or argument should have beene avoided This first peeping or appearance of evill in our selves or whatsoever we may lay as a stumbling blocke in the way of another though it be not evill in us nor in it selfe yet being an occasion of evill to another by this precept we must shunne and fly from it Paules eating of flesh was lawfull in it selfe and lawfull to him but rather than hee would offend his weake brother he will never doe it while the world stands 1 Cor. 8.13 and Rom. 14.21 he will remove that which seemeth and appeareth evill to another Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the consequents of actions are to be considered and in things which be indifferent that may be done or not done we must sometime forbeare lawfull things if wee suspect evill consequents It was lawfull for David to walke upon his gallery but had hee foreseene the consequents he would doubtlesse have beene otherwise occupied It was lawfull for Paul to have circumcised Titus as he did Timothy but espying an evill consequent that hee should confirme the errour of the Iewes who held circumcision as necessary to salvation he would not doe it Gal. 2. It was as lawfull in it selfe for him to make a vow shave his head and purifie himselfe at one time as at another Acts 18.18 yet sometimes he inveighes against these observations as beggerly rudiments Gal. 4.9 and will not meddle with any of them where hee might confirme any in their errour or obstinacy All which examples teach us either warily to doe or leave undone things which are liable to misconstruction 2. Here remember that in all lawfull and necessary duties let all the world misconster and be offended wee must yeeld absolute obedience unto God though to the world it appeare never so evill Christ himselfe in his doctrine and conuersation was so generall an offence that he pronounced him blessed that was not offended in him He must preach himselfe to be the bread from heaven though it offend the Iewes Iohn 6. He will heale the paralyticke though they be offended Mat. 9.1 Iohn must preach against Herodias though all the Court be offended Daniel will pray three times a day though it cost him his life 3. In all indifferent things we are to avoide all appearance of evill and scandall with these limitions First so they be not in things simply necessary to life in these things wee must not forbeare if others be offended If one take offence that I eate bread or drinke beere I must doe it because life is maintained by foode but if I can be without it and live I must respect my brothers weaknesse as to abstaine this or that flesh this or that wine c. Secondly the like in things simply necessary for my calling But a thing of indifferency may not put me out of my way I must hold my calling I must preach the Gospell This is a necessary duty imposed and good of this nature must be done though a shew of evill to some be annexed to it Thirdly in these things of indifferency we must abstaine from appearances of evill and things that carry an evill colour if we be nostri juris and the things be left to our free liberty and disposing But if higher powers restraine our use of liberty and determine and limit us then we are overruled by lawfull authority in things subjected to it and them in these things of indifferency wee cannot avoide all things wherein some may conceive an appearance of evill Fourthly in these things we are not alwayes to avoide things wherein some conceive offence and appearance of evill but for a time till such ignorant and weake persons may be taught we may not offend weake ones by undue exercise of our liberty but if they bee wilfull and will not bee taught we must peremptorily stand to our liberty So did the Apostle Gal. 5.3 For I testifie againe to every man that is circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing And Titus 3.10 A man that is an hereticke after the first and second admonition reject Now for the proofe of the point Gen. 3.3 When the Lord forbade our first parents the evil and sinne of eating the forbidden fruite hee forbids also the appearance Yee shall not touch it Avoid the occasion In the Law not onely the person legally polluted was uncleane but whatsoever touched him the garment which he wore the bed on which hee lay the seate on which hee sate and whatsoever he touched All which did nothing else but enforce on them a care to avoid all appearance and all occasions of uncleannesse The truth whereof Christians also in the time of the Gospell must hold themselves bound unto who Iude 23. are commanded to hate even the garment spotted by the flesh 1. Because the Lord hates all evill and all appearance of it Rev. 2.6 the Church of Ephesus is commended for hating the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which I also hate saith the Lord. See how pleasing our conformity of affections with the Lord is in whose eye the least evill is hatefull enough And herein we testifie our love unto him Yee that love the Lord hate all that is evill for indeed all true hatred of evill must be from the love of God especially of the chiefe good and as our love is in degree so is our hatred fervent love earnest hatred 2. It is a chiefe part of repentance and of the nature of sound grace not onely to hold that which is good but also to shunne and fly evill of all kindes yea when good is not so present with Gods children as they desire to hate evill is ever present with them yea they hate the evill which they themselves doe and that vehemently according to the phrase Rom. 12.9 Abhorre evill And he that out of the worke of grace and out of conscience abstaines from one evill will abstaine from all even the least as David Psal. 119. I hate all vaine inventions but thy Law doe I love 3. The wisdome of a Christian is to avoid the appearances and the beginnings of evill and give no way to it as Salomon counselleth to stoppe the passages of waters at the beginning Prov. 17.14 As rivers so evils come out of a little hole but make their way and swell and become broader till they become almost boundlesse And indeede hee that cares not to avoid the appearance of evill by little and little commeth to esteeme of the evill and the appearance alike Therefore remember to give no place to the Divell Eph. 4.27 4. Here is a difference betweene a sound Christian and an hypocrite the worst man that is can avoid evill in extreames but hee cares not commonly for appearing and petty evils if hee can carry them cleare away This hyocrisie the Lord detecteth among the Iewes Esay 65.4 they would both eate of the polluted flesh the broth of it was found in their vessells A sound Christian will not meddle
indeede Did ever any or can ever any attaine to this perfection Answ. This question brings us to the explication of the fourth thing in the Text How a man may be said to be blamelesse in spirit soule and body in this life Whereto we say No man ever attained to this unblameable perfection of degrees in this life except the first Adam in his innocency and the second Adam who had sanctification in all parts and degrees for Paul a most holy man after regeneration confesseth how farre hee was from perfection Rom. 7. and Phil. 3. But a man regenerate may be said to be blamelesse and throughly renewed 1. In respect of his relation with Christ his head who is made to him sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 and in whom hee is perfectly holy and unblameable Ezek. 16.14 Thy Beauty was made perfect by my Beauty 2. In respect of open and grosse crimes which might impeach the honour of his profession so Zachary and Elizabeth walked in Gods ordinances without reproofe Luk. 1.6 so did Samuel and Iob and other holy men For though no man can be without sinne yet a man may be without crime when after his conversion hee carries himselfe so uprightly as he cannot be noted for any reigning sinne before men 3. In respect of Christian indeavour and inchoation when the beleever labours and aymes at full sanctification in all his faculties and parts for sanctification produceth holy motions in the soule and holy actions in the body See it 1. In the spirit 1. In the soule First the spirit i. the minde and understanding of a sanctified man is indued with a sound and distinct knowledge of heavenly things and he still indeavours to a further measure Psal. 119.33 34. Teach mee give mee understanding c. Matth. 13.11 To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome not to others And it is joyned with a speciall faith applying the promises which maketh his person and worke acceptable Ioh. 20.28 My Lord and my God Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God Vnder the spirit include the conscience in the purging of which the beleever striveth and loseth not his labour For 1. it is a tender conscience and remorsefull for sinne 2 Chron. 34.27 Iosiahs heart melted at the reading of the Law 2. It is calme and peaceable it blameth not nor accuseth seth it selfe but giveth good witnesse first that the person may be assured of his reconciliation with God Rom. 5.12 and 8.36 And secondly that he walketh with God sincerely 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing even the testimony of a good conscience that in simplicity and good sincerity wee have had our conversation in the world 1 Ioh. 3.21 If our heart condemne us not we have boldnesse with God The second faculty called the soule here includeth the will and affections in both which this worke of sanctification is begunne and increased 1. In the will when being renewed it is now subject and pliable to God in all things Rom. 7.18 To will now is present with mee not onely in doing but in suffering as 1 Pet. 4.9 in suffering it can commit the soule to God in well-doing as unto a faithfull Creatour 2. In the affections herein is a change being guided and carried by the minde and will renewed His love is not the olde carnall love of himselfe and the world but a new affection Love out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 His hatred which was against God and his Saints is now against the haters of God and things which God hates Psal. 139.21 His joy which was sensuall and earthly is now delightfull in doing the will of God yea in suffering it Rom. 5.3 We rejoyce in tribulation His sorrow which was for worldly losses crosses c. is now for sinne and for the afflictions of Gods people His delights which were in carnall profits pleasures corne wine or prosecuting his lusts are now in Gods countenance in Gods Law in Gods house in Gods Ordinances the Word and Sacraments and in Gods children above all persons as those that are excellent on earth His desires are answerable what ever his former desires were now he desires the presence of God the pleasing of God pardon of sinne softnesse of heart the constant fruition of the meanes of salvation with a blessed successe of them Hee desires the prosperity of Zion the salvation of the Israel of God and the comming of Iesus Christ to his full redemption Thus we see how a sanctified man profiteth and prospereth in the whole inner man But fire within will breake out and so will grace which is like fire and the body shall be a weapon of righteousnesse his outward actions shall be done in an holy manner his whole life is changed 1. For the matter of his actions Gods word is the rule of them all Psal. 119.35 Direct me in the path of thy commandements for therein is my delight 2. For the manner they are done first in humility Mich. 6.8 Walke humbly with thy God Luke 17.10 Say thou art an unprofitable servant Secondly in sincerity without guile of spirit Psal. 32.2 Thirdly with cheerefulnesse delighting greatly in his commandements Psal. 112.1 2 Cor. 9.7 as every man wisheth in his heart The Lord loves a cheerefull giver Fourthly with courage and stoutnesse Dan. 3.17 We are not carefull â—f this matter our God whom we serve will deliver us Acts 4.19 Peter and Iohn said to the Rulers Whether it be meet to obey God or men judge yee Gal. 2.11 I withstood him to his face 3. For the end first hee will approove his heart to God and lookes not so much to men for his praise is not of man but of God Secondly hee desires to please God in that hee doth Acts 11.23 wâ—th fall purpose of heart cleave unto God Thirdly he doth not good things for his private ends as ease profit credit but even against all these if he be called thereunto The 4. respect in which a beleever may be called unblameable even in this life is in Gods account and gracious acceptation Where himselfe workes and sees such beginnings proceedings and indeavours it is accepted as perfection by meanes of Christs merit promise and intercession Thus Paul saith Rom. 7.17 It is not I that doe evill Whence our Lord pronounceth of his Church that she is all faire and that no spot is in her 5. In respect of that perfect sanctification in all degrees which is growing unto and shall attaine in the day of Christs second comming when every beleever shall be free from all blame and staine and set into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God which now they have onely in desire in in faith in promise in an earnest and inchoation the Lord mercifully accepting them for that they are growing unto And thus we have expounded this worthy petition of the Apostle The summe and substance whereof is this
shew all love to their persons still All which discovers a great deale of corruption in our affections First Many hate sinnes in another and not the same sinnes in themselves and this is the hatred of the person and not of the sinne Secondly many seeme to hate evill but not out of love to goodnesse some say they hate Popery but are farre from the love of the truth they dislike grosse profanesse drunkennesse adultery but have no affection to true godlinesse hatred of evill is joyned with cleaving to good Thirdly many hate most where God most loves as persons for grace sake and two sorts of men are the butts of the hatred of this age 1. Zealous and godly Ministers because their life and doctrine reproove evill mens workes Ahab hateth Eliah Hast thou found mee O mine enemy the more they love the lesse they are loved for a Minister to hate mens sinnes or to speake the truth doth it deserve such hatred If we should love mens sinnes wee should hate their persons and if we hate not our brothers evill we could not wish his good 2. A generation of men who are so precise they will not sweare nor be drunke nor game away their time they are Iewishly strict in keeping the Saboth so zealous as they cannot abide the sent of Popery they repeate sermons pray in their families cleave to the Scripture in all things so curious and nice they will touch nothing that is uncleane But are these hated of God Nay are they not in singular favour with him 2. Are not their workes objected against them the workes of God imposed by God upon all Christians upon paine of damnation as to hate swearing to be strict in the Saboth to detest Popery to be frequent hearers of the word to set up Gods worship in the family to cleave to the Scriptures and get out of the way of evill men In this way which they call heresie must we worship God 3. All this zeale against zeale is kindled not with a coale from the Altar but fired with a flame from hell Iohn 15.19 Because I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you 4. How generall is the hatred of grace by gracelesse men that pinch and reproach good affections zeale they call distemper sorrow for sinne is but melancholy and next to madnesse love of the word is but precisenesse and more than needes love of good men but faction and partiality hatred of every evill worke but singularity holinesse a kinde of heresie purity hollownesse and