admittere potest Impius sibi hoe persuadere conatur aut sibi aliter tamen sentienti convicto satis imponere satagit Non esse Numen verum hoc ipsum nequit 2. Impius dicit in corde suo id est ita secum tacite loquutus est Impius Non est Deus vel Utinam non esset Deus In corde dicere nihil aliud significat quam tacite secum contendere quasi murmurando quippiam proferre Nisi enim ea Phrasis ita acciperetur non potuisset Esaui cogitatio si tantum cordis fuisset non oris citra peculiarem Revelationem Rebeccae innotuisse 3. Impius dicit in corde suo non est Deus id est Deus non est Objectum cogitatioâ—…um ejus neque circa Divina solicitus est prophanis â—…ntentus praesertim cum ita vivat ac si non esset Deus ac nullo sensu aut reverentia Numinis tangeretur Pauli Voeâ—…ii Theolog. Naturalis Reformata c. 2. * The Insivibility of God brought as an Argument by Satan against his Existence ‖ Deus est quicquid vides Deus est quicquid non vides †The Foundations of all Religion lie in Two things That there is a God who Rules the World and That the Souls of Men are capable of subsisting after Death So that if these things be not supposed as most agreeable to Human Reason we cannot imagine upon what Grounds Mankind should embrace any way of Religion at all For if there be not a God whom I am to serve if I have not a Soul of an Immortal Nature there can be no sufficient Obligation to Religion nor Motive inducing to it Doctor Prideaux in his Eighth Lecture De Salute Ethnicorum and Doctor Stillingfleet's Origines Sacrae Caput est primum Divinae legis ipsum Deum nosse Lactantius * The Trinity cavilled at and brought as an Argument by Satan to prove that God is not ‖ Esquire Leigh's Treatise of Divinity The Mystery of the Trinity after a sort shaddowed out by Four Resemblances See Bishop Usher his Body of Divinity A Person is a distinct Subsistence of the whole God-head Nam plura infinita esse nequeunt quia sic forent plura summa prima Aug. In this Mystery there is Alius Alius Another and Another but not Aliud Aliud Another thing and Another thing The Doctrine of the Trinity is That there are Three Persons in one and the same Substance Nature and Essence What a Person in this Sense is I have shewed you already God the Father is the First Person God the Son is the Second Person God the Holy Spirit is the Third Person All these are Co-equal Co-eternal and Co-essential for though they are Distinguished yet not in their Natures and Being but in their Names Orders and Actions And that there is a Unity in Trinity viz. Three Persons yet One in Substance Nature and Essence we must believe let Reason suggest what it will though thâ—… same may be illustrated by Reason as above because Scripture which is Infallible doth so declare 1. See the Old-Testament where the Trinity speaketh in the Plural Number And God said Let us make Man in our Image after our Likeness Gen. 1. 26. Isa. 6. 3. The Angels iâ—… respect of the Three Persons do cry three times Holy Holy Holy And so in the New-Testament this Doctrine is mighty clear as Matth. 3. 16 17. where the Father the First Person of the Trinity is Heard and Seen so that there is one The Holy Ghost in the Shape of a Dove is Seen and not Heard there is another And then Jesus Christ in his Assumed Nature is both Seen and Heard So that this is good Qui nescis Trinitatem ito ad Jordanem More-over we are Baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Matth. 28. 19. Lastly the 2 Cor. 13. 14. The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you All. Those Scriptures may suffice to prove That there are Three Persons in the Divine Essence And now that these Three are One I prove from those two Places in Scripture The one is in the Old-Testament and the other is in the New Deut. 6. 4. Hearken O Israel the Lord our God is One Lord In the Hebrew thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah Elohenu Jehovah Echad It signifies thus much That the First Jehovah is God the Father the Second Word Elohenu our God is God the Son the Third Word Jehovah is God the Holy Ghost and the Fourth Word Echad that is One is to shew the Unity of Essence in the Plurality of Persons The Jews did own the Doctrine of the Trinity though now they deny it for their Antient Rabbies did prove the Trinity out of the Old-Testament and Rabbi Simeon the Son of Johai alledged this same afore-mentioned place for the Proof thereof And many other Passages might be taken out of the Writings of the Antient Rabbies to confirm this Truth but this is already performed by Galatinus in his Books De Arcanis Catholicae Veritatis The Place in the New-Testament is this which may serve for all 1 Joh. 5. 