to call for life that he should sell all forsake all and follow him that is the life of a man the soule and heart of a man must be put forth he was sad at that saying So Laodicea was content to do any thing the spirit of God layeth nothing to her charge he chargeth her with no particular sin but lukewarmnesse onely she would do any thing but to be fervent and zealous in it to lay out her strength for God that she would not do so that we had need to take heed of deadness of all other sins it is a deep sin and is the harder to be gotten out and the harder it is to be gotten out the more paines is to be taken Fourthly other sins may be but acts as a man may be drunk but he may not have the habit of drunkenness as Noah was drunk but he was not a drunkard we see David committed adultery but he had not the habit of adultery but deadness is an habit Eph. 2. 1. Now when a man leaves sin in a dead manner he leaves it but his affections are not crucified to it he doth good duties but he is dead to them this man comes neer to the estate of sin now an estate of sin is worse then any particular act of sin Fifthly Other sins are the first death of the soul we are all under trespasses and sins Rom. 5. Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned We are all by nature the children of wrath we were all once dead but now if after we are Christians we grow dead again we grow twice dead of all sins we should take heed of deadnesse for that causeth the second death not the second death of damnation but of being dead after a man hath been quickned as Saint Jude speaks ver 12. twice dead so we are twice dead Now other sins do make a man but once dead but after the Gospel hath come among us and hath stirred up our hearts and quickned us in some measure if we grow remiss and dead and cold again we are twice dead or at least grow and tend that way and so our estate is more dangerous therefore how should we take heed of this Lastly Other sins though God threatens hell and damnation against them yet more specially against deadness did you ever hear of a more special threatning then that 2 Thess 2. 10 11 12. when men doe not receive the truth in the love of it He doth not say When they do not receive it but When they do not receive it with affection with all their hearts You may see there how terribly God threatens when we do not receive the truth in the love of it we do not love Gods Word we do not love prayer and his ordinances we do not love the communion of Saints we do not love obedience to Gods truth this is a most woful thing though we doe receive it yet if we do not receive it in the love of it see there what he saith For this cause God shall send them strong delusâ—ns that they should believe a lye that they might all be damned c. So when Ephesus left her first love God threatned to remove the candlestick Rev. 2. 4 5. When Laodicea was grown cold and careless and of a middle temper Gods threatens to spue her out of his mouth Rev. 3. 16. When Eli was grown cold and remiss and wanted zeal and life to stand for him see how terribly God threatens him I will doe a thing that whosoever heares it both his eares shall tingle 1 Sam. 3. 11. Nay saith he I will judge his house for ever for this thing v. 13. What remains then but that we should with all our might and all care and diligence even set to both our shoulders for the casting off this sin of deadness that if it be possible we may come to be quickned and serve God as we ought to do and follow his heavenly Kingdome with eagerness that none of these things we have spoken may befall us Consider first we have life and why may not God have it He hath breathed into our souls the breath of life in him we live move and have our being he hath given unto us all life and breath and if we have life why may not God have it if he hath given us affections why should they not be given to him again if he hath given us thoughts why should we not bestow them upon him if he hath given us dispositions and inclinations why should they not be set upon him The Rivers that come from the sea return to the sea again It is said of the Macedonians that they did yield themselves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8. 5. So we should yield our selves to the Lord if God did ask any thing that were not in us it were another matter if we had no thoughts and affections if we had no heart and inclinations then no wonder though we did not give him them but when we have them why should not he have them all things are of him therefore let all things be to him shall our lusts have our thoughts and not God shall the world carry away our minds and not God that is against reason Secondly Consider that all the world is alive in their own courses let Christians be alive in theirs as the Prophet speaks Micah 4. 5. Every man walks in the name of his god let us walk in the name of our God So I say every man follows his god those that have their belly for their god all their minde and affections run that way those that have their pleasure for their god and their profit for their god how eager are they after these things as one saith the world is like the Ant poor little creatures they goe carrying of straws after their manner and are so busie so it is with the world what a deal of drudging up and down and going this way and that way is there in the world one for one thing another for another one for his Mammon another for the lusts of his flesh and the pride of life men are busy and stirring every one is setting forward why should not we be as forward in our way if we be Christians and the servants of God why should not we bestir our selves for him the Devil himselfe is a spirit and is working and busie as himself saith Job 2. 2. Then let us walk up and down and bestir our selves this way and that way and every way for God and be as active and agile for him let us consider how the poor prisoners in Ludgate beg for a token what eagerness they use that though a man had no minde yet their importunity will make him give them something and shall not we beg earnestly of God to pardon our sins and quicken us and humble us for our deadness and for the time to come to make us earnest for the Kingdom to come if men be so earnest
slights these things they seek how they may live and do as others do but to look after righteousness and holiness and pleasing of God they have no heart to these things and though God afford them good motions and checks of conscience and all helps yet people have no life at all to these things Eph. 4. 18. they are as Paul speaks there alienated from the life of God and as â—he father speaks of his prodigal son this my sonâ— was dead quite dead by nature we have not the son of God and therefore have no life as Christ saith the dead shall hear the voice of the son of God and live he speaks of the elect people that naturally are dead to all good for though a man be alive to many of the acts which the Saints of God do naturally yet to those works that a Saint doth as he is a Saint he is altogether dead as a beast though it hath a life of its own yet it is dead to the life of a man indeed it can do many things a man doth a beast can see and hear and goe up and down as well as a man doth but for those acts a man doth as he is a man he is altogether dead to those acts a beast cannot discourse how many things are in a man which a beast looks not after it is altogether dead to them so a natural man is alive to do what the Saints of God doe as they are men because he is a man himself but as they are Saints of God and have the life of God in them he is altogether dead to that he cannot carry himself as the Saints do he cannot curb himself of all his lusts as the Saints of God do you cannot if you would never so fain bring a natural man to these things you may as well bring a dead mâ—n to walk up and down among men as to make a natural man to be so strict and precise as a Saint Secondly the liveliest of all Gods Saints have some of this deadness remaining 2. Liveliest of Saints have some deadnesse in them the child of God though in one part sc the spirit he be alive yet in the fleâ—h he is dead Pâ—uâ— himself tells us I am not perfect neither have I yet attained Phil. 3. 13. David was as lively a man as any in the Old Testament yet he cries out Psal 143. 11. quicken me O Lord for thy names sake the Saints are like to a man sick of the numbe palsey he is dead on one side so the Saints are dead on one side like the Moon that side the Sun shines upon is light but the other side is dark so when God shines upon his Saints by his Spirit there is light but they are dark on one side for though justification be perfect in this life yet sanctification is still but imperfect the guilt of sin may be fully forgiven here but the power of sin is never here fully destroyed none of the Saints of God but find some clog they go not so quick as they should or would do Paul himself groans under this burden Rom. 7. 24. and Christ doth not quicken his servants all at once Joh. 10. 10. Christ doth put life into his people yet so as that it goeth gradually on he gives them more and more he makes them more and more agill and quick in good duties the best of Gods Saints are like to a goodly tree that may be hath a hundred dead boughs upon it though the root and body be alive may be a young tree hath fewer dead boughs yet it is weak and there is less strength a great deal in it then in the other and less fruit so I say for a Saint of God though he be consolidated and setled and grown substantial yet there may be abundance of dead boughs Thirdly The meanest of Gods Saints the deadest of them all have some 3. Deadest of Saints have some life life they cannot lose all their life they have an eternal life Joh. 1. 36. he that believes on the son hath everlasting life a child of God though he may lose all his liveliness yet he cannot lose his life there is a difference between liveliness and being alive as Exod. 1. 19. the Hebrew women there are said to be lively any woman is alive but not lively so all the children of God are alive they may lose their liveliness but not their life as the wise Virgins all slumbred and slept but yet their oyl was not gone out though old Eli was grown marvelous dull and heavy and lumpish and had no zeal for God and liveliness in him yet he was not altogether dead as appears by his answer to Samuel and his care of the Ark of the Covenant for the life of a Saint of God is like a vessel of Canary that cannot be quite frozen up a child of God though he be never so cold and frozen yet he shall not be altogether frozen up he shall have some life still the seed of God remaineth in him 1 Joh. 3. 9. Fourthly This is a ticklish point and marvellous dangerous unless 4. Dangerousness of the point great heed be taken those that hear it that hear how far a child of God may grow dead may recieve much mischief by it and I was once of the mind not to have spoken of it in regard of the evil consequents that may grow upon it For first This may greatly embolden the adversaries of the Church of God In some sense it were well that the adversaries of the Church did think the Church were more lively then they are it might be a great â—eans to curb them of doing that they do as it is noted of the Scribes and Pharisees that conceiving that the people were more more lively then they were it did withhold them from what they otherwise would have done as when Christ spake of Johns baptism they would have vilified it but that theâ— thought the people were so affected to his ministry that they would stoâ—e them I do not think they were so affected and wrought upon I do not think there would have been such a stir in the Country but this was wel they thought so for it saved a great deal of mischief Mat. 13. 25. when the goâ—â— mâ—ns servant were asleep then the enemies sowed tares so when the enemies of the Church shall see thee grown dult and careless and sleepy the Sabbaths are little sanctified and the holy ordinances of God and powerful preaching little looked after nay even such as were strict people are grown cold this doth embolden them to bring in errors and broach what they list when they durst not do it if the Church were lively so that it is something dangerous to tell this in Gath and publish it in the streets of Ashkalon Secondly This may hearten abundance that are standers by that are dead in sins and trespasses to be hardned under their deadness and to be
delights this will dead a mans heart as the Apostle sheweth of the Widows that lived in pleasure 1 Tim. 5. 6. they were dead while they were alive as soon as ever David gave way to his sinful corruptions his heart was deaded presently upon it as may appear by the prayer he had afterwards when he came to himself and to look out for quickning uphold me with thy free spirit Psal 51. 12. as who should say I feel a base dull slavish spirit come upon me that former liveliness that was in me it is wofully decayed sin had made a mighty breach in his soul it had knockt off his wheels and made him dull and therefore he is fain to pray that God would give him a free spirit again so it was with Peter as soon as ever he had given way to his curiosity and security and presumption he would needs go and see sights he would go into the high Priests hall and see how the business went he did not see the proneness of his heart to be carried into sin now you may see how wofully it deaded his heart in a moment as soon as the damsel spake thou also wert with Jesus of Galilee a man would wonder how no life at all almost appeared in that mans heart if he had had any life would he have carried himself in that fashion his life was so gone that he cursed and sware that he never knâ—w the Mat. 26. 47. man if he had any life in him he would rather have said what if I were with Jesus of Galilee I was with him and I am with him and I will be with him I am ready to dye with him I profess my self to be his Disciple he had no heart in the world to stand for Jesus Christ he had no heart to appear in pleading for him and expose himself to danger for him he was now called to it but he had no heart at all sin it is even like ashes cast upon the fire the fire cannot then send sorth its heat so sin doth even cast ashes upon the soul that it cannot express such life as otherwise it would The first reason is because sin is a soul killing thing it is like Mare Mortuum the fishes dye as soon as ever they come there so when the Divel hooks a man into sin he hooks him into the dead sea as the Apostle saith of the Ephesians you were dead in sins if the Divel can but hook a man into Eph. 2. sin he is presently in the dead sea Hos 13. 12. it is said of Ephraim when he offended in Baal he died c. before when their affections were up and they trembled before God they were lively but when they gave way to sin and iniquity the Church presently died they withered away more and more till they came to nothing therefore the Apostle calls the Law of sin the Law of death the Law of the spirit of Christ hath freed us from the Law of sin and of death Rom. 8. 2. sin doth even bring a man to deaths door it doth weaken all the powers and faculties of the soul that a man cannot stir to any duty it makes a man like a snake that is frozen with the cold it cannot stir so it is with a man when he gives way to sin and iniquity it freezeth all the powers that are in him and lesseneth all the powers of Gods spirit it is even like a weight as the Apostle calls it Heb. 12. 1. If a man should have a great weight upon his back fetters upon his legs how can that man go he must needs go very dully so it is with sin and iniquity when a man gives way to it it is like plumets of lead like great weights and burthens that clog a mans heart and affections it makes them dull and lumpish and heavy to any thing that is good as Christ speaks of the cares of this life if a man give way to them they will overcharge the heart they will lie heavy that the heart cannot stir Luke 21. 34. sin poysons all the soul it poysons the mind that a man cannot look upon things as he did it poysons a mans heart though his heart were deeply affected towards God it is strange if a man give way to sin how it will take off the affections from God it separates between God and the soul and comes between God the fountain of life and the soul and therefore must needs be a killing and deading thing Secondly Sin is a deading thing because it doth grieve the holy spirit of God that dwels in a man you know all the quickning of a Christian consists in the gracious assistance of Gods spirit as long as Gods spirit is pleased to go along with us and work our works for us then we can pray and deny our selves then we are fitted to every good word and work but if the spirit of God retire if it withdraw and suspend his actions and forbear his operations what can a man do a man is even a block without the spirit of God now though the spirit of God delight never so much in doing good to the Saints and delight in accompanying of them and assisting of them and enlarging of them in all their wayes yet if they give way to sin directly he will be grieved and sent sad back again to heaven as it were and when the spirit of God is grieved all must needs go sad and heavy with the child of God suppose a child of God give way to vain talk and discourse you shall see what the Apostle saith this will grieve the spirit of God grieve not the spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Eph. 4. 13. he speaks of that very sin if a man give way to it the spirit of God will be grieved though formerly he was pleased mightily to help yet now he will withdraw and then how dully shall a man goon so if we should give way to the suffering of our hearts not to be affected with God and his truth not to see God in all his wayes in all his goodness and dealings that we should not be thankful this will quench the spirit of God it will quench its motions as if a man should pour pail-fuls of water upon the fire so this will quench the spirit of God 1 Thes 5. 18 19. there is a manifest dependence between all those exhortations and this is certain let a man once not be affected with God let him not see Gods goodness in all his wayes let him not be affected with Gods mercy and loving kindness it will quench the spirit of God and then consider what a lamentable case a man shall be in Thirdly Sin must needs dead a mans heart because it doth put a most woful bitter hard task upon the soul to go through for you know hard tasks stir up reluctancy against them when a man hath an hard task to go through the
they come to let in the world again this doth mightily dead and damp their hearts this doth wonderfully lay bolts and fetters upon their soul that it cannot go on as formerly as the Apostle shews 1 Tim. 6. 10. as soon as ever a man gives way to look after the world presently if he had any faith he erres from it if he had any quickning before he is now deaded this deaded Demas his heart for a time he was so full of life that he was able to hold company with St. Paul but when this came once to take possession of him Demas hath forsaken me he was gone he was able to hold 2 Tim. 4. company with Paul no longer worldliness will quickly take off all the affections and all the quickning that was in the soul it will presently fail and die and decay therefore you shall see when the Lord would set down how dull Ezekiels hearers were and how heartless he sets down this as a reason oâ— it their heart is gone after their covetousness Ezek. 33. no marvel then they went not after Ezekiels Sermons for their hearts could not go after both at once so long as their hearts were after the world and profits they must needs be dead and untoward to the word of God therefore the Apostle saith Eph. 5. 3. let not covetousness be named among you as becometh Saints as who should say it will utterly dead and kill all your Saint-qualities and dispositions that are in you if you suffer your hearts to grow earthly the dames of the earth as one saith doth not more quench a candle and put it out then the love of the world doth damp grace and put it out presently and this is the cause of that deadness that is grown among us we are grown worldly and the world carries us away we are all for the world so that all our words thoughts affections carriages they are all little else but worldly most people have many businesses abroad in the world riding abroad into the world but who takes that short journey into his own heart people can tend businesse with every body else but themselves they know what is done beyond sea and the countries round about and yet hardly any one marks how things go in his own soul whither he goes backward or forward whither he gets or loseth every body can ask how others do but no man looks how his own soul doth people are grown at great distance from themselves I speak not of drunkards or prophane persons such as are absolutely dead in sins and trespasses but I speak of Christians in whom we should look for life we are grown strangers to our selves we are out of our own reach we are grown to a mighty distance from looking to our own estates and conditions as we ought to do our minds are scattered up and down about other things therefore no marvel we are so heartlesse towards God Seventhly The next cause is idleness and spiritual sloth when men let their minds go as a boat without a guide the boat goeth uncertainly when it hath no body to guide and steer it so people let their thoughts and hearts and minds run at all adventures people do not take pains with their own hearts and hold them to that which is good we let our hearts be like the field of the sluggard any thing may grow in them for all us we do not look to our hearts that we may have good things grow in them and that we may fence our hearts from those things which may make us untoward in the wayes of God if we have any stirrings at any time we are like idle huswives when the liquor hath done working they forget to stop up the bunghole so when men have any stirrings then they are in motion and action but when they are gone they let their hearts get a vent and they are deaded again as if they had nothing at all as Solomon shews Prov. 19. 15. though a man hath enough for the present yet if he grow idle when that is spent he will samish and starve and die the idle soul shall suffer hunger may be he hath something now but if he be idle and sluggish that may be all spent and then for want of supply he may famish so it is with the soul though it hath something for the present yet if it be idle and sluggish and slothful and take not pains from day to day it must needs go to wrack when God gives us knowledge of sin we should improve that knowledge to root out sin when God gives us insight into graces we should employ it that we may get those graces if God give us his ordinances if he give us a Sermon at any time we should presently work with it As it is with a graft that a man cuts off to plant and set if he lets it lie till it be dead it will never grow but if he presently plant it it will take in the ground and prosper so if a man would presently take a good motion when it comes if he would presently take hold of a reproof or counsel given him out of the word of God while it hath life in it and works upon his heart the heart might receive much benefit but when people are blockish and dull they are not willing to take any pains no wonder though they go down as they do Eccles 10. 18. by much slothfulness the building decayeth c. it is so in the spiritual building if people be slothful all gracious things must needs vanish away and go out more and more and this is a most grievous thing it is generally among all people nay among the better sort for wicked men that live palpably in sin they are struck dead in â—â—n and never had any colour of life but I speak of those that have had some kind of quickning yet notwithstanding suffer themselves to be deaded through idleness when we go to prayer we do not put forth our selves in prayer our prayers are dead when we go to the word we do not put forth our minds and therefore our hearing is dead our hearts are like to a sieve when it is in the water it is full but when it is once taken out again not a jot remains so it is while people are at a Sermon may be they seem to drink in something and their hearts are affected yet these people are rare too but when they are gone all is gone all leaks out again for want of stopping for want of observing the things they have heard this is the reason there is no more life among Christians because they are so idle and sluggish thou evil and slothful servant saith Christ when a man is a Matth. 25. slothful servant he must needs be an evil servant Christians will confer may be now and then of grace but with such loose thoughts that there is no edification or quickning nay their hearts grow dull and
how dead and fruitless were they whereunto shall I liken this generation c. Mat. 11. 16. c. the meaning is this John the Baptist he came mourning and in a doleful manner fasting and afflicting himself and crying out Repent he mourned but none would relent Christ he came piping he came in another manner he came eating and drinking and he preached gracious things the Kingdom of God and the acceptable year of our Lord now saith he you have not daunced all these things have not affected your hearts a jot you are as blockish as if you had no Ministry at all as Christ saith Mat. 8. 22. let the dead bury their dead what doth he mean by that he means those that are dead in their souls those that are dead in their spirits and souls they are fit for dead imployments and nothing else the coherence was this there was a man came to Christ and was willing it seems to be the Disciple of Christ but oh saiâ—h he first I pray thee let me go and bury my father bury thy father saith he any man may serve for that let the dead bury their dead those that are fit for nothing else may do that but if thy heart be alive thou art fit for me thou art fit for spiritual employments but when a man hath a dead heart he is sit for nothing as Christ he gave the bag to Judas he was the fittest man for that so let a man be in office if he be dead he hath no heart to punish sin no not so much as to use his faithful endeavour to root it out nay he will pull down the guilt of the sins of the parish upon his own soul rather then he will stickle a little for God Judg. 4. 8. how backward was Barak to go against the enemies of the Lord if you will go I will go saith he to Deborah otherwise he had no heart to go so Esther how dull was she to stand for the Church of God she would let the Church be ruinated rather then she would go and speak to the King in the behalf thereof but that Mordecai stirred her up soundly now is not this a sufficient motive to stir us up to labour for quickning how can we do the things God calls for from day today we should stand for him and call upon him and set up his worship in our families we should fear his name and set him before our eyes and fight against sin and labour to please him in all our wayes now without being quickned we are sit for none of these things now what a woful thing is it when we shall not be furnished to every good work as we should and fitted to do that which God requires of us therefore let us shake off this dulness and blockishness of spirit Thirdly Another motive is this we can have no true sign at all to our 3. Motive souls that we have any true grace at all as long as we are dead when Christ is said to give a man grace he is said to quicken a man Joh. 5. 21. conversion is called the life of the dead a mans repentance is no better then the repentance of a reprobate unless it be repentance from dead works and repentance unto life if a man hath faith it is not the faith of Gods elect if it doth not quicken him I live by faith saith Paul Gal. 2. 20. justification is communicated only to a man that is quickned God together with justification doth quicken a man he doth revive him and make him alive towards God nay we have no argument that we have our sins forgiven us unlesse God hath quickned us Col. 2. 13. he hath quickned them having forgiven them all trespasses when God forgives the trespasses of his people he doth quicken them hâ— takes away the dulness of their hearts and the blockishness of theâ—r minds and the senselesness of their consciences and their awkness and untowardness to that which is good he doth quicken them up â— every man hath life for we see how lively men are in seeking after their profits and pleasures people have life enough but it is upon things here below and they have affections enough love enough and hope enough and joy and delight enough in the world but they are set upon carnal things but if grace comes into the heart it is the vigour of the heart now as long as we are dead and dull what sign of grace can we have if we have grace yeâ— we cannot have any proof and comfort of it as long as we are drowzy and dull 't is true no man can have any grace but he hath some life but if he doth not quicken up himself he hinders himself of the peace and comfort that otherwise he might have hence it is that the conscience is troubled and people are unsetled and are so full of fears to dye hence iâ— is that people are so like to the sea the waves whereof cannot rest their minds are unquiet and unsetled it is for want of quickning if we were quickned we should have great peace come into our souls Fourthly We cannot grow in grace unless we are quickned as long as 4. Motive we are thus dull and heavy and lumpish to the things that are good we cannot grow in grace Hos 14. 7. they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine first they shall revive and then grow first God quickens a man and then he makes him grow the Philippians love was dead to Paul afterwards it quickned again now saith he your love flourishâ—th Phil. 4. 10. now their hearts were quickned it began to grow but when a man hath a dead heart how can he grow as he said Joh. 15. 4. can the branch bear fruit without the vine so may I say can a mans heart grow in goodness without life it is only a living creature that can grow if a plant be once dead it withers away and cannot grow if a man have a dead heart though he should hear lectures and sermons every day he would never grow he would be never the more holy never the more godly if he should have family prayer closet prayer yet if he should be dead he should have never the more ability against his temptations though the ordinances of God be admirable helps to growing yet if a man be dead and dull they will never help him to grow in grace though grace be of a growing nature yet a dead heart starves all the graces that a man hath Fifthly Another motive is this as long as we are dead we shall be so 5. Motive far from growing that we shall be hardly able to keep our own Rev. 3. 2. strengthen the things that remain that are ready to dye as who should say thou art so far from growing that the good things that are in thee are even ready to dye thou wilt lose that very good that is in thee if thou dost
