people no doubt have said so in their heart and wondered what it meant Nay but here is the Mystery you go about these commanded Duties not in a commanded way and so the Obedience is but Rebellion You bring Offerings and Incense and think that I am pacified when you bring Alms you judge you have given me a recompense wheras all that is mine and what pleasure have I in these things I never appointed you Sacrifices for this end but to lead you in to the knowledge of my Son which is to be slain in the fulness of time and by one offering to perfect all I commanded you to look on Jesus Christ slain in the slain Lamb and so to expect Remission and Salvation in him But you never looked to more nor the Ceremony and made that your Saviour and Mediator And therefore it is all Abomination When you slay a Lamb and offer Incense it is all one thing as to cut off a Dogs neck or kill a Man So may the Lord say to this Generation I command you to pray to repent and mourn for sin to come and hear the Word but withal you must deny all these and count your selves unprofitable servants you must singly cast your Souls burthen on Christ Jesus But now saith the Lord who commanded your repentance for when you sit down to pray or come in publick to confesse sin before the Congregation you think you are washen When you have said you have sinned and if you come to the length of Tears and Sorrow Oh then sure you are pardoned though in the mean time you have no thought of Jesus Christ and knoweth no use of him Therefore faith the Lord who commanded you to do these things You think you have satisfied for your sin when you pay a penalty but who requireth this I will reckon with you for these al 's well as the sins you pray and mourn for because you do not singly look to Christ Jesus Now if he had never come to the world your ground of confidence would not fail you For you might have prayed al 's much mourned and confessed and promised amendment and so you past by the Son of God in whom only the Father is well pleased Think then upon this whatever you make your righteousnesse there needeth no other thing to make it filthy but to make it your righteousnesse Your confidence in your good heart to God prayer day and night and such like is the most loathsome thing in Gods Eyes Except you come to this to count your prayers as God doth among your oaths to count your solemn Duties among profane scandalous Actions as the Lord doeth Isai 1. and 66. 3. Then certainly you do adorn your selves with them and cover your nakednesse of other faults with such leaves as Adam did but you shall be more discovered Your Garment is al 's filthy as that it hideth even because you make that use of it to hide your sin and cover it Next The Lords Children have no ground of boasting either from their own righteousnesse The holiest Saint on Earth must abhore himself in Dust and Ashes and holy Isaiab joyneth himself in with a pâ—ofane people When he cometh to God to be justified he cometh among the ungodly he bringeth no righteousnesse with him he cometh in among them that work not Now you shall find good ground why it must be so First There are ordinarly many blemishes in our holiest Actions spots on our cleanest Garment often formality eateth up the life of Duties and presenteth a Body without a Soul in it You sit down to pray out of custome morning and evening And if there were no more to prove it this may suffice When pray you but at such times You have an ordinar and goeth noâ— by it no advantage is taken of Providence no necâ—ssity constraineth when occasion offereth and so it is like the worlds appointed houres How great deadnesse and indisposition creepeth in so that it is the ordinary complaint yea all prayers filled with it scarcely any room for other petitions because of the want of frame for prayer it self The word is heard as a discourse and on whom hath it operation to stirr up Affections either of joy or of trembling Christians you come not to hear God speak and so you meet with empty Ordinances God is not in them How often do crooked and sinister ends creep in and byass the Spirit Men ask to spend on their lusts and to satisfy their own ambition Some would have more Grace to be more Eminent or to have a more pleasant Life And this is but the seeking to spend on your lusts If Affection run in the Channel of a Duty it is often muddy and runneth thorow our Corruptions Liberty in Duties is principled with carnal Affection and Self-love Will not often the Wind of Applause in company fill the sails and make your course swifter and freer nor when you are alone And often much love to a partâ—cular maketh more in seeking it And that which is a Moth to eat up and consume all our Duties is conceit and self confidence in going about them and attributing to our self after them It is but very rare that any man both Acteth from Jesus Christ as the principle and also putteth over his work on Christ singly as the end Alas too often do men draw out of Christs Fulnesse and raise up their own glory upon it and adorn themselves with the spoyls of his honour For we use to pray from a habit of it and go to as men acquainted with it and when we get any satisfaction to our own minds O how doth the Soul return on it self and goeth not forward as it goeth It is so well pleased with it self when it getteth liberty to approach that it doth not put all over on Jesus and take shame to it self As long as there is a body of Death within holinesse cannot be pure and unmixed Our Duties run thorow a dirty Channel and cannot choose but contract filth While sin lodgeth under one roof so near Grace Grace must be in its exercise marred and therefore the holy Apostle must cry Rom. 7. 19. The good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do And Verse 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Secondly Though there were not such blemishes and spots in the face of our righteousnesse yet it is here in a state of imperfection and but in its minority and so must be filthy in the Lords sight It was perfect Holâ—nesse according to the perfect Rule of Gods Law that Adam was to be justified by according to the Covenant of works exact obedience not one wanting or else all that can be done came short of righteousness One breach bringeth the curse on All obedience if there be a failing in a little will not bring the blessing on He that doth all liveth and he that doth not
alas all of us are ignorant of our selves It is not times nor temptations that corrupt us but our selves No man is tempted sayeth James of God but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed James 1. 14. Temptation were no temptation if our hearts were not wicked hearts Nay many of us are ready to tempt temptations to provoke the devil to temptations we cast our selves open to temptations Temptation finds lust within and lust within is the Mother to conceive sin if temptation be the father Times do not bring evils along with them they do but discover what was hid before all the evils and corruptions you see now among us where were they in the day of our first love when we were as a loving and beloved child have all these risen up of late No certainly all that you have seen and found were before though they did not appear before they were in the root now you see the fruit All the Apostacy and profanity that hath been vented in these dayes it was all shut up within the corners of mens hearts at the beginning time and temptation hath but uncovered the heart and made the inside out hath but opened a sluce to let out this sea of corruption It s not bred since but seen since Now so it is with us we have corrupted our selves and so we corrupt our selves still more Backsliding cometh on as gray hairs here and there and is not perceived by beholders Nemo repente fit turpissimus No man becometh worst at first There are many steps between that and good Corruption comes on menâ— way as in fruits some one part beginneth to alter and then it groweth worse and putrifieth and corrupteth the rest of the parts An Apple rotes not all at once so it is with us men begin at leisure but they run post or all be done In some one step of our way we take liberty and think to keep the rest clean But when that part is corrupted a little leaven leaveneth the wholl lump and all followeth And then he that corrupted himself is ready to corrupt others Children that are corrupters Isa 1. 4. Every one by his example corrupts another and by corrupting others they again corrupt themselves more O! how infectious an evil is sin of a pestilentious nature And truely our hearts are more ready to receive such impressions then either a World or a Devil is to make them Their spot is not Why doth the Lord take pleasure to reckon their sins to describe so abominable a People Is not this Jacob in whom he saw no iniquity Is not this Israel whose transgressions are not known Certainly if this people would have charged themselves so he would not have done it He loves to forget when we remember our sins But he must remember them when we forget them What is the Lords great controversie with men here it is how can ye say or think that ye are not polluted Or if ye take with such a General Yet why is not the conviction of your sin and misery so deeply engraven as to pursue you out of all hope of remedy in your selves Jer. 2. 