received and taken not as when a man inviteth another to a feast and he cannot come the master is at no charge but when the promise is made and the dinner prepared and then the guests not to come it is loss so it is in this offer of Christ all is ready Christ is slain and his blood is poured out if you do not come and take it you put away from you the blood of Christ and so in as much as in you lieth you make the death of Christ of none effect and so by consequence you shall be guilty of the blood of Christ and therefore the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1. 19. You are not redeemed with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ. First If you had put God to the losse of silver and gold and precious stones it had been no great losse but you have put him to the losse of Christ and his blood so that whosoever refuseth Christ is guilty of the spilling of his most precious blood Secondly consider that the Gospel which you refuse agrevateth the sin for the Gospel disobeyed hath much more terrour then the law disobeyed and therefore the Apostle in Heb. 2. verse 2. reasoneth to this purpose for saith he If the Law that was given by Angels was stedfast and every transgression received a due reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which was manifested to us by his Son and so Chap. 10. If the Law that was given by Moses if he that disobeyeth that Law should die how much more shall he be worthy of punishment that trampleth underfoot the blood of Christ. First It is the refusing of Christs most precious blood therefore I say in these respects the Gospel hath more terrour in it then the Law disobeyed For the clearer understanding of this you are to know that the Gospel hath two parts Not onely if you believe you shall be saved but also if you believe not you shall be damned which sheweth that the Gospel broken is more terrible then the Law and therefore Iohn Baptist the first preacher of the Gospel came with more terrour and severity then the Prophets did he came in a course habit and severe in his doctrine and therefore when he came to preach the Gospel he saith Now is the axe laid to the root of the tree and those that are found chaffe shall be cast into the fire and what was the reason because the Gospel was preached therefore if it be refused and this pardon rejected God will now sooner lay the axe to the root then aforetime and so indeed they found it by experience afterwards for if we observe the Scripture from the time that the Iews became a Nation for all their transgressions he gave them not a fullbill of divorcement till Christ was preached unto them and they refused to receive him then those natural branches were broken off and the wild Olive ingrafted in till that time I say the Iewes were not rejected by this therefore we may see the danger of refusing the Gospel God had indured their provocations yet now for their refusing of Christ he cut them off and so he will do to every particular person for there is no Law that can be preached that is so dangerously refused as the Gospel and therefore we shall see the Carriage that is appointed to the seventy Disciples which he sent forth to preach the Gospel that when they offered Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven and remission of sins if they will receive the mercy offered so it is they shall be saved but if not Tell them the Kingom of God is come near them indeed but seeing they have refused it shake off the dust of your feet against that City and here you may see what terrour there is in the Gospel if they would receive it well and good if not shake off the dust of your feet against them and further consider that nothing but their refusing the land of Canaan made God swear in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest God can bear with other sins but this is a sin that provoketh God to anger more then the rest For the better understanding hereof we will compare the Law and the Gospel together you shall find these differences between them First the condition of the Law is do this and live The condition of the gospel is Believe and live The condition of the law is much more difficult the condition of the Gospel is more easie and therefore the sin committed against the Law is less hainous then the sin against the Gospel Secondly the command in the Law cost God nothing but his word but the command in the Gospel cost him the Death of his Son Thirdly when we broke the Law we did it in the loins of Adam with whom we accompanied our voices and consent but when we reject the Gospel we do it in our own persons Fourthly when the Law was broken there was but one breach to God but in rejecting of the Gospel there is a is a double Law transgrest for when we had cast our selves into a desperate condition with Adam God offered us an help and means of recovery now the refusing of this makes sin the greater by how much the more the mercy is the greater with the Angels Gods intent was to exercise onely a single mercy and therefore a peremptory command was given them If you will obey you shall live But now this was not onely offered to mankind but a second mercy was also offered a greater then ever was offered to the Angels now God offereth thee a board to swim upon after ship-rack to the Angels God would show but one kind of mercy to mankind a double mercy a sparing mercy a merciful mercy and so a severer kind of justice upon the refusal of it and therefore the reprobates that live in the Church shall exceed the Devils in Hell in judgement because they have had more mercy tendred