as a little sum multiplied is great that they cloud the face of God wound conscience grieve the spirit rejoyce Satan and make work for Repentance c. An humble soule knows that little sins suppose them so are very dangerous a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump a little staffe may kill one a little poyson may poyson one a little leak in a ship sinkes it a little Flye in the box of Ointment spoyles it a little flaw in a good cause marres it So a little sin may at once barre the door of Heaven and open the gates of Hell and therefore an humble soule smites and strikes it selfe for the least as well as the greatest Though a head of Garlike be little yet it will poyson the Leopard though he be great Though a Mouse is but little yet it will kill an Elephant if he gets up into his Trunk Though the Scorpion be little yet it will sting a Lyon to death and so will the least sin if not pardoned by the death of Christ A proud heart counts great sins small and small sins no sins and so disarmes Conscience for a time of its whipping and wounding power but at death or in Hell conscience will take up an iron rod with which it will lash the sinner for ever and then though too late the sinner shall acknowledge his little sins to be very great and his great sins to be exceeding grievous and odious c. The tenth Property of an humble soule is this It will quietly 10 Property Psal 39. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Alam which signifies to be mute or tongue-tied Lev. 10. 1 2 3 Vaiidem from Clam am which signifies the quietnesse of the mind the troubled affections being allayed 1 Sam. 3. 11-19 2 Sam. 16. 5-14 Gallesius observes upon Exod. 22. 28. the exceeding patience of those three Emperours Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius towards those that spoke evill of them bear burdens and patiently take blowes and knocks and make no noise An humble soule sees God through man he sees God through all the actions and carriages of men I was dumb saith the Prophet I opened not my mouth because thou didst it An humble soule looks through secondary causes and sees the hand of God and then layes his owne hand upon his mouth An humble soule is a mute soule a tongue-tied soule when he looks through secondary causes to the supream cause So Aaron when he saw his Sons suddenly surprised by a dreadfull and dolefull death he held his peace he bridled his passions he sits silent under a terrible stroke of Divine Justice because the fire that devoured them went out from the Lord. So when Samuel had told Eli that God would judge his house for ever and that he had sworn that the iniquity of his house should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever c. It is the Lord sayes Eli let him doe what seemeth him good Eli humbly and patiently layes his neck upon the block it is the Lord let him strike let him kill c. sayes Eli. So David when Shimei manifested his desperate fury and folly malice and madnesse in raving and raging at him in cursing and reproaching of him sayes he Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him God sayes he will by his wise providence turne his cursing into blessing I see the Justice of God in his cursing therefore let him alone let him curse sayes David Cassianus reports that when a certaine Christian was held Captive by the Infidels and tormented by divers paines and ignominious taunts being demanded by way of scorne and reproach Tell us what Christ has done for you answered He Acts Mon. fol. 811. hath done what you see that I am not moved at all the cruelties and contumelies you cast upon me So that blessed Martyr Gyles of Brussells when the Fryers By long soo thingour own wills we have forsaken as Cassian saith the very shadow of patience sent to reduce him did at any time miscall him he ever held his peace insomuch that those wretches would say abroad that he had a dumb Devil in him Full Vessels will bear many a knock many a stroke and yet make no noise So Christians that are full of Christ that are full of the Spirit will bare many a knock many a stroke and yet make no noise An humble soule may groan under afflictions but he will not grumble in calmes Proud hearts discourse of patience but in stormes humble hearts exercise patience Philosophers have much commended it but in the houre of darknesse 't is onely the humble Christian that acts it I am afflicted sayes the humble soule but 't is mercy I am not destroyed I am fallen into the pit 't is free-grace I am not fallen into Hell God is too just to wrong me and too gratious to harme me and therefore I will be still and quiet let him doe what he will Isa 58. 1 2 3. with me sayes the humble soule But proud soules resist when they are resisted they strike when they are stricken Who is Non sic deos coluimus aut sic viximus ut ille nos vinceret said the Emperour An onius Philosophus the Lord sayes lofty Pharoah that I should obey him and Cain cryes out My punishment is greater then I am able to beare Well remember this though it be not easie in afflictions and tribulations to hold our peace yet 't is very advantagious which the Heathens seemed to intimate in placing the Image of Angeronia with the mouth bound upon the Altar of Volupia to shew that those that doe prudently and humbly conceale their sorrowes and anxieties by patience shall attaine comfort and refreshment The eleventh Property of an humble soule is this In all 11 Property John 14. 13. Ch. 15. 16. 16. 23 26. The name of Jesus hath a thousandtreasures of joy comfort in it saith Chrysostome And is therefore us'd by Paul five hundred times as some have reckoned Religious duties and services he trades with God upon the credit of Christ Lord sayes the humble soule I need power against such and such sins give it me upon the credit of Christs blood I need strength to such and such services give it me upon the credit of Christs word I need such and such mercies for the cheering refreshing quickening and strengthening of me give them into my bosome upon the credit of Christs intercession As a poore man lives and deales upon the credites of others so does an humble soule live and deale with God for the strengthening of every grace and for the supply of every mercy upon the credit of the Lord Jesus An humble soul knows that since he broke with God in Innocency God will trust him no more he will take his word no more and therefore when he goes to God for mercy he brings his Benjamin his Jesus in his armes and pleads for mercy upon
of happinesse but could not come at the Tree of Life the Lord Jesus Christ who is weak Saints compleat happinesse Rev. 14. 5. And in their mouths was found no guile for they were without fault before the Throne of God Though men may accuse you judge and condemne you yet know for your support that you are acquitted before the Throne of God However you may stand in the eyes of men as full of nothing but faults as persons made up of nothing but sin yet are you clear in the eyes of God So in Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all faire my Love and there is no spot in thee There 's none such as are the spots of wicked men nor no spot in mine account God looks upon weak Saints in the Son of his love and sees them all lovely they are as the Tree of Paradise Gen. 3. faire to his eye and pleasant to his tast Or as Absolom in whom there was no blemish from head to foot Ah poor soules you are apt to look upon your spots and blots and to cry out with the Leaper not onely unclean unclean but undone undone Well for ever remember this That your persons stand before God in the righteousnesse of Christ upon which account you alwayes appear before the Throne of God without fault you are all faire and there is no spot in you The eleventh Support is this Your sins shall never provoke Christ nor prevaile with Christ 11 Support so far as to give you a Bill of Divorce O there is much in it if the Lord would set it home upon your hearts your sins shall never prevaile so far with Christ nor never so far provoke him as to work him to give you a Read the 3d Chapter of Jeremiah Out of the most poysonfull druggs God distills his glory and our salvation Gallen speaks of a Maid called Nupella that was nourished by poyson God can and will turn the very sins of his people which are the worst poyson in all the world into his childrens advantage Bill of Divorce Your sins may provoke Christ to frowne upon you they may provoke Christ to chide with you they may provoke him gently to correct you but they shall never provoke Christ to give you a Bill of Divorce Psal 89. 30 31 32 33 34. If his Children forsake my Law and walke not in my Judgements If they breake my Statutes and keepe not my Commandements Then will I visite their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfullnesse to faile That 's a great Support to a weak Saint That his sin shall never separate him from God nor Christ Thou art many times afraid that this deadnesse this dullnesse this earthlinesse and these wandring thoughts c. that doe attend thee will provoke the Lord Jesus to sue out a Bill of Divorce against thee But remember this Thy sins shall never so far prevaile with Christ as to worke him to give thee a Bill of Divorce Mark There 's nothing can provoke Christ to give thee a Bill of Divorce but sin Now sin is slaine Ergo. I shall open this to you in three things First Sin is slaine Judicially for 't is condemned both by Christ and his people and so 't is dead according to Law A three-fold death of sin which is and may be a singular Comfort and Support to weak Saints that their greatest and worst Enemy Sin is condemned to dye and shall not for ever vex and torment their precious soules 'T is dead Judicially 't is under the sentence of condemnation 1 Cor. 15. 