22 23. And therefore is thine iniquity marked before me saith the Lord. God hath determined not to wrong his Justice If men should go away unpunished and unjudged both where were his Righteousnes If there were no record of mens transgressions were he a righteous Judge Therefore those who do not judge themselves must leave judgement to him For once the mouth of all flesh must be stoped and all become guilty before God Why pleads the Lord with man Because man sayes I am innocent I have not sinned his anger will turn away Jer. 2. 35. Will any speak so in termes No indeed but the Lord constructs so of the most part because they do more consider the wrongs done to them nor their own wrongs done to God All men confesse the general that they are sinners but who searches and tryes his way to find out particulares and in as far as ye do not charge your selves with particular guiltinesse until ye be afraid of his anger as long as the consideration of your sins is so superficial and shallow that ye apprehend no danger of wrath or immunity from it certainly God will plead with you Justice must so far be glorified as once to conclude you under the sentence of death If ye do it not now then ye leave God to be your Judge and Party But if any man shall take with his guiltinesse till his mouth be stopped and condemne himself in Gods sight I say Mercy and Grace in God must not be wronged he that judges himself shall not be judged of the Lord. VVhat a fair offer is this to you all The Lord offers to you if ye will in time be your own judges I will resigne my judgement to you If ye will but in earnest passe the sentence I will natheâ— passe it nor execute it If ye come to the Mediator Christ Jesus to escape from the wrath oâ— a Judge you shall meet with a reconciled Father and with such love in him as shall hide a multitude of offences O! the depth and height and breadth of that Love VVell then it shall be a Sea to cast your offences into that shall drown them Had not his people many spots Is there any man can say I have cleansed my heart from iniquity No not one Yeâ— behold he sees no spots in his people He doth not make them his people because spotlesse but he seeth them spotlesse because he makes them his people There is no covering that can hide mens uncleannesse from his piercing eye but one even Jesus Christ his Righteousnesse And blest is he whose sins are covered If this covering were spread over the mouth of all Hell then Hell should have a covering from his Eyes If ye therefore strip your selves naked of your own pretences and leaves and think not your self secure under any created shelter if ye hide not your iniquity then it shall be hid indeed Here is a covering that shall hide it from his Eyes There is no spot so heinous none so ingrained but the Blood of Jesus can wash it as perfectly out as if it had never been Isai 16. 17. Though your spots were such as are not incident to his Children yet this Blood cleanses from one and all it is of an infinite nature But though it be so that the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin that there is a fountain opened in the house of David for sin and for uncleanness for sin and separation for such hainous offences as may separat people even from the Congregation of the Lords people Yet there are some sins some spots that ordinarly his people are not defiled with and in this respect they may be called holy and undefiled in the way There are some Maâ—ks and Characters of unregenerated men so legible and expresse that we may
into it thaâ— if none of the world should be of that mind he would not change it Though all should walk in other ways he would choose to be rather alone in this then in the greatest croud of company in any other Now I say when we have such a Coppy cast us a man of excellenâ— parts in sobriety and sadnesse choosing that way which all in words confesse to be the best should not this awake us out of our dreams and raise us up to some more attention and consideration of what we are doing The words you see are the holy resolution of a holy heart concerning that which is the chiefest Good You see the way to happinesse and you find the particular application of that to Davids Soul or of his Soul to it We shall speak a word of the thing it self then of the commendation of it then of the application of it For the thing it self drawing near to God it gives us some ground to take a view of the posture in which men are found by nature far off from God Our condition by nature I cannot so fitly expresse as in the Apostles words Epâ— 2. 12. Without Christ Aliens from the commoâ— wealth of Israel strangers from the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the World A deplorable estate indeed hopelessâ— and helplesse No hope in it that is the extremity of misery the refuse of all conditions Without Christ and without God O! these are words of infinite weight Without those without whom iâ— is simply impossible to be happy and without whom it is not possible but to be miserable without the Fountain of Light Life and Consolation without which there is nothing but pure darknesse without any beam of light Nothing but death without the least breathing of life Nothing but vexation without the least drop of consolation In a word without these and wanting these whom if you want it were good to be spoyled of all beeing to be nothing if that could be or never to have been any thing Men will seek death and cannot find it O! what a losse and deprivement is the losse of God which makes death more desireable then life and not to be at all infinitly preferable to any beeing Now it is true that the bringing in of multitudes within the pale of the Visible Church is some degree of accesse and nearnesse to God for then they bâ—come Citizens as to external right in the Common-wealth of the Church and have the offers of the Promises made to them in respect of which visible standing the Apostle speaks of the whole Church of Ephesus But now ye are made near who were far off v. 13. notwithstanding that many of them were found afterwards to have left their first Love Rev. 2. But yet Beloved to speak more inwardly and as your Souls stand in the sight of God The generality of those who are near hand in outward Ordinances are yet far off from God in reality without God and without Christ as really as touching any Soul feeling as those who are altogether without The bond of Peace and Union was broken in Paradise sin dissolved it and broke off that nearnesse and friendship with God and from that day to this day there hath been an infinite distance and separation betwixt Man and God The steps and degrees of it are many There is darknesse and blindnesse in mens minds Such ignorance naturally possesseth the multitude so that it wholly Alienats them from the Life of God Eph. 4. 18. For what fellowship can Light that pure Light have with such grosse Darknesse as is among us This certainly is the removal of that Sun of Righteousnesse from our Souls or the imposition of the Clouds of transgression that makes it so dark a night in the Souls of Men. And then there is nothing but enmity and desperate wickednesse in the heart of man and this keeps the strong hold of the Affections Rom. 8. Jer. 17. There cannot be a further elongation or separation of the Soul from God then to turn so opposite in all inclinations and dispositions to his Holy Will For the distance between God and us is not local in the point of place For whither shall we go from him who is every where And thus he is near hand every one of us but it is also real in the difformity and repugnancy of our Natures to his Holy Will But add unto this that being thus separated in Affection and disjoyned as it were in natural Dispositions we cannot draw near to God in any Ordinance as the Word Prayer c Though we may as that People draw near with out lips and ask of him our duty and seem to delight to know him Yet there is this natural incapacity and crookednesse in the heart of man that it cannot truely approach unto the Father of Spirits with any Soul desire and delight But their hearts are removed far from me Isa 6. 9. Mat. 4. 