gathered you under her wings and made you safe so againe it is called the drawing of a man unto Christ Joh. 6. 44. No man cometh to me except the Father draweth him that is except the Father effectually call him he cannot come unto me now this bare and naked calling cannot do it without drawing therefore it is here called drawing of a man before which a man was altogether out of Christ therefore this is the first act God performes upon a man to draw him to Christ the man is as unwilling to come to Christ naturally as any else his lusts draw him another way and he is as heavy as a milstone and his heart is lumpish to the things of God till the father draws him and pulls his affections and thoughts and minde to come home unto Christ this is the first act God doth and againe it is called the bringing of a man to Christ Joh. 10. 16. other sheep also have I saith Christ which I must bring unto this fold he speaks here how that he means to call the Gentiles all the elect of God among them now because they cannot come they have no strength of their own to come therefore he saith he must bring them unto him Againe there must be application of Christ unto a man now effectual calling is the first step to the application of the Lord Jesus Christ to a man There must be applying of Christ to a man we know the Lord Jesus is the Redeemer of the world he hath taken away the sinnes of the world satisfied the wrath of God wrought righteousness for Gods elect he hath overcome death and sinne and Satan and hath expiated for us and wrought an everlasting salvation by his own death and passion in the daies of his flesh Christ hath done this now except this be applied to a man what is a man the nearer now the first step of the application of the redemption of Christ is wrought by this effectual calling of a man unto him then the Lord begins to make a man have union with Jesus Christ before a man was like a branch out of the vine a dead branch that could do nothing he could not repent or serve God or please God or do any thing he was estranged in minde and heart and will but when God doth effectually call a man he doth first work this application of Christ that a man may have union with him and effectual calling is the first putting of a man into the estate of grace the first estating of a man into eternal life it is the first ingraffing of a man into the Son of God it is the putting on of Christ the Saints of God after they are called weare Christ and walke in Christ but at a mans first effectual calling there is the putting of him on it is the first notice that a man hath of salvation the first tydings that comes to the soul of eternal redemption by Jesus Christ people heare it with their outward ears before but never do they come to heare this in their souls and spirits till now this is the first notice and inkling of it when God doth effectually call them then he begins this work as Col. 1. 6. which Word is come unto you speaking of the Gospel it is come unto you and bringeth forth fruit since the day you heard of it and knew the grace of God in truth that is since the day you were effectually called then was the first time of hearing this blessed Gospel your ears were deaf till then your hearts were dead in sins and trespasses till then but when you were effectually called then was the first knowing of the grace of God in truth therefore it is called in Scripture the first beginning of God to do a man good it is the first beginning of all the goodness of God towards a man as Phil. 1. 6. being confident in this that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it till the day of Jesus Christ that is he that did effectually call you as he did begin a good work in you and did begin to put forth his eternal good will and pleasure in you and powred forth the beginning of his mercy and grace and favour into your souls now he that hath done this will never leave it till he hath brought it to perfection So againe it is called the first building of a man for heaven this is done in effectual calling Acts 15. 14. Simâ—on hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles saith the text to take out of them a people for his name that is the Word had effectually called the Gentiles and this ver 16. is called the first building of the Gentiles and the first plucking of them out of the other people of the world to be a people of God This is the first day of a child of Gods consecration it is called the forming of Christ in a mans heart when a man comes to be formed in the womb of the Church before he was a non ens he had no being in the world he was but a natural man but this new workmanship never came into the world till now when a man is effectually called So againe it is called a mans first entring into Christ enter in at the straight-gate as who should say obey the call of God come in a mans effectual calling is a mans first entring into the estate of grace I speak the more largely of it because I would have you understand the Scripture that speaks of it in these phrases I say effectual calling is the first step to the application of Jesus Christ the first step of putting a man into the estate of grace the first bringing of a man to Christ The first reason of this is because before effectual calling a man was without Before effectual calling no interest in Christ out Christ and had no interest in Christ no communion or fellowship with Christ he was altogether dead in trespasses and sinnes a cursed creature a damned creature in the estate of sinne and condemnation whatever parts or gifts he had all were no better then may be in a reprobate Eph. 2. 12. before that time you were without Christ aliens and strangers from the commonwealth of Israel may be you were civil but you had no union with Christ though you were constant hearers of the Word which is a laudable thing yet you had no union with Christ may be you were decked with admirable qualities and jewels as the Prophet shews a man may be decked with golden vertues and afterwards turne to drosse a man may have admirable things in him before he hath this but there was nothing of God in a man nothing of Christ in a man no saving operation of Gods Spirit at all in a man no union with Christ this is the first passage of a man from death to life from nature to grace from the devil to God we are
passed from death to life saith the Apostle this is an allusion to a mans effectual calling afterwards a man brings forth the fruits of life and is alive to God but when a man is first effectually called there is his passage from death to life he was a dead man before Now this effectual calling therefore is the first work that is wrought in a man because it is the first passage of a man from death to life it is a transition from sinne hell and damnation to be in Christ therefore marke how Peter speaks when he had a hope that his hearers were effectually called Acts 8. 40. Save your selves saith he from this untoward generation as who should say this is your first parting from the world the first shaking of hands and bidding them farewell if you be effectually called as you seem to be come out from among them and save your selves from this untoward generation this is the first bursting of the bonds between you and sin the first breaking of the league between you and carnal company now save your selves from this untoward generation and make it appeare that you are called this the Apostle sheweth Gal. 1. 13. that before he was called he had nothing in him at all you have heard saith he how in times past beyond measure I persecuted the Church c. I confesse I had goodly things in me and I profitted in the jewish Religion above many my equals in my own nation being more jealous for the traditions of my fathers I was marvellous strict and forward and for the letter of the law I was marvellous zealous and blamelesse there were excellent good things in me but I had nothing of Christ all this while but when it pleased God who seperated me from my mothers womb and called me by his grace c. as who should say now here was the first dawning of that blessed light in my heart now begun that to appeare when God called me by his grace and first revealed his Son in me then was the deed done and never till then so also he shews that he was a cursed creature living in iniquity it may be himself and his companions took him to be as good a man as any was in all Israel but see how he casts his own water Tit. 3. 3. We our selves also were sometimes foolish serving divers lusts c. but after that the kindness and love of God appeared c. from thence he began to be in the estate of grace when God called him out of that bad estate when God made a breach between him and his old courses when he made the first rent and division and revoke then grace began to appeare from that time forward I was in Christ thus you see that effectual calling is the first work of God in a mans soul it is the first bringing of a man to Christ and the first making of a man to put him on Secondly Because before effectual calling all was within God what Effectual calling declared in the heart God would do with this or that man may be he meant to save him may be he meant to dam him may be he meant to open his eyes maâ— be he meant to let him go on and live and dye in blindness may be he meant to turne his heart may be he meant to let him go on with the world all was within his own bosom there was no inkling that ever this man should have grace and eternal life nor man nor Angel nor himself could perceive any such thing a man might have vaine hopes and false conceits but no inkling from heaven but he was as faire to be a reprobate as the devils in hell but when God effectually calls a man then he begins to declare what he intends to this or that man he begins to open his brest and shew what purpose he had in himself from all eternity as Eph. 1. 9. having made known unto us saith the Apostle the mystery of his will which he purposed in himself c. it was all in himself before shut up in his own secret and privy bosom but when God did effectually call us saith he then did he make known unto us the mystery of his will it was a mystery locked up it was a secret thing that ever he had a purpose to bring us to such things to let us see such mercies now here was the breaking open of this seale now it began to shew it self now the Lord declared what purpose he had in himself now he makes it appeare that we are his elect and chosen and his beloved ones as Paul saith of the Romans to all that are at Rome beloved of God called to be Saints c. Rom. 1. 7. you will say how do you know we are beloved ones If you be called to be Saints I dare be bold to say you are beloved of God God hath made it to appeare that he loves you I could not speak thus before you were as vile drunkards and profane persons as any were in Rome but now I dare be bold to say you are beloved of God nay more grace and peace be to you from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ you are called to be Saints and if you are once called then it doth appeare you are the beloved of God it is Gods golden scepter no man could tell whom the King would call to him no man could tell this or that man should be called rather then another till he held out his golden scepter Hest 4. 11. So it is with God when God doth hold out this golden scepter to a man now a man hath an inkling that the Lord hath chosen him and will be good to him and hear him and help him in all his wayes and pardon him and do every good thing for him as Mark. 3. 13. I use it onely as a similitude our Saviour Christ was there in the mount and the people were below in the vally now saith the Text he called unto him whom he would and they came unto him he was in the mount and all his Disciples were in the vally now no man could tell who should be an Apostle Andrew saith Christ come up now he was one who should be next no man could tell Peter come up then they knew he was one too c. Therefore this calling was the first intimation of Christs purpose to them it was secret in his own bosom whom he would make Apostles before but when he called them it came forth Andrew sees he is the man and Peter sees he is the man c. Thirdly Because all other works follow this work of effectual calling All works follow the work of effectual calling there be abundance of works that God doth work upon his people that he hath chosen to his Kingdom and glory he doth justifie them and pardon their sins and sanctifie and cleanse them from iniquity makes them grow in grace hears their
effect of the other he puts one for the other you see your calling how because God hath chosen the foolish and base people and not those that are more noble and excellent this is the reason for as election is before all times so vocation is in time it is the electing or choosing or calling of a man out of the world so that vocation and election are very much a kinne the one to the other it is just as Gods decree of creating and creating the creating of the world was just according to the idea he had framed in his decree so the calling of a man is just the image and idea of what God had decreed to a party from all eternity therefore it must needs be the first work that is wrought upon a man Vse 1. This sheweth us why it is such a dangerous thing for any man in Dangerous to erre about our effectual calling the world to mistake his effectual calling and think he is called of God when he is not because it is the first work of all therefore very dangerous to erre in it what to erre in the very first work of all in the maine and principal in the very beginning of all the whole workmanship it is a very grievous thing The Apostle St. James writing to Christians professing Religion to take heed they think not they have grace when they have not he bids them take heed they do not erre Iam. 1. 16. he speaks not there in regard of particulars but in the general it is dangerous to erre in any point but to erre in such a thing as is of this nature it is most woeful Reas 1. Because this is the foundation now it is a horrible thing in intellectuals Because this is the foundation in matters of theory to erre in fundamentals so it is in practicals it is an horrible thing for a man to erre in the very foundation of Religion in the first acquaintance with God in the very ground and bottom of all a man had need lay the foundation well because else the whole building falls effectual calling is the very ground of a mans going to God it is the very ground of a mans laying hold upon God and of the profession of Religion and all the building must come to nothing if this be not well laid God forbid I should go about to shake any man or call in question any mans Religion or hope or comfort I deny not people the professing of Gods name or the calling upon God or the coming to the Sacraments I do not deny thâ—â— this but I beseech you be sure that you have a good foundation for all for all will come to nothing elss you remember what became of the mans house that was built upon the sands that had no foundation Mat. 7. 26. When the winds came and the floods beate upon that house it fell the house came falling down as if it had never been built so have a care of the foundation it is a most miserable thing if the foundation be not well laid Secondly Because effectual calling is a thing that a man must have a thousand Because man most often have recourse to it references unto before he die if he lives he must every day have a reference to this a man can do nothing but he must still have a reference to his effectual calling he must ever and anon be looking back to this God hath called me to his glory and vertue he will be driven to this whether he will or no it is like a mans evidence when any wrangling companion shall question his right in his estate he must have reference to his evidences and if he find them hardly currant what a stound will he be put unto if he find his evidences rotten and unsound he knows not what course to take why effectual calling is that which a child of God must have reference unto all the dayes of his life from the first estating of him in the Kingdom of God from the first bringing of him to partake of eternal life when David was in affliction in body and minde and doubts came upon him thick and threefold he was faine to have reference to his effectual calling and that comforted him Psal 1 9. 50. This is my comfort in affliction for thy Word hath quickened me when he was â—n affliction of conscience and minde and body he began to look back time was when I was dead in sinnes and trespasses I never looked after God but thy Word hath quickened me this raised him up this was his comfort in his affliction the Lord had called him to his Kingdom and made him partaker of the work of grace and this cheared him had he not had reference to this he could have had no hold without this a man is as in a wilderneâ—s a lost man therefore what a feareful thing is it for a man to take himself to be effectually called when he is not it is as it were to lay a springe for a mans soul it is as a net for the devil to take a man and to carry him on in hopes and expectations and then when he looks back and sees his bottom and foundation he stands upon is nothing but conceit this is a miserable thing Because it is the beginning of Gods works on the soul Thirdly Because it is the beginning of the works of God now what a thing is it for a man to strike out of the way at his beginning if a man have a journy to go if he go out of the way as soon as ever he goes out of doores he must needs be wide he had been better have stayed at home a man were better go out of his way at any time then at the beginning if he go ten miles and then go out of his way there is some hope it is not all in vaine he hath gone ten miles onward of his journy but for a man to go out of his way as soone as ever he steps out of doors he is cast further off then if he had never stirred a foot it is an excellent thing when a man begins well Gal. 3. 3. Ye began in the Spirit c. though they struck out of the way afterwards and yielded to a great deale of carnal doctrine and fleshly propositions and were a world out of the way yet this was to great purpose that they began well St. Paul durst not but call them the children of God he could hardly tell what to make of them yet he saith little children ye have put on Christ and done thus and thus and went out to eternal life in a right manner therefore God will bring you in againe certainly you must come againe you began well you began in the Spirit but when a man in his very beginning shall erre his error was in principiâ— as ever he set out of doors he went clean contrary this man hardly ever returnes nay he had been
men shall rise againe as John 5. 28. Marvel not for the houre shall come that all flesh that is in the grâ—vâ— shall come forth if all that are dead shall rise again then every man shall rise again though his name be not named in Scripture so it is hear we read in Scripture that Christ saith John 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink now the Lord includes a particular in it and brings it to the soul thou thirstest thou wouldest faine have Christ here are the promises here is all mercy in my Sonne believe in him come and receive him take him and thou shalt have them so if Christ saith whosoever believes shall be saved then Saint Paul might safely conclude a particular word to the Jaylor belâ—eve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Acts 16. 31. so that you see here is a particular word though not particular directly yet equivalent to a particular namely a particular in the general and the Spirit of God doth speak this to the soul and makes the soul hear it Every man therefore that hath heard it c. When God calls the soul home he makes the soul hear his voice here a Doct. When God calls the soul he makes it hear a particular voice particular voice and word to him believe in the Lord come unto me for salvation relie upon me for eternal life the sinnes that trouble thy soule cast thy self upon me for the forgiving of them the diseases miseries distempers thou art subject unto lay hold upon me and rest upon me for the delivering thee from them the Lord when he calls a man effectually he speaks it not onely the Minister and the Word speaks it but the Lord speaks it and so the soul hearing of the Father comes to Christ thus you may see the Lord holds the free promises of the Gospel before the soul and bids a man relie upon them as Peter dealt with his contrite hearers the Spirit of the Lord going along with his word Acts 2. 39. believe saith he for the promise belongs to you and to your children c. as who should say when God calls a man effectually he holds forth his promises and propounds them to the soul beleeve this promise and rest upon me for it thus the Lord doth call a man home he sends his promise before him he sets up hope before him he sends the gracious invitation of the Gospel before him and bids him relie upon it thus God dealt with his Elect Câ—rinths 1 Cor. 1. 9. God is faithful saith the Apostle by whom ye are called to the followship of his Sonne Jesus Christ as who should say when God called you he spake to every one of you in particular come and be fellow heirs with my Son come and have every good thing with my Sonne come and be a sonne with him come and be an heir of grace with him and have title to eternal life and salvation God calls you saith he to beleeve that he is faithful So I might instance in many more though there be never so many in the Congregation yet the Lord doth not speak to them all they do not all hear his voice they all hear the Minister but that makes them not to come that doth not the deed but when the Lord calls a man he comes he joyns with the Word and speaks to this or that man and takes him alone and whispers him in the ear and tells him where mercy is and bids him rely upon him and though sense and seeling be against him though all fears and objections be against him he bids him believe and be of good cheere he shall have all these mercies it he will believe in him as he saith Esay 51. 20. Look unto Abraham your father for I called him alone and blessed him mark it the Lord took him alone and spake to his heart between him and himself so when the Lord speaks to a soul and calls him by his grace he calls him alone and takes him alone though all the Congregation hears the same Sermon yet he takes him alone and speaks to his heart and bids him beleeve in him for I will never faile thee it is a sure foundation he may build upon it for ever and ever Because no man could come unto Christ else for we see daily though Reas 1. Elâ—e no man could come to Christ Ministers call all the Congregation and assembly yet people do not stir they are dead in their sins they cannot hear the Minister no it must be a louder voice and one that is more powerful and effectual unlesse the Lord come and bid a man beleeve he can never do it therefore John 5. 26. See what Christ saith Verily I say unto you that the hour shall come when the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God here comes an Almighty voice that speaks to the raising of a man out of the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse and faith and he shews that there is a voice of Christ that speaks to the soul that though the soul be dead yet it shall heare and live so Ephesians 5. 14. and were it not for this call no man could beleeve That so they may have a ground for their faith the soul cannot first beleeve â— That we may have a ground for out faith and then come to the promise but the Lord brings the promise first and then makes the soul to beleeve he lets in the promise first and then causeth the soul to lay hold upon it the soul doth not first come and then look to the promise but the soul first looks upon the promise and then beleeves as you may see Psal 119. 49. it is the speech of the Prophet David Remember thy Word O Lord wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust the Lord lets in a word of promise into Davids heart then caused him to hope in it and made him look upon it as a thing tendred and propounded to him and so made him relic upon it if it were not for this call of God who were able to beleeve for without this call the soul when it seeth its dulnesse and deadnesse and untowardnesse and unworthinesse it would go away it would say I cannot look to the promise I cannot do this and that and I have no faith and what have I to do with the promise therefore the Lord when he effectually calls a man he lets in the sight of his promises he holds forth his free and gracious promises so that now the soul can say the Lord calls me by his grace and though I be never so wretched and my heart be stark naught though I be as reprobate to every good word and work as the vilest in the world yet here is a free offer and I will relie upon it it is tendred unto me otherwise why should God propound it so freely why should he hold it forth
