some few particulars 1. It is an Union of Believers with God with the Father and the Son not an Union of Believers among themselves at least not this only For the Union expressed in those first words that they may be one is declared or illustrated in these following as thou Father art in me and I in thee and so is the same Union with that in the last words which is taken to be an Union with the Father and the Son that they may be one in or with us or else the words here used to illustrate one thing would not illustrate that but another That they may be one how as thou Father art one in me and I in thee so they may be one in us Besides the same words in effect are used ver 22. that they may be one even as we are one and the same explained immediately ver 23. I in them ver 26. I in them by which without question Christ both here and elsewhere expresses the Union of Believers with himself though I will not deny that the Union among Believers themselves may be included being a consequent of the other and that which Unites them with Christ unites them among themselves 2. This Union hath some resemblance of that between the Father and the Son that they may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as denotes not any thing of equality but only something of likeness That we may know what of resemblance there is we must inquire but very modestly as becomes those who are so much in the dark how the Father is said to be in the Son and he in the Father For this purpose Christ may be considered either as God or as Man As God he is in the Father and the Father in him or which is the same he is one with the Father because they are of one and the same Nature and Essence the same Infinite Excellencies and Essential Perfections that are in the Father are also in the Son upon this account the Son is said to be in the Father and the Father in him Joh. 14.10 11. Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me so that he that hath seen the Son hath seen the Father ver 9. and he that hath known the Son hath known the Father ver 7. because they are one and the same in Nature and Essence the very same as to all divine perfections And thus the Father and Son with the Spirit are said to be one 1 John 5.7 For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one one in Essence and all the perfections which are Essential to God though distinct in personality and manner of subsistence There is an Essential Union between the Father and the Son as he is God no such Union must be imagined between them and Believers the distance is no less than infinite and if there can be any resemblance it must be very remote If we consider Christ as Man he may be said to be one with the Father and is so because the same Spirit which is called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of the Father dwells in the Humane Nature of Christ Matth. 12.18 Joh. 3.34 And this may help us better to apprehend how we may be said to be one in or with the Father and the Son Therefore 3. The most intelligible way of expressing this Vnion which I meet with is this believers are said to be one with the Father because that Spirit which proceeds from him and is called his Spirit is in them They are said to be one with the Son not only because that Spirit which proceeds from the Son and is called the Spirit of Christ resides in Believers but because the same individual Spirit which dwels in the Humane Nature of Christ dwels also in them 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit he that is one with the Lord hath one Spirit with him he is quickned and acted by the Spirit of the Lord dwelling in him They are not one essentially as the Father and the Son are one being of one and the same Essence nor one personally as the Divine and Humane Nature of Christ being united in one person nor one morally only as he whose Heart cleaves to another by love is one with him but one spiritually or one Spirit because one and the same Spirit is in both So elsewhere our Union with God and Christ is said to be by the Spirit in us Eph. 2.22 In whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit We are in Christ and God is in us as his habitation as those in whom he dwels how through his Spirit By his Spirit dwelling in us as it is expressed Rom. 8.9 10 11. But ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and if Christ be in you and if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you c. Ye are Spiritual if the Spirit of God dwell in you but if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his none of his Members not united to him but if Christ be in you as is before signifyed by the Spirit of God dwelling in you c. So that this Union by the Apostles account consists in the Spirits dwelling in us and it will be farther cleared by shewing how the Spirit dwels in us 4. The Holy Spirit by virtue of whose inhabitation Believers are said to be united unto the Father and the Son dwells in them as a Principle of Spiritual Life and Motion quickens them to a new Life and all the acts of it There are some who will not have the person of the Holy Ghost to be in the Saints but I know not how this can be denyed without denying either the immensity or personality of the Divine Spirit For if he be a person and if he be every where his person will be present and reside in them It is true upon this account meerly nothing singular is ascribed to them for his person is not with them only but every where The peculiarity of this priviledge lies here that he is in them as a principle of spiritual Life and motion and thus he is not in any other Creature on Earth he quickens and acts them as a vital Principle like as an Humane Soul united unto the Body gives it Life and Motion suitable to its Nature so does the Spirit of God taking possession of the Soul of a Believer enliven and act it with the Life and Motions of a Divine and Spiritual Nature Not that the Spirit is united to the Soul as the Soul
glorious and that in an eminent manner above all the outward Worship of the Old Testament in the Tabernacle and Temple whose Glory was great and as unto external Pomp inimitable To this purpose the Apostle disputes at large 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8 9 10. This therefore is agreed that there ought to be Beauty and Glory in divine Worship and that they are most eminently in that which is directed and required in the Gospel But withal the Apostle declares in the same place that this Glory is Spiritual and not Carnal so did our Lord Jesus Christ foretel that it should be and that unto that end all distinction of places with all outward advantages and Ornaments belonging unto them should be taken away John 4 20 21 22 23 24. It belongs therefore unto our present Design to give a brief Account of its Glory and wherein it excels all other ways of divine Worship that ever were in the world even that under the Old Testament which was of divine Institution wherein all things were ordered for Beauty and Glory And it may be given in the Instances that ensue 1. The express Object of it is God not as absolutely considered but as existing in three Persons of Father Son and Holy Spirit This is the principal Glory of Christian Religion and its Worship Under the Old Testament the Conceptions of the Church about the Existence of the Divine Nature in distinct Persons were very dark and obscure for the full Revelation of it was not to be made but in the distinct actings of each Person in the works of Redemption and Salvation of the Church that is in the Incarnation of the Son and Mission of the Spirit after he was glorified John 7.39 And in all the ways of Natural Worship there was never the least shadow of any respect hereunto But this is the foundation of all the Glory of Evangelical Worship The Object of it in the Faith of the Worshipper is the Holy Trinity and it consists in an Ascription of Divine Glory unto each Person in the same individual Nature by the same Act of the Mind where this is not there is no Glory in Religious Worship 2. It s Glory consists in that constant respect which it hath unto each Divine Person as unto their peculiar work and actings for the salvation of the Church so it is described Eph. 2.18 Through him that is the Son as Mediator we have our access by one Spirit unto the Father This is the immediate Glory of Evangelical Worship comprehensive of all the Graces and Priviledges of the Gospel And to suppose that the Glory of it doth consist in any thing but the Light Graces and Privileges which it doth it self exhibit is a vain Imagination It will not borrow Glory from the Invention of men we shall therefore a little consider it as it is here represented by the Apostle 1. The Vltimate Object of it under this consideration is God as the Father we have an access therein unto the Father And this Consideration in our worship of God as a Father relating unto the whole dispensation of his Love and Grace by Christ Jesus as he is God and our God his Father and our Father is peculiar unto Gospel-worship and contains a signal part of its glory We do not only worship God as a Father so the very Heathens had a Notion that he was a Father of all things but we worship him who is the Father and as he is so both in relation to the eternal Generation of the Son and the communication of Grace by him unto us as our Father so no man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him John 1.18 This Access in our worship unto the Person of the Father as in Heaven the holy Place above as on a Throne of Grace is the glory of the Gospel See Mat. 6.9 Heb. 4.16 châ—p 10.19 20 21. 2. The Son is here considered as Mediator through him we have this access unto the Father This is the Glory that was hidden from former Ages but brought to light and display'd by the Gospel So speaks our blessed Saviour himself unto his Disciples Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my Name ask and ye shall receive Iohn 16.23 24. To ask God expresly in the Name of the Son as Mediator belongs unto the Glory of the Gospel-worship The chief of them may be reduced to these three Heads 1. It is he who makes both the persons of the Worshippers and their Duties accepted of God See Heb. 2.17 18. chap. 4.16 chap. 10.19 2. He is the Administrator of all the worship of the Church in the holy place above as its great High Priest over the House of God Heb. 8.2 Rev. 8.3 3. His Presence with and among Gospel-worshippers in their worship gives it Glory This he declares and promises Mat. 18.19 20. If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven for where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them All Success of the Prayers of the Church dependeth on and ariseth from the presence of Christ amongst them He is so present for their assistance and for their consoâ—ation This presence of a Living Christ and not a dead Crucifix gives Glory to Divine worship He who sees not the Glory of this Worship from its relation unto Christ is a stranger unto the Gospel with all the Light Graces and Privileges of it 3. It is in one Spirit that we have Access unto God in his Worship and in his Administration doth the Apostle place the glory of it in opposition unto all the glory of the Old Testament as doth our Lord Jesus Christ also in the place before referred unto for 1. The whole Ability for the observance and performance of it according to the Mind of God is from him alone His communication of Grace and Gifts unto the Church is that alone which makes it to give glory to God in his Divine Service If this should cease all acceptable Worship would cease in the world To think to observe the Worship of the Gospel without the Aid and Assistance of the Spirit of the Gospel is a lewd imagination But where he is there is Liberty and Glory 2 Cor. 3.17 18. 2. By him the sanctified Minds of Believers are made Temples of God and so the principal Seal of Evangelical worship 1 Cor. 3.16 chap. 6.8 This Temple being of God's own framing and of his own adorning by his Spirit is a much more glorious Fabrick than any that the hands of men can erect 3. By him is the Church led into internal Communion and Converse with God in Christ in Light Love and Delight with holy boldness the glory whereof is expressed by the Apostle
Rule to act by His Internal Holiness and Perfection being his sole Rule But as to Vs in our Actings we have an External Rule by which all that we do is to be squared and therefore by and according to this Rule the Spirit guides us And our Conformity thereunto is both the Measure and also the Design and End of the Spirit in his Guidance of us The Word it self carries in it a leading and directive Property Prov. 6.22 23. VVhen thou goest it shall lead thee For the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light Psal 119.105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path 133. Order my steps in thy VVord Mic. 6.8 He hath shewn thee O man what is good The written Revelation of God's Will is the Christians great Rule the Compass by which in all things he must steer his Course the Star that must direct him in all his Motions 'T is to the Law Isa 8.20 and to the Testimonys that we must have our continual Recourse for the regulating of us in all matters of Faith and Practice Now this Leading of the word and that of the Spirit are never to be sever'd As that is in subordination to This so This is ever in Conjunction with That This Word we must in all things keep close unto or else we run our selves upon most dangerous Rocks The Enthusiast is for a Light within for immediate Revelations Inspirations Impulses from the Spirit and I know not what But are these Praeter-Scriptural much more are they Anti-Scriptural Oh then they are nothing but mens own Fancies and Delusions and not at all the leadings of the Spirit of God When any upon the pretence of these go off from the written Word what wild Opinions and Practices do they run themselves upon Of which we have had too many instances both at Home and Abroad The Spirit and the VVord are our full and compleat guide The Spirit gives Light and Life to the Word and the VVord gives Evidence that the Guidance is from the Spirit But it may be ask'd Does the Spirit guide only in this mediate way Quest Is there not an immediate Leading by him at least pro hic nunc No unless you state it thus That although he may not always Answ in an Express and in an Explicit manner guide by the VVord yet his Guiding always is according to the VVord and Consentaneous to it The Word evermore is in the matter though sometimes it may not be in the manner of the Spirits Guidance He may without making use of the Word by an immediate Divine Light and Excitation lead me to this or that duty but he never leads me to any thing but what the Word first makes to be Duty Take it in that other Act of the Spirit which follows here v. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God This witnessing of Adoption is usually Mediate and by the Word yet 't is not always so sometimes 't is Immediate and without the VVord That is the Spirit assures of this not only in a syllogistical way by such and such Scripture-signs Marks Qualifications Dispositions which evidence Sonship to God as He that is led by the Spirit is the Son of God Thou art one who art led by the Spirit therefore thou art the Son of God But he sometimes may and does directly and immediately say to a person Thou art a Child of God But now though here he thus witnesses Abstractly and praecisively without making use of the marks and signs of the Word concerning this Relation yet he never so witnesses but according to the Word i. e. where those marks and signs are In like manner 't is as to his leading this is not always managed by an express Revival upon the Heart of this or that passage in the Word yet for the matter of it 't is ever done in a way consonant and agreeable to the Word And so long as we keep to this I think there will be no great danger of Enthusiasm or Fanaticisme rightly so called The manner of it III. The manner of the Spirits Leading Concerning which not to run out into all the various Explications that occur about it I 'le confine my self to these two things The Spirit leads 1. With Power and Efficacy 2. With Sweetness and Gentleness Fortiter Suaviter 1. With Power and Efficacy The Spirit leads so as that the Person led shall certainly follow him For in this Act he does not only illuminate the Vnderstanding or barely dictate to the Mind and Conscience what way is to be taken but he does also Inwardly by a Secret Power upon the Heart incline and bend the Will to close with what he directs unto He leads with a strong Hand so as that the Soul shall not be able to resist him I mean ad Victoriam I speak not of his Guidance which is common and general but of that which is peculiar and saving of that which is put forth either in those that are regenerate already or in those whom God designs to make such This leading of the Spirit in such Persons is ever carryed on with Power and Efficacy I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Ezek. 36.27 here 's not only an Informing Light but an Overpowering Influence I 'le cause you to walk in my Statutes Turn thou me and I shall be turned 'T is leading in the Text to shew the Mildness of the Spirits Operation elsewhere 't is Drawing to shew the Power of the Spirits Operation 'tis Drawing as to the depraved Will 't is Leading as to the Sanctified Will The Evil Spirit leads to sin How Why he moves perswades solicites to sin and further than that he cannot go But the Holy Spirit in his leading to Grace and Holiness pursues this with a Determining and Overcoming Power so as that the Effect which he aims at shall certainly be produced This we must grant or else we must hold a parity of Operation betwixt the two Spirits that the Holy Spirit has but the same causal Influx upon what is good which the wicked Spirit has upon what is evil then which nothing can be more absurd 2. Yet 't is Power acted and exerted with all sweetness mildness and gentleness Here 's leading but no Force Conduct but no Compulsion no Coaction vehemens Inclinatio non Coactio Ghorran The Will is determin'd but so as that not the least violence is done to it to the infringing of its Liberty Ne arbitreris istam asperam molestamque violentiam dulcis est suavis est ipsa suavitas te trahit Aug. How spontaneously does the Person led follow him that leads him so 't is here This and all the other workings of the Spirit are admirably suited to the Nature of Reasonable and Free Agents Efficacious Grace does not at all