all that is nought How unlike is the world to God and Christ who commended shewes of goodnesse in the young man never quenched smoking flaxe but kindled it and enflamed it and whosoever hateth grace in another first hates it in himselfe 5. How generally doe we love and cherish in our selves what the Lord hateth First hath hee not specially manifested his hatred against an outward forme of religion severed from the power and life of it Esay 1.14 My soule hateth your feasts and new Moones his owne institutions because they were severed from faith truth and inward holinesse But how generall is the profession of religion without power prayer of words not of spirit hearing without conscience of doing washing the outside when all is foule within Secondly how great indignation hath he testified against people unfaithfull in the covenant as a jealous husband hates the wife of his bosome that playeth false with him Ier. 12.8 yet how universall is our unfaithfulnesse to God the contempt of grace the slighting of the meanes the Apostacy and turning backe of the kingdome from God So as we see how our affections are swerved from the rule and what great neede we have to be stirred up to a more carefull watch over our affections Consider therefore and see the mischiefe of disordered affections First how powerfully they draw us from Christian duties as how they interrupt prayers which was the Apostles argument betweene man and wife an heart troubled with passions cannot be familiar with God nor behold his face no more than a man can see his owne face in a troubled water Consider how they hinder the powerfull working of the word 1 Pet. 2.1 Therefore lay aside all malice envie c. and then receive the word A full vessell can receive no liquor sweete water in a fusty vessell is but lost seede cast among thornes commeth to nought how they unsettle the heart in grace pulling it off from confidence in God love of the truth from exercise of grace from the joyes and consolations of the Spirit For as no man can see the beames of the Sunne when the heavens are covered with clouds so cannot the soule discerne the shining beames of Gods love when it is clouded with passion Secondly how potent are unruly affections to draw us from our duty so suddenly and violently doe they carry us into many sinnes how suddenly are great professours snatched into the love of the world and so become Apostates as Iudas and Demas How doth the love of the world draw on a number of sinnes and drowne men in lusts and perdition How suddenly was David snatched into foulest sinnes not watching his affections How was Peter pulled from his purposes and promises by inordinate selfe-love to the deniall of his Master Acquaint thy selfe with the difficulty of guiding the affections aright for though the common errour thinke it the easiest thing in the world yet the whole power of nature cannot reach it for what a divine wisdome is required holily to temper the affections and keepe them even To temper faith and feare that they enterfeare not to mingle love and hatred that they entrench not one another to holde the ballance even betweene Moses zeale and Moses meeknesse to contend for faith and not be contentious to be couragious and bolde and yet suspitious and alwayes fearefull to be christianly patient and not stoically insensible The same Spirit must afford this wisdome that appeared in the shape of a dove and of fire Consider the necessity of this care and carriage of our affections 1. In beholding the numbers of occasions which daily thrust in upon us to thrust them besides their right objects and enthrall us in pride unjust anger envie wantonnesse carnall love feare c. And were there no such outward occasions who feeles not the spirit in him lust after envie and after the world and after all forbidden fruites so as all care is too little wisely to watch and prevent the continuall disorder of the whole man by his affections 2. What great necessity is it that wise Christians difference themselves from common men it is a great weaknesse to corrupt our affections by the provocations of wicked men to shoote in their bowe to doe as they doe But the godly must be different from them not feare with their feare nor joy with their joy nor kindle anger by theirs nor curse when they
curse but blesse and pray nor walke in their way for as wilde beasts cannot hurt him that keepes out of their walke so wicked men cannot seize on us to wrong us if we enter not into their way and walke Consider the praise the comfort of all religious duties Yea First that the practise of all religion it selfe stands in affection and desire Christian perfection is in affection not in action much lesse speculation and contemplation and hence receives his denomination Iob 28.28 The feare of the Lord is wisdome All wise and religious walking is included under the affections of the feare of the Lord to the duties of the whole law are all comprized under the affection of Iob. Secondly the comfort of these duties riseth out of the affection rather than action Art thou a Minister whether is thy comfort more to speake of good things than to affect them what if thou hast Angelicall abilities to discourse of faith love zeale hatred of evill and thy selfe scorne and hate these things when and where thou seest them If I had all gifts and want love saith Paul I were nothing knowledge puffeth up but it is love that edifieth Art thou a hearer and wouldest have comfort of hearing what doest thou affect in hearing to censure the Preacher curiously to feede thy judgement or to enable thy discourse this will not doe it But to heare with pure intentions of feeding the soule of doing duties to get our hearts sanctified our affections whetted our obedience bettered and to get the power of godlinesse and the power of the life to come within us all which the Lord knowes is the intent of a very few Thirdly the acceptance of these duties is more by the affection than the action and the action without the affection is as a body without a soule yea where the action was gloriously performed the Lord still wanted some proportion of affection as in many of the Kings of Israel Such a one did such and such good things but not with all his heart and affection and then all the labour is lost the reward perisheth and thy expectation is frustrate And in the feeblest actions of his children the Lord sees a good compensation made of the defect by the sincerity of the affection Consider the fruite of this care worth all our labour in it for First As one disordered affection drawes on another pride begets anger anger begets envie and envie begets hatred and so murther So one good affection begets another love begets feare feare begets humility and humility is a fruitfull mother of many vertues So good affections beget good actions good actions good habits good habits a good unblamable life Secondly this care settles and fastens the affections upon solid objects and comforts if the matter of our joy love feare desire and delight be God the fruite is internall and eternall this joy none shall take away But the wicked mans heart in laughter is sorrowfull and for continuance is as of thornes crackling under the pot and so are all affections displaced on wrong objects so they lose both affections and objects Thirdly looke what way we will the well guiding of our affections seasons our lives with much sweetnesse 1. Looke at God it holds Gods affection to us how well is the Lord pleased when our desires and affections are conformable to his How acceptable is our obedience to him when wee are holy as hee is holy mercifull as hee is mercifull when we walke in love as he hath loved us when his affections are the rule of ours and so are framed to his will for all his affections flow from his righteous will 2. It holds Gods presence with us in his ordinances Rev. 2. the Church of Ephesus had fallen from her first love and yet a little sparke was left shee hated the doctrine of the Nicholaitans which he hated and therefore the Lord will not remove the Candlesticke at least if shee recover her affection And this is our case the Church of England is wonderfully fallen from her first love and why doth the Lord spare our Candlesticke and holde up our light and peace and the Gospell above all Countries about us surely though wee are fallen from our first love and zeale yet a little sparke of love is left in some poore despised ones which holds life and soule in us and some hatred of Romish Nicholaitans for by the blessing of God the body of the kingdome the lawes and doctrine of the kingdome hates the doctrine and workes of the Nicholaitans and for this weake affection yet God spares our Candlesticke But let us quicken our hatred more for as our first love is in great part gone so if our hatred of evill goe to all is gone God shall see nothing to spare our Candlesticke 3. It holds us with God in the sweete fruition of his ordinances it kindles and keepes in us love feare zeale in his service which is the life of our service and soules and in all these the affection is more respected than the action It holds us fast to the truth What is it but zealous affection that will make us buy the truth at any rate what is the truths keeper but love what else but love makes us labour for it suffer for it die for it 4. Strong and earnest affections to God make us profitable to men provokes us to mercy compassion beneficence helpefull to all that neede us 5. It makes us enjoy our selves by patience wee possesse our soules love holds God in possession charity makes us possesse our brethren and patience puts us in possession of our selves Sanctified affections uphold the heart with joy unspeakable and glorious and leade a man happily to an happy estate 6. The well guiding of affections begins the life of heaven upon earth for the life of heaven is when the soule so cleaves unto God as to become like him when wee shall never love any thing but what he loveth nor hate but what hee hateth and this perfection wee must begin even here upon earth III. Now after the spirit and soule we are to consider these directions by which the body and outward man may be kept blamelesse All of them may bee reduced to that precept in the 1 Tim. 4.12 Be examples unto others in conversation and in communication the outward man must exercise inward grace First for conversation that is either private or publicke and in both a Christian must set himselfe a patterne of godlinesse 1 Pet. 1.15 Be holy in all manner of conversation in Gods house thine owne house in thine owne closet and privacy Psal. 101.2 David walked wisely in the midst of his house Isaac in the field alone meditates and prayeth Gen. 24.63 yea the women must be in such behaviour as becommeth holinesse 2 Tit. 2.3 Rules for conversation are 1. Generall 2. Particular The generall rules are five Glorifie God in your bodies and spirits for they are his 1 Cor. 6.20
of the world what a change is there in a man effectually called He was in the world and of the world hee could follow it as earnestly as any other hee gave the world his heart his hands his thoughts his time his tongue he minded nothing so much as earth he savoured nothing but earth hee spake of nothing else cheerefully hee treasured nothing but earthly things he was unsatiable unmeasurable unweariable in gathering earth earthly things but now God hath called him out of his owne Country as Abraham in which he tooke so great content he is called out of the world Iohn 15.19 Now he is become a stranger at home his heart is estranged from things below his minde is on things above godly thoughts and meditations begin to take him up his affections are weaned that now he aimes and desires other wealth than before his tongue can speake of heavenly things without tediousnesse hee treasures now in heaven and will be a gainer by godlinesse Matthew being called forsakes his unlawfull yea and lawfull gaines for Christ chap. 2.9 Zacheus at a word speaking enricheth himselfe by impoverishing himselfe and making restitution Happy is that man that findes this change in himselfe that he hath got above the world that though hee have the world in his hand yet hee hath cast it out of his heart Never could this be done by the strength of nature never worldling attained it III. In respect of Graces which discover themselves 1. in their kindes 2. in their soundnesse 3. in their growth This grace will appeare in setting forth the vertues of him that hath called us out of darknesse into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2.9 By vertue of this holy calling we are sanctified throughout as we have heard in the former verse so as there will appeare First A new life of grace He that onely lived the life of nature but starke dead in respect of the life of God and past all feeling a carcasse without the soule of Gods Spirit stinking in the grave of corruption hath now heard a voice of Christ saying come forth and now the bands of death are loosed a new life of grace succeedes that hee may now say as Christ Rev. 1. Behold I was dead but am alive for ever 2. A new light in the things of God Hee that was blinde and could not see one steppe before him to eternall life hath now his sight restored to him that he can say with the blind man One thing I know that whereas I was blinde now I see the man Iesus hath opened mine eyes Not his understanding onely is restored but his spirituall senses are quickened that now he can taste how good God is he can heare the voice of God he can savour things of God can feele the prickes of conscience and hee whose tongue was tyed from good speech can now speake of the things of God with understanding 3. Grace will discover it selfe in all new affections He that was an hater of God is changed into a deare lover of God which sincere love is made a manifest note of effectuall calling Rom. 8.28 such as are called of purpose are said to be such as love God and this love of God as a sweet perfume rectifies all the other affections it will expresse it selfe in a studious care to please him in all things and in a feare of displeasing him In a constant delight in his word and ordinances being his love-letters in a surpassing joy in all the meanes of our sweete fellowship with him whom before we shunned as an enemy In a love and admiration of his graces wheresoever which are as jewells and pledges of his love In an earnest and fervent desire of immediate fellowship with him whom we love best of all 4. Grace will bewray it selfe in new motions which is a new obedience unto the voice discerned and beleeved even in difficult dangerous costly and selfe-denying duties for alwayes with effectuall calling there goes a power enabling the Christian to the fruitfull practise of the doctrine of godlinesse Acts 3.7 And from the inward obedience of the heart flowes all outward obedience in the life Ineffectuall calling moves not or is not from within but from some externall plummet or can produce leaves rather than fruite or sound fruite but not much nor lasting or in some things not in all as Herod But this moveth and obeyeth sincerely universally constantly Thus will grace discover it selfe in all kindes through the whole man Secondly The graces of effectuall calling discover and distinguish themselves by their soundnesse Hypocrites want soundnesse in the common graces they have and all for want of this change by effectuall calling Ineffectuall calling may beget a kinde of love of God but that is not for himselfe but for wages not as children love their father but as hirelings love a strict master Whereas true love of God attending effectuall calling workes feare of offending him not to be offended by him delights in his presence in his ordinances and love-letters and in his graces as so many jewels and pledges of his love Ineffectuall calling may come to some feare of God but onely by the spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 which true love casts out as Israel in the Mount feared revenge But true feare of God saith as Ioseph Hath my Master done this for me and shall I doe this Ineffectuall calling may attaine some zeale for God as in Iehu in Ahabs case but rather against others sinne than his owne and for durance it is but as a blaze in straw as his being unsound lasted not But zeale of effectuall calling hates sinne in another because it hates his owne first Ineffectuall calling may attaine a kinde of love of the brethren but this is neither ordinary nor well grounded it is not for Gods image and it is rather a reverence of good men than love of their goodnesse Herod reverenced Iohn but loved him not neither can that love that is so light and set upon indirect ends and occasions continue but will be easily changed into deadly hatred as Herods was Thirdly The grace of effectuall calling will distinguish it selfe by the growth of it and proceeding in sanctification Hence it is called an holy calling 2 Tim. 1.9 both in respect of the authour the holy Ghost and of the meanes the holy word sanctified hereto and of the effect because it workes holinesse in heart and sanctimony in life But also in regard of the end to which Saints are called namely by the degrees of holinesse to rise to the perfection of it A counterfeit may be washed over and goe for currant but it wants 1. weight 2. sound 3. substance so counterfeit sanctification wants three things that suffer it not to abide the tryall 1. Vnion with Christ being onely tyed by a thred of profession not set or incorporate into him he hath no substance of Christ in him 2. Righteousnesse
