fire for its mollifying power Jer. 23. 29. If you are poysoned with sin here is an herb to expel it Look upon the Word as a soveraign Elixir to comfort you in distress it comforts you against all your sins temptations and afflictions What are the Promises but divine Cordials to revive fainting Souls A gracious heart goes feeding on a Promise as Sampson on the Hony-comb Judg. 14. 9. The word comforts against sickness and death 1 Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting A Christian dies embracing the Promise as Simeon did Christ Heb. 11. 16. Read the Word as the last VVill and Testament of Christ. Here are many Legacies given to them that love him Pardon of sin Adoption Consolation this Will is in force being sealed in Christs Blood With what seriousness doth a Child read over the Will and Testament of his Father that he may see what is left him Read it as a Book by which you must be judged John 12. 48. The Word I have spoken shall judge him at the last day They who live according to the Rules of this Book shall be acquitted they who live contrary to them shall be condemned There are two Books God will go by the Book of Conscience and the Book of Scripture the one shall be the Witness and the other the Judge How should every Christian then provoke himself to read this Book of God with Care and Devotion This is that Book which God will proceed by at the last They who fly from the Word as a Guide shall be forced to submit to it as a Judge 2. The second Duty of Religion wherein we must provoke our selves is in Hearing of the Word We may bring our bodies to the Word with ease but not our hearts without offering violence to our selves When we come to the Word Preached we come about a business of the highest importance therefore should stir up our selves and hear with the greatest devotion Constantine the Emperour was noted for his reverend attention to the Word Luk. 19. 48. All the people were attentive to hear him In the Greek it is they hanged upon his lip When the Word is dispensed we are now to lift up the everlasting doors of our hearts that the King of glory may enter in How far are they from offering violence to themselves in hearing who scarce mind what is said as if they were not at all concerned in the business they come to Church more for custom than conscience Ezek. 33. 31. They come to thee as the people cometh and they sit before thee as my people and hear thywords but they will not do them If we could tell them of a rich purchase or of some place of preferment they would diligently attend but when the Word of Life is Preached they disregard it 2. How far are they from offering violence to themselves in hearing who come to the Word in a dull drowsie manner as if they came to Church to take a Receipt to make them sleep The Word is to feed it is strange to sleep at meat The Word judgeth men it is strange for a prisoner to fall asleep at the Bar. To such sleepy hearers God may say Sleep on He may suffer them to be so stupified that no Ordinance shall awaken them Mat. 13. 25. While men slept the enemy came and sowed Tares The Devil is never asleep but sows the tares of sin in a drowsie hearer That we may when we come to the Word offer violence to our selves and stir up our selves to hear with devotion consider 1. It is God that speaks to us If a Judge give a charge upon the bench all listen If a King speaks all give attention When we come to the Word we should think thus with our selves We are to hear God in this Preacher Therefore Christ is said Now to speak to us from Heaven Heb. 12. 25. Christ speaks in his Ministers as a King speaketh in the person of his Embassadour When Samuel knew it was the Lord that spake to him he lent an ear 2. Sam. 3. 5. Speak Lord thy Servant heareth They who slight God speaking in his Word shall hear him speaking in his wrath Psalm 2. 5. Then shall he speak to them in his wrath 2. Let us consider the weightiness of the matters delivered to us As Moses said to Israel Deut. 30. 19. I call Heaven and Earth to Record this day that I havâ—… set before you life and death We preach to men of Christ and the Eternal Recompences here are the magnalia Legis the weighty matters of the Law and doth not all this call for serious attention There is a great deal of difference between a Letter of news read to us and a Letter of special business wherein our whole Land and Estate is concerned In the Word preached our Salvation is concerned here we are instructed to the Kingdom of God and if ever we will be serious it should be now Deut. 32. 47. It is not a vain thing for you because it is your life 3. If the Word be not regarded it will not be remembred Many complain they cannot remember here is the reason God punisheth their carelesness in hearing with forgetfulness He suffers Satan to take away the Word from them Mat. 13. 4. The Fowls of the Air came and devoured the seed The Devil is no Recusant he comeâ—… to Church but it is not for any good intent he gets away the Word from men How many have been roâ—…ed of the Sermon and their souls both at once 4. It may be the last time that ever God will speak to us in his Word it may be the last Sermon that ever we shall hear and we may go from the place of hearing to the place of judgeing Did people think thus when they come into the Houseof God Perhaps this will be the last time that God will counsel us about our souls the last time that ever we shall see our Minister's face with what devotion would they come how would their affections be all on fire in hearing We give great attention to the last speeches of friends A Parents dying words are received as Oracles Oh let all this provoke us to diligence in hearing let us think this may be the last time that Aarons Bell shall sound in our ears and before another day we shall be in another World The third Duty wherein we are to offer violence to our selves is in Prayer Prayer is a duty which keeps the trade of Religlon agoing When we either joyn in prayer with others or pray alone we must use holy violence not eloquence in prayer but violence carries it Theodorus speaking of Luther Once saith he I over heard him in prayer but good God with what life and spirit did he pray It was with so much Reverence as if he were speaking to God yet with so much confidence as if he had been speaking to his friend
