failed them So when a man sets up a righteousnesse of his owne neglecting the righteousnes of Christ it is impossible he should ever be saved living and dying in that errour Therefore I beseech you take heed of disobeying the Gospell of Jesus Christ in any kinde whatsoever for of all sinnes this is the greatest as shall appeare by these reasons First bâ—cause sins against the Gospel are sins against those Attribâ—tes wherin God wil glorifie himself most as his grace mercy loving kindnes c. Therfore the Gospel is called grace because it publisheth offers and applies grace Now sinnes against â—â—rcy are greater then sins against justice for God hath made all things for the glory of his mercy Even among men are not sinnes against favours the greatest sinnes To wrong a man whether hee deserves well or ill is an offence But what man will have his courtesies rejected though never so meane Love deserves love Favour deserves respect againe But now when weâ— obey not the Gospell wee neglect and dispise the goodnesse and mercy of God Oh what excelleÌ„t blessings doth the Gospell reveale if wee had hearts to value them Doth not the Gospell bring salvation Is it not the word of grace the word of life the word of the Kingdome Beloved I beseech you lay these things to heart for whensoever your refuse the Gospell of Christ you refuse with it the word of grace of the Kingdome of Heaven and eternall life and all therefore the sinnes of the Gospell must needs bee the greatest sinnes Againe sinnes against the greatest light are most sinnefull What makes sinne out of measure sinfull but this when it is committed against a great measure of light What makes a man fall foule It is not when he falls in a mist or in a darke night every one will pitty him then alas he wanted light but when hee falls at noone day Beloved had we lived in former times when the light was not powred forth so abundantly as now it is our sinne had beene the lesse but now in this cleare Sunshine of the Gospell for us to live in sinnes condemned by so great a light either in our judgmeÌ„t or practice it must needs make our sinne the greater If I had not come and spoke to them saith our Saviour they had had some pretence for their sinnes but when Christ had once spokeÌ„ all excuse was takeÌ„ away they could not theÌ„ say they knew not the will of God and this is the reason of that speech of the Apostle Now you are in the light walke as children of light And This is the condemnation that men hate light not that men for want of light stumble but that men love darknesse more then light It is not the sinne it selfe but the love liking of sinne which aggravates mens wickednesse when as the malice poison of their hearts rebells against the discovery of Gods good pleasure in Christ. No people oâ—t of the Church are capable of this sin for how can they sinne by infidelity and unthankfulnesse for the Gospell that never had it And therfore Negative infidelity is as it were no sin in comparison If I had not come among them they had had no sin saith Christ. Negative I call that when as men beleeve not having no meanes as infidells and Heathens c. And therefore as they sinne without the Gospell so they shal be damned without the Gospel the rule of their daÌ„nation shal be the law of Nature writteÌ„ in their hearts for this is an undoubted truth No man ever lived answerable to his Rule therefore God hath just ground of daÌ„nation to any man even from this that hee hath not lived answerable to the rule of his owne conscience so that we need not flie to reprobation c. Againe an other aggravation of sinnes against the Gospell is that they are against the better covenant The first covenant was Dâ—e this and live â—gainst which wee all sinned and were uâ—der the curse But now wee are under a more gracious covenant a covenant of mercy Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and wee shall be saved therefore sinnes now must needs bee more heinous for if we sinne against the Gospell either by presumption or despaire or els by prophanenes professing the Gospell but denying the power of it c. there is no remedy left for us If a man sinne against the Laâ— against Morall honesty and Civill Righteousnesse there is a remedy in the Gospell for him but when a man sinnes against the sweet love and goodnesse of God in rejecting the Gospel of his deare Sonne Mercy it selfe shall not save such an one That must needs bee a strange sinne that makes a man worse then a sodomite yet wee reade it shall bee easier for Sodome and Goâ—â—rrha in that day then for those that heare the Gospell the blessed allurements and invitations to beleeve and to lead an holy life answerable to our faith and calling and yet live in sins against conscience despising the precious bloud of Christ. Herod was a wretched man yet notwithstanding it was said hee added this to all he put Iohn in prison a Preacher of the Gospell sinnes against the Gospell in a loose malignant Professor are many times worse then all the rest Oh therefore take heed of sinning against the favour and goodnesse of God for this will confound us aâ— the day of judgment when we shal think What was so great mercy offered me did I slight it in this manner Have I lost the