the inward parts how contrary the Law of God was to all his nature thus Paul understood not the spiritual nature of the Law he had not the spiritual understanding of the Law and thus he was without the Law 2. Now for the other words I was alive once 1. It is meant here spiritually towards God he doth not mean naturally for he was alive naturally both before and after the commandment came but the meaning is he did not think himself to be such a wretched cursed creature as he was he thought he had the fear of God in him and true Obedience in him he thought he had a spiritual kind of life as we may see Rom. 6. 11. Ye are dead saith the Apostle to sin but are alive to God in Jesus Christ And Rom. 7. 13. Give not your members as weapons unto sin but give your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead i. e. As those that have the pure and spiritual life of grace in them So Luke 15. 24. This my son was dead and is alive again that is spiritually alive again he was a dead creature he was departed from his Father which is the fountain of life he was dead in sins and trespasses he was a dead man but now he is alive again he hath spiritual life again 2. To be alive is taken to be conceitedly so alive in his own conceit he hath no true life in him yet he doth imagine that he hath life in him he thinks he hath life and is dead Rev. 3. 1. I know thy works thou hast a name thou livest but thou art dead Here the Church of Sardis did imagine she was alive and others conceived so she seemed to be alive and yet notwithstanding was dead she had no true life in her she seemed to be alive not only in the sight of others but in her own apprehension she seemed to be alive and yet was dead now this is the meaning of the words without the Law I was alive once that is I thought my self to be alive I apprehended my self to be no dead man no damned man I thought not my self to be under the wrath of God and one that should perish evermore if I continued in that estate wherein I was I hoped better things of my self I saw these signs of Grace and Life in me and I thought I was alive indeed till the Commandment came till the Law of God was pressed upon my Conscience and shewed me the contrary I thought my self to be a very live man and one that had some hope of eternal happiness and one that might enter into glory I took my self to be alive Thus we see the meaning of the words Now the Point I intend at this time to insist upon is the livelinesse of a Obser carnal mans heart before the Law comes home to him and is pressed to him and shews him his damnable estate and that he is dead in his sins and trespasses he hath some colour of Righteousness that he is moral and civil and orderly and he hath somthing that is like Grace and Life he hath some hope towards God and hath some kind of obedience he seems to be obedient to the commandment of God before he is humbled by the Law of God he is a live creature Here St. Paul shews it by his own example Without the Law I was once alive noting out unto us how it is with every unhumbled man with every unmortified man that is not yet converted to God he hath many things to say for himself but he doth not understand the purenesse of the Law the Law hath not yet killed him it hath not yet pulled him flat down before Almighty God A man that is unhumbled by the Law of God is a live man he will not be perswaded that he is a dead damned creature he doth apprehend and hope he hath life it is so with men before their Conversion they will not believe that they are damned creatures and they think it uncharitablenesse in any to say they are damned creatures and dead creatures they will not believe it so long as the Law is not charged upon their Consciences so long as they see not how it is with them they do verily apprehend that they have life in them their hearts are not killed their spirits are not dead within them they are not pulled down in the apprehension of their own cursed estates before Almighty God this is the thing I intend to insist upon 2. For the Proof of the Point we may see 1 Tim. 5. 5. there the Apostle speaking of VVidows that lived in pleasure saith She that liveth 〈◊〉 pleasure is dead while she is alive that is dead in pleasure dead in sin dead in the vanity of her own heart and yet such a VVidow liveth she liveth not only a natural life but she is alive in her own conceit in regard of a spiritual life for if she conceived she were a dead creature a damned creature such thoughts would kill the heart of any creature under heaven it would break the neck of all her pleasure but in that she took her pleasure it was a plain token that she was not killed Now for the Opening of the Point I will do these Three things First I will shew what this liveliness is and wherein it consists Secondly I will shew what the Effects of it are Thirdly The Uses First I will shew what this livelinesse is and it consists in these Three things I could branch them into Four but I will reduce them into Three Heads 1. First It consists in the non-appearance of a mans dead and damned estate So long as a mans dead and damned estate doth not appear unto him so long a man thinks he is alive and that he is not a dead man he is not a man that hath the sentence of condemnation lying upon him so long as the Law hath not come and shewed a man his wretched estate and made his damnable estate appear in its ovvn colours unto him vvhy he is alive man he conceives himself to be alive because the Lavv of God hath not convinced him of the contrary if the Law of God doth seise upon a mans heart and in its own colours appear to a mans eyes and hold it self as a glasse to a mans understanding and shew him his wretchednesse and what a cursed estate he is in before God this will kill his very heart and break the livelinesse that is in him and make him burst out into out-cries Oh! I am a dead man I am a damned man so that the livelinesse that is here spoken of consists in the non-appearance of a mans dead and damnable estate As for example an Adulterer his damdable estate doth not appear to him he knows not that he is a dead man as Prov. 9. 18. He knows not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depth of hell When he goes to lie with his
sin revived as if it were truly and really dead before for his sins were not dead in him when he was a Pharisee his sins were not mortified when he was in his unregeneratâ—d estate and condition sin was not dead in him that cannot be the meaning eas if sin vvere dead before and now revived But he speaks of the Appearance of the death of sin though it vvere not dead before yet it did appear to be dead as a Snake in cold weather though it be alive yet it appears to be dead the life of it is in a swound though it hath life yet the cold benums it and keeps it from appearing So before the commâ—â—â—ment came sin was in Paul but it seemed to have no life but when the â—â—â—mandment came and discovered plainly what a dead creature he was then the life of sin came indeed to be manifested Now the Law of God doth manifest the life of sin Three wayes it manifests Three lifes of Sin There are three lifes of sin that appear to the soul when the Law comes 1. First There is the life of Aggravation the Law of God doth aggravate and point out sin to the full life of it it makes sin appear in the true nature of it the true nature of every thing is the life of the thing the nature of a man is the life of a man Now the Law did shew him the nature of his sins it painted them out to the very life in their lively colours this made him see how his sins were aggravated what a cursed and damned thing sin was and what a person it was committed against this made sin appear unto him in the very life of it therefore in the 13. vâ—â—s of this Chapter the Apostle saith â—â—n that it might appear sin wrought â—ath in me that siâ— might be out of measure sinful by the commandment that is when the commandment comes and is manifested to the soul it makes the life of sin appear the life of sin is then manifested the Law of God 〈◊〉 glasse doth shew the life of the Commandment and the very nature of all sinning and transgressing Now before the Law came thus home â—â—to him he could not thus see sin he could say he was a sinner and had committed these and these sins But what these sins were and the exceeding sinfulnesse of these sins he did not see that He had a dead kind of picture of his sins before but the life thereof was not manifested but the Law of God did make his sin revive and made him see his sins in the life of them 2. Secondly There is the life of Irritation as I may so call it or of â—ching and egging a man This is another life of sin whereby it is full of Operation and Working in the Soul The Operation of a thing is the life of a thing Now before the Commandment came sin seemed dead it wrought indeed many evils in him but he did not think his heart had been so full of life and so full of activity against Gods Law and commandments Sin seemed to lye dead before but now when the Commandment came and set upon his heart and began to charge him with better Obedience now his heart grew itching and marvellous full of life unto lust Hereupon sin egged him the more on to lust It is like water when a man goes about to stop it it runs the more violently So it is with sin in the heart the more the Law of God goes about to stop it and hinder it the more eager it is and the more full of life and working as the Apostle speaks vers 8. Without the Law sin was dead there was no such working of sin in my mortal body then but vvhen the Commandment came vvhen the Lavv vvas charged upon my heart then sin took occasion hereby to be the more violent and vvork in me all manner of Concupiscence before I committed sin vvithout any check I had vain thoughts and foolish courses and many a lust in my soul and I vvent to it as if it had been a good thing not as if it had been evil But vvhen the Lavv of God came to shevv me the slacknesse of my Obedience and to controle me and convince me and to stop the course of sin it vvrought all manner of Concupiscence in me it vvrought before in Paul for it vvrought all his security and all his hardnesse of heart and all his vain thoughts and imaginations but this vvas but a dead kind of vvorking in comparison of that which it wrought after the commandment came There are none that have such active Rebellions against the Law and Commandment of God as those to whom the Law comes it eggs a man forward and makes him itch unto Rebellion If a man had asked Paul before whether he had such a divelish heart against God he saw no such matter he never meant God any hurt when he went on in his course he thought not that he was so stubborn and Rebellious he did not feel this stubbornnesse and rebellion But when the Law came once it shewed him the veâ—ome and cursed nature of his sins 3. The Third life of sin is the worst of all and that is the life of Imputation for here sin is so full of life that it is not only able to discover unto him that he is a sinful wretch and an abominable creature but to bind him over to wrath and send him to Hell and everlasting destruction Now it is the Law of God that discovers this life of sin before the Law comes a man hath many vain hopes that God is merciful and Christ died for sinners and that God will forgive him his sins he doth not see the imputation of sin the imputation of sin lying upon the Soul is not clearly discovered before the Law come for where there is no Law there is no imputation of sin Rom. 5. 13. there saith the Apostle Vnto the time of the Law was sin in the world but sin is not imputed while there is no Law Before the Law is charged upon the heart the heart never dreams of the imputation of sin as if he should answer for sin and be damned for sin for ever He thought the contrary before but now the Law discovers the life of sin unto him and sin revives and appears to have life to damn him for evermore Sin now appears to have life to cast him off from God and to bind him over to Everlasting vengeance Thus it was with Paul when the Commandment came sin revived I saw sin was alive indeed and I saw the life of Aggravation I saw the hellish nature of sin it was painted out to the full I saw the life of Irritation I saw the infinite egging and itching of sin how it did work in me I saw the life of imputation how all my sins were imputed unto me and did all lye upon my conscience and so sin revived that is the meaning
strive no more the reason is because the law doth charge the truth of God upon a man Now the truth is that every sinner is a dead man this is the very truth of it Rom 8. 6. To be carnally-minded is death That man is a dead man there is the very death of sinne and hell and condemnation in that man that is a carnal-minded man Now the law of God when it comes doth charge this Truth upon the Soul it discovers a man to be in this estate and condition wherein in truth he is 2. Secondly It consists in deadnesse in Gods account For all a mans presumptions for all a mans vain hopes that he is justified for this is the nature of man before he is convinced by the law of God to justifie himself you are they that justifie your selves not that he is indeed Luke 16. justified but he falsely applies justification to himself and he hopes he is justified before God he is apt to pronounce this hope unto himself Let a Minister tell him of his sins here is his Salve God is merciful and Christ came to save sinners Let Sermons beat upon him from day to day to humble him he cannot imagine that he is in a damnable estate Preachers are too harsh and censorious and the like But when the Law comes it shuts up a man that he cannot get out as the Apostle speaks Gal. 3. 22. The Law hath concluded all under sin that is the nature of the word of God to shut up a man that a man is not able to get out before the law is charged the heart hath a thousand starting-holes Denounce hell and damnation against it it hath this starting-hole that Christ dyed for sinners discover plainly that he is a dead man he hath these starting-holes he hopes he shall have peace and he hopes he is not so vile before Almighty God and he hopes he hath better righteousnesse then you would bear him down with and so he hath an evasion to get out but when the law comes and shuts him up this will tame him As we use to tame Lions and Bears and such like fierce and cruel creatures by shutting of them up so the Lord tames the heart of a poor creature when he would pull him down he shuts him up and layes him in the prison and in the Gaole and he hath no way to get out he is a dead man and there is no way to get out no evasion to escape but still he is a dead man and a damned man he cannot open his mouth any more Ezek. 16. 63. That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God The law indeed works thus in the Regenerate though the Lord be pacified towards them yet they shall never open their mouths never cavil against Gods precepts more never be so brisk any more But so long as a man is in his sins the law doth not only convince him that he is dead in himself but that he is also dead towards God that God accounts him a dead man that God is not pacified towards him but he lies under the wrath of God and this pulls him down and stops his mouth A carnal mans mouth will not be stopped but he will have some thing to say some vain hope or confidence or other some pleading or excusing or other His mouth will never be stopped till the law of God comes and when that comes that will stop his mouth and make it appear that he is guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. the Apostle saith Now we know that whatsoever the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law that every mouth might be stopped and all the world may be culpable before God But before the law comes a mans mouth will not be stopped Gen. 20. 3. God came to Abimilech by night and said Thou art but a dead man because of the woman which thâ—u hast taken for she is a mans Wife He was a dead man but he little thought it he would not believe that he was a dead man As the Text there speaks of temporal death So it is true of the other carnal men are indeed dead men but they will not believe that they are dead men and damned men they hope for mercy and cry peace peace to their soulâ— but when the law comes that knocks off all mens hopes and layes them for dead in Gods account 3. Thirdly This deadnesse I here speak of it consists in regard of all manner of doing when the law of God hath charged it self upon the conscience and discovered to a man that he is a dead and a damned man It makes it now appear unto him that he is utterly unable to do any thing he is in the depth of misery and he is unable to cry mercy aright he is not able to make a prayer no more then a dead man he seeth he can no more keep a Sabbath as he ought than a dead man So for any duty of Religion he seeth he hath no more life to do it then a dead man hath to do the actions of the living as the Apostle speaks Gal. 2. 19. I am dead to the Law that I might live unto God God made Saint Paul alive unto him but first he charged his law upon his conscience and made him seem to be a dead man to the law That he had no life or â—â—â—ty to do any thing pleasing to God but when the Lord made him alivâ— to himself then he could do something nay he was able to do all things through the Lord Jesus Christ that strengthned him But in himself both still and before he was altogether dead to the law of God so that when the law comes and shews a mans estate unto him it shews him his utter inability to the performance of any good duty The Pharisee will to the Temple as well as the Publican Saul will Sacrifice as well as Samuel Prophane people will take up the Ordinances of God as if they had life to go through them as well as the people of God But when the law comes it plainly convinceth a man it makes him feel and understand that he hath no activity or life to perform any thing pleasing to Almighty God a dead man can do nothing he is cut off from all the actions of the living dead men they cannot devise ought they cannot purpose ought they cannot work ought So when the Law of God is charged upon a man and shews him that he is but a dead man and a damned man now he seeth he can as well create a world as make a prayer he can as well remove a Mountain as do any thing acceptable to God Such a man will say I am a dry tree and cannot grow I am lost in the wildernesse of sin and cannot get out again Thus we see wherein this deadnesse consists 2.
THE CONTINUATION OF CHRIST'S ALARM TO Drowsie Saints WITH A Treatise of Effectuall Calling The Killing power of the Law The Spirituall Watch. The New Birth A Christians ingrafting into Christ A Treatise on the Sabath Which were never before published BY The Reverend and Faithfull Minister of JESUS CHRIST Mr. WILLIAM FENNER Late Minister of Rochford in Essex LONDON Printed for John Rothwell at the Fountain in Cheapside and Tho. Parkhurst at the three Crowns against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside MDCLVII To the Reader Christian Reader HE that should speak to the praise of this Authour should commit the same soloecism that he did who writ De laudibus Herculis of the praise of Hercules whom no man ever dispraised Should all men be silent stones would speak for him those at least of whom through Gods mercy he raised up children to Abraham He was a man of great abilities great experiences and great industry which three concurring must needs make him a workman that needs not be ashamed He was a man well seen in the state of soules and one who knew with wonderfull prudence and judgement to accommodate himselfe to mens various conditions which is a chiefe part of a spirituall Physitian The subject here presented to thee is of great worth and great difficulty it is about the best created object a Saint de corruptione optimi the corruption of the best the eclipses of those Lights the falls or rather the tremblings of those pillars a point wherein if in any there is need of great accurateness lest a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiles he avoyds one extreame Quae Deus abscondit ne scrutemur quae in apertum protulit ne negligamus ne aut unâ ex parte nimiae curiositatis aut alterâ ingratitudin is damnemur runs into another Need of great wariness lest a man either harden the hearts and strengthen the hands of evill doers or sadden the hearts of those whom God would not have made sad It is one of those points which it is like many think fitter to be smothered in perpetuall silence because of the sad consequences will almost unavoidably follow upon it But surely there is a great deale of truth in that saying To search into those things which God hath thought fit to conceale is boldnesse and curiosity to neglect those things which God hath revealed is grosse ingratitude And therefore leaving events to God for our parts we conceive the pains of this Reverend Authour are to good purpose and such a subject deserved to be handled by such an hand The former part setting aside what concerns the Ministers of Christ c. speaks to dead Christians to the sect of Nominales such as had meerly a name to live but were dead and distinguisheth between the dead child and the living This second part speaks to the distempers of living Christians who though they shall not see death yet may with Epaphroditus be brought nigh unto death yea with Eutychus may be taken up for dead and so judged by the standers by You have here a Christian in his Autumne or his winter wanting not onely the blossome of a glorious profession but also the fruit of a pious conversation for ought that either himselfe or others conversing with him can discover Surely this is one of the saddest and most amazing meditations that a gracious heart can pitch upon it is one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hidden things of God which we shall never throughly understand the reason of donec Elias venerit untill the comming of Elias for the prosecution of this point the Authour takes that course which a prudent Physician doth in the cure of bodily distempers First he opens the natures shews the causes gives the signes both Diagnostick and Prognostick and then comes to the Therapeutick part And all of them handled so substantially and seriously pro more suo that we doubt not those that feare God will look upon it as a singular providence of God that hath brought such a Treasure to light We may well conjecture that it will be a Book wherein the people of God vvill be seriously conversant the subject matter thereof being of such constant and necessary concernment To this is added a Treatise of Effectuall Calling and other Treatises wherein you vvill meet vvith divers things vvorthy of the Authour And although all of us vvho have subscribed this Epistle have not perused the vvhole yet vve have good cause to hope that it is a book vvhich if it be read vvith prayer and consideration vvill adde to thy spirituall stature and comfort in Christ onely remember that it is not enough to be a formall reader vvithout personall and practicall application But vve vvill not detain thee by our Preface from this profitable piece vvhich vvith thy selfe vve commend to the rich blessing of the Almighty through our deare adored Saviour in whom vve are thine in the service of the Gospel Simeon Ashe William Taylor Matthew Poole John Jackson John Seabrooke London Octob. 21. 1656. Imprimatur EDMUND CALAMY Errata in the Continuation of Christs Alarm PAge 1. l. 44. r. it may p. 5. l. 20. r. strive with p. 70. l. 4. r. sinning against p. 78. l. 27. r. are bidden Errata in Effectuall Calling Page 4. l. 25. r. of Darkness p. 7. l. 6. may r. must p. 14. l. 21. r. restore unto me the joy p. 33. l. 50. r. and what p. 39. l. 17. r. a Reception on mans side p. 44. l. 35. r. no possibility p. 47. l. 1. r. define faith l. 45. r. throw thy self p. 51. l. 40. r. Hope of p. 56. l. 21. r. to task p. 58. l. 53. r. to pray p. 60. l. 36. r. have him p. 69. l. 29. l. 29. r. thine hand p. 72. l. 27. r. that a justifying p. 77. l. 2. r. that hath affiance p. 79. l. 5. r. every man Killing power of the Law Page 5. l. 8. r. Damnable p. 11. l. 53. after meaning dele e. A Table for the Second part of CHRISTS Alarm to Drowsie Saints Point 1. WHy a child of God may think himself dead when he is not p. 1 Causes of false livelinesse 1 Novelty of religion and grace p. 1 2 Violent commotions p. 2 3 Indiscretion 3 4 Presumption 5 Activeness of natural disposition 6 Extraordinary assistance 5 7 Freedom from temptations 6 Point 2. How far forth a child of God may be dead shewed in these particulars 6 1 All by nature are dead 2 The liveliest of Saints have some deadnesse 7 3 The deaâ—â—st of Saints have some life 4 The point is tâ—cklish and dangerous iâ— had be noâ— taken 8 1 It mâ—y embolden the adversaries of the Church 2 It may harden such standers by who arâ— dead in sin 3 It may render such people dead and careless who were once stirred 5 The point though dangerous yet needfull 9 6 How far forth a child of God may be dead 9 1
He may lose his zeal 2 He may lose all his affections 10 3 He may grow to be senseless of sin and grace 11 4 He may grâ—w notoriously vain worldly and guilty 5 The service of God may be a burthen to him 12 6 He may be so dead that nothing can quicken him Quest If a Saint be thus dead where is grace all the while Ans It cannot he taken away because 1 The seed of God remains still in him 13 2 Supernatural habits remain 3 He ever hath an anointing 4 He hath remaining some little strength Use 1 To stir us up to labour against sin 14 2 Let the best of Sains stand on their guard 3 Comfort for those who are dejected with dead hearts 7 A child of God may fall into foul sins 15 1 Into Idolatry 2 Apostaâ—y 3 Persecution of Saints 8 A child of God may be hardned in sin 16 9 He may be long in sin Reas 1 In regard of Satan 2 Of themselves 17 3 Of God himselfe who leaves them to themselves that 1 they may be patterns to others 18 2 to punish their carelesness 3 that so they may see they stand meerly by grace 4 that they may be sensible towards their brethren 19 5 to humble them 20 Use 1 How to order our speeches concerning grace which though it be sufficient 1 to bring a man home to God 2 to keep him from falling away finally 3 from falling away totally 21 Yet Gods people are to stand upon their guard because 22 1 Grace looks for this 2 Promises are conditionall 23 3 Experience in all ages proves the falling of Saints upon Gods withdrawing 24 Qu. Is grace then indifferent in particular passages Aus No. For 1 Grace sets up in the soul an universall principle to serve God in every particular 2 It sets up a watch in the soul Use 2 To work out our salvation with fear and trembling 25 Use 3 Not to stumble at this doctrine Use 4 Not to raise false comfort to our selves from this doctrine 26 Causes of deadnesse The cause in Generall is giving way to sin which is 1 A soul-killirg thing 2 It grieves the holy spirit 27 3 It puls a hard task on the soul to goe through 4 It defiles the conscience 28 5 It weakens all assurance of welcome with God 29 Causes in particular 1 The nigardliness of people in Gods service 2 Their unwatchfulness 30 3 Contenting themselves with a low kind of religion 31 4 The vanity of mens minds 32 5 Mutuall example 6 Covetousness and worldinesse 7 Spirituall sloth 33 8 Neglect of secret duties 34 9 Neglect of inward duties 35 10 Contenting themselves with what they have attained unto 36 Means of quickning 1 Believing and looking up to Christ 37 2 Learning of the word preached 38 3 Shunning all causes of deadnesse 4 Being earnest with God to quicken us 39 5 Diligent in all Christian duties and worship 40 6 Exercising that grace we have 7 Considering former and present examples 41 Motives to shake off deadnesse 40 1 Consider the ingredients of this sin of deadness 42 As 1 Dulness and blockishness of mind to good 2 Awkness and averness of heart to the waies of Jesus Christ 43 3 Senselesness of conscience 4 Coldness of affections 5 Faintness of endeavours 6 Drowsiness of the whole man Mot. 2 Consider that while we are dead we cannot pray nor hear c. Mot. 3 We can have no true sign of true grace 44 Mot. 4 We cannot grow in grace 45 Mot. 5 We shall grow deader and deader Mot. 6 This sin of deadness worse then other sins in these respects 46 1 Deadness is in all the whole man 2 It is against all Gods Commandments 3 It is deeper in the soul then other sins 47 4 It is an estate of sin 5 It is a second death 6 More special threatnings against deadness Considerations to quicken us 1 Consider that we owe to God our life and affections 48 2 All the world is alive in their owe courses let Christians be alive in theirs 3 Consider the worth of what is lâ—st by deadness 49 4 If we be quickned nothing will be hard 5 We shall have much joy and comfort 6 All Heaven will rejoice at our quickning 7 We shall be enabled thereby to doe good to others 50 Remedies against deadnesse 1 Be watchfull 51 Observ It is an excellent and soveraign thing for a Christian to watch 52 Reas 1 In regard of our selves our selves are false to our selves 1 We should watch our hearts 2 Our thoughts 53 3 Our affections 4 Our consciences 5 Our tongues 2 In regard of the world lest it get into us ibid. 3 In regard of Sathan 54 Because he is 1 A subtle enemy 2 Diligent 3 Strong 4 Malitious 5 Hath nothing else to doe p. 55 4 In regard of the wicked 5 In regard of good things 55 1 Our graces that we may preserve encrease and exercise them 56 2 All good duties before in after duty ibid 3 In regard of God For 1 Sometimes he comes neerer us then at other times 2 Sometimes doth extraordinarily help us 3 Doth sometimes afflict us 57 Use 1 Lament the neglect of this duty ib. 2 Be exhorted to take up this duty ib. 1 Consider the misery of them that do not watch ibid. 2 The good of watchfulness 3 That men doe watch in outward callings 4 We have examples of the Saints Remedie 2 Strengthen the things that remain 58 Mot. 1 Because they are remainders 2 Because those remanders are ready to die 3 Because thy works are not perfect Doctrine It is a Christians duty to labour to be strengthned especialâ—y if he hath formerly had more grace 58 2 Weakness 1 Of people unconverted 2 Of Children of God which is double 1 In beginning 2 In declining Reas 1 We can have no other comfortable argument of true grace 60 2 Else we can doe no act of new obedience 3 Nor overcome temptations 61 4 Nor recover after a fall 62 5 Nor obey God with ease Use 1 To condemn 1 Those that have no strength at all 2 Those that doe not strengthen the good things they have 63 Use 2 To direct us what to doe that we may strengthen c. Direction 1 Labour to have strong minds and understandings 64 2 Strong wills 66 3 Sound affections 67 Dir. 2 Labour to believe 3 Fly all occasions of evill 4 Maintain a constant purpose to please God 68 5 Frequent the Ordinances of God 6 Put forth your selves to the utmost in good duties 69 7 Remember we alway need new supply of strength 8 Take heed of sinning against knowledge 70 9 Make conscience of useing and improving Sacraments 1 Baptisme 2 Lords Supper which is of great use to strengthen believers For 1 It is the nature of the Sacraments 2 It is a seal of Gods covenant 71 3 It is Communion with Jesus Christ 4 A Sacrament of Communion with the members of Christ
