in well doing or doing as they would be done by seek it But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness that do not as they would be done by Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul that doth evil that worketh not Righteousness speaketh not the Truth in his heart that backbiteth his Neighbor with his Tongue that receiveth endureth or taketh up a reproach against his Neighbor in whose eyes a vile person is not contemned and honoreth them not that fear the Lord that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth that putteth out his Money to Usury and taketh reward against the Innocent he that doth these things shall surely perish Are we good indeed and in truth though not very good Are our hearts and lives good make the Tree good and the Fruit will be good every good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit. God is good essentially and personally it is his Nature and Property to be good to make good to do good so there is none good but one Thou art good and doest good saith David of God the Father Christ saith of himself I am the good Shepherd thy Spirit saith David is good These three Persons namely the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost had every one a hand in making Man very good at first Let us make Man so also in re-creating or renewing us after the Image of his goodness are we also filled with goodness The Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his Works God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good and the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness Are we good in all Estates in all Places in all Times in all Companies As we have opportunity do we good unto all Men especially unto them who are of the Houshold of Faith Doth our goodness extend it self to the Saints that are in the Earth and to the Excellent in whom we delight Do we also good to them that hate us and Pray for them which despitefully use us and persecute us then are we the children of our Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and Servants to our Lord and Master Jesus Christ who when he cometh and reckoneth with them will say to every one Well done thou good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord And How great is that goodness which God hath laid up for all them that are good and do good and trust in him before the Sons of Men Since the beginning of the World Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for them that wait for the hour which is coming in the which all that are in the Graves shall hear the voice of the Lord Jesus and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation I have been the longer upon this use of Examination as being a matter of the greatest moment not to be deceived in That which is our greatest concern in this World next to the glory of God is to have an assured interest in the Kingdom of Grace and also a true Title to the Kingdom of Glory Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness is the word of Exhortation which high and low rich and poor young and old are to attend unto with all possible sincerity seriousness and diligence It is the duty and the dignity from the King upon the Throne to the Beggar upon the Dunghill to seek this Kingdom of Grace and Glory The greatest hath as great need to seek it as the meanest all are come short of the glory of this Kingdom because all have sinned Our greatest fear should be least any of us should seem to fall short for ever of so glorious a Kingdom and our greatest care desire and endeavor should be next to the glory of God to enjoy him in the way of his Grace here till we arrive at the full vision and fruition of him in Heavenly Glory This Kingdom of God is lost because we are lost it is lost to us and we lost to it but not so far lost but the true seekers of it may find it and themselves be found in the right way of seeking it It must be found otherwise the seekers of it lose themselves and this Kingdom for ever Many will seek to enter into the Kingdom of Grace and Glory but shall not be able There be many that say Who will shew us any good but few there be that strive to enter in at the strait Gate and walk in the narrow way which leadeth unto life and therefore few there be that find it There is no rational Creature upon the face of the Earth that is exempted from this duty of seeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness Sinners as well as Saints are to hearken unto and obey the Counsel Command and Proclamation of Jesus Christ herein The chiefest sinner hath a Call and Command to seek it which is his Warrant and a Promise for his incouragement Ask and it shall be given you Seek and ye shall find Knock and it shall be opened unto you The chiefest Saint hath no dispensation against this Duty Counsel and Command but looking diligently lest any Man fail of or fall from the Grace of God least any root of bitterness spring up seeing he looks for such great things is to be diligent that he may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless at his coming that when Christ who is our life shall appear he also may appear with him in glory Sinners such I mean as are unconverted and are strangers and enemies to God his Christ Grace and Glory and their own greatest enemies have most need to be exhorted excited and perswaded to seek first these things namely the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness which can never happily be done till they be first disswaded and prevailed with from self-seeking self-pleasing flesh-pleasing for the satisfying whereof earthly things are minded and sought after inordinately and therefore it is the Wisdom of our Lord Jesus before he persuades to the seeking of Spiritual and Heavenly things by Reasons Arguments Motives and Disswasions to free the Minds and Hearts and Affections of his hearers from their anxious and troublesome thoughts fears and cares concerning carnal and earthly things pertaining to the Body namely what they should eat what they should drink and what they should put on Take no thought for your life Is not the life more than meat and The body than raiment Your heavenly Father feedeth the Fowls of the air Are not you much better than they Why take ye thought for Raiment consider the Lilies of the field if God