mutable but who meditates upon it The world is resembled to a Sea of glass mingled with fire Rev. 15. 2. Glass is slippery it hath no sure footing and Glass mingled with fire is subject to consume All creatures are fluid and uncertain and cannot be made to fix What is become of the glory of Athens the pomp of Troy 1 John 2. 17. The world passeth away It slides away as a Ship in full sail How quickly doth the Scene alter and a low ebb succeed an high tide There 's no trusting to any thing Health may be turned to sickness friends may die riches may take wings We are ever upon the Tropicks The serious meditation of this would 1. Keep us from being so deceived by the world We are ready to set up our rest here Psal. 49. 11. Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever We are apt to think that our Mountain stands strong We dream of an earthly Eternity Alas did we meditate how casual and uncertain these things are we should not be so often deluded Have not we seen great disappointments and where we have thought to suck honey there we have drunk wormwood 2. The meditation of the uncertainty of all things under the Sun would much moderate our affections to them Why should we so eagerly pursue an uncertainty Many take care to get a great estate it is uncertain whether they shall keep it The fire may break in where the thief cannot or if they do keep it it is a question whether they shall have the comfort of it They lay up for a child that child may die or if he live he may prove a burden This seriously meditated on would cure the dropsie of covetousness and make us sit loose to that which hangs so loose and is ready to drop off from us 3. The meditation of this uncertainty would make us look after a certainty that is the getting of grace This holy anoiâ—…ting abides 1 John 2. 27. Grace is a flower oâ—… Eternity Nonferturâ—…ad umbras inclyta virtus Death doth not destroy grace but transplant it and make it grow in a better soil He that hath true holiness can no more lose it than the Angels can which are fixed Stars in Glory 5. Meditate of Gods severity against sin Every Arrow in Gods Quiver is shot against it* Sin burned Sodom drowned the old world Sin kindles Hell If when a spark of God's wrath flies into a mans Conscience it is so terrible what is it then when God stirs up all his wrath Psal. 78. 39. The meditation of this would fright us out of our sins There cannot be so much sweetness in sin as there is sting How dreadful is God's anger Psal. 90. 11. Who knoweth the power of his wrath All fire compared with the fire of God's wrath is painted imaginary O that every time we meddle with sin we would think with our selves we choose the Bramble and fire will come out of this Bramble to devour us 6. Meditate on eternal life 1 John 2. 25. This is his promise even eternal life Life is sweet and this word Eternal makes it sweeter This lies in the immediate vision and fruition of God 1. This is a spiritual life it is opposite to that animal life which we live now Here we hunger and thirst but there we shall hunger no more Rev. 7. 16. There is the marriage-supper of the Lamb which will not only satisfie hunger but prevent it That blessed life to come doth not consist in sensual delights meat and drink and musick nor in the comfort of Relations but the Soul will be wholly swallowed up in God and acquiesce in him with infinite complacency As when the Sun appears the Stars vanish So when God shall appear in his glory and fill the soul then all earthly sensitive delights shall vanish 2. It is a glorious life The bodies of the Saints shall be enamell'd with Glory they shall be made like Christs glorious body Phil. 3. 21. And if the Cabinet be of such curious needle-work how rich shall the Jewel be that is put into it how bespangled with glory shall the soul be Every Saint shall wear his white Robe and have his Throne to sit upon Then God will put some of his own glory upon the Saints Glory shall not only be revealed to them but in them Rom. 8. 18. And this life of glory shall be crowned with Eternity what Angel can express it O let us often meditate on this 1. The meditation of eternal life would make us labour for a spiritual life The Child must be born before it is crowned We must be born of the Spirit before we are crowned with glory 2. The meditation of Eternal Life would comfort us in regard of the shortness of natural life Our life we live now flies away as a shadow It is called a flower Psal. 103. 15. a vapour Jam. 4. 14. Job sets forth fragil life very elegantly in three of the Elemenâ—…s Land Water Air Job 9. 