12. I think men might observe that their Souls act not in Religious businesse as they should but that they remove their Souls many Myles distant from their Bodies and they cannot keep any constancy in this approach of Prayer to God cannot walk with him in their Conversation or carry him along in their Meditation But there is one point of estrangement and separation superadded to all that there is no man can come near to God without an Oblation and Offering of Peace That there is no approaching to him but as to a consuming Fire except we can bring a Sacrifice to appease and a Present to please him for our infinite offences There the difference stands we cannot draw near to walk together till we be agreed And truely this unto man is impossible for we have nothing so precious as the Redemption of our Souls nothing can compense infinite Wrongs or satisfie infinite Justice Now this seems to make our nearnesse again desperate and to put men furthest off from Hope Notwithstanding this is the very purpose of the Gospel Preached from the beginning of the World to remove that distance and to take impediments of meeting out of the way For that great obstruction the want of a Sacrifice and Ransome the Lord hath supplied it he himself hath furnished it And it was the great designe carried on from the beginning of the World But as the Sun the nearer he is the more the Earth is Enlightened so here first some dawning of Light appears as a Messenger of Hope to tell that the Redeemer shall come that the True Sacrifice shall be slain then still the nearer his own appearing the clearer are the Manifestations of him and the great designe is more opened up till at length he breaks out in Glory from under a Cloud and shews himself to the World to be that Lamb of God that should take away the sins of the World And now as the Apostle to the Hebrewes speaks Chap. 7. 19. The Law made nothing perfect but
the ruines of other mens disadvantages as if it were any point of praise in us that they are worse like men that stand upon a height and measure their own Altitude not from their just intrinsick quantity but taking the advantage of the bottom whereby we deceive our own selveâ— I remember a word of Solomons that impoâ— how dangerous a thing it is for a man to refleâ— upon or search into his own Glory Prov. 2â— 27. It is not good to eat much honey So for me to search their own glory is not glory To suâ—fet in the excesse of Honey or Sweet thingâ— drives to vomite and cloyes the Stomach verâ— 16. Though it be sweet there is great need yea the more need of Caution and Moderation about it So for a man either to searcâ— into his own breast and reflect upon hiâ— owâ— excellencies to find matter of Gloriation or studiously to affect it among other and enquire into other mens accompt and steem of him it is no Glory it is a dangâ—rous and shamful Folly Now this is not only incident to Natural Spirits upon their coâ—siderations of their own advantages but â—ven to the most gracious upon the review â—â— Spirituall Endowments and Prerogatives It is such a subtil and insinuating Poyson thâ—â— it spreads universally and infects the moâ—â— Precious Oyntments of the Soul and as were Poysons the very Antidot and Couâ—terpoyson So forcible is this that was first dropped into mans Nature by Satans envy that it diffuses it self even into Humility and Humiliation it self and makes a man proud because of Humility The Apostle found need to caveat this Rom. 11. 18 19 20. Boast not be not high minded but fear thou standest by faith And Chap. 12. 16. Mind not high things Be not wise in your own conceits And 1. Cor. 8. 2. If any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing as he ought to know All which gives us a plain demonstration of this that self gloriation and complacency in reflection upon our selves is both the greatest Ignorance and the worst Sacriledge It is an Argument of greater ignorance for a man to think he knows then not to know indeed It is the worst and most dangerous Ignorance to have such an opinion of our Knowledge Gifts and Graces For that puffes up swells with empty Wind and makes a vain tumor And then it is great Sacriledge a robbing of the Honour that is due to God For what hast thou that thou hast not received That appropriating of these things to our selves as ours is an impropriating of them from their right Owner that is God 1 Cor. 4. 7. For if thou did apprehend that thou receivedst it where then is glorying I would desire then that whenever you happen to reflect upon your selves and observe any advantage either natural or spiritual in your selves that you may think this word sounds from Heaven Let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom And so not the Learned man in his Learning nor the Eloquent man in his Speaking nor the Ingenious man in his Quicknesse nor the Good man in his Goodnesse All these things though sweet yet will surfeit Gloriation in them is neither Glory nor Gain neither Honourable nor Profitable Then the Stream of Gloriation flows in the Channel of Bodily Gifts as Might Strength of Body Beauty and Comlinesse of Parts and other such Endowments which besides that it is as Irrational as the former in Sacrilegious Impropriation of the most free and Arbitrary Gifts of God to our selves It is with all absurd in that it is not so truely our selves These bodily Ornaments and Indowments do not perfite or better a man as a man They are but the alterable qualities of the Vessel or Tabernacle of a man in which other-baser Creatures may far excell him How many comely and beautiful Souls are lodged within obscure and ugly Cottages of Bodies of Clay which will be taken down And the great advantage is that the Soul of a man which is a man cannot be defiled from without that is from the Body though never so loathsome or deformed The vilest Body cannot marre the Soules beauty But then on the other hand the most beautiful Body is defiled and deformed by the filthinesse of sin in the Soul And O! how many deformed and ugly Souls dwell into beautiful and comely Bodies which truely is no other thing then a Divel in an Image well carved and painted Christians you had need to correct this within you even a self-complacency joyned with despiseing of others in the consideration of these external Gifts God hath given you What an abominable thing is it to cast up in reproach or in your hearts to despise any other for natural Imperfections Such as Blindnesse Lamenesse Deformity or such like Let that word sound alwayes in your Eares Who made thee to differ from another Boast not thy self c. But there is as strong a Stream runs in the third Channel as in any Gloriation arising from these outward and extrinsick differences that the Providence of God makes among men such as Riches Honour Gain c. You find such men Psal 49. 6. Prov. 18. 11. And 10. 15. That which a godly man makes the Name of the Lord that is the ground and foundation of his confidence for present and future times that the most part of men make their Riches That is their strong City and their high Wall their Hope and Expectation is reposed within it This is the Tower or Wall of Defence against the Injuries and Calamities of the Times which most part of men are building and if it go up quickly if they can get these several Stones or peeces of gain scraped together into a heap they straight way imagine themselves safe as under a high Wall But there is no truth in it it is all but in their imagination and therefore it comes often down about their Eares and offends them instead of being a Defence Let a man câ—eep as it were from of the ground where the poor lie and get some advantage of ground above them or be exalted to some Dignity or Office and so set by the shoulders higher then the rest of the People or â—et grow in some more aboundance of the things of this life and strange it is what a vanity or tumour of mind instantly follows He presently thinks himself some body and forgeting either who is above him to whom all are Worms creeping and crauling on the Foot-stool Or what a sandy Foundation he stands upon himself He begins to take some secret complacency in himself and to look down upon others below him He applauds as it were unto himself and takes it in evil part to want the approbation and plaudite of others Then he cannot so well endure effronts and injuries as before He is not so Meek and condescending to his Equals or Inferiours While he was poor he used intreaties but now