7. For there are Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One. To conclude Singula sunt in singulis omnia in singulis singula in Omnibus Unum omnia Aug. lib. 6. De Trin. Cap. ult O Deus est indivisè Unus in Trinitate inconfusè Trinus in Unitate Iustin. Who can saith Mr. Watson in his late Treatise of Self-Denyal with the Plum-line of Reason fathom the Trinity which is Puteus profundus a Deep Well * 'T is here to be noted That Satan labours to argue from the Wonderfulness of God's Attribute his Non-Existence or at leastwise that God is not so Wonderful as he is Revealed in Scripture to be and that you should not conceive of God aright †God is Truth it self and that he is Eternal is as True as himself Eternity is a Being without Limitation of Time Time is the Continuance of Things past present and to come All Time hath a Beginning a Vicissitude and an End or may have but God's Essence is bounded by none of these Hedges ‖ God's Immutability cavilled at * Christ's Incarnation cavilled at †Deus est Immutabilis mutans omnia nunquam novus nunquam vetus Aug. * Deus poenitere dicitur quando mutat factum Pet. Mar. †Deus mutat opera non mutat consilium Aug. Repentance in God is only to signify unto us his high Displeasure because when we Repent we are highly displeased at a thing ‖ Deus mutat sententiam sed non Decretum saith Profound Bradwardine in his Book De Causa Dei * God's Ubiquity cavilled at †Empedocles the Philosopher said well That God is a Circle whose Centre is every where ‖ Nusquam est Deus Ubique est
Capel in his Book of Temptations tells us That we are to Pray for three things â—…st Strength to Conquer Satan Secondly Wisdom that we may not be ignorant of his Wiles 3dly Long-Suffering that we may hold out with him * By this it was that Luther stir'd up Melancthon †Maximilian the Emperour was so delighted with that Sentence of Paul Si Deus nobiscum If God be with us who shall be against us that he caused it to be Written upon the Walls in most Rooms of his Palace ‖ The Devil is a Beaten Enemy he knows no March but Running away Certus enim promisit Apollo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. * Demosthenes being asked What was the First Precept of Eloquence Answered To Pronounce well Being asked What was the Secoud answered the like And so the Third in like manner Sure I am the Precepts of Religion the First Second Third are Humility †Humility was the First Lesson taught to Adam after his Fall 2 Cor. 12. v. 7. Dust thou art and to Dust thou shalt return ‖ Quam firma sit fides nostra ostendit Tentatio Gerhard †VVhen Grapes come to be pressed then is discerned what is in them †Nemo vires suas in pace cognoscit si enim Bella desunt virtutum experimenta no prodeunt Improvidus est miles qui fortem se in pace gloriatur Greg. Mor. l. 23. c. 18. ‖ Tentatio etiam purgat Ad pestiferuÌ„ amoris proprii mundani humorem extrahendum multis granis Aloes Medicus Christus utitur Gerhard Meditat. 11. pag. 171. * Schola crucis Schola lucis Cypr. Serm. 4. De Immort †Qui tribulantur sacras Literas melius intelligunt sed Securi eas legunt sicut Ovidii carmen * Worldly Felicity is but a Painted Felicity ‖ Cogita devota anima salvandi difficultatem facile excuties omnem Securitatem Gerhard †As Incense can send up no Smoak or sweet Perfume till it come into the Fire So the Prayers of the Saints do never Ascend so forcibly as in their Fiery Tryals * Oratio sine malis est sicut avis sine alis Praver until Affliction stings is like a Bird without VVings †Deus irascitur cum non irascitur Bern. ‖ Medicina non pâ—…a castigaâ—… non damâ—…tio Aug. * Our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Grace in its Exercise appears Glorious ‖ Per angusta ad augusta per Spinas ad Rosas per motum ad quietem per crucem ad coelum contendamus * Majora certamina majora sequuntur praemia Tertul ad Scapulam Mr. Isaac Ambroses VVar with the Devil Book 1. Pag. 2. Sect. 2. Esq Polhil's Treatise of Faith ‖ The Devil strikes at Faith i. e. Saving Faith and in striking at that he strikes at all the rest But to say He strikes at Historical Faith is not so proper because that doth not comprehend the Main that Satan designes the Ruin of though in striking at Saving Faith he doth also strike at Temporal For the Devil would hinder such a Faith as his own if he could †No such irreconcilable Enemies as Faith the Devil 1 Ioh. 1. 3. Rom. 5. 