to them then ever the Devils had and therefore in this respect God will exercise on them a more severe kind of justice Let all these things teach you how dangerous it is to disobey the Gospel and to refuse Christ. Thirdly you are to consider that Christ who is offered unto you is the Chiefest of all Gods works the utmost end that God propounded to himself in making of mankind it is he that is the top of his fathers glory in whom the glory of God most shineth therefore be assured God will not lose his chiefest glory he will not lose one jot of his glory much lesse the principal part of it and therefore he that refuseth Christ contemneth the chiefest of Gods works and layeth the chiefest of his glory in the dust and therefore God will not suffer that to be done without great judgement Whatsoever God is known by that is his Name whatsoever he makes himself more known by that is his special Name and his
Name he will not suffer to be taken in vain and therefore he saith he will not hold him guiltless thâ—â— taketh his Name in vain and certainly this will bring the heaviest condemnation the offer of Christ being the greatest mercy that was ever shewed to any creature either in Heaven or in earth and therefore the refusing of this mercy must needs produce the greatest judgement and for this Capennaum though exalted to Heaven was cast down to Hell if it had had no more means thâ—â— Tyre and Zidon their condemnation should have been no more but the means were greater because the Gospel was more plentifully preached to them and therefore seeing by this means they were lifted up to Heaven their condemnation should be the greater and this is Gods manner of proceeding in all his wayes when he first created Adam had he no more then created him his sin in transgressing the Law had not been so much but because he gave him a possibility of living for eyer therefore he was condemned to die for ever because he rejected the mercy offered If we had been guilty of Adams sin onely we should have had the judgement that Adam had upon breach of the condition But we are offered Christ and to be heirs of Heaven upon condition of obedience to the Law of faith answerable therefore to the greatness of this mâ—â—y shall be the greatness of this cond emnation if we refuse it Let all these things stir us up most affectionately to embrace Christ and consider what an injury and offence it is against God to refuse Christ. Remember those compassionate tearmes that he useth Come unto me And why will ye dye O house of Israel And I delight not in the death of a sinner and many such like places take heed of refusing when God offereth his Sonne rather kisse the Sonne least he be angry and ye perish and remember not onely to take him but take him in time now God calleth upon you and if you will not hear beware least when you call he will not hear when the day of sickness and extremity commeth then you will finde that Christ is Christ indeed and that faith is faith indeed and that the feet of the messenger are beautiful but then you shall not see them for this is Gods judgement if they will not receive it in time of peace he either offereth it no more or else giveth them no hearts to receive it therefore defer not the taking of his offer take heed least God swear in his wrath you shall not enter into his rest if you refuse this excellent gift Remember that though it be true that the whole time of this life be a time of grace yet there is an opportunity in which God offereth grace and after that offer it is no more And therefore he would offer Ierusalem no more peace because she knew not the time of her visitation and afterwards God either offered her none at all or gave her not an heart to take it If God beseech and intreat men to believe then it followeth that faith is a thing very pleasing and acceptable to God if you therefore make the Querie of the Iews What shall we do to work the workes of God I answer with Christ believe on him whom he hath sent So also if you ask what is the great Commandement I answer that you believe in the onely begotten Sonne of God you can do nothing so acceptable to God as to believe on his Sonne for faith is the very life of a Christian that which distinguisheth him from all other men But what is this faith It is not a small matter to believe as our adversaries afaffirm which riseth out of the mistaking of the nature of faith for it is not onely to give assent unto a proposition that it is true but this justifying faith taketh and layeth hold on Christ now in taking there are two things to be understood First You must let go all that is in your hands before Secondly You must lay hold on the thing offered so in faith first there is an emptying quality where by a man is made empty of all that is in himself he must forgo father and mother and pleasures and profits and all to receive Christ Secondly there is an apprehending quality to lay hold on Christ a forsaking of any thing that is precious and a receiving of him and a resting on him with a purpose to serve him onely with a perfect heart and a willing mind it is true there is much excellency and necessity in works but faith is the wel-head from whence all the streams of good works arise And therefore faith exceedeth them as much as the cause doth the effect for faith is the spring of good works the more faith the more works where there is more oyl there is the greater flame faith then being the cause of works it must needs follow that the stream cannot rise higher then the fountain Again all the good works that we do give not so much glory to God