25 26. Go to the Land and there man's life is like a swift Post. Go to the Water there man's life is like a ship under sail Look to the Air and there man's life is like a Flying Eagle We are hasting to the grave When our years do encrease our life doth decrease Death creeps upon us by degrees When our sight grows dim there death creeps in at the Eye When our hearing is bad there death creeps in at the Ear. When our Legs tremble under us there is death pulling down the main pillars of the House but eternal life comforts us against the shortness of natural life That life to come is subject to no infirmities it knows no period We shall be as the Angels of God capable of no mutation or change Thus you have seen six noble subjects for your thoughts to exspatiate upon But where is the meditating Christian Here I might lament the want of holy meditation Most people live in a hurry they are so distracted with the cares of the world that they can find no time to meditate or scarce ask their Souls 〈◊〉 they do We are not like the Saints in former Ages David did meditate in Gods Precepts Psal. 119. 15. Isaac walked in the evening to meditate Gen. 24. 63. He did take a turn with God What devout meditations do we read in St. Austin and Anselm But it is too much out of date among our modern Christians Terras Astraea reliquit Those Beasts under the Law which did not chew the cud were unclean Such as do not chew the cud by holy meditation are to be reckoned among the unclean But I shall rather turn my lamentation into a perswasion entreating Christians to offer violence to themselves in this so necessary Duty of Meditation Pythagoras sequestred himself from all society and lived in a Cave for a whole year that he might meditate upon Philosophy How then should we retire and
for Heaven thou wilt lose all thy pleasures ask him what pleasures are they Satan such as please only the senses they do not delight the mind they do not comfort the conscience they are such delights wherein the bruit creatures do exceed me 3. These sugred pleasures in sin the Scripture saith are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a season Heb. 11. 25. Like fire in straw which makes a blaze but is presently out 1 Joh. 2. 17. The world passeth away and the lusts thereof It passeth away swiftly as a ship under sail Worldly pleasures perish in the using like a flying shadow or flash of lightning and are these to be preferred before an eternal weight of glory 4. The present sweetness which is in fin will turn to bitterness at last Like the Book the Prophet eat Ezek. 3. 3. Sweet in the mouth but bitter in the belly Hony is sweet but it turns to choler Sin is a sweet poison it delights the palate but torments the bowels When once the finner's eyes come to be opened at death and he feels some sparks of God's wrath in his conscience then he will cry out for horrour and be ready to lay violent hands upon himself We may say of the pleasures of sin as Solomon of wine Prov. 23. 32. Look not on the wine when it is red when it shews its colour in the glass afterwards it bites like a Serpent So look not on the smiling pleasures of sin be not delighted with its beauty but affrighted with its sting Do the damned in Hell feel any pleasure now in their sins Hath their cup of wrath one drop of hony in it Oh remember after the golden Crowns and womens hair come the Lions teeth Rev. 9. 8. Thus I have answered the first part of the Objection I shall lose all my pleasures in sin If I put forth this violence in Religion I shall exchange my delight for labour I must dig a way through the Rock and while I work I must weep Resp. Though you must use violence yet it is a sweet violence it is a labour turned into delight Psal. 138. 5. They shall sing in the waies of the Lord. To send out faith as a spy to view the heavenly Canaan and pluck a bunch of Grapes there what delight is here Rom. 15. 13. Joy in believing To love God in whom all excellencies are combined how sweet is it To love beauty is delightful To walk among the promises as among beds of spices and taste the fruit oh how pleasant The labour of a Christian brings peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost Sed juvat ipse labor And whereas it is said that this holy violence takes away our joy and while we work we must weep I answer a Christian would not be without these tears The tears of a Saint saith Bernard have more true joy in them than all worldly delight The Oyl of joy is for mourners Isa. 61. 3. 4. I would use this violence for Heaven but I shall expose my self to the censure and scorn of others They will wonder to see me so altered and think it nothing but a religious phrensie Consider who reproach thee they are the wicked such as if Christ were alive on earth would reproach him They are blinded by the God of the world 2 Cor. 4. 4. It is as if a blind man should reproach a beautifull face 2. What do they reproach thee for 't is for offering violence for Heaven Is it a disgrace to be labouring for a Kingdom Tell them thou art doing the work that God hath set thee about Better they should reproach thee for working in the Vineyard than God damn thee for not working 3. Jesus Christ was reproached for thy sake Heb. 12. 2. He endured the shame of the Cross and wilt not thou be contented to bear reproaches for him These are but the chips of the Cross which are rather to be despised than laid to heart If I use this holy violence and turn religious then I shall lose such yearly profits which my sin hath brought in As Amaziah said What shall I do for the hundred Talents 2 Chron. 25. 9. Is there any profit in sin did ever any one thrive upon that Trade by that time you have cast up the reckoning you will find but little profit 1. By the incomes that sin brings in thou treasurest up vengeance Rom. 2. 