1. †The Doctrine of the Trinity of the Creation of the World of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ of the Resurrection of the Body and of the Re-uniting of Soul and Body are quarreled with by Humane Reason See more of this in Pag. 219. USE Second Of Exhortation BRANCH 1. BRANCH II. Non progredi est regredi * The Promises are made to True Faith be it Small or Great Hierom upon the Beatitudes observes there the Promises that are made to Weak Grace ‖ Unbelief is a God-Affronting Sin Mr. Danson's Vindication of himself against Ives Pag. 62. †His Intercession is a Permanent Importunity ‖ Sermen 13. on Heb. 7. 25. Pag. 152. To grant Apostacy would make Election Changeable Mr. Buckly in his Gospel-Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. * De Bono Persever ‖ Haec Perseverantia dicitur esse continua Fidei professio fructuum Fidei demonstratio quoniam Electi semâ—…er retinent Fidem aliquos Fidei fructus Semper sunt instar â—…oris Plantatae ad rivos aquarum Psal. 1. v. 3. Semper maâ—… Jehovae sustentantur Psal. 37. v. 24. Sunt similes monâ—… Sionis qui non dimovetur †Theolog. Didact Scholast Pag. 766. Cap. 29. De Conservatione Electorum * Christ. Theolog. Pag. 184. Cap. 32. De Sanctorum Perseverantiâ †Institut Lib. 2. Chap. 5. Sect. 3. ‖ Sicut impossibile est massam â pasta separare c. Melancthon in Epistolâ—m ad Rom. Cap. 8. Pag. 170. †B. Usher's Body of Divinity * The Shaking of the Olive Tree Pag. 38â—… 1 Ioh. 3. 3. A Practical Commentary on Jude By Tho. Manton D. D. Pag. 57 c. Doctor Jacomb on Romans pag. 83. Mr. Cases Mount Pisgah Part 1. Pag. 39. c. * O felix Culpa quae talem ac tantum meruit habere Redemptorem ‖ Arminiaus On Iude Pag. 55. †Vide Leigh on the Promises Pag. 236. * That is the most Barren Heart shall abound with Grace ‖ The greatest Inducement that I know of whereby to perswade Sinners to get into Christ is 1. The Misery that they are in by being out of him 2. The Happiness they would be in were they in him * What were the Old World the better for Hearing of an Ark when they would not get into it So what are we the better for Hearing of Christ if we will not get into him †Restituet eum Deus qui antea morti vicinus fuit longiore vita donabit Mollerus * Valentinian the Emperour did decree Capitali sententiae subjugandum That he who was openly Convicted of this â—…me of Slander should Die for it And Pope Gregory did decree That such a Person should be Excommunicated †The Soul is the Princely Part crowned with Reason It is Dei insignita imagine It carries in it some Faint Idea or Resemblance of the Trinity Bern. ‖ By Nature there is a very Chaos upon the Understanding * Memory is in a great part the Understanding knowing Things as they are past Therefore Austin and others following him make Three Powers or Faculties in the Rational Part of a Man His Understanding his Will and Memory which they call the Created Trinity ‖ The Will is the Primum Mobile the great Wheel in the Soul that moves all the Affections †Cesset voluntas propria infernum non â—…rit * The Mariners Compass being struck with Thunder causeth the Point of the Needle to stand wrong Man's Nature being Corrupted causeth the Will to point wrong It is strongly bent and inclin'd to that which is Evil. †Abnegare seipsum dictur qui abnegat voluntâ—…tem suam Brug ‖ The Affections are treated of severally by the Philosopher the Physitian the Orator and the
God shew that therâ—… is a God Rom 1. 20 When we see a stately House although we see not the Man that Built it although also we know not the Time when it was Built yet conclude nâ—… otherwise we can but that somâ—… Wise Artificier had a hand in it Thâ—… House surely say we did not Builâ—… it self And therefore when we take a View of the Theatre of Heaven and Earth we conclude That surely the Finger of God has been there Is not every Creature in Heaven and Earth a loud Preacher of this Everlasting Truth And doth not Man the Microcosm or Little World shew that there is a God Could any make a Man but One Wiser and Greater than Man Who taught the Birds to Build their Nests and the Bees to make a Common-Wealth What Power of Man or Angels can make one Pile of Grass or put Life into the least Flie if once Dead All which demonstrates the Being of a God But because this Infinite Being cannot be demonstrated unto Sense therefore the Atheist is so Impudent as he is because he cannot Digito monstrari dicier hic est Point at him with our Fingers c. Is not this Irrational that Sense should be made the only Umpire of all kinds of Beings Must not all Intellectual Beings be