as faith now nothing is so dear unto God as his glory and therefore faith is most acceptable to God and therefore it is said Abraham believed and gave glory to God first by his believing him to be such a God as he professed himself to be and so that which makes him evident to all the world to be a God most merciful is the receiving of Christ by faith Further in this doth the true worship of God principally consist now God delighteth in his worship and the worship of God consisteth not onely in the bowing of the knee but it mainly consisteth in the inward perswasion of the heart when a man is perswaded that God is a most holy a most wise just and merciful God and out of this he worshippeth and obeyeth him and this is an act of faith Remember therefore that faith is that which God doth principally câ—ll for and therefore faith goeth far before works in as much as without faith it is impossible to please God Let us therefore be exhorted to labour to believe seeing it is a thinâ—s so acceptable to God and that this exhortation be not in vain it is needful for men to know whether they believe or no to this end therefore I will give you two or three signes of faith First if you would know whether you truly believe whether you are within the number of those that are within the compasse of regeneration consider whether you be soundly humbled for that is a preparation that goeth before faith and without which no man is made ever partaker of Christ for the direction of Christ is made to those that mourn in Zion not that it is simply necessary to salvation but because without this no man cometh to Christ I denie not but God is able to send Lightning without thunder hee might have preached the Gospel to Adam without the Law but his will was not so he first convinceth Adam
the budding and putting forth of the spirit therefore all such blossomes are precious and they should be nourished in you you should not let them wither for want of sap and that you may have from Christ for it is he that quickeneth every man by his Spirit That look as the old Adam maketh sin active in every one that is born of him so the second Adam communicateth grace and life to those that are ingrafted into him by faith Therefore he is called a quickening spirit even as a man liveth when the soul is conjoyned to the body so the soul liveth when Christ is conjoyned to it Look upon all the living Saints the reason why they live among such a multitude of dead men is because Christ is in them if you see one more holy then another more active more nimble in the wayes of Gods commandments then another it is because Christ dwelleth more in him then in another if you find your selves more ready and more strong to perform any duty it is because Christ helpeth and quickeneth you for he is your life In a word all the life you have is derived from his inhabitation and dwelling in you And this is the fourth Benefit that we receive from Christ he makes us living men The fifth benefit we have and receive from Christ his dwelling in us is that he consecrateth us and maketh us holy Know ye not saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. 17. That ye are the Temple of God and that the spirit dwelleth in you That is Christs act no man is holy but he whom Christ consecrateth and he consecrateth the soul That is he sanctifieth it sets it apart maketh a temple peculiar to himself for holiness is nothing but an appropriating something to Gods use and sequestring it from common uses Now when Christ works such a work in the spirit of a man he is said to consecrate a man to sanctifie him And that he doth when he revealeth to us the vanitie of earthly things on one side And the excellencie of heavenly things on the other side By this means the heart is weaned from those and is knit and married to these in a conjugal love so that it loveth him and nothing besides and this I say Christ doth by revealing the truth making earthly things to appear vain as they are and God to appear beautiful and excellent as he is For when he appeareth as he is we cannot but love him and that is the reason it is said Sanctifie them with thy truth that is when any man hath the truth revealed unto him he seeth things as they are then his spirit cleaveth unto God loveth God marrieth it self unto God keepeth it self proper unto him weaneth itself and estrangeth it self from all other things That which is called sanctifying in that place you shall find in two places of Scripture exprest in such tearms as express this double act of Christ which I named unto you as in the 2 Tit. verse penult He hath purified to himself a peculiar people that is he hath emptied them of whatsoever may draw them from God and hath sanctified them by his spirit And so again in the 30. Deut. 6. And the Lord God will circumcise the heart that thou mayest love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. That is I will draw you to me your hearts shall cleave to me Now then when these two acts are done the heart circumcised and love put into it that it cleaveth to God without separation This is the sanctifying of the heart this Christ works wheresoever he cometh And my Brethren this is not an easie thing to do and indeed no man can do it but Christ for this holiness of spirit is not onely an abstaining from the things common and unclean from pollution of flesh and spirit it is not an abstaining from them out of judgement onely but then a mans spirit it is holy when he hath an inward propence inclination to that which is good and an aversness to that which is evil When the spirit hath