is altogether a stranger from the life of God Therefore first let this humble you labour to see how your mindes are full of wickednesse and unrighteousnesse Secondly let us come to the will and you shall finde that to be no lesse corrupt than the understanding for the will takes every thing as the understanding presents it and if the understanding the minde of a man be thus corrupted the will must needs be corrupted As a man that lookes thorow a coloured glasse every thing he sees is coloured or as a man that hath his Pallate possest with a vicious humour every thing seemes bitter according to the humour so the will of man sees every thing thorow the understanding as we see thorow a glasse but Seeing is not so proper a word to expresse it the understanding tastes things it is as the pallate is to the stomacke when it is out of order it perverts the wayes of God it sees no such beautie nor excellencie in them and the will disposes of it selfe accordingly Now you shall finde that the understanding reckons the wayes of God both Enmity and folly and godly men to be partly fooles and partly Enemies and contrary to them Therefore you shall finde a disposition an affection a frame of the will to answer that mingled partly of hatred and partly of contempt and a man partly hates and partly contemnes and thinks light of holinesse And this is the disposition of the will of every man before Regeneration I say the holinesse described in the pure Word of God and expressed in the lives of the Saints he partly hates as a thing contrary to him and partly contemns it as folly But we will shew you the particulars of the will as we did of the understanding Therefore first consider the Contrariety of the will it is contrary to God in all things looke what Gods will is in any thing you shall finde your will contradicting it and going a contrary way It is said of the Iewes as a thing that exceedingly aggravated their sin and the miserable Condition they were in they were contrary to all men and if it be so much to be contrary to men what is it to be contrary to God to resist him to goe against him and yet what hee will have done that we will not doe and what he will not have done that we doe that is the disposition of our will Secondly consider the Pride of the will how ready it is to exalt it selfe above its measure for the will of man should be a dependant will a subject will waiting on God as the servant waits on the master or as the hand-maid waits on her mistresse that is a mans will should be disposed in every thing as God pleases If hee will have him to be poore in disgrace or in a lower place and condition the will should be subject for we must remember GOD is the Creator we are creatures and must be subject to the will of the Creator but our Will will not stoope to Gods Will As Adam would be in another condition than God had placed him in so we exalt our selves aboue measure we are not content to be disposed of to be carried from condition to condition to have our affaires ordered as God pleases wee will have plots and projects of our owne we will shape out our owne Condition else we murmure and are discontent and that is the pride of the will Thirdly consider the Inconstancie of the will the weaknesse of it in good things and its peremptorinesse in evill in good things our resolutions are weake and inconstant and as bubles come to nothing but in evill things we are stiffe and peremptory and will doe what we list Our tongues are our owne we will use them Who is Lord over us This is the nature of men they sweare and breake the Sabbath they doe it and will doe it though they say it not in words yet God lookes on it and sees it many purposes they have they will change their courses but what come they to It is but by accident when the wind is in that corner when the weather-cocke stands that way so that there is no constancie in our wils Againe marke the Disobedience of our will and that is not a small thing that is the great and proper fault of the will that it is disobedient to God that is when God commands a thing and sayes this I will have done for the will to be disobedient to it negligent of it is a great and fearefull sin the eating of the forbidden fruit was unlawfull because God commanded Adam the contrary If Gods command be on the least thing the neglect of it makes it a disobedience when God came to Adam saith he Hast thou eaten of the Tree concerning which I have said thou shalt not eat of it That is hast thou beene disobedient Hast thou broken my Commandement You see what followed on it So Saul when God bade him destroy the Amalekites you would not reckon it a great sinne to save a few Cattell alive but because God commanded the contrary the fault was great So the Prophet 1 King 13. One would not thinke it to be a great matter for him to goe that way or the other yet because he went that way God sent a Lion that devoured him The sin of Disobedience you may thinke a small thing no man thinks it so grosse a sin as Idolatry Adultery and Murther but see how God judgeth of it 1 Sam. 15. 23. Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornenesse is as Iniquity and Idolatry that is thou thinkest it no great matter to save as few cattell and to keep the King alive though thou destroyest all the rest thou thinkest it a small thing but it is not so looke what thou thinkest of the sinne of Witchcraft and Idolatry such is Disobedience Now let men apply this to themselves looke what is revealed to you to be a sin I know this is a sin I know it is Gods command not to commit it if thou fall into it it is now a Disobedience as Adams was and as Sauls was and as the Prophets was and consider how God will take it you see how he dealt with them Come to particulars doe you not know it is his Command you should not sweare not only greater but lesser oaths To keepe the Sabbath to keepe your vessels pure your bodies cleane for they are the Temples of God and therefore that you ought not to defile them with any uncleannesse Drunkennesse or Gluttony Doe not you know he commands that you should be constant in prayer that you performe it constantly and earnestly and fervently Now consider what Disobedience is Remember that speech Hast thou eaten of the Tree concerning which I commanded saying Thou shalt not eat of it This is the Disobedience of mans will labour to see this how apt thy will is to breake the Commandements of God and
sinne by frequencie in any actuall sin As Varnish intends colours it puts on no new colours but intends it makes it more bright if there was a glimmering light before addition of light makes the former light greater so frequencie of sin makes sinne more active more efficacious more vigorous as humours being accustomed to a place are ready to breake forth there so a sin wherein you have had an issue wherin you have given your selves liberty there sin gets greater victory over you therefore consider if you be not guilty of the power of sin of the impetuity of your lusts Lastly consider if you have not deserved that God should give you up to these lusts many are taken in sin as the fish on the hooke which cannot get off it seizes as an Apoplexie on a man that cannot be cured When the sinne gets ground it is like the sea getting ground on the land which cannot be recovered I confesse this is the Case of many hundred men but consider if you have not made way for this for as the lower stayres lead up to the higher so there be lesser sins which make way for greater not by way of efficacie as Acts beget an habite but by way of merit God may Iustly give them over to this strength of sin Therefore though their lusts bee strong and impetuous yet this doth not make them inexcusable Fifthly when none of this will serve the turne then they are readie to lay it on their temptations How can a man doe otherwise when it stands in such circumstances that is subject to such company to such occasions such businesses and so many things to draw him away When that within will not excuse him he comes to that without To this I answer when a man is drawne to any thing without it is the concupiscence within that doth it put fire to that which is not combustible it will not burne it is the corruption within that doth all Therefore observe that in Act. 5. It is Peters speech to Ananias and Saphira Why hath Satan filled thy heart As if he had said It is true Satan hath put this into thy heart he hath tempted thee to the sin to lye to the Holy Ghost but know thou wast the cause of it thou hadst the keyes of thy heart if thou hadst not suffered Satan to have entred he could not have done it And besides consider if thou hast not put thy selfe into this Temptation It is one thing for God to lead into temptation and another thing to lead our selves into it You know what is said of Ahaziah 2 King 8.27 He walked in the wayes of the Kings of Israel and did as the house of Ahab had done because he had the daughter of Ahab to wife As if he had said It is true it was Ahabs daughter that led him into those sins but he led himselfe into the temptation he should not have married Ahabs daughters Consider whether thou hast not put thy selfe into this circumstance and led thy selfe into this temptation Last of all another Pretence and Excuse is as I have the temptation that others want so I want the means others have If I had the means others have I should doe well enough I answer first consider if thou hadst not meanes and didst not profit by them consider how many meanes God affoorded thee from whence thou receivedst not that fruit and profit which thou mightest have done And if thou didst not and God deprived thee of the meanes know thou art the cause of it thy selfe for when men neglect the meanes when God shall set up a light and men will not worke by that light he doth as Masters doe with their servants when they set them a candle and they play by it and will not use it as they should they take it away in anger so God removes away the light he takes away the Gospell he sends a famine of the Word when we neglect it or as parents doe when their children play with their meat they take it from them When men will not use their Talents God takes them away and this Talent of the Word above all other when it shall be abused and not used to Gods glory If all this will not serve to excuse them in generall then are they ready to excuse themselves in particular First by denying the fact or Secondly by slighting the fault First by denying the Fact they deny that they are guilty of a thousand sins of which they are guilty this disposition you shall finde in them in Malach. 1. You have despised me and you say Wherein have we despised thee And you have robbed me and spoiled me and you say Wherein have we robbed thee And you reckon it a wearinesse to serve the Lord and you say wherein are we weary So it is the nature of man to deny the Fact if it be possible See Gods answer when they have asked these questions You have offered the lame and blinde in sacrifice Consider what you doe doe you not despise God in the prayers that you make doe not you performe them in a sleight and perfunctory manner Doe you not offer to God of the worst There be men that Salomon speakes of that despise their way that is some things they neglect which they thinke are not worth looking after some things they reckon as trifles which they will not care for this is to despise God Secondly If they cannot deny the Fact they sleight the Fault and one of these they say either the sinne is small which they commit and hope that will excuse them or if they be greater sins they fall into them by humane frailty and infirmity and are sorry for what they have done so extenuating what they doe and making it a matter of nothing But to answer first for small sins sins are not to be measured by the bulke but by the circumstances with which they are committed though thou thinkest it a small sin in it selfe yet considering it with the circumstances it may bee great A sin committed against light of conscience and with deliberation is a great sin as the Prophet that turned another way it was a small thing for him to doe it yet having the sure Word of God for a rule not to doe it you see God punished him not as for a small sinne and he being just we may argue from the greatnesse of the punishment that the sin was great so Adams eating of the forbidden fruit to eat an Apple was a small matter but there being the Almighty God's Command to the contrary the punishment shews what the sin was So men thinke that to sweare a small oath is no great matter but Christ saith Let your yea be yea and your nay nay and when God hath commanded a thing though it be never so smal yet that makes it great so it was a small thing for Saul to sacrifice before Samuel came