his Creature as these are and no more Isai 66. 3. Noâ— that they looked never beyond the Ceremonies it is evident because they boasted in them theâ— used to find out these as a remedy of their sins and a mean to pacifie Gods Wrath Micah 6. 6. Paul bears witnesse of it 2 Cor. 13. 14. Moses had a Vail of Ceremonies over his Face and the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that Mystery Christ Jesus but their minds were blinded and is so to this day in the reading of the Scriptures And this Vail of hardness of heart shall be done away when Christ returnes them again Now I say it is just so with us there was never a people liker other nor we are like the Jews We have many external Ordinances Preaching Hearing Baptism Communion Reading Singing Praying in publick Extraordinary Solemnities of Fasting and Thanksgiving Works of Discipline and Government publick Reproof to sinners Confessions and Absolutions What would ye think if we should change the terms of Sacrifices and new Moons and speak all this to you To what purpose is the multitude of your Fasts and Feasts of your Preachings and Communions of your Praying in secret and in your Families of Conference and Prayer with others of running to and fro to hear Preaching â—o partake of the Lords Table I am full of them â— delight not in them When ye come here on â—he Sabbath who required at your hand to read my Courts Come no more to hear the Word run no more after Communions seek â—o more Baptism to your Children call no â—ore Solemn Assemblies it is all iniquity Oh â—ay ye that is a strange Preaching indeed must â—e Pray no more Hear no more Sing no more Did not God command these Why do ye discharge them We do not mean so that these should not be but they should be in another way All these want the Soul and Life of them which is Jesus Christ in them Do ye not think your selves religious because ye frequent these The multitude of the people think that these please God and pacifie his Wrath Ye have no other thing in your mind but these If ye can attain any sorrow or grief for sin or any tears to signify it presently you absolve your selves for your repentance The scandalous who appear in publick thinks the paying of a penalty to the Judge and bowing the knee before the Congregation satisfies God Ye miss nothing when ye have these I speak to the professors of Religion also who pretend to more knowledge then others when ye have gone about so many Duties ye are well satisfied if ye get liberty in them If ye can satisfy your self ye doubt not of Gods satisfaction And if ye do not satisfy your selves in your Duties ye cannot believe his satisfaction Ye get the Ordinance and misses nothing Now I say in all this ye do not reacâ— to the end of this Ministry Jesâ—s Christ ye dâ— not stedfastly behold him to empty your selveâ— in his bosom to turn over all the unrighteousness of your holy things upon him who bearâ— it That which pleaseth you is not he in whom the Father is well pleased but the measure oâ— your own Duty O! the Establishing of ouâ— own Righteousness is the ruine of the Visiblâ— Church This is the grand Idol and all Sacrifice to it Know therefore that the most part of your performances are abomination and iniquity because ye have so much confidence in them and puts them not upon Christ as filthy raggs or do not cover them with his Righteousness as well as your wickedness I know ye will say that ye are not satisfied with them and that is still the matter of your Exercise Well I affirm in the Lords Name from that ground that ye have confidence in them for if your diffidence and disquietness arise from it your confidence and peace must come from it also Is there any almost that maintains Faith except when their own conditions please them well And that Faith I may call no Faith at least not pure and cleanly entire Faith As for the multitude of you you must know this that God is not pleased with your prayers and fasting and hearing c. Because ye have such an esteem of them because ye can settle your selves against all Threatnings and never once remember of Jesus Christ or consider the end of his coming into the world Because ye find no necessity of pardon for your prayers and righteousness but stretches the garment of these over the uncleanness of your practices What delight hath the Lord in them when they are put in his Sons place Will he not be jealous that his Sons Glory be not given to another In the second place the Lord rejects their performances because there was nothing but a meer shadow of service and no worshipping of God in the Spirit Ye know what Christ saith God is a Spirit and he that worships him must do it in spirit and truth Jo. 4. 24. It is thâ— Heart and Soul that God delights into Mâ— son give me thy heart for if thou give not hy heart I care for nothing else The heart iâ— the whole man What a mans Affection is that he is Light is not so it brings not thâ— man alongs with it Christ Jesus hath giveâ— himself for us and he requires that we offer ouâ— selves to him If we offer a Body to frequenâ— his House our Feet to tread in his Courts ouâ— Ears to hear his Word what cares he for it aâ— long as the Soul doth not offer it self up in Prayer or Hearing And this was the sin of thiâ— people Isai 29. 13. They draw near with thâ— lips and their heart is far from the Lord. Now are not we their Children and have succeeded to this Is there any thing almost in our publick Services but what is publick Is therâ— any thing but what is seen of men Ye comâ— to hear ye sit and hear and is there any more The most part have their minds wandering no thoughts present for your thoughtâ— are removed about your Barns and Corns oâ— some business in your head And if any havâ— their Thoughts present yet where are Affections Which are the Soul and Spirit of Religion without which it is no true fire but wildâ— fire if it be not both burning and shinning Are ye serious in these Ordinances Or ratheâ— are ye not more serious in any thing beside And now especially when Gods Providencâ— calls you to earnest thoughts when it crys to alâ— men to enter into consideration of their owâ— ways I pray you is there any Soul-affliction in your Fasts even for a day Is there any real grief or token of it Not a Fast in Scripture without weeping We have kept many and have never advanced so far Shall the Lord then be pacified Will not his Soul abhore them How shall they appease him for your other provocations when they are as Oyl to
own Consciences Yet for all that Thus saitâ— the Lord there is no peace to the wicked If God be against us what is the matter who be with us For he can make a mans friends his enemies and he can make a mans enemies to be at peace with him He makes peace and create trouble Isai 45. 7. Men can but destroy thâ— body but he can destroy both body and soul for ever O what a Potent and Everlasting Enemy is he There is no escaping from his All-seeing Eye and powerful Hand Psal 139 7 8. A man may fly from men but whitheâ— shall he fly from his Presence To Heaven He is there To Hell He is there The darknesse of the night hath been a covering under which many have escaped and been saveâ— in Armies but darknesss is no covering to him it is all one with Light He is near hand every one of us The Conscience is within us buâ— he is within the Conscience And how mucâ— God is above the Creature so great and dreadful a party is he above any enemy imaginable Therefore I conclude that that man only hath perfect peace who is at peace with God and with his own Conscience If a man be at peacâ— with God and not with himself he wants buâ— a moments time of perfect peace for or it be long the God of it will speak Peace unto him But if he be at peace with God and himself I know not what he wants of the perfect peace of the Peace Peace For it is a mans Mind that makes peace or warr it is not outward things but in the midst of peace he may be in trouble and in the midst of trouble in peace according as he hath satisfaction and contentment in his own breast For what is all the Grace of a Christian It is Godlinesse with Contentment It is not Godliness and Riches Godliness and Honour or Pleasure Godliness and outward Peace No no Contentment compenseth all these and hath in it eminently all the gain and advantage of these A man in Honour a Rich man having no contentment in it is really al 's poor al 's ignominious as the poor and despised man If Contentment then be without these things certainly they cannot be missed For where Contentment is not with them it only is missed and they not considered Contentment is all the Gain that men seek in Riches and Honour and Pleasure If a Godly man have that same without them he then hath all the Gain and Advantage and wants nothing but some trouble that ordinarly attends them Outward Peace cannot add to inward peace and so the want of it cannot diminish We must begin at the Original if we would know rightly this peace that passeth knowledge The Fountain head is peace with God a stream of this is peace of Conscience and peace with the Creatures There is a peace of friendship when persons were never enemies and there is a peace of Reconciliation when parties at variance are made one Innocent Adam had peace once with God as a friend Angels continue so to this day but now there is no such peace between men and God for all are become enemies to God and aliens from the common wealth of Israel That peace was brokeâ— by rebellion against God his Maker and all the posterity are born with the same enimity against God On our part are hearts desperatly wicked whose imagination is only evil continually One Gods part is holy and spotless Justice that is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity and therefore