a new quality put into it Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good this is holiness not to abstain from the evil onely but to abhor it not onely to do the good but his spirit cleaveth to the good loveth the good So it is said Lot had his righteous soul vexed with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites that is he had a holy soul and in this his holiness was seen that he vexed c. So Moses his holiness appeared when he wept when he saw the people commit idolatry so Paul his spirit was stirred within him when he saw the idolatry of the people of Athens So when a mans spirit stiâ—reth it self after this manner when from that new quality that is put into it it works out the uncleanness that is in it this is the holiness of the spirit and no man hath it but from Christ. As the needle unless it have it from the Loadstone could not have that property of looking to the North so it is with the spirit of a man before Christ dwelleth in him before he hath put a new quality of holiness he never looks towards God but when it is done once it cannot do otherwise therefore those in whom Christ dwelleth cannot sin that is cannot delight in sin this is a great benefit therefore and this holiness of spirit they have in whom Christ dwelleth To be holy in all manner of conversation to be holy at all times in all places in all that he doth to have a holiness of spirit acting and appearing therein It is a hard thing and therefore the benefit is the greater so now how much unholiness we may find in the spirits of men when the spirit of a man steppeth out and doth what it doth to its own ends and looks not to Christ but to other ends this is unholiness and adultery of the spirit therefore those the trade of whose life is not to look at God in their actions but to themselves to pass from pleasure to pleasure and from sport to sport and all for themselves those also that are so much occupied in worldly businesses that God is forgotten this is exactly contrary to holiness for here the spirit turneth it self from God whereas we should be holy in all manner of conversation holy in every thing holy in eating holy in drinking holy in recreation holy in all our business holy in mirth c. But you will ask how shall that be When you do all these as to God as fitâ—ing you for his service when you put God as the end unto all that you do then is your spirit holy you know that place Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God That is respect God in it make not your selves the utmost end of it for then your heart is unholy for holiness is to keep the
word even the root of all good works that can possibly be accepted in Gods sight And the first means whereby to come to such a faith is to see consider and take to heart what estate we are in without believing in Christ this is the first step thereunto and before this a man can never come truly to believe and so to be knit to Christ in the mariage bond of Grace Now what estate we are in before may easily appear by these particulars as That we all in Adam are fallen away and so have lost the image of God Are wholy under the guilt of sin The children of Gods wrath In the power and snares of the Devil Under the curse of the Law howsoever we may bless our selves and the world think us blessed c. And lastly guilty of eternal condemnation and so endangered to be swallowed up of the gulfe of Hell when we are dead without we get this faith Now by all this we may see what need we have to get into the rock Christ it being the estate of every child of Adam Kings Emperors c. even all and every one by nature Which when the poor soul strucken with the word comes to understand aright and feel it as in the presence of God then he comes To think how he shall be brought to God again How he may be born again being of such a sinful case How he may get the heavy curse removed How he shall come to get out of the power and snares of the Devil How to come to be a child of Gods love To think how he shall be freed from the gulfe of Hell when he dies Now when a man sees this and is convinced throughly thereof in his judgement hee cannot be quiet until he hath sought some remedie then hath he set the first step to this blessed estate of true saving faith Examples hereof we have Act. 2. In those three thousand that were converted at one Sermon who having their case layed open cryed out what shall we do to be saved and that was the first step to their believing for after that they came to believe so likewise Act. 16. 30. The Iaylor when he came in trembling and desired to know by what means to come to salvation then the Doctrine of faith took place even so we before we can attain to this faith that triumphs against condemnation we must go out of our selves and run to God onely in Christ without whom we perish And the reason many find not this faith is because they have a general and conceited faith wherewith they content themselves which makes them to slubber over all things and so live and die in the same even because they come not soundly to understand by the word of God their woful and lamentable estate by nature the true and effectual knowledge whereof is the first step to true saving faith A second means is when a man not onely sees it soundly and so doth effectually go out of himself but also resolveth to cast away that sin he sees in himself a man may come to consider his estate deeply and yet go on in wicked courses But when he can desire with all his heart to bee rid of all his sinne and cast it off it is a special meanes and a further step to this faith at least to the manifestation of it to us Repent and believe is the voice of the gospel No man can believe except he repent and cast off sin so no man can repent except he believe and have some hope that his sins may be pardoned Many see their sins yet cast them not away and therefore the conscience beats them off and will not let them believe It tels them that Christ and such a soul cannot stand together The door is shut if thou makest not account in thy affection and conversation to leave all sin 1 Io. 3. 