of Christ that even by that meanes they may be rich in faith and dependance upon God as Saint Iames spake Having nothing and yet possessing All things Secondly All is ours in regard of Christian liberty though our hands are bound from the possession yet our Consciences are not bound from the use of any Thirdly Though the faithfull have not in the right of their inheritance any monopolie or ingrossement of the Creatures to themselves yet still they have and shall have the service of them All. That is thus If it were possible for any member of Christ to stand absolutely in neede of the use and service of the whole Creation All the Creatures in the world should undoubtedly waite upon him and bee appropriated unto him The Moone should stand still the Sunne goe backe the Lions should stop their mouths the Fire should give over burning the Ravens should bring him meate the Heavens should raine downe bread the Rockes should gush out with water all the Creatures should muster up themselves to defend the Body of Christ. But though no such absolute necessity shall ever be yet ordinarily we must learne to beleeve That those things which God allowes us are best suteable to our particular estate God knowing us better then we doe our selves that as lesse would haply make us repine so more would make us full and lift up our hearts against God and set them on the world so that All is ours not absolutely but subordinately serviceably according to the exigence of our condition to the proportion of our faith and furtherance of our Saluation The third particular inquire into was How we doe by Prayer sanctifie the Creature to our selves This is done in these three courses 1. In procuring them We ought not to set about any of our lawfull and just callings without a particular addressing our selves unto God in Prayer This was the practise of good Eleazer Abrahams servant when he was emploi'd in finding out a wife for his masters sonne O Lord God of my master Abraham I pray thee send me good speed this day and this also was the practise of good Nehemiah in the distresses of his people I prayed unto the God of heaven and then I spake unto the king And surely the very Heathen themselves shall in this point rise up in judgement against many prophane Christians who looke oftner upon their gold then upon their God as Salvian speakes We reade often in their writings that in any generall Calamitie they did joyntly implore the peace and favour of their idolatrous gods that in any matter of consequence they made their entrie upon it by Prayer commending the successe thereof to the power and providence of those deities which they beleeved In so much that we read of Pub. Scipio a great Romane that he ever went to the Capitole before to the Senate and began all the businesses of the Common-wealth with Prayer How much more the◅ ought we to doe it who have not onely the Law and Dictate of nature to guide us who have not deafe and impotent idols to direct our Prayers to as their gods were but have first The Law of Christ requiring it Pray Alwayes Pray without ceasing In every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thankesgiving let your requests be made knowne to God Who have secondly the Example of Christ to enforce it for not onely Morning and Evening was it his Custome to Pray but upon every other solemne occasion Before his Preaching before his Eating before the Election of his Disciples before his Transfiguration in the mount before and in his Passion Who have thirdly from Christ That Legitimate Ordinarie Fundamentall Prayer as Tertullian cals it The Lords Prayer as a Rule and Directorie by him framed to instruct us how to Pray and to bound and confine our extravagant and vast desires Who lastly have also the Altar of Christ to receive the Incense of Christ to perfume the Name and Intercession of Christ to present our Prayers unto God by who have Christ sanctifying and as I may so speake praying our prayers unto hi◅ Father for us as we read of the Angell of the Covenant who had a golden Censer and much incense to offer up the Prayers of the Saints which was nothing else but the mediation of Christ bearing the iniquitie of our holy things as Aaron was appointed to doe nothing but his intercession for us at the right hand of his Father I say how much more reason ◅ave we then any Gentile could have to consecrate all our enterprises with Prayer unto God Humbly to acknowledge how justly he might blast all o◅r businesses and make us labour in the fire that unlesse he keepe the City the watchman watcheth but in vaine that unlesse hee build the house their labour is in vaine that build it that unlesse he give the increase the planting of Paul and the watering of Apollo are but emptie breath that it is onely his blessing on the diligent hand which maketh rich without any sorrow that unlesse he be pleased to favour our attempts neither the plotting of our heads nor the solicitous◅esse of our hearts ◅or the drudgerie of our hands nor the whole cōcurrence of our created strength nor any accessorie assistances which we can procure will be able to bring to passe the otherwise most obvious and feasible Events and therefore to implore his Direction in all our counsels his concurrence with all our Actions his blessing on all our undertakings and his glory as the sole end of all that either we are or doe For by this meanes we doe First acknowledge our dependencie on God as the first cause and give him the glory of his soveraigne Power and Dominion over all second agents in acknowledging that without him we can doe nothing and the power of God is the Ground of Prayer Secondly by this meanes we put God in minde of his Promises and so acknowledge not our dependence on his power only but on his Truth and Goodnesse too And the Promises and Truth of God are the foundation of all our Prayers That which encouraged Daniel to set his face to seeke unto God in Prayer for the restitution of libertie out of Babylon was Gods Promise and Truth revealed by Ieremie the Prophet that hee would accomplish but s◅ventie yeeres in the desolation of Ierusalem That which encouraged Iehosaphat to seeke unto God against the multitude of Moabites which came up against him was his Promise that he would heare and helpe those that did pray towards his house in their affliction That which encouraged David to pray unto God for the stability of his house was the Covenant and Truth of God Thou hast revealed to thy Servant saying I will build thee an house therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this Prayer unto thee And now O Lord thou
the Saints perfect and testifie of some that they served God with their whole heart yet that is onely in opposition to Corde duplici a double heart denoting such an integrity onely as doth not admit a purposed division of the heart betweene God and sinne Therefore wee meete still with exhortations to grow and abound and with promises of bringing forth more fruite and mention of proceeding from faith to faith and from glory to glory and of supplies of the spirit and growing to the measure of the stature of Christ and the like expressions all which denote the admixture of Impotencie in the best And this Impotencie is so great that of themselves they can never doe any thing but returne to their wonted coldnesse and dulnesse againe for it is nor their having of Grace in them barely which makes them strong but their Communion and fellowship with Christs fulnesse I am able to doe all things through Christ that strengthens me The branch can beare no fruite nor preserve or ripen that which it hath but by its unity with the roote light continues not in the house but by its dependance on the Sunne shut out that all the light is presently gone Take water away from the fire and its nature will be presently stronger then the heate it borrowed and suddenly reduce it to its wonted coldnesse So wee can doe nothing but by the constant supplies of the Spirit of Christ he that begins must finish every good worke in vs Phil. 1. 6. He that is the Author must be the finisher of our faith too Heb. 12. 2. Without him we cannot will nor doe any good Phil. 2. 