therefore your members purifying our hearts by Faith a Faith that worketh by love and worketh love in their souls who obey the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love not only of Brethren but Enemies so that they can love them with pure hearts fervently That we may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil we wrestle not only against flesh and blood but against Principalities against Powers against the rulers of the darkness of this World against spiritual wickedness in high plâ—ces we must take unto our selves the whole armour of God having our loynes girt about with truth and having on the brest-plate of righteousness and our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace above all taking the shield of Faith wherewith we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked and Hope the Helmet of Salvation the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit and watching â—hereunto with all perseverance whereby we shall be more than Conquerors through him that loved us nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ not Tribulation though we must through much Tribulations enter into the Kingdom of God or Distress or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers â—or things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord So that in this warfare though the way be not Peace yet the end of it is Peace it yieldeth the Peaceable Fruit of Righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby even that Peace which passeth all understanding and Joy which is unspeakable and full of glory The Kingdom of God whether the Kingdom of Satan will or no will be the kingdom of Righteousness of Peace and of Joy in the Holy Ghost to the seekers of it the fighters for it the kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force By Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ we enter into the kingdom of God and this Kingdom of God enters into us by Repentance towards God we are delivered from the power of darkness by Faith we are traâ—slâ—ted into the kingdom of his dear Son Repentance turns Sin Satan and the World out â—f the heart that Faith may let Christ into it the voice of Faith is Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors that the King of Glory may come in Who is this King of Glory Christ who dwelleth in the heart by Faith and where Christ is he hath his kingdom of Grace As many as receive him or that believe on his Name of his fulness receive Grace for Grace Christ and his Grace are inseparable he that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life our life is hid with Christ in God Christ is Gods first and greatest Gift himself tells us he is the Gift of God given to the World of Mankind before the foundation of the World in Gods everlasting Decree and with in and through him hath given all things pertaining to Life and Godliness even from the first Grace of Election to the last Gift of Eternal Life Election According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World Acceptation of our persons according to the good pleasure of his will he hath made us accepted in the Beloved Creation To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him Redemption In him we have Redemption through his Blood according to the riches of his Grace A General Redemption we thus judge That if one died for all then were all dead dead in sins and trespasses dead in Law and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them by the Grace of God he tasted death for every man Regeneration The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature all things are past away behold all things are become new Justification By the offence of one Judgment came upon all men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free Gift came upon all men unto Justification of Life in whom we have the forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of his Grace that they may receive forgiveness of sins by Faith that is in me saith Christ Reconciliation Being Justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ the Peace of Reconciliation God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself and Christ in his Ministers beseeching us to be reconciled unto God We who sometimes were far off are in Christ Jesus made nigh by his Blood for he is our Peace that he might Reconcile us unto God in one Body by the Cross having slâ—in the enmity thereby and made both one having broken down the Middle-Wall of Partition between us abolishing in his flâ—sh the enmity even the Law of Commandments contained in Ordinancâ—s for to make in himself of twain one New Man so making Peace Having thus made Peace by the Blood of his Cross God by him Reconciles all things unto himself whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven and we that were sometime alienated and enemies in our minds by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death The Favour of God In whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace of Favour wherein we stand an unconceivable unspeakable mercy Jesus was in favour with God to bring us into favour with God whoso findeth Christ findeth Life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. In this Favour is our Life this Loving kindness is better thâ—n our Life next to the Glory of God I know nothing in comparison or competition to be minded regâ—rded sought made sure of and prized but having keeping and increasing in the favour of God It was the happiness of Christ as Man here on Earth to increase in favour with God David entreated this favour with his whole heart I know no chief good besides God and his favour the whole Benefits and Comforts of our Election Creation Redemption Regeneration Justification Reconciliation Adoption Sanctification and Glorification are summed up in Gods Face Countenance and Favour towards us in Christ Adoption The Son of God was made the Son of Man that we who are the Sons of Men might be made the Sons of God by Adoption when the fullness of the time was come God sent forth