must destroy it or the sinner On our part are so many rebellions Adams actual transgression and all our own sins and breaches of the holy Law as so many breaches of peace On Gods part are so many Curses answerable to the breaches of the Law Cursed is every one that abideth not in every thing c. This Curse is even the proclamation of men to be traitors and an intimation of the righteous Judgment which will come upon them Adam was in a Covenant of peace with God Do and thou shalâ— live if not thou shalâ— die Adam brake this Covenant so the peace is dissolved and God is no more oblidged to give Life but to execute the pain contained in the Covenant And in signe and token of this look how Adam fled from Gods presence to hide himself when he heard his Voice it was a poor shift for whither should be go from his presence But alas seeking more Wisdom he lost that he had seeking Divine Wisdom he lost Humane Now there is no more making up this peace on such termes again We have no capacity to treat with God any more But blessed be his Majesty who hath found out the way of Agreement and Reconciliation Oh that ye were once perswaded of your enimity against God Ye are not born friends though ye be born within the Visible Church How dreadful a thing is it to have the most High and Terrible God against you to do to you according to your deservings Ye all know this we are enemies to God by Nature I pray you is it but a name Is it not worthy deep consideration But who considereth this matter If ye loss a friend ye will be troubled and the more behoveful your friend was the more troubled you will be If a great and potent Nation proclaimed Warr against us we cannot but be sensible of it But alas who considereth the great breach that is between God and all Men occasioned by the first mans transgression and rebellion It is one of the degrees of health to know the disease and I may call it a degree of peace a kind of preparation to peace to know the enimity and not generally to know it but to ponder it till the heart be affected with it To call a Council of all the Faculties and Affections of the Soul to consider the great imminent danger of mans common-wealth What is it I pray you that is the greatest obstruction of mens making peace with God that makes the breach irreparable and the wound incurable It is this certainly No man apprehendeth it aright We intertain good thoughts of our friendship with God or that it is easy to be reconciled Who seeth such a wide breach between God and man that all the Merits of Angels and Men could not make it up Who seeth the prâ—ce of Redemption so precious as it must cease for ever for all that Men and Angels can do Is not every man offering God satisfaction either his Tears or sorrow or amendment in time coming or all of them Do not men undertake to pacify God with External Ordinances and think it may suffice for their sins Certainly ye are ignorant of the infinite separation between God and man that imagines a Treaty with him your self or that ever ye can come in speaking termes And therefore is this Warr and Enimity perpetual therefore there is no peace when ye cry peace peace When ye have
Journey Christ took to meet with us and it is downward below himself but his Love hath chosen it to be like us though he should be unlike himself How Divinely doth the Divine Apostle speak of it and the word was made flâ—sh and he dwelt among us Jo. 1. 14. And therefore the Children of Adam may in verity say of him what the Holy Trinity in a Holy Irony spake of man Lo he is become as one of us It was a singular and eminent Priviledge conferred upon man in his first Creation that the Trinity in a manner consulted about him let us make man after our image But now when man hath lost that Image to have such a result of the Counsel of the Trinity about it let one of us be made Man to make up the distance between man and us O what Soul can rightly conceive it without Ravishment and Wonder without an Extasy of Admiration and Affection that the Lord should become a Servant The Heir of all Things be stript naked of all The Brightnesse of the Fathers Glory be thus Ecclipsed and Darkened And in a word that whiâ— comprehendeth all Wonders in the Creatioâ— who made all things he himself made of Woman And God became a man and aâ— this out of his Infinite Love to give a Dâ—monstration of Love to the world So higâ— a Person abased to exalt so base and low â— we are There is a Mystery in this a greâ— Mystery a Mystery of Wisdom to swalloâ— up the Understanding with Wonder And Mystery of Love to ravish the hearts of meâ— with Affection Depths of both in the Emptâ—ness of the Son of God The Prophet doubâ—ing what was commanded to seek a Sigâ— whither in Heaven above or in the Depth beneath but what he would not ask Goâ— gave in his great Mercy Behold a Virgâ— shall conceive a son and they shall call his naâ— Immanuel A sign indeed from Heaven at the height of Heaven because he is God and sign from the Depth beneath too because he â— man God with us and so composed to uâ—â— Heaven and Earth together God with us thâ— he might at length bring us to be with God He became Immanuel that he might mak us Immelanu If that was given as Tidings of greâ— Joy and as the highest and deepest sign of Lovâ— and Favour at that time to uphold the fainting Church O how much more may it now comfort us when it is not a Virgin shall conceive but a Virgin hath conceived Maâ— not the Joy be increased that the Redeemer not to come but come already and hath made up that wide separation which was between us and him by his low condescendency to his Union with our Nature This is one step of Advancement towards that happy Marriage that the whole creation seems to groan and travel for Rom. 8. 22. But yet there is a great Difficulty in the way We are in a state of Captivity we are prisoners of Justice have sold our selves and our happiness And now our Natural Inhâ—â—itance lies in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone heirs of Wrath concluded under the Curse of God And indeed this was insuperable to all flesh Neather Men nor Angels could ransom us from this The Redemption of the Soul of man is so precious and the Redemption of the Inheritance of man that is Heaven is so precious too that none in Heaven or Earth can be found that can pay the price of them so that it would have ceased for ever And here the great Design of Christs Union with sinners would have marred and miscaried if himself had not undertaken to overcome this too And indeed as there could none be found to open the Seals of the Book of Gods Decrees concerning his Church none worthy in Heaven or Earth but the Lamb the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah He prevailed to open it and loose the Seals thereof Rev. 5. 3 4 5. So there could none be found in Heaven or Earth neither under the Earth worthy to undertake or accomplish this work or able to open the Seals of the Book of Gods Curses or to blot out the hand-writting of Ordinances that was against us or to open the prison of Death into which-man was shut up None I say hath been found worthy â— prevailed but the Lamb of God and Lyon â— the Tribe of Judah And therefore the foâ— and twenty Elders that sit round about tâ— Throne and the four Beasts or innumerabâ— company of Angels and Spirits of just mâ— made perfect fell down before the Lamb evâ—ry one of them with Harps and they sung new Song worthy is the Lamb that was slain receive power and riches and wisdom and strengâ— and honour and glory and blessing For thou hâ— redeemed us to God by thy blood And every Creâ—ture says Amen to this and consents to this â— do him homage To him who alone wâ— worthy and al 's willing to it as worthy so it I think the 16. Vers of this Chapter givâ— us a sensible representation of this The prâ—ceeding Discourse from the beginning holdinâ— out the sinful and deplorable condition of thâ— people and in them as a Type of the desperâ— wickednesse of all mankind and withal their dâ—sperat misery for Paul Rom. 3. maketh the Application for us and from this concludeth aâ— under sin and so all under wrath all guiltâ— that every mouth may be stopt Men waiâ—ing for Light and behold Obscurity for Brighâ—nesse but walking in Darknesse groping foâ— the Wall like the blind stumbling at noon day as in the night and in desolate places as dead men all roaring like Beasts and mourniâ— like Doves when ever the apprehension of thâ— Terror of God entereth Now it is subjoyneâ— Vers 16 And he saw that there was no man c as if he had waited and looked through all thâ— world if any would appear either to speak or â—o for man if any would offer themselves and â—nterpose themselves for his Salvation Therefore his own arm brought Salvation and his righteousness it sustained him Therefore the Son of God steps in and offers himself as if God had first assayed all others and when Heaven is full of wonder and silence he breaks out in this â—o I come to do thy will Psa 40. Since I have gotten a Body to be like sinners I will also come in their place and I will give my Life a Ransome for them And therefore it is subâ—oyned The Redeemer shall come to Sion He â—hall come Cloathed with Vengeance and Indignation as a Garment against the enemies of his Church Sin and Satan in Zeall and burnâ—ng Love to his designed Spouse He shall strengthen himself and stirr up his Might and Fury against all that detain her Capâ—ive Now indeed he is the only fittest Person for â—his Businesse in Heaven or Earth for he hath â—oth right to do it and he hath only Might and Power to accomplish it He hath right to the Redemption of sinners because