terrour of all others When a man observes this to be his case to lye in sinne and goe on in sinne and thinke there is no Iudgement nor greater terrour it is an argument that when God begins hee will also make an end As when one that is seldome sicke is seized upon by sicknesse hee is as one that is left by the Physitians there remains nothing but death But you will say to me If this wrath of God be so terrible and it be sinne that brings this wrath what shall we doe I answer It is your wisdome then to meet the Lord Amos 4.12 Therefore saith God will I doe thus unto theee and because I will doe thus prepare to meet thy God O Israel When the Israelites had sinned sayes Moses to Aaron Behold his wrath is gone forth runne quickly with Incense and stand betwixt the living and the dead It is our case Wrath is gone out the Plague is begunne amongst us therefore let every one looke to his owne privates and know that the way to prevent further Iudgement is to meet the Lord. But what is it to meet the Lord It stands in two things First in Humiliation of our hearts Secondly in Reformation of our lives First there must bee Humiliation and indeed till then no man will goe in to God We preach Reconciliation in the Gospell but men regard it not because they be not humbled men will only cheapen the Kingdome of GOD but they will not buy it they will goe through for it till they know the bitternesse of sinne Men doe in this case as the Israelites of whom when Cyrus made a Proclamation that every one that would might goe out of Captivity onely they went whose hearts the Lord stirred up and what should stirre up our hearts to goe out of the bondage of sinne Surely nothing but this sense of sinne Humiliation for and Apprehension of the wrath of God In the Iubile every man would not goe out of servitude some would continue servants still and why They felt not the yoke for if they had they would have gone out So I say this very Gospell that we preach is a generall Iubile every one may goe out from under the yoke of Satan if he will but till men feele the bitternesse of sinne the heavinesse of his yoke till men be humbled they will not goe out but continue servants still And therefore Humiliation is first required for as long as a man hath any thing to trust to he will not come in It was the case of the Prodigall Sonne as long as his goods lasted he thought not of returning home when they were spent he hired himselfe forth and if that could have afforded him a living he would not have come home nay if hee could have got huskes to maintaine life hee would still have stayed abroad but when all meanes of comfort failed him when he had nothing to support him then saith hee I will goe home to my fathers house And so till we be humbled throughout so that we can see no meanes of longer subsistance that our hearts bee throughly touched with the sense of sin we will never come in to God and that is the first thing we must doe Secondly this is not enough but that you may meet the Lord there is required reformation likewise And herein I will say this briefly you must remember that this reformation be generall of greater sinnes and of smaller too You will say I hope there is some difference and every small sinne is not such a matter I will show the danger even of small sinnes and so will end this point You shall see what a small sinne is by that speech of Samuel 1 Sam. 15.23 when the Lord had bidden Saul to goe and slay the Amalekites and destroy them and theirs utterly but Saul did not so for hee spared the best of the flocks and Agag their King Samuel gives him this answer in effect Saul saith he be the thing never so small yet thy not doing of it is disobedience yea it is stubbornnesse and rebellion And so I say to every one be the sinne never so small instance in what you will is it not disobedience Suppose it bee the least Oath yea but a vaine speech suppose it bee carelesse performance of holy duties be they what they will yet is it not disobedience Is it not repugnant to what the Lord hath commanded As the Lord said to Adam the matter was not the action of eating of the Tree but hast thou eaten of the Tree of which I said Thou shalt not eate And if it bee disobedience whether it be in greater or smaller matters see what Samuel judgeth of that Disobedience and rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft thou hast cast the Lord away by doing it The meaning is this When a man comes under the Lords government hee applies himselfe to him as the Souldier doth to his Generall alwayes to follow him and in all things to obey him now he that disobeyes his Generall hee casts his Generall away and leaves him And thus Saul was said to cast the Lord away because in that particular he would not follow him Againe why doe you cease to follow the LORD but that you set up some other god to follow And therefore Samuel addes stubornnesse and disobedience is as Idolatry that is you never disobey God but you take another god to you therefore it is no small sin because every sinne is disobedience And since God commands exactnesse since hee hath commanded mee to keepe the Sabbath to pray and to be fervent and frequent in it consider it shall I neglect what the Lord hath commanded me If there be a command to this or that duty am not I bound to endeavour to keepe it And if I goe aside ought I not to returne againe for else it is disobedience It is true the best of the Saints are not able to doe all this that we doe not deny yet this they doe they endeavour to doe it they carry a constant purpose of heart to doe it they desire to doe it they never come to give over striving to doe it they never say I must give liberty to my selfe in this I cannot choose but faile in this and so lay aside their wasters they have continuall warre with Amalek they never make peace with Sinne and that 's the difference betwixt spirituall men and others they are as a Spring for if an uncleane thing fall into a Spring the Spring is not uncleane because the Spring workes it out againe Indeed if it fall into a Pond or Pit of water that shall be uncleane because it lies there it cannot worke it out So it is with every godly man in every regenerate heart there is a Spring of grace though hee may sometimes fall into foule sinnes yet hee will worke them out and cleare himselfe againe whereas another man when hee
grosse sins Peccata vastantia Conscientiam crying sinnes and smaller sinnes too sinnes of lesse moment the Law discovers all Now by the Law you must not only understand the ten Commandements but that rectitude which runnes thorow the whole Booke of God expressed in the whole Scriptures As in the Scripture the Law and the Prophets are put together as if the Prophets were but a Commentary on the Law looke on the Scriptures looke upon the straitnesse the rectitude in the whole Booke of God Then when that is done look on your owne Natures your owne Errours the secret windings and turnings of the heart your owne thoughts and affections and see what a disproportion a dislikenesse there is see how far you are from that holinesse that purity and rectitude described in this Booke of God for that I say you are to understand by the Law And when you have done that you shall finde your sins to be exceeding great for their quantity and exceeding many for their number and that will amaze you This amazed Paul when hee once understood the Law when he looked on all the parts of it not only on grosser sins forbidden but on the rectitude the holinesse which is required that amazed him Rom. 7.9 That made sin alive he was alive before and sin was dead but when the Law discovered Lust to be sin then Sin was alive and he died So if wee could see the Law the strictnesse of it it would doe thus with us And marke what is said of the Law for we may presse the Law long enough but many are remisse in attending to it Therefore to stirre you up as I know it is but a small matter I will name but one place and let that stay in your memories Matth. 