will be all up at the first and will go out though they never go to the journeys end it is with a new convert at his setting out towards heaven as it was with the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt there was a mixed multitude went up with them Exod. 12. 38. why the plagues of God had wrought upon many of the Egyptians and they would go up with them but they would not go into the land of Canaan but returned back again the true Israelites that were affected truly they only went into the Land of Canaan â— but a mixed company went up with them so when a man sets forth towards heaven there is a mixed company in that mans bosome goeth along with him mixed joy and fear and hope and even corrupt nature is raised up at first for you must think the fears of God lying upon the soul and the newness of Religion he was in hell before now he is in heaven that will raise up even corrupt nature for a time a man will seem to be so affected and so lively now after a while these mercenary Souldiers this mixed company go back again and leave nothing but the bâ—re sanctified affections and now the man seems to be deader then he was as if he had lost all and may be he complains he is not the man he was he was thus and thus moved before and enlarged to good duties now he is down the wind I say this doth not follow it is even as if a man that hath bought a bushel of pease at the Market when they are shell'd and the pods are off and none but the bare pease left should complain he hath less then he had at first so it is here there is nothing gone but the meer trash and husks when a man is first converted there is a great deal of trash with it a great deal of corrupt nature that will leave a man in the lurch afterwards yet it follows not but the man hath the same sanctified affections he had formerly Secondly Violent commotions may stir a man and make him seem to 2. Violent Commotions be more affected then he is there are many seem to be full of life whereas if they were searched to the bottome there is nothing but violent commotions that will come to nothing a child of God at first setting out may be marvellously quickned stirred and seem to be mighty zealous and fervent when in truth the greatest part of this is nothing but violent commotions aâ— little grace will seem a great deal when there are these violent stirrings this man will make a greater shew then the same godly man afterwards when he hath more grace a great deal as James and John seemed to be very zealous Luke 9. 54. as zealous as Elias you will say were they not affected when they saw the Samaritans would not receive Christ oh thought they they deserve to be burnt down to the ground Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven to consume them as Elias did they could have been content to have fired whole Towns that would not receive Christ you will say this is admirable but these were nothing but violent commotions now when Christ had stilled these violent commotions will you say they were grown cold and dead and not so lively as formerly you know the torrent though it run not so violently as in a great flood yet still it runs so it is here may be a godly Minister at his first entrance puts forth himself more and preaches as if he would fly in the face of the ungodly afterwards he preacheth more gently and evenly shall we say he is grown more dull and dead and not so well affected as before no he may be more affected so for a private Christian it may be so soon as ever God turned his heart and inclined him towards his heavenly Kingdom and made him look out for the good of his soul we shall have hm pray with such violence and such extended passages he will reach forth himself in the confession of sin as if he would trample upon himself and in his petitioning for grace as if he would wrestle with God and in his acknowledging of Gods goodness as if he were affected more then thousand Christians besides but afterwards when he comes to have his eyes better enlightned to see what a deal of froth was in these things and how dead he is in regard of true saving life now he begins to be ashamed of himself he doth not lay them down but he would have them in more truth Now shall we say this man is more dead and lesse affected then he was before no but this man hath less violent commotions Thirdly Indiscretion will make a man seem to be more affected then indeed 3. Indiscretion he is as a godly man that is rash and indiscreet let this man reprove a sin he will be so zealous and earnest nay he will be so cholerick that if you do not yeild presently he is in a combustion afterwards when God gives him more knowledge of his waies and more discretion to reprove sin he will not be so cholerick and in such a passion hath this man lost his affections now no this doth not follow he may keep his affections still and it may be hates sin a thousand times more then he did before but he goes another way to work and deals more composedly and gravely and zealously for the good of the mans soul as when Paul saw the Philippians so loving in the midst of all his afflictions and sufferings for the Gospels sakâ— sending him so many hundred miles a great present to relieve him in his necessity what doth he do doth he bid them abate their love no eu 〈…〉 use in it more and more saith he but let it be with knowledge and judgment Phil. 1. 9. a man that is of a loving nature when he hath pared off all foolish charity and all vain and proud charity whereby he doth things out of pride ostentation and vanity as he will do when he comes to have more understanding if he do not discern and compare himself with the word of God he may seem to abate in his love but he is not less loving but more judicious So Samuel at first he was so zealous against Saul when he had sinned against Gods commandment that he would not stay with him by any means no saith he you have rejected the word of the Lord when Saul confessed his sins and entreated him to stay and was very earnest no by no means what stay with a wretch that hath rejected the word of the Lord 1 Sam. 15. 26. yet afterwards he did stay will you say now Samuel was grown cold and less affected against sin no but he was more judicious he begun to consider certainly if I do not stay it will be a disparagement to the Lords anointed I may disparage the Lords ordinance and
that way but upon concurrence of special grace though they be in the soul yet they do not actually incline but upon concurrence of grace now these habits can never be taken from a child of God as David saith Psal 37. 24. though the righteous fall yet he shall not utterly be cast down he may fall upon his hands and knees but he shall not quite fall he shall have something or other to moderate and break the fall Thirdly A child of God ever hath an anointing 1 John 2. 27. that is a gift and grace of God whereby he doth enlighten his eyes by the spirit of revelation whereby he looks upon God and all sin and iniquity and the ordinances of God with an heavenly eye now I say this eye can never be taken away let a child of God be at the lowest ebbe he looks upon sin and Gods wayes after another fashion then other men he looks upon corruption after another manner then any other man so he looks upon Gods holiness and righteousness and graciousness he looks upon these so as no natural man doth if a man do but talk with him he will see that he hath anointing at the lowest ebbe he will not talk of the wayes of God as a natural man he will discover that he hath something of God something of this oyntment left in him still Fourthly There is a little strength in his heart as the Lord saith Rev. 3. 8. A child of God take him at the lowest ebbe yet he hath a little strength I speak not here of actual grace for a child of God may have no actual grace stirring it may be quite in a swound as David I hardly think there was any grace stirring in his heart when he lay with Bathsheba but I speak of the frame of a child of God when he is grown dead in his general bent frame and inclination he hath yet a little strength he doth a little fear God though it be much born down he hath some good desires though but weak and in a great measure ineffectual he hath a little endeavour to please God though the pleasing of his flesh and corruptions be so much that his grace doth scarcely appear The first use is this Is it so that a child of God may thus far grow dead Use let us know this is not to encourage any man in sin that any man should conclude well then it is no great matter though I sin now and then and lie and swear now and then in many things we offend all and we are all sinners the Minister told us to day how dead a man may be and yet be a child of God for all this this is a damned use of this doctrine there is no doctrine no example recorded in all the whole Bible to encourage men to sin therefore when we look into the lives of Noah of Abraham of Lot c. and read of their great falls this is not to encourage any man to sin but rather to stir up a man so much the more to labour against sin for if the children of God that have his favour and have got into his covenant and have got power in grace and have traded in Religion and have waded far in mortification and newness of life and have gone many degrees towards Gods Kingdom if these men give way never so little may be dead if sin may get dominion over these how should others quake and tremble and reason thus Did David and Peter fall how then shall I stand how careful should I be David had a thousand times more grace then I and was more mortified then I and had a better heart then I if he were so weak to overcome sin when he had given way to it if he could not preserve his affections from being deaded and if he could not preserve his soul from being a block in Gods service if he had so many advantages beyond me and yet giving way to idleness and drowsiness were born down in that fashion oh how should I take heed then Secondly If a child of God may be thus dead then let the best of Gods Use 2 Saints and children that are now most zealous and lively take heed let them follow hard after the mark let them stand upon their guard let them fight against idleness and drowsiness of spirit let them not be carnally confident to trust in their own hearts take heed thou knowest not how thy heavenly father may deal with thee for this is certain no child of God can get up again though he had the most grace that ever man had besides the Lord Jesus Christ if he give way to sin except the Lord help him we are like to a little babe if it falls there it lies till the parent help it up so when a child of God falls there he lieth in woful distress all this while and cannot get up for his life and if he had a thousand souls and they were all to be damned he could not save one of them unless God assist him Lam. 5. 21. turn us O Lord and we shall be turned therefore art thou never so full of life take heed despise not prophesying despise not preaching despise not prayer despise not any ordinance of God despise none of these things never grow secure if thou dost woe unto thee may be God will help thee up again but who can tell the covenant of grace is certain for nothing but for eternal life if a man take heed and stand upon his watch he may the better build upon God that he shall not fall Pro. 28. 4. therefore take heed that you pass the time of your so journing here in fear 1 Pet. 1. 17. and having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit c. 2 Cor. 7. 1. as who should say let us labour to have this holy fear in our heart ever to consider how weak and impotent we are if we grow drowsie and careless at any time we give advantage to the Divel we let him in and God knows when we shall get him out again therefore let this work fear and trembling Thirdly This may be for comfort to those people of God that have Use 3 been foolish and have deceived their own souls and have given way to Satan and let in this cruel and damned enemy that hath done a world of mischief that they are now come to despair almost they are afraid they shall never get up again never were any of Gods servants so dead and dull as I am Gods children can never be thus I say is there such a one among you let this doctrine be a thred let down from heaven to help him up again as the Apostle saith all things are written for our learning Rom. 15. 4. so these Scriptures that speak of the falls of Gods Saints are written for such peoples learning that they may take comfort in the Scriptures that they may not be altogether
out of heart but have something to lay hold on as Paul speaks of his sins of being a persecutor and a blasphemer 1 Tim. 1. he saith it is recorded that I afterwards may be an help to them that shall believe and as the sins of Gods elect before conversion are recorded that this may be a means to perswade Gods elected not yet converted that they may find grace though they be never so vile sinners for God hath left a pattern and pledge he hath been merciful to hainous sinners so the fall of Gods Saints and children after conversion are recorded to this end and I can tell you in time of temptation when conscience shall be awakned and the wrath of God shall stick in a mans soul a man cannot spare any one sweet proposition in Scripture nor any one example in Scripture nor â—ny tittle of comfort it will be little enough to bear up the soul from despair and from being overwhelmed all will be little enough to assure the soul of Gods favour and that he can and will pardon such transgressors therefore I say look upon this doctrine it is for those that are dejected with their dead hearts that they may yet receive some comfort to their souls The last day I shewed you how far forth a child of God might be dead The deadness of a child of God amplified but some may say I cannot believe a child of God may come to this and thou art confident thou shall not come to this therefore I will speak a little further of it And first Let me tell you there is not the sowlest haynousest abominablest A child of God may fall into very foul sins the most notorious scandalous sin in the world but the most devout godly mortified man upon the face of the earth may fall into it if he take not heed except the sin against the holy Ghost I will instance in some particulars First For Idolatry gross Idolatry will you think that ever a child of God that believes in his name and is acquainted with his word and his goodness and mercy and his jealousie against this sin and iniquity should fall into it should fall down and worship a stock a stone a creature you will never believe it yet you shall see the wisest man that ever was and one that was beloved of God did fall into this sin in a great degree 1 Kings 11. 4 Solomons wives drew his heart away from God they drew away his heart from God in an high degree and they did not nakedly draw away his heart from God but they drew his heart after other gods If a man should say I hope I shall never fall into this sin I say let us hope so still and go on in using the means if we be so confident let us take heed that none of us come to bowe to the creature let our own hating and abominating of it be a watch-word to us to take heed Secondly What say you to apostacy nay almost totall apostacy that a child of God should grow to be an apostate which of you would think it that he should come to curse and bann himself if ever he knew Jesus Christ or loved him or ever did countenance him yet you may see a child of God and a notable one too fell in this fashion Peter he did curse and ban himself that he never knew the man Mark 14. 71. this is very far Thirdly What say you to persecution to persecute a man that is godly dost think that a man that hath the image of God in him that hath the knowledge of the Scripture that hath the fear of God before his eyes and a sympathy with all the Saints of God in the world that this man should ever persecute one that is godly and for his godliness too would you think this yet directly thus it is Asa a godly man for a fit as long as the time lasted when the Prophet reproved him for his sins and dealt roundly with him what was this but gracious dealing yet the man did not only not submit to the Prophets reproof but hiâ— very heart rose up against him and he cast him into prison he was a persecutor of him 2 Chro. 16. 10. in one word what enormous flagitious sin in the world is there but a child of God if he look not to himself may actually fall into but the sin unto death Noah a Preacher of righteousness the holiest man upon the earth the world had not his fellow yet he fell to be once drunk David a man after Gods own heart a man of admirable experience a man that traded as far in mortification in holiness and righteousness and walking with God and acquaintance with him and his Laws and promises as ever any Saint in the Old Testament yet he fell into the sin of murther and adultery yea to make a man drunk and that otherwise a good man too one of the worthiest of all the Kingdom you see this is clear there is no sin so desperate the sin against the holy Ghost excepted but a child of God may fall into it therefore he had not need to be carnally confident Secondly When a child of God hath fallen thus into some sowl sin he 2. A child of God may be hardned in sin may be much hardened wofully deaded and benummed and grow blockish and untoward to call upon God and go on in any of his waies become marvelously unfitted and indisposed to the use of Gods ordinances nay he may be grown to that pass that he should never rise up more but that for the infinite goodness of God that doth bring him again home and lift him up again by renewing his faith and his repentance you may see when Jehoshaphat had struck with Ahab and helped the ungodly and loved him 2 Chro. 19. that hated the Lord though he were smitten in the field and were like to have lost his life and saw what danger he was in for joyning with Ahab yet all this did not humble him the Lord sent after him by hue and cry rousing up his conscience by his Prophets if he had not done thus God knows how long he might have lain thus so David he found a deadness in all goodness when he had committed those foul sins he found no working of Gods blessed spirit his own spirit grew dull his own heart grew dead he was as if he had never known what grace meant create in me O Lord a new heart Psal 51. 10. his sin was like to a sweeping rain that leaves nothing like to a consumption that wastes all it was even like a Thief that breaks into a mans ware-house in the night and a man knows not what he hath lost till he casts up his accounts and then he seeth he hath lost almost all his estate so it is with the best of Gods servants if they give way to sin contrary to evangelical obedience God knows what a Thief
they let into their soul they know not what they have lost till God give them an heart to cast up their accounts and then they may see that they have lost almost all that they have who knows what God may do it is a fearful thing you see a child of God may not only fall into foul and fearful sins but he may lie in them Then Thirdly To go further when a child of God is come hither then you 3. A child of God may be long in sin will say certainly this man must rise up again quickly grace will not let him lie dead 't is true God will not for ever let him lie dead but for how long he shall lie dead no man nor Angel can tâ—ll as the Church speaks concerning her misery there is never a Prophet never an ordinance of God all is gone to wrack and there is none among us can tell us how long Psal 74. 9. so when a man hath fallen into sin and hath pulled distempers into his soul there is none among us can tell us how long 't is true Peter got up again within a few hours but David got not up again till after ten months and may be another not till after ten years may be twenty forty nay who can tell how long grace is free therefore no man can prescribe any time the wind blows where it listeth and how long it listeth and how long it will John 3. Reasons of the point 1. Reas be ere it blow again who knoweth The Reasons of thâ— first in regard of Satan he fights most of all against the children of God his â—ingers itch to be at them and at them most his greatest spight is against them the very bowels of the enmity is between him and them the children of God come to take his place that he once had in heaven the children of God are set up against Satan as David was put in the room of Saul therefore I say all the strength of hell is still a working against the Church of God and the Saints of God and every one of them from that very moment that the woman was delivered of a Rev. 12. 13. man child he sought to destroy it Simon Simon saith Christ Satan desires to winnow thee c. Lukâ— 22 31. he is the god of this world and his temptations are welcome enough with any body but the children of God none resist his dominion but they he is the Gaoler and hath all the world in close prison but only them they are the only ones that have broken loose that have gotten away out of the power of Satan therefore all his malice and all the gates of heâ—l they are up to send hue and cry after them to hook them in again if they can he is â—ust like a Pyrate a Pyrate will rather set upon one rich ship then upon a thousand beggarly barks because there he may have a rich prize so the Divel knows he can advantage his Kingdom if but onâ— fall that is a Saint more then by the falls and the notoriouseâ—t falls of millions of others therefore no wonder that a child of God should grow remiss and careleâ—s at any time that he may have a mischief for it is all the Divels business he hath nothing else to do but do mischief to be busie to get a child of God down and if he have him down to hold him down if he can Secondly Another reason is in regard of the children of God themselves 2. Reas they carry flesh about them as well as other men they have a Traitor in their own bosomes that liâ—s in scout every moment to work them woe as Paul saith I find another law in my members c. Rom. 7. 23. though a child of God hath wounded all his lusts nay though he hath given them their deaths wound yet there is never a one but may revive and make head again if he take not heed and that in a woful degree as the Lord saith of the Caldeans Jer. 37. I quote it only for a similitude ver 10. though you had smitten all the whole army of the Caldeans yet they shall come and fire the City when Judah had provoked God though they had wounded all the Caldeans yet those wounded men should come and fire the City so let a man take heed he doth not give way to sin for though his lusts be mortified and he hath given them their deaths wound yet these wounded Caldeans may come and fire all his soul if he take not heed Thirdly In regard of God himself God is pleased to try his people to 3. Reas withdraw himself now and then from them to leave them to themselves and the grace they have received to let them alone with that and when he doth thus no wonder though they fall for every man hath some vileness and rottenness in his heart the wholest simplest heart in the world hath a deal of rottenness in it I say the Lord doth sometimâ—s leave his children to themselves as he did Hezekiah in the business of the Ambassadors 2 Chro. 32. 31. as the Church saith Cant. 5 6. my beloved had withdrawn himself the lovingest mothers may sometimes let their little child go alone though they know he will fall they provide may be a rouler about his head that whither they fall backward or forward or any way they may not break their skull and do themselves a mischief to undo themselves but when they have done thus they will sometimes leave them to themselves to go though they know they will fall so the Lord doth put a rouler upon his people that when they fall they may not fall totally and finally as the wicked men do they shall never strike into a wicked course as the ungodly of the earth do that he takes order for but he doth many times leave them not out of any ill will to them but he leaves them to themselves though he knows they will fall and that for divers reasons First That they might be patterns to others of Gods people that if they should fall as they may do when they are down they may have wherewithal to get up again I say the Lord leaves the eminentest of his people to themselves to fall into lamentable miscarriages that they may help inferiour people and they may have something to encourage them that God will recover them and relieve them again and that God will not cast them off for ever as Paul shews 1 Tim. 1. 16. saith he for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern to them who shall hereafter believe as who should say there may be a persecutor a blasphemer smitten a vile wretch a fighter against God and Jesus Christ such a one may be smitten and come to see his damned estate a thousand to one but this man will be overwhelmed and drowned in despair