but walke in it Isa. 30.21 This note the Apostle give us Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Implying that we are as blinde men before conversion and afterward as children both having neede to be led The fourth is Sanctification and new creation 1 Cor. 6.11 Now you are sanctified by the Spirit of our God both enabling you by mortification to hate evill and quickning you to love that which is good which love is made manifest by the fruits of the Spirit Both are put together Gal. 5.13 Walke in the Spirit and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh The fifth is sound Consolation for hee is the Comforter 3 wayes 1. Sealing up our adoption and salvation Rom. 8.15 16. therefore called the Seale or Earnest confirming the whole bargaine 2. Strengthening in temptation and spirituall combate for the spirit of God takes our part in the strife betweene the flesh and the spirit 3. Comforting in affliction by peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost which made the Martyrs invincible The sixth is Supplication for hee is called the Spirit of supplication Zech. 12.10 and makes us cry Abba Father Gal. 4.6 Because 1. hee makes us see our misery 2. he gives us sound knowledge of the excellency of God and his mercies which maketh us fervent in prayer 3. hee lets us see God appeased toward us in his Sonne 4. he propounds the truth of God in his promise who hath said hee will heare us and 5. the merit of Christs intercession to whom the Father denieth nothing By these notes examine thy selfe So much for the first Doctrine we come now to the second which is that Those that have the spirit of God must be carefull not to quench it The Text implies that in the best the Spirit is subject to be quenched where it shines brightest and in the meanest and poorest Christian of the weakest grace much more a small sparke of fire is easily quenched and will decay if it be not blowne up and preserved And the Apostle exhorteth all Heb. 12.15 Let no man fall from the grace of God no man rich nor poore in grace high or low no man not the hypocrite who shall fall from all grace nor the sound Christian who may fall from many degrees and much comfort but is preserved from falling by the feare of falling and a care not to fall for God susteines him inwardly by his preserving grace and outwardly by the word preventing security Therefore Revel 2.25 That thou hast already holde fast till I come And 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinketh hee standeth take heede lest hee fall All which sheweth that the state of grace is lubricus ad lapsum that is slippery and in danger of falling First The Spirit comes not wee say with a wet finger nor without labour and desire he is not powred but upon thirsty grounds nor obtained without much sorrow mortification and cleansing of the heart he will not dwell in a sty nor set up his Temple in the denne of a darke and deceitfull heart Now when a man hath with such difficulty got the Spirit into his soule shall he by quenching him lose his labour suffer so many things in vaine and suddenly cast downe what hee hath beene so long a setting up Shall he be so foolish as to begin in the spirit and end in the flesh Gal. 3.3 Secondly The spirit of God with his graces are the earnest of our salvation 2 Cor. 5.5 The pledge of our inheritance Ephes. 1.14 The chiefe witnesse with our spirits that wee are the children of God Rom. 8.16 By which we call God Abba Father Yea he is that holy Spirit both in his nature being the fountaine of holinesse and in his effect making us holy By whom wee are sealed to the day of our redemption This is a Metaphor taken from Merchants who having bought some choyce commodities doe seale them for their owne to know them againe So the Lord by his spirit sealeth his owne both to distinguish them from others and to set them apart as his owne and also to make their election firme and sure by setting his owne seale and Image upon them Shall we then quench this spirit who alone preserveth our holinesse peace comfort boldnesse with God and assurance of our owne salvation Thirdly To quench the spirit is farre more damnable than to want him altogether for this is Apostasie than which nothing doth more provoke the vengeance of God against men Heb. 10.26 If we sinne willingly after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearefull expectation of judgement c. And this the godly themselves can justifie what torture they have in their soules when they have in part quenched the spirit As David roared day and night and his bones consumed Psal. 32.3 4. And Peter went out and wept bitterly Matth. 26. ult And such as now let no sorrow come neere them for their relapses shall finde the more behinde Fourthly Of all falls the fall from grace is most wofull 1. In regard of the good things which are lost even the most precious graces of faith love joy hope to which all earthly wealth is not comparable 2. In regard of the losse and ruine of the soule in such as quite fall away from grace received which is the best thing a man hath and what recompence shall hee give for his lost soule For a man to fall with a milstone about his necke into the bottome of the sea were an easier fall saith our Saviour than thus to fall 4. In regard of the wofull and miserable change in the soule of Gods owne childe who but in part quencheth this blessed spirit As appeareth in these instances 1. Change Whereas the spirit of God was the soule and life and joy of the soule now being quenched but in part he withdrawes himselfe and his presence yea the joy and comfort of his presence that a man shall thinke him quite gone and the joy which upheld the heart in all estates shall now be so cleare gone as if it had never bin there David found this change after his sinne Psal. 51.10 Create in mee a cleane heart O God and renew a right Spirit within mee therefore in this sence the spirit was gone Againe Restore mee to the joy of thy salvation therefore that also was gone 2. Change Insteed of the power and efficacy of grace all is in a wane and goeth backward the spirit of prayer ceaseth the first love is fallen from zeale decayes watchfulnesse is remitted conscience is cast asleepe the ayde of the spirit greatly lost which when David discerned hee prayed thus Oh stablish mee with thy free Spirit verse 12. 3. Change Gods children shall finde that the spirit once quenched in stead of the lively practise of piety formerly upheld they
the day of Christ Neglect thy selfe for the present and give thy selfe lost for ever sowe now to the flesh and reape corruption 3. The order First the inside spirit and soule and then the body First wash the inside saith our Saviour get faith which is a purifier apprehending Christs righteousnesse for 1. Can wee draw a cleane thing from that which is uncleane Iob 14.4 or sweete fruite from a bitter roote 2. Satan lyeth closest here as a serpent in thickets 3. It is the most compendious way to damme a streame in the fountaine to quench the fire in the sparke else if it live within it will kindle and flame on tinder or tow where the disease begins there must begin the remedie 4. God lookes out of what treasurie good things come if not out of the good treasury of the heart if not from a pure heart if not from faith all is sinne hence the workes of unregenerate men as good in shew and beautifull are rejected because they flow not from a pure fountaine and mites with the heart put to them weigh downe many glorious workes 5. Distinguish thy selfe from the hypocrite he washeth the outside Pilate washeth his hands not his heart as if sinne stucke onely in the fingers ends the harlot wipes her mouth and it was not shee But wee are to know that the Lord is as well angry with intentions and inward impurity as with outward enormities And therefore let us labour to keepe first our spirits and soules and then our bodies unblameable Here we will somewhat largely consider certaine directions for each of them I. Directions for the Spirit First Labour to have a right spirit renewed within thee Psal. 51.10 Now to a right spirit there goe five things 1. Illumination even an heavenly light to discerne and judge aright of things that it may preferre heavenly things before things of earth and out of sound judgement forecast and provide for them first and principally David joynes it with creating a new heart for this is not in nature but a worke of new creating grace The Agent is God alone who gives light to the blinde who takes away the vaile and makes the scales fall from Paules eyes in his conversion The companion is sound conversion 2 Cor. 3.16 the turning of the heart to the Lord and the remooving of the vaile joyned and the signe of it is a base estimation of the world with the profits pleasures and preferments of it the pursuing of which makes most men so blame-worthy in the day of Christ. 2. Poverty of spirit which stands in the sense sorrow shame and hatred of sinne and cannot stand with selfe-wisdome or high-mindednesse or a proud spirit puft up with conceites whom God resists but a contrite spirit is acceptable and the poore in spirit are blessed and blamelesse Matth. 5.3 3. Purity of spirit which is attained by daily bringing in and increasing of the graces of the Spirit as faith love of God sincerity charity mercy meeknesse c. these fruites of the Spirit argue cleannesse of spirit though it were formerly never so foule and blame-worthy Col. 3.12 Decke the minde with graces 4. Spirituall worship Rom. 1.9 Whom I serve in my spirit not bodily formally hypocritically coldly but with my whole heart in sincerity and fervency This fervency is a motion of Gods Spirit inflaming the spirit of the beleever with great love of God and hatred of whatsoever hee hateth And where this spirituall worship stands up in the Spirit downe must Dagon goe and all the idols that men have set up in their hearts downe goes the externall and carnall worship of civill men who what ever they pretend respect not in their spirit the worship and service of God but their owne pleasures ends and praise and that in their most slightly duties 5. The testimony of the Spirit that thou art the child of God Rom. 8.16 This testimony is sure when the Spirit of God renewes our spirits and upon firme and unfailing grounds makes us able to call God Father working sound tranquillity in our conscience through our union with Christ boldnesse and confidence towards God fervent love of God constant obedience with other fruites not common or competent to hypocrites This testimony sealeth up our acceptance yea the inheritance of children The spirit that wants any of these is not a right or renewed spirit Secondly labour as Saint Paul did Acts 24.16 for a good conscience before God and before men To a good conscience are required foure things 1. Clearenesse 2. Clearing 3. Peace 4. Watchfulnesse 1. It must be a cleare or pure conscience 2 Tim. 1.3 This is when the conscience is cleared or purged from naturall impurities which the Apostle calls dead workes This purity is not native as it was in the first Adam but acquisite and obtained by the second Adam for the materiall and meritorious cause of the goodnesse of conscience is the blood of Iesus Christ who by the obedience of his death hath freed us from all guilt and punishment of sinne reconciled us to God and become our peace whereby this and all other faculties are purged through faith in his blood Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ purge our consciences from dead workes The companions of this purity of conscience are two First a frameing of conscience to the rule of the word which is a torch-light for the direction of it for the conscience being the eye of the soule must be lightsome not erronious blinde or doubtfull Secondly a studie to preserve the purity and himselfe unspotted before God and man and no man hath purity of conscience that wanteth this care 2. It must be a clearing conscience taking the Masters part against all accusers It selfe is not blamelesse unlesse it can justly pronounce the Master blamelesse And this is First when it beares witnesse concerning our sinnes 1. That there is no sinne we have committed but we have repented the same 2. There is none committed but wee hate it wee purpose against it and keepe a watch that it be never committed any more Secondly when it witnesseth concerning our persons that we are now righteous and justified by faith in Iesus Christ of uncleane blackmores we are washed and made white in his blood and sonnes of God who of an enemy is become a friend and Father to us Thirdly when it witnesseth concerning our graces that as by the former wee are freed from the guilt of sinne so we are now freed from the power of sinne and are no more servants of unrighteousnesse but now our conscience tells us we are in part sanctified that the evill wee doe wee hate and love the good wee doe not and that in the inner man we delight in the Law of God Fourthly when it witnesseth concerning our course and actions that now they are wrought according to God by the warrant of his word and because he hath commanded so to