5.11 Heaven and earth shall passe away but one tittle one jot of this Law shall not passe away Marke that not one jot of the Law shall perish That is looke thorow the whole Law of God take all the Commandements there you shall give account of every idle word you must keepe the Sabbath exactly you must not speake your owne words Take any Commandement that you thinke the Nature of man is most ready to breake and consider that saying of Christ Not one jot of the Law shall perish heaven and earth shall passe away but the Law of God in the least part of it shall not perish That is there shall not be one of these small things that the Law commands but if you neglect it by disobeying it God will surely require it there is not the least thing wherein you have gone aside this rectitude and disobeyed this Law but it shall be required of you And that is the meaning of that phrase Thou shalt pay the uttermost farthing Though we reckon them trifles the uttermost farthing shall be paid For this is our fault though we presse the Law and tell you of your sins yet you thinke this is a small thing and God may beare with me in this for we be apt to judge of God as of our selves A small fault I can beare with in my servant therefore God may in this dispense with me We thinke of the Law of God as of mans law but we must not judge of God so we must judge of him according to his owne rule his Thoughts are not as our thoughts he hath given a rule and hath said The least jot of it shall not passe but be fulfilled not the least breach of it but it shall be requried Consider this and it will amaze us and make us to tremble when you know that the sins you have forgotten and the least breach of this Law shall be surely required to the uttermost But you will say you talke of Impossibilities which no man is able to performe It is true it is a thing we are not able to performe But therein is seene the Terrour of the Law and that should humble you the more for I cannot compare the Law to any thing better than to the Taske-masters in Aegypt the people had enough to doe indeed more than they could performe complaining of their sore bondage what releefe had they they are told they shall give in the same number of Brickes that they did before and yet shall have no straw Now how should they do this So it is with the Law it commands Doe this you complaine Alas I know not how to doe it I have no ability you bid me make Bricke but allow mee no straw that is all one the same Tale of Bricke shall be required of you that is the same measure of obedience that was required of Adam as if you had the same abilities remaining in you And yet God is not unjust he doth not reape where he did not sow before he sowed it once in Adam and consequently in his Posterity And that no man may thinke this hard looke to the first sin that Adam committed and if wee be guilty of that sin there is equity that the Law be required of us though we have not ability to performe it Now why should it seeme unreasonable that I should be liable to Adams account Even to the same exactnesse though I want ability to performe it It is true Adam ran in debt but doe not we pay many debts of our Grand-fathers and Fathers which wee never drunke for though we run not into them yet we stand liable to the payment In the Law if a man had committed an offence and was adjudged to be a bond-slave it was his particular offence but were not al his children bond-slaves after him and yet it was not their offence So Adam forfeited his liberty became a Bond-slave to sin and Satan and the same is the condition of all his Posterity And besides the common reason which is a true one and a good one that if in equity we should haue stood with him therefore in equity we should fall with him I will adde two considerations and then you shall finde it very reasonable that we should fall with him and that the same should be required of us which was of him though we have not the same ability One is that the Angels though we did not sin as they did for they sinned every one in his owne person are justly condemned because every Angell sinned himselfe he committed the sinne he was the Author of it and therefore it is reason they should be punished But come to Adams Posterity consider that they had a meanes given them and that they that are condemned except children of Adams Posterity they are condemned for their owne sinnes they might doe much more than they doe they sin against the Law they have and so they are not only condemned for Adams sin but for the sins committed in their owne persons For God intended to give them a second Board after the great shipwrack in Adam on which they might save themselves if they would if the fault were not in themselves for it is
true they might doe more if they would they might keepe the Law of Nature better than they doe and for that they are condemned Againe as we are condemned for Adams sin though we did not commit it so we are saved by the righteousnesse of Christ though we did not performe it and therefore there is an equity in that regard Wee can see an equity for our Salvation and is there not as much equity in the other that we should stand guilty of it though we never acted it For as we are condemned by Adams sin though not done by us so are we saved by Christs righteousnesse though only imputed to us So that in equity the severe righteousnesse of the Law should be required of us though we have not power to fulfill it Now that we may not stay in Generals only telling you that the Law of God is holy and pure and you carnall and contrary to it we will come to particulars And that we may helpe your memories observe the breaches of this Law in the severall faculties of the minde And we will begin first with the Generall the generall sore over-spreading all our nature and that is it which the Divines call Originall sinne first consider that and see how your nature is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse First I say consider your originall sin and the generall corruption of your nature thereby Iohn 3.6 Whatsoever is borne of Flesh is flesh And Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Marke that he sayes no good thing Wee thinke wee have something that is good for all our generall corruption but there is nothing good at all As Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all under sinne Not onely all men but for the word is in the neuter Gender all things Therefore in Gen. 6.5 he doth not only say The frame of a mans heart is evill but it is only evill and alway evill In all actions at all Times This is a common Truth but men consider not of it they thinke there is some goodnesse in them they will not be perswaded of this Truth in good earnest And therefore when a man comes into the state of Grace it is not mending two or three things that are amisse it is not repairing of an old house but all must be taken downe and be built anew you must be New Creatures And therefore God promises I will give you a new heart and a new spirit For all is out of order and nothing good And there is an equity in this for as in Psal. 49.12 Man being in honour abideth not but is like the beasts that perish That is as God raised man above himselfe giving him supernaturall glory in which he was created for he was created in holinesse and perfect righteousnesse so man not keeping this condition he was cast beneath himselfe And in this there is equity that being raised above himselfe having an holinesse given him transcending common nature he should now be made worse than himselfe even as the beast that perisheth Consider this corruption and know it is a thing that makes you loathsome in Gods sight For this Tit. 1. ult Men are called Abominable that is men that God abhors as you abhorre the snuffe of a candle or name any filthy thing your nature abhors such is the nature of men to God You know how we hate Toads and Serpents for their loathsome poisonfull nature though they doe us no hurt Now God lookes on the corruption of our nature as we looke on Toads that are contrary to us against which we have an Antipathie It is disputed by the Schoole-men whether this be unum peccatum one sin or moe we may easily answer it It is one in act one in essence but many in vertue and power and efficacie As a seed is one individuall but it is many as many branches may arise from it As Drunkennesse which will better expresse it is but one fault but it disorders the whole man neither the head nor the feet nor the reason is excluded So originall sin though it be but one sin yet it distempers the whole man it sets the wholâ— soule out of order And when the Instrument the heart is out of tune every sound every action is unsavoury and sinfull and thus should you looke upon your selves It is further disputed whether this be privative or positive likewise I answer It is only privative it is nothing but a meere want of righteousnesse But seeing it fals upon an active subject as the soule of man is which is never idle but ever stirring thence it comes that the habites and fruits thereof are active and positive It is true the want of sight to guide is enough to cause errour but the vigour of nature is enough to make it positive Therefore Divines say well It is not only compared to Darknesse which is a meere privation of light but to sicknesse where is not only want of health but corrupt humours which are contrary to health That is the first thing to be considered even the corruption of Nature which is in you which will exceedingly aggravate sin as I have shewed heretofore and shall more largely hereafter have occasion to speake of it Therefore I will say no more of it now but so much shall serve for the generall Originall corruption that is in us And now we will come to the particular faculties and will shew how they are corrupted that we may know our selves and the truth of this point which I am to prove that the nature of man is full of all impiety and wickednesse And first we will begin with the Vnderstanding or minde of a man In this marke first the Vanity of it How ready it is to attend to trifles which was the disposition that the Apostle found fault with in his Epistle to Timothy and others That they gave themselves to Fables and Genealogies and this is in every man by nature How full of questions were the Schoole-men and so every man is ready to turne Religion into questions of curiosities which shewes a sicknesse in the understanding it sets a man on worke to finde out what is propounded to it that hee may not lose his labour And thence come so many errors this is the vanity of the mind The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men sayth the Psalmist that they are vanitie And this should humble us that our minds are no more ready to attend the meanes of salvation As the Schoole-men spent themselves in idle speculations so are we ready to attend to idle questions but that which is wholesome and sound we neglect Secondly consider the blindnesse of the minde we are unwilling to learne and so long must needs be in an Errour and not come to the knowledge of the Lord. To other things we are forward enough but to doe well we have no understanding Therefore it is that men continue ignorant notwithstanding