proscribed out of the Order of Nature because they cannot pass the Scrutiny of Sense Then will not Colours by the same Reason be dash'd out because they cannot be heard all Noises silenced because they cannot be seen The Second pretended Ground of Atheism is this Behold saith the Devil whether this can stand together viz. Three Persons Distinct in Subsistence but One in Substance Being or Essence and not divided into Divers Essences Natures or Parts This is against Reason and though it is yet thou must believe it if thou believest that God is Answ. This the Soul may say is not against Reason but it is above Reason We cannot by the Light of Nature saith one know the Mystery of the Trinity nor the Incarnation of Iesus Christ. But when by Faith we receive this Doctrine we may illustrate it by Reason As the Sun begetteth his own Beams and from thence proceeds Light and Heat and yet there is none of them before another otherwise than in respect of Order and Relation that is to say That the Beams are begotten of the Body of the Sun and the Light and Heat proceedeth from both So likewise from one Flame of Fire proceed both Light and Heat and yet but one Fire Again In Waters there is the Well-Head and the Spring boyling out of it and the Streams flowing from them both and all these are but one Water And so there are Three Persons in One Godhead yet but One God Lastly In Man the Understanding cometh from the Soul and the Will from both The Third pretended Ground of Atheism is this Nay this is not all saith the Evil One there is another Absurdity in your Deity and that is this If thou believest that there is a God thou must believe also that he is from Eternity and to Eternity i. e. One who has neither Beginning nor Ending This is owned by all that profess your Deity viz. Eternity as that which necessarily pertains unto Him as God which to me is so strange wonderful and above Reason as that I cannot but call it in question and therefore necessarily the Being whereof it is predicated What say'st thou O Soul concerning this Answ. To this the Soul may reply Avoyd Satan for who art thou that chargest the Holy One with Folly and the Great God of Heaven and Earth with Absurdity Know therefore that to believe what thou say'st is the greatest Folly in the World Because thou art a Lyar and the Truth is not in thee But to believe that God is Eternal is the greatest Reason in the World because He who is Truth it self hath said so 1 Tim. 1. 17. Isa. 41. 4. and 44. 6. Psal. 90. 2. Rev. 6. 11. The Fourth pretended Ground of Atheism is this Oh! saith Satan this is not all For if thou believest that there is a God thou must then believe that he is Unchangeable In Contradicting of which there needs no other Instances than these which follow wherein his Changeableness doth very much appear Instance I. That God is Changeable saith the Devil may appear in that he was made Man Confutation This the Soul may Confute by answering Satan after this manner That God became Man was not by any Conversion or Change of the Divinity but by the Assumption oâ—… the Humanity Instance II. If God alters not his Mind why 〈◊〉 he said to Repent Confutation Repentance is Attributed to God in Scripture but not to signifie any Mutation or Change in his Nature only in his Actions God is said to Repent not because he Changeth but because he doth as we do when we Repent And now what is it that we do when we Repent Why we cease to do what we did and destroy what we formerly made And upon this score God is said to Repent not that he doth so Repent as to Change his Mind but because he altereth his Works and thereby doth but fulfil what he long ago determined Instance III. There are many things Threatned and Promised by God in his Word that do never come to pass which cannot be any otherwise but a very great Impeachment to his Unchangeableness Confutation The Threatnings and Promises of God considered as not Absolute but Conditional the Condition whereof being answered the Non-Accomplishment or Execution of the same doth not make any Change in God And thus you see these Instances that Satan has brought whereby to prove God's Mutability made Insignificant He who would see more of God's Unchangeableness Prov'd Clear'd and Open'd let him peruse Excellent Mr. Pearces Book Entituled A Beam of Divine Glory The Fifth pretended Ground of Atheism is this This is not all saith Satan for if you believe that there is a God you must also believe him to be Omnipresent that is Every where at once And how can it be Answ. That there is a General Presence of God nothing is more evident Whither shall I flee from thy Presence saith David Psal. 139. 