Return into thy countrey and I will do thee good David also stuck close to the word Remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psal 119. 49. And the Prophet Esaiah saith Es 66. 11. They shall suck and be satisfied with the breasts of consolation so let us suck the bloud of the promises as a dog that hath got the blood of the Bear he hangs on and will hardly be beaten off 5. Though it is true that any one saving grace whatever is a signe Christ is thine yea though thou hast a 1000. temptations and doubts that thou canst not answer Yet it is good to gather an abbreviate of some few signes that thy soule may feed upon in time of trouble These I acknowledge are so plainly laid The more experienced Reader that finds lesse need of them may be pleased patiently to passe them over down in Scripture and so familiarly taught almost in every book that treats of faith that it would seem almost lost labour therefore I will be the briefer yet I dare not altogether neglect them for the benefit of some weak ones The generall sign is If any be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. Col. 3. 9. 10. which is called regeneration wherby the law is written in his heart God having Though the strings bee the same yet the tune is changed planted in him a love and liking to every good and a hatred to all that is evill Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse Psal 45. 7. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will cause you to walk in my statutes Ezek. 36 26. 27. More particularly I shall lay down eleven markes or signes whereby a man may know that Christ is his in particular which is nothing else but a strong act of justifying faith Signe 1 1. The first sign of assurance that Christ is thine is If it were wrought by hearing the Word preached ordinarily and is confirmed by it for faith commeth by hearing ordinarily a Rom. 10. 17. 1 Cor. 1. 21 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth Iam. 1. 18. every child hath a father So the 3000 were converted by hearing Peter b Acts 2. 37 Acts 8. 26. I deny not but that afflictions losses death of children or friends c. may prepare for Christ as Paul was by being unhorsed by Christ Act. 9. 3 4. Yet they do not work faith but usually that is wrought by the word preached therefore Ananias was afterwards sent to Paul Act. 9. 10. so likewise good councell reading good bookes c. may stir us up to seek after Christ as perhaps it did the Eunuch Act. 8. 28. but do not set us into Christ and hence Philip was sent to the Eunuch readding to work faith in his heart as appears verse 30. to verse 38. And as the word begets it so it feeds confirmeth and Ex iisdem nuâ—uimur à quibus constamus cherisheth faith as the ashes cherish the fire whereof they were bred 1 Pet. 2. 2. Eph. 4. 12 13. Now then inquire how came you by your particular knowledge of Christ to be your Saviour did the word preached convince humble and excite you to seek Christ and doth it confirme and stablish your faith then it is good But on the contrary if you know not how you came by your faith never by hearing of sermons but are like the Israelitish women quick of delivery before ever the midwife the Minister can come at you you may suspect your faith as we suspect those to be stollen goods when they know not how they came by them and that a base born child when it is not known who is the father although I say not that every one converted knowes the Minister that coÌ„verted him yet ordinarily he knowes he was converted by the word preached except God instilled grace into his heart when he was a young child as he did unto Samuel Timothy c. But especially they have cause to suspect their faith when the preaching of the word shakes and winnowes their faith and fils them full of doubtings and tormenting feares the preachers of the word being like the two witnesses their tormentors who say of them as Job did of his friends Rev. 11. 10. miserable comforters are you all Certainly she is but an ill mother that will not give such to the child she bare if she be able but rather hunch it beat it and deal unkindly with it Signe 2 2. The second signe is if thy heart were ever prepared for the receiving of Christ as the stones were prepared for the Temple or as a man prepares his house to entertain a king Luk. 3. 5. Every valley shall be filled or levelled In some sense a Christian sometimes may be said to be too low when he despairs of mercy then he is said to be too low for despair layes his soul as low as hell as it did Judas And every hill shall be brought low that is the mountanous and high thoughts thou hadst of thy self like the Pharisee that thought himselfe not like other men shall now be changed and now thou shalt have low thoughts of thy selfe saying as Jacob I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies as the Prodigall I am not worthy to be called thy sonne as the Publican Lord be mercifull to me a sinner as Paul of sinners I am chief or as David I am a worme and no man for Christ dwels only in the humble heart Esaiah 57. 15. with him will I dwell that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble It followeth And crooked things shall be made straight that is even the crooked paths of the serpent thy crooked wayes shall now be made straight and even now levelling at the rule of the word of God his glory And the rough wayes shall be made smooth that is even Bears and Lions rough Esaus shall now become Babes and Lambs for meeknesse and gentlenesse as it was prophesied Es 11. 6 7 8. Now all this is done by a spirit of bondage and feare of hell and damnation which God usually smites the heart with before he gives Christ as the plow goes before corn is sowen as it was with Paul a Acts 9. 45. with the Jailor b Acts 16. 29 30. with the 3000 Jewes at their conversion c Acts 2. 36 37. c. No woman brings forth a child without sorrow and pain nor is any born again usually without their spirituall pangs of sorrow though some feel more some lesse as some children come forth with more some with lesse pain of the mother yet all have so much as to make them willing to let go their sins to receive Christ Act. 9. 6. You know the stony ground wanted depth or softnesse of earth and so quickly withered Matth. 13. saith dwels not
mercy for him because he denyed the truth against his conscience If we sin wilfully saith the Apostle after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sinne but a certain fearfull looking for of Judgement Heb. 10. 26. who pities a man when you tell him this is poyson yet he will drink it or that such an house is infected yet he will go in to it He that increaseth this knowledge increaseth his owne sorrow 2. They hurt others like the Unicorns horne which though a precious horne Like a sword in a mad mans hand yet so long as it is on a beasts head is dangerous and hurtfull They lay a stumbling block before the weak prove like false lights on shore which lead ships on sands and rocks to split them A Gentlewoman turned Atheist because she lived under a great Doctor that preached excellently was very learned but lived very licentiously And no wonder for we are ready to walk by example more then precept and ignorance thinkes why should it feare when knowledge dares venture Now all these are truly said by the Apostle not to know Jesus Christ he that saith he knowes him and keeps not his commandements is a lyar and â—â—e truth is â— Ioh. 2. 4. not in him As it was said of Eli's sonnes they knew not the Lord because they were sonnes of Belial and lived in rebellion against the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 12. CHAP. XV It sheweth forth how thankful and contented those ought to be that know Jesus Christ and him crucified savingly HItherto we have reproved three sorts of people some that know nothing of Jesus Christ others that study to know all things but Jesus Christ and a third sort that content themselves with a bare speculative knowledge of Christ without application Now in the fourth place seeing the knowledge of Christ is so excellent profitable and comfortable It teacheth us the happy condition of all those that know Jesus Christ savingly viz. with knowledge of application affection and operation O how should they with the wise merchant having found this Pearle of great price rejoyce though they had nothing else left to rejoyce in How would those men rejoyce that should find a Cabinet of richest pearls and Iewels or a great spoil Much more should they rejoyce in this Pearl in comparison of which all other Pearls and Iewels are not worth the mentioning Christ being a Iewel of more worth then both the Indies Thus did the Eunuch when he had found Christ then he went on his way rejoycing Act. 8. 