13. Without him when we have done both we cannot continue but shall faint in the way His Spirit must lead us Rom. 8. 14. Esai 40. 11. His arme must heale and strengthen us Hos. 11. 3. Ezek. 34. 16. Aâ—… we have received him so we must walks in him without him wee cannot walke Col. 2. 6. God is the God of All Grace to him it bolongeth not onely to call but to perfect not onely to perfect but to strengthen stablish settle us 1. Pet. 5. 10. Secondly this Impotencie is seene in this that the good things they doe cannot fully please God by themselves but stand in neede of further purification from Christ and pardon from God Even when wee are Children we must be spared and borne withall Mal. 3. 17. Deut. 1. 31. The use which we should make of this point is first to keepe us Humble in regard of this thorne in our flesh which disables us to doe any good and when wee have done our uttermost yet still makes us unprofitable servants Lay together these considerations First remember the long time that thou wert utterly barren and didst live nothing but a life of sinne how much of the flowre of thine age hath bin dedicated unto Satan and thine owne lusts how thy childhood youth hath beene all vanity and why thinke we did God require the first fruits in the Law but to shew that wee were all his and therefore that he ought to have the first and best of our life devoted unto him and submitted unto his yoke Secondly consider even now when thou art at best that thou art not sufficient of thy selfe to thinke a good thought that in thee that is in thy flesh in thee from thy selfe dwelleth no good thing the originall of all the good thou dost is without thee By the Grace of God thou art what thou art and all thy sufficiency is in his Grace Thirdly when this Grace doth call knocke quicken put thee onto any good how averse and froward how dull indirigible undocile is thy evill heart like a filly Lambe never findes the way it selfe and when it is led is every step ready to stoppe and to start aside Fourthly when it prevailes to set thee indeede a worke how exceedingly dost thou faile in the measure of thy duties How little growth in strength How litle improvement in spirituall knowledge or experience How much wearinesse and revolting of heart How evill and unprofitable hath thy life beene in comparison of those worthies whom thou shouldest have followed and in proportion to those meanes of grace which thou hast had Fifthly in thy progresse How often hast thou stumbled How many notorious and visible sinnes even in great Characters have oftentimes stained if not thy profession by a publike scandall yet thy soule in private by a consciousnesse unto them And how thinke wee did Davids murther and adultery pull downe the pride of his heart when ever it offered to rise in any Heavenly action Secondly in this point it will bee needefull to give direction in a case of dayly occurrence what a man should doe when he findes his naturall impotencie dead him in Spirituall workes when he findes stupiditie benumbdnesse of spirit and many defects which hee cannot overrule nor subdue in Gods service whether it were not better to for beare the very dutie then to grieve the spirit with undue performances To this I answere First omit not the dutie though thou art never so ill affected for that is to give place to the Divell and to yeeld to the flesh and the Divell is pleased either way when by his allurements he can perswade us to evill and when by discomforts hee can discourage us from good Besides by doing spirituall things a man growes more spirituall and gathers strength even in the action as water which comes hard at first flowes very plentifully after it hath beene a little drawne They that beginne in teares may end in ioy David began to pray with no comfort much sore vexation and weakenesse of spirit under the sense of Gods heavie displeasure and yet hee ends with much faith peace and triumph The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my prayer Let all mine enemies be ashamed c. Psal. 6. 1 2 3 8 9 10. Secondly take Saint Pauls advice to stirre up the gift that is in thee awaken revive thine owne spirit by communing and debating with thine owne heart by consulting with God in his Word diligent acquaintance and right knowledge of his Will by fruitefull and seasonable conference borrowing light from thy brothers candle rebuking or rectifying thy selfe by his example this is that which the Scripture cals whetting the Law upon one another Deut. 6. 7. By renewing thy Covenant comming afresh to the Fountaine of Grace which is in Christ As iron is quickned by the Loadstone and the Earth moves swiftest when it is neerest to its place so the Soule approaching neerer to Christ renewing repentance recounting errors reviving covenants dedicating it selfe afresh to his service must needes be much sharpned and encouraged anew Thirdly when thou canst not doe a thing with life yet doe it with obedience when not in Comfort yet with feare and trembling when not as thou wert wont yet as thou art able God loves to bee sought when hee hides Tell me
O thou whom my Soule loveth where thou lodgest at noone When Ezekiah could not pray he chatter'd and peep'd and when thou art not able to speake thy desires the Spirit can forme thy sighs into prayers Lastly when still thou art heavie and in darknesse flie to thy Faith take Iobs resolution though he slay me with discomforts yet I will trust in him angry though he may be yet hee cannot be unfaithfull though hee may like Ioseph conceale his affection for a time yet impossible it is that he should shut up his compassions and renounce the protection of such as in truth depend upon him Who is there amongst you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his Servant that walketh in darkenesse and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Esay 50. 10. God will ever have us so much Conscious of our owne defects and sensible of our owne disabilities as that wee may still runne to the Sanctuary of our Faith and rest on him not glory or rely upon our selves And now if our Impotencie drive us to the grace of Christ make us more vâ—…e in our owne eyes and crie out with the Apostle of our owne wretchednesse there may be as much life and obedience All over as when this or that particular duty was performed with more vigor for that which was wanting in our strength may be made up in our humilitie and this is a sure rule God is more praysed and delighted in those graces unto which humilitie doth more essentially belong as Faith Spirituall sense of our owne disabilities and the like then in any others And thus as a small heape of gold may be equall in value to a greater of silver so though in other regards we should be many times weake yet if the sense of that make us more humble and the lesse holdfast wee have of any thing in our selves make us take the faster hold of the hope that is set before us we may be equally acceptable in the sight of God who doth not Iudge of us according to our sense of our selues but hath respect to the lowlinesse of his Servants and of their Graces The second thing I wil but name having largely insisted upon it from another Text that is that the estate of sin is an estate of enmitie against God and his wayes this is amongst other characters of wicked men by nature that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haters of God Rom. 1. 30. and Enemies of the crosse of Christ by minding earthly things Phil. 3. 18. 19. and this by nature is universall the Apostle useth three expressions for the same thing when we were sinners when we were without strength and when we were enemies Rom. 5. 6 8 10. to note that Impotencie and Eâ—…itie is as wide as sinne and therefore else where he saith that we were enemies by wicked workes Col 1. 21. And our Saviour maketh it all one not to love him and not to keepe his sayings Ioh. 14. 24. and to refuse subjection unto him and to be his enemie Luk. 19. 27. The very mindes of men and their wisedome their purest faculties their noblest operations that wherein they retaine most of the Image of God still is yet sensuall earthly fleshly divellish enmity against him Iam. 3. 15. Rom. 8. 