7. Nothing is impossible with God and therefore that he is Essentially Every where is not Impossible Ier. 23. 24. Can any hide himself in secret Places that I should not see him saith the Lord Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord. Prov. 15. 3. The Eyes of â—…he Lord are in Every Place beholding â—…he Evil and the Good These with many others do make â—…od's Omnipresence and Omniscience veâ—…y Conspicuous The Sixth and Last pretended Ground of Atheism is this This is not all saith Satan for if â—…ou believe there is a God you must alâ—…o believe him to be Omnipotent i. e. One who can do all
for such whose Healths he has Preserved Soundness of Body is a great Mercy What is Life what is Riches what is Honour without Health These Things 't is granted in Conjunction with Health are Pleasing unto Man But Health not Enjoyed will render all the former things Unprofitable Now here God Does much for a Person with Respect to his Health Thirdly Estate Omni rerum copia affluet Once thou wast Poor not a Penny in thy Purse nor a Piece of Bread in thy Cubboard But now thy Case is changed from Worse to Better The Candle of Prosperity shines upon thee and an Flourishing Estate thou hast now about thee Here is God's Doing much for a Person with Respect to his Estate Fourthly God's Doing much for a Person is sometimes discover'd in a Man's Good Name being Bestowed and Preserved Once a Cloud of Infamy and Reproach was drawn over thy Name but now it is dissipated and scattered A Good Name is one of the Greatest Blessings upon Earth No Chain of Pearl doth so Adorn is this How many are there in the World that are still paring off the Credit of their Neighbours And they make thick Parings they sometimes pare off all that is Good nothing is left but the Core The Children of God are thus oft-times served It was David's Complaint Psal. 35. 11. They laid to my Charge Things which I knew not Surius the Iesuite reported of Luther That he learnt his Divinity of the Devil and that he died Drunk But Melancthon who wrote his Life affirms That he died in a most Holy Pious manner and made a most Excellent Prayer before his Death Has God now preserved or delivered thy Good Name from the Unmercifulness of others What is this but a doing much for thee with Respect to thy Name Fifthly and Lastly God has done much for those whom he hath Blessed in their Negotiations When thou didst first set forth in the World what Cares and Fears did distract thee lest thou shouldst not do well and so become Bankrupt But now contrary to thy Fears God has Prosper'd thee and a Brave Trade thou hast and Blessed thou art in thy Building Planting Journeying or what ever thou goest about The Honey-Comb of a Blessing shall be still dropping upon thee Thus much concerning God's Goodness with Respect to the less Noble Part of a Man viz. His Body SECT III. I now come to consider in what Sense God may be said to do much for a Person 's Soul which is the most Noble Part of him The Body is but a Shadow the Soul is the Substance The Body is but a Shell the Soul is the Kernel The Body is but a Cabinet the Soul is the Jewel The Soul is the Man of the Man The Soul of Plato is Plato But to proceed to the Point in Hand viz. How God may be said to do much for our Souls see made forth as followeth SECT IV. God can never be said in a strict Sense to do much for the Soul of a Man till such time he Converts it to Himself So that it will not be out of the way to Enquire a little into the Nature of True Conversion But this would be too large a Field for me to enter in and therefore I shall only touch briefly upon it SECT V. True Conversion consists in a Change upon the Inward and Outward Man 1. In a Change upon the Inward Man which I shall only insist on First The Understanding is turned from Darkness unto Light Horrible Ignorance of God and the Things of Salvation covers the Soul of every Man as Darkness upon the Face of the Deep Unconverted Persons are therefore called Darkness in the very Abstract Ephes. 5. 