for the main but in every particular passage Secondly It is plain that cannot be the meaning of it that grace is indifferent because that if grace be truly in any man it doth set up a watch in the soul to preserve it that the man shall be eager not to sin in any particular and desirous in some measure and careful in some degree to doe all manner of good if a man give way to the lusts of the flesh his care may be brought to a low ebb but grace sets up a watch in the soule and breeds care and desire and purposes and resolutions and revenge upon his own lusts and abundance of things as you may see 2 Cor. 7. 11. So that grace will not let a man be indifferent therefore when we say for particulars God doth not undertake this or that the meaning is not as if grace would only convert a man and keep him from falling totally and finally away but for particulars it is indifferent this is to blaspheme the grace of God but the meaning is though a man be the childe of God and never so much mortified if this man should grow carelesse and remiss and secure and give way to sin grace doth not undertake to keep a man from the fearfullest falls that can be nor from the fearfullest distempers Indeed when a man hath play'd the beast God may preserve him but a man cannot look for this at the hands of God who knows how God will deal with him if he be unthankful to God for his grace and goodness and mercy vouchsafed unto him The second Use Is is so that a child of God may be left to himselfe to Vse 2 fall fouly then let every one that hopes he hath any grace learn the words of Saint Paul Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2 12. Hath any man gotten quickening goe on with fear and trembling hath any got softness of heart in the fear of God goe on with a trembling heart and consider how brittle your hearts are they are like glass you had need goe charily and tenderly up and down grace is a fine delicate thing if it be cherished and preserved and stirred up what a deal of good may a man attain unto if God hath been good to any of us to give us any saving grace we are very fooles if we look not to it it is a dainty and delicate thing it cannot enter indeed into a mans heart to conceive what a great mercy God hath vouchsafed unto him if he hath bestowed any grace upon him therefore be chary of it and remember Lots Wife remember those fearful examples remember how David brake his bones remember the miserable distressed uncomfortable condition thou mayst bring thy soul into if thou dost not take heed to thy selfe and if thou beest in such a condition consider what gracious promises there are to help thee up again and what gracious examples to make thee think with thy selfe there is yet grace and mercy and quickening for me and if I seek God he will assuredly be found of me The third Use Is it so that a childe of God may fall so foulely Then Vse 3 let not any man stumble at this Doctrine let not any think a childe of God cannot fall to be so dead I say doe not stumble at it but rather see if it be not thy case if thou art not fallen down into this depth of misery for what have I said did not I say that a childe of God might lose his zeal Look abroad what zeal is up and down what yearnings when the Church is in misery nay what need we look abroad who hath zeal against his own sins and corruptions Again did I not say that a childe of God may lose his affections what affections are now a dayes we heare Sermons but what affections are stirred up either in hearing or speaking the Word of God So for prayer what affections are there in prayer So for sin what griefe is there for our sins There is no affection or sorrow at all in us Where is that same anguish of heart that should be in us for our corruptions they are even lost I speak not of wicked men only but even of good people though they be sensible of their deadnesse and hardnesse of heart though they see it yet they are not able to relent at it Then for desires where are they Did I say a childe of God may have hardly any desire almost not be able to wrestle with God for grace and tug for it and is not this our case What frozen prayers what cold devotions are sent up from day to day So did I say a childe of God may be senselesse of sin How far hath this distemper grown upon us now a dayes our hearts might even ake to be privy to that backwardnesse and untowardnesse and unfruitfulnesse I say it might make us to be at our wits end until we were delivered and yet no man complaines there is complaining in a dull manner but no mans heart bursts almost Again did I say a childe of God may grow palpably vain and proud and worldly that a man that hath but halfe an eye may see it and take notice of it is not it thus among us how do we discover our shame wheresoever we come those that have but half an eye see how worldly we are and how we have no mind to God and the things of eternal life is not this our conversation from day to day nay the very world sees it they see how heartless good people are grown The last use may be to rap all mens fingers off that think to comfort Vse 4 themselves with this that hath been said there are these things will answer these conceits first all this is nothing to thee unless thou wert once a godly holy zealous man for all these examples are of men that were once zealous and forward for God and goodness they were once changed from the estate of nature to the estate of grace And again when they were fallen they gat up again and were the more wary and watchful afterwards but it is not so with thee Now we come in the next place to shew what are the causes of this deadness Causes of deadness 1. Gener. of mens hearts in these times wherein God hath revealed himself more fully and clearly the general reason of this is the giving way to sin and not looking to themselves to abstain from sin and have a care of the commandments of God and walking before him as they ought to do which thing is an horrible deader of the heart as Solomon speaks concerning the adulterer he knows not that the dead are there when a man gives way to Prov. 9. 18. sin to worldliness or passion or any other corruption he doth even go where the dead are and there where the guests of hell are if a man gives way to pleasure to be carried away with sinful
very thought of it dulls him it is like a stone upon his heart now let a man sin against grace and the goodness of God and Gods gracious dealing let a man sin against these it doth put a man to a most hard task to go through to go and humble himself before Almighty God and the soul shall find a world of conflicts that he is loth to come to it loth to deal about this bitter business to go about to renew his repentance with bitter remorse for his sins it is like a desperate debtor that hath run himself over head and ears in debt the very thought of coming to a reckoning is death to him he cannot abide to think of it it is like a boy that hath made false Latine if his Master should call him to construe and pearse it and give a rule for every word he knows it is not according to rule he hath not looked after rule and every thing is false now he cannot abide to come to construe and pearse it so when a man hath provoked God by his sins and hath broken his covenant and slighted his ordinances when God calls him to construe and pearse what do you make of such an action and such a word and such a thought the heart is even afraid of these things as a dog is of a whip it is an hard task to be brought to this as David when he had yielded to his security and idleness and unwatchfulness and so had given way to Satan you may see what an hard task he brought upon his soul and how his soul was ever afraid to go about humiliation how many frowning looks doth a man cast upon the pykes he must go through if he mean to obtain mercy it even deads him as a dagger at his heart David was loth to come to this to come to a reckoning to come to be humbled when Bathsheba sent him word that she was with child then God called him to a reckoning to be humbled God told him to his face it is high time to be humbled and ashamed God hath been laying rods in brine for thee and to bring thee upon the stage and to make thee odious and vile in the sight of the world yet he was loth to come to a reckoning he shun'd it and shut his eyes from seeing it he devised tricks to send Vriah home to his Wife and when this would not be but Vriah carried himself constantly with feeling of the case of the Church that then lay in the field against their enemies this could not but call for humbling yet he shunned it still and instead of humbling himself he went further into the briars and made Vriah drunk thinking then he would go home it is impossible but he should see the hand of God in all this that he gave him a warning to down on his knees but he shunned it again and instead of humbling himself he devised the death of Vriah and when nâ—â—s câ—me Vriah is dead which one would think should have been as an ha 〈…〉 r to have knockt him down he puts this off the sword kills one as well as another and till the Lord was pleased to set it on he could not be brought to humble himself thus it is sin puts an hard task upon a man a man may easily slip into sin it is a merry way unto it but when a man is once in he cannot get out again without tearing and rending and abasing and casting himself down before God this is an hard task and the soul shall find abundance of reluctancies and the very thought of it deads the soul unless the Lord be the more merciful A fourth reason why sin deads a man is because sin defiles the conscience for sin is a dead work and it goes into the conscience and defiles it until it be purged by the blood of Christ Heb. 9. 14. sin is a dead work and the winding sheet of it is the conscience presently as soon as a man doth iniquity this dead work runs into the conscience and catcheth hold and this defiles the conscience and puts guilt into it and nothing in the world more deads a man then a guilty conscience why because it knocks a mans fingers off from that which should enliven and quicken him it makes him see that he doth defile Gods promises if he medle with them Isa 38. 16. the promises of God are the things by which men live now when the conscience is guilty it doth even knock a mans fingers off from the promises it tells him this guilt must out first before he can apply the promises nay the very hearing of the promises deads his heart and this is the reason why good people as long as they have not clear consciences rather call for Sermons of judgement then of mercy and their consciences say the promises doe not belong to me I know God is an holy God and his promises holy and it is no meddling with them without holinesse therefore when a man gives way to sin he must needs dead his heart because he defiles his own conscience and therefore no wonder that there is so much deadnesse up and downe when there is hardly a clear conscience in the Country nay good people how slightly doe they deal in this case and hinder their own life and quickning because they have not a care to come before God with a cleare conscience The fifth Reason is Because sin doth either utterly destroy or mightily weaken all assurance of welcome with God and therefore no marvel if it dead the heart for if a man cannot look for comfort and entertainment with God when he goeth to him it takes man off from that willingness to come into Gods presence it makes a man shie of God and of Jesus Christ and his Ordinances it makes a man that he hath no desire to pray almost nay sometimes he hath no heart at all nay sometimes he totally omits the duty he is so afraid he cannot goe to God without carnal feares and mis-givings and horrours and this takes the heart quite off for a time that he cannot pray at all it is like a childe when he hath committed some villany that he knows his father knowes he is shy of coming into his fathers presence he is afraid to come where his father is he knowes be shall be chid and hear of his doings so it is in this case it is not thus with wicked and ungodly men for they can look God in the face but Gods own people when they sin against God it must needs take off that cheerful willingness to goe before God that delight to be in his presence that comfort in prayer sinne makes it an irksome thing sinne makes a man to have little heart to deal with God for the heart doth not love to be caught by God in Satans company or of any lust as a servant cannot abide that his Master should take him in any villany or unfaithfulnesse
there is no man is dead but he that hath no care to look after Christ and desire him if we would have Christ if our hearts be open to him if we doe but desire him and long for him if we have but these groanes and outgoings in our souls oh that I had but Christ shed abroad in my heart if I had him I should have life and quickning if I had him I should have right and title to all Gods heavenly comforts if our hearts did but goe up and down longing after Christ this is the way to attain to quickning Isa 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. Come and ye shall have waters that shall never be dried up the want of faith is the cause of hardness of heart and of deadnesse as our Saviour Christ when he saw they were dead Matth. 16. he did upbraid them with unbeliefe if a man did but once believe if a man did but truly cast his soul upon God if he had but once his eyes opened to see the vanity of all other things to see the danger of sinne and iniquity the misery of all unregenerate people and to see the worth of Christ and the infinite goodnesse of God in Christ what an admirable pearl it is to enjoy him how it is better then life it selfe better then the whole world yea then thousands of worlds if a man did but see this and had his heart affected with this to be drawn to Christ and to have his heart and minde run after him to be possessed of him this is faith you that would know whether you have faith or no if you had all the faiths in the world you are infidels without this faith but if you have this faith you have true faith if you have a heart running after Christ minding him and longing for him and casting your soules upon him for all good accounting this your principal and total and main good and accordingly affecting this these are the works of faith and if you have these works you may be quickned believe in the Lord Jesus Christ set your hearts upon him and seek after him and you shall have all manner of good even life it self The second meanes is a careful learning of the Word of God preached Second means When the Corinâ—hians were marvellously blocked uâ— in their minds and hearts and were straightned in good things 2 Câ—r 6 12. mark what the Apostle saith v. 11. Our mâ—uth is â—pen to you c. as who should say in our Ministery there is abundance of grace abundance of life and largenesse of heart abundance of gracious things all manner of good things we bring with us in our Ministery peace and comfort and hope and all the promises of God and all the rich treasuâ—es of Jesus Christ we come with our armes full you are not straightned here but you are straightned in your 〈◊〉 bowels as who should say you may be enlarged sweetly by our Ministry wâ— deliver unto you abundance of grace and mercy and abundance of supply all those deadnesses and lockings up of heart in you would be healed by the Ministery of the Word so may I say if your hearts are locked up certainly it is for not taking what the Word offers if you would come hungerly and greedily to the Word of God with an heart desirous to be edified and instructed and to apply what the Word speaks to your souls certainly you shall here meet with abundance of grace and life for the Word is the Word of life and the Ministery of the Word is the Ministery of the Spirit of God and life so that the deadness of all people is meerly from their own bowels you are not straightned in us saith the Apostle no in thâ— Ministery of the Word is abundance of life The third meanes is A careful shunning of all those causes of deadness which we named formerly we must take heed of sin for if we give way to sinne it will dead the heart it will make a make a man shy of God and put a man to woful tasks and breâ—d loâ—hness to goe about duties it will make a man to have a guilty conscience and dead a man that way it will grieve the spirit of God and quench all the operations and sweet influences and gracious motions of the Spirit that the sweet livelinesse of his workings will be gone away if a man give way to sinne if he give way to the world or slackning in a godly course if a man give way to pride or vanity or any sin this will dead the heart a mans heart will presently be deaded if he give way to the Devil and to his temptations In particular you must take heed of niggardlinesse in Religion they that love quickning must labour for a frank and free spirit that will rather overdoe in Gods service then underdoe as long as a man hath a free heart he shall have a quickened heart therefore labour to preserve it doe as Philemon I knâ—w thou wilâ— dâ—e more than I say Paul knew he had a free spirit that if be commanded him a little he would doe more he would rather overdoe then underdoe our Saviour Christ calls for this free spirit Iâ— a man take thy coat give him thy cloak also rather overdoe then underdoe in any good thing have a free heart if God bid thee pray pray thrâ—e times five times a day rather then not often enough there be mâ—nâ— duties that God doth not set down how often and how frequent and hoâ— long now labour for a free spirit rather do twice as much then underdo Again Take heed of lownesse of Religion of taking up a low and base and mean kinde of Religion that will not reach the Kingdome of God there is a low kinde of Christianity that wil not be able to attain to salvation a low faith that doth not make a man to have his conversation in heaven a low repentance that reacheth not to mortification a low profession of Religion that comes not to the power of Godliness Prov. 15. 24. The way of life is above it is an high thing therefore take heed of low Religion for people think that any kinde of righteousness will serve turn if they have but a little Reformation and Religion they presently think this is godliness but let us take heed of this low Religion that will never do the deed Again We must take heed of want of Watchfulnesse we must set up a gracious and Christian watch in our hearts from day to day when the Lord had found fault with the Church of Sardis for being dead in the next words he bids them be watchful as who should say the want of this watchfulness and looking to your selves and having a care over your thoughts and aâ—fections lest you should be drawn aside the neglect of this is the cause of all deadness Again We must take heed of vanity as David saith Psal 119.
it is not only to make him go but to quicken him up to go we are all dull and careless and blockish now Motives serve to stir us up Eccles 12. the words of the wise are as goâ—ds to provoke and stir up people Well then The first motive shall be this to consider the woful ingredients 1. Motive of this sin of deadness the horrible sins that are contained in it what a compound of spiritual diseases are in this sin First There is a dulnesse and blockishnesse of mind dull and heavy to learn any thing that is good as it is said of the Jews Acts 28. 27. when a man hath an unteachable mind though he be never so long under the word of God it cannot strike into his heart and enter into his understanding his mind cannot â—eel the weight of divine truths take outward truths of profit and pleasure a man may lead him up and down with these truths he feels weight in these but for the word of God he hath no understanding in that may be he can tell what the Ministers say and talk of it but for the weight of divine reason the mind is blockish to this men are like to a blockish scholler that hath gone seven years to school and yet is not beyond the primmer so when a man shall sit so long under the Ministry of the word and yet be a stranger to it as if he had never heard of it he hears discourses of faith and can speak of it and talk of it of the letter of it as well as the best believer and yet is as blockish to go about it as can be what an horrible thing is this that the truth should come to a mans mind and a man should be dull to conceive it Secondly Another evil is awkness and averseness of heart listleseness to the wayes of Jesus Christ as Christ saith of the Jews Mat. 15. 8. their hearts cannot be pulled to that which is good their hearts are untoward and have no list or disposition that way even as if a man should go about a thing that he hath no heart to so people go about prayer and the hearing of the word as if they had no heart to it they have no heart to prayer they have no heart to think soundly of God and of their latter end they come to duties but their hearts are a thousand miles off Thirdly There is senselesness of conscience it is not tender of little sins it feels them not at all and as for great sins it feels them but a little may be peoples consciences find fault with them from day to day for doing what they do and tells them they ought not to do it but yet they will not leave their sins it tells them thus and thus they ought to do but it hath no power to make them do it may be it accuseth them but they are never the better peoples consciences are dull and blunt and have no force at all Fourthly For coldness and lukewarmness of affections the affections of a man are not set upon God they pray without affections and hear without affections the doctrine of eternal life doth not affect their hearts hatred of evil is cold and love of God and goodness is cold as Christ saith the love of many shall waxe cold and so their desires are cold and Matth. 24. languish and come to nothing we can find tears for other matters but not for our sins we can have our affections soon stirred when our selves and our own wills are crossed but God may be dishonoured a thousand wayes and we never grieved or moved at it so when we hear a fine story and carnal news this delights but when we hear the word of God the truth of God that concerns our eternal well doing we are not moved or affected at all with that Fifthly Another ingredient of this sin is the weakness and faintness of endeavours if people have any endeavours any kinde of putting themselves forth to that which is good it is with faintness as if they cared not whither they went about it yea or no as Solomon saith Prov. 13. 4. people desire mercy and pardon and would have hope and salvation and the Kingdom of God but will not be at the cost and charges they ought to be at for these things this is nothing but the deadnesse of our hearts Lastly That same dulness and drowsiness of the whole man though men be careful enough of outward things yet how careless are they of their souls were our hearts broken and contrite under these things we should be soon quickned as the Lord saith Isa 57. 15. I revâ—ve the spirit of the contrite one so God would revive us if we were sensible of these distempers of ours if we would humble our selves before God and plead to him for help he would help us but when we do not lay these distempers to heart and seek out to God for redress no marvel though we are dead and dull still well then is it so that there are so many horrible ingredients in this sin of deadness then how should we labour to fling it away and use all means to be quickned the Apostle being to disswade from following the will of the Gentiles he useth this very argument the abundance of the vile ingredients that is in the will of the Gentiles 1 Pet. 43. so you may see how the wise man disswades Prov. 26. 25. when he speaketh fair believe him not for there are seven abominations in his heart so let us think there is seven abominations yea seventy times seven abominations in this sin of deadness therefore let us look out that God may help us and quicken us and revive us in all our wayes The second motive is to consider that as long as we are dead we cannot 2. Motive pray Psal 80. 18. Lord quicken us and we will call upon thy name as who should say Lord we are not fit to pray and call upon thy name except thou quicken us therefore quicken us that we may call upon thee So Ministers cannot preach unless they be quickned as Dr. Ames tells a story of a godly man of France there was such cold preaching that he was fain to go out of the Town to sâ—t under a powerful Ministry therefore we cannot preach if we be dead the Scribes and Pharisees preached without Authority and life they were dead and therefore had no authority in their preaching but Christ preached with Authority if we were quickned we should be the better able to preach So again you are not able to hear unless you be quickned a dead heart may hear a thousand Sermons but what doth it work upon them even as good as nothing if Paul or Apollos or an Angel from heaven should preach to us unless God quicken us all is nothing nay Christ tells us that his own Ministry and Johns Ministry there were not two such in all the world again yet
not shaâ—â— off this dâ—â—dness and careleseness and heartleseness to that which is good as it is with a man that hath a consumption upon his body he is so far from growing that he rather pines away he waxeth more and more faint and groweth dâ—ader and waxeth neerer to his end he pines away so when a man is dead though not quite dead his heart is deaded he doth pine away as the Prophet saith Ezek. 33. 10. if we pine away how shall we do oâ— yet thus it is 〈◊〉 man hath a dead heart he doth pine away I and again how is it possible for a man whose heart is dead to prayer and he hath no affections to 〈◊〉 which is good if there be any opportunity to that which is good he hangs off how can this man doe otherwise but wax worse and worse for he wants that which should work out sin if it be a springing water it will work out the mud but if it be a standing water it will grow thicker and thicker and will be noysome so if the body be alive though it be never so full of ill humours if it be lively nature will work them out but if the pangs of death be upon a man every disease and distemper gets the victory his nature cannot work it out now so it is with a man that hath a dead heart he cannot work out the corruption that daily bubbles up in his heart as Eli though he had never so many corruptions he had no heart to root them out 't is true he reproved his sons but it was to no purpose as good never a whit as never the better so when Solomon was grown dead and had lost his former life of grace afterwards when corruption grew in his heart he could not work it out for when God had chosen Jeroboam to be put in his room though Solomon knew that it was of God and he set him up to be King yet he could not work out this corruption but his heart to his dying day rose up against Jeroboam and he sought to kill him he wanted the life of grace he had before and sin got up and he could not work it out soundly to his dying day Now is not this a most grievous thing the very consideration of this how should it provoke us to shake off this deadness Can that body do well that hath lost his expulsive faculty when distempers arise it cannot expell them it must needs be the destruction of the body so when the life of the soul is either in part or wholly taken away how can he work out his corruptions and distempers that daily arise in him we have need of grace and life and quickning we are tempted every day and the corruptions that dwell in us are ever boyling up Now if we have not the expulsive faculty to purge them out the heart must needs be in a woful condition Sixthly This sin of deadness in some sense is worse then any other sin 6. Motive and that in six respects First Other sins for the most part are in one part of a man as drunkenness is in the appetite and covetousness is in the concupiscible faculty and pride and ostentation is in the heart and ignorance is in the minde but deadness is in all the whole man as it is with a languishing disease other diseases one may be in the head another in the neck another in the back but a Consumption runs over all the whole man So it is with deadness as it was with the Church of Lâ—odicea when they were grown dead and careless he chargeth them that they were dead all over Thou art poor and blind and miserable and naked this heaps all miseries upon a man Rev. 3. such a man is like unto Judah From the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there was no sound part Isa 1. 6. It is a general disease it is like the deluge that drowned the whole world it drowns the whole man I confesse drunkenness and adultery and such particular sinnes may kill and damn a man but I say by accident deadness is worse then they 't is true drunkennesse and adultery and prophanesse are worse but why are they worse but because they have this deadnesse too but if they could be taken alone and a man might have a living heart towards God otherwise they should not be worse then deadness Secondly Other sins are against one commandement of God or two or so but this deadnesse is against all the commandements of God it is a sin against prayer for we should pray with life it is a sin against hearing for we should hear with life it is a sin against the Sabbath for we should keep it with delight it is a sin against all the Ordinances of God for we should come to them all with life and affection Suppose a servant his Master should bid him do a thing he bids him goe to one place he goes to another he goes drinks and swills another servant he goes about that his Mr. bids him but whatsoever his Mr. bids him do he goes about it slothfully and by halfs this servant is a worse servant then the other why because thiâ— servant offends in all the business he hath to do whatsoever his Mr. sets him about he marrs it and doth it to halfs So deadness of heart it disables a man to every duty to whatsoever God requires of a man and this is one of the reasons why he that breaks one of the commandements of God is said to break them all Iam. 2. 10 11. Why because he deads his heart a man that gives way to sin against any one commandement deads his heart to all and so by reason of that deadness he becoms guitlty of all Thirdly Other sins are not so deep in the soul but this deadness is deeper then all a man will be willinger to lay down any sin then deadness and to take up any duty then quickning a man had rather do any thing if he may do it without life if the bare hearing praying and profession will serve turn may be he will do that but to do all with life this the heart is loth to come to when it comes to lay out all the strength and vigour of the whole man upon God the heart cannot abide this Judah was content to turn to God but to do it with life this they would not do Jer. 3. 10. Treacherous Judah hath not turned to me with the whole heart c. He doth not deny but they turned unto him but they would not do it with their whole heart with life with all their power and strength thus they did not turn unto him As it was with the Ruler in the Gospel he was content to observe the commandements of God not to murther not to commit adultery not to steal not to swear All these have I observed from Matth. 19. my youth saith he but when Christ came