7. In a word Wee are by Nature enemies to the Will of God by rejecting his Word Ier. 6. 10 8 9 1 19 44 16. 2. Chron. 36 16. Zech. 7. 11. Matth. 23. 37. Act. 13. 45. 46. Enemies to the Spirit of God by withstanding his Operations Act. 7. 51. Gal. 5. 17. Act. 6. 9. 10. Enemies to the Notions of God by disliking and suppressing the thoughts and knowledge of him Rom. 1. 18 21 28. Rom. 3. 11. Enemies to the righteousnesse of God by setting up our owne workes and merits Rom 9. 32. 1. Cor. 1. 23. Enemies to the wayes of God by fulfilling our owne lusts and wicked workes Col. 1. 21. Iob. 21. 14 15. Enemies to the Servants of God in persecutions and cruell workings c. Ioh. 15. 19. 2. Tim. 3. 3. Esai 8. 18. Zech. 3. 8. Gal. 4. 29. Heb. 11. 36. And how should the consideration of this fetch us in to the righteousnesse of Christ make us fall downe and adore that mercie which spared and pittied us when we were his enemies Consider but two things First what an vngratefull thing Secondly what a foolish thing it is to be Gods enemies as every man is that continues in sinne without returning unto him First how ungratefull He is our Father Adam the Sonne of God Luk. 3. 38. and therefore there is due unto him Honor He is our Master and therefore there is due unto him feare and service He is our Benefactor He left not himselfe without a witnesse All we are All we enioy is from him He is the Fountaine of our life It is his mercy that we are not consumed his compassions faile not Therefore there is due unto him Love and Reverence He is our Purchaser He bought us out of bondage when wee had sould away our selves therefore there is due unto him Fealty and Homage nay he humbled himselfe in Christ to bee our Brother to be our Husband He tooke our ragges our sores our diseases and paines upon him and therefore there is due unto him all Fidelity and Obedience O what an aggravation will this be against the sinnes of men at the Last day that they have beene committed against the Mercie and Patience against the Bountie and Purchase nay against the very Consanguinitie of God himselfe Hee died for us when we were Enemies and we will continue Enemies against him that died for us And yet the folly is as great as the impietie Consider what God is The Iudge of all the World All Eye to see All Eare to heare All Hand to finde out and punish the sinnes and provocations that are done unto him A Iealous God and jealousie is most impatient of disaffection A consuming fire and who amongst us can dwell with devouring fire who amongst us can dwell with everlasting burnings Doe we provoke the Lord to Iealousie are wee stronger then hee Saint Paul hath resolv'd his owne question before as long as wee are Enemies wee are without strength And now for the Clay to contend with the Potter for the Postheard to smite the Rocke for impotencie to stand up against Omnipotencie what a madnesse is it Let us learne wisedome from our Saviours parable Consider whether wee with our tenne thousand are able to goe out against him that meeteth us with twentie thousand whether wee with our ten thousand flies and lusts are able to meete him with twentie thousand Angels and Iudgements And when we are indeed convinc'd that in his presence no flesh living shall be justified that it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the Living God that our hands will not be
his worship Thus all those phantasticall felicities which men build upon the Creature prove in the end to have been nothing else but the banquet of a dreaming man nothing but lies and vanitie in the conclusion Lastly They Deceive us likewise in respect of evill No Creatures however they may promise Immunitie and deliverance can doe a man any good when the Lord will be pleased to send evill upon him And yet it is not for nothing that a truth so universally confessed should yet bee repeated in the Scripture That silver and gold and corruptible things are not a fit price for the soules of men Doubtlesse the holy men of God forsaw a time when false Christs and false Prophets should come into the world which should set salvation to sale and make merchandise of the Soules of men as wee see at this day in popish Indulgences and penance and the like no lesse ridiculous then impious superstitions Neither is it for nothing that Salomon tells us That riches yea whole Treasures doe not profit in the day of death a speech repeated by two prophets after him For surely those holy men knew how apt wealth and greatnesse is to bewitch a man with conceits of Immortality as hath been shewed Who were they that made a covenant with death and were at an agreement with hell to passe from them but the scornfull men the Rulers of the people which had abundance of wealth and honour Who were they that did put far away the evill day in despight of the Prophets threatnings did flatter themselves in the conceite of their firme and inconcussible estate but they who were at ease in Sion who trusted upon the Mountaines of Samaria who lay upon beds of I◅orie and stretch'd themselves upon their couches But we see all this was but deceite they go captive with the first of those that go captive the banket of them that stretched themselves is removed All earthly supports without God are but like a stately house on the sand without a foundation a man shal be buried in his owne pride He that is strong shall be to seeke of his strength he that is mighty should deliver others shall be too weak for his own defence he that is swift shall be amaz'd and not dare to fly if he be a bowman at a great distance if he be a rider have a great advantage he shal yet be overtaken and he that is couragious adventures to stand out shall be faine to flye away naked at the last What ever hopes or refuges any Creature cā afford a man in these troubles they are nothing but froth vanity the Lord challenges derides them al. And the Prophet Esay gives a sound reason of it all The Egyptians are men and not God their horses are flesh not spirit when the Lord shal stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is helpen shal fal down and they al shal faile together Before wee proceed to the last thing proposed here is a question to be answered If the Creatures be so full of Vexation It should seeme that it is unprofitable and by consequence unlawfull either to labour or to pray for them Which yet is plainely contrary to Christs direction Give us our daylie bread and contrary to the practice of the Saints who use to call for the fatnesse of the earth and dew of heaven peace of walls and prosperity of Palaces upon those whom they blesse To which I answere That which is evill by accident doth not prejudice that which is Good in it selfe and by Gods ordination Now the vexation which hath been spoken of is not an effect flowing naturally out of the condition of the creature but ariseth meerely by accident upon the reason of its separation from God who at first did appoint his owne blessed communion to goe along with his Creatures Now things which are good in themselves but accidentally evill may justly be the object of our prayers and endeavours And so on the otherside many things there are which in themselves alone are evill yet by the providence and disposition of God they have a good issue they worke together for the best to them that love God It was good for David that he had been afflicted yet wee may not lawfully pray for such evils on our selves or others upon presumption of Gods goodnesse to turne them to the best Who doubts that the calamities of the Church doe at this time stirre up the hearts of men to seeke the Lord and his face and to walke humbly and fearefully before him yet that man should be a curse and prodigie in the eyes of God and men who should still pray for the calamities of Sion and to see the stones of Ierusalem still in the dust Death is in it selfe an evill thing for the Apostle calles it an enemy 1. Cor. 15. yet by the infinite power and mercy of God who delights to bring good out of evill and beauty out of ashes it hath not onely the sting taken away but is made an entrance into Gods owne presence with reference unto which benefit the Apostle desireth to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 1. 