up one Mystical Christ a Mystery great beyond the capacity of Angels to conceive which things they desire to prye or look into and is the subject of their continual and just admiration The full Vision and Fruition whereof will administer also to every glorified Saint matter of the highest Adoration and everlasting Consolation Were this one Promise of one heart and one way in the fear and worship of God accomplished in the midst of us that we might be his People and he our God to rejoyce over us to do us all the good he hath promised us What greater or better thing could we desire on this side Heaven why in the Kingdom of God there will be one heart and one way and one work for ever There will be no need of beseeching Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus to speak the same thing that there be no divisions among them that they be perfectly joyned together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment God and all the Godly will there be so well known to each other through the Light of the Sun of Righteousness that there will not be the least shadow of division or fear of any separation This happy perfect and perpetual Union is the foundation of that Communion and Fellowship between God Angels and Just Men made perfect which is unspeakable and full of glory What Fellowship there is between the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost is a Secret to us if not to Angels and Secret things belong unto the Lord our God but a mutual glorifying each other there was is and will be from everlasting to everlasting and how far the glorified Saints and Servants of the Lord shall be made happy in the Enjoyment and Knowledge hereof in heavenly Glory is so much above the reach of our meditation that it ought to be pâ—ssed over with silent Adoration but verily and â—ruly our Fellowship will be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ through the Spirit and with all the blessed Angels in such a manner and measure as no Tongue can utter or Mind conceive For Saints to draw nigh to God and for God to draw nigh to them in Mercy even here How good is it It is good for me to draw near to God Draw me we will run after thee is the Language and Prayer of every one that is Godly but when by drawing near to God we are come to God and are not only nigh him but with him How comfortable will that Communion be It will be a Communion in the highest honors the sweetest pleasures and the truest riches Them that honor me saith the Lord I will honor It will be our heavenly happiness to receive honor from God and to give honor to God this honor have all his Saints Honor is such an excellency that is naturally desired of every one sinners and unbelievers who seek not the honor that cometh from God only which is the only true honor rather than live without it will receive honor one of another though thereby they are hindred from the honor of believing in God and in his Son Jesus Christ which is to give all hon r to him to whom honor belongs and to receive all honor from him who is the only Author of every good and perfect gift The making Man a little while inferior to or lower than the Angels and crowning him with glory and honor in a state of innocency made David fall into admiration Lord What is Man that thou art mindful or takest knowledge of him or the Son of Man that thou visitest or makest account of him What admiration will it occasion to the glorified to be made like to or equal with the Angels in Heaven and then and there to wear Crowns of Glory Honour Righteousness and Life which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give unto all them that are faithful unto death and love and long for his appearing When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory not only like unto Angels but unto Jesus Christ the Lord of glory It doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him in our bodies We look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who will change our vile Bodies that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body which is uncorruptible and immortal This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality Our Bodies were fearfully and wonderfully made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth The works of God are all wonderful sought out of all them that have pleasure therein This curious Piece of Mans Body is so full of wonderful mysterious works in every part and member thereof that all the Anatomists in the World could never find out or describe perfectly its excellency It is quite beyond the reach of the understandings of all Souls to comprehend the height length depth and breadth of those excellencies that are contained in the Body of Man Indeed sin hath depraved it and deprived it of much of its glory yet remains there that majesty upon it that commands reverence from all other capable creatures There are Bodies Terrestrial and Celestial each of which have their glory the one before the other after the Resurrection But some Men will say How are the Dead raised up and With what Body do they come God giveth it a Body as it pleaseth him It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown in dishonor it is raised in glory a glorious Body Like unto the Body of Christ perfectly free from all sin from Natural and Moral infirmities no more pains or sickness for ever Perfect and perpetual health and holiness will diffuse it self into every member The united understandings of Men from the beginning to the end of the World cannot conceive nor tongues express or set forth the Glory whâ—rewith the Body of the meanest Saint and Servant of the Lord shall be clothed in the Kingdom of God and Glory the Body hath many Members and those Members of the Body which we think to be less honorable upon these we bestow or put on more abundant honor and our uncomely parts have more abundant comliness for our comely parts have no need but God hath tempered the Body together having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked so that when one member is honored all the members rejoyce with it If such abundant honor and more abundant comeliness be put upon the Body in the state of imperfection and corruption What honor and comeliness will God bestow upon the Body in the state of glorious perfection when this corruptible must put on uncorruption and this mortal must put on immortality then will the head wear a Crown of an eternal weight of Glory The eyes will be fully satisfied