he is our kinsman nearest of blood to us Now you know â—he right of Redemption belonged to the kinsâ—an Lev. 25. 25. And therefore when the nearest kinsman â—ould not redeem Naomi and Ruths parcel of â—and Booz he did it as being next And â—uitable to this our Lord Jesus when others as â—ear could not and were not able He hath â—one it and taken Men and Angels to witnesse that he hath first Redeemed us that he miâ— Marry us as Eph. 5. That he hath purchâ—ed us to be his Wife And indeed the vâ— word imports this Goel a Redeemer â— Kinsman passing under one word So Iâ— I know that my redeemer or my kins-man live And because our Kins-man therefore nâ— interested in our Redemption For for end he became partaker of flash and blood with children that be might destroy our greatest enâ— Satan and redeem us Heb. 2. 14. And besiâ— he hath right to Redemption as the Churcâ— Husband because he must mediat between and all others none can reach her except please or prosecure a plea against her as in case of the Wifes making a vow if her â—band consented not it was void Num. â— But if he heard of it and held his peace it â— confirmed Now the Lord Jesus hath knâ— this Deplorable Estate we are Captives iâ— And he hath testified his utter dislike of binding over our selves to Death and reâ—ing our selves to Satan And therefore â— bondage in which we are detained is not â—firmed and ratified but he hath right remâ—ing to Redeem us from the hand of all our â—mies But then he alone hath Might â— Power to do it for God hath laid help on â— and made him able and mighty to save â— the uttermost It was not Gold or Silver â— Corruptible things Suppose the whole â—â— were turned into Gold or precious Stones â— must give person for person and one persoâ— quivalent to all his own Life his own Blâ— for us And the value of this was infinitely raised by thâ— stamp of his Divinity put upon it the King for the Servant one that knew no sin for sinners yea God for man This superads infinit Worth and makes it an over-ransom and over-purchase a ransom to buy our persons from Hell a purchase to redeem us to our Inheritance Heaven that we had lost and these two stiles it gets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now you see the great Difficulty is overcome and taken out of the way Christ being made a Curse hath purchased a redemption from the Curse of the Law Gal. 4. 13. But yet there is another poynt of vast distance I may say con trariety and enmity between us and him he is Holy and undefiled all fair and no spot in him We are wholly defiled and depraved by sin our Souls are become the habitation of Devils and a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird In a word he hath not only our Enemies to overcome but our own hearts to conquer and our Enmity to take away This makes the widest separation from him Now he filled up much of the Distance with his taking our flesh and he removed the great Difficulty by dying in our flesh his Humiliation to be a Man brought him nearer us And his further Humiliation to be a Dying Crucified and Buried Man brought him yet a step nearer us But nearer he cannot come for lower he cannot be except he were a sinner which would marr the whole design and take away all the Comfort of his liknesse to us Therefore since he hath come so low down to us it is suitable we be raised up one step to meet him And so the Exaltation of sinners shall make up all the Distance and bring the two parties to that long since designed and long desired meeting Now for this end and purpose the Son undertakes the Redemption of his Church from sin and ungodliness al 's well as wrath And therefore you have that which is expressed as the Character of the redeemed in this Vers It is exponed as the great point or part of the Redemption it self by the Apostle Rom. 11. The Redeemer shall come to Sion to turn all ungodliness from Jacob. And so his end was not only to be partaker of our Nature but to make us partakers of the Divine Nature And therefore the Father out of his Love to this businesse he promiseth to send his Spirit to dwell in our hearts to make the Word sound in our Mouths and Ears and the Spirit to work in our hearts and this Exaltation of sinners to the participation of the Holy Spirit together with Christs Humiliation to partake of our Flesh makes up the full Distance and bringeth Christ and his Church to that holy patient Impatience and longing for the day when it shall be Solemnized in Heaven The Spirit within us sayes come and the bride sayes come even so come Lord Jesus And he waits for nothing but the Compleating and Adorning of all the rest that there may be one Jubilee for all and for ever Now I wish we could understand the Absolute and free Tenor of Gods Covenant There is much controversy speculative about the Condition of the Covenant about the Promises whither Absolute or Conditional And there is too much practical Debate in perplexed Consciences about this how to find something in themselvs to fit and fashion them for the Redemption But truely if we would not disjoyn and dismember the Truth of God but take it all intirely as one great design of Love and Metcy revealed to sinners and so conjoyn the Promises of the Covenant into one bundle we would certainly find that it hath the Voice of Jacob though it seem to have the Hand of Esau we find an absolute most free and inconditioned sense when there is a conditional strain and shadow of words in some places The truth is the turning of souls from ungodliness is not properly a Condition exacted from us as a Promise to be performed in us and the chiefest part of Christs Redemption And though some abuse the grace of God and turn it into wantonness and liberty Yet certainly this Doctrine that makes the greatest part of the glad news of the Gospel to be Redemption from sin and the pouring out of the Spirit is the greatest perswasive to a godly Conversation and the most deadly enemy to all ungodliness I thought to have spoken more of that third thing I proponed but take it in a word This was always proponed to the Church as the strongest Cordial it was given here as the greatest Consolation in all their long Captivity that this Redeemer was after wards to come whose Vertue was then living and present to the quickning and comforting of souls It was thought enough to uphold in a most desperat strait To us a child is born Isai 8. I wish we could take it so Certainly it was the Character of a Believer before Christs coming that he was one that was looking and waiting for the Salvation
of Israel by this Redeemer But now we are surrounded with Consolation before and behind Christ already come so that we may in joy say lo this is our God we have waited for him others waited and longed and we see him and Christ shortly to come again without sin to our Salvation And what could be able to take our Joy from us if we had one Eye always back to his first coming and another always forward to his comeing again SERMON XV. Isai 64. 