23. Now notwithstanding this goodnesse which death by accident brings along with it yet being in it selfe a Destructive thing we may lawfully in the desires of our soule shrinke from it and decline it Example whereof we have in the death of Christ himselfe which was of all as the most bitter so the most pretious and yet by reason of that bitternesse which was in it hee prayes against it presenting unto his Father the desires of his Soule for that life which he came to lay downe as his obedience to his Father and love to his Church made him most willingly embrace death so his love to the integritie of his humane nature and feare of so heavy pressures as he was to feele made him as seriously to decline it And though the Apostle did most earnestly desire to be with Christ yet he did in the same desire decline the common rode thither through the darke passages of death 2. Cor. 5. 4. Vnlawfull indeed it is for any man to pray universally against death because that were to withstand the Statutes of God Heb 9. 27. but against any particular danger wee may as Ezechiah did 1. King 20. 1 2. reserving still a generall submission to the will and decrees of God For we are bound in such a case to use all good meanes and to pray for Gods blessing upon them which amounts to a prayer against the danger it selfe So then by the Rule of contraries though the Creatures be full of vanitie and vexation yet this must not swallow up the apprehension of that goodnesse which God hath put into them nor put off the desires of men from seeking them of God in those just prayers which he hath prescribed and in those
officious lie to compasse the redemption of the whole world yet so weighty and universall a good must rather bee let fall then brought about by the smallest evill Thirdly when the manner of it is good and that is first when the Care is moderate Phil. 4. 5 6. Secondly when it is with submission to the will and wisedome of God when wee can with comfort of heart and with much confidence of a happy issue recommend every thing that concernes us to his providence and disposall can bee content to have our humours mastered and conceits captiuated to his obedience when we can with David resolve not to torment our hearts with needlesse endlesse projects but to rowle our selves upon Gods protection If I shall finde favour in his eyes he will bring me againe and me shew both the Arke and his habitation But if he say thus unto me I have no delight in thee let him doe to me as seemeth good unto him Such was the resolution of Eli It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good Such the submission of the disciples of Cesarea when they could not perswade Paul to stay from Ierusalem The will of the Lord be doâ—…e Cleane contrary to that wicked resolution of the King of Israel in the famine This evill is of the Lord what should I waite for the Lord any longer Now in this respect care is not a vexation but a duty he is worse then an Infidel that provides not for his own Our Saviour himselfe had a bag in his familie and Salomon sends foolish and improvident men unto the smallest Creatures to learne this care Prov. 6. 8. That Care then which is a branch of this Vexation is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cutting dividing distracting care against which wee ought the rather to strive not onely because it is so apt to arise from the Creature coupling in with the corruption of mans heart but also because of its owne evill quality it being both Superfluous and sinfull First Irregular cares are superfluous and improper to the ends which we direct them upon and that not to our maine end onely Happinesse which men toyling to discover in the Creature where it is not doe insteed thereof finde nothing but trouble and vexation but even to those lower ends which the Creatures are proper and suteable unto For unto us properly belongs the Industry but unto God the care unto us the labour and use of meanes but unto God the blessing and successe of all Though Paul plant and Apollo waters it is God onely that can give the increase he must be trusted with the events of all our industry Peter never began to sinke till he began to doubt that was the fruit of his carking and unbeliefe Which of you by taking thought can adde one cubit to his stature saith Christ our cares can never bring to passe our smallest desires because I say the care of events was ever Gods prerogative and belonged wholly to his providence Vpon him wee must cast our care upon him we must vnlode our burdens and he will sustaine us Wee are all of one family of the houshold of God and of faith now we know children are not to lay vp for parents but parents for children If we should see a childe carke and toyle for his living wee should presently conclude that he was left to the wide world and had no father to provide for him and that is our Saviours argument take no thought for your heavenly Father knoweth you have need of these things Let us therefore learne to cast our selves upon God First Infaith depending vpon the truth of his promises He hath said I will not faile thee nor forsake thee and upon the All-sufficiency of his Power our God whom we serve is able to deliver us This was that which comforted David in that bitter distresse when Ziglag was burnt by the Amalekites his Wives taken captive and himselfe ready to be stoned by the people He encouraged himselfe in the Lord his God This was that which delivered Asa from the huge hoste of the Lubims and Ethiopians because he rested on God and all which afterwards hee got by his diffidence and carnall projects was to purchase to himselfe perpetuall warres That which grieved the Lord with his people in the Wildernesse was their distrust of his power and protection Can he spread a Table in the Wildernesse Can hee give bread also and flesh for his people And indeed as Caines despaire so in some proportion any fainting under temptation any discontent with our estate proceede from this that we measure God by our selves that wee conceive of his power onely by those issues and wayes of escape which we are by our owne wisedomes able to fore-cast and when we are so straitened that wee can see no way to turne there we give over trusting God as if our sinnes were greater then could be forgiven or our afflictions then could be removed It is therefore a notable meanes of establishing the heart in all estates to have the eye of Faith fixed upon the power God to consider that his thoughts and contrivances are as much above ours as Heaven is above the Earth and therefore to resolve with Ieroboam that when wee know not what to doe yet we will have our eyes upon him still Sonne of Man saith the Lord to Ezekiel can these dead bones live and hee answered O Lord God thou knowest Thy thoughts are aboue our thoughts and where things are to us impossible they are easie unto thee Secondly by Prayer This is a maine remedy against carefull thoughts When the Apostle had exhorted the Philippians that their Moderation that is their Equanimitie and calmenesse of minde in regard of outward things should bee knowne unto all men he presseth it with this excellent reason The Lord is at hand he is ever at home in his owne family he is neere to see the wants and to heare the cries of all that come unto him therefore saith hee Bee carefull for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thankesgiving thankesgiving for what you have and prayer for what you want let your requests be made knowne unto God and hee shall furnish you with peace in all estates A notable example of which promise we have in Anna the Mother of Samuel In the bitternesse of her soule she wept and did not eate namely of the Sacrifices which were to be eaten with rejoycing then she prayed and vowed a vow unto the Lord and having cast her cares upon him she then went her way and did eate and her countenance was no more sad Ezekiah in his sicknesse chattered like a Swallow and mourned as a Dove but after his prayer he sung songs of deliverance to the stringed instruments Habaknk before his prayer trembled