39. whom though you see not yet you love saith Peter and beleeving you rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1. 8. The Virgin Mary rejoyced more that Christ was her Saviour then that she was his mother Luke 1. 47. My spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour And that in these six considerations 1. First Because he is the greatest gift that O Thesauris omnibus opulentior noticia Christi God can give or we can receive John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only sonne this is more then if he had given us all the world for God hath but one sonne and can make no more sonnes but God can make more worlds at his pleasure this gift is God himselfe and God can give us no greater gift then himselfe we may say as one said to Caesar when he gave him a great reward this is too great a gift said he for me to receive yea but it is not too great a gift for me to give said Caesar 2. Secondly He is the richest gift for Christ is all in all if he hath given us Christ he will with him give us all things else Rom. 8. 32. He is that one thing needfull that brings all things as I have treated at large before Yea he is Gratiae non sunt agendae pro luna nisi nocte tantum That gift of God John 4. 10. Surely God have given us more gifts then one True but as one sun is more worth then all the starres so that gift excels them all according to the Proverbe we blesse not God for the starres when the sun shines for when the sunne shines the starres appear not 3. Thirdly because he is the choycest gift that God hath Other gifts he gives Promiscuously to good and bad so as no man knoweth love or hatred by any thing that is before him Eccles 9. 1. Judas had the bag and Dives fared deliciously every day when Lazarus would have been glad of his crumbes But God never gives this gift to any but whom he loves with his dearest speciall and eternall love Suppose a Prince should woe some great Lady and had a Jewel worth a million It may be he would scatter pieces of silver or give some slighty tokens of favour upon the servants but his rich Iewel That he gives to his spouse This Iewel is Christ Abraham may give Ismael a bottle of milk but Isaac had the inheritance Herein is love in that he hath given us his only sonne saith St. Iohn 1 Iohn 4. 9. Alas herein is love that we are out of hell not roaring with the damned that we are freed from the collick and stone strangury and other tormenting diseases that we have bread to eat when others have none Ask the hungry and he will tell thee that bread is sweet As I read in these late Germane warres of a Girle about nine years of age that asked her mother saying good mother let me kill you Child said she why wouldst thou kill me O said she let me either kill you or do you kill me for I am very hungry and they say mans flesh is very sweet But we are nor fed with mans flesh we feed upon the flesh of beasts and of birds of the aire and fish in the sea and the best of his creatures we never were yet brought to say mans flesh is very sweet Herein is love that we have water to drinke yea the blood of the grape when others drink wormwood and gall nay mingle their drinke with weeping and blood Lament 3. 19 20. Herein is love that we are not consumed with sword pestilence and famine even in these sad times when so many have been utterly ruined maimed wounded slain that when poor Protestants in Ireland were stript stark naked in winter frosts and so were driven before them to execution with instruments of death yet then we had clothes to put on our houses to dwell in our beds to lie on the fire to warme us the creatures to comfort us and we are still fed with the finest of the wheat our table is richly spread our cup runs over and God daily loadeth us with his benefits c. No no herein is no love comparatively though we are lesse then the least of Gods mercies but in this that he hath given us Iesus Christ that he hath given us the Iewel It is true it
None but CHRIST Or A Plain and Familiar Treatise of the Knowledge of CHRIST exciting all men to study to know JESUS CHRIST and him crucified with a particular Applicatory and saving Knowledge in diverse Sermons upon 1 Cor. 2. 2. By JOHN WALL B. D. Preacher of the Word of God at Mich. Cornhill LONDON Christ is all in all Col. 3. 11. Nullus animae suavior cibus Lact. lib. 2. c. 3. LONDON Printed for Ralph Smith at the signe of the Bible in Cornhill neer the Royall Exchange 1648. I have perused this ensuing Treatise entituled None but Christ and finding it very usefull for all sorts of Christians especially for weak Beleevers I allow it to be printed OBADIAH SEDGWICK May 12. 1648 To the much honoured and most worthy Sr Herbottle Grimston Baronet J. Wall wisheth all present and future happinesse RIght worshipful Your religious stedfastness in these times of change adhering to your fixed principles and not bending like a reed with every wind as many have done makes your name deservedly honoured of all that know you What you have suffered by false calumniations God hath in a great measure already cleared And I doubt not but in his due time your light shall break forth like the Sun out of a cloud more glorious then ever before How great your love hath been to Godly and Orthodox Ministers your pains and labours to helpe them out of their troubles which in these broken times they have fallen into you have ample testimony Your indefatigable paines as a Member of the Honourable House of Commons the Kingdome cannot but take notice of And SIR How much my selfe am obliged to you for your countenancing of and respect you bare to my Ministry when I lived in Colchester And your continued favour and respect towards me ever since I desire with all humble thankfulness to acknowledge and testify to the world And as a testimony of my gratitude I humbly dedicate this Treatise unto your Patronage SIR I observe in these erroneous licentious distracting and dividing times that men spend their thoughts and studies for the most part in needless questions tending onely to strife and contention but not to edification whereas our Lord Christ hath taught us there is but one thing especially needfull for us to busy our heads about and that is to know Jesus Christ and him crucified and to be able to say with Job I know that my redeemer liveth If it shall please you so far to honour this Treatise as to grace it with your favour and to bestow the perusall of it and if your noble spirit and the Church of God shall thereby be the more inflamed with the love of Christ and longings to inâ—oy him As it hath been my desire and indeavour according to my talent received to set forth the riches and excellencies that are in Christ to draw the heart of his spouse to be sick of love to him I shall desire to give God the glory And this shall be a sufficient refuge against the captiousnesse and carping of the curious the slanders and reproches of the malicious and the sharpest censures of the Criticall From my Study at Mich. Cornhill March 25. 1648. SIR Your Worships in all humble and respective observance JOHN WALL And to the vertuous and most worthy Lady the Lady Mary Grimstone his wife Daughter of the ever honoured grave judicious and religious Judge SIR George Crook now deceased J. Wall wisheth increase of true honour and happinesse I Make bold likewise worthy Lady to joyn you with your dear and much honoured Husband craving your tuition of this Treatist of the knowledge of Christ being the first fruits of my weak indeavours And that you would be pleased to accept of so small a present as a little monument of that great respect I deservedly beare you And although I know Noble Lady your holy and dayly communion with God your humblenesse of mind and tender affections mourning under sin your zealous longing after and delight in the word of God when most sincerely taught your heavenly communication and conversation do render you elect holy and beloved amongst all the Saints that know you and your works praise you in the gates Yet good Madam give me leave I humbly beseech you to stirre up and warn your pure mind that you take heed of loosing your first love and the things that you have done but that your works may be more at the last then at the first that you may shine as the Sun which shineth more and more unto the perfect day that you may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that he may be your all in all that so you may at last receive your full reward The Lord grant this poore little Treatise of mine may kindle a fire within you to warme your heart with the love of Christ be as a means with the blessing of God upon it to increase your joy and comfort in him to sweeten your dissolution when God shall please to finish the period of your dayes and to fill your heart dayly with more and more longings to be with Christ which is best of all So prayeth From my study at Mich. Cornhill March 25. 