me understanding and I shall keep thy Law as who should say if ever any man doth sâ—n against thy Law it is because he doth not understand himselfe therefore 〈◊〉 see how eager he is that God would give him understanding that he miâ—ht understand his wayes and understand what his will is that so â—e 〈…〉 ht do it that he might understand it savingly powerfully and deliver his Law into his heart God delivers his Law into every manâ— heart but saith he grant me thy Law graciously he prays that Psal 119. 29. God would not only deliver his Law to his understanding but in a gracious manner â—a man nevâ—â— sins against God but his understanding is deceived when we are proud we are deceived for we think too well of of our selves when we are worldly we are deceived for we think the world is better then it is so when we are dead to good duties we are deceived for we look upon Gods wayes and ordinances as if they were not such admirable things it is through the deceitfulness of our understandings that we give way to sin Now if our understandings were strengthened we should be fenced against the deceivableness of sin that when the Devil comes with his delusions and the temptations of the flesh with false colours to put us upon sin the understanding would be strong and see the weakness of all such reasons every man follows reason reason is a strong thing and leads all the world no man doth any thing but he hath some reason for it the worldly man hath some though not true reason why he is so carnal he is afraid he shall not know how to live therefore we should be earnest with God to strengthen our understandings that we may see the baseness and beggery and folly of all such vile reasons as these if the understanding were sound it were a marvellous strong thing A wise man is strong yea a man of knowledge encreaseth strongly Prov. 24. 5. Therefore I say we should labour to have sound understandings that God would give us to know his Word as it is and to look upon things as they are that the world may not seem to be otherwise then it is and our names and credit or any thing in the world may not seem to be more beautiful then they are that we may look upon things in their own colours that we may have light if we had the light that comes from above we should be marvellous strong as Paul saith Let us put on the Armour of light So Heb. 10. 32. saith he After Rom. 13. 12. you were enlightned you endured a great fight of affliction When they had true light come into their hearts that they durst not be impatient then though they had mighty afflictions upon them they endured them they had light come in they could not rise up against God if our knowledge were strong our corruptions would be weak our carnal hearts would be weak we should not be so able to goe against God and his commandements I can doe nothnig against the truth saith Paul why he had a strong light he saw so clearly that it was the truth of God and it 2 Cor. 13. 8. was the way to be damned for ever to goe against it and he saw so clearly what an admirable thing the truth was that he could do nothing against it as Joseph saith How can I commit this great wickedness c He had such a light and so saw the nature of the evil that he durst not do it for a Gen. 39. 9. world the understanding is a very strong thing see it in that which is in wicked wretches what a deal of strength hath that little knowledge of God that is in their hearts when a wicked man knowes that his courses are of the Devil and he is informed and reads it in the Word of God he knows his wayes are condemned of God I tell you this knowledge keeps a great deal of stir in his heart and makes his conscience afraid and sometimes qualms come over his heart and sometimes makes him resolve I will be a drunkard and adulterer no more it makes him that he cannot goe so freely about his wicked courses Mark 6. 20. When Herod knew John Baptist was a godly man this made him fear him So when Saul knew assuredly that David should be King though he went out to destroy him he let him goe nay a very persecutor if he knows they be the people of God he persecutes it will make his very heart ake and will make him give over his persecution except he be marvellous strong Isa 11. 9. Why how will God bridle persecutors The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. There shall be such a deal of knowledge that they shall not be able to hurt in my holy mountain nay this knowledge may make wicked men mightily to deny themselves Balaam though he was greedy after riches and preferment yet when he knew that it was Gods mind that he he should not curse Israel he should provoke God saith he If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord c. Nay knowledge may work Reformation After they escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 2. 20. Now if knowledge be such a thing where it is not rooted soundly in the mind then how strong would it be if we did get our understandings soundly informed if we would get knowledge rooted in us the very knowledge that God hath commanded us to serve him and fear him that he hath revealed his wrath from Heaven upon all disobedience that Christ is the Saviour of the world it would strengthen us against sin and to doe good therefore let us labour to have strong minds Secondly Let us labour to have a strong will as David had Psalm 119. 15 16. I will meditate in thy precepts I will delight my selfe in thy statutes I will not forget thy word You see how absolutely he is set upon it I will do thus and thus and I will not do the contrary this is a strong Will and therefore you see what admirable things he could do because his Will was strong what is the reason people are so weak they cannot resist sin they cannot give over such a lust they cannot get life and quickning in prayer and other duties if an Enemy come they cannot put it up if affliction come they cannot bear it patiently if they are called to stand for God they cannot put off carnal fears this is the weakness of our Wills if our Wills were absolutely set that way we should be marvellous strong and break through all oppositions all the strength of a man lies in the Will of a man if a mans Will be set upon a thing he will go through fire and water he will do it therefore we should labour that our Wills may be
had sworn by his holiness that he would never fail David so that here we see it was meerly through the goodness of God to David and his elect people that they were kept from falling away so Psal 37. 24. saith he the righteous shall not be utterly cast down a child of God may fall and fall souly and fearfully he may stain his own conscience in a lamentable manner and wound his own soul and disable himself to good duties in a fearful manner but yet though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down there shall be some standing still it shall not be an utter fall so he that doth these things shall never be removed Psal 15. 5. he speaks there of a man that shall dwel in Gods holy mount and be names who it is one that hath clean hands and a pure heart c. so that you see it is the promise of God that this man shall stand for ever he shall never be totally unsetled he doth not mean he shall not be moved at all but not absolutely so as to be quite and clean thrown down but yet no thanks to himself but thanks to the promise otherwise he might be moved and unsetled and break his neck and fall and never rise more but the promise is that he shall never â—e moved Psal 112. 6. the righteous shall never be moved he shall be had in everlasting remembrance the Lord will remember a righteous man in the midst of all temptations let all the Divels in hell set upon him the Lord will for ever remember that man and never let him go from him so that you see it is meerly the goodness of God not from any thing in himself not from any grace received but meerly from Gods goodness he may thank the rock he is built upon as Christ saith Mat. 7 25. He that heareth these sayings and doth them I will liken him to a man that built his house upon a rock c. The house fell not but he may thank the rock it was built upon a rock so a childe of God is built upon a rock as we have a Proverb how can he but swim that is held up by the chin so a child of God the Lord holds him up by the chin he shall never sink so as to be drowned he may fall and fall fearfully but not totally but there shall be something of God remaining in him for ever the Lord will ever keep some truth of grace in that mans soule that he hath given the truth of grace to 2 John 2. For the truths sake saith he which dwelleth in us and shall be in us for ever When God hath put in the truth of saving grace into any of his peoples hearts it shall dwell in them for ever the Lord will take an order for the keeping of it therefore though a childe of God may be grievously overcome yet God doth ever let somthing or other remain he doth ever exempt something God deals with his children in regard of their souls as he dealt with Job in regard of his body though he let the Devil have a great deal of power over him yet he did limit him he is in thy hand but save his life though he would not let him have power over his life to kill him he let him have Jobs children in his hands and he let him have his goods in his hands his cattel and his substance in his hands nay he let him have his health in his hands so that he did strike him with boyles and blains and woful sicknesse but yet save his life you shall not take away his life so God deals with the life of his Saints though he may let the Devil horribly tempt them and the World horribly carry them away and the lusts of the flesh horribly vanquish them yet saith God he is my childe and the Devil and the Flesh and the Temptations of the World shall never kill him save his life let him never be dead in trespasses and sinnes as a wretch But you will say What is it that doth remain and what shall for ever remain in the children of God You know David fell into adultery to lie with another mans wife he fell to that pass that he laboured to defend his sin and maintain it that it might not come abroad he added murder to it what grace what fear of God what love to his Majesty what regard of Gods commandements what goodness or holiness at all was in Davids heart now at this time So Solomon when he gave way to Idolatry over all Israel to the Idols of Moab and Ammon and Edom and the Philistins round about that the true God was not truly worshipped what grace had he was there any goodness or piety in Solomon at that time So when Peter denied his Master and forswore him and confirmed it with an oath and cursed himself if he knew the man what grace was in Peters heart at that time So when Asa threw the Prophet into prison when he came to reprove him what grace remained in him at that time Thus the enemies of this Doctrine argue against it therefore they say a child of God may fall totally Was there any grace at all in Davids heart when he was committing adultery and murder was there any grace at all in Lots heart when he was committing drunkennesse and incest one night after another I answer There are four things which shall ever remain in Gods children and shall never be taken away quite and clean after they are once converted and brought home to God First They have an Unction an anointing from the holy one and that is in them and shall abide in them for ever 1 John 2. 27. The anointing which ye have received of him dwelleth in you c. This same anointing it abides in the people of God for ever By this same anointing I mean the opening of their eyes whereby they look upon God and Christ and his goodness and holinesse and righteousnesse and the commandements of God and sin and hell and the world and profits and pleasures they look upon the things of the world and upon the things of heaven in another manner then any other people doe God opens their eyes that they look upon things in a different manner from other menâ— and this unction shall abide in them for ever 'T is true sin may hâ—rribly dazle their eyes by reason of the corruptions of the fâ—esh and the deceivablenesse of sin they may be marvellously weakened in this unction and darkness and deadness of soule may blinde their eyes and dimme their looks but it can never be quite taken away they will have a better sight of God and Heaven and Christ and heavenly things and of the Ordinances of God and of the world and their callings and the businesse of the world they shall see these things after a different manner from the world as for example A child of God shall see more
casts himself upon this and this draws him to Christ and if he love God and labour to please him and obey him and throw away all whatsoever displeaseth him if this makes him heavenly minded and long after the knowledge of God and the revelation of it this deads his heart to worldly things and makes him spiritual if it be thus this is true and saving faith and not dead faith This is encouragement to those that are without How many are there Vse 3. For encouragement to all that are without among you that are yet in your sinnes and were never yet brought home to Christ Consider what an excellent invitation here for you the Gospel is sent to every Creature under Heaven as you may see Col. 1. 23. You may have Christ if you have a will you may have righteousnesse if you have a will to it you may have redemption if you have a wil to it you may be delivered from sin and Satan if you have a will to it you may have the favour of God if you have a will to it you may have Christ if you will have all Christ he will come to you and will receive you as you may see an excellent place for this 1 Cor. 6. 11. The Apostle there saith that drunkards and adulterers and covetous persons shall never inherit the Kingdome of God such were some of you but you are justified in the Name of Christ as who should say there is no limitation in the Gospel of God as none in the tender of it so none in the execution of it for all you were drunkards and prophane and covetous yet you have found mercy with God by entertaining of this this methinks should envite people and draw people to come to Christ whosoever hath a minde not to perish not to go in a hard heart not to be worldly and without God in the world here Christ doth envite them all to come Matthew 22. 9. Go into the high-wayes saith Christ and whomsoever you finde bid them to the Marriage God knows who we may finde here at Church to day may be some of you are drunkards some enemies to God some hardned in your lusts some relapsed and fallen back into your carnal courses after profession of Religion some mockers and despisers God knows whom we finde we are bid to go into the high-wayes and bid all we finde therefore in the Name of Christ let me speak to you come to Christ will you let your sinnes damne you rather then receive Christ to save you think of this and if you will but follow Christ in all his Ordinances He hath shewed thee O man what the Lord requires of thee that thou shouldest be humbled and see what a wretched creature thou art that thou shouldest see what is amisse in thy soule and use all courses to reforme thy selfe he hath shewed thee how he would have thee pray what company he would have thee keep what kinde of carriage he would have thee use he hath shewed thee O man what he hath required hast thou a heart now to come to Christ he can help thee to all this and though thou hast not power to do all this yet if thou hast but a heart to do it to walk aright and live aright and spend thy dayes well in this world Though thou canst do none of all these things if though hast but an heart to do them and dost beleeve that eternal life is in Christ and this draws thee to Christ if thou doest but beleeve that in him is acceptance with God and he can bring thee to God for pardon and peace and hope and glory if thou doest beleeve this and the faith of this doth draw thee to come unto God I tell thee all thy sinnes shall not damne thee never a one of thy sinnes shall rise up in judgement against thee whatsoever thy conscience whatsoever the devil hath against thee whatsoever feares terrours discouragements are upon thee they shall never withhold thee from eternal life do but come to Christ and lay hold upon him and here he offers himself unto thee thou art not excepted or excluded unlesse thou exclude thy selfe If thou beleeve not thou shalt be damned but whosoever beleeves shall not perish but have everlasting life Use 4. For terrour to the obstinate Vse 4. In the last place this is for use to those that are obstinate namely to be as hell fire and the flames of Tophet in their soules and consciences You have heard the tender of Christ that salvation is in Christ and none other What a miserable taking are you then in that will not have him if we should carry the Gospel up and down into any place would not every one make it welcome If we should carry it into Innes and Taverns and amongst the basest wretches in the Countrey would they not say we will have Christ a man would think so as God saith Matthew 21. 37. Certainly they will reverence my Sonne not as if God were deceived in his expectation but he speaks of the probability of the thing in all reason one would think if they may have eternal life and Gods good will and pleasure toward them that they may have acquittance from all damnation that they may be happy for ever certainly they will receive my Sonne gladly they will take him and receive him in all reason one would think it were so but we see it is otherwise they will not take up Christ and abandon their own courses they will be vaine they will be company keepers they will be worldly and will neglect the best things they will have their pleasures and they will have their fopperies and fooleries they will not have Christ there be many things in Christ that every man would have the very devils in hell would have it namely to be redeemed from hell to have some peace in their consciences but the Regiment of Christ the dominion of Christ to have all Christ this they will not this therefore is no comfort to stubborne sinners but hell and damnation is the portion of all that refuse him Ezechiel 34. 16. See what the Lord there saith I will destroy the fat and the strong and feed them with judgement you that have fat hearts and strong your hearts are strong and your consciences are strong and all our Sermons are not able to make you shake those that are fat and strong saith the Lord I will feed them with judgements none of the mercies and comforts of the Gospel belong to such And assure your selves if you care not for Christ Christ cares as little for you as the Prophet speaks Esay 49. 5. Though Israel be 〈◊〉 gathered I shall have glory in his eyes so though you be not called and brought home though you be not saved I shall have glory saith Christ I shall be known to all eternity to be a Saviour to be a Prince to be the glory of the world I shall be glorious
before the Lord wrought upon him by the Law Secondly What a miserable wretched creature he saw himself to be when the Lord took him in hand and discovered his sins unto him before the Law came home unto him and convinced his Conscience he thought himself to be alive but when the Commandment came Sin revived and he died 1. In the former we may observe Two things First The jolliness of the Apostle he thought himself to be alive I was alive without the Law I was a Pharisee and thought my self to be alive I fasted twice a week and prayed every day and made long Prayers each day when he considered how he walked thus in all the Ordinances of God he thought if this was not to be alive he knew not what it was to be alive I was alive once without the Law Secondly We have here the cause why he had this good conceit of himself it was because he was without the Law the law of God had not convinced him it had not discovered his miserable and wretched estate unto him though he had some understanding in the literal sense of the Law yet the Law was not yet come home unto him he was as yet without the Law and that was the reason of that good conceit he had of himself he did esteem himself to be alive And then again in the latter part When the Commandment came Sin revived but I died There we may also observe Two things First The Law shewed him what a wretched estate and condition he was in for all his self-conceitednesse sin revived and I died Though I thought before I was alive yet when the Commandment came sin 〈◊〉 and I died I saw I was a dead man when the Lord took me in hand to deal with me and let me see how my case stood before him Howsoever I thought my self to be in a good case before now I saw I was but a dead man I did not see such evil and such a masse of corruption before but when the Lord discovered my self unto my self and when I saw the Spiritualnesse of the Law then I saw that sin was alive in me and I died when I saw how I ought to behave my self in my affections and in my inward man then sin revived and I for my part was a dead man I was sain to come down from those high conceits and imaginations I had before Secondly We have here the Cause why he was thus brought down it was because of the Commandment of God which came home unto him the Law of God came home unto his Conscience and discovered unto him how it was with him and it made him to shake in the apprehensions of his own estate that he was but a dead man and that he had gone to Hell and perished everlastingly if he had continued in that estate and condition I intend at this time to treat of the former part Without the Law I was once alive And here Two things must be opened First what doth the Apostle mean by without the Law Secondly What doth he mean when he saith I was once alive 1. For the First When the Apostle saith he was without the Law he doth not mean simply that he did think himself without the Law that is without the binding Authority of the Law for so no reasonable creature is yea indeed no creature at all is without the Law of God for there is a Law of Obedience imposed upon all the Creatures and the unreasonable Creatures do keep the Law that is imposed upon them by God and howsoever reasonable Creatures depart from this Law and break it yet they are under the binding power of this Law therefore the Apostle doth not thus mean that he was without the Law therefore we must know that to be without the Law is taken Four wayes First To be without the Law is meant to be without the promulgation and publishing of the Law and so the Heathen only are said to be without the Law as we may see Rom. 2. 12. there the Heathen are said to be without the Law that is without the promulgation of the Law it was published only to the Jewes upon Mount Sinai and so Paul was not without the Law Secondly It is taken in regard of the literal knowledge of the Law and so ignorant people are said to be without the Law of God they know not the Law of God and in this sense Paul was not without the Law he was trained up in the Law he was learned in the Law for he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel Acts 22. 3. so that he had the logical meaning of the Law and was able to speak of the points of Religion better then a thousand millions of carnal men he had the literal knowledge of the Law Thirdly It is taken in regard of the moral Obedience to the Law and so wicked men are said to be without the Law as we may see 1 Tim. 1. 9. The Law is not given to a Righteous man but to the Lawless and Disobedient wicked men are lawless they live as if there were no Law Drunkards and Prophane persons as they are said to live without God in the world so they are said to live without the Law as if there were no Law to bind them they are people that are not to be held within any compass they take notice of no command to rule in their hearts and rectifie their lives and in this sense Paul was not without the Law neither for he lived after the most strict and exact Sect of the Pharisees Phil. 3. 4 5. If any man think he hath whereof he may trust in the flâ—sh I much more circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the Law a Pharisee He was one that fasted and curbed himself yea he kept two Fasts a week as those Pharisees did that were of the better rank he Prayed daily and performed the duties of Religion and there was no outward Ordinance of the Law which he performed not he was one that was conformable to the letter of the Law according as he understood the Law he was Morally Obedient to the Law he was no extortioner nor unjust person no he did the works of the Law and those things contained in the Law nay there was no body that could challenge him with any blame none that were familiar with him could say any thing to tax him withal when he was in his ignorance and blindness therefore in this sense he was not without the Law Fourthly Therefore in the Fourth place we are said to be without the Law in regard of the spiritual sense of the Law and so Paul was without the Law he did not clearly understand the divine and spiritual sense of the law he did not see the glory and the beauty of the Law of God how it did discover all the breaches of Righteousness how it reached to all
Whore and commit his wickednesse he doth not think that they are dead and damned men that are there nor that they are in the pit of Hell Though his Conscience may tell him that he is wicked and sinful and wretched and that he is half dead yet he is not a dead man he is not absolutely a dead man he doth not know this It may be he will confesse it Lord I am a dead man Lord I am a damned man it may be he will confesse this in his Prayer because he hath some light but yet his heart is not taken down the livelinesse of his heart is not killed I will prove it to you for let another man a Minister of God or a child of God say he is a dead man a damned man one that lies under the wrath of God he will deny it and say he is uncharitable and judgeth hardly and why may he not be a live man and a good Christian he hopes he is he doth not know that he is a dead man as the wise-man speaks Prov. 14. 12. There is a way that seemetht right to a man but the issues thereof are death that is there is a way that seems to be a way of life and a man seems to be alive that walks in that way but the truth is it is a way of death and a man that goeth in that way is a dead man and a damned man but yet in the mean time while he walks in that way it seems to be a way of life unto him there is a non-appearance of the deadnesse and damnednesse of a mans estate and condition that walks in that way and therefore it seems to him to be a right way and a way of life and there is great hope in him that he shall live for evermore and many men do walk in that way and therefore it seems to him to be a right way and a way of life it seems right to a man but the end thereof is death And this is the First thing wherein this liveliness consists The non-appearance of a mans dead and damned estate 2. Secondly It consists in Performance he is able as he conceives to do the duties that God commands he hath wisdom and ability at home to go about his Affairs he hath understanding and supply at home he hath life and sufficiency to go about these and these duties and performances let the Law tell him he must be sober he hath life to avoid the Ale-house and if he commit a Drunken Act he would have you think he hath grace to be sorry for it and let a man tell him he is a dead man he hath no grace in him no life in him he will tell you he doth thus and thus he hears Gods Word and he Prayes to God and he Trusts in God and he Believes in God your telling of him this doth not kill his heart he thinks he is alive for all this nay let the Law of God come and tell him He is a dead man for all his doing this will not kill him neither so long as the Lord himself doth not open his eyes and clear his eye-sight and discover his sins and convince his Conscience though the Law say he is a dead man and a damned man this doth not kill him he can wait upon God and perform these and these duties Then let the Law of God say He is a dead man for all this he must deny himself why so he will I confesse Lord I am an unrighteous man a wretched man a sinful creature and all my righteousnesse is as menstruous raggs and now he thinks all is well but the Law of God hath not yet come home unto him and shewed him his heavie estate but he is alive in regard of the performance of the duty and thinks verily he hath life at home in him whereas if the Law of God did come home and charge his estate upon him and shew him what obedience the Law requires what severity and truth in the inward parts it would break a mans heart and kill him notwithstanding all performances but in the mean time that a mans heart is not killed and the Law hath not given him his deaths VVound he thinks he is alive Cry aloud saith God lift up thy voice like a Trumpet shâ—w my people their Transgressions and the house of Israel their sins Isai 58. 1. there the Lord looks upon the people as dead wretched sinners and abominable people but yet notwithstanding they thought they were alive in performances as we may see vers 2. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my wayes even as a Nation that did righteously and had not forsaken the Statutes of their God they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice they draw near to me saying We have fasted and thou regardest it nâ—t We see here they take delight in approaching unto God they take delight in Gods Ordinances and seek God early they can do thus and thus and are alive in all performances but that man whose spirit the Law hath pulled down and the Lord hath convinced him of his infinite inability to perform the Law he cannot see any liveliness in him unto any performance Let any duty come it kill his heart I should now hear the VVord of God but my heart is unprepared and my ear uncircumcised and I cannot hear aright Let an opportunity be offered to Pray it kills his heart I should now call upon the Name of the Lord but I have such a cursed heart I cannot Pray I cannot speâ—k one right word before God Let an occasion be offered of holy Conference it kills his heart Alas saith he I want pure language my tongue was never touched with a coal from the Altar my lips have not ability to drop forth favoury speeches I am not able to speak one syllable aright to Gods glory it kills his heart he sees no life at all in him unlesse he can have life from without and ability from without he is dead all is nothing to him the law hath taken away the livelinesse that was in him But he that is not humbled by the Law he is alive he hath life in himself it is nothing with him to Pray and go to Church and hear Gods Word it is nothing but thrusting to do the duty he hath life in him to do duties and wait upon God in his Ordinances but when the Law comes home to him it plainly lets him see that he hath no life in himself to do any good he must seek for life and abibility from without else he is a dead man he can do nothing in this case David in this case cannot look up Mine iniquities are gone over my head I cannot loâ—k up Psal 40. Mâ—ses he is a man of uncircumcised lips and cannot speak unto Phâ—raoh Paul cannot do any thing that is good In me dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. And so for the rest of Gods people when the Law hath