but after his prayer hee triumphed in the midst of death David full of heavinesse and of gronings in his prayer but after as full of comfort against all his enemies Secondly as Irregular Cares are needlesse and superfluous so they are sinnefull too First In regard of their obiect they are worldly cares the Cares of the men of this world therein wee declare our selves to walke in conformitie to the Gentiles as if wee had no better foundation of quietnesse and contentment then the heathen which know not God And this is Christs argument after all these things do the Gentiles seeke We are taken out of the world wee have not received the spirit of the world and therefore wee must not bee conformable unto the world nor bring forth the fruits of a worldly spirit but walke as men that are set apart as a peculiar people and that have heavenly promises and the Grace of God to establish our hearts Illi terrena sapiant qui promissa coelestia non habent It is seemely for those alone who have no other portion but in this life to fixe their thoughts and cares here Secondly they are sinnefull in regard of their Causes and they are principally two First Inordinate lust or coveting the running of the heart after covetousnesse Secondly Distrust of Gods providence for those desires which spring from lust can never have faith to secure the heart in the expectation of them Lastly they are sinnefull in their Effects First They are murthering cares they worke sadnesse suspicions uncomfortablenes and at last death Secondly They are Choaking cares they take of the heart from the word and thereby make it unfruitfull Thirdly they are Adulterous cares they steale away the heart from God and set a man at enmity against him In all which respects wee ought to arme our selves against them Which that we may the better doe wee will in the last place propose two sorts of directions First How to make the Creature no vexing Creature Secondly How to vse it as a vexing Creature for the former First pray for conveniencie for that which is suteable to thy minde I meane not to the lusts but to the abilities of thy minde Labour ever to sure thy occasions to thy parts and thy supplies to thy occasions If a ship out of greedinesse be overloaden with gold it will be in danger of sinking notwithstanding the capacity of the sides be not a quarter filled on the other side fill it to the brimme with feathers and it will still tosse up and downe for want of due ballasting so is it in the lives of men some have such greedy desires that they thinke they can runne through all sorts of businesse and so never leave loading themselves till their hearts sinke and be swallowed up with worldly sorrow and securitie in sinne others set their affections on such triviall things that though they should have the fill of all their desires their mindes would still be as floating and unsetled as before Resolve therefore to do with thy selfe as men with their ships There may a Tempest arise when thou must be constrained to throw out all thy wares into the Sea such were the times of the Apostles and after bloudy persecutions when men were put to forfake Father Mother Wife Children nay to have the ship it selfe broken to pieces that the Marriner within might escape upon the ruines But besides this in the calmest and securest times of the Church these two things thou must ever looke to if thou tender thine owne tranquillity First fill not thy selfe onely with light things Such are all the things of this world in themselves besides the roome and cumbersomenesse of them as light things take up ever the most roome they still leave the soule floating and unsetled Doe therefore as wise Mariners have strong and substantiall ballasting in the bottome faith in Gods promises love and feare of his name a foundation of good workes and then what ever becomes of thy other loading thy ship it selfe shall bee safe at last thou shalt be sure in the greatest tempest to have thy life for a prey Secondly Consider the burden of thy Vessell All ships are not of an equall capacity and they must be fraighted and mann'd and victualed with proportiō to their burden Al men have not the same abilities some have such a measure of grace as enables them with much wisedome and improvement to manage such an estate as would puffe up another with pride sensualitie superciliousnesse and forgetfulnesse of God Againe some men are fitted to some kinde of employments not to others as some ships are for merchandise others for warre and in these varieties of states every man should pray for that which is most suteable to his disposition and abilities which may expose him to fewest temptations or at least by which he may bee most serviceable in the body of Christ and bring most glory to his Master This was the good prayer of Agur give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me this is that we all pray Give us Our daylie Bread that which is most proportion'd to our condition that which is fittest for us to have and most advantageous to the ends of that Lord whom wee serve Secondly labour ever to get Christ into thy ship hee will check every tempest and calme every vexation that growes upon thee When thou shalt consider that his truth and person and honor is imbarked in the same vessell with thee thou maist safely resolve on one of these either he will be my Pilot in the ship or my planke in the Sea to carry me safe to Land if I suffer in his companie and as his member he suffers with me and then I may triumph to be made any way conformable vnto Christ my head If I have Christ with me there can no estate come which can be cumbersome unto me Have I a load of misery and infirmity inward outward in minde body name or estate this takes away the vexation of all when I consider it all comes from Christ and it all runnes into Christ. It all comes from him as the wise disposer of his owne bodie and it all runnes into him as the compassionate sharer with his owne bodie It all comes from him who is the distributer of his Fathers gifts and it all runns into him who is the partaker of his members sorrows If I am weake in body Christ my head was wounded if weake in minde Christ my head was heavie unto death If I suffer in my estate Christ my head became poore as poore as a servant if in my name Christ my head was esteemed vile as vile as Beelzebub Paul was comforted in the greatest tempest with the presence of an Angel how much more with the Grace of Christ when the Thorne was in his flesh and the buffets of Satan about his soule yet then was his presence a plentifull protection my
of us the other from the predominancy of lust which overswayes the heart unto evill Good motions and resolutions in evill hearts are like violent impressions upon a stone though it move upwards for a while yet nature will at last prevaile and make it returne to its owne motion Secondly a Heart set on lusts mooves to 〈◊〉 ends but its owâ—…e and selfe-ends defile an action though otherwise never so specious turnes zeale it selfe and obedience into murder hinders all faith in us and acceptance with God nullifies all other ends swallowes up Gods glory and the good of others as the leane Kine did the fat as a Wenne in the body robs and consumes the part adjoyning so doe selfe-ends the right end Thirdly the Heart is a fountaine and principle and principles are ever one and uniforme out of the same fountaine cannot come bitter water and sweet and therefore the Apostle speakes of some that they are double-minded men that have a heart and a heart yet the truth is that is but with reference to their pretences for the Heart really and totally lookes but one way Every man is spiritually a married person and he can be joyned but to one Christ and an Idoll as every â—…ust is cannot consist he will have a chaste spouse he will have all our desires and affections subject unto him if the Heart cannot count him altogether lovely and all things else but dung in comparison of him he will refuse the match and with-hold his consent Let us see in some few particulars what impotency unto any good the Creatures bring upon the hearts of men To Pray requires a hungry spirit a heart convinc'd of its owne emptinesse a desire of intimate communion with God but now the Creature