have crownes though sometimes they swimme unto them in blood take to thee therefore the heart and courage of Shammah one of Davids Worthies who stood and defended the field when all the rest fled Thus abide thou with Christ stand for him defend his Truth his Worship his Church and children though all others fly from him or rise up against him there is more joy and glory in Christs sufferings then in the triumph of profane persons there is more dignity in Christs thornes then in their golden crownes the more thou loosest for the Lord Iesus the greater is thy advantage he is unworthy the name of a Servant that will not stand by his Lord and Master in time of dangers She dishonours the name of a wife that refuseth copartnership with her husband in his troubles he is unworthy of a name either with God or man worthy to have his name buried in everlasting infamy that will not stand by Christ with most resolution and confidence wiâ—h most courage and boldnesse when men and Divels oppose Christ with most rage and violence ô then as Maevius that noble Centurion of Augustus being taken and brought unto Antonius and demanded how hee would be handled heroically answered Command mee to be slaine because neither the benefit of life noâ— the punishment of death can move me either to cease to be Caesars souldier or to begin to be thine Thus whatsoever doe befall thee though a thousand deaths be threatned to be inflicted on thee let neither the hope of life nor the feare of death draw thee to cease from being Christs souldier or to begin to sight under the worlds banner it is more noble and comfortable to die the most ignominious death for Christ then to live the most glorious worldly life with the deny all of Christ 3. Doe not stand aloofe off from Christ when Christ is upon the Crosse Doe not halt and neutralize in the houre of Christs and his Churches troubles he that is not Christs friend is Christs enemy He that is not with him is against him It is Salomons observation of the sloathfull He that is sloathfull in his worke is
his might and all the house of Israel brought up the Arke with shouting and with the sound of a Trumpet Thus should the soules of men be filled with very great thanksgiving and rejoycing at the comming of Christ among them this was prophecyed also and also given in charge long before the comming of Christ in the flesh Reioyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King commeth unto thee he is iust and having salvation lowly and riding upon an asse and upon a colt the fole of an asse As men rejoyce at an earthly Kings comming in love and mercy unto them so and much more should we rejoyce at Christs the spiritual and heavenly Kings comming in grace and mercy unto us the people piped with pipes and were exceedingly joyfull in the day of Salomons coronation when he was set up to raigne over them much greater should be our rejoycing in the day when Christ commeth to us by his Gospell and setteth up his spirituall kingdome in the hearts of his people This joy and rejoycing is promised by the Prophet in that day in the day of the Gospell in the day of Christs gracious and mercifull comming in the day of Christs erecting his spirituall and heavenly kingdome thou shalt say Lord I will praise thee I will be thankfull to thee I will exalt and magnifie thee I will confesse and acknowledge thy power to be a rocke that never sinketh thy truth to be a word that never faileth thy mercy to be a river whose water never decayeth and thy love to be a Sunne that never setteth and with ioy shall ye draw waters out of the Wells of salvation then shall we draw by the bucket of a lively faith spirituall and sweet strong and plentifull consolations from Christ who is a fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleannesse and out of the doctrine of the Gospell which like a river refresheth and maketh glad the hearts of the Lords people This joy and rejoycing is illustrated by a similitude taken from the light They that walked in darknesse have seene a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death to them hath the light shined As the comming of the light is very joyfull to them that are in darknesse so is the comming of Christ in the Gospell very joyfull bringing spirituall and heavenly light to them that sate in darkenesse and the shadow of death all light is but darknesse and all joy but heavinesse in respect of that light and joy which ariseth from the comming of Christ Iesus and with great joy and gladnesse hath this comming of Christ been celebrated by the Angels Feare not saith the Angell to the Shepheards behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and suddenly there was with the Angell a multitude of the heavenly hoast praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and in the earth peace good will towards men Thus likewise the multitude of Disciples beholding and seeing Christ come observing his miracles and embracing his doctrine they began to reioyce and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen saying Blessed be the King that commeth in the name of the Lord grace in heaven and glory to the highest The true and saving discerning of Christs comming and mighty operation in the Gospell ever makes the soule joyfull It is said of the Gentiles hearing Saint Paul to cite that prophecye of our Saviour I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for salvation to the ends of the world that they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord they were glad as a man that sits in darknesse is glad of a light as a man that is arrested is glad of a surety to pay his debt as a man that is mortally sicke is glad of a Physitian to heale his disease as a man that is condemned is glad to heare of his comming that brings him a pardon very sweet and strong is that soules joy and gladnesse which hath a lively taste of the comforts and benefits springing from the comming of Christ in the Gospell They were not onely glad but they also glorified the word of God by understanding it as a word of wisedome by beleeving it as a word of truth by obeying it as a word of power by loving it as a word of goodnesse and by delighting in it as a word of surpassing and comfortable sweetnesse the soule that looks on Christ with joyfull apprehensions is very active and ready to glorifie Christ by faith and obedience Zacheus was very industrious to see Christ joyfull in his entertainment of Christ he made haste and came downe and received him joyfully Questionlesse every soule that truly desires to know Christ receives Christ comming in the Gospell with much thanksgiving and rejoycing Thus it is and thus it must be In regard of the cleare and comfortable revelation of God in Christ God is truly and savingly knowne only in and through his son God indeed is obscurely darkly known in his works as a God of power in his providence as a God of authority wisedome order in his common mercies as a God of bounty and in his punishments and judgements as a God of justice but in Christ opened preached in the Gospell God is known with a cleare a comfortable and saving knowledge as a father of grace and singular mercy and loving kindnes In Judah saith the Psalmist is God known his name is great in Israel in Iudah in his Church where his Word and Ordinances are where Christ is preached and the mystery of mans salvation is opened there God is knowne truly without errour perspicuously without obscurities and savingly without uncertainties there he is knowne as a King in his Courts for the glory and beauty which he there manifesteth as a teacher in his schoole for the wisedome and knowledge which he there dispenseth as a dweller in his house for the holy orders he there prescribeth and gracious rule and dominion he there erecteth and beareth in the soules of his servants as a bridegroome in the banqueting house for the spirituall dainties he there maketh for the cleare and open manifestations of himselfe and love and comforts hee there ministreth to his spirituall friends and guests and his name is great in Israell His power wisedome truth love and goodnesse is much magnified and very glorious in their apprehensions who know him in Christ Jesus Mans knowledge of God out of the Lord Jesus is nothing else but blindnesse nothing but miserable and uncomfortable ignorance for no man saith Christ knowes the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne will reveale him Christ is the lively image of the
3. There must be a deposition of our selves we must lay aside our selves in respect of opinion we must have very low thoughts of our selves in respect of delight and pleasure we must not please our selves in our selves but loath ourselves in respect of Love we must not love our selves please mind and exalt our selves but deny our selves in respect of trust we must not trust in our selves but be jealous of our selves distrust our owne hearts accuse and condemne our selves and in respect of the end we must not intend our selves propose our owne ends but intend Christ and the glory of Christ Thus we must lay aside our selves and empty our selves of our selves that wee may receive Christ the empty vessell receives the liquor there is no place for it in the full 2. Holy wise and carefull preparation to the hearing of Christ in the Gospell Elisha before he prophesâ—ed before Jehosaphat and Jehoram called for a Musitian to play some sacred song the better to appease his spirit and put his mind in a quiet and heavenly frame and then the hand of the Lord was upon him and he prophecyed Thus before we come into the presence of Christ to heare we should by some holy meditation and fervent prayer gather home our thoughts take off our selves from the world suppresse and put away the distemper of our spirits worke our hearts into a holy and gracious frame and tempor and compose our selves to heare so shall the hand of God he upon us in hearing and we shall heare and receive Christ with much joyfulnesse the preparednesse of the eye to see of the care to heare and of the pallate to taste makes them joyfull in seeing hearing tasting the soules joy and comfort in hearing is ordinarily sutable to mans preparation Man is ashamed and grieved to receive his Prince into a sâ—rded and filthy house but having his house clensed garnished and all things set in order he is joyfull in the entertainment Want of preparation is the cause of much discomfort sadnesse and dulnesse in hearing Christ comming in the Gospell is very comfortably entertained by the soule which is duely prepared 3. Sure and gracious interest in Christ Beleeve in Christ lay hold on Christ select and take Christ unto your selves make him yours As the Merchant sold all for the precious pearle in the parable and made the pearle his owne so sell all put away all your sinnes remove all worldly vanities and interest your selves in Christ as the woman leaves her owne people and her fathers house to make another man her husband thus leave the world your sinfull acquaintance your corrupt and carnall customes come off from them all and apply your selves to Christ espouse your selves by faith and love to him and then your soules shall joyfully wait upon him in the Gospell as the Queene waits upon the King in his palace with joy and gladnesse as the bride doth joyfully heare the voice of the bridegroome thus the Spouse professeth her joy and comfort in Christ in the Gospell his mouth his word and doctrine is most sweet he is altogether lovely There is the expression of her joyfull receiving Christ in the Gospell this is my Beloved and this is my friend there is the declaration of her interest in him Christ is ever more or lesse joyfull to the heart of man in the Gospell according to mans assurance of interest in him he never feeles Christ a sweet and gracious comforter that looks upon him in his word as a stranger 4. Cleare and lively discerning and apprehension of the dignity worth and excellency of Christ He that hath a jewell and knowes not the worth of him is nothing affected with him like Esops cocke he rejoyceth more in a barley corne ignorance of the worth of Christ takes away the soules delight and joy in Christ the wise Merchant knowes the worth of a pearle and is much joyed at the finding of him the wise Christian knowing the price and worth of Christ is much joyed when he meets with Christ in the Gospell â— the Spouse in Solomons Song sets forth her apprehension of the beauty worth and excellency of Christ of his Godhead and manhood in one person of his glory innocency grace mercy and justice of his preheminence and exaltation above all creatures of his glorious kingdome his unsearchable wisedome his gracious and mercifull beholding of grieved sinners his beauty and comelinesse to the eyes of faith and concludes at length his mouth is most sweet and altogether lovely His mouth the doctrines words promises comforts of his Gospell are very sweet as the honey or the honey-combe strive then more clearly to discerne the worth of Christ if you intend the increase of your comfort in Christ The prophane Gaderine that thinks more highly of his swine then of Christ never meets with joy in Christ 5. Holy and gracious making use of Christ in the Gospell The eye makes use of the Sunne it sees by it the care makes use of the voice it discernes what is spoken by it the thirsty traveller makes use of the fountaine he quencheth his thirst with it refresheth himselfe by it And all these rejoyce the eye in the Sunne the care in the sound and the thirsty in the fountaine and in these they rejoyce because they make use of them Make use then of Christ in his Gospell as a scholler doth of his teacher learning heavenly wisedome as a sicke man doth of his Physitian recovering spirituall health by him as a besieged City doth of their Captaine feeling him casting downe the holds of sinne and restoring thy soule to freedome as the wise man in the parable did of the rocke build upon him the more use you make of Christ the more comfort you shall find in Christ Christ is both unprofitable and uncomfortable to him that makes no use of him as a sealed Well and an eclipsed Sunne There is a price saith Solomon in the hand of a foole but he hath not a heart to make use of him We have Christ in the Gospell a pearle of great price and it is mans exceeding great foolishnesse not to make use of Christ Iesus 6. Blessed and heavenly sence and experience of Christs sanctifying and saving worke upon our soules in the Gospell The influence and operation of the Sunne upon the earth in the Spring makes it appeare very pleasant and joyfull the sence of Christs gracious worke upon the heart glads the heart he brought me saith the Spouse into his chambers that is he revealed unto me the secret of the Lord the secret worke of the Lord in the illumination of my understanding in the regenerating of my heart in the quickning of my soule in the putting of a new nature upon me in the pacifying of my conscience and comforting of my soule these are the chambers whereinto she was brought the secret and blessed wayes of Christ with a gracious
Church and children in the dissipation of all adversary powers victorious be he in the subjugation and conquest of his enemies glorious be he in the conversion of sinners in the multiplication and increase of his holy and loyall subjects beautifull and amiable be he in the eyes of all persons Let his Gospell shine like the Sun from the one end of heaven unto the other Let his name be as an oyntment powred out casting a sweet smell throughout this great house of the world to him let all the Kings and kingdomes of the earth vaile and stoop become truly obedient and subject This is the prayer desire and endeavour of all that rejoyce in Christ aright teaching us That It is the duty of all people unfainedly to desire and earnestly to endeavour the welfare promotion and advancement of Christ his spirituall kingdome and Gospell David and all the house of Israel joyned together in erecting and setting up the Arke in the Tabernacle Kings and Subjects Masters and servants parents and children the people of every calling and condition should unite their forces their hearts and hands their counsels and tongues their affections and endeavours to set up Christ to advance his Gospell to honour and enlarge his kingdome This was shadowed in the building of the Temple to the building thereof concurred Solomon and his servants Hyram of Tyrus and the Sydonians who did hew the timber for it to the building of the Church of Christ to the setting up of Christ and his Gospell there should be an universall unanimous full and sweet concurrence of men of all nations of Kings and subjects of Lords and servants of Ministers and people every man in the place and calling wherein God hath set him according to the gift and endowment which God hath bestowed on him must concurre in his prayers and endeavours to advance the honour and kingdome of Christ Jesus This was also figured in the neighbouring Kings payment of tribute unto Solomon desiring his friendship and by variety of gifts and presents making their peace with him All people comming from all the Kings of the earth to heare his wisedome the whole as in a shadow presignifying mens payment of the spirituall tribute of feare and reverence faith and obedience love and thankfulnesse unto Christ their entring into a Covenant of peace with Christ their seeking of the love and friendship of Christ their attendance upon the Gospell to heare and learne Christs wisedome their dedication of themselves and their substance to the service of Christ their spirituall subjection unto Christ and their holy and gracious endeavours to make the name of Christ glorious This was foretold by the Psalmist they that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him and his enemies shall licke the dust they shall humble themselves under the mighty hand of Christ they shall acknowledge and receive him as their Lord they shall feare and reverence him as their King they shall vaile and bow to his scepter they shall put themselves and all that is theirs under Christ they shall give themselves to the exaltation and setting up of Christ The Kings of Tharsis and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts they shall consecrate their abilities to Christs service they shall communicate of their substance to the maintenanne of Christs Church and Ministers to the preservation and increase of