deceive and destroy the Violent Man or Man of Violence is called the Proud or Evil Man It is the Violent Man that purposeth to overthrow the goings of the Upright by hiding Snares and Cords spreading Nets setting Gins for him while evil shall hunt the Violent Man to overthrow him God hath purposed to preserve the upright Man from this Man of violence though a Brother for a Brother offended especially without cause is harder to be won then a strong City and their Contentions are like the Bars of a Castle There is no going to Heaven or Hell without violence evil Men are more violent in serving Sin and Satan than good Men in serving God which is an aggravation of their Sin and a very great shame it is for such as are bound for such a place as Heaven is and going to God should be so slow and slothful in their pace thither while the ungodly are making such hast to Hell Is a corruptible triple Crown of Earthly Honors Pleasures and Riches in the way to Hell worth so much striving and running for and Is the Incorruptible Incomparable Crown of Life in the way to Heaven not worth much more Every one hath a Race to run a Prize to get the way to run in is Gods Commandments the Prize Eternal Life if thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments The great duty is so to run as to obtain In the Olympick Games the fighters and the Runners which were violent painful Exercises were to put forth all their strength they had therefore their honorable Encouragements to animate them The Apostle alludes to these to put Christians upon the like activity because they have many Duties to exercise which cannot be performed without painfulness and violence but one moments being in Heaven will more then recompence all their labor Let us get our hearts enlarged that with holy violence we may run the wayes of Gods Commandments unto the end that our reward may be great in the Kingdom of Glory which we must also seek valiantly We have violent valiant and potent enemies that stand in our way to this Kingdom to withstand and conquer before we can enter into it the Devil and all his Angels a flattering and a frowning World and worse than all these namely in-dwelling sin a home-born enemy that is more deceitful and dreadful than all our other adversaries which must be mortified before we can be saved We have all Gods holy just and good Laws to obey in every thought word and work in the greatest strictness and spirituality which requires much resolution and courage in us to perform alwayes even unto the end It is therefore very remarkable that when God enjoyns every one to observe to do according to all the Law turn not from it to the right hand or to the left he subjoyns this and repeats it three times be strong and very courageous be strong and of a good courage be strong and of a good courage to observe to do according to all the Law without erring on either hand It is the narrow way of life that leads to the strait Gate which whosoever walks therein shall enter in thereat This can never be done without constant courage and fixed resolution against sins of Omission and Commission and the lively performance of all holy Duties the means of getting Grace and growing therein which is our power to resist mortifie and overcome what God hath forbiden us and to do whatsoever he hath commanded us necessary hereunto is the putting on the keeping on the daily fighting in the whole Armor of God which that it may be done valiantly and successfully must be done in the name and strength of the Captain of our Salvation the Lord Jesus this way David vanquisht all his Enemies that compassed him about like Bees the Name of the Lord was the strong Tower he ran into for safety he made the Lord his strength and he became his Salvation our strength valour and prowess is from Christ which teacheth our hands to War and our fingers to fight that we wax valiant in fight turning to flight the Armies of the Aliens What is it that a Christian cannot do through Christ strengthening him with all might by his Spirit in the inner Man True Believers are the only valiant Men in the World none have so many and great enemies to contest with as they What wonderful exploits did those Worthies in the Hebrews do through the power of their Faith they turned not their back upon the World the Flesh or the Devil in all these things they were more than Conquerors Tribulation distress persecution famine nakedness peril sword death life Angels principalities powers things present things to come height depth nor any other creature can separate true Believers from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus through God they do valiantly for he it is that shall tread down our enemies that we may pass in season and safety through a Kingdom of Grace to a Kingdom of Glory which we must seek vigilantly be vig lant saith St. Peter because your Adversary the Devil walketh about seeking whom he may devour if we be not vigilant as well as valiant we may easily be devoured by Satan he stands Sentinel night and day watching that he may recover them who by Repentance to the acknowledging of the truth through the Mercy and Grace of God have recovered themselves out of his snares to take them captive or alive at his will When we have such a wakeful wrathful watchful and powerful Tempter so nigh us we had need to watch that we enter not into Temptation Saints have sinners their Tempters and their Enemies every way O how infinitely necessary is it that every Saint stand day and night upon his watch that he watch and keep his heart with all diligence that he Pray with David Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips that I sin not with my Tongue that I may keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me for the Tongue is such an untameable evil that if any Man offend not in word the same is a perfect Man such ought all Saints to be even perfect having so many that watch for Iniquity that make a Man an offender for a Word and lay a Snare for him that reproveth in the Gate and turn aside the just for a thing of nought and because in wrath they hate them Cast Iniquity upon their Names their Calling c. Defaming their Persons by giving out or taking up evil Reports against them I heard the Defaming of many fear on every side Report say they and we will report it All my familiars everyone of my peace watched for my halting saying peradventure he will be enticed and we shall prevail against him and we shall take our revenge on him with such Men have many a poor persecuted Christian to deal with Should we not then watch unto Prayer yea watching