drawes the heart and all the desires thereof to it selfe as an ill splene doth the nourishment in a body Lust makes men pray amisse fixeth the desires onely on its owne provisions makes a man unwilling to be carried any way towards heaven but his owne The Young Man prayed unto Christ to shew him the way to eternall life but when Christ told him that his riches his covetousnes his bosome lust stood betweene him and salvation his prayer was turned into sorrow repentance and apostacy Meditation requires a sequestration of the thoughts a minde unmixt with other cares a syncere and uncorrupted relish of the Word now when the heart is prepossest with lust and taken up with another treasure it is as impossible to be weaned from it as for an hungry Eagle a Creature of the sharpest sight to fixe upon and of the sharpest appetite to desire its object to forbeare the body on which it would prey as unable to conceive aright of the pretiousnesse and power of the Word as a feaverish palate to taste the proper sweetnesse of the meate it eates In Hearing the Word the heart can never accept Gods Commands till it be first empty a man cannot receive the richest gift that is with a hand that was full before Now thornes which are the cares of the World filling the heart must needs choake the feede of the Word The Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsell of God against themselves because their pride would not let them yeeld to such a baptisme or to such a doctrine as requires emptinesse confession of sinnes justifying of God and condemning of themselves for these were the purposes of Iohus Baptisme and of the preaching of repentance That man comes but to bee rejected who makes love to one who hath fixt her heart and affection already A man must come to Gods Word as to a Physitian a meere patient without reservations or exceptions he must set his corruptions as an open marke for the word to shoot at hee must not come with capitulations and provisoes but lay downe the body of sinne before God to have every earthly member hewed of Till a man come with such a resolution as to be willing to part from all naughtinesse hee will never receive the ingrafted Word with meeknesse and an honest heart a man will never follow Christ in the wayes of his Word till first he have learned to denie himselfe and his owne lusts Nay if a man should binde his devotion to his heart With vâ—…ws yet a Dalila in his bosome a lust in his spirit would easily nullifie the strongest vowes The Iewes made a serious and solemne protestation to Ieremie that they would obey the voyce of the Lord in that which they desired him to enquire of God about whether it were good or evill and yet when they found the message crosse their owne lusts and reservations their resolutions are turned into rebellions their pride quickly breakes asunder their vow and they tell the Prophet to his face that hee dealt falsly between God and them a refuge which they were well acquainted with before Some when then conscience awakens and begins to disquiet them make vowes to bind themselves vnto better obedience and formes of godlinesse but as Sampson was bound in vaine with any cords so long as his haire grew into its length so in vaine doth any man binde himselfe with vowes so long as he nourisheth his lusts within a vow in the hand of a fleshly lust will be but like the chaines and fetters of that fierce â—…unatick very easily broken asunder This is not the right way First labour with thy heart clense out thy corruptions purge thy life as the Prophet did the waters with seasoning and rectifying the fountaine T is one thing to give â—…ase from a present paine another thing to roote out the disease it selfe If the chinkes in a ship bee unstopt 't is in vaine to labour at the pumpe so long as there is a constant in let the water can never be exhausted so is it in these formall resolutions and vowes they may ease the present paine let out a little water restraine from some particular acts but so long as the heart is unpurged lust will returne and predominate In a word whereas in the Service of God there are two maine things required faith to begin and courage or patience to goe through lust hinders both these How can yee beleeve since yee seeke for glory one from another Ioh. 5. 44. when persecution arose because of the word the Temporary was presently offended Matth. 13. 21. Thirdly and lastly in one word A man ought not to set his Heart on the Creature because of the Noblenesse of the heart To set the heart on the creature is to set a diamond in lead None are so mad to keep their Iewels in a cellar and their coales in a closet and yet such is the profannesse of wicked men to keepe God in their lips only and Mammon in their hearts to make the earth their treasure and heaven but as an accessorie and appendix to that And now as Samuel spake unto Saul set not thine
unable to obey the carnall minde is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. The Reasons hereof are these First Our universall both naturall and personall 〈◊〉 wee are by nature all flesh children of the old Adam Ioh. 3. 6. Children of Gods wrath Eph. 2. 3. and so long it is impossible wee should doe any thing to please God for they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. a man must first be renewed in his mind before he can so much as make proof of what will be acceptable unto God Rom. 12. 2. This naturall Impurity in our persons is the ground of all impurity in our workes for unto the 〈◊〉 every thing is uncleane Tit. 1. 15. and all the fruit of an evill Tree is evill fruit Math. 7. 18. And Saint Paul gives the reason of it Because our fruit should be frâ—…itunto God Rom. 7. 4. and fruit unto holinesse Rom 6. 22. Whereas these works of naturall men doe neither begin in God nor looke towards him nor tend unto him God is neither the principle nor the object nor the end of them Secondly Our naturall 〈◊〉 ie the best performance of wicked men is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gift of an enemie and the sacrifice of fooles It proceedeth not from love which is the Bond of perfection that which keepeth all other requisite ingredients of a good worke together Col. 3. 14. which is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 8. and the principle of obedience and all willing service and conformity to God Gal. 5. 6. Ioh. 14. 15. and ever proceedeth from the spirit of Christ Gal. 5. 22. for by nature we are enemies Rom. 5. 10. Thirdly Our naturall infidelity for the state of sinne is an estate of unbeliefe The spirit shall convince the world of sinne because they beleeve not Ioh. 16. 9. Now infidelity doth utterly disable men to please God without faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11. 6. There can no good worke be done but in Christ we are sanctified in Christ 1. Cor. 1. 2. we are created in Christ unto good works Eph. 2. 10. we must be one with him before wee can be sanctified Heb. 2. 11. and this is the reason why faith sanctifies and purifies the heart Act. 15. 9. and by consequence the whole man for when the fountaine was clensed all the waters were sweete 2. Reg. 2. 21. because faith is the bond which fastens us unto Christ. Eph. 3. 17. Fourthly Our naturall ignorance and follie For the state of sinne is ever an ignorant estate Evill men understand not judgement Prov. 28. 5. The usuall stile that the Scripture gives sinners even the best of sinners those who keepe themselves Virgins and escape many of the pollutions of the world as Saint Peter speakes 2. Pet. 2. 20. is fooles Math. 25. 2. though they know many things yet they know nothing as they ought to know 1. Cor. 8. 2. Now the roote of our well pleasing is wisedome and spirituall knowledge Col. 1. 9. 10. that is it which makes us walke worthy of the Lord and fruitfull in good works Whereas want of understanding is that which makes us altogether unprofitable that wee doe no good Rom. 3. 11. 12. And now what a cutting consideration should this be to a man to consider God made me for his use that I should be his servant to doe his will and I am utterly unfit for any services save those which dishonour him like the wood of the vine utterly unusefull and unmeete for any worke Ezek. 15. 