6 7. But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses as filthy raggs c. THis peoples condition aggreeth well with ours though the Lords dealing be very different The Confessory part of this Prayer belongeth to us now And strange it is that there is such odds of the Lords Dispensations when there is no difference in our Cohditions Always we know not how soon the complaint may be ours also This Prayer was prayed long before the Judgment and Captivity came one so that it had a Prophesy in the bosome of it Nay it was the most kindly and affectionat way of warning the people could get for Isaiah to pour forth such a prayer as if he beheld with his Eyes the Calamity as already come And indeed it becometh us so to look on the Word as if it gave a present beeing to things al 's certain and sensible as if they were really What strange stupidity must be in us when present things inflicted Judgments committed sins do not so much affect us as the forefight of them did move Isaiah Always as this was registrat for the peoples use to cause them still look on Judgements threatned as performed and present and anticipat the day of Affliction by repentance and also to be a Patern to them how to deal with God and plead with him from such grounds of Mercy and Covenant Interest So it may be to us a warning especially when sin is come to the Maturity and our secure backsliding Condition is with Child of sad Judgements when the harvest seemeth ripe to put the sickle in to it There is in these two Verses a confession of their own sinfulness from which grounds they justify Gods proceeding with them They take the cause upon themselves and justify him in his Judging whither Temporal or Spiritual Plagues were inflicted In this Verse they take a general survey of their sinful Estate concluding themselves unclean and all their performances and commanded Duties which they counted once their righteousness And from this ground they clear Gods dealing with them and put their mouth in the Dust and so from the Lords Judgment they are forced to enter into a search of the Cause so much sin and from discovered sin they pronounce God righteous in his Judgment perceiving a great difference in the Lords manner of dealing with them and their fathers they do not refound it upon God who is righteous in all his ways but retort it upon themselves and find a vast discrepance between themselves and their fathers Verse 5. And so it was no wonder that Gods Dispensation changed upon them God was wont to meet others to shew himself gracious even to prevent stroaks But now he was wroth with them Nay but there is good cause for it They rejoyced and wrought righteousness but we have sinned And this may be said in the general never one needeth to quarrel God for severe dealing If he deal worse with one then with another let every man look into his own bosome and see reason sufficient yea more provocation in themselves then others Always in this Verse they come to a more distinct veiw of their loathsome condition Any body may wrap up their repentance in a general notion of sin but they declare themselves to be more touched with it and condescend on particulars yet such particulars as comprehend many others And in this Confession you may look on the Spirits work having some Characters of the spirit in it First they take a general view of their uncleannesse and loathsome Estate by sin Not only do they see sin but sin in the sinfulnesse of it and uncleannesse of it Secondly They not only conclude so of the Natural Estate they were born into and the loathsomnesse of their many foul scandals among them But they go a further length to passe al 's severe a sentence on their Duties and Ordinances as God hath done Isai 1. and 66. The spirit convinceth according to Scriptures Light and not according to the dark spark of Natures Light and so that which Nature would have busked it self with as its Ornament that which they had covered themselves with as their Garment had spread their Duties as robs of Righteousnesse over their sins to hide them all this now goeth under the name of filthinesse and sin They see themselves wrapt up in as vile raggs as they covered and hid Commanded Duties and manifest Breaches come in one Category And not only is it some of them which their own Conscience could challenge in the time but all of them and all kinds of them Moral and Ceremohial Duties that were most sincere had most Affection in them all of them are filthy raggs now which but of late were their righteousnesle Thirdly there is an universality not only of the Actions but of Persons not only all the Peoples or Multitudes performances are abomination but all of them Isaiah and one and other the holiest of them come in in this Category and Rank we are all unclean c. Though the people it may be could not joyn Holy Isaiah with themselves yet humble Isaiah will joyn himself with the people and come in in one prayer And no doubt he was al 's sensible of sin now as when he began to prophecy and growing in holinesse he must grow also in sense of sinfulnesse Seing at the first sight of Gods Holinesse and Glory he cryed unclean c. Isai 6. 5. Certainly he doth so now from such a principle of accesse to Gods Holinesse which maketh him abhore himself in Dust and Ashes Fourthly They are not content with such a general but condescend to two special things two spiritual sins to wit Omission or shifting of spiritual Duties which contained the substance of Worship None calleth one thee few or none none to count upon calleth on thee that is careth for immediat accesse and approaching unto God in prayer and meditation c. Albeit External and Temple Duties be frequent yet who prayeth in secret or if any pray that cannot come in compt the Lord knoweth them not because they want the Spirits stamp on them This must be some other thing nor the general conviction of sin which the world hath who think they pray all their days Here people who though they make many prayers Isai 1. Yet they see them no prayers and no calling on Gods Name now But Fifthly to make the challenge the more and the confession more spiritual and compleat there is discovered
it Zech. 13. 1. We all c. Mark Secondly sin hath gone over us all and made all mankind unclean Rom. 3. 22. and 10. Every one of Adams posterity is born unclean For who can bring an clean thing out of an unclean Job 14. 4 Consider first how sin defaced innocent Adam how one sin made him so vile and spoyled him of the Divine Nature and so the root was made unclean and the branches must follow the root and so are we all born and conceived in sin Plal. 51. 5. We carry in us Original Corruption flowing from the first actual sin of Adam and this maketh poor Children before they do good or evil to be abominably vile in Gods sight even as the Child is set out Ezek. 16. Every one cometh of evil Parents all come of Adam the Rebel What a loathsome sight would a Child be to us so described cast out in the open field to the loathing of its person in the day it is born And what must it all be before God who is of purer eyes then to behold sin Secondly Unto all this we have added innumâ—rable actual transgressions as so many filthy streams flowing out at the menbers from the inward puddle of Original Corruption And so how much more vile are we all nor infants can be or Adam was in the day he was cast out of Paradise And thus Rom. 3. from vers 10. are the Branches set down in Word Thought and Deed so that all the Incliâ—ations and Motions and Actions of the man are only evil continually Every man shall find his Compt past counting One days faults would weary you but what will your whole life do Known sins are innumerable what must unknown be Every mans heart is like the troubled Sea that casteth up mire and dirt dayly and cannot be at rest The heart is dayly flowing and ebbing in this Corruption it cometh out dayly to the borders of all the Members And there are some high spring Tides when sin aboundeth more When in one Member of the Tongue a world of evil is What can be in all the Members And what in the Soul that is more capable then all the world Well then every man hath sinned in Adam and hath sinned also in his own person and sealed Adams first rebellion by so many thousand Actions like it Every man hath approven the sin that first ruined man and made himself much more loathsome nor Adam was Therefore all mankind may say we all are as an unclean thing Now from all this we we would gladly discover unto you what yoâ— condition is by sin If the Lord would shinâ— how vile would you be Always we mâ—st declare this unto you in the Lords name you aâ— all unclean not only born in sin and iniquitâ— not only have you a body of Death Within youâ— that hath all the Members but all these Members have one time or other acted and brougâ— forth fruit unto Death How vile then muâ— you be in Gods sight It is a strange love thâ— you have to your selves that you cannot apprehend how God can hate you But if hâ— find sin in you wonder rather how he can looâ— upon you We would then have you to knoâ— this that there can be no fellowship betweeâ— God and you in your Natural Estaâ—e Amen cannot inhabit a vile persons house â— more can God enter in your Souls There is aâ— absolute necessity of washing before you can â—â— his House and Temple Hath that one sin oâ— Adam made that Glorious Person so deformed that he could not look on himself buâ— cover himself And hath it been of so defiling a Nature that it hath redounded in all thâ— Posterity And as unclean things under thâ— Law defiled all they touched so hath thaâ— sin subjected all the Creatures to Corruption O then imagine what an unspeakeablâ— defilement must be on us all who are noâ— only guilty of Adams sin but of many thousands beside If one sin have so much loathsomnese in it what must so many out â—â— number united in one person even as in uâ— all No unclean thing can enter in Heaven above Know this for a truth you cannot see Godâ— Face in the case you are born into You know nothing of sin who wonder that any should go to Hell No if you knew any thing of sin you would wonder that ever God