1648 MADAM Your Ladyships most humbly devoted JOHN WALL Christian READER IT is the great unhappinesse of our times that the greatest part of men busie themselves most in that which least concernes them whilest some Athenian-like spend their time in hearing and telling newes others mole-like are alwayes rooting and digging in the earth though gold can no more fill their hearts then grace their purses others eagerly pursue the worlds vanities as children do painted butterflies which after all their paines they may misse and if they chance to catch it s but a fly that besmeares their hands others bende all their studies and discourses about controversies tending little to edification and READER Thou shalt find through the neglect of the Printer or those that he betrusted many mistakes in the pointing of this Treatise as also many literall errors which I crave thy patience to passe over without censure and likewise not to be offended with other greater errors thou mayest meet withall but rather thus to amend them ERRATA PAge 8. margin for Scholon read Schoolm p. 19. for o r. â— for weares r. wore p. 33. l. 2. for cold r. called p. 34. for three houres r. six houres p. 37. for Vest r. Dest p. 43. dele first for knowes r knew p. 53 for it heats r. heat p. 55. for stob r. stab p. 59. for er r. ae p. 62. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— p. 145. for Ps r. Phil. p. 162. for wayes r. wares p. 190. for other any r. any other p. 193. for 3 r. 2. p. â—â—3 for insensus r. infensus p. 242. for the r. her p. 257 l. penult for after r. after him p. 262. l. penult for because r. but p
one Son without sin but no son without punishment One Sonne sine corruptione but no sonne sine correptione 12. Lastly Christ was crucified in his condēnatiō in that they condemned him Ioh. 19 6. Luk. 13. 24 to death 1. acknowledging him innocent saying I am innocent of the bloud of this just man and then condemning the innocent because he stood in our stead that were nocent and to teach us that we are all by nature condemned men before the Lord till we get our pardon by Christ And lastly that by him we might escape the sentence of eternall condemnation for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8. 1. CHAP. IV. The sufferings of Christ at and upon the Crosse HAving finished the sufferings of Christ in his life we now come to his suffering in his death on the Crosse in these words And him crucified For greater love saith Christ hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his freinds John 15. 13. If as the Jewes dream he had come as a great Monarch had trod on nothing but Crownes and Scepters and the necks of Kings and had had the Potentates of the earth to attend his traine it had beene great love to us Yea it had beene some love if he had onely pitied us in our misery and wept for us as David did for Absalom Or if he had pleaded for us and spake a good word for us as Jonathan did for David Or if he had sent an Angel for us Or if himselfe had suffered disgrace reproaches Cant. 2 5. opprobryes c. But greater love he could not show then to dye for us skin for skin and all that a man hath will be give to save his life yet Christs life was not too dear for us the spouse indeed was sick of love but Christ exceeded her for he died for love This is our Pellican that hath nourished and fed us with his bloud Many mothers can endure crying of their children and bearing them with paine that would hardly dye for them but the love of Christ passed the love of women for he dyed for us Yea greater love had Christ towards us then barely to dye for us in three respects 1. A man may dye for another Codrus for the Athenians Curtius to preserve Rome if perhaps it be an honourable death to get renoune after his death as some of the heathens have done 2. If it be an easie death 3. If it be for a dearly beloved freind to whom he hath been much ingaged Scarcely for a righteous man will one dye saith Paul that is that hath lived justly Yet for a good man that hath beene very beneficiall to him peradventure one would even dare to dye and Rom. 5. 8. yet it is but a peradventure neither But first Christ died not an honourable death the people applauding him as they did sometimes the Martyrs But the shamefull death of the Crosse Heb. 12. 2. He endured the Crosse and despised the shame Now dishonour and shame to a noble spirit is as bitter as death it selfe And surely if to live with infamy be worse then death what is it then to dye with infamy It was shamefull in five respects 1. In that they made him carry his owne Crosse or gallowes whereupon he was hanged as when malefactors go with halters about their necks to execution 2. It was shamefull in that he was 1 Ioh. 19. 23. stript naked to the scorne of Angels and men even he that covers the heavens with starres the earth with flowers the beasts with skins and men with raiment even he was stript naked so farre as modesty would permit say some and clothed Rev. 3. 17. 18. onely with his own innocency To teach us we are naked of all righteousnesse and deserve to be stript naked of all comforts earthly and spirituall And that he might cloath us with the robes of his righteousnesse 3. It was shmeful in that he was hang'd a death meet for theeves murtherers and execrable sinners we count it a death too base for noble bloud although they turn traytors and therefore they have liberty to exchange the gallowes for the block To see a King hang'd what a shamefull suffering were it but for God to be hang'd on a gallowes much more The Turks mock us at this day with our crucified God and some of the heathens said they would not beleeve in a hang'd God But the greater his sufferings were the greater was his love and our misery who deserved to hang in hell for ever 4. It was shamefull in that he was hanged with two theeves and in the midst as the Prince of theeves and murtherers and as the greatest malefactor Esay 53. 12. He was numbred among the transgressour◠His good name was as deare to him as ours to us Now which of us especially being innocent could be content to be esteemed as murtherers adulterers theeves or the like Yet perhaps this might figure out the last judgement when repentant sinners shall be set on the right hand and the reprobates on the left as one observeth * the one sort to be saved Sir John Heyward knight the other to be condemned 5. It was shamefull because he was insulted over in his misery as Sampson was mocked by the Philistines at his death he saved others said they but cannot save himselfe Come drwne from the Crosse and wee will beleeve in thee All that see me laugh me Psal 22. 7. to scorne they shoot out the lip c. Secondly as Christ died not an honorable death so he suffered not an easie but a most bitter and painfull death he was Phil. 2. Heb. 12. 2. obedient to death even to the death of the Crosse he endured the Crosse This appeares even in what he suffered from men in his body which yet was lesse then what many Martyrs suffered being rouled naked in a barrel of nailes racked burned c. First before he was laid upon the Crosse They gave him gall and vinegar to drink as Matthew reads it Matthew 27. 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or wine mingled with mirh as Mark reads it Mark 15. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one explaines the other That is wine as sharp as vinegar and imbittered with mirh like gall but not gall it selfe as Beza Or rather I think it was mingled with both gall and mirh as Gerard. Some indeed think this no part of his sufferings and that it was not to torment him but ut mors ejus esset celerior so Calvin And Beza thinks the good women brought the wine to chear him and that it was Vinum dulce sweete Calvin in Ioc. Baroni Annal. An. no Christi 34. c. 84. Bera in Ioc. Prov. 31. 6. wine a kind of Nectar and so thinks Baronius according to that of Solomon Prov. 31. 6. Give wine to him that is of a heavy heart But this cannot be for it is not likely