55 56. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy Victory The sting of death is sin c. Vide Grotium and Voâ—stius on the words c. The Apostle here triumphs over it as a Thief condemned to death Sin is sentenc'd now though not fully put to death it 's dead judicially As when the sentence of death is past upon a Malefactor you say he is a dead man why he is judicially dead so is sin sin is judicially dead When a man that hath robbed and wounded another is taken and sentenc'd judicially we say he is a dead man and it 's often a great refreshing and satisfaction to a man that he is so Sin O weak soule is sentenc'd and judicially slaine and therefore that can never work the Lord Jesus to give thee a Bill of Divorce The thoughts of which should much refresh thee and support thee Secondly Sin is dead or slaine civilly as well as judicially 'T is civilly dead because the power of it is much abated and Rom. 6. 14. its Dominion and Tyranny over-powred as when a King or a Tyrant is whipt and stript of all power to domineere reigne 'T is with sin in the Saints as 't was with those Beasts Dan. 7. 12. who had their Dominions taken away though their lives were prolonged for a season and a time and play the Tyrant is civilly dead even whiles he lives So is sin in this sense dead even while it lives That Text is sutable to our purpose Hos 13. 1. When Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himselfe in Israel but when he offended in Baal he dyed What 's the meaning of these words The meaning is this When the King of Ephraim spake the people even trembled at his voyce such power once he had But when he offended in Baal by serving Baal by giving himselfe up to Idolatry he dyed in respect of obedience not yielded to him as formerly Time was that he was terrible but when he fell to Idolatry his strength and glory came downe so that now he became even like a dead Carcasse Adam dyed civilly the same day that he sinned The Creatures that before lovingly obeyed him as soon as he renounc't obedience to his God they renounc't all obedience to him or his Soveraignty so that he civilly dyed the very same day that he sinned That 's a sweet word that you have Rom. 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin Therefore Christ will never Divorce you for sin O what a support may this be to a weak Saint That sin that he fears above all other Where sinne sits in the soule as a King sins upon his throne and commands the heart as a King commands his subjects there is reigne of sin but grace frees the soule from this things in the world is slaine judicially and civilly the Lord hath whipt and stript it of all its ruling reigning domineering tyrannizing power O therefore Christians look upon sin as dead that is as not to be obeyed as not to be acknowledged no more then a Tyrant that 's stript of all his tyrannizing power People that are wise and understand their liberty look not upon such a one as fit to be obeyed and served but as one fit to be renounced and destroyed Doe
whose Chastisements thou hast slighted will blot out thy transgressions for my owne sake I even I is a passionate and emphaticall expression Gods goodnesse runs over to sinfull Creatures and Where sin abounds there grace doth super-abound If the Creditor himselfe blot out the debt and crosse the Mat. 6. 12 14 15. 18. 24 â—7 33. Luke 7. 41 to 4â— Book surely it shall never be remembred more Our sins are debts which God who hath the power of life and death of heaven and hell of condemning and absolving hath engaged himselfe to blot out as a thick cloud Isa 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins An under Officer may blot out an Indictment and yet the offendor may be never the better for it but if the King who is the supream Judge shall blot it out then the offendor is safe The Application is easie If the soule be diserted then that Promise relives it Mich. 7. 18 19. He will turne againe he will have compassion upon us c. If the soule be sliding and ready to fall then that Promise supports and upholds it Psal 37. 24. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast downe for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand â—i Jehâ—vah somech jâ—do Or as the Hebrew ha's it The Lord upholding him with his hand The Hebrew Participle Somech notes a continued act of God God ha's still his everlasting armes under his Deut. 33. 26. 22. people so that they shall never totally nor finally fall And the root Samuch from whence this word is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to sustaine or uphold as the tender Mother doth the little Babe The safety and security of the Child lyes not so much in the Childs hanging about the Mothers neck as in the Mothers holding it fast in her armes So our safety and security lyes not so much in our weak holding upon Christ but in Christs holding of us fast in his everlasting armes This is our glory and our safety that Christs left hand is alwayes under us and his right hand does alwayes embrace us Cant. 2. 6. If the soule be forsaken by friends then that Promise relieves it Heb. 13. 5 6. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee There are five Negatives in the Greek to assure Gods people that he will never forsake them Five times this precious Promise is renewed in the Scripture that we might have the stronger Consolation and that we may presse and oppresse it till we have gotten all the sweetnesse out of it and verily many precious soules have suckt much sweetnesse out of the breasts of this Promise when their nearest relations and their dearest friends have forsaken them and forgotten them God loves that his people should put his Bonds his Promises in suite and he that does shall find God near him though friends should leave him and the world be in armes against him c. If the soule be tempted then that word of Promise relieves it 1 Cor. 10. 13. But God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able c. The Promises are a Christians Magna Charta they are his chief Evidences for heaven Men highly prize their Charters and Priviledges and carefully keep the Conveyances and Assurances of their Lands Oh! how should Saints then treasure up and keep these Precious Promises which the Lord ha's given them and which are to them instead of all Assurances for their protection maintenance deliverance comfort and everlasting happinesse And thus much for the sixth gift the Lord gives viz. The Promises Seventhly The Lord gives Grace Of his fullnesse we all John 1. 16. have received Grace for Grace The Lord gives that grace the least dram of which is more worth then Heaven and Earth It was an excellent saying of one of the Ancients I had Hierom. rather have St. Pauls Coat with his heavenly Graces then the Purple of Kings with their Kingdomes Grace is that A good symbole was atâ—â—buted to Emilian the Roman Emperour Non gens sed mens non genus sed genius Not race or place but grace truly sets forth a man which truly ennobles the soule it raises the soule up to converse with the highest and with the noblest objects and every man is as the objects are with which he converses if the objects are noble the man is so if the objects are base with which a man converses the man is base A man may better know what he is by eying the objects with which his soule does mostly converse then by observing his most glorious and pompious services The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Abraham was a Prince of God among the Hittites The Jewes say That those seventy persons that went downe with Jacob into Aegypt were more Pro. 12. 26. Gen. 23. 6. worth then the seventy Nations of the world Indeed it 's onely grace that makes a man truly noble When one heard the King of Persia stil'd The Great King saith he I acknowledge none more excellent then my selfe unlesse more righteous nor none greater unlesse better Grace as it 's bred by the noblest means so 't is preserved and maintained in the soule by the choycest means viz. Vnion and Communion with God c. Grace is glory in the bud and glory is grace at the full Grace makes a man all glorious Psal 45. 13. within and without Grace is a ring of gold and Christ is the sparkling Diamond in that ring Eighthly He gives Peace John 14. 27. My peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world Rom. 5. 1. Hos 2. 21 22 23. Job 5. 19 to 25. giveth give I unto you Christ gives peace with God and peace with Conscience and peace with the Creatures Dulce nomen pacis The very name of Peace is sweet The Hebrews when they wished all happinesse to any used but this one word Peace be with you And the Ancients Martimus the Emperours Motto was Pax bello potior Give me peace and let others quarrell were wont to paint Peace in the forme of a Woman with a Horne of Plenty in her hand all blessings Ask a soule that ha's been under terrors of conscience and he will tell you that of all gifts inward Peace is the most Princely gift c. Ninthly He gives Glory John 10. 28. My sheep heare my voyce and they follow me and I give unto them eternall life Rom. 7. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life Now the glory that Christ gives is Reall glory 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Henceforth is laid up for me a Crowne of Glory The Greek word Apokeitai signifies two things 1 A designation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a Crowne And 2 A reservation and safe keeping of it for him untill the Coronation day Againe the glory he