is with the Body for these united make one person whereas the personality of the Spirit is incommunicable but that the Holy Spirit performs such Offices in a believing Soul as have some resemblance and are some way correspondent to what the Soul does in and for the Body and which the Scripture expresses in like terms and this we find frequently the Spirit is said to quicken and act those in whom he dwells they have new life and motion by his inhabitation Rom. 8.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you The Apostle having signify'd in the former verses that our Union with God and Christ is by the Spirits dwelling in us he expresses what may be expected from this inhabitation Christ's Spirit dwelling in us will quicken our mortal bodies will be a principle of Life in them quickning them to a new Life a Life of Holiness The same Spirit as he quickens so he acts those in whom he dwells who are therefore said to be led by him ver 14. For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God they are excited directed enabled to act like the Children of God by his Spirit dwelling in them so Ezek. 36.27 And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them the Spirit which I will put within you shall make you active in my wayes So much for the first Proposal II. What encouragement have we from Christs Prayer that this Vnion II. Observ and the Blessings relating thereto shall be vouchsafed Answ Our encouragement in general is the full assurance given us that his Prayer is prevalent for what he desired the particular grounds of this assurance are more particular encouragements There are several things requisite to a Prayer which when they concurr the Word of God assures us that it will prevail 1. When the things desired are according to the Will of God 1 Joh. 5.14 2. When the Person praying hath a special Interest in God and duly improves it There are some whom the Scripture declares God will not hear Joh. 9.31 Psal 66.18 Prov. 28.9 3. When the persons prayed for are such as the Lord hath some particular favour or respect for There are some for whom the Lord will not hear the best of his Servants interceding on their behalf Jer. 7.16 11.14 14.11 Now in the Prayer of Christ there is a concurrence and that in a transcendent manner of all those things that render a Prayer undoubtedly prevalent 1. The things that he prayed for were consonant to the Will of God in every instance He knew what was the Fathers Will in its full extent and discerned it with the greatest clearness and certainty for as he is God he is one with the Father of one and the same Essence and Will and as he is man he had in him all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge a fulness of the Spirit of Revelation so that he did perfectly apprehend what was the good and perfect and acceptable Will of God He did not only know this in particular instances by general rules of Scripture as we do but had the conduct of an Infallible Spirit and that alwaies not sometimes only and in some things as holy men of God the Prophets and Apostles had it but in every Act and Word And as he perfectly and infallibly understood what was agreeable to the Will of God in all points so he gave himself up intirely to the most exact observance of it without varying without the least shadow of mistake or deviation This was the end why he came into the World Joh. 6.38 This was his constant practice Joh. 5.30 in his Sufferings and Actings and in his Prayers this was his delight Joh. 4.34 Now since he presented nothing in his Petitions but what was his Fathers own Will desired nothing but it was his Fathers Will to grant we may be as certain that his Prayer was granted as we are sure that the Lord will comply with his own Will For the Second It will be apparent by shewing who it was that prayed and how he prayed of which take an account in some particulars 1. This was the Prayer of the Man Christ Jesus who was Holy Harmless and separate from Sinners he was a Lamb without spot or blemish and so was this Offering the pure Eye of God could see no blemish in him or it His requests were not prejudiced by any antecedent guilt nor tainted with any impure mixture either apparent or secret nor chargeable with the least defect in Fervour Faith Affectionateness c. It was a sinless Prayer in all respects and so such a Prayer as was never offered to God on Earth since the Foundation of the World and Sins entring into it It was not liable to the least exception no not at the Tribunal of strict Justice and so could not but be acceptable and prevalent Nay it was not only clear from every the least speck of sin but was the product of admirable Holiness such as is not to be found in the Holyest Soul or Spirit Saint or Angel He had it in larger measures in an higher degree and in a more excellent way Some tell us that if all the Holiness that is in all the Angels and Saints were united in one subject it would fall short of that which is in Christs Humane Nature However it is taken for granted that the capacity of his Soul was wonderfully enlarged by its personal Vnion with the Godhead far beyond the capacity of any other finite-Being and all this capacity was wholly filled with Holiness it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell and God gave not the Spirit by measure unto him Joh. 3.34 Saints and Angels receive it as Vessels of small measure but in Christ it is unmeasurable Now all this Holiness was exerted in this Prayer and diffused through it Grace in him was not acted sometimes intensely sometimes more remisly for remisness seems to import some culpable effect but was put forth on proper occasions and particularly in this Prayer in its full power and vigour Upon this account this Prayer was the Holyest Offering that ever was presented to the most Holy God either on Earth or in Heaven and therefore could not but be most acceptable to him and accordingly prevalent and succesful 2. It is the Prayer of him who is God of him who is God and Man in one person As the Blood of Christ is said to be the blood of God Act. 20. by the same reason the Prayer of Christ may be said to be the Prayer of God And though it be properly the Act of Christ's Humane Nature yet this Nature being personally united with the Godhead it is upon that ground duly ascribed to
God 1. By Sanctifying our Hearts and assimilating our Natures to the Nature of God for there can be no Communion where there is no likeness of Nature What Communion hath Light with Darkness or Fire with Water because there is no similitude in their Natures As the Elements that have symbolical qualities and some likeness in their Nature do easily pass one into the other by a Natural transmutation In this Communion with God there must be some suitableness and likeness between God and the Soul and that enmity and contrariety which is in our Natures to him must be removed by the sanctifying operation of the Holy Spirit in us 2. By elevating and raising the Soul above its Natural power and reach The Apostle distinguisheth between the Soul and Spirit in Man the Spirit is the superior part of the Soul and it is in the Spirit that we have our Communion with God who is a Spirit As the Union and Communion between the Soul and the Body in Nature is by the Superiour and most refined part of the Body which are the Vital Natural and Animal Spirits so our Union and Communion with God is by the Spirit the supreme part of the Soul and that elevated and raised by the Spirit of God above its own Natural capacity or power These are the principal wayes for Communion with God but then there are subordinate wayes which are the Ordinances and Institutions of God for that end For God hath in all ages been training up his people to this to have Communion with himself and therefore he did appoint Ordinances for that end under the Law there were Sacrifices and Altars and Solemn Feasts appointed of God especially the Sabbath-Day and a Sanctuary erected c. and all for this end that his People might therein draw nigh to him and have Communion with him And so in the New Testament God hath his Ordinances also appointed for this end as Prayer Hearing the Word Singing of Psalms Baptism and especially the Lords Supper which is therefore called the Communion as that Ordinance wherein we have a more special Communion with Christ and with God in him Quest But what is to be done more particularly on our part to obtain it and maintain it also Answ 1. In general we are to desire it and pant after it as the most beneficial and necessary thing in the World Many have it not because they desire it not They satisfie themselves in their converse with things below and the Communion they have with things sensible and natural and desire not this Communion with God Answ 2. You are to make it your scope and end in all the Ordinances you approach to to have therein Communion with God Many come to them out of custome some out of curiosity and others in hypocrisie and so find not that Communion with God which else they might obtain if they did make it their great scope and end David testifies his great longing that he had after the Sanctuary of God but it was for this end that he might there meet with God and have Communion with him as he expresseth it in the Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord to dwell in the House of the Lord that I may see the Beauty of the Lord and enquire in his Temple And again Psal 63. O God my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee that I may see thy Power and thy Glory as I have seen thee in thy Sanctuary which is in effect that he might there have Communion with God But to speak to this more particularly 1. If we would have Communion with God we must keep up the exercise of Faith in Christ for it is as I said by him that we have all our Communion with God therefore Christ had his Name Immanuel given to him which signifies God with us Let Faith look upon God as in Christ and so we may behold him reconciled we may behold him coming down to us in our own Nature we may behold him upon a Throne of Grace and as entred into a Covenant of Grace whereby we may with a greater freedome and boldness have access unto him which is the active part of this Communion with God and through Faith in Christ God also communicates himself by his Spirit to his People in Light Life and Love which is this Communion in the passive part of it The Apostle 1 John 4.15 saith to this purpose Whosoever confesseth that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God This Confession is an act of Faith and if it be not only from the Mouth but from the Heart it leadeth the Soul into this Communion with God expressed in our part by our dwelling in God and on Gods part by his dwelling in us 2. Keep up a dayly exercise of Repentance that so no new Sin nor the Guilt of it in the Conscience may hinder and interrupt our Communion with God For who can say his Heart is clean He is pure from sin and therefore there is need of dayly Repentance that sin may not interrupt our Communion with God which it will do if we abide impenitently under it The Apostle speaks in this Chapter of Fellow-ship with God and here in the Text and afterwards adds If any man say he hath no sin he deceiveth himself So that this Communion with God may consist with the Being of sin but not with impenitence under it and therefore adds If we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive it and we know that Confession of Sin is one great part of Repentance and when Sin is thus confessed and forgiven it need not hinder our Fellowship with God The Apostle also mentioneth in my Text Fellowship with God and the cleansing of us from sin by the Blood of Christ both these are put together so that to maintain this Fellowship with God we must be cleansed from sin which is done meritoriously by the Blood of Christ but on our part upon the Conditions of Faith and Repentance 3. Keep up a constant course of Prayer and praising God 1. Prayer Prayer is a special Ordinance for Communion with God and therefore so much commanded in Scripture Pray without ceasing saith the Apostle in one place Pray all manner of Prayer in the Spirit as he speaks in another place For if it be not a Prayer in the Spirit accompanied with Faith and fervour of Soul we may pray and yet have no Communion with God Prayer is compared to incense but it doth not ascend to Heaven but in the Fire of Holy Affection kindled by the Spirit And Christ therefore propounded several Parables to put men upon Fervency Faith and Perseverance in Prayer which are so well known that I need not mention them If the Soul draws nigh to God in any Duty it will be this And so Gods drawing nigh to the Soul is experienced to be much in this Duty of Prayer Christ himself
Persons the unpitied Poverty of Huffing Gamesters and in a word the unpleasant Exit of most Pleasure-mongers and for those that escape these common effects they as commonly contract a carnal Security which is as bad as the worst of these And for those pleasures that are above sensual I 'le say no more at present but this the better the Objects of our delights are on this side God and the pleasing of God the more our carnal Wisdom is fortified against the true method to real happiness Upon the whole matter then Pleasures are a kind of dangerous fruit which if not well corrected are Poyson we can scarce taste without danger of surfeiting But now what doth the Power of Godliness in this case What 't will not meddle with unlawful pleasures thô never so tempting 't will strain out the dregs of lawful pleasures that they may not be unwholsome 't will moderate the use of unquestionable delights that they may not be inordinate And 't will teach us to be thankful to God for making our Pilgrimage any way comfortable 't will raise the Soul to prepare and long for Heaven where are pure and full Joyes and that for evermore Thus for a Life of Pleasure What shall we say to a Life of Sorrow and Pensiveness to live 〈◊〉 Recluse from the flattering Vanities of the World a Eccles 2.2 ◠I said of Laughter it is mad and of Mirth what doth it What Musick is the gigling Mirth of the World to a serious Soul Those that the Frothy part of the World count Melancholy the sober part of the World count them Wise But yet to give way to Sorrow disspirits us for any considerable service either to God or Man it unfits us for every thing b 2 Cor. 7.10 the Sorrow of the World worketh Death Such are burdensome to themselves and others they are weary of themselves and every body else is weary of them If a Melancholy mopish temper be not checkt 't will lead to hard thoughts of God to blasphemy infidelity In short a Life of Sorrow is a degree of Hell upon Earth and such Persons torment themselves before their time But what can Religion do in this case Serious Godliness bears up the Soul from sinking under worldly sorrow c Eccles 7.3 4. Sorrow is better than Laughter for by the sadness of the Countenance the Heart is made better The Heart of the wise is in the house of Mourning but the Heart of Fools is in the house of Mirth Religion will teach us how to turn worldly Sorrow into Sorrow for Sin d 2 Cor. 7.9 10. to sorrow to Repentance after a godly manner and godly Sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation not to be repented of 'T is Serious Godliness that teacheth how to mourn for the Sins and Dangers of the Times we live in And Christians pray take special notice that this is our present great duty a duty that every Christian not only ought but may perform and none can hinder it And O that this duty were frequently thought of and more universally practised The Land is even drown'd in Pleasure the Conscientious performance of this duty would be a token for good for the abating of the deluge And thô the times should be such that their own Sorrows should be encreased yet then even then how chearing would the forethoughts of Heaven be to such serious Christians How may they chide their Hearts out of their Dejections e Psal 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet aye and ever praise him who now is and for ever will be the health of my Countenance f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salutes faciei mei and the Salvation of my face and my God Because thou art my God g Psal 67.6 my own God my exceeding great not only rewarder but h Gen. 15.1 reward And thus much for the second Pair Pleasure and Sorrow III. Who knows whether Honour or Obscurity be best for man in this Life At first sight it seems easie to determine but when both sides are heard 't will seem otherwise For Honour every one would be Some-body in the World would be esteemed and preferr'd before others disgrace and infamy seem most intolerable when Job had done contesting with his censorious Friends he is greatly concern'd about the contempt poured upon him thô but by infamons Enemies Job 29. 30. And David thô he could even in desperate cases encourage himself in God yet complains i Psal 69.20 Reproach hath broken my Heart matter of Honour and Reputation is a tender point not any of what rank soever but deeply resent the being slighted But for Honour when we consider how hazardous it is to get thô all are clambering few reach it consider further when 't is got 't is slippery to hold others envy and their own fear distract 'em and then if you adde the falling from it that 's worse than if they never had it but there 's worse than all this the insuperable temptation to pride oppression and impenitency all which nothing but Grace can prevent or cure And for that lesser reputation and esteem which comes short of the Name of Honour 't is troublesom to carry it like a Venice-glass that the least touch may not crack it What can Religion do in this Case Serious Godliness 't will never be beholding to Sin nor Satan for worldly Honour It values it no more than as it adds to a capacity of honouring God He that 's truely Religious is neither so fond of Honour as to Sin to get or keep it neither doth he count himself undone to lose it he values the priviledge of Adoption beyond all the Honours in the World k Isa 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable he is graciously ambitious of doing God and Christ some service in the World he appears for God to discountenance prevent or remove Sin to encourage promote and advance Holiness this God in condescension accounts an honouring of him and hath accordingly promised l 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed In short you may know what Faith you have by what Honour you prize m John 5.44 How can ye believe that receive honour one of another and seek not the Honour which cometh from God only This for Honour Some preferr Obscurity in the World to snudge in quiet to live retired and reserved out of the Vexatious hurry of a captious World to keep in the shade out of the scorching Sun to steal out of the World without any noise or notice O how sweet is this to many wise and judicious Persons that are every way above what 's Vulgar But how do these in running from one Vanity fall into another They debase the humane Nature and the reasonable Soul while they
Atheists viz. The Atheist is inquisitive for Arguments to promote his Atheism the tempted Christian as inquisitive for Arguments and Grace to destroy it those that are seriously godly do not only seek a perfect cure of their own in part mortified Atheism but mournfully bewail the insolent Atheism of the age they live in If it be as it is as a Sword in their Bones for their Enemies to l Psalm 42.10 reproach them while they say daily unto them Where is your God If it as it were break their Bones to have their interest in God and Gods peculiar care of them so much as questioned it must needs be as a Sword to their heart a killing wound to hear the Fear of God ridicul'd and the Being of God denied Certainly as Grace is heightned a gracious Person is next to being overwhelmed Thô God hath an evidence of his Deity lies lieger in the worst of his Enemies yet upon the miracles of Mercy he works for and in his own People God may say to them m Isai 43.12 They are his Witnesses that he is God And the more eminent any one is in Grace the more experimental Witness he is that the Lord is God This may not only be sufficient for the instances already given but be sufficiently instructive what to do in all other Cases that might be named I had thought to have proportionably enlarged upon these which I shall but little more than name and therefore shall not add them to the number Who knows whether a full or a vacant employment be best for him A full employment is that which every one that hath dealings in the World gapes after this leaves no room for Melancholy nor Idleness each of which are unspeakably mischievous But those that live in a Hurry of business do neither enjoy God nor themselves 't is tiresome both to Body and Mind the Truth is the desire of it is ordinarily naught in the rise 't is from covetousness and ambition naught in the progress it neglects God and godliness and naught in the close it ends at best in disappointment But here Religion gives relief for a Heavenly-minded Person to be full of worldly business 't is he alone that minds the main business of his Life to work out his Salvation 't is he alone that both will and can keep the World from justling out what 's better the World in this is like the Gout thô you keep it at your feet 't is troublesome but if it reach the Heart 't is mortal the World thrô Grace may be a good Servant but 't is impossible to be a good Master Is vacancy from Employment better 'T is tedious to be alwayes drudging for we know not who nor what to have no time to spare for Refreshment and Recreation that we may enjoy what we have be it more or less this seems better But yet to have little or nothing to do exposeth us to we can't say what Idleness is an inlet to the most monstrous Abominations Relaxation from business and Recreation after weariness is at best but a banquet no way fit for ordinary food besides this Satan watcheth and never misseth prevailing upon an idle Person What can Serious Godliness do in this Case When one whose Heart is set upon godliness hath but little to do with the World he findes enough to do as a Christian The considerate Christian hath not one hour in his Life wherein he hath nothing to do he alone can make a Virtue of Necessity he alone can redeem time for God he alone can fill his Life with Duty and Comfort in short 't is through Grace alone that a man hath never too much nor too little business 'T is the power of Godliness that is thus powerful Who knows whether many or few Friends be best for him For many Friends man is a sociable Creature and cannot live of himself to be destitute of Friends seems very doleful A Friend is born for Adversity a Friend may be better than an Estate to have many dear Friends and Relations it carries us thrô our lives with Comfort it is a Duty to prize 'em it is a sin to slight 'em and therefore this seems unquestionably best But and there 's no Friends on earth without a but in their Commendation Friends themselves are troublesome apt to take exceptions to mistake to be weary of us if we have long need of 'em and besides this there 's none in the World whose Friendship is not founded on Grace can be so much my Friend now but he may be as much my Enemy hereafter And if you can find any Friend above these exceptions how do the thoughts of parting abate the Comfort of enjoying Alas we dare not think of it Can Serious Godliness stand us in any stead here Much every way if our Friends be Irreligious this necessitates us to do what 's possible to make them Friends to Christ and to Religion and this attempt is alwayes successeful if not to make them Gracious yet to make our selves more gracious and if thy Friends be already Religious thou wilt have a foretast of Heaven in the Communion of Saints thô this is rare and rarely enjoyed Some think 't is best to have few or no Friends We are too apt to flatter our selves and to bear upon our Friends to reckon upon their Interest when we ordinarily find disappointments whereas expecting nothing from them makes us learn to live without them and in some sort above them We need neither flatter nor humour any Body But now to be Friendless that 's very uncomfortable a Friend greatens all the Joyes and lessens all the Sorrows we meet with in this World it argues a crooked and perverse disposition to be without Friends or not to care for ' em Besides this we had need to have every man our Friend for we know not into whose hands our Life may come before we dye that Person must needs be miserable who lives undesir'd and dyes unlamented What can Serious Godliness do in this Case A Serious Holy Person thô he have but few or perhaps no worldly Friends he hath the most and the best Friends he hath God to be his Friend he hath an Interest in the whole houshold of Faith and he can make up in God what he wants in any other Persons or things of the World what thô he hath no Friend to stand by him Innocency and Independency dare do and can suffer any thing Who knows whether Freedom from Affliction or an afflicted Condition be at present best for him Freedom from Afflictions seems most desirable both to Nature and Grace we naturally love our ease and would have nothing befall us that is Grievous to Flesh and Blood and Gracious Persons pray and strive to prevent and remove Afflictions But yet the experiences of all good and bad in all ages of the World proclaims this upon the House-tops that more have got good by Afflictions than by being