favour of God eternall life and the glorious company of the Saints in Heaven for a base pleasure of sinne for a seasâ—n to gratifie a bruitish lust Have I lost Christ and all the Good by him for ever only to satisfie my sinfull disposition to please a carnall friend c. Oh how will this lie heavy upon the soule another day we shall not need accusâ—rs our owne hearts shall justifie the sentence of God against us bee it never so sharpe that we have resused mercy so often tendred to us in the bloud of Christ. Marke what Saint Paul saith The Lord Iesus shall bee revealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance upon those that know not God and obey not his glorious Gospell he saith not only on those that are swearers and prophane persons but ignorant sots that care not to know God though they bee not open sinners Hâ— saith not those that persecute the Gospel or oppose it shall bee punished with eternall destruction froÌ„ the presence of God which is true but those that sin in a lesse degree sâ—ch as obey not the Gospell that value not this inestimable jewell that sell not all to buy this pearle unto whom all the world is not drosse and doung in respect of the glorious Gospell of Christ Jesus how shall they escape which neglect so great salvation Oh say some this concernes
day for suffering their spirits to thove them too farre into sinne Many suck out the delight of sinne before they act it as Esau pleased himselfe by thinking the day of mourning for his father would come wherein hee might bee revenged of his brother Yet this sinne was not onely spirituall and imminent but transient likewise it reached against the second Table and therefore against the principles of nature and against society out of which God gathers a church there was false witnesse and murther in this finne In this respect it is that the sinnes of the second Table are greater then the sinnes of the first because they are against more cleare light A naturall conscience hath a cleerer eye in these things here is light upon light for both grace and nature condemne these sinnes Yet for order in sinning the rise of all sinne against man is our sinning against God first for none sinne against men but they sinne against God in the first place whereupon the breach of the first commandement is the ground of the breach of all the rest for if God were set up in the heart in the first place there parents would be honoured and all kinde of injury suppressed for conscience sake the Scripture gives this as a cause of the notorious courses of wicked men that God is not in all their thoughts they forget there is a God of vengeance and a day of reckoning the foole would needs inforce upon his heart that there is no God and what followes Corrupt they are there is none doth good they eate up my people as bread c. they make no more bones of devouring men and their estates than they make conscience of eating a peece of bread What a wretched condition hath sinne brought man unto that the great God who filleth heaven and earth should yet have no place in the heart which he hath especially made for himselfe The sunne is not so cleare as this truth that God is for all things in the world are because God is if he were not nothing could bee It is from him that wicked men have that strength they have to commit sinne therefore sinne proceeds from Atheisme especially these plotting sinnes for if God were more thought on hee would take off the soule from sinfull contrivings and fixe it upon himselfe But by whom and against whom was this plotting by children of the Church not uncircumcised Philistims Opposition is bitterest betwixt those that are neerest as betwixt the flesh and the spirit in the same soule betweene hypocrites and true hearted Christians in the same wombe of the Church Brethren they were but strange children Children by the Mothers side all bred in the same Church but had not the same father Children by the mothers side only are commonly persecutors Popish spirits count it presumption to know who is their father which shewes them to bee bastard children The greatest sins of all are committed within the church because they are committed against the greatest light whereupon that great sin against the Holy Ghost Which like lonas his whale devourous all at once is not committed out of the Church at all Oh beloved how should wee reverence the blessed truth of God and gracious motions of his Spirit If it bee sinne to kill infants in the wombe what is it to kill the breed of the blessed spirit in our hearts But against whom was this plot directed even against David a prophet and a King a Kingly Prophet a man after Gods owne heart though not according to theirs A sacred Person and therefore inviolable Touch not mine Anointed and dâ—â— my Prophets no harme it was a prohibition from heaven David was a man eminent in goodnesse and goodnesse invested in greatnesse is a faire marke for envie to shoot at What men for sloth care not to doe for weaknes cannot or for pridâ— will not imitate that they maligne sitting cursing and sretting at the 〈◊〉 oâ— the hill a those which they see goe aboveâ—hem â—hem whose life gâ—â—â—gth witnesse againâ—t them When goodnes shines forth it presently