5. While thou puttest unjust gain in thy bag God puts wrath in his viol and will you call this profit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whatever mony a man gets in a sinful way he must pay interest for it in hell 2. That cannot be for thy profit which makes thee come off a loser at last Thou losest Heaven and thy soul and what can countervail this loss What is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul Matth. 16. 26. God saith Chrysostom hath given a man two eyes if he lose one he hath another but he hath but one soul and if that be lost he is undone for ever But I have so much business in the world that I can find no time for this holy violence As the King of Macedon said when they presented him with a book treating of Happiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am not at leisure See the folly of of this objection What is the main business of life but looking after the soul and for men to say they are so immersed in the world that they cannot mind their souls is most absurd and irrational This is to make the greater give way to the lesse As if an Husbandman should say he is so busie in angling or looking after his Bees that he hath no time to plow or sow What is his occupation but plowing Such a madness is it to hear men say they are so taken up about the world that they have no time for their souls Could God find time to think of thy salvation could Jesus Christ find time to come into the world and be here above thirty years in carrying on this great design of thy Redemption and canst thou find no time to look after it Is the getting a little mony that which obstructs this violence for Heaven Thy mony perish with thee Canst thou find time for thy body time to eat and sleep and not find time for thy soul canst thou find time to employ about thy recreation and no time to employ about thy salvation canst thou find time for idle visits and no time to visit the Throne of Grace Oh take heed thou goest not to Hell in the croud of worldly business Joshua who was a Commander of an Army yet his work as a Souldier was not to hinder his work as a Christian he must pray as well as fight and take the Book of the Law in his hand as well as the Sword Josh. 1. 8. Thou whosoever thou art that makest this
thing in holy violence resolution of will I will have Heaven whatever it cost me and this resolution must be in the strength of Christ. Resolution is like the biass to the bowl which carries it strongly Where there is but half a Resolution a will to be saved and a will to follow sin it is impossible to be violent for Heaven If a traveller be unresolved sometimes he will ride this way sometimes that he is violent for neither 2. Vigor of the Affections The Will proceeds upon Reason the Judgement being informed of the excellency of a state of Glory and the Will being resolved upon a voyage to that Holy Land now the Affections follow and they are on fire in passionate longings after Heaven The Affections are violent things Psal. 42. 2. My soul thirsteth for God for the living God The Rabbins note here that David saith not My soul hungereth but thirsteth because naturally we are more impatient of thirst than hunger See in what a rapid violent motion Davids affections were carried after God The affections are like the wings of the Bird which make the Soul swift in its flight after Glory Where the affections are stirred up there is offering violence to Heaven 3. This violence implies Strength of Endeavour when we strive for salvation as about a matter of life and death 'T is easie to talk of Heaven but not to get to Heaven we must operant navare put forth all our strength nay call in the help of Heaven to this work 4. The fourth thing is how many ways a Christian must offer violence four ways He must offer violence 1. To Himself  2. To the World  3. To Satan  4. To Heaven 1. He must offer violence to Himself This Self Violence consists in two things 1. Mortification of sin 2. Provocation to duty 1. Offering violence to ones self in a spiritual sense consists in mortification of sin Self is the flesh this we must ofter violence to Hierom Chrysostom Theophilact do all expound taking Heaven by force the mortifying the flesh the flesh is a Bosom-Traitor it is like the Trojan Horse within the Walls which doth all the mischief The flesh is a sly Enemy at first it is dulce venenum afterwards scorpio pungens it kills by embracing The embraces of the flesh are like the Ivy embracing the Oak which sucks out the strength of it for its own Leaves and Berries So the flesh by its soft Embraces sucks out all heart for Good Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit The pampering of the flesh is the quenching of Gods Spirit The flesh choaks and stifles holy motions the flesh sides with Satan and is true to his Interest There 's a party within that will not pray that will not believe The flesh inclines us more to believe a temptation than a promise There needs no wind to blow to sin when this tide within is so strong to carry us thither The flesh being so near to us its counsels are more attractive no chain of Adamant binds so fast as the chain of lust Alexander who was Victor mundi Conquerour of the world was captivus vitiorum led captive by vice Now a man must offer violence to his fleshly desires if he will be saved Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth The mortifying and killing sin at the root is when we not only forbear the Acts of sin but hate the in-being Plurimi peccata radunt non eradicant Bern. Nay where sin hath received its deadly wound and is in part abated yet the work of mortification is not to be laid aside The Apostle perswades the believing Romans â—…o mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8. 