Heart such as that is such he is now if a mans chief work be about his heart to watch that to purifie that to suppress the corruptions of it to reduce it into order and keep it in ordâ—â— to bring it into an holy frame and maintain it in such a frame when he hath so much reason for it it cannot be the effect of Fancy or a meer pretence 4. Let Grace influence you in all you do even in your ordinary Civil actions do all graciously do your common work as your Duty labour in your Callings enjoy your Refreshments visit your Friends make use of your Recreations with a sense of Duty and an eye to God do all as commanded by him and with a respect to his Glory and your own Salvation in a word Interest God in all let all be done by his Grace as the ruling and directing Principle and when ye find it so powerful ye may well believe it to be real 5. Labour to out do all you ever did while in a state of Nature Think what have been the highest actions you have ever been put upon not only by Fancy or humour but by the best Reason you then had by natural Conscience or good Education or legal Convictions or any present impressions from things without and then make it your business to outdo them all labour so to act as nothing less than a settled principle of Holiness in your Hearts could ever make you act living in the Love of God delighting in his wayes rejoycing in Christ Jesus mortifying your beloved Lusts your most secret or most pleasant or most creditable or most profitable Corruptions renouncing all trust in your own Righteousness when yet you do your utmost to work Righteousness are such acts as nor meer nature nor any thing in Nature can reach unto and for any to say that Fancy can put a man upon so acting is it self the veriest Fancy 6. Keep an even Course of holy walking in the most different or contrary Conditions If you can hold on in Gods wayes when most disheartned in them Serve him never the worse for his Afflicting you walk holily when you have least of the Comfort of Holiness not only keep to God when the World is against you but you fear he is himself against you trust in him when you think he is slaying you follow him when he withdraws from you and on the other side not abuse his Goodness not grow wanton with his Smiles not presume upon his Encouragements if the taste of Gods graciousness k 1 Pet. 2.3 whet your desires after him his Comforts do not cloy you nor dull you nor make you grow more loose or slack in his wayes if when you rejoyce most in God ye rejoyce most in his work the Comfort of your Hearts purifies and spiritualizeth your Hearts so that the more ye enjoy of God the more ye do for him and so in a word all Gods dispensations help you forward in his wayes his Rods drive you on his Gifts draw you out and both further your Progress in Faith and Holiness neither his Consolations puff you up nor his Corrections cast you down so as to abate your Affections to him and care of pleasing him you can love the Lord and his Holiness and fear the Lord and his Goodness l Hos 3.5 love him when he Frowns and fear him when he Smiles this will certainly speak the reality of that holy Princiâ—â—â— which is in you nothing not real could ever have so real so great effects upon you 7. Be much in the exercise of those Graces which have least affinity with your Natures least footing in them and in mortifying those Corruptions which your Natures are most inclined to and that will evidence a real change in you and a real Principle Some Graces may be further off from your natural tempers than others be more in the exercise of them and some Corruptions may be more agreeable to them so in some Pride is in others Anger in others Fear be sure exercise your selves especially to beat them down go contrary to the stream and current of your own inclinations it must be something more than a Fancy that can either outdo the best of nature or mend its worst Mans Fancies usually have some foundation in their tempers and dispositions and therefore as their tempers are various so are their Fancies too some carry them one way some another but for the most part it is for the promoting or gratifying some natural inclination and then that which crosseth such inclinations most is most like to be something constant and fixed Fancy will hardly overcome Nature in a wrathful man and make him become meek and gentle nor make one that is dull and phlegmatick active and zealous nor a proud person humble nor a churl liberal though where Grace meets with a good disposition it makes the greater shew as suppose gracious Meekness in one who hath already a natural meekness yet the power of Grace is especially seen in its influence upon such inclinations in mens natures as are most contrary to it when it corrects them regulates them or makes men act most oppositely to them And that which thus rectifies the most crooked dispositions sweetens an harsh Nature moderates a furious one elevates a dull one whatever it be it is more than a Fancy 8. Labour to act to such an height of Holiness and walk so closely with God that ye may have some sensible Communion with him in Duties and Ordinances that you may see his Power and his Glory in his Sanctuary Psal 63.2 May tast his Graciousness 1 Pet. 2.3 David did tast sweetness in the Word Psal 19.10 and why may not you Why may not the spiritual senses of a Believer an enlightned Understanding and renewed Conscience take as real pleasure in spiritual Objects as his natural Senses may in natural ones God may beam in his Love into your Souls shed it abroad in your Hearts m Rom. 5.5 make you tast its Sweetness and feel its Power chearing up your Spirits and filling them with Joy unspeakable and glorious n 1 Pet. 1.8 the Father may come and the Son come and manifest themselves to you and take up their abode with you o Joh. 14.21 23. so that you may say in the joy of your Hearts This is the Lord and we have waited for him this is our God and he will save us p Isa And if you experience this in your selves in your conversing with God in his Ordinances find something you never found any where else and can scarce express or make others understand that have not felt the same like the white stone with the new Name which none knows but he that hath it Rev. 2.17 You will find Gods Consolations carry their own Evidence along with them and speak their own reality they have something Divine in them such a Stamp of God upon them that they will satisfie your Hearts
receive it i. e. To acknowledge receive resign entrust and subject our selves unto God in Christ revealed in it 2ly And of how vast importance this is towards our establishment the confirming fortifying and uniting of our hearts and our joynt preservation in our Christian state the main thing we are to design and be solicitous for we may see in these particulars 1. Hereby we should apprehend the things to be truly great wherein we are to unite That union is not like to be firm and lasting the center whereof is a trifle It must be somewhat that is of it self apt to attract and hold our hearts strongly to it To attempt with excessive earnestness an union in external formalities that have not a value and goodness in themselves when the labour and difficulty is so great and the advantage so little how hopeless and insignificant would it be The mystery of God even of the Father and of Christ how potently and constantly attractive would it be if aright understood and ackowledg'd Here we should understand is our life and our all 2. Hereby we should in comparison apprehend all things else to be little And so our differences about little things would languish and vanish We should not only know but consider and feelingly apprehend that we agree in far greater things than we differ in and thence be more strongly inclin'd to hold together by the things wherein we agree than to contend with one another about the things wherein we differ 3. Hereby our Religion would revive and become a vital powerful thing and consequently more grateful to God and awful to men 1. More grateful to God who is not pleased with the stench of Carkasses or with the dead shewes of Religion instead of the living substance We should hereupon not be deserted of the divine presence which we cannot but reckon will retire when we entertain him but with insipid formalities What became of the Christian interest in the world when Christians had so sensibly diverted from minding the great things of Religion to little minute circumstances about which they affected to busie themselves or to the pursuit of worldly advantages and delights 2. More awful to men They who are tempted to despise the faint languid appearances of an impotent inefficacious spiritless Religion discern a Majesty in that which is visibly living powerful and productive of suitable fruits Who that shall consider the state af the Christian Church and the gradual declining of Religion for that three hundred years from Constantines time to that of Phocas but shall see cause at once to lament the sin and folly of men and adore the righteous severity of God For as Christians grew gradually to be loose wanton sensual and their leaders contentious luxurious covetous proud ambitious affecters of Domination so was the Christian Church gradually forsaken of the divine presence Inasmuch as that at the same time when Boniface obtained from Phocas the title of universal Bishop in defiance of the severe sentence of his Predecessor Gregory the great sprang up the dreadful delusion of Mahomet †Brerewood's Enquiries And so spread it self to this day thorough Asia Africa and too considerable a part of Europe that where Christians were twenty or thirty to one there was now scarce one Christian to twenty or thirty Mahometans or grosser Pagans And what between the Mahometan infatuation and the Popish Tyranny good Lord what is Christendom become when by the one the very name is lost and by the other little else left but the name 4. Hereby we shall be inabled most resolvedly to suffer being call'd to it when it is for the great things of the Gospel the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ clearly and with assurance understood and acknowledg'd Such a faith will not be without its pleasant relishes 'T is an uncomfortable thing to suffer either for the meer spiritless uncertain unoperative notions and opinions or for the unenlivened outward forms of Religion that we never felt to do us good in which we never tasted sweetness or felt power that we were really nothing ever the better for But who will hesitate at suffering for so great things as the substantials of the Gospel which he hath clearly understood whereof he is fully assured and which he hath practically acknowledged and embraced so as to feel the energy and power of them and relish their delicious sweetness in his soul And thô by such suffering he himself perish from off this earth his Religion lives is spread the more in the present age and propagated to after ages So seminal and fruitful a thing is the blood of Martyrs as hath alwaies been observ'd And as such a faith of the Mystery of the Gospel appears to have this tendency to the best firmest and most lasting union among Christians and the consequent preservation of the Christian Interest this mystery being more generally considered only So this tendency of it would be more distinctly seen if we should consider the more eminent and remarkable parts of it The mystery of the Redeemers person The Emmanuel God uniting himself with the nature of man His Office A reconciler of God and Man to each other His Death as a propitiatory sacrifice to slay all enmity His victory and conquest over it wherein is founded his universal Empire over all His triumphant entrance into Heaven whither he is to collect all that ever lov'd trusted and obey'd him to dwell and be conversant together in his eternal love and praises How directly do all these tend to endear and bind the hearts and souls of Christians to God and him and one another in everlasting bonds Thus then we have the answer to our question in the two parts of the Text. The former pointing out to us the subjects of our union with the uniting principle by which they are to be combin'd with one another The other the center of it with the uniting principle whereby they are all to be united in that center Vse And what now remains but that we lament the decay of these two principles And to our uttermost endeavour the revival of them 1. We have great cause to lament their decay for how visible is it and how destructive to the common truly Christian Interest It was once the usual cognisance of those of this holy profession See how these Christians love one another and even refuse not to dye for each other Now it may be How do they hate and are like to dye and perish by the hands of one another Our Lord himself gave it them to be their distinguishing character By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if you love one another Good Lord what are they now to be known by And what a cloudy wavering uncertain lank spiritless thing is the Faith of Christians in this age become How little are the ascertaining grounds of it understood or endeavoured to be understood Most content themselves to profess
addes the admiration and acknowledgment of Gods forbearing goodness towards them Yet saith he vers 30. didst thou forbear them or as 't is in the Hebrew protract defer Memusbeka Ezek. 12.15 prolong over them yea many years didst thou forbear them and vers 31. when the Jewes were in their Enemies hands for their sins yet nevertheless saith he for thy great mercies sake thou didst not utterly consume nor forsake them When we mourn for the sins of our Places we should much admire Gods forbearing Goodness that he defers to punish those Sins and Sinners which we must not defer to mourn for We should lay Man low but at the same time set up God high and in nothing more than in his Patience towards Sinners Patience I say infinitely exceeding any ever exercised by Man 1. All the Sins we mourn for are most clearly seen by God and known to him He sees sin wherever 't is and infinitely more plainly understands all the odious Circumstances and aggravations of sin than we can do that mourn for them or than they can that did commit them And 2. As he sees sin in all its odiousness so he infinitely more hates it than all the Saints and Angels in Heaven can do as being the only object of his hatred all the Streams whereof are collected in this one Channel Sin being also against his very nature and being a destroying him in the desire of the Sinner and that which should he in the least measure love or less than infinitely hate he would cease to be God Further admire his Patience 3. In sparing those that are perfectly in his power to destroy Rebels that are under his feet Yea lastly whom in all their Rebellions he invites to repentance yea feeds supplies maintains daily and richly Say then in thy Mourning for the Abominations of others How patient art thou in forbearing to punish those sins which it is my duty with an holy impatience to see and hear 2. In mourning for the sins of the Wicked advance God in the acknowledgment of his Justice and spotless Righteousness should he with utmost severity take vengeance upon Offenders This we shall find also to be the temper of holy Nehemiah in the forementioned Chapter the 9th and the 33d verse where mourning for the sins of the People he clears and acquits God from any injustice in executing his heavyest severities upon sinners So Ezra 9.15 Psal 15. Howbeit saith he thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly Say Lord I wonder not at the evils that doe but those that do not befall us Were the fire of thy wrath proportion'd to the fewel of our sins we should be utterly consumed 'T is thy Mercy Lord we are not so Thou wouldst be infinitely just and to be justifi'd if we were so And 3. In spreading before God the wickednesses of great Sinners admire his infinite Power that can not only stop the worst of men in but turn them from their course of opposing God by their Rebellions We are not so to mourn for as to despair of the Conversion of the worst They are as much within the Converting reach as the Destructive reach of Gods hand Say 1. This great Sinner whose Impieties I bewail can easily by thy irresistible Grace which no hard heart can reject as was Saul be made not only of a Wolf a Sheep but even a Shepherd too I censure his way but I dare not determ ine his end Thou hast made white Paper of as black and filthy dunghil raggs What cannot the infinite Power of God accomplish for the Conversion of the greatest Sinner I now bewail him Lord but thou canst also make him more to bewail himself and make him as zealous in setting up as now he is in destroying thy People It should more comfort thee that thou sinnest not with them than trouble thee that thou sufferest from them God can make strait timber of a crooked piece God can take his Garden out of Satan's Waste Oh! how glorious would pardoning Grace and converting Power appear in causing such a change 4. In mourning admire that Grace and Power that hath kept thee from their Excesses and Extravagancies 2. The second Branch of the Manner how we must bewail the Sins § 5 of others is as it respects those for whom and for whose Sins we lament and mourn You may take up this in several particulars 1. We must bewail the Sins of our bitterest Enemies as well as of our most beloved Relations A rare and seldom practised duty I fear that this will be found I suppose there 's no godly man but bitterly mourns for the Impieties of his dear Yoke-fellow or Child but to mourn because a cruel Enemy either dishonours God or damns his own Soul I doubt there are very few that are conscientious therein Nothing is more common than to rail at our Enemies for their Impieties and to expose them to Obloquy and publick Hatred but I fear there 's nothing more unusual than to bewail their Soul their self-destroying Sins before God in secret The former Pride and Self-love will easily put us upon the latter only flows from Christian Charity and holy sanctified Zeal and Compassion Jer. 13.17 To embrace the former and neglect the latter is to exchange a Duty for a Sin A miserable exchange The holy temper of Christ Luk. 19.41 and Paul acted by his Spirit discovered their bewailings and shedding tears for those that desired to shed their blood Doubtless such a mourning as this would if not prevail for the Conversion of Enemies yet be a comfortable evidence to our Consciences of the truth yea the strength of Grace in us and of pardoning Grace bestow'd upon us who discover so high a degree of forgiving our Enemies 'T is a thousand times more eligible that mine Enemies Sins should suffer Shipwrack in a Sea of my tears than their Persons should be born down by the stream of my Power 2. We ought to bewail the Sins of our near and dear Relations § 6 in a greater measure than those of meer Strangers Natural Affection sanctified is the strongest As Nature puts forth it self to nearest Relations in strong affection so Grace engageth to a proportionable degree of spiritualizing that Affection How earnest and desirous was holy Paul for his Kinsmen in the flesh that they should be saved Rom. 10.1 Never did a godly man in the World never durst he neglect the Duty of bewailing the Sins of his Children Job offered Sacrifices Job 1.5 and Prayers and Tears too no doubt for very fear his Children might offend God There is in the Saints a spiritual Storge a natural affection Spiritualized No Godly man knows how to spare any one Child of his for the Devil it must needs trouble him to fear that they who are so near in this should be so distant in the next Life His Soul desires especiasly