therefore since the wrath of God shall in such a manner be revealed against such as with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse You need no other Argument to shew that the sin is great Againe One Evidence more is in this very Chapter that is from the kinde of punishment for punishments you know where the Iudge is just are according to the measure of the sinne Now marke God punishes this with giving them up to a reprobate sense For this cause saith the Apostle Rom. 1.26 God gave them up unto vile affections And afterwards in the eight and twentieth verse As they regarded not to know God even so or therefore God delivered them up to a reprobate minde that is a minde without knowledge an injudicious minde that cannot judge of things And looke in all the booke of God among all the Armies of sorrow there is not any like this to be given up to vile affections to lusts to an injudicious mind in matters of God and things belonging to their Salvation This punishment shewes the greatnesse of the sin but men slight this as it is the greatest judgement so it is the least felt men lye at rest they are cast into a dead sleepe but it is like the sleepe of them that have crazie braines they wake in a frenzie so these shall wake in an horrible astonishment their sleepe is such a calme as will end in a tempest and such a tempest as shall never be blowne over Therefore let no man blesse himselfe in this I feele none of these things for thou hast the greatest judgement on thee when thou feelest it least And so much for the three things I propounded to you what this Truth is how it is with-holden and the greatnesse of the sin now wee will come to make use of it And the first use we are to make of it is that which is the maine scope of the Apostle here and that for which we pitched on these words and that is to humble us to learne to know our selves to know in what Condition we are for the Truth is revealed to us but we with-hold it in unrighteousnesse This Truth that should rule in the hearts of men that should be as the supreme governour in the soule of which it may be said as it is said of the Peace of God let it rule in your soules that where by men should be acted is by men imprisoned Therefore Rom. 2.9 the Apostle denounceth Tribulation and anguish upon every one that disobeyes the Truth Intimating that Truth is our King that should governe and rule in our hearts now when men disobey it nay goe further imprison this Truth it is as when men imprison their lawfull King or servants their Master and they run riot and at liberty in the meane time And this is our case we doe with it as children doe with their Masters we desire to be rid of it because it watches over us and so we grow enemies to it And this is no small sinne for if we consider whence this comes who puts it into our hearts it will appeare hainous by the Law of man it is death to kill children that are begot by man but this Truth is begot by the Holy Ghost it is put in by the Spirit of God and to extinguish this Truth not to suffer it to live not to nourish it not to bring it forth is the great sin of all Even the Heathen shall rise in judgement against Christians for this who maintained the Vestall fire because they conceived it to come from heaven they for that cause never suffered it to go out But this Truth is a fire which came from heaven a sparke put into the brests of men to guide their feet into the way of Peace when men shall extinguish this Truth let it goe out and not maintaine it the Heathen shall rise against them in judgement as the men of Niniveh should rise up against the men of that Generation among whom Christ lived We were wont to take care of precious things consider the preciousnesse of this Truth what is precious we wil not be willing to destroy as the Prophet said of the bunch of Grapes Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it And what doe you thinke of this Truth is it not a precious thing Yea it is the chiefe thing in a man In a ship a wise man will have an eye to the rudder for that turnes all the rest of the body of the ship Of all things in our selves wee looke to our eye the guide of the body so we should learne to watch and be tender over this Truth as over our eye for the one is the light but of this life the other is the light of the soule to eternall life In Micah 3.5 It is threatned as a great Iudgement when God shal turne their Visions into night and their Divinations into darknesse when the Sunne shall goe downe on their Prophets and the day shall be darke on them and will you bring this Iudgement on your selves They that are guilty of this that have not used this Truth but imprisoned it and laboured as much as they can to cause the Sun to goe downe and rise no more to turne the day into night let them consider what the sin is when you reade the story of the Kings and heare them saying to the Prophets prophesie not imprisoning them as Ahab did Micaiah and slaying them as Ioash did Zecharial you will little thinke you are guilty of the same sinne but when this Truth comes as a Prophet from God and tels you such and such things ought to be done and such and such evils ought to be abstained from and you shall desire it to be silent and shall say Prophesie not when you shall not suffer it to speake freely I say your sins shall be as great as theirs therefore learne to consider of it and be humbled for it men are wont to thinke their Condition better because they know more than others but it is quite contrary for nothing aggravates sin more than that It is an extreme folly in men when they cannot deny the fact they slight the fault and will not acknowledge it It was Adams fault when God came towards him he fled and hides his sinne and it is the fault of all Adams posterity But let men know that the quite contrary way is the way to Salvation It is not with God as it is with men among whom confession makes way for condemnation for with God confession is the way to salvation Therefore be not unwilling to examine your selves consider how much you have knowne what truths have been revealed to you Do this with one eye with another eye looke on your lives and see how short your practise hath beene of your knowledge come willingly and if you confesse you shal be forgiven This wil drive you out of your selves it will be your Schoole-master to bring you to Christ. They that carry this
sinne As David in the one and fiftieth Psalme saith Against thee against thee onely have I sinned repeating it twice in that place he composed that Psalme to set forth his sin but that which wounded his conscience that made him see the hainousnesse of his sinne was this Against thee I have sinned So the Prodigall sonne this is the circumstance by which he aggravates his sin Against heaven and against thee I have offended So learne to know that your sinnes are against god and therefore to presse this Truth a little more Consider well with your selves what is the reason that God hath required such a vast punishment against sinne that is eternall death thinke what eternity is it is that which swallowes up your thoughts it is a punishment the length and depth and breadth whereof you cannto comprehend Thinke why God hath appointed such a vast punishment and you shall find it is because you sinne against an Immense a great and Almighty God the length and breadth and depth of whose greatnesse you cannot comprehend Againe what is the reason God should appoint such a Mediatour to take away the sins of the world that the Son of God must needs take flesh which the Angels themselves wonder at it is such a wonderfull action that they cannot but admire and in heaven we shall stand amazed at it which evidences the greatnesse of sinne Learne to know this put al these foure together and see how these doe hold correspondencie one with another and you shall finde out the nature of your sinne First consider the greatnesse of God his infinitenesse the greatnesse of his Authority the wonderfull vast Soveraignty he hath over all creatures from this greatnesse of God comes the second the greatnesse of sinne I have made knowne this Truth but thou hast with-holden it thence it comes that sinne is so great that the least sinne which thou makest nothing of is a thing of so great moment That is the second which followes on the greatnesse of God Thirdly upon the greatnesse of sinne you see the greatnesse of the punishment if such an one as Aristotle or a stranger from the Truth should heare of this punishment the greatnesse whereof appeares herein that the worme dieth not and the fire is not quenched how would he wonder at it but knitting these together it will not seeme strange Last of all the greatnesse of the punishment causeth the greatnesse of such a Mediatour to take away this punishment and sin So there is a correspondencie in them come from God to sin from sinne to the punishment from punishment to the Mediation or redemption by which this sinne is taken away Learne therefore to know what sin is I know not a truth of greater moment And to all adde that 1 Cor. 15.56 The sting of death is sinne If you look on death it is the most terrible thing in the world You know what the Philosopher said of it of all terrible things it is the most terrible the most fearfull but sin is the sting of death As if he had said Death is a small thing in comparison of sin let a man want sin and death is nothing it is but sleepe it is nothing to have the body and soule separated Againe suppose there were no death but let body and soule remaine together yet sin is a terrible thing it is above all the Terrours in the world as in Iudas see his Terrours though there was no death on him see Adam when he was not in Hell but in Paradise yet how was he Tormented with his sin Therefore weigh not sin in a wrong ballance looke not on it with a wrong light take heed of being deceived for in this of all other things men are most apt to be deceived That is the corruption of Nature that strange darknesse is brought on men by Adam that in the thing that most concerneth him which is sin in that he is most ignorant most apt to be deceived Therefore when the Apostle speaks of sin he comes in still with this caution Be not deceived 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither Fornicatour nor Idolaters nor adulterers c. shall inherit the kingdome of God as if men in that were most apt to be deceived So Ephes. 5.6 Be not deceived for for such things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience And observe when Christ goeth about to show to any man or to any Church what their sins are or what their danger is he addes this Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches his end being to tell them of their sin still that comes in He that hath an eare to heare let him heare As if he had said when I come to speake of matter of sin there be many here that can tell what I say that can understand me well but few have eares to understand indeed As when the Prophet came to Ieroboam he heard the Prophet so as it anger'd him he knew what his sin was but he heard it not to purpose So when Christ pronounceth a woe to the Scribes and Pharisees they heard it well enough but they had not an eare to heare it to purpose Men may heare what flesh and common reason and common men say of sin but not what the Spirit saith of it there is another kinde of sinfulnesse in sin which is the spirituall evill of sin and what the Spirit saith of this they doe not heare Therefore you must even be brought to Christ as the deafe man was who being both deafe and dumbe was brought to Christ that he might lay his hands on him now Christ put his finger into his eares and saith Ephata be thou opened and then the man heard and spake so of all men that heare this Word there is not a man but he is deafe according to this inward kinde of hearing therefore you must be brought to Christ and beseech him to give you eares to heare for few hath eares to heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches when it discovers their sin and misery Therefore let not this Doctrine be in vain to you but learne from hence to humble your selves to come to God and say to him Lord I am now amazed and confounded I thought before losses and crosses were great matters but now I see they are but flea-bitings to sin I was heretofore troubled at a small crosse but little or nothing at sin Lord I confesse this was my case but I see now sinne is another thing Thus we should learne to humble our selves before God But if any object This is the way to discourage men to make them desperate to make them fly from Religion by telling them sin is so terrible I answer it is not the way to discourage men from comming to Christ but to encourage them and drive them to him This is the way to Salvation Indeed if there were no remedy for sin it were a desperate case but