killed them and laid them dead in regard of any performance they must have life from without there is no life at home no grace at home no understanding at home they must go out for all but a carnal man he is alive unto all performances Many a man is like unsavoury Salt good for nothing but to throw upon the dunghil He never received the Holy Ghost and yet he will be inducted into a Living and take a Pastoral Charge upon him as if he were able to perform the Duty of a Minister and take the Charge of Souls upon him So Ananias will be a Husband and Sapphira a VVife Athalia vvill be a Queen and Nimred a King and Abimilech a Judge they are alive to discharge all these Duties thus men are alive the Law of God hath not killed their hearts and pulled down their spirits it hath not made it appear unto them what wretched cursed Creatures they are This is the Second thing wherein this Liveliness consists Thirdly This Livelinesse consists in a presumptuous hope he conceives that he is justified before God and that God will not damn him but forgive him his sins There is nothing can make a mans heart more full of life than to think that he is righteous before God and that God will not impute his sins unto him there is nothing can make a man more alive then this If they think they are justified before God they have then a lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God saith the Apostle even the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead So these men have a hope that makes them lively and full of life as a poor man that hath some grounded hope of an Earthly inheritance it makes the heart lively Poverty deads the heart he that hath nothing to maintain himself and those that belongs unto him it deads his heart but if he hath some hopes of an hundred pound a year and his hope is grounded if he hath sure hope of it and he makes no doubt of it it makes his heart full of life so when a man doth believe that he is in a good case that he is delivered from death that he is in the estate of grace when he hath some probability that God hath justified him from sin this breeds an hope in him of an eternal Inheritance and this hope the consideration of it makes the soul full of life There is nothing can make a man more lively then a hope that he is justified before God and that God will not impute his sins unto him Now when a carnal man conceives he is righteous before God and that God will forgive him his iniquities that God will not damn him nor count him a dead and a damned man so long as a man doth imagine this he must needs be a lively man he is alive in his own apprehension nay all the delights in the world cannot make a man so full of life as this hope It is not mens following their pleasure that makes their hearts so full of life as to have hope that the Lord doth not account them dead men that they are justified men and righteous men that they have salvation to shew for Heaven and eternal happinesse to shew for that they shall go to heaven But if now the Law were charged upon a man if he knew that he were a dead man a damned man it would pluck down his spirits and make his spirits dead for all his pleasures It is the conceit that men are Justified that makes them so full of life so long as the Law doth not come home to a man and point him out in his colours and make it appear to him that he lyeth under the wrath of Almighty God that the Lord doth account him an abominable wretched Creature so long as he doth not apprehend this especially if he have any good Gifts and Parts and Qualities and Moral Obedience to the Law doing good Duties and a general laying hold upon the Promises and a hope they belong to him this makes him alive Phil. 3. 9. Paul when he was a Pharisee and did Moral Duties and performed Moral Obedience to the Law of God he thought he had Righteousnesse of his own he calls it there his own Righteousnesse he so apprehended of himself now this is that which makes men alive when they conceive that they have some Religion and some Grace You shall have many men and women that hate the Servants of God and yet think they are godly men and have Grace and Life in them We may see it Acts 13. 50. there it is said that the Jews stirred up certain devout and honourable women and raised Persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their Coasts Though they hated Paul and Barnabas yet they are said to be devout and honourable women They imagined they were very Devout they conceived they were Religious How many men and women are there that think they are Righteous and they will do many Duties and take many good Courses in so much that it would pity a man to think they should go to hell they will be very Zealous they will be very Earnest against Drunkennesse and cry out against the abominations of the times they are marvellous Devout and Godly and yet a man that is Devout and Godly in truth and in deed they cannot abide him but hate him Now if the Law should come home unto them and discover how indeed it is with them it would humble their souls and pull down their spirits and make them dead so that this presumptuous hope that men are in good terms with God and that God will be merciful to them and forgive them their sins this makes them to be alive 2. We come now to the Second thing and that is the Effect of this â—iveliness what Effects it works in the heart And the Effects of this Liveliness are Four 1. First It makes them sound and heart-whole like a Boyl unlaunced it is yet sound The true sight of sin and wrath of God in the soul is able to break the heart of any man it is able to dead his spirit and kill all the Livelinesse that is in him and make him have little life to go on as he doth But so long as the Law of God is not come home to a man though he have no Title to Heaven though Hell be the Portion of his Cup yet he is as sound as can be as heart-whole as may be Let carnal comfort come he can take it let pleasures come he is able to delight himself therewith and go on in his course as if he ailed nothing Prov. 18. 14. the Wise man saith The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities but a wounded spirit who can bear When the Lord comes to wound a mans heart with the sight of his sins and
sins as the Prophet speaks the heart of this people is waxed stiff their hearts are marvellous stiffe the reason of it is because the Law of God hath not taken away their livelynesse it hath not humbled their hearts and pull'd down their spirits whereas if the Law had past upon them and the consideration of their estate were rooted in their minds it would make their stoutnesse to yeild and their stiffenesse to come down infinite is the stiffenesse of a man for want of this work of the law Tell a vain gallant of his locks how sâ—â—â—â—ly will he reason for it Tell a prophane person of the lewdnesse of his course how stiftly will he argue for it This is for want of this killing work of the law 4. Fourthly The last effect of this livelinesse is this it makes the heart peark and brisk what a deal of brisknesse and pearknesse do we see every day in the hearts of men because their hearts are not taken down I will give you two or three Instances If a man have a little knowledge more then others he is proud and brisk and peark and he will be some-body he will be talking and thinks he hath such a deal of knowledg what is the reason of this that he is so peark It is because the Law hath not made it known unto him that he knows nothing as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. There saith the Apostle If a man thinks he knows any thing he knows nothing as he ought to know If the law of God did shew him he were a beast and a bruit for all his understanding if it did discover unto him his blockishnesse and blindnesse and ignorance that he knows nothing of the Mysteries of Grace and Salvation this would pull down his pearknesse take another man that hath more knowledge and can speak better a thousand times if the law hath shewed him his estate and truly humbled him all hâ— brisknesse is taken away the law hath taught him such a lesson that he cannot be peark Oh! saith he I know nothing there is no man more foolish then I I have not the knowledge of the most High in me though he have never so much knowledge and gifts and parts yet the law hath discovered his estate unto him and pulled down the pearknesse of his spirit Again another man is ready to carp at every word every little occasion will make him on the top of the house his heart is so brisk that it is up upon every little occasion but when the law comes home unto him this will pull down all his pearkness alas he angry at a word speaking The law hath told him how he hath offended God and provoked his Spirit from time to time he is now cooled from being so peark to be angry at every word So take a man that is full of pleasure and voluptuousnesse and is ready to be vain and foolish every pleasure puts life into him but now let the law come and be charged upon his conscience and then all his pearknesse is presently down he is not able to look up he seeth so many sins discovered by the law that he is not able to look up Jam. 5. 1. Go to now ye rich men saith the Apostle weep and â—owl for the misery that shall come upon you If the law were charged upon rich men it would make them weep and howle rich men are fullest of pleasure and delight and farthest from weeping and howling but if the Law were charged upon their consciences it would make them weep and howle and have little heart to be so pleasant I come now to the Uses and the First Vse is for Instruction to shew us the reason why there are so many men and women among us that think Vse 1 themselves alive that are so secure and fearlesse and carelesse that have their hearts so sound and their spirits so unbroken the reason is because the Law hath not yet come home and killed their hearts 2 Cor. 3. 6. The very letter of the Law is able to kill as many of us as are in this estate and condition therefore the cause of this livelinesse and security is because we are strangers from the Law of God our eyes were never open to behold it the Law of God never came home unto our hearts The Second Vse is this When we find our hearts to be brisk and peark Vse 2 let us pray unto God that he would be pleased to charge his Law upon our Consciences Let us buy precious eye-salve that we may be able to look into the Law of God this will make our hearts that they will not be so wanton and our spirits that they will not be so brisk though they would never so fain mind earthly things they cannot If the Lord would be pleased but to charge his Law upon the heart it would make the stoutest spirit to yield Thirdly This takes away the imputation that is laid upon the Word of Vse 3 God many think hardly of the Word of God it takes away the spirits of men the Preaching of the Law it pulls down the spirits of men and breaks mens hearts it makes men have no spirits as they said of Jâ—remy thou makest the knees feeble so the Law infeebles the knees and takes away the spirits of a man why here we see that the Law of God will do so it is the Property of the Law to do so wheresoever it comes it kills the heart and pulls down all the pearknesse of it The Law it will ever break a mans bones as David speaks Let me hear of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Psal 51. The Lord had broken his very back-bone by the Law and now he could not rejoyce Isai 57. 15. I the Lord dwell with him that is of an humble and contrite spirit to revive the spirit of the humble When the Law of God hath broken a mans heart and made him contrite he is a dead man till the Lord comes to revive him and raise up his spirit I come now to the Second part of the Text When the Commandment came The latter part of the Text Opened sin revived and I died Here also as in the former part are Two things to be expounded First What doth the Apostle here mean by reviving When the Commandment came sin revived Secondly What doth he mean by dying I died When the Law and Commandment came and discovered me to my self and shewed me what a damnable thing sin was and what a wretched dead creature I was for committing the same and how I lay under the guilt thereof sin revived and I diedâ— Therefore What doth the Apostle mean by sin revived I Answer The Apostle doth not mean here as if sin were indeed dead in him before the Commandment came for sin is alive in every carnal mans heart before the Commandment comes and therefore he cannot mean thus when the Commandment came
Now for the meaning of the Second word I dyed that is I saw I was a dead man I saw plainly and clearly that I was but a dead man I thought I was alive before because I did good duties and walked in the Ordinances of God and I thought that I might go for a Christian and Servant of God as well as another I did not think I was a dead man I thought I had some goodnesse in me some hope of eternal life in me I did not conclude that I was a dead man But when the Law of God humbled me and discovered my estate plainly unto me then I saw I was a dead man indeed my heart failed me and the livelyness that was in me before departed from me I saw I was a dead man and had not the Spirit of Christ come and quickned me I had been a dead man to all eternity I now saw that sin began to revive in me and I began to be a dead man Thus we see the meaning of the words Now the Theame I propounded to you was this namely how the Lord converts the will and the first work that prepares a man hereunto is the work of pulling down the vvill and the pulling down of a mans heart for the will of a man is full of obstinacy full of livelinesse against the truth and commandment of God full of livelinesse in sin and conceives it self to be in a better estate and condition and so the will is obstinate still Now when it pleaseth God to convert a man first he pulls down the will of a man and pulls down his spirit now here is a Doctrine to make way for this Namely That when the Lord takes a man in hand to pull him down to pull down his will he doth shew him what a dead Creature he is The Obser Lord by pronouncing a man in his own Bosom a dead man a damned man one that can no way help himself he is dead absolutely dead in his own estate and in Gods account all his hopes are rotten he is meerly a dead damned man hereby the Lord pulls down his Will We may see this in Paul before his Conversion his Will was full of Obstinacy and Rebellion against God he would go and make havock of the Church he would not submit to the Will of God but when the Lord came to work upon him Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks What wilt thou that I shall do Lord saith he Act. 9. 6 Now his Will is come down but mark how the Lord puts him off Go to such a place saith he and there it shall be told thee what thou shalt do The Lord puts him off and would not give him an Answer presently what he should do as who should say Thou hast as yet an obstinate Will thou wilt not do as I command thee I will not tell thee as yet what I will have thee to do but go to such a place and I will Arrest thee there and charge my Law upon thy Conscience and shew thee thy dead and damned estate And now his Will is come down he bids him be Baptized and he was so he bids him go and Preach the Gospel and he did so now his Will is come down So the Prodigal his Heart was marvellous Obstinate against his Fathers commandment he would be gone from his Father he could not abide to stay in a house where there were such strict courses he would have his Goods and Patrimony in his own hand as it is the Property of every carnal man he would have his Inheritance in his own hand he would have Power and Strength and Ability and these Gifts and Parts in his own hand but when he is humbled by the Law he is content to have all in Gods hand he is content to have all his VVisdom there that he may come thither for it he is content to have all his Righteousnesse there and all his Ability Strength and Sufficiency there that he may come thither for it all is there and he sees himself a beggar if he comes not to God and keeps close to God and keeps fast to his Covenant he is a very beggar But this man would have all in his own hands and go and squander away all upon his Lusts and Pleasures and he would not stay at home with his Father Now when the Law of God came home to him to shew this man to himself when he came to himself as the Text saith his Father did esteem him a dead man before but when he came to himself and saw he was a dead man for going away from his Father the Father of Life Novv his VVill is come dovvn I will go to my Father and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants Luke 15. 17. Here his VViâ—l is come dovvn he vvould be gone from his Father before he could not abide to be held in so strictly he vvould fain be gone and be at liberty he had no mind to stay in his Fathers house But vvhen he came to himself vvhen the Lavv shevved him he vvas but a dead man for going from his Father and going after his Lusts and Pleasures novv his VVill is brought dovvn and it submits and yields and novv he vvill go to his Father and humble himself before his Father and say Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee c. Novv I desire here to shevv you Three things as I did in the former Point First VVherein this deadnesse consists Secondly VVhat be the effects of this deadnesse and how it pulls down the heart And. Thirdly The Uses we are to make of it 1. For the First Wherein this deadnesse consists and it consists in Three things First In deadnesse in being Secondly In deadnesse in Gods account Thirdly In deadnesse to all doing 1. First It consists in deadnesse in being When the law comes it shews a man indeed to be a dead man 2 Cor. 3. 6. the Letter killeth saith the Apostle the very letter of the law without the Spirit of life which Christ doth inform it with when he comes to work upon his children The letter alone without the Spirit of God kills a man now when a man is killed he is a dead man he is then fully dead he hath the very being of a dead man he is a dead man that is his Estate and Condition So when the law of God comes â—ome to a man it shews him indeed that he is a dead man The property of the law when it is let in to work upon the heart is to slay a man I have slain them by the words of my mouth Hos 6. 5. The law which proceeds from Gods mouth is able to slay a poor sinner and kill him at the heart and lay him for dead before Almighty God that he can
the world The Word of God was marvellous powerfull that could convince them of thiâ— so a man that goeth on in his sinful estate and condition it is a marvellous hard thing to convince him that he is a dead man he hears the Word constantly and goes on in his Calling diligently and he hopes that Christ â—ed for him he is afraid of sin and his heart trembles to commit sin and he is sorry for his sins he is thus and thus he that hath so many things to plead for himselfe what he a dead man It is impossible Therefore if the law of God be able to convince a man and make a man a de a man that is so full of lâ—fe the law must needs be mighty that can do this to dead this man and kill this man is a mighty work So that we may say as the Psalmist saith of the Sea and the Mountains Psal 114. 5 6. Wâ—aâ—â—â—ed â—hee O Sea that thou fleddest O Jordan why were thâ—â— turned back Ye Mountains why leaped ye as Rams and ye Hills as Lambs So I may say What ayleth this poor man that he is now driven from his former courses and like the â—ea out of his own Channel what ayls those Mountains of lusts and corruptions that were settled upon his soule as a Mountain upon his Base what ayle these to move and stir and fall away What ayls the man that was so full of life before that at one Sermon he is killed What ayls the man he came brisk and peark into the Church and who but he He was immoveable from his sinful lusts and corruptions and he had this Plea and that confidence and was full of life but by one hours discourse which it may be another heard as well as he and went away as brisk as before but this mans spirit is deaded and his heart taken down what ayls the man now why the law of God hath done it See therefore the marvellous power of the law I told you formerly That when the Law comes home to a mans soule and is charged upon his Conscience it casts the heart into all those woful privâ—tions we read of in Scripture a man before he is thus deaded by the law thinks himselfe to be possessed of abundance of comforts but now he seeth himselfe to be an out-cast and utterly lost to be a captive and poor and miserable and blind and naked he lies under all these privations And as the Philosopher saith That Privation is one of the Principles of Nature Every body saith he hath Three Principles Matter Form and Privation No natural thing can have this or that From put into it but it must be deprived of all other Forms as if fire be turned into air first the form of fire must be taken away before it can be turned into air so it is in Grace Privation is one of the Principles of Religion before the life of Christ can be brought into a man there must first be a Privation of all other contrary lives the life of the flesh that cursed livelinesse of the flesh the life of sin and the life of the world whereby a man lives unto the world and the things of the world A man must be deprived of all other lives of all other forms he must have a Privation of all other forms before the life of Christ can be formed in him As for example Take a man that is worldly wise put him upon civil Affairs he is wise enough to order all his businesse in eating and drinking he is wise enough not to distemper himself wise enough to keep a good diet Put him upon matters of Religion he is wise there too he will not be so precise as some are that are more nice then wise he will be moderate and wise in the Service of God Tell him that he is one that doth not please God that he walks to hell-ward that he hath no care of his Salvation he thinks that he is wiser then so Would you make this man a wise man indeed you can never make him truly a wise man till you bring a Privation upon him till he be first deprived of all that worldly wisdom that is in him If any man among you seem to be wise saith the Apostle let him become a fool that he may 〈◊〉 wise I Cor. 3. 18 Let him have first a Privation of all the seeming wisdom he hath of all the wisdom of the flesh and carnal reason he must first be a fool or else true wisdom is not able to enter it to him So if a man would be high he must first be humbled and brought low before he can be trulâ— high a man must be naked before he can be cloatâ—ed a man â—ust be lost before he can be found there are none of you that live in your sins but you must be stripped of all the forms that are in you there must be a Privation come into you before true Grace can be formed in you Privation is one of the Principles of Religion and unlesse you be deprived of all other forms you cannot have the essential form of Religion come into you it is the poor that receive the Gospel when a man is deprived of all other forms then is he fit to receive the forme of the Gospel When a man is deprived of his own wisdom he may then receive the wisdom of the Gospel when a man is deprived of his own self-confidence of his own strength and sufficiency then he may receive the strength of the Gospel when a man is deprived of all other contrary livelinesse and contrary forms that are opposite to all these when a man is deprived of all these he is capable of the true life of Christ and the Gospel I will Instance onely in one thing which I named before and that is poverty a man can never receive Christ or any impression of the true form of Christianity till first his Heart be emptied and his Will and his Mind be emptied and his Conscience be emptied till all other forms be voided out and he begins to be made poor and nothing in himself till every room in the soule be naked and empty there is never a room for the kingdome of God to come into the soule the kingdom of God is a great thing and will take up a great deal of room where it comes therefore the Heart and the Mind and the Will and the Affections must be emptied the soul must be rid and void of all other things or else there is no room for the Kingdom of God As our Saviour saith Matth. 5. 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall receive the Kingdome of God Then there is room for the Kingdom of God when the heart is made poor and all is voided out the world and the flesh and all cranal delights and pleasures and all self-conceitednesse which the heart was full of When it was full of the world there was no room