spiritually Bone of each others Bone and Flesh of each others Flesh Ephes 5.25 to vers 33. ¶ We maintain our Communion with Christ not only by Eating with him Joh. 6.53 to ver 57. but also by Eating of him ¶ God the Father calls us into Fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Ephes 3.12 ¶ Christ is said to dwell in our Hearts by Faith and by his Spirit also for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Heb. 3.14 This our fellowship and Communion with Christ is evidenced by our Perseverance in Grace firmly to the End This our Fellowship with Jesus Christ is confirmed by the Sacraments 1. He that is Baptized into Christ hath put on Christ Gal. 3.27 2. By the Supper which is therefore called the Communion because the Saints gather together in that as the highest act of their Fellowship with the Lord and with one another 1 Cor. 10.16 The Bread that we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ The Cup that we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Children of God walking in the light have thereby fellowship with Christ and one with another 1 Joh 1.7 As Christ is God and Man in one Person so we have fellowship with him in both Natures 1. In his Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 2. In his Humane Nature Heb. 2.14 Partaking with him in the same Flesh and Blood ¶ In the Spirit He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 Rom. 8.11 There is one Body and one Spirit Eph. 4.4 ¶ In Afflictions Phil. 3.10 That I may know the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death ¶ We have Communion with Christ in Glory Rom. 8.17 18. If so be we suffer with him that we may be glorified together Who shall change our vile Body and fashion it like to his glorious Body So Joh. 17.21 22 23 24. ¶ In all good things Wisdom Righteousness Redemption Faith 1 Cor. 1.30 Repentance Regeneration Adoption Justification Sanctification and Spiritual Liberty All these are Benefits and high blessings communicated from the Father by the Spirit through the Purchase and Merit of Jesus Christ See that place it is very Pregnant 2 Cor. 5.17 and apposite 1. He tells you We know Christ no more after the Flesh Because that Dispensation is over we are now under the dispensation of the Spirit 2. Therefore If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature 3. Our Communion with Christ is not hereby lost but advanced Higher if any be in Christ he is a new Creature In Christ still and a New Creature by Christs Spirit working in us all new things and working out all old 4. All this is the Work of God in us and for us by the Son reconciling us and the Spirit perfecting us in the Ministry of Reconciliation ver 18 19.5 All this arose from Love ver 14. the Root of the Communion of Saints with the Blessed Trinity 6. As ye have heard founded in Union expressed in a Communication of all good things by Christ our Head and Husband with Reciprocation and returns of Love on our part in all the Acts of it by intire and Sincere Obedience also in mutual Interchanges of Dutyes respecting our fellow-members of the same Body This is so fully set forth by the Apostle Paul according to the Grace of God given to him that I need say no more about it but commend the reading of that whole Chapter to you 1 Cor. 12. from ver the 4th to the end I fear this Relation and Fellowship is little minded with the Dutyes of it by many that yet think themselves in the Body and presume of the Priviledges of it Mark these few things for your help 1. The differences of Gifts and Administrations Offices and Services in the Body Spiritual as in the Body Natural vers 4. 12. 2. All these coming from one Spirit and one Head Jesus Christ the Fountain Head of all ver 13. 3. That all these Gifts and Graces are divided to every member as the Lord pleaseth for the same use and end to profit withall without Schism without a conceit of self-sufficiency and unconcernedness for others ver 7. 11. 4. All this called Christ to shew the near and Blessed Communion of Saints ver 12. XVIII The last Means I shall name to you is in the words immediately following my Text Vers 21. in the same verse Which doubtless the Holy Ghost points us to as an Effectual means to keep our seives in the Love of God Reason 1. Because it is the Highest Act of Gods Love to us to bestow Eternal Life on us 2. The Lord that hath provided Eternal Life for us will have us alwayes walk in Expectation of it Gen. 49.18 Tit. 2.13 3. We have no Ground at all to expect Eternal Life from God without keeping our selves in the Love of God Rom. 8.23 compared with the last verse 4. We keep our selves in Gods Love by being found in such a State and in such a Way as leads to Life which is chiefly Faith and Obedience 5. Such as are found out of this Way and State are not Children but Strangers and Enemies therefore have no Reason to expect an Inheritance they have no Title nor Right to it Now a Son that 's Heir apparent by Adoption in Christ to such an Estate of Eternal Life in Heaven he will not only be alwayes in Expectation of it but will judge himself bound to study all the wayes he can possibly do to please God to keep in his Love and favour and withall fear and take heed of forfeiting the Love of God 1. Because it is an Act of Mercy and free Grace it is not a Debt or any thing thou canst challenge the Lord Jesus is sole purchaser Text. Rom. 6. ult The Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. If we look for all as an Act of Mercy it will keep the Soul humble Jam. 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 and thankful Such a frame of Soul the Lord loves and favours Micah 6.8 2 Cor. 4.18 chap. 5.1 3. The Prospect of Eternal Life will keep us from being much enamoured with this Life which is Vain and Sinful and Sorrowful and Transient 4. The Prospect of a better Life will make us prepare for it 1 Tim. 6.12 Rev. 21.2 Phil. 3.12 13 14. and lay hold on it 2 Pet. 11.12 13 14. By Watchfulness as the wise Virgins Math. 25.4 10. By Constancy in our course and race 1 Tim. 6.19 By casting away every Clog Heb. 12.1 2. 5. Because all Creatures wait for this Glory and are Rom. 8.19 in earnest Expectation of it 6. Because all Saints have ever lived up to it 1 Thes 4. ult Heb. 4.1 9 Heb. 6.19 20. this is the Haven of their rest here they cast Anchor with this they comfort themselves for this they groan
they may have thereby they will give them up to be an easie prey unto the other Designers And there are two Engines that are applied unto this purpose the one is Ignorance the other is Prophaneness or Sensuality of Life Whenever either of these prevails the Experience intended must necessarily be lost and excluded And the means of their prevailing are want of due Instruction by those who are the Leaders of the People and the encouragement of Sensuality by Impunity and great Examples This is the only formidable Conspiracy against the Profession of the Truth in this Nation without whose Aid all power and force will be frustrate in the Issue And as there is a great appearance in Divine Permission of such a state of things at present amongst us so if they be manag'd by Counsel also and that those ways of Ignorance and Sensuality are countenanced and promoted for this very End that the power of Truth being lost the Profession of it may be given up on easie terms there is nothing but Sovereign Grace that can prevent the Design For the Principle which we have laid down is uncontrollable in Reason and Experience namely That the loss of an Experience of the power of Religion will issue one way or other in the loss of the Truth of Religion and the Profession of it Whence is it that so many corrupt Opinions have made such an Inroad on Protestant Religion and the Profession of it Is it not from hence that many have lost an Experience of the power and efficacy of the Truth and so have parted with it Whence is it that Prophaneness and Sensuality of Life with all manner of corrupt Lusts of the Flesh have grown up unto the shame of Profession Is it not from the same Cause as the Apostle expresly declares it comes by 2 Tim. 4 2 3 4 5. One way or other the loss of Experience of the power of Truth will end in the loss of the profession of it But I proceed unto the Instance which I do design in the Church of Rome for the Religion of it at this day is nothing but a dead Image of the Gospel erected in the loss of an experience of its spiritual power overthrowing its Use with all its Ends being suited to the Taste of men carnal ignorant and superstitious This I shall make evident by all sorts of Instances in things relating to the Person and Offices of Christ the State Order and Worship of the Church with the Graces and Duties of Obedience required in the Gospel And in all my principal Design is to demonstrate what is the only way and means of securing our own Souls any Church or Nation from being insnared with or prevailed against by Popery 1. It is a general Notion of Truth that the Lord Christ in his Person and Grace is to be proposed and represented unto men as the principal Object of their Faith and Love He himself in his divine Person is absolutely invisible unto us and as unto his humane Nature absent from us For the Heavens must receive him until the time of the restitution of all things There must therefore an Image or Representation of him be made unto our Minds or he cannot be the proper Object of our Faith Trust Love and Delight This is done in the Gospel and the preaching of it for therein he is evidently set forth before our eyes as crucified amongst us Gal. 3.1 So also are all the other Concerns of his Person and Offices therein clearly proposed unto us yea this is the principal End of the Gospel namely to make a due Representation of the Person Offices Grace and Glory of Christ unto the Souls of men that they may believe in him and believing have eternal Life John 20.31 Upon this Representation made of Christ and his Glory in the Gospel and the Preaching of it Believers have an Experience of the power and efficacy of the divine Truth contained therein in the way before mentioned as the Apostle declares 2 Cor. 3.18 For we all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Having a Spiritual Light to discern and behold the Glory of Christ as represented in the Glass of the Gospel they have experience of its transfoâ—ming power and efficacy changing them into the likeness of the Image represented unto them that is of Christ himself which is the saving effect of Gospel-power But this Spiritual Light was lost among men through th efficacy of their Darkness and Unbelief they were not able to discover the Glory of Christ as revealed and proposed in the Gospel so as to make him the present Object of their Faith and Love And this Light being lost they could have no experience of the power of Divine Truth concerning him changing them into his Image They could make no affecting discovery of him in the Scripture All things therein were dark and confused or at least seemed an inaccessible Mystery which they could not reduce to practice Hence those who had got the publick conduct of Religion drove the people from Reading the Scripture as that which was of no use but rather dangerous unto them What shall these men then betake themselves unto shall they reject the notion in general that there ought to be such a representation made of Christ unto the minds of men as to inflame their devotion to excite their Faith and stir up their affection to him This cannot be done without an open Renunciation of him and of the Gospel as a Fable Wherefore they will find out another way for it another means unto the same end And this is by making Images of him of wood and stone or Gold and Silver or painting on them Hereby they supposed he would be made present unto his Worshippers That he would be so represented unto them as that they should be immediately stirred up unto the embraces of Faith and Love And herein they found sensible effects unto their great satisfaction For their minds being dark carnal and prone to superstition as are the minds of all men by nature they would see nothing in the Spiritual Representation of him in the Gospel that had any power on them or did in any measure affect them In these Images by the means of sight and imagination they found that which did really work upon their Affections and as they thought did excite them unto the love of Christ And this was the true Original of all the Imagery in the Church of Rome as something of the same nature in general was of all the Image-worship in the World So the Israelites in the wilderness when they made the Golden Calf did it to have a representation of a Deity near unto them in such a visible manner as that their Souls might be affected with it so they expressed themselves Exod 32 1. Wherefore in this State under a loss of
is this Quest How may our belief of Gods Governing the world support us in all worldly distractions The Text which I have now read is the precious and sure foundation on which I am to build in that we find these things observable 1. A comfortable assertion the Lord reigneth i. e. Jehovah God or if you please our Lord Jesus Christ unto whom all power is given both in Heaven and in Earth For that he is particularly intended in this Psalm may be gathered from vers 7. Confounded be all they that serve graven Images and boast themselves of their Idols worship him all ye Gods which last words relate to Christ as the Apostle Paul assures us Heb. 1 6. When he bringeth in the first begotten into the World he saith and let all the Angels of God worship him 2. Here is an Exhortation to joy and gladness upon account of the Lords reigning Let the Earth rejoyce and let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof i. e. Let all the world rejoyce at least all those that are the subjects of this mighty Lord who have bowed to his Scepter and submitted themselves to his Government as a willing people in the day of his power Christ was the desire of all Nations and there is reason why he and his Government should be the delight and satisfaction of all Nations Both those in the Earth by which some understand the Continent and those in the Isles England Scotland and Ireland among the rest or if you please you may understand the Gentiles because that passage of the Prophet Isa 42 4. The Isles shall waite for his Law is by the Evangelist rendered thus Mat. 12 21. In his name shall the Gentiles trust 3. We have here the manner how the Lord administers his Kingdoms and mannageth his Government and that is laid down in two things 1. First with terrible majesty and mysteriousness this you have in the former part of the second Verse Clouds and darkness are round about him Which words do intimate to us the tremendous majesty of the Lord which may well strike an awe upon his Subjects and friends and much more fill his enemies with dread and horrour He was terrible at his giving forth the fiery Law upon Mount Sinai As we read Deut. 11 4. The Mountain burnt with fire unto the midst of Heaven with darkness Clouds and thick darkness So he is and will be still in his present and future appearances and dispensations Mala. 3 2. Who shall abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth well may that question be propounded for Mat. 12 3. His Fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his Floor and gather his wheat into the garner but burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire And as these Clouds and darkness do signifie the terrible Majesty so the mysteriousness of his proceedings He often goeth so much out of our sight that we are unable to give an account of what he doth or what he is about to do Frequently the Pillar of divine Providence is dark throughout to Israelites as well as Egyptians so that his own People understand not the Riddles till he is pleased to be his own Interpreter and so lead them into his Secrets Psalm 77 19. His way is in the Sea and his path in the great Waters and his footsteps are not known c. The Lord mannageth his Kingdom and Government with perfect equity and unspotted Justice Righteousness and Judgment are the habitation of his Throne Righteousness whereby he preserves saves and rewards the good Judgment whereby he punishes confounds and destroyes the wicked These are the habitation of his Throne his Tribunal his Seat of Judicature These are the Basis or foundation which give unto his Throne is recritudinem stabilitatem rectitude and establishment His Throne is established in righteousness and the Scepter of his Kingdom is a right Scepter Though there be Clouds yet no blemishes though darkness yet no deformities Psalm 92 15. The Lord is upright he is our Rock there is no unrighteousness in him The Doctrine I shall speak to is this In the midst of all outward distractions and confusions Doct. Gods Governing the world may and should be the support and joy of his Saints In the handling thereof I shall observe this method 1. Enquire what Government is 2. Prove that God doth Govern the World 3. Shew why this should support and comfort his People 4. Improve the whole in a way of use I begin with the first of these Quest What is Government Answer I answer Government is the exerting or putting forth of that Power which any one is justly cloathed with for the ordering and directing of Persons and things to their right and proper ends In this description of Government are three things to be considered and spoken to In all Government there is an end fixed and aimed at Thus it is in Domestick or Family Government which Parents have over their Children by nature and Masters over their Servants by vertue of Contract The end of that Government is the good of the Family and every one that is a member thereof The Parent or Master ought not to be wholly addicted to himself nor to aime solely at his own honour pleasure and advantage but to desire study and by all lawful means to promote the good and welfare of the whole And just so it is with Political Government both in Cities and Provinces and Kingdoms or Empires When People did at first excogitate and constitute such or such a form of Government and place one or more at the Helm and submitted themselves to him or them no rational man can doubt but it was for some wise end Government and Governours are not set up for nothing but for an end which end is either supreme and ultimate or inferiour and subordinate The supreme and ultimate end is and ought and deserves to be the glory of God the exalting of his Name the preserving securing and inlarging of his interest the maintaining and promoting of Religion and Godliness None can shoot at a fairer mark nor drive a nobler design this is worthy of men of the best and greatest men It is the great end which God himself aimes at in all the works of his Hands He both made all things for himself and for himself likewise he doth uphold and order them And unto this end all Magistrates are in duty bound to have an eye and direct their rule and all their actions This is the great work of their place the main and principal business of their Office The good Lord give them all an heart to consider it and to act accordingly As they rule by God so they are obliged to rule for him they ought not so much to design the lifting up of themselves as the lifting up the Name of God and Christ in the world especially in their own Dominions That Magistrate who doth not make the glory of God