lost Secondly other graces serve to the well-being or comfort of a Christian as sense of Gods favour peace of conscience joy in the holy Ghost alacrity in good duties sense and feeling of comfort in that estate these and the like may be quite lost David himselfe may pray Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation Psal. 51.12 Againe for the kindes of graces wee are to know that some are true saving graces as faith love zeale c. which are given to such as are effectually called fruites of the Spirit proper to the elect springing only in their gardens these cannot be wholly quenched although where these be the Spirit may be sore grieved as by Sampson David Peter Other graces are excellent but common not saving not sanctifying tending more to others good than their salvation that have them such as are historicall faith justice chastity temperance these and many the like may be quite quenched and never remembred As wee see in Saul 1 Sam. 16.14 The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul namely which had beene present with him in many common graces and the evill spirit came upon him and in Iudas who had many excellent gifts yet it is said of him that the Divell entred into him who never comes but hee makes waste of all grace II. For the degrees of grace they are foure 1. Election 2. Iustification 3. Sanctification 4. Vocation Of these two are wholly laid out of our selves two are within our selves In the two former Election and Iustification a man cannot increase nor yet decay being two simple acts of God once wrought in him by himselfe immediatly and rooted in Christ who being the roote dies not and no more can the living branches in him The two latter because they are wrought mediatly by such outward meanes as are not alwayes alike may receive both increase and decrease A man may fall wholly from his vocation for Many are called but few chosen Matth. 22.14 and from a great measure of sanctification and from the whole comfort of true sanctification seeing nothing in his soule but the presence of corruption yea from many degrees of the soundest graces attending justification and eternall life Yet here some care is preserved in the heart of the elect by the Lord so as all sound grace is not quenched Here the case is as heretofore in the Romans warre if onely the top of the standart were stricken off the standart-bearer holding still the trunchion in his hand lost neither office nor honour but if hee lost the trunchion and suffered that to be beaten out of his hand he lost both So in our Christian warre if all care in the heart be expelled the honour and place of Christianity is lost and then men fall not away from their election but they that were never elected fall away Thus we see the meaning of this precept directed to beleevers who have received the Spirit for fire cannot be quenched but where it is that they should not quench the Spirit that it is not to be meant of an utter extinguishing of saving graces which cannot be but not to suffer any grace to be quenched in the brightnesse measure or degree of it this fire must be so farre from being quite put out that it must not be slackened or lessened it must be so farre from totall quenching as they must not let it decay in part or in any degree of it We come now to the points of instruction that this exposition affoords us The first is this All the godly have the Spirit of God else could he not be quenched this fire cannot be quenched but where it is Rom. 8.9 Ye are in the Spirit because the Spirit of God dwelleth in you and If a man have not the Spirit of God the same is not his Hence the godly are called the temples of the holy Ghost in whom he dwelleth as in his temples 2 Cor. 13.5 Prove your selves know yee not that the Spirit of God is in you unlesse you be reprobates 1 Ioh. 2.20 Yee have the anoynting which abideth in you Object The Spirit being infinite he is also in the wicked Answ. 1. He is one way in the wicked as in all other things by the infinitenesse of his essence another way in the godly by the presence of his grace and blessed effects 2. Hee is graciously present both with the wicked and godly but the former in common and generall graces the latter in speciall and saving graces In the former hee dwells as in the world for the good of the world and societies of men In the latter hee dwells as in his temples for the perfecting of the blessed communion of Saints both in grace and glory In the one by grace restraining in the other by renewing grace Reasons of the point are these 1. Members must needes have the same Spirit with the head as a branch hath the same sappe with the roote and as every member liveth by the same soule that the head doth This is the Apostles reason Rom. 8.11 The same Spirit that raised up Iesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies because his Spirit dwelleth in you 2. Christs promise is that his Spirit should supply his bodily absence Ioh. 16.7 It is meete I goe away else the Comforter shall not come but if I depart I will send him unto you for greater is our comfort in Christs bodily absence then wee could have in his bodily presence wee must not now gaze upon his holy flesh but the blessed merit of it If wee should alwayes corporally see wee could not spiritually beleeve saith Augustine Now Christ hath carried our flesh to heaven and opened the way by his flesh to our flesh in our flesh makes requests and prepareth places for us and supplies that comfort in the meane while by sending out his Spirit to glad our hearts 3. This commeth to passe by Christs effectuall and powerfull prayer Ioh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Now he was heard in all things Ioh. 11.42 But for whom prayeth he Answ. First for the Apostles and then for those that keepe the word and beleeve Ioh. 17.20 He prayeth not for the world verse 9. And for what prayeth he Answ. For a Spirit whom the world knoweth not neither can receive but the elect know him For ye know him for he dwelleth in you and shall be with you all Ioh. 14.17 4. The manifest accomplishment both of the promise and prayer proveth that the regenerate have the spirit of Christ in them Gal. 4.6 And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father Christs intercession is not a forcelesse prayer but according to his promise he sends out the Spirit which sending forth is not by change of place but by manifesting his operation in the gifts
in thy estimation doe now seeme lesse and lesse dangerous if sometimes thou couldest not be comforted in the sence of sinne and the same sinne now move thee nothing at all thou couldst not abide cursed speaking in others now thou fallest to it thy selfe thou couldst not away with idle and gracelesse companions now thou canst now hast thou quenched the spirit 2. If thou be apt to rush into sinne once conquered thy strength is abated 3. If thou be unwilling to heare any of thy sinnes reproved the spirit is quenced because he rebuketh sinne 4. If the word and rodde preserve thee not from sinne the spirit is not present in thee 5. If after sinne committed thou doest not more hate it and sorrow for it than before thou lovedst it and rejoycedst in it if thou hast not a more constant care to avoid sinne than before yea if thou hast not a greater zeale in doing good know for a certaine that some sinne in thee or other is as water cast upon the spirit Fifthly and lastly examine thy selfe concerning the worke of Gods Spirit on thy affections thus If thy love of heavenly things be abated or be more to earth than to heaven if thy joy be troubled if thy conscience be perplexed with accusations if there be in thee an excessive feare of death or the like certainly the spirit is now quenched looke well unto it Object Alas I have found my affections more fiery than now they be I have had a great measure of zeale for God much indignation against sinne fervent affection in Gods service joy in God comfort in my selfe and in good duties but now it is not so with me I could never attaine the like affections as at first what may I thinke of my selfe Answ. We must wisely distinguish of the diffusing of grace from the decaying of it In earthly marriage love will be more vehement at first because lesse diffused but afterward is rather more extended than languishing so it is in the heate of grace But how may I know it thus 1. If thou be displeased that thou canst not get thy heart to the highest pitch of delight in grace 2. If thou still hungrest after grace and a further measure as one that hath tasted hony desireth more so having tasted of the spirit doest earnestly desire a greater measure of it 3. Stickest thou to the meanes in publicke and in private and wilt not be driven off still lying at the Poole where the spirit mooveth then discourage not thy selfe but goe on comfortably this small affection toward the Lord and his grace be it but as a graine of mustard seed it shall outgrow all choke weedes and master and kill whatsoever affections would overtop it So much for the second use Thirdly seeing negative precepts include the affirmative every Christian must hence be stirred up to stirre up the gift of God that is in him and not suffer it to decay 2 Tim. 1.6 A fit lesson even for Timothy himselfe For first the Spirit is ever working something in Gods children worthy the stirring up he is no where idle but still beautifying perfecting his own dwelling 2. Every Christian hath some graces to stirre up else were there no difference betweene him and a naturall man who wants the Spirit 3. No Christian hath any grace so perfect but it needes stirring up where growth is there is no perfection 4. Without stirring the fire dies so the Spirit for which cause the Apostle useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blow up Quest. What meanes may wee use to blow up the Spirit Answ. 1. The word of God in the publicke and private use of it First the preaching of the word as it begets so it nourisheth grace The Ministry is instituted and gifts given to men not onely to lay to foundation of our happinesse but to build us up till we meet together in a perfect body Ephes. 4.11 12 13. Naturall food strengthens the body by the daily use of it spiritual food strengthens the soule by the continuall use of it Those that say they know as much as they neede or as much as the Preacher can tell thē never truly saw their great weaknesse for let any good conscience say if it neede not the word continually David a man of singular grace yet lay fouly in his sinnes till Nathan came and stirred him saying Thou art the man Despise Prophecy and quench the Spirit where vision faileth grace perisheth Secondly the word must be privately read and conversed in for such is the excellency and power of it that it transformes the minde conversant in it unto it selfe and to be affected as the pen-men were holily and graciously Besides it begets and furthers found judgement whereas others erre not knowing the Scriptures and it stirres up good affections and gracious desires Againe the word must be meditated on in private without which hearing and reading are to little purpose Psal. 1.1 Blessed is the man that meditates in the law of the Lord continually And here is mutuall helpe for hearing and reading doe feede meditation and meditation doth fasten them Why else hath God given man a reasonable soule but to meditate upon his word and workes Or why else hath he set apart a whole day in seaven especially for meditation if it were not a notable meanes to excite grace Or why else did our Lord take all occasions from the workes of God to teach and instruct us but for our example that we should tread in his holy steppes We see the first meanes 2. The Sacraments were instituted to strengthen our faith which in it selfe is weake and to keepe in continuall memory the covenant betweene God and us with the meanes thereof yea the very preparation to them includeth a speciall meanes of stirring up our graces of repentance of renewing our faith of obedience thankfulnesse and all the meanes of growth in the covenant And much more strength doth a good heart finde in the celebration of them Therefore to forbeare them of contempt argues no member of Christ and of negligence to forbeare is to cast ones selfe into the judgement of God 3. Prayer sets all graces on worke as faith in Gods promises charity toward our brethren hope which lookes for the performance of that we pray for humility in confession of sinnes and sense of wants thankfulnesse for supplies and leave to pray and by exercise in prayer wee get the spirit of prayer Luke 11.13 Our Father will not deny his Spirit to them that aske him 4. Company or commerce with the godly doth exceedingly sharpen our graces One candle lights another and one sticke of fire kindles another A lesser sticke may kindle a billet so the strongest Christian may receive furtherance from the weakest Paul himselfe might be comforted by the Romanes chap. 1.12 And when Silas came Paul burned in the Spirit But how can one coale alone by it selfe keepe it selfe glowing Yea evill men
ruine to themselves The second use is an use of instruction If wee must try all things then must we learne to get wisdome rightly to apply the rule to every particular which is to be regulated 1 Cor. 2.13 Comparing spirituall things with spirituall for to try is nothing else but to apply the rule or touch-stone to the thing to be tryed And when I speake of wisdome I meane that spirituall wisdome whereby the spirituall man comparing spirituall things with spirituall discerneth all things This man led by the Spirit acknowledgeth Christ and followes him in all things takes faith his companion and sets in his eye Gods glory the end and scope of all things Quest. Can you helpe us to some directions or Rules by which we may be guided in this application which is the onely difficulty now to be opened in this Treatise Answ. Yes and these Rules are of two sorts 1. Generall Preparative 2. Speciall Practicall The generall or preparative Rules to application are foure 1. We must be industrious to know and be acquainted with the Scriptures in their right sence of them whether historicall and litterall or allegoricall and figurative For this is to have our Rule at hand and in our hand without which it must be with us as with the Sadduces of whom our Lord said Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures And because true Scripture is not in words and sillables but in the true sence of it wee must be carefull not to rest in the words without the true signification of them The Papists heare our Saviour saying of the Sacramentall bread This is my body and sticking to the words and applying them without the sense runne into infinite absurdities and errours on one hand and so the Lutherans on the other Against both which wee may not unfitly mention one of the two rules of Augustine in his bookes of Christian Doctrine Si praeceptiva locutio videtur flagitium aut facinus jubere aut utilitatem aut beneficentiam vetare figurata est It is not a proper but a figurative speech which seemes either to injoyne a thing unlawfull or to hinder a lawfull So this speech of our Lord Vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye have not life in you seemes at the first to impose on us a kinde of cruelty therefore it is figurative So Augustine 2. If we would be fit for this tryall we must lay up and hide in our hearts such Scriptures as wee understand that they may be neare us to serve our severall uses The Prophet David professeth that hee had hid the word in his heart that he might not sinne against God And Mary was commended that shee pondered all the sayings concerning Christ and hid them in her heart A Carpenter or Mason whose worke is squared or laid by rule is never without his rule in his hand or at his backe so should it be with Christians 3. We must absolutely submit our judgement to the word of God without reasoning or disputing though it be never so difficult and dangerous unto us for what is else the use of a rule but to rule Abraham left his owne Countrey and went he knew not whither at Gods commandement Heb. 11.8 One would thinke this were folly in Abraham but that the Scripture acquits him and saith he did it by faith And in a more difficult commandement hee rose earely went three dayes journey to kill his onely sonne whom he loved and reasoned