should look on such cast out in the open Field in their blood Next You must know the insufficiency of all things imaginable to wash away sins filthinesse except the Blood of Christ Since you are unclean do you not ask how shall we be washed Indeed many have an easy answer and passe it lighty The multitude know no way to cleanse in but the Tears of Repentance and Mourning And so many think themselves clean when they run and pour out a Tear as Esaw did for the blessing But what saith the Lord Though thou wash the with Nitre and take thee much Sope yet thine iniquity is marked Can such an ingrained uncleannesse can such an infinite spot in the immortal Soul be so lightly dashed out Many think Baptism cleanseth them but was not this people Circumcised as ye are baptized And Peter tells us it is not the washing of Water 1 Pet. 3 21. Sacrifice and Offering will not do it This people thought sure they had satisfied God when they brought a Lamb c. but all this is abomination Would not many of you think your selves cleansed from sin if you offered all your Substance and the Fruit of your Body for the sin of your Soul Nay but you must see an absolute necessity of the opened Fountain of Christs Blood that cleanseth from all sin Then we would have you abhorre youâ— selves in Dust and Ashes see nothing in all the Creation so vile as you Look oâ— sin in the sight of Gods Face and how unholy will it appear There are many sins little ones that in our practice passe for venial and uncontrolled But look on the filthy loathsome Nature of all sin and hate the least offence for it hath a kind of infinitnesse in it and blotteth the Soul defileth the person How great a necessity is there of continual application to the Fountain of dwelling beside it that you may wash dayly Davids so often repeated and inculcated prayer Wash me cleanse me c. Psal 51. Declareth that he hath apprehended much uncleannesse in sin that it needeth so many applications of the precious Blood And you who have come to Jesus and are clean O how much owe you to free Grace that past by you in your blood and said Live it is a time of love How strange is it that Glorious Majesty cometh to own Deformity and cometh to cloath it with his own Garments Praise the vertue of that Blood that is more precious nor the Blood of Bulls and Goats that can so throughly purge as you shall have no more Conscience of sin Unclean sinners wash you make
and a resolution of amending this then is all your covering and ornament something done by you as many will make the wings of two good works stretch themselves out so far as to cover and hide a multitude of offences between them Therefore I declare in the Lord Jesus his Name unto you whose Conscience must go alongs in the acknowledgment and owning of your case that you have covered your selves with your own righteousnesse that you have taken as filthy rags to cover your nakednesse and sin with as your sins are and so you have made an addition to your uncleanness you are more unclean by your prayers and repentance then before And so God is of more pure eyes then to look graciously on such as you are You have gone about to establish your own righteousnesse and hath not known the righteousnesse of God and so you have come short of it you are yet persons in a state of enmity God is your Judge you are rebels It concerns you much to heed this well to judge of your own actions and persons as God judgeth of them for if God shall judge one way and you judge another way you may be far mistaken in the end If you have so good an opinion of your selves and your duties that you can plead interest in God for them and absolve your selves from such grounds And if God have not the same judgement but rather think as evil of your prayers as of your cursing and abhor the thing that satisfieth you will it not be dreadful in the end For his judgement shall stand and you will succumb in judgement since you crossed Gods mind Therefore we would have you solidly drink in this principle of Religion That man is so unclean and God so abhorreth him that whatever he doth or can do it cannot make him righteous that no good action can make him acceptable and take away the uncleanness of the evil actions and that any sinful action taketh away all the cleanness of the good actions Once believe this If I should sweat out my life in serving God and never rise off my knees If I should give my body to the fire for the truth If I should melt away in tears for sin all this is but filthy raggs and I can never be accepted of God for all that but the matter of my condemnation groweth If I justifie my self my own mouth proves me perverse God needeth no more but my good deeds to condemn me for in all justice And therefore it is a thing impossible I will never put forth a hand or open a mouth upon that account any more I will serve God because it is my duty but life I will not expect by my service when I have done all it is wholly mercy that I am accepted my good works shall never come in remembrance I resolve to be found not having my own righteousnesse I will appear among the ungodly sinners as one that hath no righteousnesse that I may be justified only by faith in Jesus Christ I say drink in this truth and let it settle in your hearts and then we would hear numbers cry O what shall I do to be saved Now as for you who have fled unto Christs righteousnesse only have cast away your own as dung and dross as filthy raggs as you have done right in the point of Justification judge so likewise after it We would exhort you to judge so of your best actions that are the fruits of the Spirit judge so of them as you have a hand in them All our righteousness Mark Isaiah a holy Prophet joyneth himself in with the multitude And the truth is the more holiness the more humility and self-abasing for what is holiness I pray you but self-denial the abasing of the creature and exalting of Christ Jesus This is the Cross that the Saints must all bear Deny your self and follow me Grace doth not swell men above others it is gifts such as Knowledge that puffeth up Charity or Love puffeth not up Men are naturally high-minded for pride was the first sin of Adam and grace cometh to level men to make the high mountains valleys for Christs Chariot It maketh men stoop low to enter the door of the Kingdome Therefore if you have attained any measure beyond others if you would prove it real grace and holinesse do not exalt your selves above others be not high minded come down and sit among the ungodly among the unclean and let not grace given diminish the low estimation of your self in your self There is a growing that is but a fancy and mens conceit when men grow above Ordinances above other Christians and can see none or few Christians but themselves such a growth is not real it s but fancy it s but swelling and wind and must be pricked to let it out A holy Prophet came in among an unclean people he did not say Stand by I am bolier then thou Such a man as can find no Christian about him even though to the judgement of all others they seek God more then he such a man hath not real solid grace his holiness is profane holiness and proud holiness for true holiness is humble holiness and in honour prâ—ferreth others There is a great fault among those who have fled to Christs righteousness in Justification that they use to come full from duties as a stomach from a honey comb Oft times we make our liberty and access to God the ground of our acceptation and according to the ebbings and flowings of our inherent righteousness so doth the faith and confidence of Justification ebb and flow Christians this ought not to be In so doing you make your own righteousness your righteousness before God for when the unsatisfaction in the point of duty maketh you question your interest so often is not the satisfaction of your minds in duties made the ground of your pleading interest Give you liberty and access you can believe any thing remove it and you can believe nothing Certainly this is a sandy foundation you ought to build nothing on performances you should be as vile in your own eyes and think your nakedness as open when you come nearest God when you have most liveliness as when he hideth his face duty withereth will filthy raggs be your ornament No Christians be more acquaint with the unspotted righteousness of the Immaculat Lamb of God and find as great necessity of covering your cleanest duties with it as your foulest faults and thus shall you be kept still humble and vile in your own eyes and have continual imployment for Christ Jesus your best estate should not puff you up and your worst estate should not cast you down Therefore be much in the search of the filthiness of your holy actions This were a spiritual study a noble discovery to unbowel your duties to divide them and give unto God what is Gods and take unto your selves what is your own The discovery of filthiness in them