meets with envy until it come to the height to bee above envie as the Sunne at the highest hath no shadow Envie hathan ill eye it cannot looke on goodnesse without griefe the spirit that is in us lusteth after envie pursuing of goodnesse in men and men for goodnesse is a sinne of a deepe dye because whosoever hates a man for goodnesse hates goodnesse it selfe and he that hates goodnesse it selfe hates it most in the fountaine so becomes a hater of God himselfe and if Christ were in such a mans power he should escape no better than his members doe for Christ is joyned either in love or hatred with his cause and children he and his have common friends and common enemies Men thinke they have to deale with silly men but they shall one day finde that they have to deale with the great Lord of heaven and earth But what was the manner of carrying their designe this cruell plot was cunningly carryed for they kill him in his good name first and accuse him as an enemy to the State that so their slanders may make way for violence Satan is a lyar first and then a murderer yea therefore a lyar that he may be a murtherer the better he is first a Serpent then a lyar and first a lyon couchant then a lyon rampant he teaches his Schollers the same method Cruelty marchâ—â—h furiously and under warrahâ— with priviledge when it hath slander to countenâ—nce it Taiâ—o men once in the opinion of the world and then they lye open to any usage it is not onely 〈◊〉 but glorious to oppose 〈◊〉 and thus Vertue comes to have the reward due to wickednesse and passes under publike hatred the open cause and pretence is one and the inward moving cause another which perhaps lyes hid till the day of revelation of the secrets of all flesh as in a clock the wheeles and the hand appeare openly but the weights that move all are out of sight But what course took David herein Innocency was his best apologie and when that would not doe then patience hee saw God in the wrongs he suffered God bad Shimei c. but this invites more injuries therefore by prayer he layes upon his soule to God Davids prayer prevailed more in heaven than Achitophels policy could doe on earth Carnall men are pregnant and full of wiles and fetches to secure themselves but godly men have one onely refuge and hiding place yet that is a great one namely to run to God by prayer as to their rocke and tower of defence in their distresses From all this that hath beene said there ariseth these conclusions First that even the best of Gods Saints are lyable to bee the subjects of the plots of wicked men 1. From an Antipathy betweene the two contrary seeds in them 2. Because God will not have his children love the world therefore he suffers
of the same to something that likes it when there is any thing set before the soule having a magneticall force as the Loadstone to draw out the motions thereof we call that desire though for the present it enjoyes it not S. Pauls desire was 1. spirituall not after hapinesse so much as holinesse oh miserable man that I am saith he who shall deliver me from this body of death his desire of death was to be freeed from the body of sinne more than to be taken out of the flesh and his desire of holines to have Christs image stamped on his soule was more than of eternall happinesse nature cannot doe this it s a worke above the flesh for that will not heare of departing but rather bids God and Christ depart from it 2. This desire came from a tast of sweetnesse in communion with Christ and those desires that most ravish the soule in apprehension of heavenly things are ever the most holy S. Paul knew what a sweet communion Christ was 3. It was a constant desire he doth not say I desire but I have a desire I carry the same about me and that carryes mee to a love of Christ and his members 4. It was efficacious not a naked velleity not a wish of the sluggard I would and I would but a strong desire carrying him even through death it selfe to Christ desires thus qualified are blessed desires as where wee soe vapours arise there are springs usually below them so where these desires are there is alwayes a spring of grace in that soule Nothing characterizeth a Christian so much as holy and blessed desires for there is no hypocrisie in them I desire to depart There must be a parting and a departing there must be a parting in this world with all outward excellencies from the sweet enjoyment of the creatures there must be a parting between soule and body between friend and friend and whatever is neare and deare unto us all shall determine in death And there must be a departing also here we cannot stay long away we must we are for another place Oh that we could make use of these common truths how farre are wee from making a right use of the mysteries of salvation when we cannot make use of common truthes which wee have daily experience of Holy Moses considering the suddennesse of his departure hence begged of God to teach him to number his dayes that he might apply his heart unto wisedome Death is but a departing which word is taken from loosing from the shore or removing of a ship to another coast wee must all be unloosened from our houses of clay and bee carryed to another place to heaven Paul labors to