a treasure of rare abilities in them would as soon part with their hearts as their conceptions I think they are rather Monsters then reall Christians that are of such a spirit The third and last thing to which you are to improve your gifts and graces is To the benefit and profit of your own soules The good of the soule is specially to be minded 1 Because 't is the most Noble part of man 2 Because the Image of God is most fairly stampt upon it 3 Because it is first converted 4 Because it shall be first glorified Not to improve them to your owne internall and eternall good is with a high hand to crosse the maine end of Gods conferring them upon you Ah Christians you must improve them to the strengthening of you against temptations to the supporting of you under afflictions to the keeping under of strong corruptions to the sweetning of all mutations and to the preparing and fitting of you for the dayes of your dissolution I shall content my selfe with giving you this hint because I have before spoken more fully to this head And thus we have done with the Doctrinall part We shall come now to make some Use and Application of this Point to our selves If this be so That 't is the Duty of Christians to improve and exercise the gifts and graces that the Lord hath given them Then in the first place this looks very sowrely and wishly upon all lazie idle negligent Christians that doe not stir up themselves to lay hold on God that doe not stir up the grace of the Lord in them 'T is sad to consider how many Christians Cupid complained He could never â—asten upon the Muses because he could never find them idle No Christians so fâ—ee from Satans assaults as active Christians are nor none so tempâ—ed as idle Christians can stir up themselves to lay hold on all opportunities to make themselves great and rich in the world and yet suffer their golden gifts and graces even to grow rustie for want of exercise 'T is sad to see how busie many men are to exercise and improve a Talent of riches who yet bind up their Talents of gifts and grace in a Napkin By these God looses much honour and praise and themselves loose much comfort and content and others loose much profit and benefit and the Gospel looses much credit and glory But the maine Use that I shall make of this Point shall be To exhort and stir you all up to make a blessed improvement of your graces And indeed it is a Point of most singular use to us all our The Jewish Rabbins report That he same night that Israel de parted out of Aegypt towards Canaan all the Idols Idolatrou Temples in Aegypt by lightning and earth quakes were broken downe So when grace holinesse is set up in the heart all the Idols of Satan which are meâ—slust are throwne downe dayes a truth that is every day of very great concernment to our soules Now there are seven Considerations that I shall propound by way of Motive to stir up your soules to make a blessed improvement of the grace and gifts you have received And the first is this Seriously consider that the exercise and improvement of grace in your soules will be more and more the death and ruine of sin in your soules Take it from experience There is not a choycer way then this for a man to bring under the power of his sin then to keep up the exercise of his grace Sin and Grace are like two Buckets at a Well when one is up the other is downe They are like the two Lawrels at Rome when one flourishes the other withers Certainly the readiest and the surest way to bring under the power of sin is to be much in the exercise of grace Rom. 8. 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse The life and activity of Christ and grace in the soule is the death and destruction of sin in the soule The more grace acts in the soule the more sin withers and dyes in the soule the stronger the house of David grew 2 Sam. 3. the weaker the house of Saul grew As the house of David grew every day stronger and stronger so the house of Saul every day grew weaker and weaker So the activity of the new Mat. 21. 12 13 14. man is the death of the old man When Christ began to bestir himselfe in the Temple the money-changers quickly fled out So when grace is active and stirring in the soule corruption quickly flyes A man may find out many wayes to hide his sin but he will never find out any way to subdue his sin but by the exercise of grace Of all Christians none so mortified as those in whom grace is most exercised Sin is a Viper that must be kill'd or 't will kill you for ever and there is no way to kill it but by the exercise of grace Secondly Consider this by way of motive to provoke you Mat. 5. 16. The exercise of virtue will draw I ve from a mans very enemies Tilligny for his â—are virtues was reserved from death by his greatest enemies at the Mâ—ssacre of Paris as you may see in the French History in the life of Charls the Ninth to exercise and improve your Graces The exercise and improvement of your Graces will provoke others to blesse and admire the God of Grace Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven The light of your Conversation and the light of your graces Oh! how many thousand soules be there now triumphing in heaven whose gifts and graces shin'd gloriously when they were on earth and ah how many thousands are there now on earth that blesse and admire the Lord for the shine of their graces who are now in heaven That blesse the Lord for the Faith of Abraham and the Zeale of David and the Meeknesse of Moses and the Patience of Job and the Courage of Joshua c. Ah Christians as you would stirre up others to exalt the God of grace look to the exercise and improvement of your graces When poor servants shall live in a family and see the faith of a Master and the love of a Master and the wisedome of a Master and the patience of a Master and the humility of a Master c. shining like so many stars of heaven oh how doth it draw forth their hearts to blesse the Lord that ever they came into such a family 'T is not a profession of Religion but the exercise and improvement of grace that contributes so much to the lifting up of the glory of the Lord and to the greatning of his praise in the world Many Saints have had their hearts warmed and heated by siting by other Saints fire by eying and dwelling upon other Saints
the account of Jesus So Themystocles did when he sought the favour of Kâ— Admetus Plutarch reports that 't was wont to be the way of the Molossians when they would seek the favour of their Prince they took up the Kings Son in their armes and so went and kneeled before the King and by this means overcame him So doe humble soules make a conquest upon God with Christ in The name of a Saviour saith Bernard is honey in the mouth musick in the ear a Jubile in the heart The boy that was a Monitor cryed aloud to him that rode in Triumph Memento te esse hominem Remember thy self to be a man their armes the father will not give that soule the repulse that brings Christ in his armes The humble soule knows that God out of Christ is incommunicable that God out of Christ is incomprehensible that God out of Christ is very terrible and that God out of Christ is unaccessible and therefore he still brings Christ with him and presents all his requests in his name and so prevailes c. O but proud soules deal with God upon the credit of their owne worthinesse righteousnesse services prayers teares fastings c. as the proud Pharisees and those wrangling Hypocrites in Isa 58. 1 2 3. 'T was a very proud saying of one Coelum gratis non accipiam I will not have Heaven but at a rate and therefore well did the Father call Vain-glory a pleasant Thiefe and the sweet spoyler of spirituall excellencies The twelfth Property of an humble soul is this It endeavours more how to honour and glorifie God in afflictions then how to get out of afflictions So Daniel the three Children the Apostles 12 Property Dan 3. ch 6. Acts 5. 41 42. Acts 4. 29. Heb. 11. Eph. 6. 19 20. Phil. 1. 13 19. and those worthies of whom this world was not worthy they were not curious about getting out of affliction but studious how to glorifie God in their afflictions They were willing to be any thing and to bear any thing that in every thing God might be glorified They made it their businesse to glorifie God in the fire in the Prison in the Den on the wrack and under the sword c. Lord sayes the humble Prorsus Satan est Lutherus sed Christus vivit regnat Amen said Luther in writing to his friend Spalatinus soule doe but keep downe my sins and keep up my heart in a way of honouring of thee under all my troubles and then my troubles will be no troubles my afflictions will be no afflictions Though my burdens be doubled and my troubles be multiplied yet doe but help me to honour thee by believing in thee by waiting on thee and by submitting to thee and I shall sing care away I shall say 't is enough When Valens the Emperour sent Messengers to win Euscbius Happy is that soul and to be equalled with Angels who is willing to suffer if it were possible as great things for Christ as Christ hath suffered for it said Jerome to Heresie by faire words and large promises he answered Alas Sir these speeches are fit to catch little Children that looke after such things but we that are taught and nourished by the holy Scriptures are readier to suffer a thousand deaths then to suffer one syllable or tittle of the Scripture to be altered And when the Emperour threatned to Confiscate his Goods to torment him to banish him or to kill him he answered He need not feare Confiscation that hath nothing to loose nor Banishment to whom Heaven onely is a Countrey nor torments when his body will be dasht with one blow nor death which is the onely way to set him at liberty from sinne and sorrow O but when a proud man is under troubles and afflictions his head and heart are full of plots and projects how to get off his Chaines and how to get out of the Furnace c. A proud heart will say any thing and doe any thing and be any thing to free himselfe from the burdens that presse him as you see in Pharoah c. But an humble soule is willing to Job 1. 