no cases but went Good Moses would weigh the word of God in his owne ballance fixing his eye rather upon the impotency and impossibility of the meanes than upon the strength of Gods word which cleaves the hardest rockes therefore he sinned in striking the Rocke when God bade him onely speake to it and for it was barred out of Canaan 4. We must ayme at an absolute conformity betweene the whole word and our whole man This Rule takes place above all mens rules and lawes which rule the outward man but this the inner man the soule and the conscience the heart and the will yea the affections and thoughts which in regard of mens lawes are free but the word captivateth every thought and brings it into subjection 2 Cor. 12.5 It rules the whole outward man also our speeches and actions even the least our lookes and behaviours our callings and conditions our sports and recreations and as David saith of the Sunne Psal. 19.6 there is nothing hid from the heate and discoverie of it so nothing in man is exempted from the rule of the word We must therefore bring our practise thereto and thinke it not enough to be a rule in it selfe unlesse it be a rule to us also And lay this for a ground in our soules that there must be a proportion betweene the rule and the thing ruled Now we come to the speciall rules for the application of this Rule And they concerne 1. Doctrines 2. Actions and Practise Rules for the Tryall of Doctrines are sixe First all Doctrines must be brought to the analogy of faith and squared thereby Rom. 12.6 Whether wee prophecie let us prophecie according to the analogy of faith By analogy of faith the Apostle meaneth the measure of faith and Doctrine which is indeede the holy Scripture the heads of which Doctrine or the summe of which faith is contained in the Creede the Decalogue and the Lords Prayer If any Doctrine agree not with these which are the key and rule of faith it is unsound and to be rejected As for example 1. The Church of Rome teacheth that the bread in the Sacrament is turned into the very body flesh blood and bone of Christ which was borne of the Virgin We hold the cleane contrary Now bring this Doctrine to the analogie of faith that teacheth that Christ was born of the Virgin true man with a true humane nature like ours in all sinne things sin onely excepted visible circumscribed palpable in one place only at once as is ours that teacheth that he ascended into heaven in that humane nature and there fitteth at the right hand of God untill his second comming and therefore cannot be really and locally in the Sacrament 2. Romish Doctrine teacheth that a man may merit by his good workes remission of sins and eternall life they establish the merit of mans workes in the matter of justification we utterly exclude them Bring we this Doctrine to the analogie of faith The ten Commandements say The Lord sheweth mercy to thousands that love him and keepe his commandements If the reward be given by mercy then not for the merit of the worke done The Lords prayer teacheth us to pray for forgivenesse of debts and therefore we are farre from meriting The same prayer teacheth us to pray for every morsell of bread Is it not madnesse to thinke wee can merit the kingdome of heaven if we cannot merit a morsell of bread The Creede
A Commandement Keepe or hold 2. A limitation That which is good For the former It is not enough lightly to examine our courses no nor yet so judicially as to finde out the truth if we goe no further as many who please themselves and feede their eyes with reading and their mindes with meere speculation but cleave to no sound opinion but are unstable and unsettled in all their wayes And therefore the Apostle knitteth to Tryall keeping or holding For what a madnesse were it to try a peece of mettall and finding it to be good golde cast it away which is the folly of many a man in the case of sound and saving Doctrine which is far more pure and precious than gold seven times tryed in the fire For the latter we must try every thing but not lay hold on every thing and not catch whatsoever comes next to hand as many are ready to keepe and holde but it is chaffe in stead of good corne and drosse in stead of golde as many curious and dainty hearers who are as men having ill stomackes which cast up wholsome and strong meate and hold nothing but fruite and trash which feede and increase the humours there already So wholsome and savoury Doctrine is rejected and a few fine sentences savouring of wit or learning fetched any where but from the Scriptures are held and nothing else in comparison Which is with the Prodigall Sonne to feede upon huskes in stead of the bread of his fathers house And therefore the Apostle limiteth us in our keeping that onely which is good Now as God is the Authour and his word the Rule of all goodnesse it followes whatsoever God appoints and his word approove that is good and nothing else Every one is bound in conscience to keepe whatsoeuer good thing he knowes approoved by the word of God For the word keepe requireth a constancy in the knowne good either of Doctrine or practise Deut. 4.6 These are the Commandements Keepe them and doe them for that is your wisedome This is the generall precept to all Gods people For particular Churches Rev. 2.25 To the Church of Thyatira hee saith That which yee have already hold fast till I come and chap. 3.3 to the Church of Sardis Remember what thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent And for particular persons 2 Tim. 3.14 But continue thou in the things thou hast learned Tit. 1.9 Hold fast the faithfull word The like for all the sonnes and daughters of wisedome Prov. 4.4.13 Take hold of instruction and leave her not and keepe her for she is thy life 1. Satan and seducers will seeke to snatch away the truth from us This reason the Apostle seemeth to imply in the composition of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if hee had said hold against all men and all adversaries which would withhold hold with both hands all good and holy truthes concerning faith and manners Theeves and robbers will meddle with no beggars but where they have hope of a booty Satan and his agents lye most in ambush against such as embrace the truth and follow the thing that good is there is the treasure of truth the wealth of grace and a booty which Satan would faine finger He makes many on-sets to this purpose and if we keepe not our ground here called the keeping of good hee pulls us from our hold and easily surprizeth and draweth us to the contrary evill We had neede therefore so much the more watchfully to hold that which is good as our adversaries are watchfull to robbe us of all our goods And were it not that wee had such enemies without us our inward and bosome companion our owne corrupt nature is ever soliciting us and drawing us aside for were we of our selves inclinable to hold good things the Apostle might have spared a number of the like precepts to this But the Spirit of God seeing our disposition so rimie and full of holes to let good things slippe and perceiving our dulnesse and sleepinesse with whom it is as with children who being once asleepe let things slippe out of their hands which before no meanes could winne from them yea and which is worse that while wee seeme waking wee hold weakly as a thing which a man cares not whether he hold or no therefore hee supplies our need and strengthens our weaknesse and awaketh our dulnesse with this and the like exhortations Hold that which is good Which shew that it is no lesse Christian vertue and fortitude to retaine and keepe than to attaine that which is good 2. Hold and keepe all sound Doctrine because of the great utility or profit thereof for 1. It is the evidence of thy salvation and of the inheritance of the Saints How carefully doe men keepe their Evidences lock them up safe in the surest chests they have because if they lose their Evidences they may easily lose their lands So lose thou thy part of the word thou losest thy part of heaven Shall men be wise to keepe their Deedes and conveyances of lands and leases so safe as no man shall cousen or cheate them of them and whatsoever casualty comes these shall be provided for and can it be wise or safe for any to bee carelesse in keeping the word his evidence for heaven without which he hath no tenure nor assurance out of his idle conceit to one foote in heaven 2. Wholsome Doctrine is the staffe and support of a man in the way to heaven A lame man if he hold not his staffe falls downe-right and if the word directs us not in our duty and supports us in temptation wee fall quite away 3. The sound doctrine and truth of Gods word is a notable preservative in dangers so farre as it is held unto A man in perill of drowning will catch and lay fast hold on any meanes of safety and will lose his hand before hee will lose his hold Every Christian is in this world as on a dangerous sea the Church is the shippe in which is salvation represented by the Arke the anchor is faith Heb. 6.9 the mast is the crosse of Christ the prosperous winde is the Spirit of God adverse windes tossing and tumbling the Church are persecutions tryalls temptations afflictions the fraught graces good conscience hope love and the like and the haven is heaven Now lose the doctrine of faith and shipwracke is presently made 1 Tim. 1.19 good conscience and all is lost But hold the doctrine of faith sound and entire by the hand of faith and all is safe 3. There is but one right rule and way to attaine salvation even the truth which the Truth himselfe hath purchased at a deare rate For the word of life and the holy Gospell was not easily purchased but by the precious blood of Iesus Christ and should wee lightly esteeme so deare and precious a purchase this will evince that it was never purchased for us For the
loseth the word in temptation we must arme our selves against the tryalls of the truth and having obtained to beleeve we must also get of God strength to suffer for his sake The third generall proposed is Motives to hold that which is good 1. Let us consider how little we have kept heretofore of all that wee have heard If a man lay coyne or jewells in a chest and afterward come and finde none in it he will presently conclude certainly a theefe hath beene here so may wee in these losses certainly the Divell hath beene here Looke to it more narrowly 2. This is all the commendation of a Christian 1 Cor. 11.2 I commend you that you keepe the ordinances as I delivered A good husband will keepe and save his stocke yea and increase it 3. Keepe them and they will keepe thee as Salomon saith Prov. 4.6 Forsake not wisdome and she shall keepe thee Hold them and they shall uphold thee love her and she shall preserve thee keepe them safe and they will keepe thee Iohn 8.26 If the Sonne set you free ye shall be free indeede that is from errours in doctrine and corruptions of life So long as we keepe the word we cannot fall quite away because the seede of God abideth in us 4. There is no such losse in the world as to lose the good things that thou seemest to lay hold on Losse of wealth of honour of children is nothing to the losse of spirituall good things A man had better lose all the seede he sowes upon his ground than the good seeede sowne in his heart Better for a man to lose all the joyes and pleasures of the world than the joy of his salvation Better to lose all the labour of his calling and put all his gaines in a broken bagge than lose what hee hath wrought in his generall calling Therefore suffer the word of exhortation 2. Iohn 8. Looke to your selves that ye lose not the things you have done but may have a full reward 5. Let us consider that this is more necessary for us than for any seeing Satans aime and scope is to make great places and townes more backward and carelesse to hold good things than others Hee sets his throne in great places because he knowes that thence wickednesse shall be plentifully derived into the Country round about as tradesmen doe their wares Wee for example sake must labour to know love and obey the truth that Gods throne may be set up every where that our godlinesse and obedience may come abroad and provoke others Let it be said of other great places that pride pleasure and profit choake the word and that there is but a forme of godlinesse without power Let us stirre up our selves to our first beginnings our first diligence in receiving the Gospell Object No doubt but we shall keepe good things Answ. 1. You are indeede that which you are in tryall You hardly keepe them while you have good meanes what would you doe if the meanes were gone 2. What if tryall should come as wee may justly feare it could wee then stand Oh now lay a good foundation provide for it that thou faint not in the day of adversity VERSE 22. Abstaine from all appearance of evill AS a carefull father who is come to the end of his life hath but a while to speake and therefore heapeth up his lessons shortly together which he would have his sonnes remember when hee is gone So the Apostle here drawing to the end of this Epistle heapes together his most necessary precepts in short manner as knowing what a friend brevity is to memory God who hath put an infinite distance and disproportion betweene light and darknesse betweene which as the Apostle saith there can be no communion their natures being so fully abhorring hath under that similitude shewed how hee hath separated and put as great contrariety betweene good and evill truth and falshood which are a spirituall kinde of light and darknesse so as they can never agree in one subject but where light comes darknesse is chased before it and when darknesse succeedes the light gives place unto it And as darknesse is the privation of light so evill is the absence of of good and as it is impossible for a man at the same time to be both good and evill so neither can he affect evill and good at the same time but if hee will hold that which is good he must abstaine from the contrary evill or if he will not abstaine from evill let him never professe the holding of good Whence not onely this Scripture but many other joyne these two by an inseperable band Psal. 34.14 Eschew evill and doe good Esay 1.16 Cease to doe evill learne to doe well Rom. 12.9 Abhorre that which is evill and cleave to that which is good And here Hold what is good Abstaine from all appearance of evill for there can be no holding of good if a man withhold not himselfe from evill 1. By evill is meant whatsoever departeth from the rule of good and 2. by abstaining is meant refraining or removing a mans selfe from it as farre as may be so the word is used Matth. 15.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their heart wandreth farre from mee 3. The Apostle saith not Abstaine from evill but from the appearance of evill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or species is that which seemes to be a thing but is not a shape or representation of a thing rather than a thing it selfe So the same word is used Iohn 5.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yee saw not his shape 4. The extent of the proposition all appearance yet more helpeth us to the true sense of the words which requires of us to runne as fast away from whatsoever hath any shew of evill as if it were evill in it selfe for the same word is used 1 Pet. 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts and in 1 Thess. 4.3 the will of God is that ye abstaine from fornication All noting that we must avoid the least shew of evill with the same care that wee doe the greatest evill it selfe and even all shews as making conscience of all Christians must not onely avoid that which is apparantly evill but that also which seemeth to be evill or may carry some evill with it though it selfe be be not so For the explaining hereof we must know that in every action there bee three things First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the action or evill it selfe whether it be an evill of doctrine or manners as all false doctrine heresie superstition and all sinnes of all sorts which stand not in conformity with the law This is not so much aymed in the text Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leaders incentives or moovers of our selves or others unto any sinne so Eves looking on the Apple was not in it selfe evill but so farre as it drew on her appetite yea her conference with the Serpent and Adams with her in that subject