sweeten so harsh a thing as death by comfortable expressions of it It is but a sleep a going home a laying aside our earthly tabernacle to teach us this point of heavenly wisdome that wee should looke on death as it is now in the Gospell not as it was in the Law and by nature for so it is a passage to hell and lets us in to all miseries whatsoever Some things are desireable for themselves as happinesse and holinesse some things are desirable not for themselves but as they make way to better things being sowre and bitter to nature themselves as Physicke is desired not for it selfe but for health wee desire health for it selfe and physick for health so to be with Christ is a thing desirable of it selfe but because we cannot come to Christ but by the darke passage of death saith Paul I desire to depart that so my death may be a passage to Christ so that death was the object of S. Pauls desire so farre as it made way for better things I desire to depart and to bee with Christ. To be with Christ that came from heaven to be here on earth with us and descended that we should ascend to be with him that hath done and suffered so much for us to be with Christ that delighted to be with us to be with Christ that emptyed himselfe and became of no reputation that became poore to make us rich to be with Christ our husband now contracted here that all may bee made up in heaven this was the thing Paul desired Why doth he not say I desire to be in heaven Because heaven is not heaven without Christ it is better to be in any place with Christ than to be in heaven it selfe without him all delicacies without Christ are but as a funerall banquet where the master of the feast is away there is nothing but solemnnesse what is all without Christ I say the joyes of heaven are not the joyes of heaven without Christ he is the very heaven of heaven True love is carryed to the person It is adulterous love to love the thing or the gift more than the person S. Paul loved the person of Christ because hee felt sweet experience that Christ loved him his love was but a reflection of Christs love first he loved to see Christ to embrace him and enjoy him that had done so much and suffered so much for his soule that had forgiven him so many sins c. The reason is because it is best of all To be with Christ is to be at the spring-head of all happines it is to be in our proper element every creature thinkes it selfe best in its owne element that is the place it thrives in and enjoyes its happinesse in now Christ is the element of a Christian Againe it is farre better because to bee with Christ is to have the marriage consummate is not marriage better than the contract is not home better than absence to be with Christ is to be at home is not triumph better than to be in conflict but to be with Christ is to triumph over all enemies to be out of Satans reach is not perfection better than imperfection here all is but imperâ—ect in heaven there is perfection therefore that is much better than any good below for all are but shadowes here there is reality What is riches what are the worme-eaten pleasures of the world What are the honours of the earth but meere shadowes of good At the right hand of Christ are pleasures indeed honours indeed riches indeed then is realitie If wee speake of grace and good things it is better to bee with Christ than enjoy the graces and comâ—orts of the holy-Ghost here Why because they are all stayned and mixed here our peace is interrupted with desertion and trouble here the joyes of the holy ghost are mingled with sorrow here the grace in a man is with combate of flesh and spirit but in heaven there is pure peace pure joy pure grace for what is glory but the perfection of grace grace indeed is glory here but it is glory with conflict the Scripture calls grace glory sometimes but it is glory with imperfection Beloved perfection is better than imperfection therefore to be with Christ is
not me I thanke God there is mercy in Christ and I hope for pardon c. Beloved here is the bane of mens â—oules they will be their owne Carvers and take of the Gospell what they list Oh so much of Christ as concernes their owne good they will have so much as concernes their pleasure and profit so much as they may have and bee proud too and be devilish and evill in their life and conversation too this they allowe of and it is pitty he should live that regards not Christ in justification but so much as concernes mortification selfe-deâ—yall as crosses them in their sinful course this they are strangers to But wee must know the Gospell doth not onely bring salvation but it teacheth a man to denie ungodlines worldly lâ—sts to put off himselfe his whole selfe that hee might have no judgement nor no affection contrary to God To make this more plainly appeare take these few instaÌ„ces The very first lesson which the Gospell injoyâ—eth is to cut off our right hand and pull out our right eye that is to deny our selves in those sinnes which are most useful gainful to us now wheÌ„ this is pressed in particular to some that live in their secret beloved sins presently they beginne to hate this blessed truth and the Ministry thereof they know so much as will damne them but so much as without