creature a Law and so long as he keeps to that he is in a good condition and state Now the Law given to us is this Truth in observing it thou shalt keepe thy life thy happinesse take heed therefore of departing from it whensoever a man departs from it he is deceived and no man will willingly be deceived But you will say a man is not deceived in sin for I know it is a sin Yes in this thou art deceived no man commits a sinne but at that time he thinkes it better that he commit it and worse that he abstaine from it and in this thou art deceived Goe thorow all the Scripture and finde any one sinne there recorded and see if the party bee not a loser Goe to Ieroboam did hee not lose his Kingdome by that by which he thought to save it Goe to Iudas to Gehezi was it not his ruine I say every man is deceived as it was said of Eve Eve was deceived so it may bâ— said of all the sons of Adam when they commiâ— a sin they are deceived But if you object Adam was not deceived 1 Tim. 2. The woman was deceived but the man was not I answer the meaning is there is an immediate deceiving when a man is meerely coozened because there is a fault in his reason and for that mistakes a thing and so was Eve onely deceived shee being the weaker But there is a second kinde when a man is not immediately deceived but transported by a lust and that was Adams Case and that lust arises from deceit Suppose it be a lust of envie that transports a man to a sinne although that doth not immediately deceive yet this as all sinnes arises from Errour Therefore when any temptation comes see if it be a sinne if it be a sinne be sure thou art deceived and though thou canst not find out the deceit yet remember it is there Ephes. 4. you shall finde these put together The old man is corrupt through lusts proceeding from deceit and be renewed in the spirit of your mindes after the Image of God in holinesse and righteousnesse which comes from the Spirit of Truth you shall finde there is not a lust but it comes from deceit and not any holinesse but it comes from a rectifying of the Apprehension and from Truth for in these two things marke it the Image of God and Satan consist The Image of God consists not onely in holinesse but in truth therefore the Image of God is renewed in holinesse proceeding from Truth As on the contrary side the old man doth not only stand in lusts but in deceit from whence the lust comes Therefore take heed of that deceit and know this when any sinne is committed it is contrary to Truth to the Law to this knowledge and let that be an Argument against it I cannot stand to presse it more So much shall serve for this point The end of the Eighth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Ninth SERMON ROMANS 1.19 20. Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse THe third point then which now remains to be handled is this There is so much revealed to every man as will make him inexcusable we see the words are cleare GOD hath made it knowne to them by the Creation by his workes to the intent they should be without excuse or if you will translate it so that they are without excuse the words will beare either There is so much revealed then as will make every man inexcusable For the manifestation of this Truth goe no further than this Chapter First consider God hath made himselfe knowne to every man by his workes of Creation this is the booke every man may reade this is exposed to every mans eye it is a language which every man understands Secondly you shall see what they doe they did not glorifie him as GOD neither were thankfull but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were full of darknesse that is their carriage towards God Thirdly when God doth behold this carriage in them he gives them up to a reprobate sense to vile affections to their hearts lusts till they be full of all unrighteousnesse as it is expressed in the latter end of the Chapter because they regarded not to know God he delivered them up to a reprobate minde to doe things uncomely being full of all unrighteousnesse And if you marke this prophecie you shall see how God is excused and how all the world is inexcusable First God did that which was sufficient on his part he made himselfe knowne Secondly they did wilfully and stubbornely despise this knowledge they regarded not to know God nor practised according to knowledge but provoked him with their sinnes and became vaine making no conscience of offending him Then comes in this in the third place they are delivered up to a reprobate sense so as they cannot heale themselves they are brought to an irrecoverable state as a man in quicke sands that goes deeper and deeper and knowes not how to get out they are given up to vile affections so as they cannot loose themselves out of the bands of the Devill but marke the progresse First God reveales himselfe then they provoke him by precedent sinnes then he gave them up to these affections But to open the point at large and to shew the excuses men have and their weaknesse and how they are taken away and then it will be evident that all men are inexcusable The first pretence men have is that they know not God they are not acquainted with him they are ignorant of his wayes That is easily answered that they that know him least yet have so much knowledge as will make them inexcusable They that have onely beene acquainted with the Creation of the world salvage men that never heard the Word that were never acquainted with the Scripture yet these know God for God hath manifested himselfe to them This I proved at large in the former point so that no man can deny but he knowes God that is that there is a God and this very thing if no more is enough to make them inexcusable for they knew God but glorified him not as God when such a man knowes there is an almighty power by his naturall wit hee is able to deduce if there be a God I must behave my selfe well towards him I must feare him as God I must be affected to him as God I must worship him with all reverence as God but the most ignorant man confesses there is a God no Nation denyes it but how farre are they from glorifying him as God from carrying themselves towards him as it becomes
but you see what it cost him God for that cast him away for ever So in the things you reckon small take heed you be not deceived be the thing never so small yet for that you may be contemned as well as for the greatest sin for he that is unfaithfull in the least will not be faithfull in much And take the least sin there is the same reason of sinfulnesse in that that is in the greatest as a drop is water aswell as the Ocean If thou abstaine from sin because there is an Antipathy between sin and thee as it is with every man after regeneration thou wilt abstaine from all sins You know a Pigeon wil not meddle with any feather of an Hauke because there is an Antipathy between them and the sheepe hates every Wolfe and men hate every Toad his stomacke rises at a little Toad so a right gracious heart abhors every thing that is evill and cleaves to every thing that is good indeed he failes much in performance but his heart is sound Againe there is no small sinne but it makes way for a greater as playing at small games makes us afterward to play at greater Therefore the littlenesse of the sinne excuses not for one sin admitted is of great consequence because it drawes on many that are great Now for the second some they say are small some are great and for them that be great they commit them by Accident out of infirmity and are sorry for what they have done You must know this if they were committed by infirmity the Excuse were good for even the faithfull themselves fall into divers sins out of infirmity but take heed of deceiving thy selfe If thou findest this thy Case that thy heart is renewed that thou wagest a continuall warre against thy sins resolvest never to make peace or truce with them usest all meanes thou canst againts them admittest of no occasion to lead thee to sin and yet fallest into it against purpose and sincere desire of heart it is a sin of infirmity and God will so Iudge of it but put case thou holdst not a continuall war with thy selfe but sayest I see it is a sin which I am strongly inclined to I shall be weary with resisting therefore I must give out I cannot choose now if thou leave striving and lay downe thy wasters this is not a sin of infirmity Againe if thou keepest company that leads to that sin of dost venture on that occasion beholding such objects walking on the brinke and comming neere the sin It is a false pretence that thou fallest into it by infirmity or by accident for thou allowest thy selfe in it thou lyest and continuest in it So againe hast thou used thy uttermost power hast thou prayed hard against it nay hast thou fasted and prayed against it for some devils cannot be cast out without both Indeed if a man use all his strength to resist it he shall fall into it seldome and it is to be excused thus but if otherwise it is no sin of infirmity But they say I am sorry for what I have done Take heed thou be not deceived in that Is it not a false sorrow art not thou more sorry for the effect of sin than for the evill of sin for the burning of the coale than for the blacknesse of the coale There is much present evill in sin that may make thee repent it afterward Againe if it be not so is it not a slight sorrow not proportionable to thy sin Is it a sorrow that continues on thy heart Is it a sorrow effectuall to worke any change in thee to prevent sin for the time to come Otherwise if thou say thou art sorry for it and yet fallest into it againe and again it is no true sorrow Goe to thy Neighbour and say I have done thee an Injury and am sorry for it and yet fall into the same againe and againe it will seeme that it was but a false sorrow So if thou dost pretend sorrow for thy sins and yet relapsest into them againe it is a slight sorrow that God regards not So much shall serve to take away the Excuses learne to lay this to heart and consider it and see how you be inexcusable Now to make use of it The first Vse is to justifie God learne to lay the blame where it is that is on our selves thinke not that God condemnes any without cause for every man is inexcusable And here this point is specially to be marked I doe not say men are inexcusable only in regard of Adams sin that being a Truth we all assent unto that in regard of Adams sin the ability we had we lost in him but I will goe further men are inexcusable in regard of their present condition and their actuall sins marke it well The reason whereupon he inferres that they are inexcusable is God hath made himselfe knowne to them namely by his workes and creation he goes not to Adams sin but they had knowledge enough this knowledge they practised not and in regard of the present actuall evils which they committed they are inexcusable Therefore that God may be glorified and justified that he may be true and every man a lyer know that God condemneth not for any more than he hath revealed as some have onely the Law of Nature so they are condemned onely for breaking that Law they are not condemned for not worshipping God according to the Law of Moses or the Gospell but simply and onely for breaking the Law of Nature They that have sinned without the Law shall be condemned without the Law Rom. 2.12 That is at the last day there shall no more be laid to their charge this you knew and this you broke So againe they that onely knew the Law of Moses yea at this day if there be any Iew in the world which never heard of Christ which never had meanes to know him he shall not be condemned for not beleeving in Christ but for the breach of the Law of Nature and the Law of Moses and the reason is good for by the same reason that the Gentiles shall not be condemned for breaking the Law of Moses by the same equity and ground they that have not the knowledge of the Gospell shall not be condemned for breaking the Law of the Gospell So that if wee consider this There is no man goe thorow all but God shall lay this to his charge at the day of Iudgement Doe not say I bound thee to impossible things that I laid on thee a Law thou couldst not keep thou shalt not have this excuse left thee I gave thee ability to doe much but thou didst not doe that thou wert able to doe for that is the condition of every man he is able to doe more than he doth and if any man perish it is for not doing the things he was able to doe But you will say God might have revealed more I answer