Satan if he cannot hinder us of our inheritance will surely give us as little peace in the way as he can and therefore hee will and doth often terrifie Gods people with hellish temptations with which he brings them so low that they see nothing lesse than peace of heart sometimes they be as men in a swone who live and yet know not they doe live Therefore how had wee need keepe on our armour to keepe our peace 4. Doe all duties sincerely and uprightly Marke and behold the upright man his end is peace Psal. 37.37 Be it never so weakely or imperfectly yet doe things uprightly humbly in respect of thy selfe and heartily in respect of God approving thy selfe to him 5. Suffer all affliction and hard measure joyfully for well-doing and good conscience rather than lose thy peace So did the Saints of God suffer joyfully the spoyling of their goods Heb. 10.34 and so did our owne Martyrs 5. This is a comfort for Gods children as Christ intimates Ioh. 14.27 My peace I give unto you let not you hearts be troubled Their God is a God of peace for the godly heart will say you speake of peace which is the onely portion of Gods people but alas who have lesse peace than they Sure I am will some say I have so many and so great afflictions in the world that I can scarce stand upright under them what may I thinke of my selfe Answ. 1. Is thy expectation of a peace outward in outward things if so where hath God promised thee such a peace without exception of the crosse 2. Is thy lot and portion other than the Disciples of Christ or Christ himselfe had they this outward peace No In the world saith he yee shall have tribulation but in mee ye shall have peace 3. Whatsoever or how great soever thy afflictions be thou hast the God of peace with thee and for thee yea and in thee and shalt not want a strengh to deliver thee out of all Object Yea but were my trialls onely outward from the world I could rejoyce but Satan molests me and disquiets the peace of my conscience by such strong and violent temptations as wound my soule and by such motions and thoughts as seeme to be brought out of the bottome of hell Answ. 1. Let not thy heart be troubled thou maist be at peace that Satan is thy enemy thou art not yet in his power 2. Thou maist have peace that thou seest and sorrowest for the uglinesse of these temptations and outstandest the violence of them thus they shal be thy exercise but not thy sinne 3. Thou hast a God of peace whom thou servest this God of peace will shortly tread Satan under thy feete Rom. 16.20 Object But neither the world nor the Divell could hurt me without my owne sinne but that which grieves my heart my owne sinnes doe daily disturbe my peace and grow to such a number and strength that I doubt I shall lose it quite Answ. Sinne indeede is the great trouble-house and enemy to peace But 1. know this to thy comfort that no sinne shall destroy peace but that sinne which hath peace 2. Consider that of the Prophet Esay 54.10 The mountaines may fall but Gods covenant of peace shall stand This God of peace hath made an everlasting covenant of peace and that must stand Lastly if God be the God of peace then godlinesse makes not any man unpeaceable or turbulent though the world condemne the godly as authours of dissention and the world would be quiet were it not for them But indeede the cause that they are unpeaceable in the worlds eye is because they will not lose their peace nor offend the God of peace nor exchange the peace of God and good conscience with the peace of the world But let such as love this God of peace labour to shew themselves sonnes of peace and shew this worke of God in their love of peace to which they are called Col. 3.15 shunning as rockes brawlings and contentions and fury and fiery affections with all pevish and sowre behaviours And if for not running with the world and for standing for the peace of God they shall bee accounted unpeaceable the God of peace will justifie them and they shall take their enemies booke of accusation and binde it on their shoulders and weare it as a crown on their heads Iob 31.36 Now to the petition 1. For full sanctification 2. For finall sanctification The former is set downe 1. In generall sanctifie you throughout 2. In speciall enumeration of parts spirit soule and body blamelesse For the meaning of the words we are to search and finde out foure things 1. What is this sanctification prayed for 2. What it is to be sanctified throughout 3. What be these parts enumerated spirit soule and body 4. How the Christian in all these parts may be kept blamelesse For the first Sanctification is the abolition of our naturall corruption and the renovation of Gods image in beleevers by the Spirit of God begun by grace in this life and perfected by glory in the life to come Here wee have foure things to be further explained First the Authour of this grace God himselfe Levit. 20.8 I am the Lord that sanctifieth thee And especially or more immediatly the Spirit of God whose peculiar worke it is 1 Cor. 6.11 and therefore hee is called the Spirit of sanctification Rom. 1.4 and it selfe the sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thess. 2.13 1. Because it is an effect of the Spirit who is the immediate worker of it 2. Because it is a signe and note of the Spirits presence even as the beames argue the presence of the Sunne And good reason for 1. in the beginning of this worke man is meerely passive for what can a dead man doe to his owne quickning and raising Eph. 2.1 2. Who can repaire nature depraved but the Authour of nature who can bring backe Gods image but he that at first made man in it This is to be borne of God and who begets the childe but the father 3. Our Apostle goes to God for it from which Ocean all streams come Secondly the Subject of this grace the elect onely for this worke is peculiar to such as shall attaine the perfection of it in glory It is true there is somewhat like sanctification in the hypocrite and reprobate some work of the Spirit by which they are said to be sanctified Heb. 6.4 and 10.29 But wee must know that sanctification is twofold 1. Externall in outward calling outward profession of Doctrine and administration of the Sacraments the very best of which is generall illumination and some slight reformation and this is common to reprobates 2. Internall a speciall renovation or a change of the whole man raising up the heart to holinesse by which gracious worke the true Christian is separated from all the profane and hypocrites of the world therefore 1 Pet. 1.2 hee calls the beleevers elect
fishes and plants all these stand and proceede in the service of their Creatour and all these have a voice by which they continually cry Hallelujah Praise yee the Lord Psal. 148. All these being created and given for our use call us unto constant thankfulnesse to uphold his glory who made them for us as all they doe in their kinde If thou lookest â—â—thin thy selfe thou hast three things which â—ondlâ— call for this duty 1. The joy of the holy Ghost which is unspeakable and glorious Psal 97.11 Light ariseth to the just in darknesse and joy to the upright of heart If Gods Spirit by thy increase of grace be gladded and cheared he will make thee a glad man but if he be grieved or quenched thou shalt smart for it yea suppose thou be the Lords 2. The testimony of thy conscience this is the sweete Paradise in which God is familiar with man and that hony which as Augustine saith is sweete in it selfe and makes all other things sweete let them be never so tart or sowre in themselves Paul in great affliction had a sweete relish 2 Cor. 1.12 For this is our rejoycing euen the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly purenesse wee haue walked 3. Gods approbation and acceptance who would not be allowed of God but hence thou shalt be allowed that thou art made a Disciple of Christ if thou beare much fruite Iohn 15.8 as a Schoole-master commends them for good schollers who stand not at a stay but goe on in learning with diligence climbing to the highest formes And if God worke in the hearts of his children a delight in those that excell in vertue how much more will himselfe delight in them who the longer they live the more they excell Lastly if thou lookest as low as hell there thou shalt see the Divells and wicked Angels as busie as bees to promote their kingdome and to pull all men yea even thy selfe into their corruption and condemnation And should not this adde courage to thee to set up the kindome of God with all thy power every where but especially in thy selfe II. Motive Consider why God hath elected called justified us whereas he might have left us in our common masse and passed by us as well as a great part of the world as good every way as our selves First he hath elected us that wee might be holy and that not in a small measure but also unblameable before him in love Eph. 1.4 and Rom. 8.29 God hath predestinate us to be made like the image of his Sonne How and wherein Answ. Partly in humility partly in holinesse that as hee by an humble and holy life went on to his glorie so must we Secondly why or to what hath God called us but unto holinesse 1 Thess. 4.7 God hath not called us to uncleannesse but unto holinesse yea unto full holinesse that as obedient children we should resemble our heavenly Father who is holinesse it selfe 1 Pet. 1.15 As he which hath called you is holy so be ye also in all manner of holy conversation because it is written Be yee holy as I am holy Levit. 26.6 Now the word as signifies not an equality in measure which we can as little attaine as a spoon can containe the Ocean but onely a conformity or resemblance in our nature renewed and made obedient to the rule 1. He is throughly holy without want or sinne so must thou strive to be 2. He is holy at all times in the day and in the night so thou must never lay aside thy holinesse neither on the Saboth nor on the weeke day or night 3. He is holy in all places in earth and in heaven so must thou as well in earth as in heaven as well in the market as in the Church 4. He is holy in his word in his workes in all his wayes so must thou in thy words workes and whole conversation Heare this thou that hearest the Gospell which is Gods voice calling thee to holinesse Leade henceforth a profane life at thy perill He that calls thee is holy the calling is to holinesse yea to conformity in his owne holinesse aime at it else thou shalt never partake of it hereafter Thirdly thy justification tells thee that Christ dwells in thee by faith and that thy heart is built up to be an habitation of God by the Spirit Eph. 2. ult Now the blessed Spirit cannot dwell any where but in a Temple dedicated unto him where the olde man is daily put off and the new man put on daily where the power of sinne is daily weakened and the grace of holinesse daily getteth power and strength for Gods Spirit will not dwell any where but as the Master of an house as a ruler and commander Neither can any attaine the comfort or sense of his justification but by the undivided companion of it which is sanctification and as this growes so ariseth the measure of sense and comfort of this present happinesse for he that doth righteousnesse is righteous saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.7 III. Motive Consider what thou art namely a Christian in the very name thou professest communion with Christ and consequently to walke in the light as hee is in the light A Christian must adorne Christian profession by Christian life and conversation A Christian called so of Christ must shew in his whole course that hee is partaker of Christs annoynting 1 Ioh. 2.20 1. Shew thy selfe a Christian Prophet by profiting in the knowledge of God and instructing others in the same 2. Shew thy selfe a Christian Priest who hast received the annoynting by offering thy selfe an holy acceptable living and reasonable sacrifice Offer thy prayers and the sacrifices of prayses those calves of thy lippes Offer the sacrifices of almes and mercy for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 Offer thy life and dearest blood a sweete sacrifice for the chiefe and high Priest of our profession if God call thee unto the same 3. Shew thy selfe a Christian King by raising all thy power against thine enemies and aduersaries of salvation by defending and maintaining thy Christian liberty in which thou art set by ruling over thy selfe and keeping a strait hand and authority over thy lusts and affections make them subjects by carrying thy selfe as a King with clemency meeknesse liberality measuring and judging every thing according to the Lawes of Christ enacted in the Parliament of heaven What a Christian and an epicure a Christian swearer a Christian adulterer a Christian gamester lyer c. quà m malè conveniunt how harsh is this to the eare of men of God much more IV. Motive Consider that hee that is once truly good growes from good to better and so is best at last Our Saviour plainly prooves that he who hath the least measure of sound fruite his fruite shall increase Ioh. 15.2 Every branch that beareth fruite the Father purgeth it that it may beare more