Christs kingdome All Kings shall fall downe before him all nations shall serve him All shall adore and serve him as their King all shall exalt and honour him as loyall subjects their heavenly Soveraigne all persons from the highest to the lowest must serve the Lord Jesus and study to make him glorious grace works obedience in the hearts of Princes as well as in the hearts of beggars The Sun as well as the stars did obeysance unto Joseph in his vision Kings as well as inferiour persons doe obâ—â—â—ance unto Christ under his kingdome and Gospell The foure and twenty Elders in Saint Johns vision fell downe before him that sate on the throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their crownes before the throne Godly Kings and Governours cast their crownes their dominion dignity power honour and jurisdiction and all that they have before Christ they make all serviceable to the exaltation of Christ and his kingdome This was like prophecyed by the Prophet Esay the abundance of the sea multitudes of men dwelling in Islands shall be converted unto thee shall be gathered unto the Church and kingdome of Christ and the forces great troupes and companies of the Gentiles shall come to thee shall be joyned to the people of God embrace their Religion and enter into a sweet and gracious fellowship with them They shall bring gold and incense they shall contribute liberally to the maintenance of the Gospell and Christs poore members they shall dedicate their earthly abundance to Christs service and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord they shall be very industrious and studious to make the name of the Lord Jesus glorious The sonnes of strangers shall build up thy wals become members in thy house and fellow-helpers in thy worke and their Kings shall minister unto thee shall serve Christ and labour the welfare of his Church and kingdome The glory of Lebanon shall come to thee there is nothing so excellent which shall not put it selfe under Christ and be made serviceable to his Gospell and kingdome and thus our Saviour taught his Disciples to pray that Gods kingdome might come that the Gospell might be preached and men filled with the light thereof As the aire is filled with light upon the comming of the Sunne that the Holy-Ghost might be powred out and the hearts of men inspired with the knowledge love and obedience of the truth that all the lusts of men the impediments of Gods gracious kingdome in the soule of man might be crucified and utterly extinct and that God might universally spiritually and fully reigne in the hearts of men all the weapons of their rebellion laid aside and their soules brought into a gracious subjection and it is the Apostles charge pray that the word of the Lord may run have a free and a speedie passage running as the Sun shining to all the corners of the world and running as the rivers to water the earth and be glorified by the pure and powerfull preaching of it by the holy and gracious working of it by the ready and cheerfull entertainment of it and by the holy and humble subjection of the soules of men under it Mans obedience makes the word very glorious and the free and speedy passage and powerfull working of the Gospell should be earnestly prayed for by the Lords people this is the charet on which Christ rideth in spirituall triumph this is the scepter by which he swayeth in the soules of his chosen and the welfare of this doe all the
honour dignity and glory of Gods Church and people who labours not the exaltation of Christ and his Gospell CHAP. IX IN this as in a glasse we may with open face behold the great impiety and shamefull prophanenesse of three sorts of men 1. Such as have no regard nor desire unto no pleasure nor delight in the prosperity and welfare of Christs Kingdome and Gospell Like Gallio they care for none of these things it is a matter indifferent unto them whether the Gospell sinke or swim whither Christs Kingdome stand or fall flourish or wither the Lord saith of the wilde Asse I have made the wildernesse his house and the barren land his dwelling Heâ— scorneth the multitude of the City neither regardeth he the crying of the driver the range of the mountaines is his pasture and he seareheth after every greene thing Such wilde Asses are these men the wildernesse of the world is their habitation they regard not they desire nor with David to dwell in the house of the Lord they delight in a barren land where are no waters and wels of salvation they regard not the greene pastures of holy and heavenly doctrine in which the Lord feeds the soules of his people They thirst not after the still waters of the Gospell and sweet consolations of the Spirit with which God refresheth the soules of his children they scorne the multitude of the citizens of the new Jerusalem the holy assemblies of Gods people They goe not to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with the multitude that keeps it holy day neither regard they the voice of the spirituall driver they esteeme not the voice of Gods Minister endeavouring to drive them from the world unto Gods Church from sinne to holinesse and from Satan unto Christ the range of the mountaines is their pasture they seeke no food for their soules but worldly vanities they looke after no treasure but earthly substance they care not what become of Christ and his Gospell if it goe well with them according to the world The Harp and the Violl the Tabret and pipe saith the Lord by the Prophet and the wine are in their feasts but they regard not the works of the Lord neither consider they the operation of his hands Such men are blind and see not the beauties of Christ and his Gospell and therefore as it is a thing indifferent to the blind whether the Sun rise or set shine or be eclipsed so it is all one to these men whether the Sunne of Righteousnesse in the Gospell rise or set shine or shine not they neither rejoyce at Christs comming or grieve at Christs departing Such men are unsensible of the want of Christ and therefore doe no more regard Christs presence in the Gospell then a diseased man that feeles not his sicknesse regards the presence of a Physitian Such men are earthly minded altogether taken up with the world and therefore are uncapable of Christ unable to rellish any sweetnesse in Christ or to give him any audience in his Gospell Eliah spake mockingly of Baal to his worshippers Cry aloud for he is a God neither he is a talking or he is a pursuing or he is in a journey or peradventure he sleepeth and must be awaked and they cryed aloud from the morning to the evening but there was neither voice nor any to answer nor any that regarded We may truly say of these they are men but they are either a talking of the world or pursuing of the world with such earnestnesse or fallen into such a sinfull sleep and slumber that they cannot heare and though the Minister lift up his voice like a trumpet and cry aloud yet there is no voice nor answer of faith and obedience nor any regard shewed by them to Christ and his Gospell Such men are halting Israelites and luke-warme Laodiceans void of all true love to Christ and far from all Christian zeale for Christ Solon reputed him no good citizen who in a civill dissension risen in the City did adhere to neither party Such as cleave not to Christ and the Gospell in the dissention and opposition of the world are no true citizens of the new Jerusalem He that is not with me is against me saith Christ he that stands not on Christs side stands on Satans side he that serves not God serves Mammon he that hath not communion with Christ hath communion with the world Christ lookes upon all such as are not zealous for him as on enemies against him and he will spew them out of his mouth at last as foule abomination 2. A second sort are such as oppose Christs Gospell and Kingdome The house of Saul made long war against the house of David There is a family of prophane Saulites that make continuall opposition against the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ they will not have Christ rule over them they take counsell against the Lord and his Christ and say come let us breake their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us Some are superstitious and as the Philistines would not suffer the Arke to stand upon the right hand of their Dagon no more will they suffer Christ and the Gospell to have preheminence above their traditions and devises some are covetous and as Jesse set David behind the ewes so doe these men set Christ and his word behind the world below their earthly imployments and undertakings some are ambitious and as Josephs brethren conspired against him because they were loth to vaile and bow to him Thus proud men conspire and combine against Christ and the Gospell being loth to deny and humble themselves and put their necks under Christs yoke some are under the power of prophanenesse with Ahab they sell themselves to commit wickednesse they are impatient of reproofe and therefore imprison the Prophet of the Lord Christ comming in the power of his Gospell is very uncomfortable and terrible to such as are under the power of their corruption some are prophanely iealous least the setting up of Christ and his Kingdome will crosse their profit and eclipse their honour and credit amongst men and therefore they seeke to suppresse the Gospell as Saul sought to suppresse David This moved Demetrius to accuse Paul and this caused Herod secretly to plot the death of Christ Christ and his Gospell have ever met with many oppositions from the world 3. A third sort are such as grieve at the prosperity and welfare of the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ When Nehemiah came to repaire the wals of Jerusalem Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite grieved exceedingly that there was a man come to seeke the welfare of the children of Israel It is a great griefe to many ill affected men that beare evill will to Sion to heare that God raiseth up any to repaire and build up Christs Church and Kingdome to seeke the
over us to be honourably entertained by us Saint Luke as of a Physitian sent to heale us as of a ransomer sent to free us and to restore spirituall liberty to us And Saint Paul saith plainly When the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his sonne made of a woman made under the Law to redeeme them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons and in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily and he filleth all in all And the authority calling preparation and fulnesse of Christs abilities to save us is very manifest 1. In regard of the power communicated unto Christ as Mediator All power both in heaven and in earth is given unto him power of vivification he quickneth whom he will as he raised Lazarus out of the grave power of illumination he openeth and no man shutteth as he opened the eyes of him that was borne blind power of sanctification he purgeth away all sinne as he cleansed the leprosie from the uncleane power of remission as Lord and King he forgiveth sinne he blotteth out sinne as the Sun the cloud power of pacification as he appeased the winds and waters power of administration as the high Steward of Gods family the supreme Pilot over the ship which is the Church of God as the great Centurion over the Lords army and chiefe Justice in Gods Kingdome power of subiugation casting downe and breaking in pieces all opposing forces as the stone out of the mountaines burst Nebuchadnezzars Image power of protection and sustentation in all troubles as Noahs Arke sustained him in the deluge and Christ safe guarded the three children in the fiery furnace The miraculous and mighty acts of Christs power are cleare and manifest declarations of his calling and commission and of his ability to minister salvation 2. In regard of Christs exaltationâ— He is exalted above all principalities he is exalted above all the common creatures as the Creator and workman above the worke as the Lord above his lowest servants he is exalted above all Angels as the Prince above the Nobles as the son above the attendants he is exalted above all devils as the Conquerour above the captives he is exalted above all the Saints of God as the head above the members as the King above the subjects as the bridegroome above the bride He is set at the right hand of God an exaltation whereof no meere creature is capable Christs Majesty dignity glory and exaltation doth even infinitely surpasse the dignity and honour of man and Angell He is made higher then the heavens others ascend into heaven have their dwelling in heaven but Christ is made higher then the heavens being God and man in one person having an exaltation above all Saints and Angels the inhabitants of heaven all that is in heaven and in the earth being put under him Christs sitting in his Fathers throne Christs exaltation above all creatures fully declared his ability to save his chosen from all evils 3. In regard of Christs impletion and filling of all He ascended farre above all heavens that he might fill all things Christ filleth all things with his power and common and generall operation as the Sunne fils all the earth with his influence with his absolute authority and dominion as a King fils his kingdome with his common gifts and mercies as the Master of the house fils all the persons of the house Christ filleth the Devils and damned men with his justice wrath vengeance but he filleth his Church and children with his ordinances as a teacher fils his schoole with books and rules of instruction as a nurse fils the childe with her breasts and the Master of the feast his guests with food these he filleth with knowledge as the Sun the aire with light with spirituall life sence and motion and all heavenly graces as the head the members as the root the branches as the Sun the starres sweet and comfortable excellent and gracious is that fulnesse which Christ ministers to his members and by his filling of his faithfull servants he verefies his Fathers mission and preparation of him to accomplish mans salvation 4. In regard of his proposing of his Fathers glory and referring all to his Fathers praise as the supreme and ultimate end of all his service and undertakings an ingenuous son preferres his fathers honour above his owne honour a good servant his Masters profit above his owne profit a loyall Embassador the Kings will message advantage and renowne above his owne will errant benefit or credit Christ as Mediator was both a sonne a servant and Gods great Embassador preferring his fathers will pleasure and praise above his owne I seeke not mine owne will faith Christ but the will of him that sent me and againe he sought not his owne glory but the glory of him that sent him and to the father Christ thus speakes of himselfe I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the worke which thou gavest me He glorified his father on earth by declaring his fathers will and counsell by making his father appeare glorious in the eyes of the people by ascribing all his miraculous and mighty works to his fathers power by fulfilling his Law by his obedience by satisfying his fathers justice by his sufferings by gathering home the soules of men to God his Father to know his Fathers will to adore his Fathers name to obey his Fathers precepts to beleeve his Fathers promises to love his Fathers truth to glorifie his â—athers name and every way to conforme themselves and their doings to his Fathers testimonies and by his full intendment and glorious accomplishment of his Fathers honour he compleatly demonstrated his ordination and preparation his comming in the name of his Father to be mans Saviour CHAP. XIII IN this with open face may all men behold and see Gods dispensation of salvation unto man by Christ his Sonne Christ is come in his Fathers name ordained prepared most absolutely and compleatly furnished to communicate salvation to the Lords chosen others come in the name of the Lord to procure and promote the salvation of man instrumentally ministerially subordinately dependantly but Christ is come in his fathers name to give salvation unto man absolutely and independantly by his owne power meritoriously by his owne worth and merit efficiently by the efficacions and mighty worke of his owne Spirit fully and everlastingly being able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him the Lord Jesus is the efficient and meritorious cause spring and fountaine of mans salvation There is no other name given under heaven wher by man can be saved but onely the name of Christ The name of the creature is a name of weaknesse emptinesse unworthinesse the name of mans righteousnesse is a name of many pollutions the name of mans worke and services is a name of debt and manifold