13. In the best of Saints there is something needs mortifying much pride envy passion therefore mortification is called crucifixion Gal. 5. 24. which is not done suddenly every day some limb of the body of death must drop off Nothing harder than a Rock saith Cyril yet in the clefts thereof some weed or other will fasten its roots None stronger than a Believer yet do what he can sin will fasten its roots in him and spring out sometimes by inordinate desires There is something needs mortifying Hence it was St. Paul did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beat down his body by prayer watching fasting 1 Cor. 9. 27. But is it not said Ephes. 5. 29. No man ever hated his own flesh As flesh is taken Physically for the bodily compages or constitution so it is to be cherished but as flesh is taken Theologically for the impure lustings of the flesh so a man must hate his own flesh The Apostle saith Fleshly lusts war against the Soul 1 Pet. 2. 11. If the flesh doth war against us good reason we should war against the flesh How may one do to offer violence to himself in mortifying the flesh 1. Withdâ—…aw the fuel that may make lust burn Avoid all temptatious Take heed of that which doth nourish sin He that would suppress the Gout or Stone avoids those meats which are noxious They who pray they may not be led into temptation must not lead themselves into temptation 2. Fight against fleshly lusts with spiritual Weapons Faith and Prayer The best way to combate with sin is upon our knees Run to the Promise Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have Dominion over you or as the Greek word is it shall not Lord it Beg strength of Christ Phil. 9. 13. Sampson's strength lay in his hair ours lies in our Head Christ. This is one way of offering violence to ones self by mortification This is a mystery to the major part of the world who do rather gratifie the flesh than moâ—…tifie it 2. The second thing wherein offering violence to a mans self consists is in provocation to duty Then we offer holy violence to our selves when we excite and provoke our selves to that which is good This is called in Scripture a stirring up our selves to take hold of God Isa. 64. 7. * Consider 1. What absolute need there is to stir up our selves to holy Duties In respect of the sluggishness of our hearts to that which is spiritual blunt tools need whetting a dull creature needs spurrs Our hearts are dull and heavy in the things of God therefore we had need spur them on and provoke them to that which is good The flesh hinders from duty when we would pray the flesh resists when we should suffer the flesh draws back How hard is it sometimes to get leave of our hearts to seek God Jesus Christ went more willingly to the Cross than we do to the Throne of Grace Had not we need then provoke our selves to duty If our hearts are so unstrung in Religion we had need prepare and put them in tune The exercises of Gods Worship are contrary to nature
therefore there must be a provoking of our selves to them The motion of the Soul to sin is natural but its motion towards Heaven is violent The stone moves easily to the Centre it hath an innate propenseness downward but to draw up a Milstone into the Air is done by violence because it is against nature so to lift up the heart to Heaven in duty is done by violence and we must provoke ourselves to it 2. What it is to provoke our selves to duty 1. It is to awaken our selves and shake off spiritual sloth Holy David awakens his tongue and heart when he went about Gods service Psal. 57. 9. Awake up my glory I my self will awaken early He found a somnolency and dulness in his soul therefore did provoke himself to duty I my self will awake early Christians though they be raised from the death of sin yet often they fall asleep 2. Provoking our selves to duty implies an uniting and rallying together all the powers of our soul and seting them on work in the exercises of Religion A man saith to his thoughts Be you fixed on God in this duty and to his affections Do you serve the Lord without distraction Matters of Religion are done with intenseness of Spirit 3. The third thing is to shew the several duties of Christianity wherein we must provoke and offer violence to our selves I shall name seven 1. We must provoke our selves to reading of the Word What an infinite mercy is it that God hath honoured us with the Scriptures The barbarous Indians have not the Oracles of God made known to them they have the Golden Mines but not the Scriptures which are more to be desired than much fine Gold Psal. 19. 10. Our Saviour bids us search the Scriptures Joh. 5. 39. We must not read these holy lines carelesly as if they did not concern us or run them over hastily as Israel ate the Passeover in haste but peruse them with reverence and seriousness The noble Beroeans did search the Scriptures daily Acts 17. 11. The Scripture is the Pandect of divine Knowledge it is the rule and touchstone of truth out of this Well we draw the water of life To provoke to a diligent reading of the word labour to have a right notion of Scripture Read the Word as a book made by God himself It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by divine inspiration 2 Tim. 3. 