of his sins and that he in recompence of this kindnesse should serve his lusts Therefore he reasons as Ioseph did with his Mistresse Shall I doe this and so sinne against God and my Master he hath committed all to me hee hath done thus much for me and shall I thus requite him And as Nathan taught David to reason Hath the Lord made thee King over Israel and done thus and thus for thee and wilt thou serve him thus So that I say there is an holy Ingenuity bred in us whereby out of thankfulnesse wee will shun whatsoever may offend him Besides this we are taught that we sustaine another person and every man desires to maintaine the dignity of the person hee sustaines When a man is once in Christ he thinkes not the courses he lived in before to be sutable to the condition he is now in Therefore the Apostle reasons 1 Pet. 1.14 Fashion your selves no longer after the lusts of your former Ignorance but be holy as he is holy that is if you take your selves to be in Christ and that you be come unto God admit not any more those lusts which though they suted with your former yet not with this condition he reasons as Nehemiah did Shall such a man as I doe this Lastly which is the chiefest reason of all As soone as a man hath taken Christ and is justified there is a strong impression made upon his Soule by which he is caused to cleave unto him and to long after him as the Iron doth after the Load-stone that cannot bee at rest untill it hath attained it A man shall set himselfe in the wayes of God though it were but to give satisfaction to the desires of his Soule And indeed were it not for this wee should not serve the Lord this makes us New Creatures I say there is a strong inclination in every man that is justified that he can doe no lesse than serve the LORD even to satisfie that For example when Eliah had called Elishah hee could not choose but follow him all the reasons in the world could not keep him back At the time when he cast his mantle on him there was an impression made on him as when Christ said to Levi and Peter and Andrew and the rest follow me their profits and nets and fathers were nothing they needed no more perswasion for there was a secret impression made upon their hearts together with Christs Word and to satisfie that they must needs follow him Such an impression as this was made on the heart of Ruth to follow Naomi you know how she put her to it but Ruth would not goe backe for she loved her and therefore nothing but death should separate them And the same was in Iacob to Rachel seven yeeres and seven yeeres service the length of time and hardnesse of labour could not keep him from his Vncles house nor drive him off such a strong desire was planted in his heart towards her and such a desire is planted in the heart of every Christian that is justified a strong Instinct as I may call it a strong affection after Iesus Christ and he must needs goe on in the wayes of Sanctification seeing there is no other way to satisfie himselfe So that putting all this together when a man shall see such reason for holinesse when he shall have affections of delight therein of love thereto when he shall see it best for him and that it is impossible hee should have the Lord Iesus Christ whom he so much desires if he serve him not in the duties of Sanctification he must needs come to a fixed resolution I will be another man and runne another course I will change my life altogether I will serve him in holinesse and in the duties of new obedience And after this manner doth Sanctification arise from Iustification first from a worke of the Spirit and then by all these passages that goe thorow the minde of a man which though they be not marked distinctly yet are truely in the heart And so much for the first point Now we will come to the second which is That Iustification and Sanctification are inseparable they cannot bee disjoyned But you will say this is a point that needs no proving I would my Brethren it did not I would that men were perswaded of the truth of it but we may see by the lives of men that they are not perswaded of it for their lives be loose and they thinke that if they can call on Christ in the day of death and cry for pardon it will be enough and that without such strictnesse a man may be saved Therefore to make it cleare to you you must remember this as a ground No man can be saved by the second Adam except hee bee borne of the second Adam As no man could be condemned by the first Adam that was not borne of the first Adam for the reason why all mens natures are corrupted is because all are borne of him If a man were created and did not descend by generation from him he should be free from Sinne and so could not be condemned but comming out of his loynes puts us into a condition of condemnation And so on the other side except you be borne of the second Adam you shall not be saved What is that You must be made New Creatures Ioh. 1.12 As many as received him he made the sonnes of God What is that a meere title No verse the thirteenth They are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of the will of God that is they are borne of the second Adam and Ioh. 3.5 Whosoever is not borne of the Spirit shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Now as our nature was corrupted in the first Adam there being a compact and covenant betweene God and him that if Adam stood all his seed should stand with him but if he fell then that all that were borne of him should by vertue of that covenant compact or agreement have his sinne imputed to them and so should be corrupted as hee was and die the death So there was a second covenant betweene us and the second Adam which is the new Testament spoken of in Ier 31 and in Heb. 8. I will make a new Covenant saith God And what is that I will put may Law in your minde and write it in your inward parts that is by vertue of the compact and agreement which is the new Testament following upon the former all that shall be saved by Christ shall be borne of him they must be new men whosoever shall be justified by him must be a new Creature Secondly because it is the will of God It is true God might have saved us without it if it had beene his pleasure it had beene no more but calling men at the houre of death but is otherwise 1 Thess. 4.3 This is the will of God even
thou art so still thou wast wont to have secret by-wayes that thy heart knowes were not good and thou holdest them still wilt thou say thou art a New Creature It is impossible If we be New Creatures there will bee an alteration certainly in our lives And therefore to you that say I purpose to doe better and I intend it my meaning is good I say to you the Kingdome of God stands not in word and in purpose and in meaning but in power Thou art made a New Creature that is the inward frame of thy heart is altered and if that be altered there is an ability followes it that inables thee to do the duties of new obedience and to abstaine from the contrary therefore examine thy selfe by thy actions and say not now though I doe not live strictly and precisely for shew as others doe yet I doe as much in substance for if thou be a New Creature thou wilt be as much in shew too the operation and action will follow if the in-side be cleane Mat. 23. the out-side will be so though it be true we oft finde the out-side cleane when the in-side is not Therefore it is no strange marke that I give that examining your selves by the out-side should bee a meanes to know if you bee New Creatures for though we cannot say that because the out-side is good the inside is so too yet wee may conclude if the out-side be not good certainly thou art not a New Creature yet Therefore let none say they have a good intention although their workes be bad For although this bee not a good Affirmative Argument if the out-side be good the inside will be so also yet it is a good Negative Argument if the out-side be not cleane the in-side cannot be cleane As in Ier. 3.4 5. Will you not from this time crie unto me Thou art my Father and the guide of my youth c. All this is well spoken But behold thou hast spoken and done evill things as thou couldest So that good professions will not serve the turne when wee doe evill God judgeth not by our intentions but according to our workes The end of the Second Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON THE NEW CREATVRE 2 COR. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature OVR businesse now shall be to shew what a New Creature is and to apply it as we go along that you may know upon good grounds whether you be New Creatures or no that so you may have comfort if you be or else that you may seeke it if you be not To be a New Creature is nothing else but to have a heart new moulded by the infusion of a new quality of grace and by the destruction of the old There are three things to be marked First the heart must be new moulded Secondly it must be done by the infusion of a new quality And thirdly there must be a mortification of the old man Let us goe thorow these three distinctly and apply them as we goe First the heart must be new moulded or cast into a new frame You may see this by comparing it with the old man wee shall know the one by the other You shall finde that when Adams nature was corrupted there was a disorder in all the faculties As for example in the Ruine of a Palace there are the materials left still onely the order is taken away so in the corruption of nature there are the same naturall operations but all is disordered and turned up-side downe thus was the confusion of man after the fall But the New Creature doth worke the contrary it sets up the house againe and restores us unto our first state in Adam When a man is made a New Creature his Soule is put in joynt againe so that the face of every faculty looks towards God whereas before it looked towards the World Sinne and Hell the Soule is quite altered as a man that turnes his face from East to West whereas a man before had his backe now he hath his face turned to heaven therefore it is called Turning to the Lord. Observe here two things First when we say you must be cast into a new frame it is not enough to have the actions of the Soule changed but the whole bent of the Soule In a regenerate man the turning of the actions is nothing for even when hee doth that which is evill the bent or positure of his Soule stands to God although it be transported to doe evill and it is true on the other-side although an evill man doth good actions yet the bent of his Soule looks another way for therein stands the alteration of the New Creature even in the bent of the faculties which is to turne us from Satan unto God Aristotle hath an observation It is one thing saith he to doe an Act of Art and another thing to do it like an Artist It is one thing to doe an Act of musike and another thing to doe it Artist-like If one doth a thing and have no Art in the doing of it he deserves no commendation so there is a great difference between doing any Act of goodnesse and having the actions of the Soule well habited for when you only doe the act without the bent of your Soules that way God regards it not at your hands but when the inward frame of the heart is set right whereas it was contrary before it is a signe of a New Creature Apply this to your selves But how shall we know whether the frame of our Soules be thus altered or no You shall know it by this If there be such an alteration of the inward faculties you shall finde your selves ready to every good worke When a man hath no naturall inclination unto goodnesse without forcing himselfe it doth undoe the action but when a mans heart is sanctified and made new he presently falls upon good workes He is ready to every good worke for every good worke and stands ready for it hee doth what he doth readily without much adoe for when the heart is changed in a man that is a New Creature hee is like a Conduit doe but turne the cock and there needs no forcing of the water out so when a man is become a New Creature he is ready to every good worke like a good wife that is ready to bring forth fruits unto her husband whereas before he brought forth fruit unto sinne and death Againe you shall finde that you doe good things with facility and delight and that is a signe that thy heart is turned another way It is the property of a good man to delight in the Lord his God and what he delights in he makes his owne what he doth he doth with facility The Commandements of God are not burthensome to him the yoke of Christ is easie therefore if thou art new thou art easie in thy obedience whereas another man that hath no
reasons we shewed the last day but not to stand to repeate them The last day because they stand so much on Fathers in this point we shewed you the opinion of divers of them Of Origen or Athanatius Ambrose Tertullian Augustine and the rest To that wee will adde but this to cleare that point conâ—erning the opinions of the Fathers You shall finde that Ireneus that lived within seventy yeares after the death of Saint Iohn is cleare in this point That the Bread and Wine are but Sacraments and Figures of the body and bloud of Christ after him thirty yeares lived Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian and Origen for they lived much about a time Origen was the Scholer of Clemens Alexandrinus these do as evidently explaine it as any of our Divines though not so distinctly because the controversie was not then moved and therfore you must not expect so full and so cleare and distinct expressions as you have in these times when wee have more occasion to doe it I will not trouble you with Citation lest I spend time too much but you shall finde it so in them After their time Augustine expresseth it so fully as that Calvin or Beza hath not done it more clearely as I shewed by some Allegations out of him the last day From his time I doe not finde that this opinion of theirs had any footing in the Church till the time of Damascens that lived in the yeare seven hundred thirty He was the first that began in the Easterne Churches this opinion of transubstantiation Chrysostome hath sore hard speeches but such as may well be interpreted if you looke on him in the tract of his writings you shall see evidently that hee never dreamed of any such reall presence as the Papists affirme But I say Damascene was the first that set this false opinion abroach in the Easterne Churches in the Greeke Churches about a hundred years after In the Western Churches in Italy and those parts it began a little to bee set on foot in the time of Carolus Calvus Emperour who being troubled with that controversie set Bertram a work a Presbyter a learned man one of the most learned of those times and desired him to expresse his opinion in that point Hee writ a learned booke of it and so the controversie continued in good state and condition till two hundred yeares after or lesse betweene one and two hundred And the first man that began to infuse this poyson into the Church was one Lanfranke Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in England a man learned but very pernitious to the Church After his time the opinion began to bee somewhat hot and then Beringarius writ against it who upon his condemnation retracted it but before his death repented the retraction and upon writing his retractation it beganne to bee put upon men by necessity by the Pope which was done in the time of Bernard foure hundred yeares since I have done this that those may bee satisfied that are not satisfied with the Scriptures and with the reasons that were brought but would know the opinion of the Fathers To stand to cite all the particulars were a vaine worke So much for that After we shewed the falsenesse of their opinion we shewed in what manner Christ is communicated to us in the Sacrament Not to stand to repeate it Wee are now to come to those other particular blessings or comforts which we have in Christ which should invite us to come in and take him The next therefore is this you have it in Matth. 11.30 Come to me saith he all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you you shall finde rest to your soules that you shall have to invite you if you will come in and take Christ you shall finde rest to your soules that is looke what the haven is to a Seafaring weather-beaten man looke what a coole refreshing shade is to a man that is scorched with the heate of the Sunne looke what a cover is to a man that is beaten with the storme to the shore such is Christ to those that come in and take him And therefore that we may know what this rest is which you shall finde if you come into Christ. Let us finde out what this wearinesse is Now in sinne you shall finde this wearinesse First there is a wearinesse in the service of sinne there is no bondage to the bondage of tyrannous lusts they are hard masters they set you to hard taskes if they say goe you must goe if they say come you must come Christ sets you at liberty from this bondage by mortifying of sinne and killing it as Moses did the Aegyptian that strove with the Hebrew which is a deliverance farre exceeding that out of the bondage of Aegypt which was so much magnified as much as the substance exceeds the shadow This is one kinde of rest you shall have by Christ you shall be delivered from the bondage of sinne Againe there is a wearinesse in the guilt of sinne committed which haunts us like furies and ever and anon gives secret whippes secret twinges to the soule from this Christ delivers us For being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 That is the conscience is calmed it is quiet which before was full of horrour and vexation Againe there is a wearinesse in the fruits of sinne the losses the crosses the sicknesse the imprisonment disgrace all which are but the fruits of sinne There is a wearinesse in these and from all these Christ delivers us partly in freeing us from many of these that otherwise we should have felt and partly in taking away the venome and sting from those we doe feele For that which is said of Death Oh death where is thy victory c. The sting of death is sinne it may be said of every calamitie The sting of imprisonment the sting of sicknesse the sting of disgrace the sting of all misery is sinne What is the Adder when the sting is away So what are all these when sinne is removed You know what they were to Paul what he endured how many prisons he went thorow how oft he was whipped how oft he was stoned how many things he suffered you have a catalogue of them ten or eleven and yet all was nothing to him he was happier in these than Nero was in his Palace But what should I give you an instance Take Adam in Paradice when he was in Paradice yet when he had but the sting of conscience you know he was filled with horrour Paul againe when he was sore whipped in the day and his feet were fast in the stocks and the sting of sinne was tooke away and he enjoyed a good conscience Silas and he sung that the Prison rung of them I say this condition you shall have in Christ you shall be delivered from sinne from the sting of sinne from the fruit of sinne
Master you must take him for your husband so as to bee divorced from all other lovers for this know that Christ and good fellowship that Christ and fornication Christ and swearing Christ and ambition Christ and serving your selves and the times will not stand together you must be divorced from all these If you will have Christ you must take him as a husband to be to him a love to love him to have your wils subject to his will you must take him for better for worse you must take him with all variety of conditions denying your selves and taking up your crosse and following him if you take him thus you shall have him and when you shall have him you shall have all things with him As Christ saith to his father We are one thou in mee and I in thee and then all mine are thine and thine are mine So wee may say every one that takes Christ is made one with him all Christs is yours and yours is his that is hee takes your names hee takes your debts and you beare his name and have interest in all that is his what he hath by nature you have by grace and when you have him once then you may bee bold to come and take these Elements of Bread and Wine but if you have not him then know that you are but intruders upon the Lords Table for his Table is provided for his friends and if his enemies and strangers come in and intrude on it hee will not take it at your hands but command you to be bound hand and foote and to bee cast out I say consider therefore the offers of Christ are large you that are to receive the Sacrament at this time or at any other time I say consider it if you have Christ himselfe then you may boldly come if you have not the Lord you have nothing to doe with these And know if it was such a fearefull thing to touch the Arke which was but a type of Christ and had but a legall holinesse in it that God struck Vzziah with death because he was so bold as to doe it If it were so dangerous a thing to meddle with common fire as we see in Nabab and Abihu that was but a type of this what will it