6. whosoever saith the Apostle sinneth hath not seen God So that the soul hath a second step to believe when a man truly repents of all his sins 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Then God offers himself as a father to a man when he casts off such as are lin be as it were of Satan and of the fellowship of darkness that is when a man casts off his evil company and all sin that may defile his soul and make him unworthy to be Gods child and therefore when a man casts off sin and the instruments of sin then is he fit to believe and God will be ready to shâ—w himself unto him not a judge but a father Rev 3. 19. When a man begins to be zealous for God and amend his sinful wayes and courses and leaves cherishing those abominable sins that before he hath lived in and for want of this resolution to take Christs part against sin it comes to pass a mans heart and conscience will not let him come to lay hold of Christ even because he harbors Christs enemies that will not suffer him to come in A third means is when a man renounces as well his own righteousness as his sinnes It is Christs righteousness that must make us righteous before God that is our justification to eternal life There is to say the truth no righteousnesse before a man comes to be in Christ onely 't is call'd an outward righteousness and is so taken before men and therefore if thou wilt come to this faith thou must cast off all not conceit of righteousness but thine own righteousness indeed For that cannot further thee in this point as thine own sins cannot hinder thee What hindred the Jewes and Papist and thousands of Protestants at this day from faith that should uphold their souls but a conceit of their own righteousness The Jewes they would perform obedience to the law and venture their salvation upon that righteousness Rom. 10 2â— And therefore they could not believe So the Papists now they do still in part stick upon their own righteousness whereas there is none in himself righteous but God alone Iehouah who is righteousness as he proclaims himself We lost all in Adam and recover all again in Christ. Many ignorant Protestants and some that have knowledge also will not stick to say that if a man have a good meaning dealing righteously and serving God he shall be accepted all which is nothing without Christ for the more a man goes on in good intentions before he be in Christ by faith all his performances are but cursed abominations and so further off from faith and that which God hath most severely punished as he did Saul his good intention without obedience unto him But may some say if it be so then it is better to sin and not do good works â—t all Not so for then thou encreasest thy punishment thy sin is the less if thou hast a good meaning because thou thinkest that thou dost that which is good if thou knewest and thoughest otherwise thy condemnation
add further that as all grace is from him so in him there is enough grace to be had We all of his fulness receive grace for grace that is we receive the variety of graces that he had grace for grace As the child receives limb for limb or as the wax receives of the seal character for character print for print so we receive the quantity of grace that we have from that fulness that is in him But how is this grace received from Christ We take it not immediately out of the fountain but it is derived to us by certain conduit-pipes therefore take heed of that of expecting to receive grace from Christ without these means Again we must not think that these means will do it without him we must not break off the conduit-pipes from the Well-head as we must not go to the Well-head without them Now the means whereby we receive grace is by the Word and Sacraments we are not born of him by carnal generation as Adam but instead of that generation when we have taken him there is a spiritual relation instead of it in Gods sight and by vertue of that we receive grace and strength from him Therefore if ye would receive more grace increase of grace labour to draw near him and then you drawn near him when your will is brought to a greater degree of willingness to have him for your husband But yet in general we must know that grace is received from Christ as we receive corruption from Adam the old man he doth not more powerfully communicate corruption and sin to us then the new man is powerful to communicate grace and life So that when we are once in Christ as we are in Adam we are sure to have grace from him and then we are in Christ when we have taken him and are matched with him and united to him As a man may be matched to his wife after the match is past in a greater degree of will when there is a greater degree to have such a woman for his wife or a women to have such a man for her husband The will may be wound to a higher degree and peg of willingness Therefore our business is when we come to receive the Sacrament to labour to increase that willingness to labour to add to that resoluâ—ion of taking Christ. Now that is done by a distinct and clear apprehension of Christs