the which they cannot be saved that they oppose Contenting themselves with a bare forme and outside of Religion they come to Church and take their Bookes and reade and heare and receive the Sacrament c. and in these outward performances they rest Alas Beloved what are these I tell you all the priviledges of the Gospell doe but aggravate thy damnation if thou art not bettered by them for as they are in themselves invaluable priviledges and even ravish the heart of a true child of God so when they are not entertained to purpose they make our sinne the more heinous Every man is willing to accept of Christ but it must be upoÌ„ their owne termes what are those So they may enjoy their worldly delights so they may increase their estates by such unlawfull meanes and not bee crossed so long they are content that Christ and the Gospell shall bee theirs but otherwise if they cannot enjoy Christ upon their owne termes that is if they cannot goe to Heaven and to Hell too they will rather regard their owne profits and pleasures then regard Christ. Oh how do these poore wretches delude their own soules beloved the imbracing and obeying the Gospell is a spirituall marriage betwixt Christ and the beleever Now you know in Marriage the will is given up to the Husband the wife is no more her owne but at his disposing So when once wee are truly united unto Christ wee take him for better for worse wee must suffer with him yea live and die with him esteeme him above all wee must take Christ upon his owne termes or els hee will not bee had if wee love not him above Father and Mother yea life it selfe wee are not worthy of him And therefore all that doe not thus obey the Gospell are rebells and shall have the reward of rebells if they repent not in time Were it not a comely thing thinke you for a company of Traitors that had this condition propounded to them if you will come in and live as good subjects you shall have a pardoâ— for them to go on presumptuously in their rebellion still and thinke to have â—avour when they please would not â— sharpe execution be the just desert of such persons Againe Christ propounds pardon and forgivenesse of sins upon this condition that wee will come in live as wives as obedient subjects to his blessed Spirit and not in swearing filthinesse and other abominable courses of which the Scripture saith such shall 〈◊〉 inherite the kingdome of heaven yet notwithstanding Sathan hath so bewitched many poore wretches that they thinke their case is good and al shall goe well with them bee their lives never so loose and opposite to the wayes of God they blesse themselves when God doth not blesse them but rather curse them to their faces the Devill himselfe is likely to bee saved as soone as such gracelesse persons as these without repentance No no if ever they expect a pardon they must live as subjects If they frame not themselves to bee guided by Christ and come under his government to be ruled according to his will they have nothing to doe with mercy and salvation Those mine enemies that will not have mee rule over them bring them hither and slay them before me c. we mocke Christ if wee will not suffer him to rule us But I cannot obey the Gospell of my selfe It is true we cannot no more than we can obey the Law nay it is harder to obey the Gospell then to obey the Law in a mans owne strength for there are the seeds of the law in our nature but there are none of the Gospell that is â—eerly supernaturall the promâ—ses are above nature to apprehend them therefore a supernaturall strength is required to plant the excellent grace of faith in our hearts But though we be as unable to beleeve and obey the Gospell as the Law yet here is the difference together with the unfolding of our miseries by the Gospell the Spirit of God goes along to sustaine us The Law finds us dead and gives us no strength but leaves a maÌ„ cursed stil the Gospell likewise findes us dead but it leaves us not so and therefore it is called the Ministry of the Spirit Received you the Spirit by the Law or by the Gospell Gods blessed Spirit goes together with the sweet message of salvation and eternall life and this Spirit doth not onely open our understandings but incline and bend our wills and affâ—ctions to imbrace the truth that is offered Seing therefore the Spirit which accompanieth the Gospell is mighty and powerfull in operation let none pretend impossibility for though they finde not the sweet blaze of the Spirit at the first or second hearing yet let them still attend upon Grace waiting at wisdomes gate and the Angell will come at lenght and stirre the waters God will make the mâ—anes effectuall first or last to those that in truth of heart seeke unto him for the Gospell is the Chariot of the Spirit and the golden Conduit through which the Spirit runnes and is convayed to us therefore if thou wouldest not disobey the Gospell withstand not the Spirit of God working by the same Now the Spirit workes with the Gospell by degrees 1. It bringeth some to be willing to heare the Gospell who yet presently neglect and dis-regard the the same 2. Others are more obedient for a time as the stony ground but because they opened not their hearts to the working of the Spirit onely