truth b Ioh. 16. 13. 1 Ioh. 3. 20. and the spirit bears a double witnesse 1. That Christ is ours 2. That it is the spirit of God that witnesseth and not a delusion c Rom. 8. 16. 1 Ioh. 5. 10. Indeed he that dreameth thinks he is awake and mad men think they are sober but those that are sober and are awake know they are sober and are awake We have received saith Paul The spirit of God that we might know the things that are given us of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. CHAP. VII We must study to know Christ with an affectionate knowledge THirdly we must study to know Christ with the knowledge of affection For so knowledg is often taken in scripture not for bare speculation but for knowledge cloathed with affection Depart from me faith Christ I know you not d Luk. 13. 27. Psal 1. 6. That is I love you not The Lord-knoweth That is he loveth the way of the righteous So here I desire to know Christ That is to love Christ more and to inflame your hearts with love to him that he may dwell in your hearts by faith but Eph. 3. 17. rooted in love Wonderfull hath been the love of those to Christ that have knowne him savingly God forbid saith Paul that I should joy in any thing save in Christ Jesus e Gal. 6. 14. Heb. 11. 26. that is in comparison of him for whom he counted all things but as losse dung and vanity Moses esteemed the reproch disgrace contempt and scorne of Christ greater riches then a Kingdome How then did he esteeme of the honour and riches that come by Christ David prised him above heaven and its glory or earth and its comforts Whom have I in heaven but thee In heaven f Psal 73. 25. there is fulnesse of ioy and pleasures for ever the society of Saints and Angels yet he regarded nothing in heaven but Christ And whom doe I desire on earth beside thee though he had the pleasures of a kingdome his wives and children yet he regarded them not in comparison of Christ How did the Martyrs love Christ who rejoyced that their bodyes might burn for him Nay one said Shall I die but once for my Saviour I would I could die a 100. times for him Ignatius cryed out when Christ was crucifyed Amor meus crucisixus My love my love is crucified As if hee had no other love left when Christ was crucified Lambert at the stake cryed out None but Christ None but Christ George Carpenter being asked whether he he loved not his wife and children when they wept before him yes said he my wife and children are dearer to me then all Bavaria yet for the love of Christ I know you not Kylian a dutch Schoolmaster was asked the like question if he loved not his wife and children Yea said he if all the world were gold mine to dispose of I would give it all to live with them yea though it were in prison yet my soule and Christ are dearer to me then they all That noble Marquesse Galeaceus Caracciolus being tempted with mony to goe back to Italy said Let their mony perish with them who esteem all the gold in the world worth one daies society with Jesus Christ and his holy spirit Henry Voes said if I had ten heads they should all off for Christ Ignatius said let fire rackes pullyes yea and all the torments of hell come on mee so I may win Christ Iohn Ardley Martyr said if every haire of my head were a man they should all suffer for the faith of Christ It was the speech of S. Ier. If my father Clarkes mirrour or looking glasse for Saints stood weeping on his knees before me my mother hanging on my neck behind and all my brethren sisters and children howling on every side I would tread on my father fling off my mother despise my brethern sisters children and all that I might run to Christ Master Fox could scarce deny any man that begd an almes in the name of Christ he so dearly loved him And Peter tels us To you that beleeve he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. Thus have I given you a taste of the affection his Saints have borne him that have savingly known him And surely they that love him least can say with Peter Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest I love thee yea I mourne that I can love thee no more Master Welsh a Suffolk Minister weeping at table being asked the reason said it was because he could love Christ no more O that as Mary went to the Sepulcher and wept there So wee could go mourning to our graves because we love Christ no more O that as Christ was Crucifixus fastned to the cross so that he were cordifixus fastned to our harts we cannot love Christ as Christ hath loved us as the light of all candles can never make a sunne Certainly our cold love to Christ is almost as great a wonder as his great love to us and may justy make us feare that we never yet savingly knew him If a worm loved me would I not love it againe Vespatian when a poore maid said shee was in love with him he gave her a reward and wrote it downe Vespasiano adamato to her that loved Vespasian And shall Christ so love us and we not love him againe Suppose we had a friend that had died for us a temporall death O how deare and sweet would the remembrance of such a friend be to us and the thought of him fetch teares from our eyes Oh how deare should Christ be then to us that hath suffered the infinite wrath of God for us delivered us from hel reconciled us to God purchased heaven and al good things on earth so far as needfull for us Oh that Christ would kindle this fire of love in our hearts to him for we cannot love him except he enable us to love him nor can we love him except he love us first and so our love rebounds by reflection as the sun-beames shining upon the wall it heates by reflection Nothing inflames our hearts more to love Christ then seriously to meditate of the love of Christ Ps 39. 3. Whiles I was musing the fire kindled saith David g And when they shall see him whom they have peirced then they shall mourn for him Not onely with teares of Zach. 12. 10. compunction but also of affection CHAP. VIII We must study to know Christ with a virtuall and operative knowledge FOurthly and lastly we must study to know Christ with an operative and powerfull knowledge For so know ledg is oft taken in Scripture Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace h Luk. 19. 42. that is seriously considered of them cum affectu effectâ— to repent and imbrace Christ Adam in honour is said to have no understanding i Psal 49. ult because he made no use
say as Dives spake though brutishly Soule take thine ease and be merry for thou hast goods laid up for many yeares yea even to all eternity Eterna erit exaltatio que bono latatur aeterno That joy lasts for ever whose object remaines for ever 4. But fourthly and lastly Christ brings with him the blessings of this world also Matth. 6. 33. All these shall be cast upon you into the bargaine as a loafe to the dozen or a little handfull to the measure All things are yours if you be Christs for Christ comes not vacuis manibus empty 1 Cor. 3. 26 handed And this appeares in foure particulars 1. First we shall have certainty of provision We may say with David the Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want for God hath said it I will never leave thee nor for sake thee Psal 23. 1. Heb. 13. 5. Hath he given us Christ and will be not with him give us all things else Rom. 8. 32. What can God deny us that is good for us that hath not denyed to give his son for us Will a man give us the Garden and not the flowers The Land and not the trees and will God give us heaven and deny us earth Are not two Sparrowes sold for a farthing and yet your father provideth for them Wil God take care for Sparrowes and young Ravens c and not for thee O thou of little Faith Will a man take care to feed his cattle in the field horse in the Stable Swine in the Sty and not for his wife and children that sit at his own Table We are ready to say especially the poorer sort as Isaac said to Abraham Here is wood but where is the Sacrifice Here are mouths but where is the meat But let us answer our soules as Abraham did his son O my son God wil provide Or perhaps we will say as the Disciples said to Christ Here are a few loafes and two little fishes but alas what is that among so many And yet you know with the blessing of Christ it served them all The Prodigal could say if once I could get home into my fathers house there is bread enough When Hagar looked into her bottle and saw that empty she fell a weeping but when shee saw the fountaine or well of water then shee was satisfyed for then she knew she could fill her bottle againe So regard not so much though thy bottle be empty remember the Well is ful I have been young saith David and now am old yet I never saw the righteous forsaken nor their seed though begging their bread as Broughton reads it Psal 37. 15. Though perhaps we may want what we desire yet we shal never want what God sees best and fittest for us to do him service withal Alwayes the greatest estate is not fittest for us as a great shooe fits not a little foot nor a great saile a little ship nor a great ring a little finger which though it have more Gold in it yet a lesser were better and fitter for us Bellarmine in his Catechism hath an excellent expression supopse saith he a King having many children of severall ages should apparel them in cloth of gold Now he that is 16 yeers old hath more gold in his robe then the child that is but five or six yeere old yet the child would rather have his own garment then his elder brothers because saith he it is fitter for me So if thou hast that estate that is fittest for thee surely that is best for thee 2. Secondly As we shall have certainty of Provision so we shall have it with better right as comming to us not onely by providence but from the Covenant of Grace and streaming to us through the bloud of Christ Wicked men have a prâ—videntiall right as Creatures as appeares Acts 5. 