willingness to match with us we must know that the gift of righteousnes is freely offered there is nothing required but that we be willing to take it there is nothing required but sincerity on our part Now this false opinion that there is more then that required is that which keeps us asunder Now to bring our hearts nearer to Christ for when we are near him then we receive most grace from him first I say the apprehension of that must be clear Then secondly we must labour to be divorced from all other husbands when the mind is weaned from all earthly things to which they are too much wedded to have those lingrings cut off when we affect riches or pleasures too much or whatsoever the heart is taken up aboâ—t in what measure a man is earthly minded in that measure his heart is disjoyned from Christ. Now the way to bring our hearts nearer is to be divorced from these But when is this love inordinate Then you may know it is inordinate and adulterous love when it is a let of your love to your Husband God gives you leave to take and to use outward comforts you may rejoyce in them he commands you so to do onely this you must take care of that your love to your Husband be not lessened If a man be so busie in his calling and business that he find himself more indisposed to draw near to his Husband the Lord that he is more unfit to pray and to holy conference it is an adulterous occupying of himself about the works of his calling So when he loves his children or friends his sports and recreations whatsoever his mind is occupyed about look how far it lessens his love to God and daunts and hinders and interrupts that in the same measure it is adulterous Therefore if you would draw near to Christ consider how your affections run out for he looks on you with a jealous eye And you must take pains with your hearts to labour to have those lusts mortified you must reason out the mattâ—r with your selves for there is no man that loves any thing inordinately but it ariseth from deceit and there is nothing so good but we must let it go and cleave to Christ and if we cannot do it with ordinary pains we must do more then ordinary There are some lusts as some Devils that will not be cast out without fasting and prayer Now when we loose our hearts from these things that is a means to draw near the Lord. Lastly to add to this consider the need we stand in of Christ and to that add the vertues of our Husband what need we have of him and what benefit we have by him Consider thy need of him thou art in such a case that when thou art out of him thou art subject to an extent and to be laid in prison but when thou hast him for thy Husband thou art under cover But you will say I hope I am past this Thou must know that thou hast continual need of it thou hast need of him every day thou hast need of him to redeem thee from every evil that thou escapest from day to day thou hast need of him to help thee to every comfort thou hast need of him to assist thee to every duty thou performest And withal consider when thou feest thy need for therfore we do not prize Christ because we know him not and we know him not because we know not our selves how impotent and weak we are without him we are able to do nothing without him I say when we have considered what our need is of him then let us consider the vertues of our Husband and the portion we have with him Consider the vertues of our Husband we are all too short in this consider the excellency that is in Christ the beauty that is in him to draw us near to him Thou must look on him as one full of beauty the fairest of ten thousand as we do with men that we converse with if it be a man that hath worth in him that you daily converse with now you see one excellency and then another now one spark appears and then another so learn to know Christ by experience continually And then as we must know him by the description of himself in his Word so to know him by his actions by all his carriage to see what a one he is There is no Husband so kind as he there is no master so bountiful as he there is no friend so loving as he
a Law in his members Thirdly he describes it from the opposite it is such a Law as fights with the Law of his mind Lastly he describes it from the effect or event and success that this Law in his members hath against the Law of his mind it sometimes carried him captive to the Law of sin which was in his members So that you shall find these five things put together in the Text. First that there is a Law that is a strong inclination to evil which is in every mans nature Secondly this Law lies not idle but it fighteth and warreth I find saith he a Law in my members warring against the Law in my mind Thirdly though they do fight and contend yet in every regenerate man it finds resistance therefore he saith It fights against the Law of his mind that is there is a Law a strong inclination to good in every regenerate man which makes resistance against this Law of sin Fourthly though this Law of sin do find resistance yet it sometimes prevails for he saith it leads him captive to the Law of sin sometimes it overcometh and over-ruleth Lastly though it do overcome yet never doth any regenerate man lie under this captivity for in that he saith it carryeth him captive it argueth reluctancy a keeping a stir to vindicate himself from that bondage to his former liberty So you see by this the full meaning of the words But for the present we will pitch upon these two points which we will handle at this time First of all That there is a Law of sin in every mans nature strongly inclining him