20 21. bear the crosse as long as he can get strength from Heaven to kisse the crosse to blesse God for the crosse and to glorifie God under the crosse c. The thirteenth Property of an humble soule is this It seeks 13 Property not it looks not after great things A little will satisfie Nature lesse will satisfie Grace but nothing will satisfie a proud Galen mans Lusts Lord sayes the humble soule if thou wilt but give me bread to eat and rayment to put on thou shalt be Gen. 28. 20 21 22. my God Let the men of the world sayes the humble soul take the world in all its greatnesse and glory and divide it Vir bonus pauis indiges among themselves let me have much of Christ and Heaven in my heart and food convenient to support my naturall life Psal 4. 6 7. Prov 30. 8. Luther â— made many a meale of a Herring And â—unius of an Egge and it shall be enough Job 22. 29. When men are cast down then thou shalt say there is lifting up And he shall save the humble person or as the Hebrew hath it Ne shahh gnenaim Him that hath low eyes Nothing to us that an humble soule looks not after high things So in Psal 131. 1 2. Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty But how doe you know that David why sayes he I doe not exercise my selfe in great matters or in things too high or too wonderfull for me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely I behaved and quieted my selfe Hebr. My soule is as a Child that is weaned of his mother My soule is even as a weaned Child As a great shooe fits not a little foot nor a great saile a little ship nor a great ring a little finger so a great estate fits not an humble soule It was a prudent speech of that Indian King Taxiles to the invading Alexander What should we need said he to Plutarch fight and make war one with another if thou comest not to take away our water and our necessaries by which we must live as for other Goods if I be richer then thou I am ready to give thee of mine and if I have lesse I will not think scorne to thank thee if thou wilt give me some of thine Oh but proud Absalom can't be content to be the Kings Son unlesse he may have the Crowne presently from his Fathers head Caesar can abide no Superiour nor Pompey an equall A proud soule is content with nothing A Crowne could not content Ahab but he must have Naboths Vineyard though he swim to it in blood Diogenes had more content with his Tub to shelter him from the injuries of the weather and with his wooden dish to eat and drink in then
my selfe to differ to wit by the improvement of Nature This Age is full of such proud Monsters But an humble soule sees free grace to be the Spring and Fountaine of all his mercies and comforts he writes free Grace upon all his temporalls and upon all his spiritualls c. The Seventh Direction is Meditate much upon these two 7 Direction things First The great mischiefe that sinne hath done in the World It cast Angels out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradice it hath layen the first corner-stone in Hell and ushered in all the evils and miseries that be in the world It hath threw downe Abraham the best Believer in the world and Noah the most Righteous man in the world and Job the Uprightest man in the world and Moses the Meekest man in the world and Paul the greatest Apostle in the world Oh the Diseases the crosses the losses the miseries the deaths the hells that sin hath brought upon the world Bazill wept when he saw the Rose because it brought to to his mind the first sin from whence it had the prickles which it had not while man continued in Innocency as he thought Oh when he saw the prickles his soule wept So when we see heare or read of the blood misery warres and ruines that sin ha's brought upon us ler us weep and lye humble before the Lord. Secondly Mediate much on this That many wicked men Mat. 23. 15. take more paines to damne their soules and goe to Hell then thou doest to save thy soule and to get to Heaven Oh what paines doe wicked men take to damne their souls and goe to Hell Lanctantius saith of Lucian that he spared Such a mad Devil was Catalin neither God nor man He took paines to make himselfe twice told a Child of wrath It is said of Marcellus the Roman Generall That hee could not be quiet Nec victor nec victus neither Conquered nor Conquerour Such restlesse wretches are wicked men The Drunkard rises up in the morning and continues till Isa 5. 11. mid-night till wine inflame him The unclean person wasts his time and strength and estate and all to ruine his owne soule Theotimus being told by his Physitian that if he did not leave his lewd courses he would loose his sight answered Vale lumen amicum Then farewell sweet light What a deale of paines does the Worldling take He rises up early and goes to Bed late and leaves no stone unturn'd and all to make himselfe but the more miserable in the close Pambus in the Ecclesiasticall History wept when he saw a Harlot drest with much care and cost partly to see one Socrates Eccl. Hist l. 4. c. 28. take so much paines to goe to Hell and partly because he had not been so carefull to please God as shee had been to please a wanton lover Oh Sirs what reason have you to spend your dayes in weeping when you look abroad and see what paines most men take to damne their soules and goe to Hell and then consider what little paines you take to escape Hell to save your soules and goe to Heaven Eighthly Get more internall and experimentall knowledge 8 Direction and acquaintance with God If ever you would keep humble no knowledge humbles and abases like that which is inward and experimentall We live in dayes wherein there is abundance of notionall light many Professors know much of God notionally but know nothing of God experimentally They know God in the History but know nothing of God in the Mystery They know 'T is a sad thing to be often eating of the Tree of Knowledg but never to tast of the Tree of Life much of God in the letter but little or nothing of God in the spirit and therefore 't is that they are so proud and high in their owne conceits when as he that experimentally knowes the Lord is a Worme and no man in his owne eyes As the Sun is necessary to the world the eye to the body the Pilate to the Ship the Generall to the Army So is experimentall knowledge to the humbling of the soule Who more experimentall in their knowledge then David Job Isaiah and Paul And who more humble then these Worthies Seneca observed of the Philosophers That when they grew more learned they were lesse morall So a growth in notions will bring a great decay in humility and zeale as it 's too evident in these dayes Well remember this a drop of experimentall knowledge will more humble a man then a sea of notionall knowledge Ninthly Looke up to a crucified Christ for speciall power 9 Direction and strength against the pride of your hearts 'T is sad in these knowing times to think how few there are that know the right way of bringing under the power of any sin Most men scarce look so high as a crucified Christ for power against their powerfull sins One soule sits downe and complaines Such a Psal 10. 4. It was the the blood of the Sacrifice and the Oyle that cleansed the Leper in the Law and that by them was meant the blood of Christ and the grace of his Spirit is agreed by all lust haunts me I 'le pray it downe Another saith such a sin followes me and I 'le hear it downe or watch it downe or resolve it downe and so a crucified Christ is not in all their thoughts Not but that you are to hear pray watch and resolve against your sins but above all you should look to the acting of Faith upon a crucified Christ As he said of the sword of Goliah None like to that So I say none like to this for the bringing under the pride of mens hearts The weaker the House of Saul grew the stronger the House of David grew The weakning of your pride will be the increase and strengthening of your Humility and therefore what the King of Syria said unto his fifty Captaines Fight neither with small nor great but with the King of Israel So say I if you woulk keep humble if you would lye low draw forth your Artillery place your greatest strength against the pride of your soules The death of Pride will be the resurrection of Humility And that this may stick upon you I shall lay downe severall Propositions concerning Pride and I am so much the more willing to fall upon this work and to make it the subject of our discourse at this time because this horrid sin doth appeare so boldly and impudently and that not onely among prophane persons but Professors also There are ten Propositions that I shall lay downe concerning Pride And the first is this Of all sinnes Pride is most dangerous to the soules of Men. Pride is a sin that will put the soule upon the worst of sinnes Pride is a gilded misery a secret poyson a hidden plague 'T is the Ingeneere of deceipt the Mother of hypocrisie the Parent of envy the Moth of holinesse the