determine thy will with his as David Psal. 39.9 I held my tongue and spake nothing because thou Lord didst it There must be but one will betweene God and a faithfull soule betweene Christ and a Christian. Quest. How may I know my will thus denied renewed freed and framed to God Answ. The signes of it are 1. in respect of it selfe 2. in regard of sinne 3. in regard of good duties 1. In respect of it selfe it will not runne before but will waite upon sanctified knowledge and renewed reason it will not inthrall the light of the minde to inordinate desires it will be prooving still what is the good and acceptable will of God It will resolve and purpose that so long time as it is in the flesh to walke after the will of God 1 Pet. 4.2 2. Thou shalt know it in regard of sinne 1. It is resolute in resistance of sinne and the occasions for although the will renewed admit sinne in respect of corruption yet it selfe is in great part set against sinne that it willeth it not fully it purposeth not to sinne as David I vowed I will keepe thy judgements it hath a fast purpose to cleave to God Psal. 119.104 and hates all the wayes of falshood 2. When it yeelds to sinne it is with griefe it doth not sleepe in sinne so but that the heart waketh So the Apostle Rom. 7.15 he even hateth sinne while he is a doing of it I hate that I doe 3. After sinne it riseth timely by repentance if he fall into sinne he hardens not his heart Prov. 28.14 he wills it not neither before nor after there is a strugling and a reluctation in him against it and thus you may know the will rightly framed 3. In regard of good duties it will not onely be well-doing but chearefull in well-doing he doth good duties willingly freely There is a difference in doing one and the same action betweene a good man and a wicked man the worke of the will renewed is not onely to take opportunity to doe good but seeke opportunity to doe it it will not doe good of constraint but will doe it with willingnesse he will doe it cheerefully as a good Pastour feedes his flocke not by constraint but of a willing minde 1 Pet. 5.2 Quest. Why should wee thus looke to our wills Answ. First the state of Christianity is rather a willing than a doing the will of God thou that canst doe no more wouldst thou doe lesse Secondly no greater plague can befall a man than to be given up to his owne will the holding to a mans owne will is the losse of the will and soule too Thirdly as thy will is pleased with the sinne so it shall be revenged in the sorrow of it that will of thine that will not be compelled to obey shall be compelled to suffer all the plagues of sinne by a just recompence are laid upon the will as his sinne was a resistance and renouncing of the will of God for in hell no sinner shall ever obtaine what hee would but shall ever sustaine what hee would not Thus God brings the wayes of the wilfull sinner upon his owne head Ezek. 11.21 Thirdly to keepe the soule blamelesse we must narrowly watch all our affections wherein the soule moves it selfe every where for man by his fall hath lost not his affections but the holinesse and rectitude of them for now man naturally hateth the Lord and his image in his word in his servants and graces he feares and flies what hee should most joy and delight in that is God himselfe he joyes in swallowing the pleasures of sinne the baytes of his perdition hee is angry and impatient at God himselfe as Ionas and carried with a rageing madnesse causelesly and intemperately on any occasion And therefore we must fly to the grace of regeneration which doth not abolish affections but the disordered motions of them and restores them towards their originall rectitude and goodnesse Where this worke of grace is not and where the spirit hath laid no bridle upon the affections no marvaile if that soule runne riot into all unruly lusts and make it selfe blame-worthy and guilty every moment of foule sinnes Yea where this grace is care must be to preserve it even in every affection the least disorder of any of which is enough to impure the soule and leave it under blame Now the rules of keeping the affections unblameable and then for the reasons I. To keepe thy affections unblameable thou must labour seeing they cannot be unblameable if they be not good in the rise to get a good rise for thy affections a good motion must be from a good mover labour to see who is the mover of thy affections whether the Spirit of God or the wicked spirit or thine owne carnall spirit Excellent are those affections that are moved by the Spirit of God as when feare anger love joy griefe are 1. grounded on just causes 2. guided by the rule of renewed reason for the Spirit never moves but according to the word 3. tempered in ordinate measure now they become servants of grace Whereas if thy owne carnall spirit move them contrary to the word for their subject object manner or measure now they turne enemies to God and to thine owne soule II. Be sure they be carried upon right objects onely set thy affections where Gods Spirit would set them Here first the proper object of love is God himselfe and not for his gifts but for himselfe and of Iesus Christ whom if any man love not let him be accursed and that not as a Iesus onely but as a Lord And then the things of God wee must covet the most excellent gifts and with Mary choose the better part even our part in the Gospell and word of Christ and then entirely love the friends of God all our delight must be in the Saints that excell in vertue Secondly the object of our anger is sinnes not persons nor so much the sinnes of others as our owne which are nearer us Thirdly the object of our joy is pardon of sinne Gods favour and countenance Psal. 4. It is wrong placed when it is in the creature not in the Creatour when in the gift not in the giver Fourthly the object of our patience is evills of punishment which we must patiently suffer but not evills of sinne as Moses Fifthly of our feare the true object is God more for his goodnesse than greatnesse more for his mercy than justice Mercy is with thee to be feared Psal. 130.4 more lest we offend him than be offended by him And so in the rest What a businesse now is it to keepe our affections upon allowed and warrantable objects III. In these best objects see they be most vehement and intense To doe this observe these rules First bestow on the best things the best affections thou must love the Lord thy God with all thy soule all thy heart and strength nay more thou
it is said Thou lovest all words that may destroy oh thou deceitfull tongue How did the Divell use a tongue otherwise than in lying and deceiving for when hee speakes a lye he speaks his owne saith Christ. And God will destroy all them that speake lyes Psal. 12.3 because nothing is more contrary to his nature being truth it selfe 3. Take heed of an oily and a flattering tongue that can sooth and smooth and justifie an evill man in his evill Prov. 29.5 A man that flattereth his neighbour spreades a net for his steppes as a fowler layeth in waite to bring the bird into the net and holde him in it implying that this flattery is the Divells invisible net by which he catcheth and holdeth men fast in the snare For what man will not delight in any base lust when hee shall not onely not feare reproofe but be commended and graced in it But of all flatterers none is so serviceable to the Divell as a flattering Minister who brings whole flights of foolish birds into the snare and holds them fast to death 4. Beware of a slanderous and smiting tongue of which Ierem. 18.18 Let us smite him with the tongue because blowes and strokes hurt not nor wound a mans body more than the slanderous words hurt his name The slanderer is a monstrous creature for a tongue he hath a sting for words he carries swords in his mouth his breath is poysonfull and loathsome as gall of aspes yea hee carries a fire in his mouth set on fire from hell One compares the slanderer to the butchers mastiffe hee lies still in the shambles hee waites for the blood of the beast his mouth is ever bloodie But especially when he slandereth godly men in their godly wayes hee lies in the Divells sinne who is an accuser of the brethren Revel 12. And hee is often paid with his owne coyne that as hee sits as a moth fretting the names of others his name is wounded and gnawed on by others Whereas by the same overruling power of God a man chary of anothers name comming through his hands hath his name often defended and tendered passing through the hands of others 5. Beware of a wanton and filthy tongue addicted to unseemely and ribauldry speech full of corruption both in the speaker and hearer the one making no conscience of foule words easily comes on to foule actions the others good manners easily corrupted by evill speeches 1 Cor. 15. Say not with thy selfe Though I sometimes speake foolishly and merrily yet my heart is good I live well and honestly for all that I assure thee thy heart and tongue are both of one constitution and thou that saist thou art so honest of thy body but neglectest thy tongue carriest a world of wickednesse about thee still in that little member Thirdly use the meanes to keepe thy tongue unblameable For first it is a little member but unruly and as hard to keepe as a Citty without walls Secondly by thy words thou shalt be justified or condemned Thirdly all thy religion and profession is in vaine if thy tongue be unruled Fourthly a wholesome tongue is the tree of life How carefull will an husbandman be to preserve a tree of delicate and precious fruite Such a tree is a well governed tongue But if a man had the least sprig of the tree of life by which hee were sure to thrust away diseases paines sicknesse death and preserve himselfe in an happy healthfull undying and immortall estate oh how carefully would hee tend and charily watch it But Salomon commends a well ordered tongue to that whole tree of life Prov. 15.4 for the fruite of a long and comfortable life 1 Pet. 3.10 Quest. What are these meanes Answ. First set a watch before the doore of thy mouth and resolve with David not to offend with thy tongue Psal. 39.1 I purposed and vowed with my selfe to looke to my wayes and that I sinne not with my tongue and that man that will not sinne with his tongue must set a strong watch before the doore of his mouth And consider here first it is too much for a Christian to lodge corruption and filthinesse in his heart and yet if some uncleannesse will still hide it selfe in those deceitfull corners choake it there let not the tongue utter it nor the mouth vent it to the poysoning and infecting of others Secondly that a thought may be corrected but a word once spoken is irrevocable and therefore wisdome will examine every word first before it passe out of the mouth Secondly take lawes for our lippes from God and put them on our tongue Prov. 31. the godly woman the law of grace is upon her tongue the word of God is the bound of her tongue and speeches both for matter manner measure and end of her speeches A man cannot learne a forreigne tongue Hebrew Greeke Latine French unlesse he be taught the elements or observe the rules of speech Now to speake gracious speech is not our native language it is the language of Canaan to which wee are naturally strangers and can never get it of our selves unlesse wee acquaint our selves with the rules of it in the word of God Who can speake familiarly with God savourly of God or Christianly with men without Gods owne teaching in his word Thirdly labour to get a good heart for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. 15.18 and Prov. 16.23 The heart of the wise guideth the mouth wisely for as the shop is furnished out of the ware-house so the mouth with speech out of the heart Whence it must follow that the want of good and savoury speech argues a barren and naughty heart To speake the language of Canaan be a Iew within get a wise pure and converted heart and then thou art one of the people of a pure language 3 Zeph. 9.13 Fourthly accustome thy selfe to good and savoury speech flowing from grace in the heart that all thy speech may be the issue of knowledge faith holy affections of love joy zeale desire of godly sorrow c. and tending to the praise of God and to the exhorting instructing counselling and comforting of men as the damosell to Peter let thy speech bewray thee a Disciple of Christ a good Christian see the matter be good and pertinent the manner seasoned and bounded with godly discretion and the end tending to minister grace to the hearers The reason of this rule is First because corrupt communication slippes in for want of better communication which might have prevented it Secondly no way so expedite to breake off a bad habit than by frequent contrary acts which will grow habituall and familiar Thus much of the directions for keeping the outward man blamelesse If any thinke them not so necessary to be insisted upon or taken up carefully into his practise let him remember 1. That the heart is never renewed unlesse the outward man be reformed 2. It shall one
pleasures of it too well Demas forsooke the truth to embrace the present world Iudas by the same corrupt affection fell from the Apostleship Ioh. 12.41 Many chiefe Rulers beleeved Christ but durst not confesse him because of the Pharises for they loved the praise of men more than God Oh that we did not so cleerely see the strength of this lett in these dayes wherein so many baulke the way of holinesse and fall backe almost to open profanesse because they neither see many men nor great men yeeld approbation or countenance to such strict courses 2. Shunne lewd society and familiarity with profane persons if we would not fall from our owne stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 3.17 18. there is not more strength in any infectious pestilencious ayre to poyson the body than in this poysoned ayre to kill the soule Society with gracelesse men is a very blasting of grace fire is not more apt to burne than we to learne their wayes 4. The labour and paines of holinesse and mortification makes many weary of the good way but consider it is not in vaine to serve the Lord and there is profit in walking humbly before him thy paines shall be abundantly recompenced a small measure of holinesse with an upheaped measure of happinesse Every man will be contented to swallow much paines for a little earthly profit and is the state of heaven worth no labour 5. Persecutions drive many away much seed which comes up faire when the sunne of persecution ariseth withereth away But against this wisdome must cast the costs and prepare to defray the charges of this great building and the same Sunne that dries and burnes up the shallow seede shall set and ripen ours Many heare holinesse reviled and spoyled of her vaile and value they heare this sect every where spoken against and would as farre forget themselves as Peter to heare that voice Thou art one of them and perhaps renounce Christ and profession and all for if even the very Disciples of Christ and all they leave him and fly when afflictions comes neare Matth. 26.56 what marvell if they that want soundnesse shrinke in the wetting 1. But here remember and looke upon Christ Heb. 12.2 who endured such speaking against of sinners not for himselfe but for thee lest thou be weary 2. Hee that is now ashamed of Christ Christ will one day be ashamed of him and then he that will no◠beare the reproach of a blast of words for him shall be filled with an everlasting reproach before men and Angells 3. Sound judgement esteemes it the greatest honour to be highly dishonoured for Christ and his causes Matth. 5.12 Blessed are yee when men revile you and speake all manner of evill against you for my sake rejoyce and be glad great is your reward in heaven Object I could better endure mens words but I shall also sustaine great losse if I should be so precise I should lose my custome trading and profits Answ. Wilt thou receive a religion and not know it to be truth or knowest it to be so and wilt not be ready to confesse and professe it according to thy place and calling even in the middest of the different conceits of men 2. The Saints knowing this to be truth did for it joyfully suffer the spoyling of their goods 3. Put together in the ballance the losse of the world and the losse of thy soule and consider whether is fitter to save if thou cāst not save both For the losse of the world is an abundant recompence promised by a sure pay-master but what recompence is there for the losse of the soule Matth. 16.26 Nay if thou shouldest venture and give thy life for thy profession if God call for it it is no lesse than thou oughtest who oughtest to strive unto blood Hebr. 12.4 and yet this greatest losse were the greatest gaine Thus to lose thy life is to save it and to save it in this case were to lose it III. Procure to our selves and exercise the helpes of perseverance and keepe them neere us as our continuall companions And for this end First let the word of God be deepely rooted in our hearts for this is a speciall preservative from declining Psal. 119.102 I declined not from thy statutes for thou didst teach me Now the word sundry wayes keepes us As first by inlightening us to see our way both to chuse the right way and decline the wrong Psal. 119.105 Thy law is a light and lanthorne to our paths Secondly by comforting and incouraging us in the good way Rom. 15.4 Through consolation of the Scripture wee receive our hope Thirdly by preventing sinne in us Psal. 119.11 I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sinne Fourthly by keeping out of sin and redressing our way Psal. 119.9 Secondly labour to preserve in thee a love of grace and holinesse let thy scope be in all the meanes of holinesse to gaine not knowledge and illumination onely but sound affection also to grow up in this as well as in that For first as a tree low and deepe rooted is stablished and continued in fruitfulnesse so when faith and grace is deepely rooted in the affection of the heart there will be perseverance Secondly it is not good words good actions or good knowledge that holdes out but good affections will Thirdly what other is the cause of so generall backsliding in the world which is the proper punishment of not receiving the truth in the love of it 2 Thess. 2.11 Thirdly feare God This is a wellspring of life to make us escape the snares of death Prov. 14.27 and 19.23 Anchora mentis pondus timoris Feare holds the heart steady as the anchor the shippe and joyne thy selfe to such as feare God delight in such as excell in vertue and grace these are able to encourage strengthen direct uphold raise and comfort thee in thy difficulties wearinesse and weaknesse and set thee forward not by their gifts onely but by their example Fourthly be instant in prayer for perseverance so our Text teacheth for it is the Lord that both beginneth and finisheth his owne worke hee not onely sets us in the way but leades us in the way and at length brings us into Canaan Fifthly looke still to the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ as a good servant hold thy selfe in expectation of the appearing so the Text Luke 12.36 Blessed is that servant whom the Master shall finde so doing Doest thou expect him from heaven and is not thy conversation there doest thou expect his comming in glory and meetest not him in grace lookest thou for him as thy head and wilt thou not as a member holde an happy union and fellowship with him expectest thou thence a Saviour and continuest thou not unto the end seeing onely such shall be saved Matth. 10.22 Now the motives to the meanes of perseverance First this is a true signe of a true friend of God who loves at all