8. and that because of their Original Acquired and Judicial Blindness which their Minds are possest with All the World is said to sit in Darkness From whence may be gathered That by Nature we are desperately Ignorant about God and the Things of God Which made our Saviour to say to Peter upon his Confession Flesh and Blood had not Revealed these Things unto him In the State of Integrity our Minds were furnished with all Glorious Perfections and Abilities as the Firmament with Stars There was Sapience in respect of God Science in respect of all Natural Things to be known and Prudence in respect of all Things to be done But since the Fall Man has received such a Bruise in his Understanding as that unless God Recovers it it will remain for ever Irrecoverable Therefore the first Thing that God doth in order to Conversion is to set up a Light in the Soul and take off that Vail of Darkness which has over-spread it So that God does much for the Soul in helping of the Understanding and doing much for it Secondly Our Memories are in part by Conversion Cured Oh! the Sinful Weakness Barrenness and Pollution of our Memories How Teâ—…acious is it with Respect to Evil But How Fallacious is it with Respect to Good Why is it that many can better Remember a Piece of News than a Line of Scripture That little Children can better Remember Obscene Songs and Ballads than the Principles of Religion or a Good Sermon The Memory by Nature is like a Sieve that lets the Corn and Weighty Grain fall through but the Light Refused Stuff that it Retains Thus what is Solid and would do thy Soul Good that quickly passeth away Hence it is that many of our Hearers are so Unprofitable as they are They forget the Good Sermons they Hear and go from Church no more better'd than the Stones in the Wall But now where God intends to do much for the Soul he then does help the Memory and Cures it in part of its Weakness Pollution and Unfaithfulness The Memory will then Retain all manner of Good something of Good in every Thing or at leastwise it will be better in Remembring Spiritual Things than Carnal Things If not all the Sermon part of the Sermon the Soul can now carry away with her Yea and she can tell what Sermon among divers so many Years past at such a Time in such a Place and by such a Person did her good So that a Wonderful Change is here pass'd upon the Memory to the just Admiration of the Free-Grace of God Thirdly Where True Conversion is a Change is also on the Will of Man that Great Faculty which will either be the Chair of Lust or Throne of Grace We may say of it what the Prophet did of the Figs Those which were Good were very Good and that were Bad were very Bad. The Will in Innocency was Regular It did Eccho to God's Will But since the Fall though it retains its Freedom in Moral Actions yet as to Spiritual it is depraved If the Will could cease from Sinning saith Bernhard there would be no Hell Since the Fall the Will is not only Impotent but Obstinate Acts 7. 51. Ye have alwayes Resisted the
Spiritually Empty Art thou now Soul-empty Do'st thou behold thy Self within Knowest thou what a Fulness of Rubbish and Evil there is in thy Heart and what an Emptiness there is of all Divine Good Knowest thoú I say how Spiritually Impoverished thou art Thou hast not so much as one Penny of Grace in the Purse of thy Soul to Help thee Be sensible of thy Poverty and Emptiness I say again and again for without this thou canst not so much as put forth one Spiritual Breathing after God the Living God While Laodicea was Conceited of her own Fulness she could not desire any of God's Gold and Silver And if this be thy Case Sinner know whil'st such thou art Deplorable and Miserable Get out therefore of it as you tender the Good of your Immortal Souls Secondly Exquisite Sense even a ‖ Painful Sense Thirst is alwayes accompanied with Feeling and Pain The Veins do so Suck and Pull anâ—… Draw for Cooling and Moistning that the Stomach is exceedingly Sensible and Pained and Un-healthful So he that is Spiritually Thirsty is very Sensible of his own Wants yea Painfully Sensible No Rest noâ—… Quiet hath he in that Condition and therefore he is to be heavy Loaden Such an one is prick't at thâ—… Heart by Sin pain'd through Sin Thirdly Anxious Cares and many Thoughts Thirst Creates Thoughts and Confines them also A Man's Thoughts in such a Condition run alwayes towards the Waters Water to Cool him and Water to Refresh him is continually in his Mind Give us Water to Drink saith the Thirsty Israelite So Moses So one that is Spiritually Athirst all his Thoughts and Cares are for Heaven and Heavenly Things how to get Christ Reconciliation with God a Sanctified Peace of Conscience Acts 2. 37. What shall we do Acts 16. 