to deaths door before he quickens him it is the Gospel that truly humbles him and works these Privations and now he is within the compasse of the Promise now he hath a Promise that he shall be quickned and have supply in regard of all these Privations but so long as these Privations are only legal he hath no Promise that he shall be quickned for many are humbled and made dead as it were by the Law and yet shake it off again and go to their proâ—its and pleasures and delights and hardnesse of heart again many a man hath been gastered by the Law and cryed out of his damned estate and condition and yet hath got up again and recovered himself by the world and the things of the world and it was ever so of old as we may see in Cain the Law had discovered him to himself to be a dead man and a damned man I see my sins are greater then can be forgiven or are forgiven or shall be forgiven he saw his punishment was intolerable his condemnation was more then he was able to bear From thy presence am I cast out and a Vagabond shall I be upon the facâ— of the earth Gen. 4. 14. Yet he was not the formal Object of Mercy the Gospel did not quicken him nor convert him he was not the formal Object of Mercy for he shook off these terrours again as we may see in the very same Chapter and went to building of Cities and inventing of Musick and other Arts and Sciences and this quickned and revived him again but he never came to true Life So it is with many men though they be terrified and gastered and humbled and cast down by the Law yet they get up again and run after the world and after security and hardnesse of heart again so that such a man is not the formal Object of Mercy 2. Again We see many though they be wrought upon thus by the Law and their Eyes be enlightned and their Consciences awaked and they see that they are in a wretched and damned estate yet they scrape together a company of vain hopes and so heal themselves again VVhen they have been terrified by the Law they seek presently for Promises and how they may get up again and they would fain get up and they lye at catch at every Sermon and at every Chapter and at every Word which a good man speaks and if they can get any hold they catch at it and so get up again and go on And when they have got a little comfort and think they shall do well they are as carelesse and as stubborn and as secure as ever they were they may go on in the profession of Religion but yet their latter end is worse than their beginning The unclean Divel may be cast out but the Devil transforms himself into an angel of light and enters into them and they go on in doing good duties but they never have the power of Religion Again Thirdly Many that are humbled by the Law they run away and never come to Christ as Judas when he saw he was condemned he went and hanged himself Matth. 27. 3 5. Some expound it of Christ when he saw Christ was condemned but others expound it of himself when Judas saw himself was condemned and that seems to be the meaning of the place for Christ was not condemned nor so much as accused there came not any witnesse against him till Judas had hanged himself as we may see if we read that Chapter But whether that be the meaning or no this is true and certain he saw he was a dead man he saw he lay under the guilt of his sins and he despaired of Mercy and went and hanged himself Again Lastly If such a man were the Object of Mercy then all the damned in Hell were the formal Objects of Mercy for there is never a man in Hell but the Law hath its work to the uttermost upon him it can work a man no lower it can sink a man no deeper it can make a man no more miserable then those that are in Hell Now if a dead man by the Law should be the formal Object of mercy then the damned in Hell should be the formal Object of mercy which cannot be for from thence there is no Redemption Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his angels Matth. 25. there is no quenching of that fire So that we see the legal killing of the Law doth not make a man the formal Object of mercy But yet such a man hath a great deal of advantage he is before a world of other men that live secure if men were in this estate they were in a thousand times more likelyhood to be saved If I could hear of people that were gastered and cast down by the Law that saw themselves without Christ and without Mercy in the power of Satan and in the bond of iniquity if they cryed out I am a dead man and a damned man if I dye now at this present I shall go to Hell if People were in this estate and condition there were more hopes of them a thousand times there is no hope of people that do live secure in their sins so long as the Trumpet of the Law hath not sounded in their ears so long as the Hammer of the Law hath not sounded upon their hearts there is no hope of mercy for them Therefore now for the clearing of this a little more let me shew you First What it is to be dead according as the Gospel makes a man to be a dead man Secondly What is the difference between Legal Privation and Evangelical and when these Privations are Evangelical and put a man under the actual title to Mercy under an actual interest in the Promises Thirdly VVhat Use we are to make of it For the First VVhat it is to be Evangelically dead To be Legally dead is not to be half a quarter so much dead as to be Evangelically dead so as the Gospel makes a man dead before it quickens him VVhen a man is Evangelically dead it makes him more dead by a thousand degrees then all the Law in the world can make him it makes him more dead by odds when a man is Legally dead and sees himself to be a damned creature and whereas he hoped to have mercy he seeth now he hath none and whereas he hoped to go to Heaven he now seeth the Gates are shut against him and whereas he hoped he had some good in him now he sees he hath nothing in him a man would think this were a dead man but his livelinesse is only in a swound the Law lying upon him will not let his livelinesse appear and if the Law should lye upon him for ever it would never let his livelinesse actually appear but yet he is not throughly dead all this while as for example 1. Self-conceitednesse it is not deaded when a man is killed by the
man he is a thousand times more dead and a great deal harder to recover nothing can recover that man but Christ let all the profits in the world come they cannot chear him without Christ if the devil should come and put into his minde all good conceits and the good opinion of the world If the Ministers should tell him he is in a good estate they cannot quicken his heart he is dead still he is harder a thousand times to be revived then the other as the Apostle saith Col. 3. 2 3. Set your affections on things that be above not on things that are on earth for ye are dead and your life is hid in Christ The Gospel hath made you dead and you cannot be revived by any thing but Christ your life is hid with Christ do not you set your affections on things that are below they can never put life into you therefore let not them take up your minds and affections any more for your life is in Christ alone 2. Secondly He is most dead that life it self cannot make alive When a man is but legally dead the law hath made him a dead man and killed him and shewed him he is a damned creature this man let him have but a little life or any thought of life come into him let him have any affections towards God any seeming desires it will make him think I am alive But if the Gospel once have made a man a dead man life it self cannot quicken him Christ himself cannot make this man a live man in himself though life come into him and though he hath life from God yet hâ— himself is dead I am dead through the law saith Paul that I might live unto God thus I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and that life I now live in the flesh I live by Faith in the Son of God Gal. 2. 19 20. When the Gospel had made him dead for that is the meaning of the words he was not only dead by the law but by the power of the Gospel working by the law Now saith he though I have life and Christ be come into me and lives in me yet I do not live I live but not I but it is Christ that liveth in me I live yet do not mistake me I am a dead man I have no life it is Christ that liveth in me when a man is evangelically dead it makes a man content that God should keep life in his hand and keep the purse in his hand and all in his hand it makes him content to be without strength and ability and to have nothing in his own hand but to have all from the Lord and he saith I am a dead man and if I ever have comfort I have none in my self I must go to Christ for comfort and life and strength and ability and so for power and activity and riches and means and maintenance and every thing it is not my parts and gifts that can help me to them but I must go to Christ to fetch them now it is the desire of mans heart to have life at home he cannot abide to have life in anothers hands and though the law and hell it self proclaim a man a dead man and make a man see himself a dead man yet it cannot kill this Principle a man would have life and strength in his own hand and ability and sufficiency in his own custody we may see this Principle in Gods own Children though this Principle be begun to be killed yet it rests partly in Gods children there is still a secret lust in their hearts to have life and grace and strength in their own keeping and if any child of God be negligent in coming to God it is because of this Principle that remains in him 3. Thirdly He is most dead that death hath most power over Now when a man is legally dead and the law hath made him a dead man though he be a dead man yet death hath no power over him his heart is stubborn still and will not look toward Christ and the Gospel he is still as stubborn as ever he was he will roar and howl and hear every Sermon but still he hath a hard heart the law hath not power to break his heart to powder and to soften his heart but when a man is evangelically dead when the Gospel hath made him dead as it doth before it quickens a man it breaks the sturdinesse of a mans heart and shatters a man all to pieces that is the meaning of that place Psal 147. 3. He healeth those that are broken in heart and bindeth up their sores Now he is thus made a dead man it makes his heart to burst under the weight of his sins and it beats him to powder but a man that is onely legally dead he is heart-whole still and his spirit is as stout against the kind working of the Gospel asever it was nay worse a great deal there are none more hardened then those that see themselves dead damned creatures by the power of the law without the power of the Gospel But when the Gospel comes it breaks the heart to powder Isa 57. 15. Thus saith the high and lofty one He that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place and with him who is of an humble and contrite spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to give life to them that are of a contrite heart This man is the object of Mercy that is evangelically dead he is the formal object of mercy Why because he is dead with such a kind of death as hath gotten power over him power to break his heart to make it an humble and contrite heart now saith the Lord I will revive such a man This man is the formal object of mercy and into him eternal life will come 2. The Second thing I promised to shew you is the difference between these two between legal and evangelical Privation Between one that is legally dead and one that is dead as the Gospel deads a man before it quickens him 1. First He that is legally dead lies all along in his death but when the Gospel makes a man a dead man it makes him stand up that he might have life Ephes 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee life He doth not mean stand up from being dead but stand up from the dead and then Christ shall give thee life he means such a standing up from the dead as before Christ gives him life the Gospel doth thus far awaken a man though he be more dead a thousand times then he that is dead by the law yet thus far it quickens him that he stands up from his secure estate when the law comes and shews a man that he is a dead man he still lies under his sins he is a dead man and cannot stand up that Christ may give him life
regard of our souls one man cannot watch while another man sleeps but every man must watch over his own heart If we do not watch our own souls we shall perish and if we do not perish everlastingly we shall have miserable temptations and evils and many inconveniences we shall be exposed unto But some may say Are not Ministers to watch over us How then is every Object man to watch over himself Ministers are watchmen Son of man I have made thee a watchman over the house of Israel saith the Lord to the Prophet Ezekiel and Heb. 13. 17. The Apostle speaking of Ministers saith They watch for your souls I Answer The word in the Original is not for your souls but over your souls to watch for a man is to watch for another that he may not watch Answ as when a man watcheth for his neighbor that his neighbour may not watch but the Ministers are not so to watch for the people that the people may not watch but the Ministers are to watch over the people that they may watch as when a man watcheth Deer or Hawkes he watcheth them that they may watch and not sleep that so he may tame them as a man that watcheth with a man which is sick of the Lethargy which is such a Diseâ—se that if a man be let sleep he goeth away in his sleep therefore their friends stand about them to watch over them that they may not sleep knowing that if they do sleep their lives are hazarded and if they see them but to slumber they awaken them lest in their sleep they die and go away So it is with the Ministers of the Gospel we ought to watch over your souls that you may not sleep for you are all sick of the Lethargy of sin and if ye sleep you go away if you be not careful for heaven and heavenly things if you follow vanity and security of heart and do not take heed to avoid sin your souls will die therefore the Ministers are to watch over you and keep you from sleeping and shew you the danger of it and labour to awaken you and keep your eyes waking The First Use is To condemne the infinite security that is grown upon people Vse Condemning the general neglect of Watchfulnesse that though it be so excellent a duty for a man to watch yet where is the man almost that is careful of it They put this duty over to God as if it did not belong to them they will watch over outward things for plowing and sowing and reaping and the like but for the good of their souls they never acquaint themselves with this watching their hearts are like the wildernesse as the wildernesse is open for all wild-beasts so their hearts are open for all temptations that is the reason they have such dead hearts and cold affections that is the reason they look so little after salvation and eternal life because people never look after this duty of watchfulness nay they are so far from watching how to be saved that they watch how the divel may take them when a man sins he wisheth the Divel would help him to more sin a covetous man is so far from watching over his sin that he would have more opportunities and more occasions of getting the Devil cannot come fast enough to fill his heart with these things So if a man be given to pleasure he thinks he cannot have enough but would have more still Thus people would have the Divel put more corn into the hopper They are so far from watching for good that they watch for evil they devise evil upon their beds as the Prophet Micah speaks They are possessed with the spirit of slumber they have eyes and see not they have eares and hear not hearts and understand not they do not know what watchfulnesse is if they do they are the lesse excusable because they practice it not they do not watch and wake unto Prayer that they may not enter into temptation but are carried away with the world and sin The Second Use is To them that are Godly in some measure that we Reproving the godly's too great neglect cannot say they altogether do not watch yet how negligent are they in this duty Many Christians are there among us that have some goodnesse in them yet how doth this duty lye unpractised whence come all the vanities in our minds and untowardnesse in the Ordinances of God Whence comes all unfruitfulnesse in our meetings and unsettlednesse in our Consciences It is because we do not watch Whence comes it that we are no more ready to good duties When we are called forth on the sudden to pray or do any thing for the good of Gods Church and People that we are so unfit to do it and so backward it is for want of watchfulness Nay what is the reason that we perform not the Worship of God in our Families better but because we do not watch the very Regenerate themselves what a world of mischief do they do to their own souls for want of this duty of watchfulness How do they swell in sin and are slack in goodnesse and slubber over Gods service How do they favour themselves too too much and suffer the dishonour of God by the wicked and suffer their own hearts to dishonour him too too much Thirdly The next Vse shall be to shew you the Rules that are to be observed Directing how to watch in watching and the Rules are these If you would watch over your selves First Count watchfulnesse your very life and think if you let watchfulnesse Account watchfulness our life go you let your life go for if once watchfulness go hovv dead are you in Prayer and hearing the Word of God So that the security of the heart vvill be the death of the heart vvherefore if vve vvould go on in vvatching let us labour to keep this Holy disposition count it your very lives and think vvith your selves I let Life go if I let Watchfulnesse go We use to say of Sleep that it is the brother of Death and 1 Thes 5. 6. vve may see the Phrase used by the Apostle vvhere vvaking is put for living and sleeping for dying that is the meaning of the vvords So that as sleep natural sleep doth lively represent death so it is vvith Spiritual sleep vvhich is the death of the soul Therefore dost thou find thy self to be out of frame and not vvatch over thy vvayes then think vvith thy self that thou art a dead man and take up thy vvatch as fast as thou caâ—st again Secondly Thou must let thy watch stand Catholically universally in all Watching in all things duties and all times vvatch thereunto and persevere therein vve must not only watch but Persevere Be careful in the morning how vve may begin our vvatch in the day hovv vve may spend it at night hovv vve may end it So vve must vvatch in all duties vvhen vve go
watch over our souls we had need be our own Porters Matth. 13. 34. our Saviour Christ doth compare every Christian to a Porter The Lord of the house takes a great journey and commands the Porter to watch We should all be Porters and keep the gates of our Souls for we are alwayes in danger Thirdly Consider that God hath awakened many of in already and therefore We are already awakened it is a miserable thing for us to sleep again wicked and ungodly men that were never converted and healed and awakened and wrought upon they go to Hell and damnation in a sleepy security but when a man hath been once awakened and hath shaken off sleep and God hath made him look about him to see how he might be saved if this man fall asleep again it is a most miserable thing the latter end of that man will be worse then his beginning Fourthly Consider the badnesse of the Times and Places and Families Badness of the times and carelessness of the most we â—â—ve in they are all secure and therefore we had need be so much the more vvatchful and you knovv it is a very hard thing for a man not to do as others do therefore the Apostle 1 Thess 5. 6. vvould not have them sleep as others do as vvho should say Others do so and therefore you have so much the more need to look to your selves that you may not do as others do THE NEVV BIRTH Joh. 3. 6. That vvhich is born of the Flesh is Flesh but that vvhich is born of the Spirit is Spirit MY Purpose is to speak of the several VVorks of Gods holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of his chosen they are Gods peculiar people and therefore he vvill vvork greater Mercies for them then for any else Novv the First grand distinguishing vvork of the Holy Ghost in the Elect is Regeneration he is the Author of Spiritual life in them they are born of him though by nature they are born of the flesh and so are flesh and in that estate can never enter into the kingdom of God yet vvhen the Spirit of God comes to regenerate them they come to be Spirit they come to have a nevv life and the Spirit of God gives it them it is true that Christ is the Author of this life he procured it by his death he quickens whom he will as he told his Disciples Joh. 14. 19. Because I live ye shall live also Life is derived by Christ to all the Members of Christ for as all in Adam died Adam is the general root of all in his loins and by him they come to be dead in sin so Christ is the Second Adam and all that are in his loins all that are in him he is a quickning Spirit to them 1 Cor. 15. 45. The first man Adam was made a living Soul the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit Christ is the second Adam and is a quickning Spirit to all that are in him God the Father hath appointed him to be the Prince of Life as Peter tells his Hearers Act. 3. 15. The Lord Jesus Christ he is the Prince of life to all the people of God and therefore Saint John saith He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5. 12. He is the Father of this new Birth and he is the daily and continual Father of it He is not a Father for one or two or divers years but Isa 9. 6. he is called An everlasting Father to regenerate a people to God and he doth it by his Resurrection 1 Pet. 1. 3. This must needs be granted That Christ must be the Author of this new Life Now you will say Then why is it attributed to the Spirit The Text gives it to the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost now if Christ be the Author of this new Birth and the giver of this new Life and God the Father hath appointed him to be so Why is it then here said That the Spirit doth it Regeneration attributed to the spirit I Answer It is given to the Spirit for Three Reasons First Because Christ doth it by the Spirit Whatsoever Christ doth without he doth it by the Spirit when he cast out Divels here upon Because Christ doth it by the spirit Earth he did it by his Spirit all the outward VVorks that he wrought he wrought them by his Spirit and therefore the Spirit is called the Finger of God Luk. 11. 20. Now if Christ do this VVork by his Spirit if he do Regenerate all his people by his own Spirit there is Reason why they should be said to be born of the Spirit Secondly Another Reason is Because though this life be all from Christ Spirit is the bond of union between us and Christ it is he that begets it it is he that is the soul of every Believer as I may so speak yet it is the Spirit that is the Bond of Vnion it is the Spirit that joyns Christ and them together it is the Spirit that tyeth the knot it is the Spirit that unites and puts them together into one though Christ be life and eternal life yet notwithstanding they are all Aliens from Christ they are all out of Christ that the Spirit doth not joyn together with Christ they that have not the Spirit of Christ they are none of his they are all out of Christ they are like dead branches out of the Vine it is the Spirit that is the bond of Vnion between Christ and those that are Christs Thirdly Another Reason is Because the Spirit quickens the Word whereby Because the spirit quickens the word whereby we are born again this is done The people of God the thing that they are born of again it is the immortal seed of the VVord 1 Pet. 1. 23. You are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible Now this seed is sowen in all mens hearts scattered among all the Congregation but yet it doth not Regenerate all the Congregation The Reason is where the Spirit comes that makes it fruitful and that makes it to quicken the heart and thus you see the meaning of the words That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Now here are Two Points First That the Spirit of God or the Holy Ghost Regenerates all the people of God whosoever is born again is born of the Spirit The Second Point is this That all that are Regenerate all that are born of the Spirit they are Spirit that is they are spiritual they are like the Spirit The First is That it is the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost that doth Regenerate That the spirit of God doth regenerate all the Saints all the people of God this is that which makes them to be new Creatures to be new men to be altogether different from that they were before this is that which doth distinguish them from themselves even as much
saith To as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God Here be Two Things and both these Regeneration consists of First A Passive receiving of Christ Whosoever receives him Secondly An Active Title to God as to a Father They have power to become the Sons of God First A Passive receiving of Christ To as many as received him for Passive receiving Christ he came to his own and they received him not his own even his own Elect would not receive him till he made them receive him but as many as received him as many as were made passively to receive him did receive him also actively so that this word implyes the Passive receiving of Christ for there is none can receive any thing except it be given him from above Joh 3. 27. That is except there be first a passive reception of it It is a strange phrase Nâ— mâ—â— can receive Christ till Christ is first received of him he can never take Christ till Christ come into him till Christ ingraft himself into him and him into Christ this is an act of God it is a passive receiving of Christ the reason is because all the Graces and all the Activity of Gods people flowes from this their Faith and all for Faith is an act which receives from the passive receiving of Christ as Paul speaks to the Colossians As you have received Christ so walk in him Faith receives Christ that is an active receiving of Christ but there was a passive receiving of Christ first for a man is in Christ first in a passive manner before he is in him in an active manner Christ hath taken him already before he can take Christ actually This is the first Thing wherein this work of Regeneration consists The Passive receiving of Christ Secondly It consists in having an active power and title to become a Son of An active power to become a child of God God together with Jesus Christ These are the Two Things wherein Regeneration consists I know many Divines branch it otherwise and make Regeneration to consist otherwise First Of Mortification Secondly Of Vivification First Of Mortification Whereby the Spirit kills the Lusts of the Flesh more as Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the Flesh ye shall live Mark here is Mortification and it is done by the Spirit if you through the spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Secondly There is Vivification that is when a man doth not only die unto sin but rise up again to a new life Rom. 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the other work of Vivification when a man is made alive unto God and is made able by the spirit of God to be alive unto God and to wind himself out of death into life by the spirit of the holy One. These be the Two Parts whereof many Divines make Regeneration to consist of but though they beat at the same thing yet I rather make them the Effects and Consequents of Regeneration as flowing from Regeneration this passive work goeth before a man never goeth on in mortifying the works of the Flesh and never raiseth himself up to this heavenly life till he be Regenerated so that regeneration is the first ingrafting of a man into Christ whereby he is alive that he may do all these things it is a power put into him whereby he may believe and repent so that Believing and Repentance and Mortification and Vivification are acts of the new creature a man must therefore be a new creature first now this is by Regeneration so that Regeneration consists only of these Two Things First Of a passive receiving of Christ the Son of God Secondly In having a title to be the Son of God and Regeneration doth not only bring a relative change but a real change to a man If you would know the meaning of the phrase A relative change is this when there is a change in a man from that he was before but the change doth not lye in a man as the change of Justification before he was not Justified now he is Justified the man is changed but he is not changed in himself but it stands only in Gods imputation he is not just in himself but by imputation just Now the real change is When God doth purifie and make up the defects in a man more and more that is a real change so that I say Regeneration is not only a relative change whereby God accounts a man as a child but it breeds a real change in a man it gives a man a spiritual Being for the Spirit of God when it comes to work this work is a fruitful principle of all good in that man more and more Therefore the Apostle saith The fruits of the Spirit are joy peace long-suffering c. Gal. 5. 22. 'T is true the Spirit doth not bring forth these Graces till after a man is regenerate but by working that Regeneration which makes the soul to bring forth these fruits and making the heart an honest heart and so a good ground to bring forth these seeds the Spirit is a fruitful principle of all good in that man Thus you see the Third Thing viz. Wherein Regeneration consists Now the Fourth Thing is the Reasons of this Point Why the Spirit of Reasons why the Spirit worketh Regeneration God doth work this work of Regeneration The First Reason is Because it is meerly according to the Will of God Man hath no power at all man hath no activity it is meerly at the pleasure It is the good pleasure of God of God whether he will do it or no Jam. 1. 18. Of his own Will begat he us he only had an hand in it he only did it and it was meerly at his good Will and Pleasure he might have chosen whether he would have done it or no it is no fruit of our liberty it is no brood of our breeding it is meerly the free act of God in a man Joh. 6. 44. No man cometh to me except the Father draweth him There Christ sheweth it this bringing of a man to be in Christ it cannot be from any man except the Father draw him except he send forth his heavenly Spirit he can never come to Christ all our sufficiency is from God we cannot so much as think a good thought we cannot renew our thoughts we cannot renew our inclinations or our wills or our affections we can do nothing of our selves it is only his work therefore seeing it is such a special work it must be only the Spirit of God that must work it it is a glorious work a supernatural work this new Birth is such a Birth as comes from above Psal 110 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power c. saith the text that