What and thou my Son Brutus Is this thy kindnesse to thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 friend to him that ha's loved thee and saved thee and owned thee c. Then vers 73. Surely thou art one of them for thy speech bewrayeth thee And vers 74. He began to curse and to sweare I know not the man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Calvin on the Text. In Rom. 6. 19. There are 3 To 's in the expression of the service of sin To uncleannesse To iniquity and Vnto iniquity But in the service of God there are onely two To 's To righteousnesse and Vnto holinesse To note that we were more prone to sin before Conversion then wearetograce and holinesse after conversion The Greek word that 's rendred Curse imports a cursing and a damning of himselfe an imprecation of Gods wrath and a separation from the presence and glory of God if he knew the man Some Writers say That he curst Christ I know not the man saith he Though it were ten thousand times better to bear then to swear and to dye then to lye yet when discouragement faces him he is so amazed and daunted that he tells the most incredible lye that almost could be uttered by the mouth of man For there was scarce any Jew saith Grotius that knew not Christ by sight being famous for those abundance of Miracles that he wrought before their eyes Neither could Peter alledge any cause why he came thither if he had not known Christ But vers 75. He went out and wept bitterly One sweet look of love breaks his heart in pieces he melts under the beamings forth of Divine favour upon him Once he leapt into a Sea of waters to come to Christ and now he leaps into a sea of tears for that he had so shamefully denied Christ Clement notes That Peter so repented that all his life-time after every night when he heard the Cock crow he would fall upon his knees and weep bitterly begging pardon for this dreadfull sin Others say That after his lying cursing and denying Christ he was ever and anon weeping and that his face was furrowed with continuall teares He had no sooner taken in poyson but he vomits it up againe before it got to the vitals He had no sooner handled a Serpent but he turnes it into a rod to scourge his soule with remorse This truth is further confirmed by the speech and carriage of the Disciples Luke 24. 21 ult We trusted say they that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel but now we cannot tell what to say to it Here their hope hangs the wing extreamly Invalidum omne naturâ querulum Seneca Weak spirits are ever quarâ—elling and contending Weak soules find it as hard to wait for God as 't is to bear evill This weaknesse Christ checks vers 25. O fooles and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken c. And John 16. 5. The first newes Christ tells them is of their sufferings and of his leaving of them and upon the thoughts hereof their hearts were so filled with sorrow that they could not so much as say Master whither goest thou vers 6. But now soules strong in grace will hold on in holy and gratious actings in the very face of the greatest discouragements as those in Psal 44. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death yet our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined Such a spirit shin'd in Chrysostome when he bid them tell the enraged Empress Eudoxia Nil nisi peccatum timeo I feare nothing but sin from thy wayes And so the three Children they hold up in the face of all discouragements And so those brave Worthies of whom this world was not worthy Heb. 11. their hearts were carried out exceedingly notwithstanding all discouragements to hold on in wayes of holinesse and in their actings of faith upon God in the face of all dangers and deaths that did attend them When Henry the Eighth had spoken and written bitterly against Luther saith Luther Tell the Henries the Bishops the Turke and the Devil himselfe Doe what they can we are Children of the Kingdome worshipping of the true God whom they and such as they spit upon and crucified And of the same spirit and mettle were many Martyrs Bazill affirmes of the Primitive Saints That they had so much conrage and confidence in their sufferings that many of the Heathens seeing their heroick zeale and constancy turned Christians Twelfthly Weake Saints minde their wages and vailes more then their worke Their wages their vailes is joy peace comfort and assurance c. and their work is waiting on God believing in Children mind moâ—e play-â—ayes then they do working dayâ— oâ— Schoâ—dayes 1 Sam 15. 14. God walking with God acting for God c. Now weak Saints minds are more carried out and taken up about their wages about their vailes then they are about their work as experience doth abundantly evidence Ah Christians if you don't mind your wages more then your work what means the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the Oxen What means those earnest and vehement cryings out and wrestings for joy peace comfort and assurance when the great work of believing of waiting and of walking with God is so much neglected and dis-regarded But now strong Saints are more mindfull of their work then they are of their wages Lord saith a strong Saint doe but uphold me in a way of believing in a way of working in a way of holy walking c. and it shall be enough though I should never have Assurance comfort peace or joy till my dying day If thou wilt carry me forth so as thou mayest have honour though I have no comfort so thou mayest have glory though I have no peace I Rom. 4. 18 19 20. will blesse thee I know sayes such a soule though a life of comfort be most pleasing to me yet a life of believing abstracted from comfort is most honourable to thee and therefore I will be silent before thee Lord doe but help me in my work and take thine owne time to give me my wages to give me comfort joy peace assurance They are none of the best Servants that mind their wages more then their work Nor they are none of the best Christians that mind their comforts and their incomes more then that homage and duty that they owe to God Before I come to the second thing premised give me leave to give you this hint viz. That there is no such way to joy peace and Assurance as this to mind your worke more then your wages Ah! had many mourning complaing Christians done thus their mourning before this had been turn'd into rejoycing and their complainings into singings Christians the high way to comfort is to mind comfort lesse and duty more 't is to mind more what thou shouldest doe then
you so look upon your sins and deale accordingly with them Thirdly Sin is slaine Naturally as well as Civilly Christ hath given it its deaths wound by his death and resurrection He hath given sin such a wound that it cannot be long liv'd though it may linger a while in a Saint as a Tree that 's cut at the root with a sore gash or two must dye within a year perhaps a month nay it may be within a week though for a time it may flourish it may have leaves and fruit yet it secretly dies and will very shortly wither and perish The Lord Jesus hath given sin such a mortall wound by his death and Spirit and by the communication of his favour and grace to the soule that sin shall never recover its strength more but dye a lingring death in the soules of the Saints Christ did not dye all at once upon the Crosse but by little and little To shew us that his death should extend to the slaying of sin gradically in the soules of the Saints When our Enemy hath a mortall wound we say he is a dead man his wound is mortall So when Jesus Christ hath given sin such a deadly wound such a mortall blow that it shall never recover its strength and power more we may truly say 'T is dead 't is slaine Therefore cheere up Oh weak soules for certainly sin that is thus slaine can never provoke Jesus Christ to give you a Bill of Divorce Ah that all weak Christians would like the Bee abide upon these sweet flowers and gather Honey out of them c. To proceed The twelfth Support is this Christ and you are Sharers 12 Support The notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is best expressed by Chrysostome in these words When mankind fled farre from Christ Christ pursued and caught hold of it and this he did by fastening on our Nature in his Incarnation c. The Ancients use to say commonly That Alexander and Ephâ—stion had baâ— one soule in two distinct bodies because their joy and sorrow glory and disgrace was mutuall to them both 'T is so betweene Christ and his Saints Their names that are written in red letters of blood in the Churches Kalender are written in golden letters in Christs Register in the Book of Life said Prudentius In my life-time said a gracious soule I have been assaulted with temptations from Satan and he hath cast my sins into my teeth to drive me to despaire yet the Lord gave the strength to overcome all his temptations Know this weak Saints for your support and comfort That Christ shares with you and you share with Christ I shall open this sweet Truth to you a little 1 Christ shares with you in your Natures In Heb. 2. 16. For verily he tooke not on him the Nature of Angels but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham And by this he hath advanc't fallen man above the very Angels This is the great Mysterie spoken of 1 Tim. 3. 16. And without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh c. 2 The Lord Jesus shares with you in your Afflictions In Isa 63. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them In his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old It is between Christ and his Church as between two Lute-strings no sooner one is struck but the other trembles 3 He shares with you in all your sufferings and persecutions as well as in all your afflictions Acts 9. 4 5. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me There is such a neer Union between the Lord Jesus Christ and the weakest Saints that a man cannot strike a Saint but he must strike through the very heart of Christ Their sufferings are held his Col. 1. 24. and their afflictions are his afflictions and their reproaches are his reproaches Heb. 13. 13. and their provocations are his provocations Nehem. 4. 4 5. God is provokt more then Nehemiah So Isa 8. 18. compared with Heb. 2. 13. Behold I and the Children whom the Lord hath given me are for signes and wonders in Israel This the Apostle applies to Christ Heb. 2. 13. 4 The Lord Jesus Christ shares with you in all your Temptations Heb. 2. 17 18. Chap. 4. 15 16. Christ was tempted and he was afflicted as well as you that he might he able to succour you that are tempted As a poore man that ha's been troubled with paine and griefe he will share with others that are troubled with paine or grief Ah friends the Lord Jesus Christ hath lost none of his affections by going to Heaven he is still full of compassion though free from personall passion When he was on earth Oh! how did he simpathize with his poor servants in all their temptations Satan sayes Christ to Peter hath desired to winnow thee but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Luther in his Preaching met with every mans temptation and being once askt How he could doe so answered Mine owne manifold temptations and experiences are the cause thereof Oh the manifold temptations that the Lord Jesus hath undergone makes him semable as I may say and willing to share with us in our temptations Secondly As Christ shares with weak Saints So weak Saints share with Christ And this I shall shew you briefly in a few particulars 1 Weake Saints share with Christ in his Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these we might be partakers of the Divine To be made partakers of the Divine Nature notes two things 1 Fellowship with God in his holinesse 2 A fellowship with God in his blessednesse Nature Not of the substance of the God-head as the Familists say for that is incommunicable But by the Divine Nature we are to understand those Divine Qualities called elswhere The Image of God the Life of God that whereby we are made like to God in wisedome and holinesse wherein the Image of God after which man was at first Created consists Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. Saints that doe partake of this Divine Nature that is of those Divine Qualities before spoken of they resemble God not onely as a picture doth a man in outward lineaments but as a Child doth his Father in countenance and condition And well may grace be called The Divine Nature for as God bringeth light out of darknesse comfort out of sorrow riches out of poverty and glory out of shame so does grace bring day out of night and sweet out of bitter and plenty out of poverty and glory out of shame It turnes Counters into gold Pebbles into Pearles sicknesse into health weaknesse into strength and wants into abundance Injoying nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6. 10. c. 2 Weake Saints share with Christ in his Spirit and Grace In Psal 45. 7. Christ
yet I can truly say I dearly love the people of Christ for the Image of Christ that I see stampt upon them 'T is true I dare not say Christ is mine and heaven is mine I cannot say with such and such The Lord is my Portion yet I can say that I dearly love those that have the Lord for their portion I can truly say that the poorest and the most neglected and the most despised Saint in the world is more pretious in my eye and more deare to my soule then the greatest and the richest sinner in the world Psalme 16. 3. Well is this all O weake Saint that thou hast to say No Sir I have one thing more What 's that Why that 's this Though I dare not say that I have an interest in Christ or that I love Christ yet I dare say That my soule weeps and mournes in secret for the dishonour that is done to Christ both by my selfe and by others also I can look the Lord in the face were I now to dye and say Lord thou that knowest all thoughts and hearts thou doest know that mine eyes run downe with Rivers of teares because men keepe not thy Law Well is this all No Sir I crave your patience to heare me in one thing more What 's that O weake Christian Why that is this That I prize persons and things according to the spiritualnesse and holinesse that is in them and the more spirituall and holy any man or thing is the more is that man and thing prized by my soule I have often thought of that sweet word Psal 119. 104. Thy word is very pure therefore doth thy Much in the word is wrapt up in a little 't is more to be admired then to have Homers I liads comprized in a nut-shel The word is like the stone Garamantides that hath dâ—ops within it selfe enriching of the gracious soul servant love it Other men love it because of the profit they get by it or because of a name or this or that but I love it for the purity for the holinesse and the cleannesse of it No preaching saith the weak Saint nor no praying nor no talking nor no society that likes me and is sweet to me but that that 's most spirituall most holy It is not an Exercise trick'd and trim'd up with wit learning and eloquence 't is not the hanging of truths ears with counterfet Pearles that takes me but the more plainnesse spirituallnesse and holinesse I see in an Exercise the more is my heart raised to prize it and love it And therefore saith the weak Saint because Christ is perfectly and infinitely holy above all others I prize Christ above all Ordinances are sweet O but Christ is more sweet to my soule Saints are precious but Christ is far more precious Heaven is glorious but Christ is infinitely more glorious The first thing that I would ask if I might have it saith the weak Saint is Christ And the next thing that I would ask if I might have it is more of Christ And the last None but Christ none but Christ â—â—id the Martyr thing that I would ask if I might have it is that I might be saâ—iated and filled with the fullnesse of Christ Let the Ambition man take the honours of the world so I may but have Christ Let the Voluptuous man swim in all the pleasures of the world so I may have Christ And let the covetous man tumble up and downe in all the gold and silver of the world so I may have Christ and it shall be enough to my soule Well is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more to say What 's that Why it is this I find the same Conflict in my soule that Paul found in IX The best Saints in this world are lâ—ke the Tribe of Manasses halfe on this side Jordan in the Land of the Amorites and halfe on that side in the holyland And tho to be kept from sinne brings most comfâ—rt to a poore soule yet for a poore souâ—e to oppose sin and God to pardon sinne that brings most glory to God 2 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. X. Sozonem râ—lates of one who was as circumspect to be seen as to be A gracious soule is as carefull that he does not indanger another by a bad life as he is carefull to save his own life his soule after he was converted neere upon 14 years after he was taken up into as clear and choyce injoyments of God as any soule that ever I read of The Conflict that is mentioned Rom. 7. I find in my soule the whole frame of my soule understanding will and affections are set against sin I find that I hate the evill that I doe and I find That the good that I would doe I doe not and the evill that I would not doe that doe I. I find a Law in my Members rebelling against the Law of my mind and leading of me Captive to the Law of sin And this makes me often to cry out with Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Therefore I sometime hope that those sins that are now my burden shall never hereafter be my bane Well and is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more to say What 's that Why it is this I can truly say when the Lord gives me any strength against sin and any power to serve him and to walk close with him in his wayes it is a greater joy and comfort to my soule then all the blessings of this life Though I have not yet seen that he ha's set me as a seale upon his heart as a seale upon his arme Though I have not yet the clear assurance of his love Though his Spirit hath not yet set up such a light in my soule whereby I might run and read my right and title to himselfe and heaven yet when he doth give me but a little light through a crevis when he does but begin to cause his love to dawne upon me when he gives me but a little strength against sin and a little power to walk close with himselfe c. O this doth administer more abiding joy and more sweet peace and more sollid comfort to my soule then all the riches honours friends and favours of this world Well is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more to say What 's that Why that is this Though my interest in Christ be not cleer to me yet I can XI Psal 101. 3. Psal 139. 21 22. Psal 120. 6. truly say I would not change my condition with the men of this world for a thousand worlds 'T is true I cannot say that I have the seale and witnesse of the Spirit that many talk and boast of though I fear but a few injoy yet I can really say That I would not change my estate with men meerly civill nor with the