4. what then should I expect but to be cast out as a vessell in which is no pleasure If I am altogether barrâ—…n and of no use what a wonderfull patience of God is it that suffers mee to cumber the ground and doth not presently cast me into the fire that 〈◊〉 me like a noisome weed to poison the aire and choake the growth of better things If I drinke in the raine and bring forth nothing but thornes how neere must I needs be unto cursing And this conviction should make men labour to have place in Christ because thereby they shall bee enabled to please God and in some measure to bring that glory to him for which they were made For this is a thing which God much delights in when a creature doth glorifie him actively by living unto him He will not loose his glory by any Creature but fetch it out at the last but when the Creature operates out of it selfe to Gods end and carries Gods intention through its owne worke then is hee most honored and delighted Herein saith Christ is my Father glorified that ye beare much fruit Ioh. 15. 8. and herein did Christ glorifie his father in finishing the worke which he gave him to do Ioh. 17 4. What an encouragement should this bee for those who have hitherto liv'd in the lusts of the flesh to come over to Christ and his righteousnesse and for others to goe on with patience through all difficulties because in so doing they worke to that end for which they were made they live to God and bring forth fruit unto him who hath in much patience spared and in infinite love called them to himselfe How should we praise God that hath given us any strength in any way to doe him service that is pleas'd to account himselfe honoured when he is obeyed by us who spoile all the works we do with our owne corruptions And how should we husband all the pretious moments of our life to the advantage of our master whose very acceptation of such unworthy services should alone bee both encouragement and reward enough unto us The more profitably any man lives the more comfortably he shall die Now to consider more particularly this disabilitie which comes along with sinne we may note that it is either totall when a man is all flesh as by nature we are or at best partiall in proportion to the vigor of concupifence and life of sinne in the best of us To touch a little upon both of these First in a wicked man who is totally in the state of sinne there is a Totall and absolute impossibility and impotency to doe any thing that is good Every figment and motion of the heart of man is onely and continually evill Gen. 6. 5. But though his heart be evill may not his actions or his words be good No for that is the fountaine whence all they issue and impossible it is that sweete water should proceed from a bitter and corrupted fountaine Matth. 12. 34. Iam. 3. 11. Looke on the best actions of wicked men If they pray to God their prayer is an abomination Prov. 28. 9. If they sacrifice God will not accept nor smell nor regard any of their offerings he will esteeme them all abominable and uncleane as a dogs head or swines bloud Amos 5. 21. Esai 66. 3. Seeme things never so specious in the sight of men
inheritance by the Right of Christs purchase and by Covenant in him Not onely things present but things to come are theirs they have the Truth of God pawn'd for their preservation and supplyes so long as they continue in his way A way of Piety industrie and honestie And they have them for themselves and their seede The promises were to Abraham and his seede I never saw the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread The wicked have earthly things onely as dâ—…ensations and employments nay as vexations and toyles of life as idols snares and thornes things that eâ—…tangle their hearts and take them of from God As a cloud exhal'd by the Sunne hides the light of the Sunne which drew it up as a Worme eates out the wood and rust consumes the Iron which breeds it as water in a vessell raised by the fire puts out the fire which raised it so the great estates and temporall blessings of God unto evill men serve but to intercept the thoughts and to blot out the notions and remembrance of him that gave them I spake unto thee in thy prosperitie but thou sata'st I will not heare And this hath beene thy manner from thy youth saith the Lord Ier. 22. 21. But the faithfull have earthly things as rewards of their righteousnesse as an accession advantage and overplus unto the Kingdome of God as testimonies of Gods Love and care of them as exercises of their thankefulnesse charitie mercie c. But it may be obiected why then have not the faithfull more aboundance of these things then worldly men I answere first A little that the righteous hath is better then greate possâ—…ssions of the ungodly For first they have the maine substance of these things as well as the other they live and eate and are cloathed as well as they and secondly they have the comforts more lesse anguish of heart vexation and contention of minde then the others have And to them it is all one whether they goe into heauen through the gate or through the wicket As a Bird with a little eye and the advantage of a wing to soare up withall may see farre wider then an Oxe with a greater so the righteous with a little estate ioyned with faith tranquillity and devotion may have more pleasure feele more comfort see more of Gods bounty and mercie then a man of vast possessions whose heart cannot lift it selfe aboue the earth Secondly As nature when shee intendeth a farther and more noble perfection is lesse curious and elaborate in inferior faculties As man is exceeded by the Eagle for sight and the Hound for sent and the hare for swiftnesse because nature intending in him a more spirituall and divine Soule chose to be lesse delicate and exact in the senses so God intending to bestow upon the faithfull a farre more exceeding and aboundant weight of heavenly glory doth not alway so fully enlarge his hand towards them in these earthly things as to those who have no other portion but in this life We see then how much it concernes us to looke unto the ground of our Tenure to observe in what service wee hold our estate whether as appurtenances to Gods kingdome or as meerely the pastures of a beast which doe only fatten against the day of slaughter Seventhly and lastly Gods Promises to us must be the grounds of our prayers to him When ever God makes a promise wee must make a prayer And there are two things in this Rule to be observed First that wee can make no prayer in boldnesse faith or comfort but for things promised For if we will have God heare us wee must pray according to his will we must aske in faith we must see the things we aske made Ours in some promise and engagement before we must presume to aske them This as we have before observed encouraged David Iehoshaphat and Daniel to pray unto God because hee had made promises of the things they desired and therefore they were certaine that they prayed according to his will This was Nehemiahs ground in his prayer for the reparation of Ierusalem Remember I beseech thee the word which thou commandedst thy servant Moses saying if ye trangresse I will scatter you abroad But 〈◊〉 you turne unto me and keepe my commandements and do them though there were of you câ—…st out unto the uttermost part of the heaven yet will I gather them from thence c. Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou hâ—…st redeemed by thy great power and by thy strong band O Lord I beseech thee let now thine â—…are be attentive to the prayer of thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to feare thy name c. Secondly that God will not performe promises till by prayer they be sought for from him till in our humble desires we declare that we accompt his promises exceeding great and preâ—…ous things The Lord had promised deliverance unto Israel yet saith the Lord For this I will be enquired of by the house of Israel to doe it for them Thus saith the Lord After seventie yeeres be accomplishâ—…d at Babylon I will visit you and performe my good word towards you in causing you to returne to thâ—…â—…lace For I know the thoughts that I thinke towards you thoughts of peace and not of evill to give you an expected end But how shall this excellent promise of God be effected It followes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon me and ye shall goe and pray unto mâ—… â—…nd I will hearken unto you c. So againe The Lord maketh a promise of forgivenesse of sinnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blotteth out thy transgression for mine owne 〈◊〉 and will not remember thâ—… sinnes But for the execution of this promise God will be sought unto Put mem remembrance saith he and let us plead together for when we pray unto God to fulfill his promises we testifie first that they are promises of Mercie and not of dutie or debt because God is not bound to tender them unto us but we to beg them of him Secondly we declare our need and by consequence estimation of them and dependance upon them And lastly we subscribe to the truth and acknowledge the wisedome power fidelity and wayes that God hath to make good all his owne words unto us We have no reason therefore to esteeme any thing a blessing or fruit of Gods Promise which we doe not receive from him upon our knees and by the hand of prayer As promises are the Rule of what wee may pray for in faith so prayer is the ground of what wee may expect with comfort Thâ—…s we see what use we are to make of the promises to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fâ—…om all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and the 〈◊〉 we may make of them likewise to perfect our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the â—…eare of God For as the exceeding great â—…d pretious promises of God doe cleanse our natures and make us â—…scape the corruptionâ—…
principall discovery that Faith makes in Christ and that it fixeth upon is His love to us and this is a most soveraigne and superlative love Herein saith the Apostle God commended God heaped together His Love toward us in that while wee were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5. 8. Secondly Faith having thus revealed to our hearts the Love of God in Christ doth kindle in them a reciprocall Love towards Christ againe working in us the same minde that is in Christ Phil. 2. 5. and enflaming our spirits to a retribution of Love for Love We have beleeved the Love that God hath to us saith the Apostle and therefore saith he we love Him because He loved us first 1. Ioh. 4. 16 19. Thus Faith worketh Love But now thirdly there is a further power in Faith for it doth not onely work Love but it worketh by Love as the text speakes that is it maketh use of that Love which it hath thus kindled as of a goad and incentive to further obedience for that Love which we repay unto Christ againe stirreth us unto an intimate and Heavenly communion with Him unto an entire and spirituall conformitie unto Him And the reason is because it is a conjugall Love and therefore a fruitefull love for the end of marriage is fructification Yee are become dead to the Law saith the Apostle by the body of Christ that yee should be married to another even to Him who is raised from the dead and the end of this spirituall marriage is added That we should bring forth fruite unto God which is presently after expounded That wee should serve in newnesse of Spirit Rom. 7 4 6. If a man Love mee saith our saviour he will keepe my Words and this obedience is the childe of Faith as it is set downe in the same place yee shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you and immediately upon this Faith it followes He that bath my Commandements and keepeth them hee it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my selfe unto Him Ioh. 14. 20. 21 22 23. In which place there are these things of excellent observation First the noble objects that Faith doth contemplate even the excellencie of Gods Love unto us in Christ. You shall know that I am in my Father in His bosome in His bowels in His dearest affection One with Him in mercie in counsell in power That He and I both goe one way have both one decree and resolution of Grace and compassion towards sinners And that you are in mee your nature in me your infirmities in me the punishment of your sinnes upon me that I am bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh that you are in my heart and in my tenderest affections that you were crucifiâ—…a together with me that you live togâ—…ther with 〈◊〉 that you sit together with mee in Heavenly places that â—… died your death that you rose my resurrection that I pray your prayers that you were my righteousnesse and that I am in you by my merits to justifie you by my Grace and Spirit to renew and purifie you by my Power to keep you by my wisedome to leade you by my Communion and Compassion to share with you in all your troubles these are the mysteries of the Love of the Father and the Sonne to us Now this Love kindleth a Love in us againe and that Love sheweth it selfe in two things First in having the Commandements of Christ that is in accepting of them in giving audience unto them in opening our eyes to see and our hearts to entertaine the wonders of the Law And secondly in keeping of them in putting to the strength of our Love for Love is as strong as Death it will make a man neglectfull of his owne life to serve and please the person whom he loves that so wee may performe the duties which so good a Saviour requires of us And now as our Love was not the first mover we loved Him because He loved us first So neither shall it be the last as the Father and the Son did by their first Love provoke ours so will they by their second Love reward ours And therefore it sollowes He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him This is not ment of a new Love but of a further declaration of their former Love namely in a more close and familiar communion and Heavenly cohabitation with them wee will come unto Him and make our abode with Him we will shew Him our face we will make all our goodnesse to passe before Him wee will converse and commune with His Spirit we will Suppe with Him we will provide Him a feast of fatted things and of refined wine wee will open the breasts of consolation and delight Him with the aboundance of Glory Excellent to the purpose of the present point is that place of the Apostle 2. Cor. 5. 14 15. The Love of Christ saith he constraineth us that is either Christs Love to us by Faith apprehended or our Love to Christ by the apprehension of His Love wrought in us doth by a kinde of sweete and lovely violence winne and overrule our hearts not to live henceforth unto our selves but unto Him that died for us and rose againe and the roote of this strong perswasion is adjoyned namely because wee thus â—…udge because we know and beleeve that if one died for all then all are dead to the guilt and to the power of sinne and ought to live a new life conformable to the resurrection of Christ againe Therefore in two paralell places the Apostle useth promiscuously Faith and a new Creature In Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love neither circumcision nor uncircumcision but a new creature The reason of which promiscuous acceptation the Apostle renders the inseparable union between faith and renovation If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Secondly Faith gives us all good things requisite to our condition Adam was created Lord of his fellow inferiour Creatures invested with proprietie to them all In his fall hee made a forfeiture of every good thing which God gave him In the second Covenant a reconciliation being procur'd Faith entitling a man to the Covenant doth likewise re-invest him with the Creatures againe All things saith the Apostle are yours and hee opens the title and conveyance of them you are Christs and Christ is Gods 1. Cor. 3. 23. So elsewhere hee saith that the living God giveth us all things richly to enjoy that is not onely the possession but the use of the things 1. Tim. 6. 17. where by all things wee may understand first the libertie and enlargement of Christians as it stands in opposition to the pedagogie and discipline of Moses Law which distinguished the Creatures into cleane and