4. Was it not thine own while it was with thee But the Saints receive them as the Spouse and members of Christ who is heyre of all Now a man were better have courser fare weare meaner cloathes c. when they are paid for then richer and be in the books and his cloathes not paid for 3. Thirdly we shall have our blessings Deut. 28. blessed and sweetned with our Fathers love which doubles their sweetnes like as sweet water sprinkled upon sweet flowers makes every flower smel the sweeter or as wine sweetned with sugar makes it more pleasant Whereas all out of Christ have them with our fathers curse Mal. 2. I will curse their blessings yea I have cursed them already So Rom 11. 9. Let their table be their snare a trap and a stumbling block c. And so they become like sweet flowers poysoned the sweeter the more dangerous Hence wicked men out of Christ may injoy all good and yet injoy no good at all Nay the more they abound in blessings the more their curses abound Suppose a Father should give a small portion to his child but withal saith Son take this portion it s but little but thou hast it with my love and I pray God blesse it to thee And to another he gives a greater portion or perhaps he puls it from him as the Prodigall did from his father but withall saith Take it and choak with it let it be accursed to thee Now there is great difference between a gift received with our fathers blessing and with his Curse God give me a little with my fathers blessing rather then a great deale with my fathers Curse better is a little with the feare of the Lord then greatreasures and trouble therewith saith Solomon Prov. 15. 16. 4. Fourthly and lastly These are given in hand as pledges of our future hopes Take these for present but greater things are laid up for thee hereafter Psal 31. 19 How great are the things thou hast laid up for them that fear thee He that knowes Christ to be his may say I have these and heaven too I have these and Christ too these are not my portion that is to come But these are the wicked mans portion Psal 17. 14. They have their portion in this life there is all they must expect no more they may say I have house and land riches honours and pleasures but I have no part in Christ or Heaven with Dives I am merry now but to night I may be in hell with him Now what joy hath a condemned man in the society of all his friends in daintiest fare in all delights and pleasures whiles he wanteth his pardon every houre expecting execution CHAP. XI That the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified is the most comfortable knowledge 3. NOw followeth the third and last reason why we ought to study to know Jesus Christ and him crucified Because it is the most comfortable knowledge in the world In other things He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow But the more a man knowes of Christ and his part in him the greater is his joy A poor godly man
them f 2 Thess 2. 12. and livest willingly in known sinnes against conscience and art under the power and dominion of sin g Rom. 614. Tit. 3. 3. 5. Fifthly and lastly Consider the heavy judgements that hang over thy head for them thou art hated and accursed of God lyest open to all his judgements in this life to be tormented with divels and reprobates for ever in the life to come where thou shalt nothing but roare howle weep and wail and gnash thy teeth to all eternity Thinke with thy selfe that some are in hell already for the same sins thou livest in and if thou livest and dyest without Christ thou shalt ere long be with them Reason thus Is Cain in hell for hating goodnesse in his brother h Iohn 3. 12. That 's my sin I have hated goodnesse in my brethren are some in hell for coveteousnesse uncleannesse voluptuous living c. these are my sins and lurke in my heart Nay if one sin lived in with delight will damn me as a wanton looke a Iob 31. 5. right eye a lustfull vanity c. what heapes of wrath must I lie under that am guilty of so many millions of sins And now tell me sadly hast thou need of any thing more then a Saviour and to get thy pardon Surely no I know men are hardly brought to beleeve this who are naturally fild with pride and self-love ready to thinke well of themselves to say as Peter to Christ Master pity thy selfe this evill shall not come unto thee Damned God forbid I would not for a thousand worlds this should be my condition but yet it is so and will be so if thou gettest not thy part in Christ And certainly men will never seriously seek after Christ till they see this their need of him the whole needeth not a Physician nor careth for him who careth for a pardon till he be condemned 3. The third meanes to get Christ is to be sick with our sinnes For Christ came not to call the righteous but sick sinners to repentance a Mark 2. 17. such as are weary and loaden b Mat. 11. 28. broken-hearted c Esa 61. 1. pricked in their hearts d Act. 2. 37. stung with their sinnes as the Israelites were with fiery serpents Aâ— bruised Christ will lie in a bruised heart e Ioh. 3. 14 Which though some make it a back door yet I am sure the whole Scripture holds it forth ordinarily as a qualification praevenient to receive Christ and therefore tels of a repentance whether legall only or evangelicall also following it before faith I will not now dispute praeceding faith as in Matth. 21. 32. You repented not that you might beleeve And Paul preached of repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ f Act. 20. 21 And in the Primitive Catechisme they taught repentance from dead workes and faith towards God g Heb. 6. 1. Such and such only are fit to prise Christ as the sick onely are glad of a Physician a condemned man and upon the ladder ready to be turned of O how glad is he of a pardon As those that were stung with fiery serpents O how welcome was a brazen serpent to them Yea such will be willing to receive Christ upon his own termes Heavinesse in the heart will make it stoope h Prov. 12. 2. 9. As we see Paul who then cryed out Lord what wilt thou have me to do i Acts 9. 6. And in the Prodigall who prayed Father make me as one of thy hired servants 4 The fourth meanes to get to know Christ is ours is to be sick for Christ as the Church was I am sick of love k Cant. 2. 5 I Ioh. 7. 37. Esa 44. 3. Luke 1. 53. Christ calleth the hungry and thirsty c. Let him that is athirst come and drinke I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon drie ground the hungry thou fillest with good things l As the mother opens her breast when the child cryes for it so Christ opens the bosome of his love to such as earnestly desire him we know thirst hath 4. properties first it proceeds from ardent heat either when scorcht with heat of the Sun or by excessive labour c. And secondly it is ardens desiderium not a lazy but a burning earnest desire Give a thirsty man what you will gold or silver nothing contents him but water 3. It is a speaking desire he begs cryes and roares for water 4. It is a present desire delay increaseth inâ—ageth his desire so is it with a soule that thirsts for Christ 1. He is one scorcht with the heat of Gods anger 2. His desire is ardent he desires Christ more then thousands of gold and silver 3. He cryes out I thirst The hunted Hart brayeth not more for water then a thirsty soule doth for Christ m Ps 42. 1. Rom. 8. 26. Prov. 13. 1â— 19. Fourthly he is not satisfied till he hath found Christ give me Christ or else I die say they as Rachel said Give me children or else I die The fifth meanes is to be willing to part with all our sinnes to obtain Christ Matth 13 44. As the wise Merchant sold all that he had to buy the pearl o Acts. 96. Paul cryed Lord what wilt thou have me to do I am content to do any thing be any thing suffer any thing for Christ Many are higlers and cheapeners and some come near but few come home to the full price and so lose the bargain some will part with all but one lust it may be As Jacob would part with any son but Benjamin He should not go they say of some darling lust as Naaman said God be mercifull in this or that only as Herod in his Herodias the young man in his coveteousnesse O spare my right eye my Joseph my Adonijab But Christ will have all or none at all if a man part with many lovers yet if he retaines the love of one harlot he is an adulterer so if thou retainest the love of one sin in thy bosome hating to be re-formed thou canst never receive Christ p Ioh. 13. 9 Caution Not but that sin will cleave to us while we live here but yet we must part with our sins two wayes 1. In our affections and desires being willing to part with them all q Rom 7. 15. 24. ult 2. In our purposes resolutions and indeavors to forsake them all r Acts 11. 23. Heb. 13. 18 6. The sixt and last meanes to get Christ is to seek him Precibus suspiriis with prayers and teares Aske and you shall receive Matth. 7. 7. Rom. 10. 11. If thou hadst asked I would have given that gift of God saith Christ Thus Paul sought Christ Act. 9. 11. behold he prayeth Only â— Iohn 4. 10. Ezek. 36. 37. seek earnestly and constantly as Jacob wrestled with God and said I will