30. What shall I do to be Saved The Spiritually Thirsty Soul is exceeding Inquisitive how to Please God and Save his own Soul What would'st thou have me to do Lord saith he Am not I and all that I have thine at thy Dispose and Service And is not my Soul my Darling and therefore Am I not concerned to Secure it All such a Soul's Cares and Thoughts Desires and Affections are strongly carried forth to the Lord Iesus and the Everlasting Concerns of his Soul Give me Christ or else I Die saith he None but Christ None but Christ As nothing but the Breast can still the Babe so nothing but Christ can still the Spiritual Babe Toyes and Trifles take not with him the Butter-Flies of this VVorld he Plays not with Nothing here Below sufficeth him or has his Cares and Thoughts These Streams here Below satisfie not his Thirst Nothing less than the Ocean it self can fill him Christ only he careth for Christ Christ is his Language A Saviour I want A Saviour I desire I can be content with the want of all Things for the Enjoyment of a Blessed Iesus who surpasseth all Things what-so-ever and whose Blood can Satisfy Fill me Yea when my Conscience is in a Burning Feaver by Reason of God's Wrath the Blood of my Saviour will Cool it Fourthly Great Impatience Exod. 17. vers 3. The People Thirsted for VVater and the People murmured and said Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us out of Egypt to Kill us and our Children and our Cattel with Thirst A Man that is Naturally Athirst cannot bear it long but something of a Cooling and Moistening Nature he must have Give me Children or else I Dye saith Rachel So saith the truly Gracious Soul Give me Christ or else I Dye with Thirst The Soul that truly sees its VVant of Christ is impatient till such time he has Union with him And he thinks the Time long till it be so Cur non modo Cur non modo as Augustine has it Why not now Lord why not now Lord are the Pantings of this Thirsty Impatient Soul He hates Delayes and Procrastinations he cannot abide Till Christ and He are Knit together he thinks every Hour a Day and every Day a Week and every Week a Year How long O Lord How long O Lord will it be ere I shall have a more Intimate Union with thy self than ever When shall I appear before thee and see thy Face as I was wont in the Sanctuary Fifthly and Lastly Strenuous Endeavours I say Strenuous Endeavours If we are Athirst we do not Complain and only Cry out for Drink but we do also Seek out and are not at Rest until we have found what we desire and most stand in need of How do we run up and down and Dig in this Place and Place of the Earth till we havâ—… found these Waters So he that 〈◊〉 Spiritually Athirst Longeth Coâ—… plaineth and not only so but Laâ—… boureth and Striveth trying at 〈◊〉 very Pit or Well almost from Ordâ—… nance to Ordinance he goeth He wilâ—… Pray and Read he will Hear anâ—… Confer He is at every Pool and iâ—… every Way of God if so be at length he may meet with and Drink of thâ—… Water of Life As the Church Cant. 3. 1. I sought him whom my Soul Loveth I sought him but I found him not Vers. 2. I will rise and go about the City in the Streets and in the Broadwayes I will seek him whom my Soul Loveth Motives inducing here-unto are these First Spiritual Thirst Desires and Breathings are well-pleasing to God God Desires that you should Desire him And tâ—…efore when you send up your Desires to him he is well pleased with them And this plainly appears in that he Satisfieth those that Desire him Yea he Filleth the Longing Soul Psal. 107. 9. Secondly Spiritual Thirsts Desires and Breathings are the First Evidences of the New-Creature Renewing Grace beginneth first in the Sense of Want and then in Desire of Help New-Born Babes Desire the Milk 1 Pet. 2. 2. Thirdly Without these Spiritual Desires and Breathings there can be no Hopes of Mercy and Salvation It is the greatest piece of Presumption in the World to fancy that Christ will be our Saviour when we do not so much as Desire him If then you Desire Salvation Desire Christ. No Salvation but what cometh by Christ. I am the Way the Truth and the Life No Man cometh to the Father but by Me. Who would not then but Desire Christ Thou never doest any thing in order to tâ—… Salvation except thou Closest with Christ 'T is only Union with Christ that giveth thee a Right to all the Priviledges of Heaven Before thou Challengeth therefore any Heavenly Priviledge get thy self into the Prophet's Frame Isa. 26. 9. With my Soul have I Desired Thee in the Night c. SERMON II. JOHN 10. Vers. 15. And I lay down my Life for the Sheep NOT to spend Time in Prefaceing In the Words Read you may observe 1. A Bright Emanation of Christ's Transcendent Love I Lay down my Life 2. The Whole Body of the Faithful described or such whom Christ thus