glory where then is our free-will to attain salvation before our calling can we not holde our salvation after our calling unlesse God holde it for us and can wee lay holde on it before our effectuall calling Away with such Pharisaicall and proud conceits of Popery that all the glory and praise may be ascribed unto him whose faithfulnesse can and will present us spotlesse before the presence of his glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ. Let us cast downe our crownes at the feete of the Lambe and put off all praise of doing any thing from our selves and confesse that unlesse the Lord should adde his last worke to the first all were lost In naturall life our selves conferre nothing to our lives or being at first and after we are it is Gods care that preserves us for man lives not by bread onely but by every word of God Neither doth mans life stand in abundance Luke 12.15 Much more in supernaturall life his worke it is to preserve us whose will is to save us Secondly it serves for a ground of consolation in that the authour of all our grace is faithfull and unchangeable hee beginneth and accomplisheth and worketh all our workes for us He not onely bestoweth a free grace upon his people but undertakes to preserve and perfect it And therefore we may 1. Rely confidently upon this faithfulnesse for all supplies roule all thy burden upon him and he will doe it Psal. 37.5 2. By prayer of faith importune his faithfulnesse not to forsake the worke of his owne hands till hee have finished it Hereby commit thy whole way unto him commend thy selfe thy soule unto him in well-doing and hee will keepe it 2 Tim. 1.18 3. Rest thy selfe undaunted in afflictions in dangers and losses seeing Gods faithfulnesse will keepe thee safe he will keepe thy salvation for thee Heaven is reserved for thy childes part no great matter what other things be lost or endangered 4. Findest thou want of strength in temptation feelest not thou the joy of thy salvation groanest thou under the burden of corruption weaknesse of faith dulnesse in duties goe to this faithfulnesse of God importune him for needfull grace say to him Oh thou that art a faithfull God thou hast called me and therefore doe thou doe it finish and perfect thine owne worke in me Thirdly for a ground of watchfulnesse and care over our selves that we may not grow either secure or idle and say If God will keepe us all is well for hee keepes his owne by meanes and keepes none who have not a care to keepe themselves Quest. What are the meanes whereby God will keepe me Answ. 1. Hee finisheth the worke begun by the word the arme of God which began it Observe the worke of the word in thee Keepe the word and it shall keepe thee attend the word for the powerfull preaching of Christ keeps the soule till the day of Christ. 2. By his holy Spirit who renewes our strength and graces therefore stirre up the Spirit that is in thee and cheare him in thy heart by listening to his motions and taking his part against thy daily corruptions 3. By the grace of faith 1 Pet. 1.5 Yee are kept through faith to salvation Therefore nourish faith quicken it encrease it walke by faith live by faith observe the growth of faith in the power of prayer and strength in good duties this is the victory that overcomes the world 4. By his daily providence guiding us to such courses and companies as by which we may not be losers in grace but gainers keepe thee in thy wayes and hee will keepe thee in them Psal. 91.11 Beware of consenting much more of delighting in sinne and sinners Fourthly a ground of thankfulnesse for graces received all which have flowed from Gods faithfulnesse Hast thou faith hope strength peace of conscience or comfortable assurance ascribe all the glory to God who hath declared his faithfulnesse in giving and encreasing and upholding the same whereas every day our weaknesse and carelesnesse would lose it every sinne might forfeit it and every assault of Satan and seducers would easily robbe us of it Prize this estate in grace make it sure a man will be sure of a good title of any thing hee holdes Rejoyce in it and in the evidences of it as well as in it selfe VERSE 25. Brethren pray for us IN these words the Apostle commendeth a duty of love toward their Ministers which must expresse it selfe in earnest prayers for them In which words 1. wee have a loving compellation Brethren to these onely the duty is directed for they onely can pray or can be heard the wicked mans prayer because he wants the Spirit wants faith is no sonne none of the brethren his prayer is abominable 2. The persons commended to their prayers For us that is Paul Silvanus Timotheus chap. 1.1 men of highest place of most excellent gifts and of rarest graces the Ministers of their faith These chosen vessels and worthy instruments request the prayers of inferiour and ordinary beleevers 3. What the things be which they must pray for in their behalfe and these are elsewhere expressed First for gifts and skill in dispensing the mysteries of the Gospell that they may speake the word as it ought to be spoken Ephes. 6.19 20. And for mee that utterance might be given that I may speake boldly as I ought to speake Did Paul need their prayers for that purpose and doe not ordinary Ministers much more Secondly for liberty and free passage of the Gospel in the mouthes of the Ministers that without let and impediment the Gospel might be preached without interruption or contradiction 2 Thess. 3.1 Brethren pray for us that the word of God may have free passage This is called sometime the opening of a doore which was shut Col. 4 3. Praying for us that God may open to us a doore of utterance Thirdly for happy successe and prosperity of their labours in the hearts of the Saints for their gathering 2 Thess. 3.1 Pray for us that the word of God may be glorified even as it is with you Now the Thessalonians had received it in power and with much assurance People must pray that by the labour of their Ministers the conversion and salvation of men may be furthered for Paul may plant and Apollos may water but unlesse God give the increase all is lost 1 Cor. 3.7 Fourthly for the daily sanctification of their persons that they may by unblameable conversation remove the lets and scandalls which might hinder their doctrine and become examples to their flocke in good life and in expression of all good workes So the Apostle Hebr. 13.18 Pray for us for we are assured that we have a good conscience in all things desiring to live honestly As this is an argument that you should pray for us being innocent and honest men so pray that wee may so continue Fifthly for the protection and safetie of their
love another and not pray for him Some say they love their Minister and like preaching but as the worldling boasts of false liberality when didst thou ever pray unto God for him that hee would be pleased to give him strength and ability successe freedome from molestation from unreasonable men and every good encouragement in his place scarce in all thy life Then may I say to thee as Dâ—lilah to Sampson How canst thou say thou lovest mee and doest not this thing for mee How canst thou say thou lovest mee and keepest this thing from me even thy prayers and best wishes 2. The object must be right the things prayed for Many wish well to their Ministers and much love they shew them and pray for them that God would give them good livings two or three and for meanes of further preferments to raise them to the fayre of dignities wish them good Lords and Patrons and countenance of great men Oh the happinesse of Ministers stands not in these things A Turke or Heathen can wish all these to their friends and yet Christians wish no more These are wishes of carnall men But pray thou for liberty spirit courage power faithfulnesse to stand against men and Divels that by force or subtlety would discourage him from the worke grace and faithfull dispensation makes an happy Minister Pray for this and yet I doubt many Ministers themselves pray more for the other than these 3. With prayer thou must bring the other companions of love and thankfulnesse We must not deale by our Ministers as many answer beggers God helpe you but give them nothing you must yeeld us not onely good words and good prayers but audience redence maintenance you must doe that you pray for It is but hypocrisie to pray in a set forme of prayer for all Bishops Curates and all Congregations committed to their charge if thou doest not set thy hand to thy prayer If love set thy mouth on worke to pray for a Ministers prosperity it will set the hand on work to uphold his person his comfort his Ministery his cheerefulnesse in the worke of the Lord all thy pretences leave thee but an hypocrite an enemie of righteousnesse who art hyde-bound and hand-bound who valuest not sundry yeares labours of thy Pastour at so many farthings Heathens and Savages would be loath to reject their Idolatrous Priests so farre but either conscience or shame or feare or company would force some expressions of love to them But Heathenish Christians nothing can worke them FINIS THE TABLE A. ACtions of renovation discerned in three things 198 Actuall sins more violently quenching the fire of the Spirit above other 3 sorts 23 Every action must be done 1. by vertue of a word 2. in Gods presence 3. for Gods glory 110 Action to bee good must proceede from a good agent 115 Admiration of mens persons no good rule for 6 reas 84 Affections crooked no safe rule to follow 3 reas 81 83 Affection to inferiour things must shame us for want of like affection in attaining better 227 Affections must be narrowly watched 256 Affections naturally exceedingly corrupted 5 instances 263 Sound affection to grace discerned by foure signes 218 Afflictions sanctified set forward sanctification 5 wayes 214 Aime of a Christian must be absolute conformity betweene the whole word and the whole man 89 All things to be beleeved or done must first be tryed by the Scriptures 4 reas 61 All things are to be tryed but all things must not be held 125 All the Articles of religion turned into a questionary Divinity among Schoolemen 129 Alteration and change of spirit soule and body a sure signe of growth in holinesse 217 Ancient Christians refused ceremonies used by Heathens 3 instances 160 Appearances of evill must be avoided as well as apparant evills for 5 reasons 147 Apostates their fearfull danger in 4 things 319 Arts wicked with which seducers come armed to deceive 5. 63 Severall Attributes of God to be conceived according to our suites 5 Instances 178 B. Baptisme must not be required of a Popish Priest 5 Reas. 158 C. Calling effectuall and ineffectuall differenced 353 His owne effectuall calling every man ought to know 4 reasons 356 Calling effectuall the worke of God onely 5 reasons 361 From effectuall calling a man may certainly conclude his owne salvation 363 Calling effectuall often hardly discerned 3 reas 367 Calling effectuall heareth Christs voice many wayes vttered 371 Ceremonies ordained of God so as Iewes must differ from Heathens as well in them as in doctrine 4 Instances 159 Wofull changes in the soule of Gods childe who hath quenched the Spirit 5. 17 Change in a man effectually called is wonderfull 1. In respect of sinne 377 2. In respect of the world Ibid. 3. In respect of grace in kinde 379 soundnesse 380 growth 382 Change no shadow of it in Gods nature 386 Nor in his decrees 387 Nor in his will 389 Nor in his affections Ibid. Charity how it beleeveth all things 4 cautions 69 Christians must proceede to full sanctification for five reasons 201 Christians must be as carefull to retaine grace as to attaine it 4 reasons 232 Christ must be magnified in our bodies 5 wayes 280 Christ not corporally present in the Sacrament 4 reasons 309 Christians must not onely labour for full but finall holinesse 4 Reasons 311 Christ raised dieth no more no more doth the Christian. 391 Civility is farre from sanctity 6 differences 205 Comfort in affections well guided in 3 things 268 Comforts from Gods faithfulnesse in 4 things 393 Communication in other mens sinnes to be avoided both before and after 165 Conformity with Idolaters must be avoided in 3 things 156 To a good conscience are required 4 things 239 Conscience cleareth his master 4 wayes 240 Consideration of Christs second comming encourageth godlinesse 6 wayes 301 Considerations to move people to pray for their Ministers sundry 403 Contemplation of creatures in their severall rankes call us to progresse in holinesse 222 D. David sinned in numbring the people in 4 things 113 Davids mourning for Absolom blame-worthy for 4 reasons 114 David refused to drinke the water of Bethlem 3 reas ib. Depth of learning pretended by seducers 63 Difference betweene the peace of Christ and the peace of the world in 6 things 180 Difference betweene sound peace and sencelesnesse of conscience in 5 things 185 Dislike of evill if sound discerned in 6 things 219 Disposition to good tryed by five signes 220 Directions concerning sanctification of the spirit 5. 237 Distinction must be made betweene diffusing of grace and decaying of it 32 Doctrines to be sound must all agree with the analogie of faith 3 instances 90 Doctrine of doubting of a mans owne salvation is against the analogy of faith 91 All sound doctrine tyeth the two tables together 6 Instances 92 All true doctrine leades men unto Christ. 100 Sound doctrine is most contrary to corrupt nature 103 The soundest doctrine most soundly comforteth