God and the everlasting good of many a poor yet precious Soul so that all our contentions and mutual devourings shall end in a holy amicable contending earnestly for the Faith of the Gospel that we may stand fast in one Spirit with one mind and one mouth glorifying God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ receiving one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God than which what can be more pleasing to God honourable to our selves creditable to Religion profitable and comfortable to His Majesties Three Kingdoms If there be joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth what joy will there be in Heaven over all the Sinners in these Kingdoms that repent The Lord our God in the midst of us will be mighty to save us he will rejoyce over us with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over us with singing if as Brethren being called unto liberty we use not our liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another for all the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self but if we bite and devour one another let us take heed that we be not consumed one of another And it shall come to pass that as the Lord rejoyced over us to do us good so the Lord will rejoyce over us to destroy us and bring us to nought which will assuredly come to pass if we bless our selves in our hearts saying We shall have peace though we walk in the imagination or stubbornness of our hearts to add Iniquity to Iniquity the Lord will not spare but his anger and jealousie shall smoke against us and all the Curses written in his Book shall lie upon us and he will blot out our names from under Heaven Cursed also is every one that doth the Work of the Lord negligently or deceitfully But I am persuaded better Things of you and Things which accompany Salvation and that we are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of our Souls Let us take heed lest there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of us be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin looking also diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble us and thereby many be defiled for we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end and also of his Kingdom of glory for the securing whereof these plain Directions are absolutely necessary to be put in practice I. That all Sins be avoided and hated especially Unbelief Pride Covetousness Carnality Lying and Hypocrisie II. That all the Duties of Holiness be rightly zealously and constantly performed both publick and private III. That all the Graces of the Holy Spirit be had and exercised They who would set themselves in earnest to seek the Kingdom of God must heartily set themselves against all sins stand in awe and sin not while you are seeking if you would find this Kingdom Seek the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near but then it follows Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Unrighteous who is a man of Iniquity his Thoughts and let him return unto the Lord who will have mercy upon him but then he must have nothing to do with Sin who will have any thing to do with God and his kingdom otherwise God will have nothing to do with him the wages of Sin is not Heaven but hell every final impenitent unbelieving Sinner is to be shut out of Heaven and shut up in Hell to all eternity Sinners you must quit your state and course and way of sin before you can enter the state of Grace or walk in the way of Life Grace and Glory are inseparable so are Sin and Hell O have nothing to do with any the least yea the very appearance of evil as near as you can except to hate abhor leave and loath it and your selves for it as ever you hope to speed in this most important duty of seeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness more especially let Unbelief Pride Carnality Covetousness Lying and Hypocrisie be abandoned and abhorred as the root and source and spawn of all other abominations These are the Master evils that hinder men from being and doing good We must be negatively before we can be positively holy Wash ye make â—e clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes first cease to do evil then learn to do well c. If we would cease from evil we must take heed of the evil of Unbelief in the heart which is a sin that giveth every Truth of God the Lye Every one that believeth not goes about to make God a Lyar. The very Word of the Scripture is He that believeth not God hath made him a lyar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son as Faith is a coming to God by Jesus Christ so Unbelief is a departing from the living God O take heed of it as also of the sin of Pride which is a lifting and setting up our Wisdom and Will against the Wisdom Will Word Way and Work of God preferring our own Honor before Gods Glory Priâ—e was the first and worst sin that could be committed virtually and interpretatively it is all iniquity as all sinners were in one and came from one so all sins are summed up in this one namely Pride which is the Parent of all other abominations The onely sin that is so sinful This was the sin that made good Angels Devils and our first Parents and us evil like unto them yea only evil and that continually by it we have lost God our selves our knowledge of him all our righteousness and true holiness and all the happiness of Heaven it is so desperate a sin that it will not suffer any one to seek after God his Grace and Glory The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God he will be happy without God In seeking first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness O seek first to be delivered from the pride of heart and life otherwise you may ask and not have seek and not find knock and it shall not be opened unto you Covetousness which is Adultery and Idolatry a loving and desiring after the World and the things of the World so inordinately and overcarefully as both to neglect and make light of the things of God which are above The Covetous whom the Lord abhorreth his prayer and practice is Lord Who will shew us any good his Labour is only for his mouth and therefore his laying up much Goods for many years is to take his ease eat drink and be merry he is one that layeth