16. It is the Library of the Holy Ghost The Prophets and Apostles were but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Godâ—… Amanuenses or Notaries to write the Law at his mouth The Word is of Divine Original and reveals the deep things of God to us That there is a Numen or Deity is ingraven in mans heart and is to be read in the Book of the Creatures Quaelibet herba Deum But who this God is and the Trinity of Persons in the Godhead is infinitely above the Light of Reason only God himself could make this known So for the Incarnation of Christ God and man hypostatically united in one person the mystery of imputed Righteousness the doctrine of faith what Angel in Heaven who but God himself could reveal these things to us How may this provoke to Diligence and Seriousness in reading the Word which is divinely inspired Other Books may be made by holy men but this Book is indited by the Holy Ghost Read the Word as a perfect Rule of Faith it contains all things essential to salvation I adore the fulness of Scripture saith Tertullian The Word teacheth us how to please God how to order our conversation in the world it instructs us in all things that belong either to Prudence or Piety How should we read the Word with care and reverence when it contains a perfect Model and Platform of Religion and is able to make us wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3. 17. When you read the Word look on it as a soul-enriching Treasury Search here as for a vein of Silver Prov. 2. 4. In this word are scattered many divine Aphorisms gather them up as so many Jewels This blessed Book helps to enrich you it fills your head with knowledge and your heart with grace it stores you with Promises a man may be rich in bonds In this field the Pearl of Price is hid What are all the worlds Riches to these Islands of Spices Coasts of Pearl Rocks of Diamonds These are but the Riches that Reprobates may have but the Word gives us those Riches which Angels have Read the Word as a Book of Evidences How carefully doth one read over his Evidences Would you know whether God be your God Search the Records of Scripture 1 Joâ—… 3. 24. Hereby we Know he abides in us by his Spirit he hath given us Would you know whether you are â—…eirs of the Promise you must find it in these sacred Writings 2 Thes. 2. 13. He hath chosen us to salvation through sanctification They who are vessels of grace shall be vessels of glory Look upon the Word as a spiritual Magazine out of which you fetch all your weapons to fight against sin and Satan 1. Here are weapons to fight against sin The Word of God is a consecrated sword that cuts asunder the lusts of the heart When pride begins to list up it self the Sword of the Spirit destroies this sin 1 Pet. 5. 5. God resists the proud When passion vents it self the Word of God like Hercules-club beats down this angry Fury Eccles. 5. 9. Anger rests in the bosom of fools When Lust boils the Word of God cools that intemperate heat Ephes. 5. 5. No unclean person hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ. 2. Here are weapons to fight against Satan The Word fenceth off temptation When the Devil tempted Christ he three times wounded the old Serpent with the Sword of the Spirit 'T is written Mat. 4. 7. Satan never sooner soils a Christian than when he is unarmed and without Scripture-weapons Look upon the Word as a spiritual Glass to dress your selves by It is a Looking-glass for the blind Psa. 19. 8. In other glasses you may see your faces in this glass you may see your hearts Psal. 119. 104. Through thy Precepts I get understanding This Looking-glass of the Word clearly represents Christ â—…t sets him forth in his person nature offices as most precious and eligible Cant. 5. 16. He is altogether lovely he is a wonder of beauty a Paradise of delight Christ who was vailed over in types is clearly revealed in the Glass of the Scriptures Look upon the Word as a Book of spiritual Receipts Basil compares the Word to an Apothecaries shop which hath all kind of Medicines and Antidotes If you find your selves dead in duty here is a Recipe Psal. 119. 50. Thy Word hath quickned me If you find your hearts hard the Word doth liquefie and melt them therefore is compared to
then they will begin this No man saith I will learn my trade when I am old It is imprudence for one to begin to work for Heaven when he is past his labour There is a night of sickness and death coming and our Saviour saith The night cometh when none can work Joh. 9. 4. Sure a man can put forth but little violence for Heaven when old age and old sins are upon him Besides how unworthy and dis-ingenuous is it to give the Devil the flower of youth and God the dâ—…egs of old age Therefore God rejected Cain's Sacrifice because it was stale before he brought it Gen. 4. 2. There is little hope of their salvation who are never violent for Heaven till their disease grows violent 6. It reproves those that are so far from using this violence for Heaven that they deride it These are your zealous ones 2 Pet. 3. 3. In the last daies there shall be scoffers Holy walking is become the object of derision Psal. 69. 12. I am become the song of the drunkards This shews a vile heart There are some who though thy have no goodness themselves yet honour them that are good Herod reverenced John Baptist. But what Devils are they who scoff at goodness and reproach others for doing that which God commands This age produceth such as sit in the chair of scorners and throw their squibs at Religion In Bohemia when some of the Martyrs were the next day to suffer they comforted themselves with this that this was their last Supper and to morrow they should feast with Christ in Heaven a Papist standing by asked them in a jear if Christ had any Cooks in Heaven to dress their Supper Oh take heed of such an Ishmael-spirit â—…t is a sign of a man given over to the Devil God scorneth the scorner Prov. 3. 