be when wee shall dare to take the body of the Lord Iesus not being worthily prepared Hee is the substance there is the holynesse of which that was but a type therefore take heed of medling with them except you have taken him indeed except you have changed your hearts except you be new Creatures except you have the Lord himselfe you may not meddle with the Bread and Wine the Sacrament of his body and bloud and so I end FINIS THE TABLE A Abilitie MEN excuse their sin from want of Ability Part 1 Page 223 Ability of Christ to sanctifie us 2 31 Accusing Conscience corrupt in the office of Accusing 1 56 Actions Corruption in our Actions 1 73 Actions of carnall men 1 153 Actions of naturall men defective in two things 1 159 Intention of Action in zeale 1 285 Activenesse Activenesse of conscience corrupted 1 56 Adam God just in requiring of us according to that he gave to Adam 1 38 Adams sinne charged on us ibid. Two conditions of Adam 2 38 Our condition in Christ better than it was in Adam 2 154 See Borne Affections Affections corrupted 1 63 Affections must be wrought upon in the performance of duties 1 251 God esteemes us according to our Affections 1 67 What should draw our Affections to God 1 265 Zeale a stirring up of the Affections 1 285 Want of Affections to God argues want of zeale 1 289 Worke of the Spirit upon the Affections 2 12 Afflictions Forgivenesse of sinnes takes the sting out of Afflictions 2 188 Altered Nature cannot be Altered 2 97 Custome hardly Altered 2 123 Alike All sinnes not Alike 1 275 All. Carnall men doe many duties but not All 1 159 Anger Difference betweene hatred and Anger 1 290 Zeale for the Church acceptable to God when hee is Angrie with it 1 293 Apparell Apparell one benefit by Christ 3 93 What that Apparell is 3 94 How to make use of this Apparell 3 97 Apprehesion The Apprehension makes happie or miserable 1 241 Assurance Assurance encreased by humiliation 1 31 Authoritie To preach with Authoritie what 2 163 B Baptisme BAptisme tends to sanctification 2 21 Beleever Beleeving Difference betweene temporarie and true Beleevers 2 47 Beleeving difficult 3 19 Blindnesse Blindnesse of mans understanding 1 44 Why mans understanding is Blinde ibid. Boldnesse Excesse of Boldnesse how prevedted 1 291 Forgivenesse of sin causeth Boldnesse 2 188 Bondage Spirit of Bondage an help against sinfull excuses 1 108 Spirit of Bondage how it works 1 109 Borne Those that are saved by the second Adam are Borne of him 2 18 Burthen Sinne in what respect a Burthen 2 190 Businesse Too much Businesse a great impediment 1 207 C Causes GOd workes by second Causes 1 263 Change How to know we are Changed 2 109 To give God the praise of our Change 2 144 Christ. What keepes men from Christ 1 11.2 23 What makes us prize Christ 1 81 End of our ingraffing into Christ 2 19 Sanctification by the bloud of Christ 2 21 How to take Christ 2 73 What should move us to love Christ 2 156 Before we are new Creatures we are in Christ 2 169 To be in Christ what 2 171 Priviledges of being in Christ 2 174 See Righteous Church Pillars of the Church 1 286 Want of zeale for the Church 1 292 Danger of wronging the Church 1 293 Directions what we must doe for the Church 1 294 Circumstance Consideration of Circumstances helpe Humiliation 1 28 Circumstances aggravating sinne 1 89 Civill Difference betweene prophane and Civill men 1 127 Clearenesse Clearenesse of conscience corrupted 1 55 Cloud Sin like a stormie Cloud 1 174 Coldnesse Coldnesse provokes God as much as sinne 1 284 Combate Combate to be expected of Christians 2 137 Difference of the Combate in Christians and others 2 138 Comfort Comfort the end of the Scriptures 1 2 Sanctification for our Comfort 2 89 Comfort from the change of Nature 2 121 Comming The end of Christs Comming 1.20.2 20 Compell The Spirit Compels men to come in 2 7 Communion Communion of Saints sets the truth at liberty 1 174 Communication Communication of the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament 3 2 See Truth Condemnation Imprisoning Truth brings great Condemnation 1 136 God just in the Condemnation of men 1 234 Conflict Conflict in carnall men 1 153 Conflict in wicked men failing in foure things 1 60 Content He that trusts in God is Content with him only 1 258 Conscience Conscience corrupted by nature 1 45 Wherein Conscience is corrupted 1 55.56 Signe of a good Conscience 1 57 Conscience in naturall men may doe many things 1 152 Conscience good in two respects 1 156 Contrary Contrariety Contrariety of
insensiblenesse of wrath Answ. Containing in it the proofes of the Doctrine Gods wrath is a Treasure 1 Because our sinnes adde to his wrath 2 Because it lies still for a time 3 Because in time it is expended Sinne is like a stormie cloud Simile Object 2. From the generality of sin Answ. Yet all sin not alike And therefore are differently punished Vse 1. Of the Point To see sinne in its effects Which is urged from the Terrour of Gods wrath Object From the not present feeling of Wrath. Answ. It is not felt because it is not apprehended 2 Sinne remains on Record 3 And at length God will strike once for all Object The remedy prescribed is to meet the Lord. Answ. Which consists first in Humiliation In Reformation Object The smalnesse of sinne Answ. The least sinne is disobedience against God Instance of the example of Saul The example of Adam Every sinne is the setting up of another God A difference betwixt a godly and a wicked man in regard of sinnes No sinne is small for it is committed against an exact Law Mat. 5.18 The third generall point Zeale turnes away wrath 1 Proved by Scripture and instances 1 Elijah The truth of it appeares from the danger of luke-warmenesse Coldnesse provokes as much sinne Which is a stirring up of affection 2 For the Lord. 3 There must be with it intention of action Vse 1. Not to discourage those that be zealous The frequency of such discouragements The ill effects Zeale and Religion the pillars of Church and Common-wealth They are Gods Pearls though cast out in the world Vse 1. Containing many Convictions of our want of Zeale 1. From the formality of the Times 2 Conviction From our want of affection for the Lord. 2 Against sin Differences betwixt Hatred and Anger 1 Hatred is constant 2 It sets against the whole Species 3 It â—ests not but in uttâ—r deâ—tâ—uction Iudge of our Anger by these â—arkes 3 Conviction From our want of courage for the truth Object From the danger of too much boldnesse Answ. Danger of Excesse must be prevented by a well regularâ—â—g our boldnesse The Objection is prosecuted And more fully answered 4 Conviction From our want of Zeale for the Church Zeâ—le for the Church is acceptable to God even when he is angry with her It is dangerous to wrong the Church Direction what wee must doe for the Church Abroad At home Concerning the Church at home three things are â—â—mmended to â—onsideration Execution of Iudgement Specially against three things 1 Whoredome 2 Idolatry 3 Injustice 2 Contention for the Faith To which we should be provoked by the practise of her enemies Advancement of the Ministery By setting a Candle in every candlesticke By keeping out dogs that will devoure 4 Generall point If we be not zealous Gods jealousie grows hotter And his messenger must have an answer Meanes to stop his wrath is to stand in the gap Which consists in faithfull prayer 5 Generall point Iealousie for the most part shall proceed to utter destruction Two great deliverances we have had Beware the third time The story of Ahab is considerable to this purpose There is a double feare 1 A feare that puts us upon indirect means 2 A feare that sets us to work on good meanes 2 Chro. 15.2 Doct. Iustification and Sanctification are inseparable 1 How Sanctification ariseth from Iustification 1 By the worke of the Spirit Objects Answ. Quest. Answ. 2 By certaine actions in the minde and heart which are the effects of the Spirit in him 1 Vpon the understanding 2 Vpon the affections 3 Selfe-love is sanctified 4 Ingenuitie is wrought 5 Noblenesse of Spirit 6 A strong inclination 2 Sanctification and Iustification are inseâ—â— Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Vse 1. Pray that seeing God hath justified us he would also sanctifie us Encouragements to pray for Sanctification 1 Gods promise in the Covenant 2 The Covenant sealed in the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.25 opened 3 The Covenant confirmed with an oath 4 The end whereunto the Sâ—crament is appointed 5 The successe that others have had by Prayer 6 The great importance of it to us Esay 25.6 opened Ephes. 5.18 opened Vse 2. Set Sanctification as high in our esteeme as Iustifiâ—aâ—â—on The excellencie of the New Creature 1 Above old Lusts. 2 Above all worldly excellencies Object Answ. Two conditions of Adam Object Answ. 1 Iohn 3.2 Eccles. 10.5 Prov. 22.4 Vse 3. Take heed of challenging Iustification without Sanctification Iohn 3.18 Matth. 3.8 Object Answ. Signos of a new Creature 1 A Sense of it â—â—ct 26.18 2 The Vniversalitie of it 1 Cor. 5.7 Object Answ. 3 Looking upon every thing with a new eye 2 Cor. 5.16 4 New workes 2 Cor. 4.20 A New Creature what Three things in it 1 The heart must be new moulded or cast into a new frame 1 Principally his inclination is changed Quest. Answ. How this alteration of the inclination may bee knowne 2 This change is in his whole Conversation Vse Answ. 〈…〉 new 〈◊〉 itie of â—odlinesse The new quaâ—â—tie what 2 It must be done by infusion of a new qualitie of godlinesse The new qualitie what Object Answ. Vse 3 There must be a mortification of the old man Vse 2 Vse or Consectary 1 There must be something lesâ—e than corrupt nature Where â—â—od forgiveth hee healeth where he pardoneth he purifieth Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Caution Note 2 As there must be lesse than corrupt Nature so there must be more than meere Nature Observ. 2. Observ. 3. Observ. 4. Observ. 5. Observ. 1. Those that are in Christ have another Nature When a thing is said to be Naturall Caution Vse 1. Not to deferre comming to God Vse 2. Content not your selves with any thing if this be wanting All the desires that come from Nature are nothing 2 Morall Vertues 3 Transient acts of Holinesse 4 Good Intentions and Purposes Vse 3. Looke that good performances be naturall to you Quest. Answ. Simile Object Answ. Simile Vse 4. To abhor the old nature and to â—â—â—ke to have it chanâ—ed Rom. â— Quest. Answ. Vse 5. Feare not falling away Object Answ. Vse 6. Be not discouraged with the difficultie of any duty Vse 7. A change of nature is a ground of comfort Quest. Answ. Observ. 3. It must be a new Creature Consectaries thence 1 That we are redeemed from old Customes Custome hath many advantages against us 1 It gaines upon our judgements 2 It is troublesome to alter it 3 We plead for it 4 It breeds Senselesnesse Consect 2. Wonder not that the world wonders at thee Consect 3. Pull downe all that is old Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Consect 4. Wonder not at the unevennâ—sse which is found in the lives of the bâ—st men Object Answ. Difference between unevennesse in the Saints and in the wicked Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Consect 5. Expect a