in a stony heart as some flowers or herbs are found only in a soft soyl and not among the rocks so faith only is found in a soft heart A broken bleeding Christ dwels only in a broken heart a plaister will not stick upon the whole flesh but upon a sore Esa 61. 1. All beleevers can call their faith Benoni the child of their sorrow as Hannah said This is the child for which I wept and mourned and prayed 1 Sam. 1. 27. Signe 3 3. The third sign from the right operations of this strong faith or assurance that Christ is thine which are foure 1. It is little at the first like a little child that cannot go alone nor speak but is carried in the armes of others and lives almost by nothing but sucking and crying so this weak beleever is fain to be carried in the armes of stronger Christians and doth nothing almost but cry for his sinnes and hunger after the word and run to it it is a weeping faith full of doubtings temptations and fears as the poor man cryed weeping Lord I beleeve help my unbeliefe it is like Mat. 12. 20 the smoaking flax and bruised reed that smoakes with desires but the fire is not strong enough to flame with comforts and a reed now a reed is a weak thing scarce strong enough for a bird to sit upon but much weaker if it be bruised lastly it is like a grain of mustardseed which is so small a seed as you can scarce discern it so is faith so weak at first that the poor beleever can scarce discern whether he hath faith or no. But if the child bee of a mans stature so soon as it is born it is a monster so if thou beest all of a suddain fully assured that Christ is thine and no sooner art stept out of thy naturall sinfull condition but presently thou art so sure as that thou canst not be more this faith is a monster soon ripe and soon rotten like Jonas goard that did grow in a night and did perish in a night 2. It increaseth daily as a child groweth daily it lies not in the heart like a stone in the earth but like a tree or seed in the earth which groweth so Rom. 1. 18. the righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith that is from one degree of faith to another as the little grain of mustard-seed in time growes to a great tree so that it is a shadow for the foules of the heaven so the faith that before could scarcely be discerned is now so strong that it is able to shelter other scorched soules under its shadow and the babe Rom. 15. 1. now can go alone yea is able to carry other children in his armes so Nicodemus that at first came by night but after went openly and boldly with Joseph to Pilate to beg the body of Jesus 3. The third operation of faith in the heart is that it opposeth infidelity and fights against it I have fought the good fight of faith saith Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7. and this made the poor man cry out against his unbelief Mark 9. 24. Lord help my unbeleef But if there be no opposition in thy heart no striving against doubting c. there may be bold and strong presumption but no faith no certain knowledge or assurance that Christ is thine for Satan tempted the faith of Christ Matth. 4. 2. and of Peter Luk. 22. 31. and surely he would shake thine if it were of God but thou mayest feare the strong man keeps the house and therefore all is at peace That man never beleeved that never doubted the liquor of faith is never pure in these vessels of clay without the lees of distrust saith bishop Hall The fourth operation of faith is if the same faith that makes thee believe that Christ is thine doth enable thee also to beleeve all other promises for temporall blessings and deliverances As Jacob beleeved God for his going safely back into Canaan upon the promise of God for it Gen. 32. 9. 10. I am lesse then the least of all thy mercies c. But thou hast said return into thy countrey and I will do thee good and Abraham beleeved God for a child after he had a promise as well as he did for salvation But many there are whose faith is strong enough to assure them of their salvation by Iesus Christ who yet cannot trust God for the performance of temporall promises Signe 4 4. The fourth signe is Repentance a if we carry our sinnes as Christ did with a heavy and broken heart grieving and Acts 3. 19. Acts 26. 18. 20. 2 Cor. 7. 10 Zach. 12. 10. mourning for the impieties and impurities of our natures still remaining contrary to the holinesse of the spirit of grace as fire to water as light to darkenesse hence Paul cryed out O wretched man who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7. 24. the evill I hate that I do Rom. 7. 18. Yea all the promises are made to a mourning spirit under sin Matth. 5. Blessed are they that mourn Psal 51. 17. Esa 61. 2. if a wound bleeds there is lesse danger but it wrankles if it bleeds not Yet not every repentance or sorrow for sin is a sign that Christ is ours for Esau Cain Saul Ahab and Judas had a kind of sorrow for their sins in relation to the punishment and as it wounded conscience which also was found in Pharaoh and is found even among the damned There is water in their eyes because of the fire in their bones every stubborne child will cry when the rod is on but it is more usually for the smart then for the fault a thief grieves when he is taken not because of his theft but because he fears he shall be hanged A man repents that he hath eaten sweet meats not but that he loved them well but because they made him sick children busie about the fire if they burn their fingers then they will cry but not for soyling their clothes c. So to be grieved for our sins and love them is but as if a snake should cast her coat but keep her poison or a man leave his whore but still love her or a merchant that casts away his wares into the sea but t is in a storme still he loves them wicked men may weep salt water tears of bitternesse they cry for anger as Saul cryed for madnesse 1 Sam. 24. 16. but the Saints weep sweet water spring or loving water even tears of love Hence it is that when they had been pricked thus in their hearts Peter bids them still repent Acts 2. 38. which is nothing else but sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 7. 9. towards God when it proceeds from love to God and hatred of sin as offensive to God as a child grieves because he hath offended a loving father In Zach. 12. 10. it is said they shall see him whom they have pierced and
mourne for him that is because they have offended him So likewise David Against thee thee only have I sinned Though no question he was grieved that he had sinned against Bath-sheha and Vriab yet specially and chiefly because he had sinned against God So Joseph Gen. 39. 9. how shall I do this wickednesse and so sin against God So Peter went out and wept bitterly but it was when Christ Luke 22. 65. looked upon him with an eye sparkling full of love as if his eye had said what dost thou not know me Peter am not I worth the owning c. Some report this sin so affected him that every night the cock crew he fell on his face and wept for his sin and prayed Lyra Clem. alex. So Mary in the Pharisees house when there was a feast and they sate merry at the table with musick and joy she got under table and turned her eyes once beams of sinfull Ille verè dolet qui sine teste dolet lusts and pleasures into rivers of tears and mourning wherewith she washt the feet of Christ and her hair her ornament and net to catch wanton lovers withall is now become a towel to wipe the feet of Christ withall yea some report that she lived 30. years a penitent in France And the reason why she wept so much you see it was because she loved so much it was her love to Christ produced those lovely tears So the Prodigall lamented that he had offended his loving father saying father I have sinned against heaven and before thee c. and that grieves me most that I have offended thee Now the reason why this is a certain sign of our part in Christ is because corruption and the naturall unregenerate part cannot hate sin but grace and the spirit of God which is contrary to it The flesh lusteth against â—he spirit a Gal. 5. 