34. And sure he shall never live with God whose company God scorns 7. It reproves them who instead of taking Heaven by force keep it off by force as if they were afraid of being happy or as if a Crown of glory would hurt them Such are 1. The ignorant who shut their eyes against the light and refuse to be taught the way to Heaven Hosea 4. 6. Thou hast rejected Knowledge The Hebrew word signifies to reject with disdain As I have read of a Scotch Bishop who thanked God he never knew what the Old and New Testament was I wonder where that Bishop took his text 2. The prophane who hate to be admonished and had rather die than reform Amos 5. 10. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate These keep off Heaven by force Such were those Acts 13. 46. Seeing you put away the Word from you The Greek word may be rendred seeing you shuff it away with your shoulders As if a sick â—…n should bolt out the Physician lest he should cure him Job 21. 14. Who say unto the Almighty depart from us God is loth to bâ—… gone he woes and beseecheth sinners to accept of terms of mercy he is loth to be gone but sinners will have him gone They say to him Depart May not we say to these quis effascinavit who hath bewitched you What madness beyond Hyperbole is this that you should not only forsake mercy but fight against it as if there were danger in going to Heaven These who put away salvation from them are felo de se they do wilfully perish they would not hear of any thing that should save them Were it not a sad Epitaph to be written upon a man's Tomb-stone Here lies one that murdered himself This is the condition of desperate sinners they keep off Heaven by force they are self-murderers Therefore God writes their Epitaph upon their grave Hosea 13. 9. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self 3. Let us then examine whether we put forth this holy violence for Heaven What is an empty Profession without this like a Lamp without Oyl Let us all ask our selves What violence do we use for Heaven 1. Do we strive with our hearts to get them into an holy frame How did David awaken all the powers of his soul to serve God Psal. 57. 8. I my self will awake early The heart is like a Bell that is a long while a raising 2. Do we set time apart to call our selves to an account and try our evidences for Heaven Psal. 77. 6. My Spirit made diligent search Do we take our hearts as a Watch all in pieces to see what is amiss and mend it Are we curiously inquisâ—…ive into the state of our souls Are we afraid of painted grace as of painted happiness 3. Do we use violence in prayer Is there fire in our Sacrifice Doth the wind of the Spirit filling our sails cause groans unutterable Rom. 8. 26. Do we pray in the morning as if we were to die at night 4. Do we thirst for the living God Are our souls big with holy desires Psal. 73. 25. There is none upon earth my soul desires besides thee Do we desire holiness as well as Heaven Do we desire as much to look like Christ as to live with Christ Is our desire constant Is this spiritual pulse ever beating 5. Are we skilled in self denial Can we deny our ease our aimes our interest Can we cross our own will to fulfill God's Can we behead our beloved sin To pluck out the right eye requires violence 6. Are we lovers of God It is not how much we do but how much we love Doth love command the â—…astle of our hearts Doth Christ's beauty and sweetness constrain us 2 Cor. 5. 14. Do we love God more than we fear Hell 7. Do we keep our spiritual watch do we set spies in every place watching our thoughts our eyes our tongues When we have prayed against sin do we watch against temptation The Jews having sealed the stone of Christ's Sepulchre seâ—…t a watch Matth. 27. 66. After we have been at the Word or Sacrament that sealing Ordinance do we set a watch 8. Do we press after further degrees of sanctity Phil. 3. 13. Reaching forth unto those things which are before A good Christian is a wonder he is the most contented yet the least satisfied he is contented with a little of the world but not satisfied with a little grace he would still have more Faith and be anointed with fresh Oyl Paul desired to attain unto the resurrection of the dead Phil. 3. 11. that is he endeavoured if possible to arrive at such a measure of grace as the Saints shall have at the Resurrection 9. Is there an holy emulation in us do we labour to out-shine others in Religion To be more eminent for love and good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do we something which is singular Matth. 5. 47. What do you more than others 10. Are we got above the world though we walk on Earth do we trade in Heaven Can we say as David Psal. 139. 17. I am