the unity of this faith and knowledge and the neglecting of this is the frustrating of the whole work of the Ministery for let us preach never so many Sermons to the People our labour is but lost as long as the foundation is uâ—laid and the first principles untaught upon which all other Doctrine must be builded Thus far the worthy Bishop in his Sermon before King James at Wansted 7. Often remembring and real renewing our Covenant with God whenever the Holy Sacraments are administred Baptism is but to be administred once but we are solemnly and frequently to remember and make use of our Baptismal Covenant upon all occasions especially in avoiding all occasions and temptations and motions to sin within or without in time of tribulation and desertion and at the point of death we are buried with Christ in Baptism wherein also we are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God that so many of us as are bâ—ptized into Jesus Christ are baptized into his death therefore are we buried with him by Baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life By Baptism we are planted together in the likeness of his Death and also in the likeness of his Resurrection that our old man might be crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin Covenant making and Covenant keeping is the sum of our Religion We are sworn in our Baptism to believe all the Articles of our Christian Creed and to live by faith to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless to pray according to the Lords Prayer without ceasing for Grace that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we may live soberly righteously and godly in this present World that so with comfort we may look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ and as we have sworn so we are to perform it even in keeping all the righteous Judgments of the Lord so also the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper which if there be opportunity should often be received by us wherein we shew forth the death of Christ till he come is another excellent means appointed by God both to convey and assure to us the Kingdom of God as also to strengthen and confirm us in the Grace we have received that we draw not back to perdition but going from faith to faith from one degree of Grace unto another we may receive the end of our faith the salvation of our Souls Let us shew the Lords death till he come by often eating this Bread and drinking this Cup but let us examine our selves lest eating and drinking unworthily we be found guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and so eat and drink damnation to our selves III. All the Graces of the Holy Spirit must be had and exercised we must go to the God of all Grace for every Grace he will give Grace and Glory first Grace then Glory It is through Grace we have good hope the Grace of Regeneration according to his mercy he saveth us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he sheds on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of eternal life there is no hope of eternal life without Grace It cannot be expected I should discourse of all the Graces these may suffice 1. The first Grace we are to labour for is Humility by which we come to know our vileness and unworthiness that we are no better than wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and have need of every thing and yet deserve nothing that we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God The way to be rich in Grace is to be poor in Spirit God will give Grace to the humble the more humble the more holy Saint Paul the chiefest of sinners less than the least of all Saints in his own account yet not a whit behind the very chiefest of the Apostles in Grace and Gifts labouring more abundantly than they all yet not I saith he but the Grace of God which was with me Be cloathed with humility walk humbly with God humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you in due time God will save the humble person 2. Acquaint your selves with God know the God of your Fathers This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent the principal part of the image of God is the knowledge of him If you would have his mercy and his favor you must have understanding for to a people of no understanding he that made them will not save them and he that formed them will shew them no favor they who like not to retain God in their knowledge are not like to go to Heaven that the Soul be without knowledge it is not good the Soul cannot be good without knowledge it is the image of God which makes the Soul good The new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness is renewed in knowledge we escape the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Grace also and Peace are multiplied unto us through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord yea all things that pertain unto life and godliness are given unto us through the knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Virtue Therefore if you determine to go to Heaven determine not to know any thing so much as Jesus Christ and him Crucified Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get Wisdom and with all thy getting get Understanding get Wisdom get Understanding â—orget it not embrace her and she shall bring thee to Honour and Heaven She is a Tree of Life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her 3. Repent and believe the Gospel I put them together for brevity sake as I find them Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus are our very entrance into the Kingdom of God True Repentance which elsewhere I have described at large le ts the Kingdom of Sin and Satan out of the heart that Faith unfeigned may receive Christ and his Kingdom into it Repentance is a turning from Sin and Satan and the World and Faith is a coming to God by Christ a choosing and closing with him as our Lord and Saviour a receiving of his Fulness and Grace for Grace that we may glorifie God and be glorified with him in our Bodies Souls and Spirits which are Gods Seek first the Kingdom of God in a way of repenting and believing and you are sure to find it 4. The fear of God especially for