to that which is evil Secondly That in every regenerate man there is a Law of grace resisting that and strongly inclining him to that which is good To begin with the first I say There is a law of sin in every mans nature strongly inclining him to that which evil For the better understanding of this we must know that there are two laws on both sides There is the Law of God expressed in the Scriptures which is without and there is a Law within every regenerate man that is the regenerate part that which the Scripture calls the spirit and this agreeth with the Law of God in every thing so far forth as a man is regenerate so far he agrees with the Law of God Even as you see one tally agrees with another so doth the regenerate part within and the Law of God without agree together On the other side again there are two Laws likewise First the Law of sin which is without us that is the very decalogue as I may call it or the summary of evil which the Devil prescribes to his servants and then there is answerable within another Law paralelling that Law of sin without and that is a strong habit a strong inclination which carrieth the unregenerate man violently to sin against God and this the Scripture calls by divers names sometimes it calls it The old Adam sometimes it calls it flesh because it deads and dulls the spirit Sometimes it is called the body of sin because it is the very heap of lusts Sometimes it is called the body of death because it leads to death and destruction Now that I may fully open unto you what this strong inclination is wee will go no further then this very verse we have read for you shall have it described by these four things First it is a Law Secondly a Law in the members Thirdly it is a Law that fighteth Fourthly it is a Law that sometimes prevails and leadr us captive We will go through them all very briefly First It is said to be a Law because as a Law it commands with authority so doth this incline us to ill it commands strongly so that it will not be refused And again as it commands so it forbids as powerfully and will not be denied It commands that which is evil to be done by us and carries us strongly to it and it forbids us the doing of that which is good as powerfully The Apostle speaks of some 2 Pet. Having eyes full of adultery that cannot ceaseâ—to sin Again it is called a Law because it punisheth and rewardeth as a Law doth for a Law is nothing else but that rule that hath threatnings joyned to the breach of it and rewards for the obedience thereof So hath this law of sinne that is in us if we do obey it rewards us with pleasure The pleasures of sin for a season if we disobey it punisheth us again with grief As we shall see Ahab when he had a little resisted this Law how this Law of sinne punished him it laid him sick upon his bed And so Amnon when a stop was put in the course of this Law that was in his members it made him sick In this respect it is said to be a Law because it commands powerfully and because it punisheth and rewards as a Law Secondly It is said to be a Law in our members and that first because it inclines us to evil not morally evil as when a man perswades a man by strength of reason to a thing But physically and naturally that look what a natural inclination there is in the stomack to eat and to drink such a natural propensness and inclination there is in the heart of a natural man to sin As you see a wheel when a weight is hung upon it it goes and it cannot chuse but go So is it with the nature of a man it inclinâ—s him unto evil naturally and he cannot resist it Secondly It is said to be a Law of the members because it discovers it self in the members that is in the faculties of the soul and the members of the body whensoever they come to be used in the performance of any holy duty For at you seâ— it is in the body if there be a lameness or soreness in any member pernaps for the present you see it not 〈◊〉 feel it not till you come to use that member So it is with the Law of sin in our members when we fit at quiet and go not about any duty of holy obedience this Law lies still in the soul and is quiet but when the faculties are to be acted when the member is called forth to do a thing when a work is to be performed that is good then the Law of the members discovers it self Then you shall find the lameness the crookedness the soureness the backwardness that is in your hearts to do any thing that is good And last of all it is called the Law of the members because though it be also in the will and in the mind and in those higher parts of the soul yet chiefly it is operative in the members there you shall see it most As on the other side the Law of grace though it be in the whole man regulating and guiding the whole outward man yet it rests especially in the mind and the will