imperfections the name of birth of wealth of art of strength and humane excellencies are a name of no esteeme with God for God is no respector of persons None of these names have wisedome to open the mystery of mans salvation worth to satisfie Gods justice or ability to dissolve the works of Satan or sanctifie the soules of men Christ alone communicates salvation to the Lords people the Arke was the only place of safety to Noah from the deluge Christ is the onely safeguard of the soule of man from the deluge of destruction all that were out of the Arke perished in the waters there is no salvation to them that are out of Christ Jesus Christ is the head and root enlivining man The body of Lazarus lay corporally dead till Christ raised it the soule of man lies spiritually dead untill Christ quickens it Christ is the Sunne enlightening man the world without the Sun is in darknesse the soule without Christ is in blindnesse none of the Magitians and wise men onely Joseph was able to interpret Pharaohs dreame Neither man nor Angell but Christ onely hath revealed his fathers will and counsell touching mans salvation Christ is the Conquerour that vanquisheth the adversaries of mans peace all Israel stood trembling onely David overthrew the great Goliah Christ through death destroyed the Devill that had the power of death and delivered them who through feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Christ is the surety that payes mans debt he gave himselfe a ransome for man whom all the world could not redeeme Christ is the fountaine purging the sinne of mans soule none of the rivers of Damascus only Jordan cleansed the leprosie of of Naaman neither man nor Angell only the Lord Jesus can purge away mans uncleannesse Christs righteousnesse is the roabe which covers us and makes us appeare just in Gods presence Jacob obtained the blessing not in his owne but in his elder brothers apparell Man is accepted of God obtaines the blessing of pardon and peace not through his owne but through the righteousnesse of Christ Christ is the treasure and store-house which filleth man all the garners in the land of Egypt were empty onely Joseph had provision for them all the soules of men are empty only Christ filleth all in all Christ is the Prince of mans peace and Authour of mans reconciliation with God Iosephs brethren being shepheards were an abomination to the Egyptians but by Iosephs meanes they came nigh to Pharaoh and found favour with him Man by reason of his sinne is an abomination to the Lord but through Christ he commeth nigh to God and finds sweet and gracious acceptance of God and thus as in a glasse we see all the causes of mans salvation and eternall happinesse derived and flowing from and through Christ Iesus God ministring all his fulnesse unto man by Christ and accepting man and all his holy service in Christ he that looks beside or beyond Christ for salvation looks beyond the fountaine for water to refresh him beyond the Sunne for light to guide him and beyond the rocke for a foundation to support him he that layes not firme and sure hold on Christ never meets with sweet with sure and everlasting peace he that truly embraceth Christ may undoubtedly perswade himselfe of his salvation he hath a guide of infinite wisedome to direct him a rocke of invincible strength to sustaine him a rich and royall roabe of absolute purity to cloath and cover him a Conquerour of insuperable power to subdue all that doth oppose him an Advocate or never failing intercession to take off all the accusations which are brought against him and a fiery Charet to carry him through all difficulties to sweet and everlasting rest in the highest heavens Christs comming in his Fathers name Christs authority and ability to minister salvation makes manifest their folly and vanity their pride and insolency who leaving Christ and the rules which he hath given the lawes of divine worship which he hath prescribed betake themselves to humane traditions and selfe-inventions teaching and receiving for doctrines the commandements of men a practise 1. very derogatory to the Authority and dominion of Christ who is the King of the Church whose voice alone ought to be heard in the Church of God who is set over the house of God and ought to be observed as the Lord and Master of the house by the whole family of faith and houshold of God who is exalted above the Church as the head above the members as the husband above the Spouse Doth not a Subjects receiving of Lawes from a forraine Prince much derogate from the authority of his owne Soveraigne Doth not a servants receiving direction from another man in his service annihilate his Masters jurisdiction Doth not a wives conforming her to the prescription of a stranger obscure and darken and even disanull the authority of her husband And what else doe the embracers of forraine and strange inventions but deny and disanull the jurisdiction and dominion of Christ Doth not our Saviour say to such You have made the Commandement of God of none effect through your traditions The observation of mens devices in Gods service is a transgression of Gods precepts He that thinks to honour and please God by thrusting upon God his owne devises in stead of honouring and pleasing him doth very highly dishonour and provoke him No man doth further honour Christ then he conformes himselfe to the Law and rule of Christ 2. This also argues much pride and presumption in man who but a proud Subject will take upon him to give a Law to his Soveraigne how he shall be obeyed who but an insolent servant will take upon him to prescribe to his Lord and Master how he shall be served and who but a proud soule durst take upon him to give a Law unto his God how he shall be adored who but the great Master of humane traditions sitteth in the Temple of God as God and exalts himselfe above all that is called God The most superstitious are the proudest of all persons their very humility is ambition who have a spirit of superstition overswaying them they adore themselves and not Christ who neglect the rule which Christ hath given and worship after their owne invention His servant man is to whom he obeyes he that worships according to a rule of his owne framing serves himselfe and not God instead of obeying God he becomes a Law-giver unto God This doth much impeach and disparage the perfection of Christs and the sufficiency of the Scriptures If there be light enough in the Sunne what needs a candle If all the treasures of wisedome be hidden in Christ and his word able to make man wise unto salvation what need or use in this behalfe of mans invention addition ever supposeth imperfection 4. This is very perillous to the soules of men He that leaves Christ and his word and
and sinke of the foulest and basest misery The man in the parable fell among theeves which stripped him of his rayment and wounded him leaving him halfe dead Man is fallen among three great theeves the Devill sinne and the world and these have stripped man of all his spirituall rayment these have taken all grace and holinesse from man which once covered him like a rich and costly garment and they have also wounded and left man halfe dead in his very naturall abilities The fall of man hath totally stript him of all grace and holinesse and also given a mortall wound to his morall and naturall faculties Hee that abides not with God at Jerusalem makes himselfe a prey to sinne the Devill and the world There came a Priest and a Levite passing by and looking upon the man thus stript and wounded but neither of them had compassion upon him neither of them ministred any consolation nor lent an assisting hand unto him Neither the Priest nor the Levite neither the Morall nor Ceremoniall Law can deliver sinfull man from Satans bondage nor heale his wounded conscience neither the works of the one nor the Rites and Ceremonies of the other can restore man to his originall happinesse nor justifie him in Gods presence Mans best abilities and all-humane devises are miserable comforters to sinfull and perplexed soules in their anguish Though the Priest and the Levite had no compassion upon him yet there came a Samaritan which had compassion upon him though the Law shew no pitty nor minister no comfort to wounded soules and afflicted consciences yet the Lord Jesus communicates both great and sweet mercies to broken hearted sinners The Samaritane a man from whom this distressed man could not expect any mercy had compassion upon him and helped him Christ is become the Authour of mans comfort and salvation beyond all humane and Angelical thought conceit or imagination the wisedome worke and love of God in providing a Saviour for distressed sinners was farre above the reach and comprehension of all creatures The Samaritan bound up this poore mans wound and poured in wine and oyle the Lord Jesus binds up the broken-hearted and gives the oyle of joy for mourning to them whose soules are truly humbled the Samaritan set the man upon his owne beast Christ communicates his owne honour to the penitent and broken-hearted sinner sinne is the cause of mans dejection Christ is the Authour of mans exaltation the Samaritan brought this distressed man to an Inne and tooke care for him gave two pence to the Hoast charged him to take care of him and promised payment of whatsoever he should spend more The Lord Jesus brings perplexed soules to God as to their spirituall Hoast and to the ministery of the Gospell as to an Inne full of spirituall provision gives his Ministers the two Testaments the Law and the Gospell out of them to minister to the soules of his people and chargeth them as the ministeriall Hoast of poore and perplexed soules to make all necessary and plentifull provision and in the end by his merits his active and passive obedience his two great pence he dischargeth the debt of all penitent and beleeving sinners The whole of a sinfull and grieved soules happinesse flowes from the Lord Jesus all the supply of mans want and emptinesse is derived from Christs super-abundant fulnesse All the myrrh and odours and instruments of Hesters purification and all her rich and costly apparell were given her out of the Kings house and the royall crowne was put upon her head by the Kings hand All the purity and perfection all the righteousnesse and justification all the dignity and excellency of a holy and gracious soule is drawne from Christ the spirituall and heavenly King All mans holy and heavenly excellencies are borrowed from the Lord Jesus Man is an empty cisterne and hath all his fulnesse from Christ the true and everliving fountaine Christ is the root by whom he is sustained the spring by whom he is filled the Sun by which he is enlightened the garment wherewith he is covered the crowne with which he is honoured the head by which he is guided the eye by which he seeth the hand by which he worketh the foot by which he walketh yea the very soule by which he liveth Whatsoever goodnesse or excellency is in a Christian it is Christs and not his owne his very life is nothing but the living of Christ in him he must say with Paul Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me The words are a declaration of a Christians life Christ living in beleeving man and man living unto Christ The Apostle setting forth how he was dead to the Law that he might live to God tels us that he was crucified together with Christ Christ being crucified for us and we being by faith ingrafted into him doe dye to sinne and mortifie our earthly members which are upon earth the death of the Lord Jesus is the death of sinne in all beleeving Christians they live no more as formerly they did they have Christ now living in them and communicating himselfe unto them He that hath not experience of Christs living in him in the way and worke of sanctification presumes in vaine of being saved by his death and suffering no man knowes the benefit of Christs death but he that feeles the vertue of Christs life Man hath no further assurance of Christs dying for him then as he feeles Christ living in him He that knowes the power of Christs death in the mortification of his lusts knowes also the vertue of Christs life in the quickning of his soule and can say with Paul now I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me In the words not to trouble you with many particulars we have two generall things proposed 1. Christian abnegation I live yet not I. 2. Holy and gracious vivification but Christ liveth in me In the abnegation we have 1. the Subiect I Paul the Apostle a man chosen and called of God a man filled and furnished with the fulnesse of Christ and in and under him is understood all beleeving Christians Such alone as are truly sanctified and gracious people are the compleat and proper Subiect of that life which is heavenly and spirituall Onely the living body is the seat and subject of the soule and that man alone that is spiritually quickned hath Christ residing and dwelling in him communicating holy and heavenly life to him 2. Here is the Predicate or thing affirmed Life and that is two wayes proposed 1. affirmatively I live 2. Negatively yet not I. First affirmatively I live I lived once under the Law which made me a persecutor of the Church of God convinced me of sinne wrought in me all manner of concupisence and slew me and I then found my selfe to be dead in sinne but now I have embraced Christ and am crucified with him now I am no more the man I was but now
Jesus surely he is farre from the life of Christ that doth not live to Christ that mans life is of a base corrupt and earthly originall the energy operation and intendment of whose living is not to exalt and make Christ glorious he alone truly understands the end of Christs death that makes Christs glory the end of his life and thus runs the charge of the Apostle to the Romanes Yeeld your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousnesse unto God Yeeld your selves to God as souldiers to their Captaine as servants to their Master to fight for God to worke for God to doe all for Gods glory let every faculty of the soule and member of the body even whatsoever belongs unto you be dedicated unto God and imployed in the worke and service of God that service which is not universall is hypocriticall he alone is a perfect servant that puts the whole man upon the service of the Lord as all the rivers come from the sea and returne and empty themselves into the sea Thus must we returne to God and empty our selves and all that we have into God prostrate it all under Gods feet and put it all upon the service of the Lord as Moses lest not a hoose behind him in Egypt but carried all out that he might sacrifice to the Lord of whatsoever the Lord would have thus we must not love a hoofe of our hearts thoughts loves desires behind us upon sinne and the world but take of all and sacrifice all to God and his service we must with the Baptist be willing to decrease that Christ may increase to become vile and of no esteeme with men that Christ may be exalted we must with the Macedonians give our selves to the Lord. We must give our understandings to know God our wils to chuse God our imaginations to thinke upon God our memories to remember God our affections to feare trust love and rejoyce in God our eares to heare Gods word our tongues to speake God praise our hands to worke for God and all our substance to the honour of God CHAP. III. ANd a holy and gracious Christian doth thus deny himselfe and put himselfe and all that he hath under Christ 1. In regard of that carnality vanity basenesse earthlinesse unworthinesse corruption and uncleannesse which he sees and feeles in his owne flesh in his owne affections ends and counsels He sees there is an emptinesse in himselfe that his owne flesh is an empty house wherein dwelleth no good and wherein is no sufficiency to the performance of any good duty he sees that his owne heart is a City full of treason deceitfull above measure and not to be trusted he feeles a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind as Rebeckah felt the twinnes in her wombe striving the one against the other he discernes that his owne wisedome is foolish an empty lamp a bleare-eye a false light he discernes that he is brutish and hath not the knowledge of the holy he sees much uncleannesse within himselfe many spots in his soule he sees that he is like Jacobs flocke spotty coloured like Noahs Arke wherein are many uncleane beasts among the cleane like the field in the parable wherein are many teares among the wheat he sees how he is yet in part carnall and sold under sin not fully freed and discharged from the strength and working of sinne he discernes an unhappy pronenesse in his heart to consult with flesh and bloud and to propose bie and sinister low and base ends and having the sight sence and sorrowfull experience of all this he denyes himselfe as Jacob having experience of the deceitfulnesse of Laban grew weary of him denyed him his service and went forth from him Thus a gracious man having experience of the corruption and deceitfulnesse of his owne heart and flesh growes weary of himselfe denyes himselfe goes out of himselfe commeth unto Christ and puts himselfe wholly under Christ and as the Evangelist said of Christ that knowing what was in man he would not commit himselfe unto man so sanctified man knowing what is in himselfe he will not commit himselfe unto himselfe he will not trust himselfe with himselfe he denyes his owne wisedome he becomes a foole in his owne apprehension and seeks to Christ to be made wise unto salvation he looks upon his owne righteousnesse as rotten ragges and comes to Christ for justification he considers his owne weaknesse and comes to Christ as the Gibeonites came to Joshuah to rescue him from his enemies he is experienced in the vanity of all other helpers and therefore comes to Christ as the diseased woman whom the Physitians could not cure that Christ may heale his spirituall maladies Man is ever so much the more strong and powerfull in the worke of self-denyall by how much the more clearly he discernes the carnality and basenesse of his owne heart and counsell He that knowes how subject he is to miscarry when he leanes upon himselfe will readily put himselfe and all that he hath under Christ 2. In regard of the holy strong and constant bent and inclination of the heart of a gracious Christian unto Christ As every thing moves towards its proper centre and is at no rest untill it comes to that so doth the sanctified soule incline and move to Christ the true centre of the soule and resteth not untill it comes to Christ and hath the fruition of Christ there is in a gracious soule such a principle of grace such a communication of Christ such a sutablenesse between the soule and Christ such a fervent and operative love towards Christ such a vehement longing after Christ that it mightily moves to Christ as the rivers to the sea that nothing but Christ can answer it quiet and content it there is in the soule such a blessed residence such a powerfull and gracious energy and operation of the Spirit of Christ that as the wheeles in Ezekiels vision moved wheresoever the living creatures moved because the Spirit of the living creatures was in the wheeles so the soule moves after Christ because the Spirit of Christ is in the soule this makes it pant after Christ as the Hart after the water brookes this makes it thirst for Christ as the dry ground for waters this makes it follow hard after Christ as the childe with cryes and teares after the father going from it this makes it cry for Christ as sometimes Rachel did for children O give me Christ or else I dye and as David thirsted and his worthies burst through the army of the Philistines for water out of the wels of Bethel so the soule thirsting for Christ breakes through all the armies of opposition to come to Christ to refresh it selfe with Christ now it denies all leaves all passeth through