sweetens that violence St. Paul made Religion his recreation Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man In the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I take pleasure not only Heaven it self is delightful but the way thither What ravishing delight hath a gracious soul in prayer Isa. 56. 7. I will make them joyful in the house of prayer What delight in holy contemplation A Christian hath such illapses of the Spirit and meets with such transfigurations of soul that he thinks himself half in Heaven Serving of God is like gathering of Spices or Flowers wherein there is some labour but the labour is recompensed with delight The way of sin hath bitterness in it The â—…ears while they lick the honey are stung with the Bees So while men are following their lusts they have checks of conscience which are a foretast of Hell Better want the honey than have this sting But the violence for Heaven is spiced with such joy that it is not labour but pleasure V. This violence and activity of Spirit in Religion puts a lustre upon a Christian. The more excellent any thing is the more active The Sun is a glorious creature as a Gyant it runs its Race Psal. 19. 5. Fire the noblest element sparkles vigorously The Angels are described with wings Isa. 6. 2. which is an emblem of their swist obedience The more violent we are in Religion the more Angelical we are 7. How violent was Christ about our salvation He was in an Agony he continued all night in prayer Luke 6. 12. He wept he fasted he dyed a violent death he rose violently out of the grave Was Christ so violent for our salvation and doth it not become us to be violent who are so nearly concerned in it Christ's violence was not only satisfactory but exemplary It was not only to appease God but to teach us Christ was violent in dying to teach us to be violent in believing 8. This holy violence brings Rest motion tends to rest Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth a rest for the people of God Indeed there is a motion which doth not tend to rest they who are violent in a way of sin shall never have rest Revel 4. 8. They rest not day and night Such as are graceless shall be restless But the violence a Christian takes leads to rest As the weary Traveller sits down at night and rests him Psal. 116. 7. Return to thy rest O my soul. Holy violence is like the flying of Noah's Dove to the Ark where it found rest 9. If we use what violence we are able God will help us Phil 2. 12. It is God who worketh in you both to will and to do The Spirit helps us in prayer and so proportionably in all other duties of Religion Rom. 8. 26. The Promise encourageth and the Spirit enableth In all earthly Races a â—…an runs in his own strength but in the Race to Heaven we have the Spirit of God helping us he not only gives us the Crown when we have done running but he gives us legs to run he gives exciting and assisting grace the Spirit of God helping makes our work easie If another helps to carry a burden it is less difficult If the Loadstone draw the Iron it is not hard for the Iron to move If the Spirit of God as a divine Loadstone draw and move the heart in obedience now the work goes on with more facility 10. This blessed violence in Religion would be preventive of much sin While men are idle in the Vineyard they are a prey to every temptation We do not sow our seed in fallow ground but Satan doth sow most of his seed of temptation in hearts that lye fallow When he sees persons unimployed he will find them work to do he will stiâ—… them up to one sin or other Matth. 13. 25. While men slept the enemy sowed tares When Satan finds men in a drowsie condition their sleeping time is his tempting time but by holy violence we prevent the Devil's design we are so busied about salvation that we have no leisure to listen to a temptation St. Hierom gave his friend this advice to be alwaies well employed that when Satan came with a temptation he might find him working in the Vineyard When the bird is flying it is safe when it sits still on the bough then it is in danger of being shot When a Christian sits still and is unactive now the Devil shoots him with his fiery darts 11. The folly of such as are violent for the world but not for the Kingdom above Alas how insipid are all these things that we lay out our sweat and violence upon they will not make us happy King Solomon did as it were put all the creatures into a limbeck and still out the quintessence of them and behold all was vanity Eccles. 2. 8. 1. These earthly things that we so toil for are uncertain 1 Tim. 6. 17. 'T is uncertain whether we shall get them All that are Suitors to a Virgin do not speed All that come to a Lottery have not a prize 2. They are unsatisfactory Could men heap up Silver as dust had they as much as the Devil promised Christ All the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them yet they can no more fill the heart than a drop of water can fill the cistern Eccles. 5. 16. What profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind 3. They are transient death feeds at the root All worldly possessions are like a Castle of Snow in the Sun or like a posie of flowers which withers while we are smelling to it O what folly is it to put forth all ones violence for the world which is but for a season and not for Christ and grace As if a condemned man should be earnest to get his dinner but never mind getting his pardon 12. The next motive is in the text this violence is for a Kingdom The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence And what will we be violent for if not for a Kingdom Men will wade to a Kingdom through blood This is a Kingdom worth striving for Cyprus is an Island so exceeding fertile and pleasant that it was antiently called Macaria which signifies Blessed This title of Blessed may more fitly be given to the heavenly Kingdom If the Mountains were Gold if every Sand of the Sea were a Diamond if the whole Globe were a shining Chrysolite it were infinitely beneath the glory of this Kingdom 1. The immunities of the heavenly Kingdom are great 1. There shall be a freedom from sin here sin keeps house with us it is as natural to us to sin as to breath The soul that is most refined and clarified by grace is not without some dregs of corruption St. Paul cryed out of a Body of sin He who is inoculated into Christ hath still a taste and rellish of the wild Olive But when we