of his sin and then preacheth the Gospel first he made a preparation by fire and an earthquake before he came in the soft and still voice so God humbleth a man before he worketh by faith to lay hold on Christ. The murderer will not seek to the City of refuge before the revenger of blood follow him and this must not be done slightly but your conscience must be awakened to apprehend sin fully and this prepareth you for Christ for in these three things stands the sound conversion of a sinner to God first humiliation secondly the taking of Christ as the chiefest good thirdly when you will not forsake for him any worldly thing And these three things follow one another for if sin be the chiefest sorrow Christ must needs be the chiefest joy if we once have Christ we can never forgo him those therefore that are not soundly humbled have cause to fear that they have no part in Christ. Secondly Consider whether you live in Christ or no for if you live not in him you have not received him for who taketh Christâ—s â—nâ—râ—ted into him as into a living stock if you would therefore know whether you have taken Christ in good earnest or no for many think they have Christ when they have him not I ask you this question do you grow in Christ and wax green in Christ are you changed into the same nature with him If you find these things it is a sure sign you have taken Christ but if you find not this new life in you it is a sign you never received him and this is not a light chaâ—â—â— but a great and manifest change as apparent as the difference is betwixt a dead man and a living man because when a man takes the Son he hath the spirit of the Son within him and if he hath the spirit he hath the dispossition of the Son the same life that the Son hath for the spirit is to the soul as the soul is to the body and therefore if you find no life it is a sign you have no part in Christ. Lastly Consider whether you be broken off from the old stock upon which you did grow from whence you did take sap and bring forth fruit those therâ—fore deceive themselves that think they can take Christ and yet follow their pleasureâ— and covetousness this croâ—…th their co-mixtures and I assure you they make the way too broad for whosoever will receive Christ must pâ—rt with all things else though they be nevâ—r so dear to him FINIS Vse of the first point Similie Use 2. Use 3. Similie Eph. 1. 18. Similie Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. 4 Means to partake of Gods mercy 2 Sorts of mercies to be hungred after Math. 11. The second means to partake of Gods mercy What faith is Heb. 11. The third meanes to obtain mercy Quest. Answ. What it is to depend upon God Similie Similie Quest. Answ. Deut. 8. 2. The fourth means to partake of Gods mercy Matâ— 10 11. What it is to be worthy of Gods mercy in general Luke 10. 8. Acts 13 45. 46. Prov. 11. ult Pet. 1. 17. Use. 5. Deut. 28 47. Rom. 12. Object Answ. Ephes. 5. The reason why men serve other things and not God How to amend it Heb. 11. 8 Properties of a good master which are found in God Psalm 103. Jam. 5. 11. 2. Property 3. Property 4. Property Psalm 41. 〈◊〉 Psalm 31 7. 5. Property 6. Property Rev. 2. 19. 7. Property Psalm 78. 8. Property Luke 18. Use. 6. Comfort for the church in general in affliction Zach. 12. 3. 4. 5. 6. Bellarmine his argument for their Church with the answer to it Comfort for every Christian in particular in affliction 1. Answ. 2. Answ. Reason why God afflicteth his children 5. Special cases of affliction 2. Chron. 20. 35 36 37. 2 Cor. 12. 2. Doct. 1. Reason Exod. 33. 18. and 34. 6. 2. Reason 3. Reason Last Reason Vse 1. What glory is Use. 2. Isay 6. Object Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Last Answ 2. Answ. Similie 3. Answ. 4. Answ. 5. Answ. Numb 16. Last use 1. 3. 4. Doctrine Acts. 5. 41. Rev. 2. 13. 1. 2. 3. 1 Cor. 3. 1. Rev. 2. 5. 1. 2. Reason 1. Reason 2. 2. 3. 4. Use. 1. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 3. Col. 3. 2. 4. Diff. 1. 1. Jere. 31. 1. 2. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 4. 4 2. Differ 1. 3. Differ Heb. 11. 1 Tim. 4. 1â— Heb. 11. 1. Mark 15. 15. Matth. 8. 44. Mark 10. 〈◊〉 Differ Heb. 6. Rom. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 3. 5. Differ Galat. 5 13. Rom. 7. 2. Use. Acts 16. 2. Motive Isai. 57. John 17. John 14. 3. Motive Isai. 48. 18. Prov. 22. 4. Motive Psal. 45. Prov 30. 4. Prov. 30. 4. Gen. 42. Psal 1. Eccles. 1. 3. Use. Matt. 5. Prov 2. 7. 1. Means 1 Pet. 2. 2. 1 Cor. 3. 1 Heb 5. 13. 1. Rule 2. Rule 3. Rule 4. Rule 3. Means 1. Sign 2. Sign 1 Sam. 11. 6. Act. 4. 32. 3. Sign Phil. 4. Prov. 17. 4. Sign 1 Tim. 2. 12. 5. Sign Isai. 40. 4. Means 1. Hind 5. Means Luke 11. 14. 6. Means 2 Cor. 12. Jere 17. 7. Means Doctr. 1. 2. 1. Wor Ephes. 4. 2. Wor. 3. Wor. Acts 4. 32. Heb. 12. 12. 4. Wor. Acts 20. Isai. 44. 3. Use. Mat. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 1â— Ephes. 1. Rom. 8. 1 John 3. 〈◊〉 1. Sign Matt. 3. Acts 2. 2 Cor. 7. 30. 31. Revel 3. Titus 〈◊〉 Object Answ. 2. Answ. 2. Sign 1. Acts 4. Acts 4. 1 Sam. 18. Cantic 6. 3. John 17. 17 3. Sign Galat. 3â— Quest. Answ. John 1. 8. Galat. 2. 20. Rom. 12. 2. 1 Cor. 2. 4. Sign 1. Proper 2. Proper 3. Proper Rom. 〈◊〉 5. Sign Gal. 4. 6. Iohn 4. 6. Sign Galat. 5. Acts 4. Isai. 3 〈◊〉 7. Sign Rom. 6. Rom. 8. Rom. 8. Galat 5. Kings Acts 4. 20. Object Answ. 2. Use. 1. Benefit Gen. 44. James 4. 5. Acts 20. 22. Revel 1. 2. Benefit Isai. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 2. 9. 3. Benefit John 14. 〈◊〉 3. 4. Cant. 2. 5. 1 Cor. 7. 6. Ezek. 26. 21. 7. Psalm 51. 8. 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Benefit 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Use. Note 1. Means 2. 3. Hebr. 3. 2. Means Galar 3. 3. Means Luke 11. 14. Object Answ. James 1. Acts 2. 4. Means 5. Means Acts 9. Acts 10. Doct. What it is to have Christ dwell in the Heart 〈◊〉 â—t consisteth in 4 things The cause of perseverance in Grace z. Isai. 55. 3. Object Answ. Jere. 32 4. Gal. 5. 3. 3. Isai. 62. 4. 1. Cant. 4. 1 2 3. 〈◊〉 Cant. 4. 12. 3. Cant. 5. 1. Revel 3. 20. 4. 1. 6. Benefits of Christ dwelling in us Psal. 24. 7. 1 Pet. 4. 2 Cor 3. Psal. 24. Rom. 8. Objection Answer Simile 3. Benefit Isai. 57. 15. Rom. 14. 17. 4 Benefit 5 Benefit How Christ sanctifieth us 2 Tit. Deut. 30. 6. How we may get Christ in our hearts Heb. 17. 16. Simile Quest. Answ. 6. Benefit Isaiah