counsellor and instructer Self-denyall maketh such a one to become a foole by reputing his owne wisedome ignorance his owne knowledge foolishnesse by rejecting his owne understanding as an empty lamp wherein is no light by distrusting his owne reason as a blind guide by resigning himselfe wholly unto Christ as a scholler to the teacher to be taught by him by depending solely upon Christ as a traveller upon the guide to be directed by Christ by placing all his wisedome in being teachable and obedient to Christs doctrine Man must be emptied of his owne reason that will be filled with Christs wisedome he must renounce his owne will that will have the will of God to rule over him he that denies himselfe makes Christs wisedome his wisedome to guide him and Christs will the rule of his owne will to sway and command him 2. Cessation from mans owne selfe He that denyes himselfe ceaseth from himselfe he ceaseth from his owne wisedome from his opinion of it from his subjection under it from his being guided by it he ceaseth from his owne will from the sinfull bent and inclination of it from the carnall objects which it chuseth and from the corrupt dictates which it prescribeth he desires not the doing of his owne but of Gods will as a servant ceaseth from his owne and doth his Masters will he is borne of God and the motion and inclination of his will is towards God as the motion of the rivers is towards the Sea the Law of God is in his heart by knowledge and understanding by meditation and affection by inscription and dominion and he delights to doe the will of the Lord he ceaseth from his owne imaginations his thoughts are not high thoughts carnall thoughts worldly thoughts vaine thoughts but his thoughts are holy thoughts of God low thoughts of himselfe hatefull thoughts of sinne joyfull thoughts of Christ and sweet and pleasant thoughts of the word of God sleight and weake thoughts of the world The meditation of the Lord is sweet unto him and the Law of the Lord is his meditation all the day long he ceaseth from his owne affections he hath crucified the flesh with the affections thereof he doth not trust in himselfe but in the Lord he is no self-lover but an unfained lover of the Lord Jesus he doth not rejoyce in himselfe but in Christ he ceaseth from his owne pleasure he doth not live in pleasures making provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof he is no lover no follower of corrupt and carnall pleasures he chuseth rather to endure affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sin for a season sinfull pleasures are more bitter and distastefull then any affliction to the soule which hath attained Christian self-denyall he ceaseth from his owne applause among men he is not desirous of vaine glory he is not affected and tickled with the sounding of the trumpet of mens praises he seeketh not the praise which comes from men but that which comes from God The more perfection man attaines in this gracious worke of selfe-denyall the lesse he regards mans commendation He that denyes himselfe reputes the testimony and approbation of God to be honour enough he ceaseth from his owne profit he seeks not his owne things but the things which are Christs He that denyes himselfe reputes it his choisest riches to glorifie Christ by his service he esteemes these labours of his most profitable which prove most advantagious and beneficiall to Gods Church and children not seeking his owne profit but the Prophet of many that they may be saved He that denyes himselfe is well pleased to be temporally poore that he may thereby make others spiritually rich A humble and gracious man reputes it a greater gaine to gaine a soule to God then to gaine the fulnesse of the world to himselfe Lastly he ceaseth from his owne works from his owne carnall and sinfull works from his owne proud and ambitious works from his owne greedy and covetous works he ceaseth from these as a traveller from a false path as Israel ceased from Pharaohs worke so doth he from the works of sinne Satan and the world he is no longer their servant he that denyes himselfe serves not himselfe but the Lord Christ is his high and great Master him he serves and to his honour he referres all his service The glorifying of the Lord Jesus is the supreame end of a good mans undertakings and the crowne of a true Christians labours 3 Full free and ready application of mans selfe to Christ He that denyes himselfe resigneth himselfe wholly into the hands of Christ as a scholler to the teacher to learne of Christ as a traveller to the guide to be directed by Christ as a servant to the Master to worke and serve for Christ as a souldier to the Generall to fight for Christ as a subiect to the King to receive Christs lawes and seeke Christs honour as a bride to the bridegroome to dwell with Christ to love and delight himselfe in Christ He that hath suffered in the flesh saith Saint Peter by mortification of his lusts by abnegation and denyall of himselfe he hath ceased from sinne from the life and power of sinne from the love and pleasure of sinne and from the trade and practise of sinne as a man that hath suffered death in the flesh ceaseth from his former life love pleasure and worke and he thus ceaseth from sinne that he may no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God he is no longer conformable to the sinfull example of men a follower of the lusts of men a servant of corruption but being crucified to these he lives to the will of God receiving all direction from it every way obsequious to it wholly applying himselfe to this one thing even to please God Self-denyall takes a man off from himselfe and the world and puts him wholly under God and sets him fully and effectually upon the worke of God This is sometimes termed a yeelding up of our selves to God as a sacrifice to be wholly spent in the Lords service sometimes giving of our selves to the Lord as a wife gives her selfe to the husband and sometimes a living unto Christ and a bringing forth of fruit unto the Lord and all this is to expresse their full application of themselves unto Christ who truly deny themselves and this is that which Christ cals a following of him and makes it a concomitant of self-denyall to follow him in his doctrine as a Disciiple in his precepts as a servant in his promises as a beleever in his sufferings as an imitator Self-denyall makes a man embrace Christ as the Pilate to guide him as the King to command him as the rocke to sustaine him and only fountaine to minister all fulnesse to him and causes a man
also to apply himselfe againe wholly to Christ to the wisedome of Christ to be guided by it to the authority of Christ to obey him to the truth of Christ to beleeve in him to the al-sufficiency of Christ to be filled with all spirituall and heavenly fulnesse He applyes himselfe to Christ in his understanding to know Christ in his will to chuse and embrace Christ in his thoughts to meditate upon Christ in his feare to serve and honour Christ in his faith to trust and depend upon Christ in his love to affect Christ in his ioy to delight in Christ in his desires to long after Christ in his endeavours to exalt Christ in all his possessions abilities and endowments to make them serviceable unto Christ he applyes himselfe to the ordinances of Christ as to a light guiding food feeding and physicke healing his soule to the precepts of Christ as to the rule directing him and to the promises of Christ as to the staffe sustaining him Mans full application of himselfe to Christ doth minister cleare and comfortable evidence of mans denyall of himselfe for Christ 4. The humble and hearty ascribing of all the good which is in man or done by man unto the grace of God He that denyes himselfe translates the doing of all that good which he doth from himselfe unto God as the proper Authour thereof he puts all from himselfe as being nothing in himselfe and ascribes all to God as to the fountaine whence all grace flowes as to the almighty hand by which all good is accomplished He acknowledgeth his owne insufficiency without God as the cisterne is insufficient to minister water without the fountaine and the branch to beare any fruit without the root or the toole to worke without the hand Self-denyall abaseth man and the abilities of man and exalteth God and his grace A humble man will not endure the glory of any thing to be ascribed to himselfe but referres all to God and Christ and strives to raise the eyes and hearts of men to God and his grace Paul and Barnabas perceiving the men of Lystra had too high thoughts of them reputing them as Gods when they were but the Lords instruments they rent their cloathes and ran in among the people crying out and saying why doe ye these things we also are men of like passions with you and preach that ye should turne from these vanities to the living God The immoderate honouring of men is a great dishonouring of God a humble and gracious man is not so much displeased to heare himselfe unjustly traduced as to see himselfe inordinately magnified he that doth deny himselfe that he may exalt God cannot but much grieve to see himselfe by the applause of vaine men set in the roome of God and made a dishonourer of God It is questionlesse the study of him who sees his owne vilenesse emptinesse and unworthinesse to make the name of God glorious he is very willing and ready to be abased that God may be the more glorified When God hath made him the instrument of any excellent worke he is jealous of being deified and idolized and therefore saith with Peter why marvell ye at this or why looke ye so earnestly on us as though by our owne power or holinesse we had done this The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob hath glorified his sonne Jesus and his name through faith in his name hath done this thing Be he never so well qualified and fitted for the worke of the Lord yet as the Lord said of Israel so he conceives of himself that without the Lord his strength is to sit still He that is most fully furnished with spirituall abilities is most sensible of his owne emptinesse most free and ready in the magnifying of God and his grace Who more eminent then Paul for his gracious and ministeriall endowments yet who more effectuall in self-denyall and in the exaltation of the grace of God Are ye not carnall saith he and walke as men for while one saith I am Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnall who then is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers servants and not Lords instruments and not supreame agents by whom ye beleeved as God gave to every man I have planted Apollo watered but God gave the increase so then neither is he that planteth anything neither he that watereth not any thing of no ability of no efficacy of themselves but God that giveth the increase The choisest instruments prove unprofitable without the hand of God assisting The soule which knowes and feeles its dependancy upon God cannot but referre the fruit and worth of all its labours to the grace of God There was not a greater borne of woman then the Baptist he farre surpassed all the Prophets yet how low doth he abase himselfe to exalt Christ how freely doth he referre the whole efficacy of his ministery to the grace of Christ I indeed saith he baptize with water unto repentance but there is one that commeth after me is mightier then I whose shooes I am not worthy to beare he shall baptize you with the Holy-Ghost and with fire He that hath low thoughts of the grace of God and high thoughts of his owne abilities is far from the self-denyall which is proper to Gods children 5. A low prizing and Christian undervaluing of mans selfe and all things else in comparison of Christ He that denyes himselfe looks upon himselfe as a crucified man In a crucified man there is no beauty no dignity no excellency to be seene no pleasure to be taken He that denyes himselfe sees no beauty no worth no excellency in himselfe he taketh no pleasure no delight in himselfe he looks on his owne flesh as on an empty house wherein dwelleth no good thing he is dead with Christ for the mortification of his flesh for his low opinion and denyall of himselfe he is crucified to the world willingly contented for Christs sake to have no honour no favour no esteeme among the men of the world as a crucified man hath no place no authority no esteeme in the world he is willing to be traduced reproached and rejected of the world for the love he hath to Christ as a crucified man is despised and accounted odious in the world David being vile in the eyes of Michal for dauncing before the Arke said I will yet be more vile then thus and will be base in mine owne sight He that denyes himselfe being vile in the eyes of men for his profession of Christ for his subjection and obedience to Christ for his zeale and earnestnesse for Christ is willing and ready to be more vile to be more reproached more traduced more despised and will be base in his owne sight neglect himselfe abase himselfe and make himselfe as nothing that he may exalt and honour Christ True self-denyall makes a man neglect and abase himselfe below the very dust for the
the love of Christ he doth glory in tribulation and though he is in heavinesse through manifold temptations yet beleeving in Christ he reioyceth with ioy unspeakable and full of glory Christ to him that denyes himselfe is a crowne in disgrace to honour him a friend in heavinesse to solace him a Sunne in darknesse to enlighten him a precious pearle in poverty to enrich him a helper in all desertions to sustaine him and a fountaine in all wants to supply him sweet and pleasant satisfactory and soule-ravishing are Christs ministrations to mortified and humble soules in their Christian sufferings 8. The prizing and valuing of Christs Crosse above the worlds Crowne He that indeed denyes himselfe esteemes it more happy more excellent and more honourable to partake of Christs sufferings then of the worlds rejoycings to be conformed unto Christ in holy sorrowes and afflictions then to be conformed to the world in carnall pleasures and fleshly exaltations he preferres the poverty reproach exilement bondage and death which doth usually attend Christ in the Gospell above the riches honour favour liberty and life which the world ministers to her followers Thus Moses denying himselfe esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt The reproach of Christ the disgrace losse trouble and persecutions with which the world doth pursue Christ truly preached and sincerely professed in the Gospell was of more esteeme with Moses then all the treasures of Egypt then all the honours riches favours and contentments which the world can affoord without Christ Christs poverty prison contempt hatred persecution is of greater price with him that denyes himselfe then the riches liberty crowne favour and peace which the world bestowes upon her choisest favourites and followers There is more dignity in the contempt of a Christian then in the crowne of a worldling there is more joy in Christian sufferings then in worldly pleasures The losse which man sustaines for Christ is greater gaine then the winning of the whole world without Christ the Devill and the world are much mistaken in their offering of violence wrongs and injuries to Christs members the poverty sorrow shame trouble bondage which they impose upon them prove riches joy honour peace and freedome to them Men are much deceived in their judgements supposing Christian sufferings miserable and contumelious the wife subject souldier servant repute it an honour to suffer for their Husband Soveraigne Generall Lord and Master and doubtlesse he that denyes himselfe cannot but account it as an honour to suffer for his spirituall Husband King Captaine Lord and Saviour He that denyes himselfe will chuse with David to be a door-keeper in the house of God rather then dwell in the tents of wickednesse to live in any low poor contemptible and despised condition enjoying communion with Christ rather then partake of all worldly fulnesse without Christ The Lord Jesus is a humble souls fulnesse whether it hath much or little of the world a little with Christ is honourable and full of contentation the greatest abundance without Christ is shamefull and attended with much distraction therefore the Apostle saith of himselfe and such as he was men denying themselves and enjoying Christ that they were as unknown and yet well known as dying and behold we live as chastened and not killed as sorrowfull yet alway reioycing as poore yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things God is wonderfull in honouring protecting delivering rejoycing and satisfying the soules of the humble in sanctifying and sweetning their low poore and sad condition The Lord makes them see such glory springing out of their ignominy and such light shining out of their darknesse that they reioyce they are accounted worthy that they are vouchsafed this honour to suffer for Christs name they rejoyce in filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ suffering for Christ being thereby made conformable to Christ and having thereby communion with Christ and Christ taking their sufferings as his sufferings Christ suffering in them and they for him they are very joyfull in suffering the more a man denyes himselfe the more he rejoyceth in the crosse of Christ in Christ crucified for his sake and in his owne sufferings for Christs sake 9. Man making it his greatest honour to honour Christ He that denyes himselfe is 1. so inflamed with love to Christ that as a wife reputes it her choisest matrimoniall honour to advance her husbands honour to be according to Solomons phrase a crowne to her husband by her subjection under him by her choise sober and pious carriage towards him by her fidelity to him and by her industry and labour for him so the man that denyes himselfe reputes it his highest honour to honour Christ to be a crowne to Christ his spirituall husband by his gracious subjection under Christ by his holy walking towards Christ by his godly labour and industry for Christ 2. He that denyes himselfe hath his heart put into such a holy and humble frame made so graciously subject unto Christ and is so strongly and fully devoted to the service of Christ that as a good servant takes it as his prime glory to honour his Master to advance his Masters credit and profit so he that denyes himselfe like the good servant of Christ taketh it for a speciall honour to serve Christ to have his fruit unto holinesse to please Christ and not himselfe or others 3. He that denyes himselfe is so so sensible of so experienced in the vanity emptinesse basenesse and fugitivenesse of the honour that comes from men so out of love and liking with and so low prizing and esteeming the applause and praise of men that he accounts all other honour as no honour to that which ariseth from the honouring of Christ He esteemes it a greater honour to serve Christ in true holinesse in the lowest and poorest condition then to command nations and rule kingdomes remaining a stranger to Christs Scepter and service for he that in these things saith the Apostle in holinesse and true righteousnesse serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Gods acceptation and good mens testimony is a crowne of much honour to them that serve the Lord Jesus in true righteousnesse 4. He that denyes himselfe is so wrought out of himselfe so taken off from himselfe from minding intending and seeking himselfe that he reputes all his labour lost if it doth not bring some glory to Christ it is in his eye an arrow below the marke a casting of seed upon the sand a sowing to the flesh he reputes it a base and unworthy service which terminates in himselfe and not in Christ it is an abomination to him to be of their number who serve their owne belly their owne lust of pride pleasure or covetousnesse and not Christ 5. He that denyes himselfe is so taken up with the thought of Christ with
the admiration of Christ his soule doth so please and delight it selfe in Christ that he esteemes Christs service a Paradise for the pleasures of it a rich store-house for the treasures of it a wall of fire for the safety of it and a high preferment a singular crowne for the glory which it ministreth and this indeed is the summe of that which our Saviour proposeth as an inducement encouragement and wages to his servants If any man saith he serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be if any man serve me him will my father honour Christs service is a good mans crowne and comfort and therefore he that denyes himselfe referres all to the glory of God and Christ and this is his glory joy and rejoycing to be the servant of Christ to approve himselfe to Christ by having his conversation not in fleshly wisedome but in simplicity and in godly sincerity Lastly sincerity humility piety and plainnesse of heart accompanies and argues self-denyall in Gods children He that denyes himselfe hath 1. a sincere heart his heart like Christs coat is without seame he is a true Nathaniell in whom is no guile self-denyall abhorres and abandons hypocrisie farre from the heart it puts it selfe upon the tryall search me O Lord and try me if there be any evill way within me and lead me in the way that is everlasting it searcheth it selfe as the Master in Jonah searched the ship if there be any disobedience any lust any carnall or sinister respect there it casts it out it drownes it in the teares of godly sorrow as the Master of the ship cast Jonah into the sea he is very severe against sinne not onely in others but chiefly in himselfe his owne sinne is most odious in his eye as a man is most sensible of and most troubled with a moate in his owne eye or a disease in his owne flesh he is most jealous and suspitious of his owne heart as best acquainted with the deceitfulnesse thereof he is the worst of sinners in his owne eye he will not spare nor suffer sinne upon himselfe as a man will not suffer a spot upon his owne flesh but speedily wash it away nor a disease in his owne body but hastens the purging of it out as a traveller will not knowingly walke in a false path but hastens himselfe into his right way so he considereth his wayes maketh haste and turneth unto the testimonies of the Lord As Asa spared not his owne mother but deposed her being an Idolatresse so this man spares not his owne sinne though a mother sinne be it never so deare or pleasant he will depose it as God is a God of pure eyes and cannot behold iniquity so is such a man a man of a pure heart and he cannot behold iniquity with allowance in himselfe 2 He hath a humble heart the proud man the self-lover who hath not denyed himselfe doth all for the praise of men his lamp will not burne without this oyle his mill will not turne unlesse it hath this wind or water to drive it but he that hath denyed himselfe is humble he aymes at the glory of God he seeks not himselfe but God in what he doth he leanes not upon himselfe but upon God in whatsoever he doth he leanes on Gods wisedome to guide him on Gods power to support him on Gods blessing to make all successefull and when the worke is done and men would deifie him he continues humble hee putteth all the glory from himselfe unto God his rejoycing is not in himselfe but in the Lord. 3. He hath a pious heart a heart cherishing an universall hatred of all sinne universally bent and inclined to observe the whole will of God having a disposition and frame of soule answerable to the whole Law of God resolved in nothing willingly to offend God endeavouring to the utmost to walke in all well-pleasing towards God All sinne is as gravell to his teeth gall to his palate snares to his feet and a heavy burthen on his backe his sinne is more troublesome to him then all affliction as bad or worse then death it selfe but the worke of righteousnesse is his joy this is the seed he sowes the race he runs to this he gives himselfe this is his meat and drinke this is the joy and rejoycing of his heart this is the element in which he desires to live and wherein he pleaseth and delighteth himselfe as the fish in the water he delighteth greatly in Gods commandements to know them to meditate upon them to receive direction from them to doe all things in obedience to them 4. He hath a plaine and open heart he will not smother nor conceale his sinne as Achan hid his golden wedge and Babylonish garment as Rachel sate upon and covered her Idols he will not disguise and faine himselfe to be another then he is as Jeroboams wife disguised her selfe and faigned her selfe to be another then she was He doth not desire that the Prophets should prophesie smooth things and deceits unto him he will not with Ahab have the messengers of the Lord bid him prosper in a way which the Lord allowes not but his desire is to have his heart ransacked his sinne opened the estate of his soule truly discovered he saith with the Psalmist let the righteous smite me by discovering my sinne by reproving me for what is amisse by wounding my conscience and humbling my soule for my corruption he is a most welcome messenger to him that most clearly and fully sets his sin before him he rejoyceth in the detection of his sinne as a rich man in the detection of a theefe that lyes in ambush to rob him as a sicke man in the finding out and purging away of the disease which would bring death upon him 5. He hath a heart grieving at evill and reioycing in goodnesse and good things He grieveth for his owne and other mens sinnes for the dishonour done to God he that grieves for his owne and not for other mens sins grieves rather out of self-love fearing some plague which will fall upon him for sinne then out of any true love to God for the dishonour which sinne is unto God for God is dishonoured by other mens sinnes as well as ours he therefore that denyes himselfe mournes with David because other men keep not the Law of God Gods dishonour is the prime motive of true and godly sorrow the more a man denyes himselfe the more his soule is humbled and grieved because Gods name is dishonoured He likewise that denyes himselfe rejoyceth when God is honoured whosoever be the instrument Many can rejoyce when God hath been glorified by some act of their owne but are not joyfully affected but rather grieved when God is honoured by some worke of others wherein themselves have been no sharers
good that riches honours pleasures are much to be desired and that the fulfilling of their owne lusts is very pleasant and therefore they bow downe the shoulders to beare the commands and injunctions of the creature and all the impositions of the flesh and become servants unto tribute To these they pay the tribute of distracting thoughts of tormenting cares of carnall confidence of inordinate love and of hard service and base servitude worshipping and serving as the Apostle saith the creature more then the Creator And for this cause Saint Paul stileth covetous self-seekers Idolaters because their self-seeking doth alienate them from God and drawes that love and confidence joy and delight which they should place in God to the creature and that service which they should imploy for God and that subjection which they should yeeld to God they bestow about and yeeld unto the creature and their owne lusts And as they are Idolaters for their prostration of themselves to the creature and their owne corrupt affections so they are Idols For the exalting of themselues above God minding intending and seeking themselves and not God they adore and serve themselves and not the Lord his s servants yee are saith Saint Paul to whom ye obey Self-seekers obey not God but themselves they conforme not themselves to the rules of Gods word but to the dictates of their owne hearts they propose not the glory of God but their owne ends and therefore they serve and adore themselves and not God Self-seeking excludes the soule of man from all communion with the true God and carries it to the world as to a false God and so proves a double abomination in the sight of God 10. Self-seeking is ever attended with self-loosing He that seekes himself and not Christ loseth both himself and Christ He that seeks himselfe takes a false rule to direct him erreth in his seeking and therefore loseth in stead of finding He builds his worke upon a false foundation and therefore sinks in stead of standing like the house built upon the sand in the Parable He puts himselfe out of Gods service and therefore misseth his great Lord and Masters wages He levels all his arrowes to a false marke and therefore like an Archer that shoots below the marke he shoots in vaine He leaves out God God is not in his thoughts he takes not God with him he takes not Gods counsell to guide him Gods power to assist him Gods blessing to make his undertaking prosperous and successefull and therefore in stead of a blessing the curse attends and waits upon him He intends not God but himselfe and therefore God leaves him to himselfe to prove the Author and workman of his owne ruine Present self-seekers and self-gainers prove in the event the greatest self-losers The last end and issue never answers the expectation of self-seekers their labour like the labour of the Ostritch is in vaine The Ostritch leaveth her egges in the dust the foot crusheth them and the wilde beast breaketh them Self-seekers lay all their labours in the dust all their care desire all their industry and endeavour is about the things which are here below they lay all their egges in the dust and all their labours at last are crusht and brought to naught Rahel had hard labour but the birth of her belly proved the death of her body Self-seekers have hard labour they labour like a woman in travell but their birth proves their death their gaine turnes to their losse their pleasure to their torment their honour to their shame Against such the Lord denounceth woe in stead of joy shame in stead of glory and desolation in stead of exaltation Woe saith the Lord to him that coveteth an evill covetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of evill Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people and hast sinned against thy soule For the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Woe to him that buildeth a Towne with bloud and stablisheth a City by iniquity Behold is it not of the Lord of Hoasts that the people shall labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity Very great and shamefull are the losses which wait on self-seekers their riches proves their poverty their refuge becomes their ruine and their exaltation their shamefull downfall Very great is that mans unhappinesse who in the prophane neglect of God and Christ Jesus labours to fill and furnish himselfe with earthly abilities Self-seekers build on false promises and feed themselves with deceitfull expectations The Lord turnes their imaginary calme into a tempestuous storme their devised paradise into a troublesome wildernesse and their intended crowne into reall shame The last event of their undertaking doth ever crosse their first intention that which is unlawfully sought and gotten proveth the instrument of mans great discomfort and trouble He that labours for himselfe and not for God and Christ Jesus is vaine in his labours like him that builds on the sand his house sinketh as fast as he erects it Like him that weaves a piece of cloth in or over the fire the fire burnes it as fast as he weaves it Losse vexation shame and ruine is the recompence and portion of self-seeking The estate of him that hath nothing is farre more pleasant blessed and comfortable then of him that hath a great abundance by self-seeking Of such the Lord saith by the Prophet declaring the vanity perill and perniciousnesse of their labours they have sowne the wind they have laboured in vaine as he that casteth forth an empty hand strives to sow but sowes not and they shall reape the whirlewinde their harvest the fruit of their labours shall be more troublesome then their first undertakings they that will be rich saith the Apostle they whose bent and inclination is to themselves and to the world who chiefly mind themselves and things earthly fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Most wretched and uncomfortable is the gaine of self-seeking Satan hath great advantage against them they expose themselves to many temptations they lay themselves open to his arrowes to wound them the world like a snare intangles them their lusts grow strong within them and get Lordship over them and they make shipwracke of soule and body splitting the ship of their soules upon the rocke of worldly riches and what they supposed should have been a staffe to sustaine them becomes a burthen oppressing them and what they thought would have been a spring refreshing them becomes a Sea swallowing and utterly consuming them There is no other cause of self-seeking but inbondagement to Satan inthralment to the world servitude to corruption separation from God self-condemnation from mans owne conscience
One that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite Ones God ministers most spirituall consolation to him that is most low and base in his owne eye and apprehension 2. This makes the soule of man most invincible The low shrub endureth all the gusts and blasts of wind abiding fast rooted No winds of trouble or temptation can over-throw the humble though they may a little shake him The humble soule puts a low price upon the world the gaine of it doth not much affect him the losse of it doth not much disquiet him He leanes not on himselfe or any other arme of flesh his whole dependance is upon Christ Christ is the strength by which he standeth the light by which he walketh the crowne and portion in which he rejoyceth and nothing can separate him from Christ Satan hath least opportunity to fasten a temptation upon him The proffers of the world have no rellish with him the menaces of men raise no terrour in him Christ is every way so compleat in his apprehension that he accounts both the favour and the hatred of the world as nothing being crucified to the world and the world also unto him Bede relates a poeticall fiction of a man whom they called Terrae filius who fought with a tyrant named Hercules This Terrae filius when he was weary cast himselfe on the ground and recovered his strength which Hercules perceiving lifted him up into the aire and so overcame and slew him In like manner man fighting with Satan humbling and abasing himselfe abhorring himselfe with Job below the dust and ashes reneweth his strength and remaineth invincible but Satan lifting him up filling him with high and proud thoughts of his owne worth prevailes against him obtaines victory over him Pride makes man a slave to Satan humility makes man victorious over him The meek according to that of the Prophet shall increase his ioy in the Lord. The soule which is truly humble drawes matter of consolation out of all suffering and from every estate and condition wherein the Lord sets him 3. This exceedingly indeares man unto God He that is least in his owne eye is greatest in the esteeme of God He is best beloved of God who is most out of love with himselfe The humble soule is most capable of spirituall instruction The best scholler in Christs schoole most obedient unto Gods precept the best servant in Christs family most fruitfull in every good worke most apt to every good duty the choisest Tree in Gods Orchard most sincere and full in the intendment of Gods glory the truest lover among all the friends of God most thankefull for all blessings the best receiver and improver of Gods mercies most apprehensive of Gods perfections most affected with Gods goodnesse the greatest admirer of Gods and Christs excellencies and therefore most deare to God of all others To this man saith the Lord will I looke with the eyes of my love solacing and accepting him with the eyes of my mercy pardoning and forgiving him and with the eyes or my care and providence sweetning and disposing all for good unto him Even to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word To him will I looke when he heareth my word dispensing my grace into him when he prayeth returning a gracious answer to him when he mourneth putting all his teares into my bottle comforting him when he is in distresse delivering him and when he is in want supplying him God is very wonderfull in his gracious manifestations to soules filled with humility and meeknesse to men denying themselves and their owne affections The ornament of a meeke spirit is in the sight of God a thing of great price a contrite and a broken spirit God will not despise Mans estimation with God is sutable to his disestimation of himselfe 4. This doth very wonderfully exalt a man He that is most humble is most honourable Mans self-denyall ever tends to his exaltation It is Christs promise he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted The humble soule is the vessell which God filleth with the wine of his choisest grace the Temple in which the Spirit of God dwelleth the servant whose worke the Lord accepteth the Petitioner in whose prayer the King of mercies delighteth the Favourite whom the King of Kings honoureth the Spouse whom the Prince of peace receiveth in wedlocke and the friend to whom the Secret of the Lord is imparted God communicates great honour unto them who for his honour are contented to abase themselves in the eyes of men David was content to appeare outwardly vile yea more vile that he might honour God and God made him more honourable confirming and strengthening him in the kingdome Moses was the meekest man on earth a man that had low thoughts of himselfe a man of singular perfection in the way and worke of self-denyall refusing all the honour of Egypt and chusing to endure affliction with Gods people But God made him most honourable called him up unto himselfe in the Mount and made him the leader of his people It is good losing for God the incurment of dishonour for God is recompenced with the greatest honour from the hand of God The Baptist abased himselfe very low to exalt Christ he told the people that such was Christs dignity worth and excellency that he was not worthy to stoop downe and untie the latchet of his shooe and Christ very highly honoured him telling the people that there was not a greater borne of women then the Baptist Man is ever so much the more precious in the eyes of Christ by how much the more despicable he is in his owne and other mens eyes for the love and cause of Christ There is more honour in the humble mans ignominy then in the proud mans pomp and glory He that is least through self-denyall holy abasement and unfained humiliation shall be greatest in Gods Kingdome Greatest in spirituall liberty and freedome in the measure of Sanctification in Gods account and acceptation and in the degree of future glory communicated to him 5. This ministers a very sweet and blessed freedome to the soule He that is most humble is the choisest Freeman in the world Self-denyall is a very great and happy freedome He that is most humble hath the greatest measure of grace conferred on him and wheresoever is most grace there is most freedome Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty saith the Apostle The humble man is free from ignorance in his understanding with the lowly there is wisedome saith Solomon and God doth guide the humble in iudgement saith the Psalmist He that is most humble hath the most cleare and
to burne within them in hearing as the hearts of the two Disciples did this fire this heavenly heate is wanting and therefore all their service is but as a sacrifice without fire of no use of no acceptance with the Lord. 4. Their services if you observe their end are arrowes levelled to a low marke A dead man cannot lift himselfe up from the earth A man without Christ and empty of spirituall life cannot looke above himselfe and his owne flesh in any thing he doth The effect ever suites with the cause the thorne cannot beare figges the fruit is answerable to the nature of the Tree He that hath nothing of God in him cannot intend God in his undertaking he that is alienated from the life of God cannot worke for God That saith our Saviour which is of the flesh is flesh fleshly disposed intending the flesh and nothing else doing all for himselfe seeking his owne things and not the things which are Christs his owne profit his owne ease his owne applause he serves not the Lord Jesus but his owne belly as Saint Paul speakes and thus the originall the nature adjunct and end of a carnall mans works demonstrate them to be dead works of no esteem with God how glorious soever in the eyes of men As Christ is the Author and worker of Spirituall life so the glory and the praise of all grace and holinesse of the whole spirituall life of Christians is to be attributed unto Christ Jesus Christ is the everlasting Father from whom we have our new birth the high and heavenly workman from whom we have our spirituall being and new Creation the life by whom we are quickened the Sun by whom we are enlightened the Physitian by whom we are healed Christ Jesus is the fountaine of all grace and goodnesse life and holinesse to true beleevers they are all members enlivened by this head Stars enlightened by this Sunne fields manured by this husbandman houses builded by this Architect and vessels filled by this fountaine the praise of all mans grace and holinesse is due to Christ Jesus Art thou awakened out of thy spirituall sleep and slumber it is Christ hath done it as the Angell awakened Peter the Lyon by his cry awakens his young Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah by his mighty voice in the Gospell awakens Gods chosen Are the eyes of thy understanding enlightened Christ is the light who hath enlightened thee as he opened the eyes of him that was borne blind Art thou cleansed from thy sinne it is Christ who is the refiners fire and the fullers sope that hath purged thee as Jordan cleansed Naaman from his leprosie Art thou delivered from the prison of thy corruption and the bondage of Satan it is Christ hath brought thee forth as the Angell brought Peter out of Herods prison Hast thou liberty to come to God by faith and love it is Christ hath made thee free in thy understanding to discerne the things of God in thy will to chuse and intend God in thy imagination to thinke upon God in thy memory to remember God in thy affections to feare trust love and rejoyce in God in thy eares to attend to the word of God in thine eyes to behold God in his works in thy tongue to speake of God to the edification of others and to celebrate God for his mercies Christ is the Authour and workman of all Christian freedome Art thou filled with the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit Christ is the fountaine that hath filled thee all thy receivings are of Christs fulnesse as the branches are filled by the root and the Starres by the Sunne Hast thou reconciliation and acceptation with God it is Christ that hath brought thee nigh to God procured favour for thee with the Lord as Joseph procured favour for his brethren with the King of Egypt Christ is the beloved in whom thou art accepted Art thou able to endure temptation to undergoe the heavy burthen of affliction Christ is the rocke that sustaines thee as the rocke in the Parable sustained the house from sinking when the winds and waves did beate and blow upon it Christ is the Arke that beares thee up as Noah was borne up in the Deluge Christ is the shield and buckler and wall of fire that defends thee it is Christs power in thee it is Christs presence with thee as with the three children in the fiery furnace that strengthens and inables thee to hold out that makes thee victorious over all opposing powers In a word it is Christ that works all thy works of grace and peace faith and love hope and patience constancy and perseverance in thee he begins the life of grace within thee and continues it to the life of glory Ascribe therefore to the Lord Jesus the praise of all thy goodnesse acknowledge him to be the giver of all thy gifts the Authour of all thy holy and gracious works the Sunne that hath enlightened thy darknesse the quickning Spirit who hath enlivened and freed thee from thy deadnesse the Physitian who hath healed thy diseases the Counsellor who hath resolved thee in all thy doubtings the fiery pillar who hath gone before thee protecting and guiding thee in all thy goings the Moses rod which hath divided the waters and made a passage for thee through the red Sea of all thy afflictions the Captaine who hath overcome for thee in all thy Conquests and the King who of his owne mercy crownes thee and his owne works in thee after all thy tryals Let Christ have the glory of all from thee because he accomplisheth all for thee by his living in thee CHAP. XXI THe third thing in these words is an Act liveth Christs living in man the soule liveth in the body enlivening preserving and strengthening the body and Christ liveth in man enlivening man with the life of grace preserving man in the estate of grace strengthening him with all might according to his glorious power Christ is the soule of our soules the quickning Spirit by whom we are spiritually enlivened Christ by the supernaturall gracious and powerfull operation of his Spirit raising us to newnesse or life and living in us by this powerfull and holy worke of his Whence observe That Christ lives in Gods children by his holy and powerfull worke of Sanctification The Spirit of the living creatures in Ezekiels vision was in the wheeles and when the living creature went they went and when the living creature was lifted up they were lifted up because the Spirit of the living creature was in the wheeles Thus the Spirit of Christ is in the children of God and they live as Christ lives they move according to Christs prescription because the Spirit of Christ is in them because Christ lives in them and works effectually by his Spirit upon them putting a Principle of spirituall life into them The Prophet Elisha applyed himselfe to the woman of
and reverence by returning to your tongues a pure language that your speech may minister grace to the hearers by restraining your eyes from beholding vanitie by disposing your hands to worke that which is good and by making your feet swift to every good duty as you discerne your soule living in your humane body moving all the members to humane services so discerne Christ living in your bodily members disposing and framing them to religious duties Feele Christ living in all your services as the chiefe worker of them and inabler of you to them doing all in his name by his assistance and for his glory Feele Christ living in the Prayer which you make praying by the Spirit of Christ in the name of Christ and for the honour of Christ Feele Christ living in the Word which you heare making it an immortall seed to regenerate you a sacred Fire to purge you a heavenly Light to guide you and a message of peace to comfort you Feele Christ living in the Sacrament which you receive making it a Coelestiall Manna feeding you a Seale of Righteousnesse assuring you of your Justification an obligation binding you to new obedience and a pledge of Gods unchangeable love towards you All holy Ordinances if Christ live not in them shew not himselfe powerfull by them are but an empty shell without kernell and a dry breast without milke ministring no nourishment All the Religious Duties wee performe if Christ live not in them are but a Sacrifice without Fire a dead Carkasse of no esteeme with God Our affections if Christ live not in us are a charet without wheeles they sinke and fall unto the earth they cannot encline nor move towards the Lord All our best abilities if Christ live not in them are as standing Waters without a living Spring they putrifie and rot and prove unprofitable If Christ live not in us our knowledge is ignorance our wisedome foolishnesse our faith presumption our love dissimulation and our obedience no better then rebellion If Christ live not in us our understandings are blinded and wee cannot savingly know God our will is inthralled and wee cannot intend God our faith like Jeroboams arme is withered and wee cannot lay hold upon the promise of God The whole sufficiencie of a Christian is from Christs living in him Christs living in man makes him wise in discerning the things of God sincere in intending the glory of God powerfull in withstanding what doth oppose him in the wayes of God fruitfull in the worke of God meeke and humble in submitting to the hand of God faithfull in keeping the Covenant of God joyfull in hearing the Word of God fervent in invocation upon the Name of God patient in waiting for the Comforts of the Lord contented with the portion God giveth constant in running the race which God hath set before him and graciously perswaded of living the life of Glory for ever in Heaven * ⎠* MANS MISERY WITHOVT CHRIST OPENING The sinfull perplexed dishonourable and Soul destroying Condition of Man without CHRIST tending to the driving and drawing of every man out of himselfe unto CHRIST By Alexander Grosse B. D. Minister of the Gospell and Pastor of Bridford near Exon in Devon-shire Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God 2. Epist Ioh. ver 9. If ye beleeve not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Ioh. 8.24 If any man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned LONDON Printed by G. M. for John Bartlet at the Signe of the Gilt Cup near Saint Austins Gate 1642. MANS MISERY WITHOVT CHRIST OPENED EPHES 2.12 At that time ye were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world CHAP. I. Shewing mans alienation from CHRIST misery without CHRIST and opening the scope of the words ADam after his eating the forbidden fruit was without the Garden of Eden disabled to come to the tree of life man feeding on the forbidden fruit of sinne is a stranger to the Paradise of all spirituall and heavenly comforts wholy excluded from the true tree of life Christ Jesus There is no sweet and gracious communion betweene the Lord Jesus and carnall persons The men of the old world were without the Arke and perished in the deluge of waters men who are in their old corrupt estate who have not put off that old man which is corrupt according to divers lusts are without Christ and shall certainly perish in the deluge of their impieties and the Lords vengeance the fruition of Christ is mans happinesse mans crowne and comfort alienation from Christ is mans misery mans shame and the soules great distraction and trouble of all estates on Earth mans naturall and corrupt condition is most wretched and miserable a condition of death without spirituall life of darknesse without divine and heavenly light of bondage without Christian freedome of uncleanenesse without sanctification of emptinesse without all celestiall fulnesse of alienation without all comfortable communion with Christ without all interest in Christ and his benefits without either claime or title to Gods Promise to Heaven or eternall happinesse an estate of exclusion from all holy and gracious society with Gods children an estate of profanenesse without God without the knowledge of God without faith in God without love to God and without zeale for God for at that time in that estate and condition We are without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world The Apostle in these words declares and amplifies the miserable and wretched estate of man the uncomfortable and dishonourable condition of the soule of man without Christ without the knowledge of Christ without faith in Christ without incorporation into Christ without participation of Christ and his benefits And this misery and wretchednesse of man the Apostle doth open set forth and amplifie by a five-fold alienation 1. An alienation from Christ at that time yee were without Christ Christ was not preached to you Christ was not knowne of you Christ was not imbraced nor beleeved in by you this is the first alienation and the ground of all the rest Hee that is an alien to the Lord Iesus is a stranger to all things appertaining to life and happinesse mans interest in Christ gives him interest in God and in all good things of God there is no way for man to come to God and eternall happinesse but only by and thorough Christ Jesus the neglect of Christ is the lesse of all 2. An alienation from the Common-wealth of Israel from that forme of Religion and divine worship which God had prescribed to the Israelitish people they alone at that time having the oracles of God among them Very miserable
Master they goe astray from Christ like wandering sheepe from their Shepheard and harlots from their husband they goe astray from the way of God like erring travellers and blinde men from their path the whole way and walke of carnall persons is a sinfull aberration from God and Christ Jesus Reigning profanenesse dissolves all communion betweene Christ and the soule of man If any man walke in darknesse and say that hee hath fellowship with Christ that man is a lyar and there is no truth in him and the Apostle testifies of such that they are a farre off farre from the life of Christ as the dead are farre from the life of nature farre from the knowledge of Christ as the blind is farre from the sight of the Sun farre from spirituall union with Christ by faith as a branch cut off is farre from naturall conjunction with the vine farre from the love of Christ as a harlot is farre from the love of her husband farre from the fulnesse of Christ as a dead member is farre from the fulnesse of the head farre from the feare and obedience of Christ as a disobedient servant is farre from the feare of his Master and far from the sweet and blessed presence of Christ as exiled Absolom was farre from the presence of his Father Davids face Very great and unhappy is the distance between Christ and all carnall persons Of such therefore the Apostle pronounceth that they are aliens and enemies by their evill works not onely aliens but also enemies The very whole of corrupt and carnall persons is an opposition against God and the Lord Jesus The gate of their hearts is â—hut against Christ their whole way a very contradiction of Christ CHAP. II. Laying downe foure grounds of carnall Mans Alienation from Christ THe Alienation of corrupt and sinfull men from Christ is very apparant and manifest 1. In regard of corrupt and carnall mans plenary and totall subiection under sinne The Scripture saith Paul hath concluded all under sinne All men and all the services of men in their unregenerate estate are concluded demonstrated and determined by the Scripture to be under sinne under the plenary possession of sinne as a house is under the possession of the dweller The whole house and all the roomes thereof are possessed and ordered by the dweller the whole of a corrupt and carnall man all the faculties of his soule and all the members of his body are possessed and ordered by sinne under the dominion of sinne as a servant under the dominion of his Lord and a dead man under the dominion of death therefore stiled the servants of corruption and dead in sinnes and trespasses Under the captivity of sinne as a slave under the command of the Conquerour as voluntary slaves borne under the bondage of corruption ignorant of and despising Christian freedome Under the love of sinne as an Adulterer is under the love of the harlot The young man in Salomon was under the power of the whorish woman she caused him to yeeld with her faire speech and forced him with the flattering of her lips and he went after her as an Oxe to the slaughter and as a foole to the correction of the stocks The corrupt and vicious man is under the power of his lusts he yeeldeth to them is led by them followes after them and fulfils the will of his flesh as an Adulterer the will of the harlot and also under the guilt and condemnation of sinne as a guilty convicted and condemned malefactor is under the sentence of the Law to dye and carnall man being thus under sinne he cannot be under Christ fulnesse of subjection under sinne annihilates Christs gracious dominion in the soule of man The more man applyes himselfe to his lust the more he is estranged from Christ He that is the friend and servant of sinne is an enemy and opposer of Christ The fulnesse of sinne leaves no roome for Christ in the heart of meere naturall and corrupt man 2. In regard of carnall mans uncapablenesse of Christ The kingdome of Israel was uncapable of David untill Saul and his house was deposed The soule of man is uncapable of Christ untill sinne is deposed There is no setting up of Christ and his Kingdome as long as sinne doth beare dominion Alexander told Darius that the world was uncapable of two Sunnes and Asia could not endure two Kings Christ will not divide his Kingdome with mans corruption the soule is not at once capable of the Kingdome and dominion of Christ and of sinne If the one reigne the other must fall there is no competition between Christ and an unregenerate heart The Fort of Sion was uncapable of David untill the blind and lame were removed The heart of man is a Fort uncapable of Christ untill the blindnesse of the understanding and the lamenesse of the affections are removed and taken away Such is the blindnesse of carnall mans understanding that he is uncapable of the knowledge of Christ as the blinde eye is uncapable of the Sun The light saith the Evangelist shineth in the darknesse and the darkenesse comprehendeth it not The Egyptians darknesse was so thicke that it comprehended not the light which shined thereupon Such is the darkenesse of unregenerate mans understanding that it comprehends not the Sun of Righteousnesse shining in the Gospell The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned The carnall mans heart is so wedded to the world and his lusts that as a woman joyned in wedlocke is uncapable of a second husband untill her former husband is dead so is man uncapable of Christ he cannot receive Christ as the husband of his soule untill his lusts are mortified and put to death Such is the infidelity of corrupt man that as Ieroboam could make no use of his withered hand he could neither put it forth nor pull it in no more can carnall man make any use of faith he cannot put it forth to the receiving and embracing of Christ and because of unbeliefe when Christ came among his owne his owne received him not and such is their death in sinne that as the dead are uncapable of the voice of the living they heare it not of the society of the living they rejoyce not in it and of all feasts and provision made for them by the living they feed not upon it Thus are they uncapable of Christ they cannot heare him speake to them in the Gospell they have no communion nor fellowship with him they feed not upon him He is a hidden Manna of whom they taste not and a sealed Well of whom they drinke not There is no sutablenesse betweene their soules and Christ all his Ordinances are unto them as an empty vessell they savingly partake of nothing of Christ in
then all other deliverances a deliverance from Satan the worst of all Tyrants a deliverance from Hell of all prisons the most loathsome of all places of torment the most painefull a deliverance from sinne of all fetters the strongest of all burthens the heaviest of all spots the fowlest and of all diseases the most mortall and dangerous a deliverance from the curse of the Law of all condemning sentences the most terrible and full of soul-anguish a deliverance from death of all the Kings of terrour the most dreadfull all other deliverances are but slender shadowes and representations of this deliverance This is a deliverance restoring man to greater felicity then all the deliverances beside which God ever wrought for man a deliverance by which man is made a living member in Christs body a loyall Subiect in Christs Kingdome a spirituall Free-man of the new Ierusalem a childe of God by Adoption the Spouse of Christ by holy wedlocke a glorious Conquerour over all the enemies of his salvation and an heire to a heavenly and incorruptible Kingdome Mans deliverance out of the estate of corruption comprehends matter and cause of all joy and thanksgiving Looke therefore every gracious and sanctified soule upon this blessed worke of Gods power love and mercy and say with the Psalmist Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy Name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindnesse and tender mercies The woman of Shunom receiving her dead sonne restored unto life fell downe at the Prophets feet and bowed her selfe unto the ground Thus receiving thy soule that was dead in sinne restored to the life of grace fall thou downe at the feet of Christ adore and worship him laude and magnifie him prostitute thy selfe and all that is thine by way of gratitude under him The blinde man whose eyes Christ opened beleeved and worshipped him Christ having opened the eyes of thy understanding to know the hope of thy calling the riches of Christ inheritance and the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards thy soule beleeve thou in Christ embrace him cast thy selfe on him have thy whole dependance upon him and worship him by an honourable apprehension of his perfections a sincere and fervent love unto his person a humble submission to his precepts and thankfull celebration of his great and glorious Name for all his mercies The lame mans feet and ankle bones receiving strength he leaped up stood and walked and entred into the Temple walking leaping and praising God Christ having healed thy affections having strengthened thee with all spirituall might rise up from the earth walke in the wayes of holinesse enter into the Temple attend Christ in his Ordinances let thy soule rejoyce in Christ and praise him for thy spirituall abilities Naaman being cleansed from his leprosie returned unto the Prophet and intreated him to take a blessing from him Christ having cleansed thee from the leprosie of thy sinne returne to Christ and render to him the blessing of spirituall and hearty thanksgiving The woman in the Gospell who had a spirit of infirmity bowing her downe being made straight glorified God Christ having raised and rectified thy heart which was altogether bowed downe to the world and the things here below Christ having inabled thee to looke up to seeke the things which are above to mind God to love his truth to hunger and thirst after the gifts and graces of his Spirit glorifie Christ for this his gracious worke The Israelites seeing the Egyptians drowned and themselves delivered from their servitude sang and triumphed Man seeing his sinnes drowned in the teares of godly sorrow and buried in the grave of Christ his soule set free by Christ from the servitude of Satan the world and his owne corruption should sing and triumph in Christ and say the Lord hath triumphed gloriously the horse and the rider Satan and my corruption hath he throwne downe together The Lord having of barren made Hanna fruitfull she said my heart reioyceth in the Lord my horne is exalted in the Lord my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies because I reioyce in thy salvation Christ having opened our hearts and of barren made our soules fruitfull in all heavenly graces our hearts should rejoyce in Christ our mouthes should be enlarged with his praises and our soules should rejoyce in that salvation which Christ hath brought unto us Man hath not greater cause of thanksgiving for any thing then for his Sanctification this worke of Christ makes him a living man puts such a life into him that the second death shall never have power over him This makes him an honourable man one of the royall seed a King and Priest to God This makes him a beautifull and comely man as the Lilly among the thornes as the Sunne Moone and Morning among the clouds This makes him a victorious man a superabundant conquerour over all temptations and afflictions This makes him a rich man the least mite of this grace is better then all the abundance of the earth as the gleanings of Ephraim were better then the vintage of Abiezer This makes him a ioyfull man regeneration is the matter and ground of the soules fullest surest and sweetest rejoycing The Kingdome of God the worke of grace the spirituall reigne of Christ in the heart is righteousnesse peace and ioy in the Holy-Ghost Therfore praise Christ for this above all his favours as Theodosius gave God greater thanks that he had made him a member of the Church then head of the Empire warme thy heart therefore with the frequent and serious thoughts of this worke of Christ and praise him for this as for the brightest Starre shining in the Firmament of thy soule as for the most rich and orient pearle in the store-house of thy heart as for the most beautifull and comely slower adorning the garden of thy inner-man O praise him for this as for the sweetest freedome the noblest crowne the choisest workmanship and liveliest evidence of his love communicable to the soule of man As this is the best and most soule-reviving influence of Christ into the heart of man so for this pursue and follow Christ Jesus with free and frequent cordiall and joyous gracious and everlasting praises for without this we are strangers to Christ to the number of his faithfull servants to all the Prerogatives and priviledges which God ministers to his children even aliens to the common-wealth of Israel CHAP. VIII Shewing how all Gods people are but one THe second Alienation expressing the misery of men in their corrupt and carnall estate an Alienation from the Common-wealth of Israel Israel were once the peculiar people of God set apart by a holy Covenant unto God to be his people above all the people of the
adulterated my worship with many novell and strange inventions these have drawne thy love from me and my truth and thou hast committed adultery with them When humane devices are made ingredients and compounding parts of Gods service they are in Gods account very shamefull pollutions and doubtlesse he that in Gods worship is an admirer of humane inventions is no lover of the Lord Jesus Oile will not mixe it selfe with water nor iron with clay no more will true Religion be mixed with that which is corrupt the Arke and Dagon cannot stand together Religion is not like lead you cannot bow it but like glasse breake it you may bow it you cannot mingle it and you destroy it it is no more Religion but superstition as silver mixt with drosse is no more accounted silver but drosse though it hath some silver in it Besides it is treason in a common-wealth for any man to mingle the Lawes of a forraine Prince with the Lawes of his owne Prince no King will endure it and what is this but spirituall treason against Christ to mingle humane devices and forraine traditions with Christs precepts the Lord will never endure it therefore marke what Christ saith If any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke Therefore as we are a spirituall common-wealth so let us observe the Lawes of Christ the spirituall King of this Kingdome Let us walke according to his rule And peace shall be upon us as upon the Israel of God 3. This also teacheth the Church and children of God unity between themselves A common-wealth must be at unity as one body they must joyne as one man Thus the Church the spirituall common-wealth of Christ must be as a City that is compact together that is at unity within itselfe First they must be at unity in judgement of one mind as Saint Paul speaks in all fundamentall and necessary truths as they have one word informing and instructing them one Spirit of God enlightening them so they must be of one mind of one judgement and understanding in things belonging to salvation having as Saint John saith the same anointing teaching them all things the same Spirit though not all in the same measure enlightening them to judge and to discerne aright of the mind and will of God Unity in judgement is very effectuall to breed unity in affection discord and difference in the apprehension of the truths of Christ proposed in the Gospell doth ordinarily make an unhappy breach in mens affections therefore let us all strive for one and the same cleare and through understanding of Gods revealed will as Schollers learning one lesson by one and the same rule Let us as many saith Paul as be perfect as have a true and cleare knowledge of God in Christ be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveale even this unto you God by degrees so enlightens his children that he makes them at length men of the same understanding in things profitable to their salvation 2. Labour for unity in affection let the sacred fire of Christian and mutuall love be alwayes burning upon the altar of your hearts See saith Saint Peter that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently This is an ointment of a sweet savour in the nostrils of God and men like the ointment which the woman powred on our Saviour that made the whole house where she was to cast a sweet smell Love makes both the persons and services of Gods servants very sweet and odoriferous This argues Gods gracious inhabitation in us regeneration of us and holy workmanship upon us for God is love and he that loveth dwelleth in God and God in him This is the character and cognizance of our being Christs Disciples By this shall all men know saith Christ that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another and as the heate of the body is a Symptome of life in the body and as the light of the Sun assures us of the rising of the Sun so this light and heate of love gives cleare and comfortable evidence of our spirituall quickning and interest in the first resurrection By this saith the Apostle we know that we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren As therefore our spirituall common-wealth is a common-wealth of peace our Prince a Prince of peace our Law of faith and love a Law of peace our Calling a Calling of peace and all our fellow Subjects the Subjects of peace Let us love each other and be at peace amongst our selves 3. Labour for unity in Religion As the whole common-wealth obey the King by one Law so let us worship and serve Christ by one Rule the word of God let us all walked by one Light the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles let us all build upon one rocke Jesus Christ other foundation then this can no man lay Let us all hearken to the voice of one shepheard Jesus Christ speaking to us in his word Let us all feed in one pasture the Ordinances of God Let us all be cloathed with one royal roabe of Christ his Righteousnesse for the justification of our soules Let us all invocate and call on one God in the name of one Mediator Jesus Christ Let us all worship God after one manner in truth and sincerity according to Christs owne prescription not having our minds corrupted and hearts adulterated and alienated from the simplicity that is in Christ by carnall doctrines and humane observations Let us receive all our direction from Christ as the traveller receiveth all his light from the Sun Let us yeeld all our Subiection unto Christ as the souldiers were fully subject unto the Centurion Let us have our full and sole dependance upon Christ as the house in the Parable was wholly built upon the rocke Let us seeke for all perfection in Christ as the people in the famine came all to Joseph to supply their wants and let us referre all our services to the honour and glory of Christ and so shall we give testimony of our happy union in Christs Religion 4. Strive for unity in opposing sinne and Satans Kingdome A common-wealth is united against a publike and common adversary Satan and sinne are the common adversaries of our soules against these let us unite our forces by mutuall watchfulnesse one over another fervent prayer each for other and by the ministration of holy instruction gracious admonition and Christian encouragement one towards another considering one another and provoking one another according to the Apostles rule to love and to good works The children of Israel arose as one man and went up against Gibeah The Lords people should arise as one man against the powers of ungodlinesse to suppresse the Kingdome and works of the Prince of darknesse Joab and Abishai made a Covenant to help one another against the Syrians and
the children of Ammon thus should Gods children covenant together and help each other against their corruptions and temptations every man endeavouring the welfare of another mans soule as his owne Were the soules of Gods children thus happily and graciously united they would undoubtedly prove a flourishing common-wealth a glorious people and a great honour to Christ who reignes as King over them CHAP. X. Pressing the seeking of the welfare of Christs Church 4. THis likewise presseth on us the ministration of our best help and assistance to the Church of Christ The members of a common-wealth endeavour the welfare and safety of the common-wealth they preferre it above their owne private good The members of Christs spirituall common-wealth should doe the like for Christs Church It is the Lords injunction pray for the peace of Jerusalem be instant with God for the prosperity safety increase and flourishing estate of his Church What though God watch over it and have promised protection to it yet thou must also pray for and labour the prosperity thereof otherwise how canst thou rejoyce in the welfare of the same To this duty the very relation between us and the Church should leade us the Church is the body whereof we are members doe not all the members in the body naturall labour the welfare of the whole How can the members of the mysticall body of Christ doe lesse unlesse they will prove themselves unnaturall Our Sympathy with the Churches afflictions should perswade us to this we must apprehend the calamity which resteth upon the Church as resting upon our owne persons If one member saith Saint Paul doe suffer all the members suffer with it A dead member indeed hath no sympathy with the rest but the living member hath a fellow-feeling a quicke and exquisite sence within when any of the members are pained or hazarded Who is weake saith Paul and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not The blessing which is attendant on our endeavouring the welfare of the Church is an Argument of great force to move us to this worke hereof the Lord saith they shall prosper that love thee They that love thee they that are carefull for thee solicitous and studious to maintaine soundnesse of Doctrine and purity of divine worship in thee they that humble themselves in thy behalf when troubles are upon thee they that put themselves forth to the utmost to relieve thee in thy wants to comfort thee in thy sorrowes to assist thee against thy opposers they shall prosper it shall be well with them they shall not goe without a blessing their worke and labour of Love shall not be forgotten Besides our welfare is very much dependant upon the welfare of the whole Church of Christ The welfare of every member in a common-wealth and in a body naturall is deeply interested in the prosperity and good successe of the whole Thus the prosperity or fall of the Church in generall is our fall or prosperity in particular The strengthening of some part of a building is a strengthening and a beautifying of the whole building the fall of any part is a weakning a disgrace a prejudice to the whole and thus it is in this case We live saith Paul if ye stand fast in the saith if ye abide in Christ thrive in grace and make a gracious progresse in the wayes of life then we live then we rejoyce and are full of comfort then our hearts are much strengthened in the Lord. Our Subjection to changes miseries and troubles should very much quicken us to the present commiseration of the rest of Christs afflicted members the Lord may make us drinke of the same cup as in the prophecye of Jeremy the Lord caused the cup of his wrath to goe round he made all the Nations to drink thereof and if we have no compassion on others now who shall have compassion upon us then if we withdraw our helping hand from others who shall reach forth the hand of assistance unto us for God doth so order it in the course of his providence that look what measure we meet to others in their distresse the same shall men measure againe to us in our necessity Besides this is a work very acceptable to God and very profitable to the Church of God doubtlesse it pleased David well when Joab sought to bring home Absolon to him and when Abner undertooke to bring about all Israel Thus when we endeavour to reconcile God and his Church to bring men about to God by our prayers exhortations and their repentance is a worke very pleasing unto God and herein we prove instruments of the greatest honour game and comfort to our fellow brethren O therefore I as we are all one common-wealth let us labour the good of this our common-wealth Let Magistrates and Ministers be to the Church like the siery pillar to Israel a light and a defence Let Ministers like Bees make the honey compose sweet and wholesome Doctrine gathered from the flowers growing in the garden of the sacred Scriptures and so frame it that it may be sweeter then the honey or the honey-combe unto the palate of the Church and let Magistrates like hives preserve this honey of wholsome Doctrine that nothing doe adulterate it Let Ministers by the executive power of the Word and Sacraments and Magistrates by their directive and coactive power demeane themselves to the great behoofe and benefit of Gods Church and as Moses and Aaron brought Israel out of Egypt so let both Magistrate and Minister labour the spirituall and corporall freedome of the Lords people And as every member joynt and sinew in the body naturall performes his office for the good of the whole so let Christs members from the highest to the lowest according to their severall places stations and abilities promote the welfare of Christs Church and servants CHAP. XI Treating of Carnall mans Alienation from Christs Church THe second thing is the Exemption of all prophane men from this common-wealth from the Church of Christ and all the spirituall prerogatives and priviledges belonging thereunto The Gentiles before the comming of Christ were altogether aliens hereunto having no place at all in this common-wealth Prophane men since the comming of Christ though they be in this common-wealth living within the pale of the visible Church as the uncleane beasts within the Arke yet they are also aliens to this common-wealth aliens to that holy and eâ—ectuall vocation wherewith this common-wealth is called aliens to the heavenly and saving power of that Word and Spirit by which this common-wealth is ruled and guided aliens to that sweet and gracious Communion which the members of this common-wealth have with Christ by faith and among themselves by love and this is one great misery of all corrupt and carnall men being without Christ they are also aliens to the common-wealth of his Israel as he that is an alien to the King is an alien to that common-wealth which is under the
promising him that a woman should compasse a man contrite and broken hearted sinners are the proper subject of Gods sweetest mercies 3. We must relinquish the world Abner fell out with the house of Saul and then hee entred into Covenant with David Man must first fall out with the world take off his heart from the earth before he can enter into covenant with God because the love of the world as S. James speakes is enmity with God and he that is a friend of the world is an enemy to God the first husband must be dead before the woman can joyne her selfe in wedlocke with a second man man must be crucified to the world and the world unto him before he can be married unto Christ enter into Covenant with Christ when Zacheus received Christ into his house he gave the halfe of his goods to the poore and restored foure-fold to them from whom he had wrongfully taken The world is much slighted where Christ is truely received The soule is never filled with Christ unlesse it be emptied of the earth Dagon fals where the Arke is erected the exaltation of Christ is the prostration of the world Mans communion with Christ is sutable to his separation from the world He that will enter this Covenant and associate himselfe with Christ must with Matthew leave the receipt of custome hee must with Salomon looke upon the world as upon a thing of nought he must according to the Apostles rule use the world as if hee did not use it He must forget his owne people and forsake his Fathers house that will have consortship with Christ 4. We must renounce all intimate communion with corrupt and carnall people come out from among them saith the Lord there is the separation and I will be your Father and ye shall be unto me for sonnes and daughters there is Gods receiving them into covenant and communion with him the Prodigall deserted and repented of his fellowship with Harlots and riotous persons and then his Father lovingly received and imbraced him God is very propitious to such as repent of their sinfull fellowship with his enemies God ministers many comfortable expressions of his love to them who withdraw themselves from such as doe not love him when Moses left Pharaohs Court the Lord appeared to him in the wildernesse saying I am the God of thy Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob the declination of fellowship with profane persons is usually attended with a sweet enjoyment of Gods presence and the ministration of many spirituall comforts were we more thoroughly alienated from vaine men wee should be more fully and sweetly acquainted with God could we give a bill of divorce to profane persons we should have a blessed and honourable wedlocke with Christ Jesus 5. We must with all diligence attend the Ministry of the word Encline your eare Come unto me saith the Lord Heare and your soule shall live and J will make an everlasting Covenant with you God by the labours of his Ministers brings men into covenant with himselfe by their labours hee opens the beauties and perfections of Christ he makes them see their necessity of Christ their misery without Christ and their happinesse in the enjoyment of Christ by their labours hee woes and perswades them to come to Christ fils their hearts with earnest longings after Christ with fervent and unfained love to Christ and so espouseth them unto him as Abraham by his Servant brought Rebecca to his son Isaac Thus doth God by his Ministers bring men to his Sonne Christ Jesus Did wee not shamefully undervalue and profanely estrange our selves from the labours of Gods Ministers wee could not be such strangers to Gods Covenant nor so empty of those blessings which Christ ministers to true beleevers Attend therefore Gods Word if ever you meane to enjoy the benefit of Gods Covenant 6. We must readily and fully receive Christ Christ is the foundation of the Covenant the promise is in Christ Josephs Bretheren came nigh to Pharaoh by Joseph man comes nigh to God by Christ findes favour with God and partakes of all the mercies of God through Christ through him we are made the Sonnes of God thorough him wee are accepted of God thorough him we receive of Gods fullnesse grace for grace the receiving of the Lord Jesus is the receipt of all mercies in him we are blessed with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places without Christ wee are strangers to all Gods mercies in Christ wee have title to all Gods blessings Iosephs bretheren were lovingly entertained of him bringing Beniamin with them without whom they might not looke him in the face bringing Christ with us God will graciously receive us without Christ God will be a consuming fire to us And therefore let us all labour thus to interest our selves in Gods Covenant for hereby shall we have interest in all Gods Promises as in so many pillars to support us as in so many wel-springs to refresh us in all the creatures as in so many Servants to minister their assistance to us in all the Ordinances of God as in so many Starres to enlighten us as in so many dishes of spirituall dainties to feed us as in so many heavenly Bethesda's to heale us and in all the attributes of God as in so many branches of the tree of life to shelter and shadow us interest in the power of God to uphold us in the wisedome of God to guide us in the mercy of God to pardon us in the presence of God to encourage us in the love of God to solace us and in the All-sufficiency of God every way to satisfie and content us Sweet and sure full and everlasting joyous and honourable are the Prerogatives and comforts which are obtained by interest in Gods Covenant CHAP. XVIII Declaring the misery of naturall Man without Hope THe fourth Alienation declaring naturall and carnall mans misery is an Alienation from Hope Without hope The hope of salvation by Christ from this hope man in his corrupt and carnall estate is estranged Hope is a grace inclining and disposing a regenerate and beleeving soule with assurance and patience to expect and wait for the accomplishment of such good things as God in Christ hath promised and faith apprehendeth Gird up saith Saint Peter the loynes of your minds be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ all grace is dispensed through Christ the full communication hereof is reserved till Christs second comming and hope waits for the receiving of it in and through Christ The cause efficient of this hope is God the Author and giver of all good it is not a worke of nature but of grace not of man but of God Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us againe to a lively hope
with them and as a man by meanes of a whorish woman is brought to a morsell of bread so these by meanes of their fornication with this whorish woman the world they become very beggars in grace and get a blot and a staine which cannot be wiped off being without God he overprizeth the world in the siege of Samaria Doves dung was sold at a high price because they wanted bread he that wants God the bread the staffe and stay of his soule highly prizeth the dung and drosse of the earth and wanting God the world with her cares honours pleasures customes fashions and allurements overwhelmes him as the deluge did them that were without the Arke miserable is their slavery and servitude to the world who have not God graciously possessing them spiritually reigning and ruling within them 5. He that is without God is full of sinne The sluggards field in Solomon being without a diligent husbandman to manure it was full or thornes and nettles He that hath not God the great husbandman of the soule to manure him is overgrowne with the thornes bryars and nettles of all sorts of vices full of all abominations as Baals house was full of Idolaters and the Pharisces Sepulchers full of rottennesse and dead mens bones his lusts binde and chaine him as the fetters did Peter in Herods prison his understanding is full of blindnesse as the Egyptians houses were full of darknesse he sees nothing of God of Christ nor of his owne unhappy estate his will is full of perversenesse and frowardnesse no liberty no inclination there to move God-ward to intend God his glory or his soules welfare he is led away captive by his lusts as the Egyptians by the Assyrians naked and barefoot poore blinde naked miserable and wretched His thoughts are full of vanity pride basenesse covetousnesse fraude beastlinesse and what not these trade and trafficke and travell up and downe within him as swine in a stithe and make him a very dunghill and loathsome habitation as the buyers and sellers made the Temple a den of theeves his affections are full of all pollution base feare carnall confidence worldly love and fleshly joy his soule like the cup in the womans hand upon a skarlet coloured beast Rev. 17. full of abominations and filthinesse and his wayes works and particular passages of his life superscribed with names titles and characters of blasphemy against God Christ Heaven the Gospell and Christian Religion He that is without God and the Lord Jesus is the most loathsome of all Creatures 4. He that is without God is full of curses Where God is not the curse goeth mans very blessings are turned into curses his morall and temporall abilities all his possessions the wife in his bosome the children in his house the meat on his table the apparell on his backe is a snare to him Cursed is he in the City and in the field in his basket and in his store in the fruit of his body and in the fruit of his land in the increase of his kine and flocks of his sheep in his comming in and in his going out Yea the very word which he heareth Sacrament which he receiveth and Prayer which he maketh becomes a curse the savour of death unto death yea Christ himselfe the medium of all blessings to the soule becomes a stone of stumbling and a rocks of defence The Prophets pot before the meale was powred in was a pot of death the very whole of man without God turnes to a curse to man O the folly of them that blesse themselves in their havings not having God with them within them regenerating renewing and purifying and sanctifying all unto them Mans blessednesse consists not in any havings but in the having of God to him that hath God for his God the Lyon proves a hive of honey-combs the greatest crosse a sweet blessing to him that hath not God the choisest Paradise becomes a wildernesse the calmest river a tempestuous Sea his greatest prosperity his heaviest misery 5. He that is without God is without all the having of all things is as nothing if we have not God with them God is the fulnesse of every thing what is the having of a lamp without oyle a bone without marrow a vessell without liquor such is the having of all things without God he that with Senacherib hath Lordship over many Nations he that with Absolon hath all bodily beauty he that with the rich man in the parable hath more substance then his house can hold he that with the false Prophets hath all the applause of the world every mans tongue a trumpet to sound his praises he that with the man at the wedding feast hath all the Ordinances of God yet if with all this he hath not God he may say as Haman did in another case all this availe me nothing He that is without God is a house without a foundation to uphold him a besieged City without a Captaine to rescue him a sheep in the mouth or a Lyon without a Shepheard to deliver him a chased Hart his sinnes like a thousand arrowes sticking in him the venome of the infernall fiery serpent boyling and burning within him his conscience with a hideous cry pursuing him and no water-brooke to refresh him and a condemned malefactor ready every moment to come to his heart-rending soule-torturing and never ending execution without a King of mercies to pardon him The losse of God is of all losses the greatest no darkenesse like the want of this Sun no famine like the want of this bread no storme comparable to the want of this calme O the blessednesse of the soule which enjoyes God! O the slavery basenesse misery of the soule which is without God! Saul in his distresse cryed out the Philistines make warre against me and God is departed from me The carnall man will one day cry out the Devils make warre against me the fiends of Hell are come upon me and God is departed from me Had man the lively sence and feeling of future woes terrors and perplexities whereinto his being without God will cast him he would give himselfe no rest untill he had gotten the sweet and sure fruition of him O therefore be as loth to live now without God enlightening enlivening sanctifying and possessing you as you will be loath at last to perish without God pardoning helping saving and delivering you CHAP. XXIII Declaring that God is and the excellency of our interest in God THe carnall mans estrangement from God his being without God ministers matter of excitation to all men to labour 1. for cleare sure and invincible evidence of this truth That God is and 2. for sure and infallible interest in this God 1. Labour for cleare evidence a lively powerfull and working perswasion of this in your hearts that God is and that he is such a one as in his word he hath revealed himselfe to be this is the pillar and