our principal perfections in Heaven and Earth These he recommends by the most affectionate and obliging the most warming melting Perswasives the superlative Love of God to us and our Communion with the Saints in Nature and Grace In the former Verse the Apostle argues for the reality of the effect as an evidence of the Cause Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ that is the Saviour of the world foretold to the Prophets and expresses the truth of that Faith in a sutable conversation is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Grace is not less powerful in producing tender reciprocal affections between the off-spring of the same heavenly Father than the subordinate endearments of Nature The pretence is vain of Love to God without loving his regenerate Children And in the Text he argues from the knowledge of the Cause to the discovering of the sincerity of the Effect By this we know that we love the Children of God with a holy affection if we love God and keep his Commandments There is but one difficulty to be removed that the force of the Apostles reasoning may appear 't is this a Medium to prove a thing must be of clearer evidence than what is concluded by it Now though a demonstration from the Cause be more noble and scientifical yet that which is drawn from the Effect is more near to Sence and more discernable And this is verified in the Instance before us for the Love of God who is absolutely spiritual in his Being and Excellencies doth not with that sensible fervour affect and passionately transport us as Love to his Children with whom we visibly converse and who are receptive of the most sensible testimonies of our Affection Accordingly the Apostle argues He that loves not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen As the Motives to love our Brethren from our conjunction in Nature and familiar Conversation are more capable to allure our Affections and more sensibly strike the Heart than the invisible Deity who is infinitely above us by the same reason we may more easily judge of the truth of our Love to them than of our Love to God To this the Answer is clear the Apostle doth not speak of the Love of God as a still silent contemplative affection confined to to the superior Faculty of the Soul but as a burning shining affection like Fire * Lumine qui semper proditur ipso suo active and declarative of it self in those effects that necessarily flow from it that is voluntary obedience to his Commands and thus it becomes manifest to the renewed Conscience and is a most convincing proof of the sincerity of our Love to the Saints The Text being cleared affords this Doctrine Doctrine The sincerity of our Love to the Children of God is certainly discovered by our Love to God and Obedience to his Commands For the Illustration and Proof of the Point I will briefly shew 1. Who are described by this Title the Children of God 2. What is included in our Love to them 3. What the Love of God is and the obedience that flows from it 4. How from love to God and willing obedience to his Commands we may convincingly know the sincerity of our love to his Children To explain the first we must consider that this Title the Children of God is given upon several accounts 1. By Creation the Angels are called the Sons of God and Men his off-spring The reason of the Title is 1. The manner of their production by his immediate Power Thus he is stiled The Father of Spirits in distinction from the Fathers of the Flesh For though the conception and forming of the Body be the work of his secret Providence yet 't is by the hand of Nature the Parents concurring as the second Causes of it but the production of the Soul is to be entirely ascribed to his power without the intervention of any Creature 2. In their spiritual immortal Nature and the intellectual operations flowing from it there is an Image and resemblance of God from whence this Title is common to all reasonable Creatures and peculiar to them for though the Matter may be ordered and fashioned by the hand of God into a figure of admirable beauty yet 't is not capable of his likeness and image so that neither the Lights of Heaven nor the Beasts and plants of the Earth are called his Children II. By external Calling and Covenant some are denominated his Children for by this Evangelical Constitution God is pleased to receive Believers into a filial relation Indeed where there is not a cordial consent and subjection to the Terms of the Covenant visible Profession and the receiving the external Seals of it will be of no advantage but the publick serious owning of the Gâ—â—pel entitles a person to be of the Society of Christians and filius and foederatus are all one III. There is a Sonship that arises from supernatural regeneration that is the communicating a new nature to man whereby there is a holy and blessed change in the directive and commanding Faculties the Understanding and Will and in the Affections and consequently in the whole Life This is wrought by the efficacy of the Word and Spirit and is called by our Saviour Regeneration because it is not our original carnal Birth but a second and celestial 'T is with the new man in Grace as with an Infant in Nature that has the essential parts that compose a man a Soul endowed with all its faculties a Body with all its organs and parts but not in the vigor of mature age Thus renewed Holiness in a Christian is compleat and entire in its parts but not in perfection of degrees there is a universal inclination to all that is holy just and good and a universal aversion from sin though the executive power be not equal And regenerate Christians are truly called the Children of God for as in natural generation there is communicated a Principle of Life and sutable Operations from whence the Title and Relation of a Father arises so in Regeneration there are derived such holy and heavenly qualities to the Soul as constitute a Divine Nature in man whereby he is partaker of the Life and Likeness of God himself from hence he is a Child of God and has an interest and propriety in his Favour Power and Promises and all the good that flows from them and a Title to the eternal inheritance Secondly I will shew what is included in our Love to the Children of God 1 Pet. 1.22 1. The Principle of this Love is Divine The Soul is purified through the Spirit to unfeigned Love of the Brethren Naturally the Judgment is corrupted and the Will depraved that carnal respects either of Profit or Pleasure are the quick and sensible incitements of Love and till the Soul be cured of the sensual contagion the
inclination can never be directed and the desires fastned on the supernatural Image of God in his Saints As Holiness in the Creature is a Ray derived from the infinite beauty of God's Holiness so the love of Holiness is a Spark from the sacred Fire of his Love 1 John 4.7 St. John exhorts Christians Let us love one another for Love is of God Natural Love among men is by his general Providence but a gracious Love to the Saints is by his special influence The natural Affection must be baptized with the Holy Ghost as with Fire to refine it to a divine purity 2. The Qualifications of this Love are as follows First It is sincere and cordial it does not appear only in expressions from the Tongue and Countenance but springs from the integrity of the Heart 'T is stiled unfeigned Lâ—â—â— of the Brethren 't is a Love not in Word and Tongue only but in Deed and Truth A counterfeit formal affection set off with artificial colours is so far from being pleasing to God the Searcher and Judge of hearts that 't is infinitely provoking to him Secondly 'T is pure the attractive Cause of it is the Image of God appearing in them Our Saviour assures us that Love shall be gloriously rewarded that respects a Disciple upon that account as a Disciple and a righteous man as a righteous man The holy Love commanded in the Gospel is to Christians for their Divine Relation as the Children of God as the Members of Christ and Temples of the Holy Ghost Thirdly From hence it is universal extended to all the Saints The Church is composed of Christians that are different in their Gifts and Graces and in their external Order some excel in knowledge and zeal and love in active Graces others in humility meekness and patience that sustain and adorn them in sufferings some are in a higher rank others are in humble circumstances as in the visible world things are placed sutably to their Natures the Stars in the Heavens Flowers in the Earth and our special respects are due to those whom the Favour of God has dignified above others and in whom the brightness and power of Grace shines more clearly for according as there are more reasons that make a person deserving Love the degrees of Love should rise in proportion but a dear affection is due even to the lowest Saints for all have communion in the same holy Nature and are equally instated in the same blessed Alliance Fourthly It must be fervent not only in Truth but in a degree of Eminency St. Peter joyns the two Qualifications See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently Our Saviour sets before us his own Pattern as a Pillar of fire to direct and inflame us Joh. 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you As I have loved you Admirable Example His Love was singular and superlative a Love that saves and astonishes us at once for he willingly gave his precious life for our Ransom This we should endeavour to resemble though our highest expressions of love and compassion to the Saints are but a weak and imperfect imitation of his divine Perfection I shall add farther this Love includes all kinds of Love 1. The love of Esteem correspondent to the real worth and special goodness of the Saints 'T is one Character of a Citizen of Heaven that in his eyes a vile person is contemned Psal 15. however set off by the Glory of the world and the ornaments of the present state that as a false Mask conceal their foul deformity to carnal persons but he honours them that fear the Lord though disfigured by calumnies though obscur'd and depress'd by afflictions and made like their blessed Head in whom there was no Form nor Comliness in the judgment of Fools In our valuation Divine Grace should turn the Scales against all the Natural or Acquired Perfections of Body or Mind Beauty Strength Wit Eloquence humane Wisdom against all the external Advantages of this Life Nobility Riches Power and whatever is admired by a carnal Eye The Judgment and Love of God should regulate ours A Saint is more valued by God than the highest Princes nay than the Angels themselves considered only with respect to their spiritual Nature He calls them his peculiar Treasure his Jewels the first Fruits of the Creatures sacred for his Use and Glory in comparison of whom the rest of the world are but Dregs a corrupt Mass They are stiled his Sons being partakers of that Life of which he is the Author and Pattern and what are all the Titles on Earth compared with so Divine a Dignity 2. The Love of Desire of their present and future Happiness The Perfection of Love consists more in the Desire than in the Effects and the continued fervent Prayers that the Saints present to God for one another are the expressions of their Love 3. The Love of Delight in spiritual Communion with them All the Attractives of humane Conversation Wit Mirth Sweetness of Behaviour and wise Discourse cannot make any Society so dear and pleasant to one that is a lover of Holiness as the Communion of Saints David whose Breast was very sensible of the tender Affections of Love and Joy tells us That the Saints in the Earth the Excellent Psaâ— 16. â— were the chief Object of his Delight And â—â—equent to this there is a cordial Sympathy with them in their Joys and Sorrows being Members of the same Body and having an interest in all their good or evil 'T is observable when the Holy Spirit describes the sweetest humane Comforts that are the present reward of the godly man the enjoyment of his Estate in the dear Society of his Wife and Children there is a Promise annext Psal 128. that sweetens all the rest That he shall see the good of Jerusalem and peace upon Israel Without this all temporal Comforts are mixt with bitter displeasure to him There is an eminent Instance of this in Nehemiah Nehem. 2. whom all the Pleasures of the Persian Court could not satisfie whilst Jerusalem was desolately miserable 4. The Love of Service and Beneficence that declares it self in all outward Offices and Acts for the good of the Saints And these are various some are of a sublimer nature and concern their Souls as spiritual Counsel and Instruction compassionate Admonition and Consolation the confirming them in good and the fortifying them against evil the doing whatever may preserve and advance the life and vigour of the inward man others respect their Bodies and temporal Condition directing them in their Affairs protecting them from Injuries supplying their wants and universally assisting them for their tolerable passage through the world And all these Acts are to be chearfully performed there is more joy in conferring than receiving a Benefit because Love is more exercised in the one than the other In short the highest effect of Love that
were common between them And in the next succeeding Ages this fraternal Love was so conspicuous in the Professors of his Sacred Discipline Tert. Apoâ— c. 3â— that their Enemies observ'd it as a rare and remarkable thing See how the Christians love one another see how ready they are to die for one another Now the same gracious Principle that inclines us to do one Command will make us universally willing to observe all for sincere Obedience primarily respects the Authority of the Lawgiver which binds the whole Law upon the Conscience James 2. And as he that breaks the Law wilfully in one point is guilty of all because the violation of a single Precept proceeds from the same Cause that induces men to transgress all that is contempt of the Divine Majesty so he that sincerely obeys one Command does with consent of heart and serious endeavors obey all And from hence 't is clear that without a religious and unreserved regard of the divine Commands 't is impossible there should be in any person a gracious affection to the Saints that is the product of Obedience to God and consequently the observance of his Precepts is the certain proof of our Love to his Children 2. Spiritual Love to the Saints arises from the sight of the Divine Image appearing in their Conversation Now if the Beauty of Holiness be the attractive of our Love it will be fastned on the Law of God in the most intense degree The most excellent Saints on Earth have some mixtures of Corruption their Holiness is like the Morning-light that is checquered with the shadows and obscurity of the Night and 't is our wisdom not to love their infirmities but to preserve an unstained affection to them But the Law of God is the fairest Transcript of his Nature wherein his glorious Holiness is most resplendent Psa 19.7 8. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes This ravish'd the heart of David with an inexpressible Affection O how I love thy Law Psal 119. it is my Meditation all the day And he repeats the declaration of his Love to it with new fervor upon this ground I love thy Law because it is pure Now Love to the Commands of God will transcribe them in our hearts and Lives As affectionate expressions to the Children of God without the real supply of their wants are but the shadows of Love so words of esteem and respect to the Law of God without unfeigned and universal Obedience are but an empty Pretence 3. The Divine Relation of the Saints to God as their Father is the Motive of spiritual Love to them And this is consequent to the former for by partaking of his Holiness they partake of his life and likeness And from hence they are the dearest Objects of his Love his eye and heart is always upon them Now if this Consideration excites Love to the Children of God it will be as powerful to incline us to keep his Commands for the Law of God that is the Copy of his Sacred Will is most near to his Nature and he is infinitely tender of it Our Saviour tells us that it is casier for Heaven and Earth to pass away Luk. 16.17 than for one tittle of the Law to fail If the entire World and all the Inhabitants of it were destroyed there would be no loss to God but if the Law lose its Authority and Obligation the Divine Holiness would suffer a Blemish The Use of the Doctrine is to try our Love to the Children of God to which all pretend by this infallible Rule our Obedience to his Commands This is absolutely necessary because the deceit is so easie and so dangerous and it will be most comfortable if upon this Trial our Love be found to be spiritual and divine The deceit is easie because Acts of Love may be expressed to the Saints from other Principles than the Love of God Some for vain-glory are bountiful and when their Charity seems so visibly divine that men admire it there is the Woâ—m of vanity at the root that corrupts and makes it odious to God The Pharisees are charged with this by our Saviour Mat. 6 2. their Alms were not the effect of Charity but Ostentation and whilst they endeavoured to make their Vices virtuous they made their Virtues vicious There is a natural Love among persons united by Consanguinity that remains so entire since the ruine of Mankind by the Fall and is rather from the force of Nature than the virtue of the Will and this in all kind Offices may be express'd to the Saints There is a sweetness of Temper in some that inclines them to wish well to all and such tender Affections that are easily moved and melted at the sight of others miseries and such may be beneficent and compassionate to the Saints in their afflictions but the Spring of this Love is good Nature not divine Grace There are humane Respects that incline others to kindness to the Saints as they are united by interest Fellow-Citizens and Neighbours and as they receive advantage by Commerce with them or as obliged by their Benefits But Civil Amity and Gratitude are not that holy Affection that is an assurance of our spiritual state There are other Motives of Love to the Saints that are not so low nor mercenary in the thickest darkness of Paganism the Light of Reason discovered the amiable excellence of Virtue as becoming the humane Nature and useful for the Tranquility and Welfare of Mankind and the Moral Goodness that adorns the Saints the Innocence Purity Meekness Justice Clemency Benignity that are visible in their Conversations may draw respects from others who are strangers to the Love of God and careless of his Commandments And as the Mistake of this Affection is easie so it is infinitely dangerous for he that builds his hope of Heaven upon a sandy foundation upon false Grounds will fall ruinously from his Hopes and Felicity at last How fearful will be the disappointment of one that has been a Favourer of the Saints that has defended their Cause protected their Persons relieved their Necessities and presum'd for this that his Condition is safe as to Eternity though he lives in the known neglect of other Duties and the indulgent practice of some Sin But if we find that our Love to the Children of God flows from our Love to God that sways the Soul to an entire compliance to his Commands and makes us observant of them in the course of our Lives What a blessed Hope arises from this Reflection We need not have the Book of the Divine Decrees opened and the Secrets of Election unveil'd 1 Joh. 3.14 for we know that we are past from Death to Life if we love the Brethren This is an infallible Effect and Sign of the Spiritual Life and the Seed and Evidence of Eternal Life Quest What must we do to