graces Ah! when mens graces shine as Moses his face did when their lives as one speaketh of Joseph's life is a very heaven sparkling with variety of virtues as with so many bright Stars ah how are others stirr'd up to glorifie God and to cry out these are Christians indeed these are an honour to their God a Crowne to their Christ and a credit to their Gospel Oh! if they were all such we would be Christians too 'T is a very great stumbling-block to many poor sinners to see men that make a very great and large profession Those in whom virtue is extinguished are like unto painted and printed papers which ignorant men honour and worship instead of Christ Rawleigh of Christ never to exercise and shew forth the virtues of Christ they professe they know him and yet by the non exercise of his virtues they deny him 'T was one of Matchavils Principles That the appearance of virtue was onely to be sought because the use of it saith he is a trouble but the credit of it a helpe I am afraid that this cursed soule-damning Principle is the best flower that growes in many mens Gardens in these dayes Though there is no virtue but is as a bright stone in a dark night it shines and shewes its clearnesse and beauty 't is as pure gold the brighter for passing through the fire yet how doe most Hypocritis nihil est crudelius impatientius vindicta cupidius There is not a more cruel creature more impatient and vindictive then an hypocrite saith Luther who had the experience of it therefore trust not to the Matchavils of the times covet rather the name of virtue then to be really virtuous Such I believe shall have the hottest and the lowest place in hell Well Christians remember this 't is not a shew of grace but the exercise of grace that will provoke others to glorifie the fountaine of grace That 's a very remarkeable Scripture 1 Thess 2. 2 3 8. compared We give thanks to God alwayes for you making mention of you in our prayers Remembring without ceasing your worke of faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our father For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not onely in Macedonia and Achaia but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad In this eighth verse you have an elegant Metaphor which signifies that their faith was so lively that with its sound as it were it stirred up other Nations The Greek word Exechetai is to sound as with the sound of a Trumpet to make sound afar off Sayes the Apostle your graces made a noise like a Trumpet Pliny tells of some in the remote parts of India that they have no mouths We have many such Monsters among us that have no mouths to blesse God for the good that shines in others they stirr'd up others to be gracious and active as the Trumpet stirs up men to warre So in 2 Pet. 1. 3 4. Wee are bound to give thanks to God alwayes for you brethren as it is meet because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth So that we our selves glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure Hoc enim Angelicum this is the Character of the Angelicall nature to rejoyce in the graces and gracious actings of others He that acts otherwise holds forth the Image of the Devil and declares himselfe a native of hell Thirdly Consider That the exercise and improvement of graces may be a speciall means to stir up the exercise of grace in others Your improvement of grace may be a speciall means to stir The complaint is ancient in Seneca That comonly men live not ad rationem but ad similitudinem Se◠de vita beati cap. 1. up others to improve their graces also 1 Thess 1. 7. So that we were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia Or as the Greek is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You were Types moulds Patterns of piety to them that were in Christ long before you So in 2 Cor. 9. 2. For I know the forwardnesse of your minde for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia that Achaia was ready a year agoe and your zeale hath provoked very many I knew you were forward and this I beasted of I made it my glory to tell how grace shin'd in your soules And saith he your zeale hath provoked many When they saw how warm and lively and active how open-handed and open-hearted you were to the poor Saints their hearts were stir'd up to acts of charity also Stories speak of some that could not sleep when they thought of the Trophies of other Worthies that Praecepta docent exempla movent Precepts may instruct but examples doe perswade went before them The highest examples are very quickning and provoking That this may stick upon your souls I beseech you bed and board rise and walke with this one Consideration viz. That all the good you provoke others to by Counsell or example shall be put downe to your Account It shall certainly turne to your internall and eternall advantage In the great day Christ will make honorable mention of all the good that thou hast stir'd and provok't others too and will reward thee for it before Angels and men The faith the love the hope the charity the patience c. that thou hast provok't others too shall be put downe to thy account as if thou hadst been the onely actor of them c. As all the sins that men provoke or stirre up others to by their Counsell or example shall be put downe to their Accounts as you may see in David David did but send a Letter concerning the death of Vriah and yet the 2 Sam. 12. 9 charge cometh Thou hast staine Vriah with the sword as whatsoever is done by letter counsell or example to provoke others to sin shall certainly be charged upon mens accounts at last so whatsoever good thou doest stirre up others to that They shall shine as so many Suns in heaven who are much in stirring and provoking of others to the exercise of grace and holinesse Dan. 12. 3. Dan. 6. 1 2. shall be set upon thy score and shall turne to thy eternall account in the day of Christ Oh! who would not then labour with all their might even day and night to stirre up the Grace of the Lord in themselves and others seeing it shall turne to such a Glorious Account in that day wherein Christ shall say to his Father Lo here am I and the children that thou hast given me c. Fourthly Consider this The exercise and Improvement of Grace Contributes very much both to the stopping the mouths of your enemies and to the rendering of you lovely
dispossessing of his Son If thou canst believe saith Christ all things are possible And the poore man said with teares Lord I believe helpe my unbelief And presently Christ charged the foule spirit to come out of him c. A believing husband a belâ—eving wife a believing Child or a believing servant may bring downe by the actings of faith many a blessing upon their relations Faith hath a happy hand and never but speeds in one kind or another It hath what it would either in money or moneys worth Apollenius saith Sozonem Never askt any thing of God either for himselfe or his friends but he had it And one pointing to Luther said There 's a man can have any thing of God that he will aske And as faith brings downe blessings upon our owne heads Faith hath a kind of Omnipotency in it iâ—'s able to do all thingâ— c. and the heads of our friends so it often brings downe wrath upon our enemies There 's nothing contributes so much to our enemies ruine as faith doth I am confident it hath neither been Armies nor Navies nor Parliaments that have had the chief hand in bringing howne the proud and stout enemies of Christ and Zion in this and other Nations but the faith of his despised people One Enemy may stand before Mary Queen of Scots that was Moâ—her o King James was wont to say That she feared Mâ— Knockes prayers who was a man of much â—â—iâ—h more then an Army of ten thousand men the face of another but what enemy can stand before the face and power of faith That 's a remarkable Scripture Heb. 11. 33. Who through faith subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained Promises stopped the mouths of Lyons quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of Alians Other means were used but that which did the work and struck all dead was faith faith ingages God in every incounter and who can stand before a consuming fire Polybius speaking of Horatiâ—s his keeping of the field against his Enemies Forces saith That his enemies were more afraid of his faith then of his war like strength And truly there is nothing that renders men more dreadfull to an understanding enemy then their faith Oh! 