17. so contrarily the spirit of God in us cannot love sin but must loath it and grieve for it grieve not the holy spirit of God by which you are sealed to the day of redemption saith Paul Eph. 4. 30. Signe 5 The fifth sign that we have our part in Christ is if we be poor in spirit and hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Matth. 5. 6. Not after comfort pardon of sinne or salvation onely as Balaam did and those in John 6. that cryed Lord evermore give us this bread that we may never hunger more c. but after righteousnesse to have more power against sin and more grace to love God and Christ and his Saints more and do God better service when it is not so much after happinesse as holinesse not so much after the reward as after the work not only to be glorified of God but to glorifie God Ob that my wayes saith David were so directed in thy sight that I might keep thy statutes Now these desires are signes of thy Psal 119. 5. faith in Christ 1. because they are wrought by the spirit of God Est a Deo ut bene velimus ac ut valeamus Aug. that is it is God that worketh in us to will and to do It is the Phil. 2. 13 Spirit of God that stirs up in us sighs and groanings Rom. 8. 26. they cannot come from our own spirits but are supernaturall desires If iron move upward contrary to its nature surely some loadstone hath been there desire of grace is grace because grace is seated in the desire yet desire of meat is not meat because meat is not seated in the desire Hence the new born babe de sires the milk of the word to grow thereby because he hath tasted how good the Lord it 1 Pet. 2. 3. 2. Secondly Si non ad voluntatem tamen ad salutem Aug. because these are pronounced blessed and promised by God to be satisfied that is with such a measure as God sees meet for them Matth. 5. 6. 3. Thirdly because desire of grace is accepted as if we had what we do desire 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be a willing mind it is accepted according to that we have and not that we have not As it appears in the widdows two mites who in Christs account cast in more then they all because her affection was larger then theirs so Abraham is said to have offered his sonne because he 〈◊〉 willing to do it and David to have built God an house because he was willing to have done it To will is present saith Paul but to do good I have no power On the contrary a naturall man his desires are earthly voluptuous ambitious who will shew us any good Psal 4. 6. or if he desires spiritual things Ii is in a carnal manner out of self-self-love because he is loth to be miserable and usually his desires are suddain inconstant and lazy not setled and painfull CHAP. XVIII The sixt signe of the saving knowledge of Christ namely love Signe 6 THe sixt signe of assurance that Christ is ours is love faith worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. a and that consists in five particulars 1. If we love God As it is an instinct of nature for child en to love the parents that begat them with a heavenly holy love for his holinesse for the excellency of his nature and as looking upon him as a reconciled father that dearly loves us so that the thoughts of God are sweâ—â—â—nd precious to us b 1 Iohn 5. 1. Rom. 8. 28. whereas naturallâ— we bear no love to God we love not the thoughts of him nor look we upon him as loving us or if we do love him it is only mercenarious and meretricious love Vtimur deo ut fruamur mundo as a woman that loves her husband not for his person but for his riches so we love God only for his benefits naturally not but that it is lawfull to love God for his benefits as Mary loved much because much was forgiven her but not chiefly and only for his benefits but also for the excellency of his nature 2. If we love Christ with a conjugal love with the love of a spouse even as our best beloved loving nothing in heaven or earth in comparison of him c Psal 73. 25. To you that believe be is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. as he was to Paul Phil. 3. 8. I count all as losse and dung in comparison of Christ so Moses I esteem the rebuke of Christ greater riches c. Heb. 11. 25. 3. If we love the Saints and members of Christ d 1 Iohn 3. 14. This mark stayes by us when many others cannot be discerned is most certain for we cannot love grace in another mans heart except there were grace in our own hearts Gen. 3. 15. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Only it hath these qualifications 1. First it is a spirituall love to love e Col. 1. 8. them in the name of righteous men for the image of Christ appearing in them and in no other by-respects
yet can receive no pardon in their consciences without some acts of repentance 8. Doubt I feare I am but an hypocrite me thinkes there is nothing almost I Reader pardon this large digression now I return to the 8. Doubt do well but I am subject to reflect upon my selfe and take glory to my selfe as Herod did Act. 12. Answ I answer O this divel of vain-glory sticks close to us all and will creep into our best duties as the serpent crept into the garden among the sweet flowers and trees of pleasure even Paul himselfe was subject to be exalted above measure and the disciples reasoned among themselves which of them should be greatest And its true that thou sayest there are risings of pride and hypocrisie in thy heart which are also increased by Satans temptations but thou art not an hypocrite because there is hypocrisie in thee because thou complainest of it The best sign of sincerity is to complain of hypocrisie as a man that complaines of his disease O I cannot sleep taste my meat c. showes it is his disease thaâ— he would fain be rid of he would fain sleep relish his meat walke and the like One told Bradford he said he did all out of hypocrisie because he would have the people applaud him but he answered its true said he the seeds of hypocrisie and vain glory are in me and thee too so long as we live here but I thank God it s that I mourne under and strive against 9. Doubt Ninthly I doubt whether Christ be mine because my heart is so hard even a heart that cannot repent you can assoon almost fetch water out of a rock or stone and therefore I feare I am one that have nothing to do with Christ and whom God will shew no mercy to Rom. 9. 18. Rom. 2. 5. Answ I answer there is a threefold hardnesse 1. Totall when there is no softnesse at all Eph. 4. 19. when men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 past feeling 2. There is a judiciary hardnesse when God gives a man up to hardnesse of heart as he did Pharoah and those in Rom. 1. 28. Is 6. 9. who cannot be broken with judgements nor melted with mercies 3. There is a partiall hardnesse when our hardnesse of heart is felt and bewailed Now in these there is some softnesse for else they could not bewaile their own hardnesse as he that is stark dead cannot grone but these cry out as they did Es 63. 17. wherefore hast thou hardened our hearts from thy feare And such is thine hardnesse Note A man may mourne too much when he is swallowed up with sorrow neither doth God delight in our sorrow as it is sorrow for we know there is none of this grace in heaven where we shall be most perfect but only as and so farre as it imbitters sin and makes Christ the sweeter to us neither can we have our hearts softned proportionably to our sins except we will go down to hell and mourne there Nor need we seeing Christ hath borne our sorrows 10. Doubt Tenthly ye but I have such cursed blasphemous Atheisticall thoughts that I am afraid to mention them as that there is no God the Scriptures are not true c. which cannot be in those that know Christ savingly Answ I answer there is no sin so vil'd but the divell may tempt the best man unto it as he tempted Christ to fall down and worship him which was as it were to kneel down and ask him blessing and it is Satan oft times that puts these thoughts into our hearts and then roars upon us with his temptations just as Ioseph dealt with Benjamin first he puts his cup into his sack and then he accuseth him for it or as if a cut-purse should cut a mans purse and put it into thy pocket and then accuse thee that thou hast stollen such a mans purse If thy heart joyn not with it this temptation may be thy crosse but is not thy sin or if any corruption of heart in the least measure joyne therewith for there is much Atheisme in the best of our hearts yet it is not thou but sin that dwelleth in thee Doubt 11 Eleventhly If Christ were mine he Es 48. 17. would teach me to profit by the word but I cannot at all profit by hearing I get little or no good but only take Gods name in vaine for I can remember nothing sometimes though I be affected at present yet before I get out of the Church all the sermon is lost whereas I know some can repeat a whole Sermon verbatim and yet I would be loth to live as they do Answ I answer Some mens memories are healed that are not sanctified and to have a gift to repeat a sermon and to make no conscience to practice is but to spit sermons out of their mouthes or as if a beast should cast out her hay and food into dung and show you her dung but not her fatnesse But 1. thou remembrest what thou canst to will is present which is accepted for the deed neither is it expected thou shouldst remember the whole Sermon but thou mayest have comfort if thou canst remember that which most concerns thee as if thou wert bidden to a feast it is not expected thou shouldst eat up all the meat that is set upon the table but especially that which is carved out for thee and laid upon thine own trencher 2. Though thou forgettest for the present yet in due time the Spirit of God will bring those things to thy remembrance that thou hast most need of in thy life as he hath promised Iohn 14. 26. that his Spirit shall bring all things unto our remembrance As Peter remembred the words of Christ when the cock crew Matth 26. ult 3. Though thou dost not remember muâ—h yet if thy heart be made better by it or thy affections be kindled to burn in more love to God as the disciples when Christ Luk. 24. 16. 32. talked with them their hearts burned with in them thou dost profit shew me not the meat say we but shew me the man as Cattell shew not the grasse they have eaten but their fat the earth showes not the rain that fell upon it but the grasse A poor woman comming from a sermon a minister meeting the comming from Church asked her who preached whether he made a good sermon what she remembred of the sermon c. Truly said she I have a weak memory I can remember but little yer this I am sure I have learned to love Christ better then ever I did in my life before and that comforted her more then if she could have remembred all the sermon and not have had her heart warmed at all with more love to Jesus Christ Doubt 12 In the twelfth place I feare I have no part in Christ because then I might say I live yet not I but Christ lives in me Gal. 2. 20. I should have holy thoughts
children 1 Thes 2. 7. 11. Zeale and love may stand together for zeal is nothing but the blood and spirits of love as Moses loved the people and prayed for them and wished to be rased out of the book of life for their good yet so zealous was he that he made them drinke the powder of the calfe that they had made Exod. 32. But take heed of that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitter zeal complained of in Iames 3. 14. when strange fire is mingled with Gods fire Caution Yet its good not only to come with love in our hearts but to use expressions of love in our speeches as bees that carry honey in their moâ—thes as well as a sting about them and pils are wrapt in sugar Thus our blessed Saviour wept over them in Ierusalem when he said O that thou hadst known in this thy Luk. 19. 41. day the things that belongs to thy peace weeping tears are the blood and spirits of love By this he shewed how he was affected with their misery His eyes were glazed with tears that they might be as looking glasses to view the bowels of compassions that lay at his heart as when he wept for Lazarus they said behold how he loveth him So likewise Paul I tell you it weeping whiles my pen is going mine eyes are weeping yet I tell you it their end is damnation and Ieremy if you will not heare my soule shall weep in secret for your pride Jer. 13. 17. Ministers are indeed the salt of the earth but we do not use to set on nothing but salt upon the table though we sprinkle every dish with salt One reports of Pharaohs daughter that she had a fistula in her brest and would admit none to touch it the Chirurgeon got leave to coole it washing it with a cloth c. and so having a penknife secretly hid he opened it so he cured the disease Its love that edisieth 7. Ministers must preach the Gospel wisely I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of judgement saith Micah I catcht you by craft saith Paul b This wisedome must appeare in three particulars 1. To put difference between persons and persons for though we may reprove all great as small yet not after the same manner reproofe is a degree of punishment or correction and therefore not to be given to all in the same manner rebuke not an Elder but exhort him as a father c 1 Tim. 5. 1. Is it fit to say to a king thou art wicked or to Princes ye are ungodly saith Iob d Iohn 34. 18. And yet Ministers may reprove kings for their ungodlinesse as Nathan did David But it must be done with great reverence and respect to their persons as Nathan bowed himselfe to David and Ioah also in his reproof of David 2 Sam. 24. 3. 2. We must difference between sinners Some sin of weaknesse and some of wilfulnesse those that sin of weaknesse we must restore with a spirit of meeknesse Iude 23. we must not break a bruised reed Our Lord Christ bare with Peter in his weaknes when he deserved to have bin left to himselfe aâ—d took him by the hand saying O Thou of little faith c. Matth. 14. 13. and when the disciples slept Matth. 26. 41. The spirit saith he is willing but the flesh is weak Those 1 Cor. 9. 19. c. Gal. 6. 12. Rom. 15. 1. that are bold proud and obstinate sinners those we must rebuke sharply a Tit. 1. 13. Act. 13. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuttingly some are like nettles the gentler they are handled the more they sting or like lime the more water you throw on them the more they burn Again some sins are secret which we must reprove them of secretly Tell him between him and thee b Matth. 18. 15. Iohn 4. 16. But some are more open which may be rebuked more openly yet so as if we can to hide the c 1 Tim. 5. 20. person and discover only his sin aiming at his reformation not his defamation It is great wisedome to know when to mourn and when to dance when to use oyle and when vinegar when to use a searing-iron and when a sear-cloth 3. In a readinesse to acknowledge what is good in them the more easily to win upon them though never to flatter them 1 Cor. 9. 20. thou art not farre from the Kingdome of heaven saith our Lord Christ to the young man And Paul to Agrippa Beleevest thou the Prophets I know that thou beleevest c Act. 26. 27 28. 8. We must preach Christ sincerely aiming onely at his glory and not our Sincerely own applause to advance our own credit As Ioab when he was ready to take Rabba sent to David saying Come thou and take it least the glory should have been attributed to himselfe We are the friends of the bridegroom we must not sue for our selves as Sampsons spokes-man wooed for a wife for him and took her to him selfe Iudg. 14. 20. but for the bridegroom we preach not our selvs saith Paul but Iesus Christ and our selves your servant for Christs sake 2 Cor. 4. 5 He must increase but I must decrease and in this I rejoyce saith Iohn Ioh. 3. 29. 30. This sin sticks very close to the best of us Paul himselfe was subject to be exalted above measure you may easily empty a vessell of water but not of aire This serpent will creep into paradise amidst the trees of pleasure Corn though never so well â—and when sown will come up with chaffe the envious man though we sow good seed will be sowing tares Nay the better our parts and gifts are and the better our performances come off we are the more subject to be proud of them Rarum est in multis praecellere multum deâ— spicere It is rare to be eminent in gifts and humble as the finest cloth is most subject to moths and men are soonest poysoned with sweet flowers Gaetera vitia in malefactis sunt cavenda superbia vero in bonis Aug. Other sins are to be taken heed of in things that are evill but pride in those that are good But remember no honey was offered Levit. 2. 11. in sacrifice because though it was sweet yet it would bubble up were thy duties as sweet as honey yet if they bubble up with pride they are not acceptable Nay â—he better the sermon and the more pains thou hast taken if proud of it the greater is thy sin because thou robbest God of the more glory and it proves but great paines to purchase great misery It was a noble and excellent saying Melior est humilitas in malis quà m superbia in bonis that is a man were better fall into a sin and be humbled after it then to do a good action and be proud of it If we could trust God with our credit name c. and seek his glory he would honour us