us be exhorted to comply with God herein let us make it our care and endeavour so to do This Exhortation concerns us all forasmuch as we are all infected with this plague none can say they are free of this contagion There is no distemper more epidemical it reacheth the poor as well as the rich the godly as well as the wicked though it hath dominion only in the latter yet it dwells in the former You see how it was with the Apostle Paul you read how it was with the Apostle Peter with David with Hezekiah c. The holiest Persons on Earth are more or less sick with this disease how therefore are we all concern'd to endeavour the prevention and cure thereof And if any ask what they must do in order thereunto the remainder of the discourse shall be spent in the resolving and satisfying of this enquiry 1. Be throughly convinc't of the greatness and sinfulness of this Sin Direct 1 how that 't is a Sin of the greatest magnitude a first rate Sin greater than theft intemperance or uncleanness or any other fleshly wickedness 'T is indeed the strength and heart of the old man it lives in us when other Sins are dead yea it will help to kill other Sins that it may boastingly shew their heads and blow the sinner up with a conceit of his own strength and holiness 't is a Sin that will take Sanctuary in the holiest duties and hide it self under their Skirts yea it will pollute our holy things and turn remedies themselves into diseases I prefer this direction and shall be the longer upon it because when men are convinc't of the sinfulness of this Sin that it hath more evil in it than other disgraceful Sins they will then set themselves in good earnest to mortify and subdue it Then they will put it far away from them and deal with it as they do with those Sins that argue them in the judgment of all men to be graceless and ungodly persons Remember therefore what hath been already hinted concerning the odiousness of this Sin 'T is hateful indeed to men when it is discern'd but it is most hateful unto God his nature and his honour both engage him against it he doth severely punish it both in this world and in the next Pride is the forerunner not only of temporal but of eternal destruction This one Sin unless it be pardon'd and subdu'd is sufficient to turn us all into Hell it was the Sin and the condemnation of the Devil and his Angels There are two properties in Pride which greatly aggravate it and make it out of measure sinful and abominable 1. The Antiquity of it It was the first enemy that God ever had this was the Sin of the fallen Angels and also of our first Parents this was the original of original Sin Some have disputed whether pride or unbelief had the precedency in mans fall A question as one says much like that whether repentance or faith hath the precedency in his rising But all are of opinion that mans pride if it was not antecedaneous yet at least it was contemporary with his unbelief and that pride was the great cause of his Apostasy He proudly affected to be as God to have known good and evil He fell from what he was by a proud desire of being what he was not 2. The pregnancy of it It is a big belly'd Sin most of the Sins that are in the world are the off-spring and issue of pride Let me instance in several other Sins that are the genuine spawn of this Sin It causeth covetousness Though covetousness is said to be the root of other evils yet this root it self springs from pride what is covetousness but the purveyor of pride and a making provision for the lusts thereof why are men greedy of wordly wrath but for the feeding and maintaining of the pride of life Habakkuk tells us that he who is a proud man enlargeth his desires as Hell Again it causeth ambition Proud persons have aspiring thoughts and think themselves the fittest persons to preside in Church or State Haman said whom should the King honour but my self a proud person takes it for an injury if any be prefer'd before him though never so deserving and he bears a secret grudge to any that had a hand in it though they did it with the greatest sincerity and impartiality None are friends to proud persons but those that humour and honour them Again Pride causeth Boasting Hence it is that in two Places of Scripture Proud Persons and Boâ—sters are put together A proud person is ever praising and commending himself and when he is ashamed to do it by open ostentation then he doth it by secret insinuation and circumlocution Again it causeth Scorning Disdain of others comes from mens over-valuing of themselves Compare two Scriptures you read Jam. 4.6 How God hath said that he resisteth the proud but he giveth Grace to the humble Now where hath God said this You will find it Prov. 3.34 There 't is said he scorneth the Scorners but he gives Grace to the humble You see the same persons that are call'd Scorners in the Old Testament are call'd Proud in the New so that Scorning is the immediate fruit and effect of Pride Again it causeth Lying Proud persons are great Liars Most of the Lies and Falshoods that are told in the world are to avoid disgrace and shame or to purchase applause and esteem Again it causeth Contention The Scripture is express in this Prov. 13.10 Only by pride cometh contention ay that is the greatest Make-bate in the world Prov. 28.25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife he is a very firebrand in the place where he lives he is like an unpolisht stone that will never lie even in any Building Again Pride causeth Unthankfulness Hezekiah's Pride and Ingratitude are coupled together in Scripture Proud persons instead of prizing they despise the Mercies of God and think diminutively of them they look upon God's gifts as due debts and instead of being thankful for what they have they are ready to think they have not what they do deserve Again it causeth Selfishness Pride makes men prefer themselves not only before others but before God himself Proud persons Idolize themselves and make Self their principal End they love themselves more than God and they live to themselves more than to God they are not so zealous for his honour as for their own their Estates and Parts are more at the command of their Pride than at the command of God Again it causeth carnal Confidence Proud persons are fearless persons they are so perswaded of their own strength and the goodness of their hearts that they can walk in the midst of Snares and venture upon temptation and fear no harm The fool rageth says Solomon and is confident Pride makes men insensible of their danger till it be too late Again Pride causeth Self-deceit Proud persons think themselves
Divine Perfections I. The many Doctrines which more immediately respect the Nature of God his Acts and Modes of Operation 1. More generally they are all such as represent somewhat of him who in all Perfections is infinite and infinitely above us God is a Spirit infinite infinite in his Essence or immense infinite in his existence or external There is according to the Conceptions we must form of God at least quoad nos a difference between Immensity and Externity Immensity denotes the Essence of God to be more large and comprehensive than can be measured but the import of Eternity is to be considered with regard to the Duration of the Divine Essence whence although we must assert the Essence and Existence of God to be so much the same that necessary Existence is included in the very Essence of God yet we may look on the divine Existence to be a pressior conceptus to that of the divine Essence for essence includes somewhat more than meer existence namely other perfections of the divine Nature which when considered as it fills Heaven and Earth and is infinitely beyond all without all bounds or limits 't is said to be immense but considered as enduring from everlasting to everlasting 't is Eternal The like of the other Attributes Thus our finite capacities may form some partial and inadequate Conceptions of these things but comprehend them we cannot If we look into any particular Attribute of God we are swallowed up as in a bottomless Ocean For there is not any one Divine Perfection that includes not in it Infinity the which is so far above us that we cannot reach unto it We cannot know him unto Perfection nor by searching find him out He is higher than the Heavens deeper than Hell longer than the Earth and broader than the Sea we cannot comprehend him His Nature his Attributes all his glorious Perfections being infinite are infinitely above us and seeing the Revelations made of God do after a sort represent somewhat of his glorious Nature they are not fully comprehended by us They point â—nto somewhat that is beyond us But to be more particular 2. God who is a Spirit Infinite is absolutely and simply One he is a pure Act but yet Three One absolutely and simply One God and yet Three Three Persons None can be more concerned in asserting the Oneness or Unity of the Godhead than the Christian how vehement soever the Mahometane Jew or Socinian may be in asserting the Simplicity and Oweness of the Divine Nature they cannot be more so than We are but yet a Trinity of Persons in the Godhead we must also affirm or our Religion is lost Whoever will but seriously acquaint himself with the Essentials of the Christian Religion will find that the believing a Trinity is as necessary to the being of our Religion as the believing the existence of God is to any Religion The Spirit of God has not only here and there expresly asserted the Doctrine of the Trinity but every momentous Doctrine of our Religion which is appropriate unto it as 't is Christian supposes it There are Three Fundamentals of our Faith all which conjunctly considered suppose a Trinity of Persons in the Godhead even God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost There is the Fall of Man his Redemption and Sanctification God at first made man upright and gave him a Holy Just and Good Law which was sanction'd with the Promise of a glorious Reward and with the severe Threat of Divine Wrath and Indignation Do this and Live but in the Day thou eatest thou shalt die Man transgresses this Law and is obnoxious unto the Threatning he must die For God who is Infinite in all Perfections is a God of Truth and must accomplish his Word He is essentially just and righteous and must proportion the punishment to the nature of the Crime An Infinite God is offended his Law is violated and this by Man by Adam the Head of Human Nature and therefore 't is impossible that any escape Infinite which is on finite Worms Eternal Wrath unless the Justice of God be satisfyed by proportionable Sufferings in that nature that sinned But if there had been but One Person as there is but One God there could not be an Infinite Person to undertake for us That one Person who was offended would be alone able to satisfie his own Justice but he is angry he demands satisfaction from another and should he enter into judgment with us we should not be able to stand He demands satisfaction and is ready to consume us unless an Infi-Person interposes on our behalf should he himself begin to capitulate with us singly he would be so far from offering himself to satisfie himself for us that he would immediately let out all his wrath Thus we see that the Doctrines about mans Fall and Redemption do necessarily infer that there is God the Father who gave us a righteous Law and who is highly provoked by the violation of it and as a righteous Judge proceeds to condemn us unless satisfaction be made unto his Justice and that there being God the Son a Person distinct from the Father who is also God sent by the Father and who assumed Humane Nature in which he suffered and satisfied the Justice of the Father whereby fallen man is in a way of recovery thus mans Fall and his Recovery suppose two Persons But whoever will more closely attend unto this Point will find that God being as Holy as he is Just and Righteous is as much concern'd for the Vindication of the Honour of his Holiness as that of his Justice whence our Sanctification becomes as necessary an Antecedent unto our Salvation as our Justification Though Justification and Sanctification are in their own natures formally and really distinct yet are ever in one and the same Subject You may and must distinguish them from each other but cannot separate them And the Reason is because God is as Holy as he is Righteous and as much concern'd for the Glory of his Holiness as for the Glory of his Justice And therefore the Holy as well as the Righteous Will of God must be satisfied But such are the Corruptions of our Nature so strong and powerful and we so weak and feeble that unless some one Almighty be our help we shall remain under the power of Sin unsanctified and no way advantaged by the Redemption of Christ's Death 'T is true Christ has died but not to save us in but from our sins It was never the Design of Christ that men should receive any special Blessings as the fruit of his Death while they continue under the power of Sin Enemies unto him He has made a purchase of Heavens Glories but will give it to none but such as submit themselves unto him He will that we humble our selves before him and be holy or continue in the state of Condemnation in which we are all by Nature but Holy we cannot
be without the help of an Omnipotent Spirit which only is able to enlighten our Minds and turn our Hearts from the power of Satan unto God All which supposes the Third Person of the Trinity the Holy Ghost By this 't is very manifest that such is the frame of the Christian Religion such the great Fundamentals thereof that without the supposing the Truth of the Doctrine of the Trinity of Persons in the Godhead the Christian Religion is gone 't is lost And how to comprehend this Mâ—stery is impossible There is no contradiction in this Doctrine nothâ—ng in it contrary to our Reason for 't is not said that Three Gods are One but Three Persons are One One God But how to fathom the Mystery we are at a loss 't is certainly beyond Us. So much concerning the Nature and Persons of the Godhead 3. Those Doctrines that have regard unto the ACTS of God are also very profound and mysterious 1. There are the Immanent Acts of God which do not terminate on any Objects ad extra off from God such as Divine Knowledge and the Decree whether of Election or Reprobation 2. Transient Acts such as terminate on an Object off from God namely the Works of Creation and Providence In my discoursing about the Immanent Acts of God I might be very distinct in considering what is very much insisted on by the School-men with reference to the Knowledge of God and acquaint the Reader with the many Distinctions that are used by that sort of men but if I do so I shall exceed the Bounds allotted me I will therefore pass by the Doctrine of Praescience which whatever may be said of it by some has such difficulties in it as admit not of our Solution and make some search into these profound Doctrines about the Decrees of Election and Reprobation That God has decreed the Salvation of some particular Persons is evident enough to any that will deliberately consult the Word of God and that 't is the Vnchangeable Determination of God That such as die in their Sins shall be eternally damned is as manifest The Eternal Decree of Election is so clearly so fully and distinctly reveal'd in Scripture that few or none presume wholly to deny it and such is the known Nature of Election that 't is not easie to believe the Doctrine of Election but withal we must take in the other of Reprobation for Election is but of some and if but some are taken the other are left they are not chosen they are refused they are reprobated But how this Doctrine of Gods leaving or reprobating any from all Eternity is reconcileable to these other that concern the Glory of Divine Goodness and Righteousness is above us The Sublapsarians have done very much towards the clearing up of this by supposing all in their lapsed estate under the guilt and pollution of Sin and God from all Eternity concern'd for his own Glory to Elect some who by being interested in the Blood of Christ should through the sanctification of the Spirit obtain Salvation with eternal Glory but left others to themselves who continuing in Sin are determined to die Hereby the glorious Grace of God in the eternal purpose of Calling Justifying Sanctifying some and thereby preparing them for Heaven is excellently displayed and the purposing from Eternity to leave others to themselves in their Sins for which after much long-suffering they shall be eternally damned is no way inconsistent with that goodness that is so infinitely extended to the Vessels of Mercy but does most fully illustrate how just and righteous God is in condemning them for their Sins and Transgressions Besides 't is obvious enough that the Decrees are but internal Purposes which have no influence on the thing decreed Decreta nil ponunt in Esse Though there is a certainty of the Event yet neither the Sin nor Destruction of the Reprobate is an Effect of the Decree What is here said towards the clearing up the Difficulties that attend this Doctrine is very well urged by the Synod of Dort and 't is no more than what has great countenance from the Holy Scriptures which suppose all in a laps'd and fallen Estate and therefore represents the Elect as Chosen in Christ Ephes 1.4 and Predestinated unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ Elect according to the Fore-knowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit c. 1 Pet. 1.2 All which Expressions seem to suppose the Elect in a fallen estate standing in need both of a Redeemer and Sanctifier even as the Reprobates are said Jude 4. to have been before of Old ordained unto Condemnation which Condemnation does presuppose a Judicial Procedure and the Sentence past against them for their Sin which sufficiently suggests that they were considered to have been in a sinful a fallen state Nevertheless it must be acknowledged That this does not remove the difficulty it only supposes it to be insuperable and therefore to be passed over in silence The great Difficulty is How the Absolute Decree of Reprobation is consistent either with the Goodness or Righteousness of God or those other Methods which are taken for the salvation of all men What of Goodness is there in destinating men to eternal Misery or what of Justice in purposing to punish them for ever without any regard to their Sin even before any evil done or how can the unalterable secret Decree for their damnation accord with the sincerity of God in the many Offers which are made of future Glory 'T is true supposing the consideration of their faln state as antecedent to the Decree 't is goodness enough that any are chosen out of the sinful Mass and it would have been a righteous thing for God to have proceeded against all to a Sentence of Condemnation and seeing Christ has died and thereby satisfied Justice and the Spirit strives and that common Grace which is sufficient to enable men to do more towards their Salvation than they do is offered them and that 't is their Sin which is the only proper cause of their denying due Subjection unto Christ these things seem to be cleared up only the greatest difficulty remains to wit How 't is supposeable that such who came pure out of the hand of God can be considered as fallen without some respect unto the anteceding Decree of God What! is their Fall on the supposition of which depends all the Discoveries of the glorious Perfections of God made unto us in the Scriptures a meer casual hit One would assoon think that this curious and beautiful Fabrick the World was owing only unto the casual concourse of Epicurean Atoms for its being so as that the Glory and Beauty the Wisdom and Harmony that shines forth most illustriously in the Christian Religion should be only the product of Casualty or Chance but if the Fall or Sin of man must be considered to be decreed by that God the Purity and Holiness of whose Nature is infinite
are given for as the rigid Dominicans do certainly make God the Cause of Sin whether culpable or not culpable is not the Question even so do the Scotists and Molinists for they both include in the matter of Sin somewhat more than what is meerly Natural even somewhat that is morally Vicious and yet assert that this Matter is the immediate effect of Gods Causality only the one says That God does as it were take man by the hand and lead him to Sin the other That man determines the Efficiency of God and the Scotist says That the first and second Cause do walk hand in hand to the Sin but whether I lead another to the Sin and help him to commit it or whether I am taken by the Sinner and determined to help him to produce what is sinful in the Act or whether I walk with him stil I am at least a Concauser of what is sinful in the Act so that neither the Scotist nor the Molinist give me any satisfaction in this Matter The Result therefore of my thoughts is as follows I am sure that no Natural Being ever has been is or can be without the Efficiency of God the first Cause and yet I am as confident that no Moral Evil is in any sense the Effect of the Physical Efficiency of God The Moral Undueness that is considered as that which is the Foundation of Sin cannot be from God but yet how satisfactorily to reconcile these things or how to comprehend the Modes of Divine Operation is above us we cannot reach unto it it transcends our Understandings 5. There are also several Doctrines which have a special Aspect on those Transactions that are about the carrying on Fall'n Mans Salvation to the Illustrating the Glory of the divine Perfections which are very profound The Doctrines of the Fall of Man the Transition of Original Sin from Adam to his Posterity the Methods taken for the Recovery of the Elect the Covenant of Reconciliation between the Father and the Son from all Eternity the Incarnation of the Son of God and the many surprizing Doctrines with reference thereunto even about his several Offices as Mediator and in special That of his Being a Priest after the Order of Melchisedek his Suretyship how our Sins were imputed to him and his Righteousness made ours beside those Doctrines about the Nature of the Mystical Vnion that is between Christ and Believers and how this is the ground of Imputation and many other momentous points might be spoken unto to evince That though there is nothing of Contradiction in these Doctrines yet there is very much that transcends the most enlarged Capacity They are points that the Angels themselves are prying into but cannot fully comprehend But these things I must wave and go on to acquaint you with some of the many Providences that do in like manner transcend our Understandings II. Among the many amuzing Providences that are before Us I will single out a few 1. That the greatest part of the World should lye in Wickedness unacquainted with the Methods of Salvation is an amuzing Providence Look we into the remotest parts of the World we find nothing but a strange Ignorance of the true God or of the true Worship of God Oh how great a part of the World is over-run with Paganism Mahometanism and Judaism Come we nearer home and take a view of the Christian World behold how small is it in comparison of those parts where the abovemention'd false Religions prevail and of the many thousands who are called Christians how many Invelop'd with the thick clouds of Ignorance and Error and how â—ew free from the Influence of Idolatry and Superstition A multitude of those who have been baptiz'd into the name of Christ have not the opportunity of looking into the sacred Oracles which reveal the true way to Life everlasting and of those who have the happy Advantages of consulting the sacred Scriptures how few can understand them The which is not without a Providence of God But can we compare these Providences with those discoveries that are made of the Infinite Compassions of Almighty God towards the Children of men and comprehend a consistency between them In the Scriptures 't is said That God would have all men be saved and to that end come to the Knowledg of the Truth even when but a very small spot of the Earth have any suitable means afforded 'em for the obtaining such knowledg In the Scriptures the Proclamation is general to all Ho every one and the Expostulation with Sinners is Turn ye Turn ye why will ye dye as I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a Sinner of a Sinner indefinitely q. d. of any Sinner but rather That he would Turn and Live Besides did not Christ die for this end namely to shew the unexpressible greatness of Gods Love to the world God so loved so so loved the World as if it had been said the Love of God to the World is so transcendent that no words could sufficiently express it nothing would fully represent it but the Delivery of the Son the only begotten Son of God to the Death the cruel the shameful and the reproachful Death of the Cross for the salvation of the World on their Believing and this even when God left Millions of Angels to continue in everlasting Chains of Darkness notwithstanding all which it is manifest That they cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard and cannot hear unless a Preacher be sent unto them and that no such thing has been done no Preacher has been sent or if in one Age yet not in another How can we reconcile these Providences with the Discoveries that are given us of the infinite Compassions of God to Mankind when so few are made partakers of it What of Grace is there in leaving the greatest part of the World in a very little better condition than the fallen Angels I know that there are many things offered towards the satisfaction of a thoughtful Person as Who can tell but there are thousand of Worlds above us whose Inhabitants are in a better capacity to receive and improve the Instances of Divine Love and that this world is but a Spot in comparison of them and if this whole World should perish 't is but as the hanging up a few Malefactors to shew that God is just as well as merciful but how does this solve the Difficulty which is not meerly taken from the Notion we have of Gods meâ—ciful Nature in it self considered but from the Revelations made thereof unto the Children of men in the Scripture about which we cannot have any solid satisfaction but from things which are obvious before us not from what is so fully out of our view and knowledge and concerning Creatures of another kind 'T is true there are some intimations in the Sacred Scriptures which apart and by themselves considered afford Relief such as these The Gentiles which have not
as well as those that are real if they be so apprehended There is no observing man but may see what mischief hath come heretofore and doth come every day by such There always have been and still are some who beings weak or malicious do go about telling stories of this and that Man or Party and by leaving out or putting into their tale some circumstances or by setting an Emphasis upon a word innocently spoken do raise in others the highest Passions which hurry them away to speak and do things very sinful and unjust 1 Sam. 22. If Doeg had fairly represented the matter of Abimelech to Saul there would have been found such Circumstances in the Cafe as might probably have excused him in Saul's own judgment and have kept him from that barbarous Act of slaying so many innocent souls If David upon hearing what Ziba had told him of Mephibosheth had staid a while and heard what he could have said for himself he would not so soon have forgot the passing love of Jonathan his Father nor the Oath he made to him 2 Sâ—m 1.26 1 Sam. 20.15 not to cut off kindness from his house for ever But being then in such Circumstances as made him credulous upon a feigned story without more ado he presently gave away all that belonged to poor Mephibosheth to that false Man And how many that are or would easily be made very good Friends are separated or kept at a distance at this day by such means as these he is a stranger to the World that doth not see 2. If the evil be real yet be not overcome by it It may be it is not so great as it is apprehended But if it be it may be the Author of it did not think it would prove so offensive and hard to be born as you find it to be and then it would be a greater evil in you to return that to another which you find so hard to be born your self Christians should be more ready to receive one injury after another than to return one for another This I take to be the meaning of Christ When he says Mat. 5.39 Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also Julian the Apostate did blasphemously object against Christ that he did not observe his own Laws because when he was smitten by one of the Offenders with the palm of his hand he did not turn the other cheek but did expostulate with him that did it in these words If I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil but if well why smitest thou me John 18.23 But Christ is the best Interpreter of his own Laws and by his practise hath told us what his meaning was in this He was so far from avenging himself by word or deed that he was ready and prepared to suffer farther at their hands so as not only to be smitten again but to be crucified And in this he is proposed to us as an Example 1 Pet. 2.21 22. Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously Object Will not such as are injurious grow more insolent and go from bad to worse if they be not dealt withal in their own kind Ans 1. If any have humanity or ingenuity in them they will be ashamed by your forbearing of them if they be void of these they will be more irritated and provoked by rendring evil for their evil and consequently you are like to endure more from them 2. If they should go from bad to worse yet you may not avenge your selves This were to take upon you to be Judges in your own Case God hath set up the Ordinance of Magistracy for this purpose Rom. 13.4 He is a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Therefore in greater injuries you are to make application to him for a Compensation as Paul appealed to Caesar Acts 25.11 3. Altho a private person may not avenge himself yet in case he be assaulted by another that would take away his life if no Magistrate be at hand he may stand upon his own defence by the Law of Nature which Christ came not to destroy Provided 2 Sam. 3.33 34. that he endeavour to avoid his Adversary by flying if he may But if he press so hard upon him that he cannot he may defend himself wherein he should be as willing to save the others life as to preserve his own 4. God himself when other means sail doth often appear to vindicate the wrongs of such as suffer with meekness and patience He will not stand by as one unconcerned especially if his Name be interested in the matter When Rabshakeh came against Jerusalem he made a railing Oration to the People threatning what be would do but they answer him not a word for the King had said Answer him not Isa 36.21 A while after Hezekiah himself receives a Letter stuft with the like railing matter he reads it but turns from the Messenger and goes to the House of God and spreading the Letter before the Lord leaves the matter with him Isa 37.14 Then the Angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians One hundred and fourscore and five thousand ver 36. God commanded Jeremiah to put a Yoke upon his neck as a sign That the Jews should be brought under the Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar Jer. 27.2 12. Hananiah a false Prophet comes and takes the Yoke off his neck Jer. 28.10 and breaks it before his face What doth the good Prophet do the while Doth he strive with him about the Yoke that he might not break it Or doth he use any undecent words when be had done it No 't is said ver 11. Jeremiah went his way but God sent him to Haraniah with this Message That for his Rebellion he should die that Year which accordingly came to pass in the seventh Month ver 17. Christians that would keep a due Decorum in their words and actions when they are injured should look well to their hearts and keep them with diligence for all sinful Miscarriages begin there When the heart is disordered by corrupt Affections the tongue and other Members will hardly be kept many good order Corfelle livoris amarum per linguae instrumentum spargere nisi amara non potest Bernardus Therefore the Apostle willing the Colossians to put off the evil of the tongue Blasphemy which is evil-speaking bids them first put off the evils of the heart anger and malice chap. 3.8 Whether the heart be inditing a good or a bad matter the tongue will be as the pen of a ready-writer If Choler be suffered to boil to a height in the heart the scum will be like to run over at the mouth If the heart be
because it pleased him to make them no other till they utterly spoil them 5. But yet we must know that there is a mid-siz'd Beauty a moderate rate of comeliness which the Ancients called formam statam such a mediocrity as is below envy and above contempt concerning which I observe 1. That this moderate assize of beauty is the safest posture and most secure from doing or receiving mischief from tempting or being tempted that we could be placed in It is so in all outward concernments The Cedar of Lebanon is exposed to storms The Thistle of Lebanon liable to be trampled on and trodden down by the insolent foot of every wild Beast of the Forest And when we come to cast up our Accounts in a dying day or to give up our Accounts in the last day we shall find and acknowledge it to have been so 2. It is Lawful by Natural means to recover what preternatural accidents have taken away If sickness has impair'd thy complexion and beauty health will restore it let the Physician do his part and restore health and health will not be wanting to hers and restore decay'd comeliness better than the Painter That the Physician is Gods Ordinance primarily to preserve life and restore health I know but whos 's the Painter is when employ'd about the redintegrating of faded beauty you were best to inquire of Jezabel for I confess my ignorance 3. It is not lawful to aspire after nor endeavour to procure the highest pitch of beauty that is attainable by Art when Nature has denied it in things of greater value and nobler use than perishing complexon God has set due bounds to our towring thoughts I cannot conceive it lawful for me to desire Paul's gifts unless I had his employment and we may possibly overshoot our selves in begging for the highest measures of some Graces unless what God calls us to shall need them 4. Nor is it lawful to endeavour to restore by Art what the ordinary course of time and age has deprived us of It seems to me that we should acquiesce in the devastations which time has made upon our Bodies otherwise than as a rate of health suitable to that declining may make us more lively active chearful and vigorous in Gods work The hoary head is a crown of glory Prov. 16.31 Prov. 20.29 And the beauty of old men is the gray head And are we asham'd of our Glory Do we despise our Crown Will nothing serve but juvenile hairs on an aged head must we needs try conclusions to fetch back the Spring in Autumn the former is indeed more pleasant the latter more fruitful and profitable who would exchange the Harvest for the Seed-time Yet such is our frowardness youthful Perukes must if not make yet counterfeit black hairs where age has made them gray and thus not seeking true Glory in the way of Righteousness we affect and pursue a false an imaginary honour in a way of unrighteousness Let this suffice for the first inquiry What are the ends for which God appoints and Nature needs Apparel 2 Come we to the second What is the true rule of decency in Apparel That all indecent Apparel is a transgression of a general rule Let all things be done decently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a right Scheme in a decent habit is easily granted but to fix and settle the rule of decency 1 Cor. 14.42 will be a matter of greater difficulty especially since much controversie has been raised about it on another and greater occasion what influence it may have upon our main inquiry will appear from this confessed truth That the suitableness or unsuitableness and by consequence the lawfulness or unlawfulness of all Apparel to the person that wears it will depend very much on its agreeing or disagreeing with this rule of decency There are six things which in conjunction as I conceive will compleat this rule 1. The outward condition 2. The Age. 3. The Sex of the wearer 4. The Climate 5. The Law of the Land 6. The Customs of the place where or under which Providence has cast our habitation § 1. The condition of the wearer in outward respects is of great consideration for tho all men are made of the same Metal and Materials by Creation yet all are not cast in the same Mold by Providence one wears a publick and politick another a private Character God has placed one on the Throne whilst he has set millions to grind at the Mill some are Rich others poor some cut out for Masters others shaped for Servants And it seems to me that there should be some distinction in the outward habit proportionable to what Providence has made in the outward condition But to render this Observation serviceable to the main design take these Propositions 1. Proposition It is lawful and in some respects necessary that Kings Princes and Magistrates especially in the Solemn exercise of their proper and respective Offices be distinguished by their Robes from private persons and from each other All civiliz'd Nations have so unanimously concurred in this distinction that we may receive it as the dictate of Nature the Vote of Universal reason 1 King 22. Jehosaphat wore his Royal Robes tho the wearing them once had like to have cost him dearer than the matter and making Solomon's outward glory was the admiration of the Queen of Sheba and yet when he shone in all his external Luster and Splendor was not array'd like the Lilly of the field Matth 6. which gloried only in the bravery of Natures own spinning so short are the finest Works of Art Acts 12.21 of the coursest manufactures and meanest pieces of the God of Nature And tho Herod in his Royal Apparel was eaten by the Worms who fell to and spared not what vengeance had set before them before Death had said Grace yet the sin lay not in the richness of his Robes but the rottenness of his Heart who affecting to be more than a Man became less than a Worm and because he was ambitious of being a God had not the civility usually given to Men. 2. Proposition There is a Lawful difference of Apparel arising from the difference of Wealth Titles and Honours tho distinguisht by no publick Office which our Saviour seems to approve of They that wear soft cloathing are in Kings houses Matth. 11.8 Courtiers then may assume a Garb somewhat above that of meaner persons suitable to the glory of the Prince on whom they attend And our Lord and Saviour in his practise justifies some diversity who used both a more liberal Diet and agreeable Cloathing than John the Baptish whose raiment was of camels hair with a leathern girdle about his loins Matth 3.4 and his meat was locusts and wild honey one Garb was decent enough in the rude Wilderness which had been uncomely to him whose habitation was much in the City Luk. 16.19 Should I quote that rich man who was cloathed
my Mothers Womb was liable to a dissolution yet since this Body did arise out of the Bosom of the Earth and is reunited to its Soul admits of no separation for ever and which still is worse this Soul and Body now separated from God and Christ and all that be above in that Blessed Eternity must Never Never be admitted near unto them Oh cursed be the day that ever I was born Cursed be that folly and madness that brought me to this cursed place for here I lye under extremity of pain which if it were for an year or two or many Millions and then end would be in this respect exceeding heavy because it were to last so long but that then should be no longer would make it in the mean while to be the lighter but when Eternity is added to Extremity nothing can be added to make me extremely because in this extremity I am eternally miserable Oh Eternity Eternity in my condition what is more dreadful than Eternity This Fire burns to all Eternity the heavy stroaks of revenging Justice will be laid on me to all Eternity I am banished from God and Happiness to all Eternity Oh Eternity Eternity nothing cuts me to the heart like the corroding thoughts of this Eternity I am an Object of the Wrath of God of the contempt of Angels of the derision of Saints of the mockings of Devils and cursed Fiends to all Eternity I burn but cannot be consumed I toss and rowl and cannot rest to all Eternity Oh Eternity Eternity thou art enough to break my heart and make it dye but that it cannot break nor dye to all Eternity And if this shall be the doleful Language the direful Lamentations of Souls that went Christless out of time into Eternity do ye while ye are in time Eye Eternity in all you do and get a Title to Eternal Happiness or else when ye are in Eternity ye shall remember that in time ye were fore-warned which warning because ye did not take shall be a vexation to your Hearts to all Eternity SERMON XXIX A Discourse of the right way of obtaining and maintaining COMMUNION with GOD. 1 JOHN 1.7 But if we Walk in the light as he is in the light we have Fellowship one with another THE Subject I am to treat upon is Communion with God how to attain it and how to maintain it in as constant a course as we may be capable of in this World And for that end I have chosen this Text. My usual course is to provide matter for a Text but in this Lecture I provide a Text for the matter I am to treat upon The Subject is high and copious much spoken of but I fear not so well understood and less experienced though the Subject mainly relates to Christian Experience Before I come to the Subject I shall speak something of the Text upon which it is grounded The Author of this Epistle is St. John John the Apostle John the Divine as he was anciently called and he writes this Epistle some think to the Believing Jews only others think rather to the whole Catholick Church and the matter of the Epistle is partly to distinguish the true and the false Christian and for that end layes down many signal Characters to distinguish and partly to vindicate the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning Jesus Christ the true Messiah his Person his Natures and Salvation by him alone from the many errors that were crept in by false Teachers and Seducers in his time as Cerinthus Ebion c. as he intimates in the 1 John 2.26 These things I speak concerning them that seduce you He also vindicates the Holiness of the Christian Profession from the impure practices of the Nicolaitans and the Gnosticks who began early to abuse the true liberty of the Gospel and to turn the Grace of God into wantonness And lastly he doth earnestly press them to the Christian Love of one another because of the Persecutions he saw were coming upon the Church from the Roman Empire and the divisions that would arise amongst themselves from many false Brethren And hereupon to strengthen their Faith and Profession the more he shews forth the Gospel in the beginning of this Epistle 1. In the Antiquity of it That which was from the beginning c. 2. In the Certainty of it as in the third verse That which we have seen and heard and our hands have handled of the word of Life declare we unto you 3. In the main Scope and End of it These things have we written unto you that ye may have Fellowship with us with us the true Apostles of Christ and not go out from us as he complains of some that did in this Epistle They went out from us because they were not of us And then tells them what their Fellowship was Truly our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ So that he proposeth Fellowship with God and with Jesus Christ as the great scope and end of the Gospel and he mentioneth Christ as well as God because all our Fellowship with God is by Jesus Christ So that the Apostle doth invite and perswade the believing Jews to Fellowship with himself and other Apostles in the Doctrine and Ordinances of the Gospel dispensed by them or more generally the whole Catholick Church of God consisting both of believing Jew and Gentile but all this was in order to their having Fellowship with God and Jesus Christ 4. He shews the way how to have this Fellowship with God which he setteth down both Negatively and Affirmatively 1. Negatively in the sixth verse If we say that we have Fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth 2. Affirmatively in the words of the Text But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another And this the Apostle proves by an Argument taken from the Nature of God in the fifth verse God is light and in him is no darkness at all and therefore they that would have Fellowship with him who is Light must walk in the Light for what Communion hath light with darkness But by Light is not meant any visible material Light either Natural or Artificial but a Light that is Divine Spiritual and Intellectual For though God expresseth himself to us by things Natural when he is call'd Light or Life c. yet he is Ens transcendens a transcendent Being and it is a true rule nothing can be predicated univocally of God and the Creature And he doth not say only of God that he is in the Light as verse the seventh Or that he dwelleth in the Light as the Apostle Paul elsewhere expresseth it But He is Light Light Essentially Originally Eternally Light it self and in him he saith there is no darkness at all He is a pure simple immixt and perfect Light As we say of that which is perfect it is plenum sui full of it self
of the Creature as Water and Wine are mingled together so that the Nature of them both is lost in that mixture For it is not thus with Angels in Heaven or the Glorifyed Spirits there for they still retain their own distinct Nature and Being though they are in the Highest Communion with God Neither is it thus between the Humane and the Divine Nature of Christ as if these two were mingled together and did lose their proper and distinct Natures in each other though the Humane and Divine Nature of Christ have a most near Union and Communion with each other But this Communion it is a Sacred and Mutual Intercourse that is between God and his People whereby they go forth and act in the Divine exercise of their faculties towards him and he comes forth in the Communication of himself in Light Life and Love to them II. I next proceed to speak of some Distinctions about Communion General II with God 1. Communion with God may be considered either with respect to this World or the World to come the one is Imperfect the other is perfect one is Mediate the other Immediate the one is Inconstant and often interrupted the other is constant fixed and uniform without any Interruption for ever 2. This Communion with God hath higher and lower degrees both in the Nether and Vpper World Both among the Saints here below and the Saints and Angels above As there are Orders of Angels in Heaven and some nearer to the Throne of God than others and receive higher Communications of God to them so it is with the Saints made perfect in that Heavenly State 3. This Communion with God is either Internal or External By Internal I mean that sacred Intercourse between God and the Soul which is managed only in the inward Man And by External I mean this Communion with God managed in some External Ordinance of his Worship in the Communion of Saints General III III. I next proceed to shew how this Communion with God is attained and then maintained I answer in General It is attained only in that way which God himself hath appointed thereunto The Heathen did aim at having Fellowship with their Gods and therefore they built them Temples to dwell in Erected Oracles for them to speak to them by and they built Altars to sacrifice to them and appointed Priests to be their Mediators or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministers of Friendship between them and their Gods they used several Charms to bring their Gods to them and keep them with them they made use of various Modes and Rites of Worship which they thought best pleased their Gods and whereby they might invite their favour to them and presence with them Yea they worshipped several Creatures though not as Gods but yet that in worshipping them they might have some Communion with those Gods that they thought did preside over those Creatures they Worshipt as Vulcan over the Fire Neptune over the Sea Ceres over the Fruits of the Earth c. But notwithstanding these vain apprehensions of the Heathen by such means to have Fellowship with their Gods yet the Apostle says they sacrificed to Devils and not to God and had Fellowship with Devils 1 Cor. 10.20 I would not saith he that ye should have Fellowship with Devils But the ways of this Communion as I said must be those which God himself hath appointed the principal whereof are Jesus Christ himself and the Holy Spirit 1. By Jesus Christ who was figured upon this account by Jacobs Ladder that stood betwixt Heaven and Earth as the Person wherein Heaven and Earth are united God and Man have Communion with each other who was also figured by the Temple whither the people came up to meet and have communion with God and God with them And particularly by the Mercy Seat where God promised to meet his people and commune with them and therefore the Apostle addeth here in the Text Our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ for on our part all our access to God is by him Eph. 2.18 Through him we both have an access unto the Father 2. All Gods approaches to us are also through him All that Light Life and Love which God communicates to his people is through him alone And we have this Communion through Christ with God First By virtue of his Incarnation He assumed our Nature into Union and Communion with God and so made way for our Persons Secondly By virtue of his Life he lived here in the World considered either in the Holy Example he hath left us to walk by or the Doctrine that he here preached by both which he did guide and lead Men in the right way to Fellowship with his Father Thirdly By virtue of his Death and making reconciliation for us by his Blood for if there had not been a Reconciliation and an agreement made between God and us we could never have had Communion with him How can two walk together if they be not agreed 1. This Communion with God it is some lower entrance into the Holyest of all in this World and this is said to be by the Blood of Jesus as the Apostle speaks Heb. 10.19 Fourthly By vertue of his Resurrection whereby Believers come to be raised up to newness of Life Rom. 6.4 And it is only in this New Life that we have all our Communion with God the Old Man in us is not capable of it nor the Powers of Nature till they be renewed raised and quickned through the power of Christs Resurrection Fifthly By vertue also of his Ascension into Heaven from whence descends upon Believers a Divine Influence and Power through Faith whereby they are carryed up above this World and ascend up to Heaven and into Communion with God as the Apostle argues Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the Right hand of God Sixthly By virtue of his Intercession For this is one great thing that he Intercedes for with his Father in Heaven that his People might have Union and Communion with them as appears by what Christ prays for John 17.21 in the behalf of his Disciples that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they may be one in us and so have Communion with us so that all these things I have spoken concerning Christ ye see tend to this great end to bring up the Saints of God into this Communion with him 2. This Communion with God is also by the Spirit of God as the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.13 14. speaks of the Communion of the Holy Ghost The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost The Grace of Christ and the Love of God are communicated by the Holy Ghost So that all our Fellowship with the Father and the Son are by the Spirit Now the Spirit doth effect this Communion with
walk in Strife Envy Debates Emulation Contention they will not hereby be only hindred in their Communion with one another but with God also 7. And Lastly Let the People of God walk in Fellowship with one another Let them be all united to some particular visible Church where they may enjoy all those Ordinances of Divine Worship which God hath instituted for Communion with himself Besides the Catholick Church whereof Christ is the Supream Head and Pastor there are particular Churches under the praesidency and care of particular Pastours to some of which all professed Christians ought to belong in order to their Communion with God and one another But upon this third General I shall speak somewhat further in the Application IV. I shall now come to the Fourth and last General I proposed to General IV speak to and that is the Consequences or Consectaries that arise from this whole Discourse 1. It follows hence that Communion with God is a very comprehensive Consect 1 duty It comprehends much in it It consists not in one single Grace or one single Act of the Soul or one single Duty of Religion but it comprehends the Exercise of many Graces reacheth to manifold Duties of Religion and consisteth of manifold Acts and Operations of the Soul 2. It is also a constant Duty which we are to maintain in a constant Consect 2 course and not only now and then at some solemn times or at some solemn Ordinance Not as if we ought to do nothing else but worship God which is the Communion reserved for Heaven but it is to be our dayly practise and to set some time apart for it every day and as much as we can to carry this Communion with God through the several Affairs Conditions and Actions of our Life Acquaint thy self with God said Elihu to Job chap. 22. v. 21. The Heb. is Accustome thy self with God which importeth some frequent course of approaching to God and converse with him And when it is said of Noah and Enoch that they walked with God It implies a constant course of Religion and Communion with God And when the Apostle saith Phil. 3.20 our Conversation is in Heaven it implies more than the performance now and then some Religious Worship but some constant converse with God and the things of Heaven as Citizens of the same civil Body or Society have among themselves in their civil Commerce and Conversation with one another as the Greek word there used doth import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. No Creatures are capable of Communion with God but Angels Consect 3 and Men. The Beasts were not made for it nor are capable of it not being rational and intelligent Beings This Communion with God requires the exercise of Reason and Understanding and that in the highest improvements of them If we consider it either in the Active or Passive part of it the Beasts are not capable of it Though God hath Communicated something of himself to all his Creatures and as the Poet expresseth it Jovis omnia plena all things are full of God and his Infinite Being is in all Finite Beings yet no Creatures have Communion with him but Angels and Men Other Creatures have a Natural instinct or sagacity to preserve and propagate their respective Natures or Beings but have no sense of their Creator no impression of a Deity upon their Nature nor no rational faculties whereby they might be capable of Communion with God The Angels have Communion with God in Heaven they alwaies behold the face of God as our Saviour speaks So the Spirits of just men departed are with Christ and in nearer Communion with God than when they dwelt in their Tabernacles of Flesh And the Saints upon Earth also are not without it though in a lower degree whereby the Church Militant hath Communion with the Church Triumphant in this Communion that both have with God Heb. 12. whieh shews the excellency of rational Creatures above all others that they alone are capable of this high Employment and Priviledge Consect 4 4. The Supreme felicity of Angels and Men lies in Communion with God As they alone are capable of it so their felicity consisteth in it God hath provided a good suitable to the Natures of all his Creatures in the enjoying of which is their chief happiness but the happiness of rational and intelligent Creatures lies in himself And therefore in their first Creation they were made happy in their Communion with him And herein consisteth the chief misery of fall'n Angels and fall'n Man that they both fell from their Communion with God The Angels so fell as never to be restored to it again And man so fell also as not to be able of himself to return to it But God hath provided a way for man by Christ to be brought back again to him which if he neglects or refuseth he will then be cast into the same hopeless Condition with the Devil and his Angels Consect 5 5. The highest improvement of the faculties of the Soul are to Employ them in Communion with God They are then in their highest Operation upon the highest Object Though they are Employed about things of this lower World and ought so to be in their proper bounds yet these are not their highest Operations which they are capable of As the highest use that could be made of Beasts under the Law was to make them Sacrifices to God and when the Israelites brought Gold Silver Purple Scarlet and precious Stones for the use and service of the Sanctuary they devoted them to the highest service they were capable of So when the faculties of the Soul are made a Sanctuary to God and employed in Communion with him they receive their highest improvement Lastly Communion with God is the Life of Religion It is but a dead thing without it All Religion hath respect to a Deity either to confer Honour upon it or to have Communion with it especially the true Religion without the former it finds no acceptance with God without the latter it is unprofitable to our selves yea we may grow worse under all our profession What the Body is without the Soul and what the matter without the form that is Religion where men find no Influence from Heaven upon their Hearts and have no Communion with God I next proceed to the Application I. Take notice with an holy admiration of the condescending goodness Vse I of God to admit any of the Sons of Men into fellowship with himself That there should be fellowship where there is such infinite inequality such infinite distance yea with such as had provok't him and disobliged him by their wilful departure from him To assume our Nature into Union and Communion with God was great condescent and so it is to receive any of our persons Will God indeed dwell on Earth said Solomon when he had built God an House for him to dwell in amongst his people For God to approach in wayes of such
destroy Natural Liberty Where the Spirit does not find sinners willing by his sweet Methods he makes them willing Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power a day of power yet willing Even the Spirits Drawing is managed with all consistency to the freedom of the will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys he draws but 't is one that he makes willing to follow Hos 2.14 Behold I will allure her ay there 's the Spirits leading This being the constant and avowed Doctrine of the Protestants and †Ductus spiritus non est impulsus violentus quo rapimur inviti ut stipites sed est efficax persuasio quâ ex nolentibus efficimur volentes Par. with many others particularly their Explication of the Spirits leading in the Text how injurious and invidious are the Popish Writers in their traducing and calumniating of them as if they asserted the Spirit in This or any Other Act to work with Compulsion or in a way destructive to mans Essential Liberty 'T is a vile scandal And yet how do Esthius Salmeron Contzen upon the Words charge our Divines with it We perfectly concurr with Blessed St. * Enchirid. Cap. 64. de verbis Apostol Serm. 13. c. 11 12. Austin in that excellent passage of his cited by the Rhemists As many as are led by the Spirit he meaneth not says he that the Children of God are violently compelled against their Wills but that they be sweetly drawn moved or induced to do good But no more of this IV. The Extent of this Leading of the Spirit The Extent of it A threefold account may be given of that 1. In regard of the Subject or person led So it extends to the Whole Man First to the Interior Acts of the Soul in its several Faculties Vnderstanding Will and Affections And then to the Exterior Acts of the Body yea to the whole Conversation For all these are comprehended within and fall under the Spirits Leading For as his Sanctifying Operation extends to all of these the God of Peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of Christ 1 Thes 5.23 So does his Guiding Operation also these two being Commensurate and Coextensive This might be made out in Particulars was I not afraid of too much prolixity 2. In regard of the Object or Matter that the Spirit leads unto So it extends to the whole Duty of a Christian to all that he is to Know Believe and Do. Look as the Word in its External Leading guides us in all things that concern Faith and Practice it being a compleat and perfect Rule 2 Tim. 3.16 17. so 't is with the Spirit in his Internal Leading too Joh. 14.26 For Knowledge and Faith the Promise is But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 16.13 And again Howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth see 1 John 2.20 27. And so 't is as to Holiness also this Spirit directs those who have him to and in the Practice of Holiness in its full and utmost Extent and Latitude Tit. 2.12 As the Grace of God the Gospel Without teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously godly in this present world which is the summe of all Duty towards God towards Men and towards our selves So the Spirit Within teaches guides inclines to all these His Gracious Conduct is not confin'd to does not terminate in this or that particular Duty of Religion no but it extends to every Duty to the whole Obedience of a Christian 3. In regard of the Degree and Measure of it Concerning which 't is clear that this Leading of the Spirit in the Directing Inclining Governing Notions of it is not as to Degree equal in all God's Children All have the Thing in the Necessary and Substantial part of it yet so as that there is a Gradual Difference in their having of it Some having more and some less He being a Free and Arbitrary Agent does proportion this Act of his Grace to different Persons as he pleases And he making Some more ductil to his Leadings than Others accordingly he vouchsafes more of Them to Those than he does to Others But in None does it reach so high as to render them perfect here For although we should grant which I do not that the Spirit should advance his Guidance consider'd in it self and as it comes from Him to such a Degree and Pitch as to lay the Foundation of Perfection in Saints here below yet considering what the Capacity of the Subjects of this Act is here they being Flesh as well as Spirit 't is not imaginable that de Facto and in Eventu they should ever here be perfect upon it Wherefore it must be bounded and limited though not from what the Spirit could do yet from what he is pleased to do in Believers in their present imperfect state He shall guide you into all Truth what so as to make Saints Omniscient or Infallible He guides unto all Holiness what so as to render them sinless and impeccable here on Earth we must by no means carry it thus high It therefore must be qualified thus He shall guide you into all Truth i. e. into the Knowledge of all Necessary and Fundamental Truths And he shall guide you into all Holiness i. e. so far as your present state admits of and so far as is necessary for your future Glory Beyond this Measure we must not extend or heighten the Spirits Leading For the truth is if we take it in this bounded Notion we secure the Thing but if we go higher we totally undermine and nullifie it as all Experience proves And by the way Observe that this Guidance of the Spirit in the General and that Guidance of His in Particular in the Duty of Prayer do much stand upon the same level Insomuch that as the Former the Spirits immediate Guiding of Believers in the Matter and Manner of their Actions does not thereupon render Them or Their Actions perfectly Holy and free from all mixtures of sin So neither does the Latter the Spirits immediate Guidance and Assistance in the Matter and Manner of Prayer render the Prayers of such infallible or of equal Authority with the Scriptures as some Object Because as to Both this Agency of the Spirit is to be limited partly from the Consideration of the present State of the subject in whom it is exerted and partly from the Spirits Aim and End therein 'T is true to obviate a bad Inference that may be drawn from hence the Apostles themselves considered as but Men and as men in the State of Imperfection so they were fallible as we are But as they had in matters of Faith