't is brave for men to believe downe the powers of darknesse to believe downe those that war against the Lamb c. No way to get an Enemy downe like this nor no way to keep an Enemy downe like this No way to save a Kingdome like this nor no way to keep a Kingdome like this the Nation is beholding to none so much as to believing soules Oh England England thou hadst long before this been a prey to men that delight in blood had it not been for the faith of the Worme Jacob c. Christians as you would have Christ goe on and doe more and more glorious things for England as you would be Crown'd with the choycest and the chiefest blessings and as you would have vengeance executed upon all that hate that wage war against and persecute Christ and the Saints be mighty in believing Ninthly and lastly Faith is a root Grace and will the branches flourish if the root wither O therefore water this root have an eye to this root If you have a choyce root in any of your Gardens Oh how carefull are you of it you will mind it and water it and look to it c. Well of all graces faith is the root grace and if this dye you will find your graces to languish your hope love fear patience humility joy c. can never out-live your faith these live together and they dye together therefore above all labour to be rich in faith for this is a root grace and if this flourish all other graces will flourish but if this decay all other graces will loose their strength beauty and glory c. And thus much for the fifth Proposition We come now to the sixth Proposition and that is this That no gracious soules doe at all times alike grow and thrive in spirituall riches A Child sometimes shootes up more in a month then he doth at other times in many months and sometimes more And don't Plants and Trees sometimes shoot up more in a week then â—n many c. in a year then he does afterwards in many years So many a Christian thrives more and gets more spirituall riches in one moneth then in many in one year then in many I appeale to your experiences Christians don't you find it so I know you doe To cite Scripture to prove this would be to cast water into the sea and to light Candles to see the Sun at noone Sin and Satan doe sometimes work more violently and more strongly in the soules of Saints then at other times Now when sin and Satan work most and prevaile most then grace thrives least As the life of grace is the death of sin and the growth of grace the decay of sin so the increase of sin is the decay of grace and the strengthning No ships have it all times the same gales of wind c. of sin is the weakning of grace Againe No Saints have at all times alike gales of the spirit of God and therefore they doe not grow in spirituall riches at all times alike A man thrives in spirituall riches as the gales of the spirit of God are upon him and no otherwise When the spirit of the Lord doth blow most sweetly Cant. 4. ult and strongly upon his heart then his graces thrive and flourish most then those beds of spices doe yeeld the most fragrant smell But when the spirit of the Lord doth withdraw and with-hold his influences how does the strength and glory Latimer said of the Spirit That 't is coming and going c. of grace wither and decay The Herb Heliotropium doth turne about and open and shut according to the motion of the Sun so doe the graces of the Saints according to the internall gales motions and operations of the spirit c. Againe No Saints have at all times the like externall advantages and opportunities of growing rich in spiritualls They have not the word it may be in that power and life as formerly or it may be they injoy not the communion of Saints as formerly or if they doe yet perhaps those that have formerly been as fire to warme and inflame them are now become water to coole them and deaden them or it may be they have not those advantages for Closet duties as formerly or it may be the course of nature is changed and if so 't is no wonder that they thrive not in spiritulls as formerly When Children have not as good food and as good lodging and as good looking after as at other times no wonder if they thrive not as at other times When men have not the same advantages and
of humane doctrines Sixthly Humane doctrines make men servants to the humours and corruptions of men They make men pleasers of men rather then pleasers of God Yea they make men set up themselves and others sometimes in the roome of Christ and sometimes above Christ I hope these few short hints may prevaile with some to fall in with this counsel that so they may the better Preach the Lord Jesus to the people And so much for this Doctrine EPHES. 3. 8. Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should Preach among the Gentiles the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ. HAving spoken much concerning Ministers Duty I shall now speake a little concerning their Dignity and so finish this Text. Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ This grace this favour this honour is given to me that I should Preach c. I look not upon it as a poor low mean contemptible thing but as a very great honour That I should Preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ The Observation that I shall speak a little to is this That the Office of a Minister or Preacher is honourable For the understanding of this Point Premise with me two things First That by a Minister I understand one that is qualified according to Gospel Rules and that is internally called by God and externally called by the people of God to the Ministeriall Office The second thing that I would have you Premise with me for the understanding of the Point is this That the common Apellation of those that are set apart for the Preaching of the Gospel in the New Testament is DIAKONOI Ministers So in 1 Cor. 3. 5. 2 Cor. 3. 6. Chap. 6. 4. Chap. 11. 15. 23. 1 Tim. 4. 16. And in divers other places the word Minister is a Title of Office service or administration given frequently to the Preachers of the Gospel As for the names of Ambassadors Stewards and the like wherewith they are often honoured they are figurative and given to them by allusion onely These two things being Premised we shall now proceed to the opening of the Point And in the first place I shall prove That the Office of a Minister is an honourable Office And then in the second place I shall shew you What honour is due to them And then in the third place I shall shew you How you are to honour them And then in the last place we shall bring home all by A word of Application Christians Give me leave to tell you this by the way That since the Gospel hath shined in England a godly faithfull painfull Ministry was never more subtily and vehemently struck at by men that make a faire shew and by men of corrupt opinions and wicked lives This Age affords many Church-Levellers as well as State-Levellers Some there be that under that notion of Plucking up corrupt Ministers would pluck up by the very roots the true Ministry But God ha's and will be still too hard for such men if they will be Monsters God will be sure to be Master His faithfull Ministers Revel 2. 1. are stars that he holds in his right hand and men shall as soon pull the Sun out of the Firmament as pull them out of the hand of God Now considering that there is such a spirit abroad in the world I hope no sober serious Christians will be offended at my standing up to vindicate the Honour of a godly faithfull Ministry In order to which I shall first prove that the Office of a Minister is honourable and to me these following things speak it out First The severall Names and Titles that are given to them in Scripture doth speak them out to be honourable They are called Fathers Stewards Ambassadours Overseers and Angels as you all know that know any thing of Scripture To spend time to prove this would be to light Candles to see the Sun at noon Secondly Their worke is honourable Their whole work is about soules about winning soules to Christ and about building soules up in Christ and to these two heads the main work of the Ministry may be reduced The more noble the soule is O anima Dei insignita imagine desponsaâ—a fide donata spiritu c. Bernard O Divine soul invested with the Image of God espouseâ— to him by faith c. the more honour 't is to be busied and exercised about it Jam. 5. 20. Let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sins Let him know That is let him take notice that an honourable and glorious work is done by him The soule is the immediate work of God the soule is the Image of God the soule is capable of union and communion with God the soule is more worth then a world yea then a thousand worlds Christ prayed for soules and wrought Miracles for soules and wept for soules and left his fathers bosome for soules and bled out his heart blood for soules and is gone to heaven to make provision for soules yea he is now a making intercession for soules All which speaks out the excellency of their Office whose whole work is about soules The Jewes say of Moses his soule That it was sucked out of his mouth with a kisse Soules are deare and sweet to God A third thing that speaks out this truth is this They are fellow-labourers with God They are Co-workers with God in the salvation of sinners And this is a mighty honour to be a fellow-labourer with God to be a co-worker with God 1 Cor. 3. 9. For we are labourers together with God Who would not work hard with such sweet company Who Mat. 5. 14. John 5. 35. Maâ— 5. 13. Mark 9. 49 50. would not affect prize love and honour such service Ministers are called the light and salt of the world because they inlighten blind soules and season unsavoury soules and so save them from corruption and perdition Oh! to be joyned in any work with God is an honour beyond what I am able to expresse The Senate of Rome accounted it a diminution of Augustus Caesars dignity to joyne any Consuls with him for the better carrying on the Affaires of the State Oh but our God doth not think it a diminution of his dignity that even his poore despised servants should be fellow-labourers and co-workers with him in the salvation of soules Fourthly The honourable account that the Lord hath of them in this imployment speaks out this truth That their Office is honourable In Mat. 10. 41 42. compared He that Kings and Princes have their Ambassadors in very high account so ha's God his receiveth you receiveth me he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward And