a particular combate and yet may get the victory notwithstanding A man may have a blow such a blow as may make him stoop and yet prevail against his enemy so though in a particular combate they may be overthrown yet they get the victory over their lusts Therefore Peter though he were so timerous at that that time to deny his Master yet afterwards wee finde he was as bold as a Lion So David though he was overcome in that particular combate yet the victory was on his side all his life was chaste and pure and holy afterward Last of all there is a difference in the continuance of this fight for a natural man doth make resistance yet he groweth weary of it and layeth down the wasters in the end and yields to the sinne and saith thus with himself Well I see I shall never get the victory over this or that particular lust therefore I will contend no more against it But now in the regenerate this fight continueth to the end As you shall see in Peter Peter saith our saviour when thou art old they shall gird thee and carry thee whether thou wouldest not There was a resistance he was carried whether he would not he was carried where the spirit would but where the flesh would not and this was when he was old so there was a continual resistance so it was with Nicodemus he began and he held out because grace in him was as a spring that still enlargeth it self more and more In others it is not so Iudas he was like a pond and not like a spring though he held out a long while and was on Christs side and carried his colours yet he continued not so Ioash and Amaziah they made resistance but we see they continued not And the reason is because in a natural man the combatants do not continue those good things that are in him are but as blossoms they vanish Now when that which should maintain the contention vanisheth there must needs be an end of the combate but in the other it continues to the end A word for application very briefly When we hear that there is such a Law in our members it should teach us to reflect upon our selves that we may be able to cry out as Saint Paul doth O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death For if a man had but his eyes open to see this Law in his members overspreading his whole soul and fighting against the regenerate part against the Law of his mind which should be in every man it would make a man amazed in himself it would make a man wonder that he had lived so long with himself and knew himself no better And in this case it takes away that ordinary excuse that men have for men are ready to say alas I have resisted such and such a sin I have a nature exceedingly inclined to them But alas thou art deceived in this for this is so far from excusing thee as that this very thing that thou hast a strong inclination to evil it makes thy sin out of measure sinful For even as it is in good actions the more zeal there is the better is the good work so is it in evil works the more lust there is in every evil work the greater is the sin for the more lust there is the more sin and the more wilfull a man is in sin the more is the sin Take a serpent or a toad that is hateful to the nature of a man though it hurt us not yet we loath it because it is contrary to our nature So this Law in our members this strong inclination to that which is evil though it should not break forth to actual transgressions yet it is hateful to the pure eyes of God therefore we should humble our selves for this and not excuse our selves because of our evil nature The worse thy nature is the more cause thou hast to abhor thy self and there is great reason for it because sin is worse in the root then in the branches the bitterness is more there as the soureness is more in the leaven then in the dough As the heat is more in the fire then in the air that is heated by it So there is more evil in this nature of ours then in any outward act of sin Therefore let no man excuse himself with this to say I have a Law in my members that prompts me strongly to sin against God It is all one as if a thief should excuse himself and say I am of a purloyning nature I cannot hold my hands when I see any thing but I must needs steal If a servant should come to his Master and say Sir I was drunk and could not do your business would this excuse him So this Law in our members this necessity this strong inclination to evil is it not our selves that have brought it upon us we are the authors of that Original sin And besides that we intend it the more by custom in sin often relapses intend this Original corruption and make it prevalent You will say how shall a man do then how shall a man be saved I answer except thou find in thy self this Law of the mind resisting this Law in the members except thou find another man in thee a regenerate part created in thee that fighteth against this Law in the members thou canst not be saved But you will say again how shall I know it seeing there may be a resistance arising from the natural conscience I answer thou shalt know it by thy constant and ordinary course whether thou walk after the spirit or no. For we are not to judge of our selves or of any other by a step or two If you will judge of a man by a step or two you shall find Noah drunk you shall finde Mases speaking unadvisedly with his lips You shall find David lying and murdering and making another drunk you shall find Iehosaphat making a league with Ahab which God had forbidden him you shall finde Hezekiah boasting of his treasure and Peter forswearing of his master and Paul and Barnabas in such a passion that they were fain to part assunder This you shall see if you shall observe a step or two onely and so you shall condemn the Generation of the righteous Again on the other side if you observe a man by a step or two you shall see Cain sacrificing you shall see Saul among the Prophets you shall see Iudas among the disciples you shall see Iehu restoring religion you shall see Iohn Baptist getting Herod into his house and hearing him gladly You shall see Felix trembling at a Sermon So that I say if you observe your selves or others onely by a step or two you shall justifie the wicked and condemn the just for the best men have their swervings and the worst men have their good moods A thief may sometimes go
received and taken not as when a man inviteth another to a feast and he cannot come the master is at no charge but when the promise is made and the dinner prepared and then the guests not to come it is loss so it is in this offer of Christ all is ready Christ is slain and his blood is poured out if you do not come and take it you put away from you the blood of Christ and so in as much as in you lieth you make the death of Christ of none effect and so by consequence you shall be guilty of the blood of Christ and therefore the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 1. 19. You are not redeemed with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ. First If you had put God to the losse of silver and gold and precious stones it had been no great losse but you have put him to the losse of Christ and his blood so that whosoever refuseth Christ is guilty of the spilling of his most precious blood Secondly consider that the Gospel which you refuse agrevateth the sin for the Gospel disobeyed hath much more terrour then the law disobeyed and therefore the Apostle in Heb. 2. verse 2. reasoneth to this purpose for saith he If the Law that was given by Angels was stedfast and every transgression received a due reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which was manifested to us by his Son and so Chap. 10. If the Law that was given by Moses if he that disobeyeth that Law should die how much more shall he be worthy of punishment that trampleth underfoot the blood of Christ. First It is the refusing of Christs most precious blood therefore I say in these respects the Gospel hath more terrour in it then the Law disobeyed For the clearer understanding of this you are to know that the Gospel hath two parts Not onely if you believe you shall be saved but also if you believe not you shall be damned which sheweth that the Gospel broken is more terrible then the Law and therefore Iohn Baptist the first preacher of the Gospel came with more terrour and severity then the Prophets did he came in a course habit and severe in his doctrine and therefore when he came to preach the Gospel he saith Now is the axe laid to the root of the tree and those that are found chaffe shall be cast into the fire and what was the reason because the Gospel was preached therefore if it be refused and this pardon rejected God will now sooner lay the axe to the root then aforetime and so indeed they found it by experience afterwards for if we observe the Scripture from the time that the Iews became a Nation for all their transgressions he gave them not a fullbill of divorcement till Christ was preached unto them and they refused to receive him then those natural branches were broken off and the wild Olive ingrafted in till that time I say the Iewes were not rejected by this therefore we may see the danger of refusing the Gospel God had indured their provocations yet now for their refusing of Christ he cut them off and so he will do to every particular person for there is no Law that can be preached that is so dangerously refused as the Gospel and therefore we shall see the Carriage that is appointed to the seventy Disciples which he sent forth to preach the Gospel that when they offered Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven and remission of sins if they will receive the mercy offered so it is they shall be saved but if not Tell them the Kingom of God is come near them indeed but seeing they have refused it shake off the dust of your feet against that City and here you may see what terrour there is in the Gospel if they would receive it well and good if not shake off the dust of your feet against them and further consider that nothing but their refusing the land of Canaan made God swear in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest God can bear with other sins but this is a sin that provoketh God to anger more then the rest For the better understanding hereof we will compare the Law and the Gospel together you shall find these differences between them First the condition of the Law is do this and live The condition of the gospel is Believe and live The condition of the law is much more difficult the condition of the Gospel is more easie and therefore the sin committed against the Law is less hainous then the sin against the Gospel Secondly the command in the Law cost God nothing but his word but the command in the Gospel cost him the Death of his Son Thirdly when we broke the Law we did it in the loins of Adam with whom we accompanied our voices and consent but when we reject the Gospel we do it in our own persons Fourthly when the Law was broken there was but one breach to God but in rejecting of the Gospel there is a is a double Law transgrest for when we had cast our selves into a desperate condition with Adam God offered us an help and means of recovery now the refusing of this makes sin the greater by how much the more the mercy is the greater with the Angels Gods intent was to exercise onely a single mercy and therefore a peremptory command was given them If you will obey you shall live But now this was not onely offered to mankind but a second mercy was also offered a greater then ever was offered to the Angels now God offereth thee a board to swim upon after ship-rack to the Angels God would show but one kind of mercy to mankind a double mercy a sparing mercy a merciful mercy and so a severer kind of justice upon the refusal of it and therefore the reprobates that live in the Church shall exceed the Devils in Hell in judgement because they have had more mercy tendred to them then ever the Devils had and therefore in this respect God will exercise on them a more severe kind of justice Let all these things teach you how dangerous it is to disobey the Gospel and to refuse Christ. Thirdly you are to consider that Christ who is offered unto you is the Chiefest of all Gods works the utmost end that God propounded to himself in making of mankind it is he that is the top of his fathers glory in whom the glory of God most shineth therefore be assured God will not lose his chiefest glory he will not lose one jot of his glory much lesse the principal part of it and therefore he that refuseth Christ contemneth the chiefest of Gods works and layeth the chiefest of his glory in the dust and therefore God will not suffer that to be done without great judgement Whatsoever God is known by that is his Name whatsoever he makes himself more known by that is his special Name and his
a Law in his members Thirdly he describes it from the opposite it is such a Law as fights with the Law of his mind Lastly he describes it from the effect or event and success that this Law in his members hath against the Law of his mind it sometimes carried him captive to the Law of sin which was in his members So that you shall find these five things put together in the Text. First that there is a Law that is a strong inclination to evil which is in every mans nature Secondly this Law lies not idle but it fighteth and warreth I find saith he a Law in my members warring against the Law in my mind Thirdly though they do fight and contend yet in every regenerate man it finds resistance therefore he saith It fights against the Law of his mind that is there is a Law a strong inclination to good in every regenerate man which makes resistance against this Law of sin Fourthly though this Law of sin do find resistance yet it sometimes prevails for he saith it leads him captive to the Law of sin sometimes it overcometh and over-ruleth Lastly though it do overcome yet never doth any regenerate man lie under this captivity for in that he saith it carryeth him captive it argueth reluctancy a keeping a stir to vindicate himself from that bondage to his former liberty So you see by this the full meaning of the words But for the present we will pitch upon these two points which we will handle at this time First of all That there is a Law of sin in every mans nature strongly inclining him to that which is evil Secondly That in every regenerate man there is a Law of grace resisting that and strongly inclining him to that which is good To begin with the first I say There is a law of sin in every mans nature strongly inclining him to that which evil For the better understanding of this we must know that there are two laws on both sides There is the Law of God expressed in the Scriptures which is without and there is a Law within every regenerate man that is the regenerate part that which the Scripture calls the spirit and this agreeth with the Law of God in every thing so far forth as a man is regenerate so far he agrees with the Law of God Even as you see one tally agrees with another so doth the regenerate part within and the Law of God without agree together On the other side again there are two Laws likewise First the Law of sin which is without us that is the very decalogue as I may call it or the summary of evil which the Devil prescribes to his servants and then there is answerable within another Law paralelling that Law of sin without and that is a strong habit a strong inclination which carrieth the unregenerate man violently to sin against God and this the Scripture calls by divers names sometimes it calls it The old Adam sometimes it calls it flesh because it deads and dulls the spirit Sometimes it is called the body of sin because it is the very heap of lusts Sometimes it is called the body of death because it leads to death and destruction Now that I may fully open unto you what this strong inclination is wee will go no further then this very verse we have read for you shall have it described by these four things First it is a Law Secondly a Law in the members Thirdly it is a Law that fighteth Fourthly it is a Law that sometimes prevails and leadr us captive We will go through them all very briefly First It is said to be a Law because as a Law it commands with authority so doth this incline us to ill it commands strongly so that it will not be refused And again as it commands so it forbids as powerfully and will not be denied It commands that which is evil to be done by us and carries us strongly to it and it forbids us the doing of that which is good as powerfully The Apostle speaks of some 2 Pet. Having eyes full of adultery that cannot ceaseâ—to sin Again it is called a Law because it punisheth and rewardeth as a Law doth for a Law is nothing else but that rule that hath threatnings joyned to the breach of it and rewards for the obedience thereof So hath this law of sinne that is in us if we do obey it rewards us with pleasure The pleasures of sin for a season if we disobey it punisheth us again with grief As we shall see Ahab when he had a little resisted this Law how this Law of sinne punished him it laid him sick upon his bed And so Amnon when a stop was put in the course of this Law that was in his members it made him sick In this respect it is said to be a Law because it commands powerfully and because it punisheth and rewards as a Law Secondly It is said to be a Law in our members and that first because it inclines us to evil not morally evil as when a man perswades a man by strength of reason to a thing But physically and naturally that look what a natural inclination there is in the stomack to eat and to drink such a natural propensness and inclination there is in the heart of a natural man to sin As you see a wheel when a weight is hung upon it it goes and it cannot chuse but go So is it with the nature of a man it inclinâ—s him unto evil naturally and he cannot resist it Secondly It is said to be a Law of the members because it discovers it self in the members that is in the faculties of the soul and the members of the body whensoever they come to be used in the performance of any holy duty For at you seâ— it is in the body if there be a lameness or soreness in any member pernaps for the present you see it not 〈◊〉 feel it not till you come to use that member So it is with the Law of sin in our members when we fit at quiet and go not about any duty of holy obedience this Law lies still in the soul and is quiet but when the faculties are to be acted when the member is called forth to do a thing when a work is to be performed that is good then the Law of the members discovers it self Then you shall find the lameness the crookedness the soureness the backwardness that is in your hearts to do any thing that is good And last of all it is called the Law of the members because though it be also in the will and in the mind and in those higher parts of the soul yet chiefly it is operative in the members there you shall see it most As on the other side the Law of grace though it be in the whole man regulating and guiding the whole outward man yet it rests especially in the mind and the will
dare I do this and sin against God That is there was a certain Law within him that came with a prohibition that would not suffer him to do it Again it punisheth and rewardeth as the other if we do well and resist the other it refresheth us with joy unspeakable and glorious if we do not obey it it breedeth remorse within us As we see in David when he had sinned in cutting off the lap of Sauls garment his heart smote him Now it is said to be the Law of the mind because it wonderously enlargeth the mind to see the wondrous things contained in the Law of God it enlighteneth the mind We are renewed in the spirit of our mind to see those things that others see not to see the secrets of God You may read over the Bible an hundred times and yet know nothing except you have it in the spirit of your minds Again it not onely reveals these truths to you that are regenerate but likewise it puts a strong inclination into your minds to do them And therefore it is a part of the Covenant Ier. 32. 40. I will put my Law into their hearts that they may fear my Name that is I will so ingraft it in their hearts that they shall not onely know my will but they shall have a strong inclination to do it they shall be careful to please me and fearful to offend me Yea not onely so it doth not onely enlighten us and give us a strong inclination to do it but when we come to the performance it gives us ability to do it Other men have good desires and good motions and purposes but when they come to the birth they have no strength to bring forth New purposes are in them as new wine in old bottles or as new pieces to old cloathes When a man hath an old nature still though he have good desires and now and then new purposes and resolutions yet they abide not there they are not fruitfull there but this Law doth not onely put good intentions into a man but when they come to the performance it gives the deed as well as the will He works in us both the will and the deed also Now as this is a Law you see and such a Law of the mind So likewise it is a Law that makes resistance for that is intimated in these words Warring against the Law of my mind that is it resists the Law of sin and fights against it In a regenerate man there is a certain strong habit a certain strong inclination which is called the spirit or the regenerate part which runs in a contrary course to the Law of sin and whensoever the Law of sin assaults us this makes resistance and carries us a contrary way Only this is here carefully to be observed that we be not deceived herein For this objection may be made Is this proper onely to regenerate men There are many men besides that were never acquainted with this work of regeneration yet such a man finds resistance in himself he finds something in himself that opposeth this Law of his members For there is a natural conscience in a man there is another Law which is like this Law of the mind and it makes resistance in the natural man as well as it which is spoken of Rom. 2. 15. the Apostle there speaks of the Law written in the minds of the Gentiles having not a Law they do the things that are written in the Law being a Law to themselves c. So that you must know and mark that in a man that is yet but a meer natural man that is not yet regenerate there may be a very strong resistance of that which is evil yea he may make conscience of many things in secret it may make him keep a constant course in the performance of many duties when no eye seeth him There is a certain vigor and strength in the natural conscience which shews it self upon occasion and yet it differeth much from that Law of the regenerate part which fighteth against the Law of sin You will say how shall we know it Because this is a matter of great moment therefore I will shew you the difference in these five things First of all when the natural conscience the law that the Apostle there speaketh of which sheweth the effect in the conscience when that strives against the Law in the members it is no more but the contention of that one part of the soul. There may be a light which discovers that which is evil which may cause a man to approve of that which is good but this light is kept within the compass of the conscience and goeth no further it doth not enlighten the whole soul. As you may see a spark of fire may lie in a dark room which you may see there but it doth not enlighten all the room as a candle doth when it cometh After this manner there may be many sparks of truth which may lie in the conscience of a natural man there he seeth them and observeth them but they do not enlighten the whole soul that is this light is not shed into the rest of the faculties the will and affections are not wrought upon by it therefore the contention is onely in the conscience and that part of the soul. But now in the fight of the regenerate it is quite otherwise there every faculty all the faculties fight in their courses as it is said the stars fought against Sisera A man fights against it in his judgement in his understanding in his will and affections That is a man that is sanctified he is enlightened to looke upon sin with another eye then before When he looked on his beloved lust before he looked on it as one that which was pleasant and profitable to him now he looks on it as poyson as an enemy as a thing contrary to him so that he fights against sin in his judgement And while a man fights against sin in his judgement though it may sometimes transport him yet so long as his judgement is right I say when that is set right there is a continual fighting against sin for it is one thing to know and approve but when the bent of the mind is set against sin then when the passion is past he returns again and goes on in the wayes of godliness And then as he fights against this Law in his mind so likewise he doth it in his will as Saint Paul saith I do the things that I would not as if he should say my will stands fâ—â—m though sometimes I am transported And so Ioshua I and my house will serve the Lord. That is there was a fixed constant mature resolute will to do that which was good So David oft we shall hear him say I have sworn to run the wayes of thy commandements And as in the mind and will so likewise in the affections the affections fight
what abundance of peace and wealth is for even these things we most esteem but this is not the thing for here we need no exhortation Secondly Spiritual mercies those are they we do not hunger after we are backward enough to desire them and therefore we have so few of them Therefore that which I must press upon you is to desire earnestly these spiritual mercies if you desire them much you shall have much of them for you must know before you have them God will teach you to know how precious they are for if he hath commanded us not to cast pearls before swine he himself will not cast the riches of his mercy before those that prize and regard them not As for instance forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God this is a spiritual mercy this if you would hunger much after you should have it yea and according to the measure of your desires but when you prize it not that is it which keepeth it back you may say the like of all other mercies therefore prize them much that is be sensible of your misery without them call your sins to remembrance go over them summe them up and let your hearts stay and dwell upon the meditation of them give not over till you be touched with them and do this often we might be more humbled if we would take pains with our hearts but we slight it and do it overly as being an exercize needless and tedious but do it not so lâ—bour to get a sense of your sins that will make you prize the mercies of justification and reconciliation for this cause many thousands misse of the forgiveness of their sins it is not a thing they esteem much they do not strive and contend with God for it as a matter of such great moment whereas it is the preciousest mercy of all other it is the immediate door that openeth into the favour of God which is the cause of all other mercies and then no good thing can be withholden from you foâ— it is your sins that keep good things from you now if your sins were taken away what need you fear either diseases or death or revilings and disgraces for your profession or imprisonment or poverty if you had the forgiveness of your sins you might enjoy the prosperity you have freely and as for crosses either you shall be freed from them or else they shall be as serpents without a sting or as great bulks without burthen and weight this you should have if you had the forgiveness of your sins consider all this labour to sâ—t a price upon it and so for â—ll other mercies work your hearts to this to esteem the Mercies of God Again labour to see an excellency in them The same as I said of forgiveness the same may you say of love or of patience see the preciousness and excellâ—ncy of them the more you prize them the more you shâ—l have of them If you could beg for forgiveness as for life if you could reckon other things but as dross and dung in comparison of that as Saint Paul did which was nothiâ—g but the forgiveness of his sins you would be sure to have these mâ—râ—iâ—s but men do it not men live in prosperity in health and wealth and abundance of all things and such mercies as these they regard not forgiveness of sins reconciliation the gospel of Christ this they despise but we should prize these even then when they are nakedly propounded to us The reason we do it not is because we have not the sense of our misery What careth the innocent man for a pardon What careth a whole man for a medicine Mercy is the medicine of misery labor therefore to be sensible of your misery that you may partake of this mercy All the promises runne upon this condition all that are weary and heavy laden shall find rest Math. 11. The more weary any man is the more rest he shall have and so again the poor saith Christ receive the Gospel the more poor he is the more he shall receive and so he that hungreth and thirsteth after righteousness shall be filled the more you hunger and thirst the more you shall be filled In a word the more you desire the more you shall have The reason you have not these mercies is because you desire them not or else your desires are not strong for strong desires would bring forth strong endeavours and these would take spiritual mercies by force as it is said of the kingdom of heaven that it suffereth violence even so these violent desires would extort it from God by an holy earnestness A 2d way to be made partakers of the riches of Gods mercy is to believe them Adde to your desires a belief for believing is that which openeth the hand of God to give and openeth your hearts your hands to receive put but these two together to desire the mercies of God and to believe that God will give them and then open your mouthes wide God will fill them This I shal manifestly shew from these folowing places of scripture as we finde them often Go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole when Christ bestowed any mercy upon men that is added in the Gospel thy faith hath done it thy faith hath made thee whole if they were forgiveÌ„ they might thank their faith for it as it is the instrumental means to obtain the mercies of God the more faith the more mercies for we shal alwais find that by faith men obtained mercies and the want of faith missed them It is certain God is a merciful God you should finde him so if you could believe him to be so for the believing that he is merciful makes you partakers of the riches of his mercy because it is his pleasure to put it upon that condition he might have put it upon other conditions but this is his pleasure to say if you believe you shall have these and these mercies for faith knitteth us to him faith makes us to know him and makes us give him the glory of the mercies we have faith ascribes it wholy unto him it makes it every way to be his work faith makes us righteous now the righteous obtain mercy this faith is imputed for righteousnes God reckoneth every man the more righteous as he aboundeth in faith therefore the way to fill your selves with the riches of Gods mercy is to believe much and as you grow in faith so you shal grow from mercy to mercy if Christ could say to us as he did to the woman O woman great is thy faith we should be sure to have great mercies my meaning is this that beleiving is nothing else but this To be perswaded that God will be kinde and favourable to you that hispromises belong to you that he will pardon your sins and receive you into grace and favour with him that he loveth you and is your friend that he is ready to bestow
not of a disposition fit to receive these mercies of God that we declare to you So those that were invited to the mariage of the kings son in the gospel the text saith they were not worthy what was that They had no hunger after the feast they prized it not and therefore they were unwilling to come If you would therefore have the mercies of God be worthy of them labour to be in a disposition fit to receive them Now as we said before by worthiness we do not me an any measure of grace whatsoever or any preparations as if they came under any merit or desert it seems good to the God of all grace by deeply affecting and humbling of us under our sins to beget in us vehement desires after Christ our Saviour Again you must take a resolution to serve him with a perfect heart for the time to come though you have no worthiness for the present if you be in such a disposition as you have this the more so you shal have the more mercies But this is not all it is true this is required in the beginnings of mercy viz. an exceeding great desire after forgiveness But a resolution to serve God for the time to come this is to receive or to be worthy viz. to be willing to part with father and mother and all for Christ such a disposition must be wrought in you before you can lay hold upon any part in these riches yet I say this is not all but if you would have these mercies continued you must walk worthy of them those gracious qualifications are ordered in tendency to your introduction and admittance into the Covenant of grace and the mercies here spoken of but after you are brought into covenant with God you cannot secure the comfortable contents of it unlesse you labour to walk worthy of them pleasing the Lord in all things as St Paul saith and as it is in Psal. 18. 25. with the upright man thou wilt shew thy selfe upright and with the froward thou wilt shew thy selfe froward that is you shall finde as much mercy in me as I finde Enemies of behaviour in you but if you walk stubbornly and frowardlie with me I will walke stubbornly with you Therefore it is that when the Saints stepp out of the way and walk unevenlie with God that he chafteneth and afflicteth them herecompenseth saith Solomon the righteous in this life that is he afflicteth the righteous when they go astray from his waies Put this together with that place in 1 Pet. 1. 17. we call him father that judgeth every man according to his works that is he doth this to his own children chasteneth and afflicteth them when their carriage to him is not upright Therefore saith the Apostle making this as a motive to that exhortation which followeth passe the time in fear take heed now of offending for we call him father that judgeth every man according to his works for though it be true that God is rich in mercy yet there must be a worthy walking for he holdeth not the wicked innocent though he deal wisely and lovingly wiâ—h his children yet he will be sanctified in them he will have such a carriage from them as befitteth those that are his children therefore as you would have him deal mercifully with you so you must walk worthy of his mercies The next Consectarie is this If God be rich in mercy then be willing to serve him you know a mercifull man a liberal man never wanteth workmen every man is willing to betake himselfe to a rich and merciful master That is the use I finde made of it in Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servest not the Lord with chearfulness of heart for the abandance of all things as if he should have said seeing he hath given thee abundance of all things he lookes that thou shouldest serve him with chearfulness therefore when you hear of the riches of Gods mercy you must make this use of it to be willing to serve him with chearfulness of heart So it is in Rom. 12. I beseech you by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy c. that is if God have been so merciful to you then give up your selves to serve him altogether consecrate your selves wholly to him let your bodies and mindes serve for no other use but for his service for so it is when a thing is consecrated to the Lord nothing else hath to do with it but onely the Lord if he be therefore an exceeding merciful God give up your selves wholly to his service Object This is that we had need to exhort you to it may be every man will be apt to say we serve the Lord and who is there that serveth him not Answ. But my brethren the truth is we do not serve the Lord and whatsoever we say yet we serve other masters and not him we serve men we serve the world we serve our riches we serve our credits we serve our lusts and very few there are that serve the Lord that is look what men have an eye to in their actions that they serve Consider therefore what you do in your actions look what you do with respect to your wealth and profit therein you serve but your profit and not God look what you do with respect to honour amongst men therein you serve men and not the Lord the like I may say or other things so that if you examine your actions you shall finde that God hath but a little part in all your performances but still some by-respect cometh in between But you must know that all the talents that you have are given you for this end that you may serve your master with them all the riches the honour the strength the wit the learning c. that you have you should serve the Lord with them but we do not serve him altogether we serve respects of our own by respects we serve men with them when there is a man upon whom our rising dependeth it is wonder to see with what solicitude and vigilancy we serve him the like we may say of other respects that we have in things that concern our selves in these or the like we use the talents that God hath given for his service to our own advantage and not for our masters benefit When we do things in sinâ—…rity unto God as in the sight of God this is to serve the Lord this we should do in all our callings and therefore though â—…u must follow your callings yet as it is said of servants Eph 5 that though they serve men yet they are the servants of the Lord and therefore they were to do their service as unto the Lord even so should every man in his calling men should have their eyes upon the Lord do it because he commandeth them to do it because it tendeth to his glory because some honour will redound unto him thereby
please God in all things 1. I say it is a general good disposition or right habit because a disposition to some one particular good is not strength as for example to have present passion to good not to continue argueth not strength in the inward man or to have the understanding strong yet to have the will and affections weak is not to be strong in the inward man but they must be all fortifi'd as for example a man or a woman is not said to be perfectly beautiful except they be beau tiful in all parts for beauty is a fit composure of all parts so likewise a man is not throughly strong but imperfect except he be strong in all parts that is strong in the understanding strong in the will strong in the affections Secondly I call it a temperature or due frame of the mind because it sets the soul in order that is it sets new bits on the faculties and fit obiects for those habits the soul was before like a disordered instrument or clock that went at randome every thing was out of its place but when this strength of the inward man is communicated to the soul it frames it a new that is it puts it into a right temper again Thirdly it is a frame whereby a man is enabled to please God in all things because it sets a good hew upon all our actions for as varnish makes all colours fresh so doth the strength of the inward man it sets a deep die upon all our actions puts a grace upon them and makes them beautiful nothing without it will hold trial every thing that hath the tincture and virtue of the strength of the Inward man will hold good it sets the stamp of holiness upon them as implanted by the spirit and therefore they are acceptable unto God Now that you may know the better what this strength is you must first inquire what weakness is now by weakness we doe not mean weakness before a man be converted for that cannot so properly be called weakness as wickedness and therefore know that this weakness which the Apostle speaks of here which is proper unto Christians is of two sorts The First is weakness or a small measure of grace as in 1 Cor. 3. 1. That is those that are weak in knowledge and habes in Christ. The Second kinde of weakness is this when one that hath been strong is now fallen sick and weak that is he is fallen into a consumption of grace so that he cannot use his strength and his grace as formerly he could Now those that are weak in the first kinde they grow stronger and stronger but they that are weak in the second way they grow weaker and weaker therefore if there be any here that are such that have made profession of Christ but now are fallen unto the love of the world that were once lively and quickly to good duties but are now backward and cool my counsel to them shall be the same which Christ gives to the Church of Ephesus in the Rev. 2. 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and to doe their first workes lest their Candlestick be taken from them that is let them remember what they were in times past and what they are now and let them humble themselves and turn again into the right way and be ashamed of themselves that they have run away so far from Christ and that in time too lest their Candlestick be taken away from them that is lest those opportunities to good and the offers of grace be taken away from them Again as there are kindes of weaknesses so there are degrees of weaknesses The first degree of weakness is that which followes a relapse and this is of two sorts 1 Sensible 2 Insensible First Sensible and that is when the understanding is good in regard of the grace it knowes yet not in regard of the good it feels 2. There is a weakness Insensible and is such as cannot be felt and this is when men change their opinions of sins that is when they have thought otherwise of it then they now do As for example before they thought every sin a great sin but now they think some to be little or none at all The Second degree of weakness is that which followes the new birth and that is of two sorts 1 General 2 Particular First General weakness and this is when the judgement will and affections are all weak that is when a man is weak in all the parts of the soul and over-run with an universal feebleness The Second degree is a particular weakness and that is when a man is Generally strong and yet weak in some parts as for example a ship may be strong built or generally strong and yet having a leak in it cannot be said to be strong in all parts because it hath that in it which will at last destroy it so it is with a Christian if there be but a leak that is a weakness in one part of the soul he is not strong in the inward man therefore a man must take heed of all weakness though a man may be generally strong that he be not weak in some things Now I come to the Reasons wherefore we should be strong in the inward man and they are these The first Reason wherefore we should be strong in the inner man is this because it will fit us for many imployments that is it will make us go through much work with great ease to perform the weightiest duties in Religion in such manner as otherwise we could never be able to perform and this should perswade men the rather to pray earnestly for this because God rewards men according to their works that is it is not for beauty riches or dignity that moves God to give grace and glory unto any but according to their works a good reason it is therefore to perswade men to be strong in the Inner man that they may be able to go through great matters for God and that with great strength and this should make men to beg the spirit because he works in us effectually to the strengthening of us in the Inward man The Second reason why you should desire to be strong in the Inward man is this because it brings most comfort and chearfulnes into the soul. First because it makes us do all that we do with facility and easiness that which we do is easie unto us As for example a man that is weak in judgement and understanding any high point of Religion is weariness unto him because he wanteth a capacity to conceive now that which is not rightly conceived or understood he hath no comfort nor delight in it but it is with irksomness much weariness unto nature where as the same things unto a man of larger capacity they are easie unto him and he delights in them Secondly the more strength a man hath in the Inward
the natural man doth not hate the evil of sin otherwise then as it brings punishment Secondly I do delight in the Law of God in the inward man That is howsoever I am captivated and violently carryed unto the committing of sin yet it is against the desire of my soul he hath no pleasure he can take no delight in it for his delight is in the Inward man But the natural man looks upon the Lawes of God as burthens and therefore he will not submit himself unto them because he is not strong in the Inward man he promiseth but he performs not he yields and yields not That is to some thing but no to every thing thus much for this last difference betwixt natural strength and the spiritual strength Secondly is it so that the strength of the inward man is to be desired above all things then in the second place it may serve for exhortation to all men that they would labour to grow strong in the Inward man And that they would now at the last gather the fragments of their thoughts and desires which have been formerly set to get other things wholly to imploy them for the getting of this strength And so much the rather because other things are as the husk without the kernel or as the scabberd without the sword which will do a man no good when he stands in need of them As for example to be strong in riches honour credit and this is all the strength that most men desire what good will these do when you come to wrestle with sin and death yet men are violent after these but to be strong in the Inward man who seekes or inquires after it I know every man desires to be strong in all earthly strength but I beseech you above all things labour to be strong in the Inward man It is the folly weakness and sickness of men they look all without doors and upon outward things That is to the strength of the outward man but they seldom or never look within at all that is to strengthen the Inward man Oh that I could perswade you as I said before to gather up your thoughts and desires together and set the soul in assurance of grace that you may mortifie these inordinate affections which keep back the strengthening of the Inward man as covetousness pride pleasure self-love vain glory and the like Then it would be an easie work and no burthen unto you to strengthen the Inward man but here men stick the way is too narrow it is a hard matter to perswade men to it That is To make them believe there is such excellencie in the one not in the other that grace is the better part Therefore that I may the better prevail with you to attend to the strengthening of the Inward man I will lay down some motives to incite you to it The first motive to move you to strengthen the inward man is this Because your comfort lies most in the Inward man There is all your comfort and therefore to strengthen that is to adde unto your comfort As for example the sun brings comfort with it because that bringeth light so the more of the Inward man you have the more light and joy Now the reason wherefore the strengthening of the Inward man brings the more comfort is because it is the greater facultie and the greater the faculty is the greater is the joy or sorrow As for example take a man that is troubled in mind none so humble none so Penitent none so sorrowful as he and therefore it is said that a sound heart will bear his infirmities but a wounded spirit who can bear That is a man may be able to speak of any grief but the grief of a troubled minde who can expresse On the contrary take a man that is at peace with God who so joyful and comfortable as he Now the outward man is the lesser facultie and therefore it is capable of the lesse comfort That is It doth not in any measure know what true comfort and joy there is in the Inward man Again what joy the outward man hath in these outward things it is but according to the opinion of the inward man That is the comforts is no more then they are esteemd of the Inward man If the inward man do not esteem them as worthy the rejoycing in they will not bring comfort Again all the pains and labour and all things else you do bestow upon the outward man is but lost labour that will do no good brings no sound peace to the spirit and who will bestow labour on a vain thing but if you strengthen the Inward man the labour that you take about that will bring you great advantage it will arm you against all losses and Crosses and reproach and povertie that you shall meet withall in the world whiles you are in the way to Heaven Again consider that though you be strong in the outward man yet you are moveable subject to shaking and fleeting but it is otherwise with the Inward man it makes a Christian stedfast and immoveable That is it will so establish the heart in grace that he will stand firm unto Christ in all estates It is with the outward man as it is with the seas Though he strength of the stream run one way yet the winde blowes contrary it moves and stirrs and strives and disquiets it when losses and crosses come they break the frame and strength of the outward man but the Inward man is like the firm ground let the winde blow never so violent yet it moves not it stands fast Again in the abundance of outward things there is no true contentment neither in the want of them But where the strength of the Inward man is there is no cause of dejectedness this difference we shall see in Adam and Paul Adam though he was Lord of all things and had the rule of all the creatures Yet when he was weak in the inward man what joy had he nay what fear had he when he hid himself in the garden Again look upon Paul who in the want of these outward things is not dejected at all as in Acts 16. It is said that when Paul and Silas were in prison in the stocks the prisoners sung for joy Now what was the reason of it but this because they were strong in the Inward man and therefore you see that all true peace is that which cometh from within and when you rejoyce in that your rejoycing is good that is you stand upon a good bottom Alas you think to have contentment in your riches but you will be befooled they will deceive you If you build upon them you will build without a foundation and go upon another mans leggs Now were it not far better for you to get leggs of your own and to build upon a sure foundation And this you shall do if you strengthen the inward man Again consider if you
men that at such a time would have been hot and zealous where are the generation of these men surely they are all gone for there is no heat nor zeal left It is true we abound in knowledge that is we have the same knowledge that they had but we want their zeal and Spirit and we have the same gifts but we want their spirit Therefore let us now shew our selves to be in the Spirit that is to have the Spirit in us by our zeal against evil But you will say that many holy men that have the Spirit yet they are not so hot and zealous against evil but are marvellous mild and patient First to this I answer that holy men may have pits wherin they may be faln I say they may have dross as well as gold and hence they may be driven through a strong passion and lust not justly to scale sins aright whence ariseth remissness and neglect both in doing good and resisting evil But this in a regenerate man I call but a passion because it continues not for prayer and the Preaching of the pure word will recover this again that is it will recover his strength and make him zealous against sins But if you see a man what profession soever he makes of Christ that can wink at sin and not be moved at it and the word nor prayer do not kindle this holy fire in him Then plainly that man is a dead man there is no spark of holiness in him Therefore I may say to every such holy man as they were wont to say to Hannibal that he hath fire in him but he wants blowing so I say unto you if you have the spirit you have heat in you but if this heat do not appear at all times or at sometime it is because it wants blowing for when they have just occasion to exercise the strength of the inward man for Gods glory they will shew that they have zeal in them and are hot and lively to good and not dead in sin As for example this is the difference between a man that is dead and a man that is in a swoon the man that is in a swoon if strong waters and rubbing of his joints do not recover him it is a sign that he is dead so if the word will not work in you but you remain senseless and dead without spiritual heat in you it is a sign that you are more then in a swoon that is you are already dead in the Inward man It is said of the Adamant that it will not be heated with fire so I say of you if the word will not heat you when you are rubbed with it it is a sign that you are like the Adamant dead unto grace Secondly to this I answer that howsoever some men that are faithful are not so zealous it is true yet I say it is no good argument to say that because counterfeit drugs and wares have the same sent and smell that good wares have therefore they are as good or that the good wares have not the like It were better to say that they have the fame but the difference is in this that they have a false die and glosse upon them 〈◊〉 soâ—l say there is false and counterfeit zeal and there is a true zeal That is there may be a zeal without heat as a Painter may Paint the similitude and proportion of fire but he cannot give heat unto it or as there may be pieces of coin counterfeit as well as pieces of true Metal so there may be a counterseit fire as well as true fire So I say men may be sanctified and yet be mild and not of a hot and fierie disposition That is they do not so burn in the Spirit as others do It is not therefore good to conclude that it matters not whether you be zealous or no for howsoever it be true in him it may be false in thee And know also that this weakness is joyned with much holy zeal though it be not outwardly expressed for certainly as where true fire is there is heat so where there is the Spirit there is zeal Therefore examine whether you have heat in you if you have not you have not the Spirit The second sign whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit or no is this if you find that you are not onely able to do more then you would naturally do But you have also holiness joyned with it this sign I make of two parts because a man may do many things that carry a shew above nature and yet want holiness but if they be above nature and then have holiness joyned with them it is a sign that you have the sanctifying Spirit First I say it will make you to do more then you could do by nature that is it puts another manner of strength in you by which you are able to do those things which before you were not able to do As for example it will work in you a Patience above a natural Patience This we see in Christ himself when he was crucified he opened not his mouth he was like a Lamb That is he had more then natural patience also this is true in Paul Peter and the rest of the Saints also it works in us love above a natural love therefore it was said that Christ was full of love and had compassion on the multitude Again it works joy in a man beyond natural joy this we see in Paul and Silas when they were in prison they sang for joy And the Disciples in Acts 4. Rejoyced that they were thought worthy to suffer for Christ. Again it works in a man boldness above a natural boldness and therefore it is said in Acts 4. That they preached the word with great boldness That is with a boldness above a natural boldness And so Luther he was endued with a Spirit of boldness else he would never have been so bold in the defence of the Truth if he had not had another spirit in him Again it works in a man wisdom above a natural wisdom and therefore 1 Sam. 18. it is said of David that the Spirit of the Lord was with him therefore Saul was afraid of him And so Abimelech feared Abraham because he saw a great measure of wisdom and discretion in him Again it works in a man strength above a natural strength because to the strength of nature they have another added Again it will make you see above a natural sight Therefore it is said they shall not need to teach one another but they shall be all taught of God That is they shall see into the excellencie that is in God Therefore examine your selves whether you have the Spirit or no by this for if you have the sanctifying Spirit then you shall be able to keep down lusts to have power and abilitie to sanctisie the Sabbath power to pray power to hear power to confer power to
assumed body and shew of grace That is a common spirit without the life of grace The third propertie of assumed bodies they are unconstant That is assumed bodies walk for a time but they walk not alwayes even so if you have but a common spirit you will not be constant in good but off and on from the Rule A man that is living in Christ you shall find him living and moving and doing the Actions of the new man A man that hath a common spirit may do some things that are good he may keep and press down sin for a while but not alwayes nor then neither as it is sin but because it crosseth his profit or pleasure or some such thing Again he may have some taste or relish o spiritual things But he is not cleansed or purged by them Again they may walk as a living man walks That is perform holy duties but they are not constant in holy duties neither do they perform them in obedience but out of self love That is they are still ebbing and seldom flowing They omit ostner then they perform Therefore let me exhort you all You that are alive and have been dead be you careful to prize your life And you that have been alive and now are dead That is you that have faln from your holiness and zeal and have lost your first love and strength labour now to renew it again But you that are alive and yet are falling let me exhort you to strengthen the things that are ready to die If there be any here such let them now humble themselves and seek the spirit with earnestness That they may be renewed That they may be strengthned and quickned to good and received to favour again But if you will not but continue in this condition still you have but a name that you are alive but indeed you are dead In Rom. 6. it is said That they that die in Christ shall live in him That is if you once live the life of grace and have received the sanctifying spirit you shall never die but live for ever in Christ. This was the promise that Christ made unto his Disciples and in them unto every Christian. That he would send the spirit and he should abide with them for ever Therefore examine if the Spirit do remain in you and make you constant in good if not it is not the sanfying spirit The fifth sign whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit is this examine whether it be the Spirit of adoption That is if it make you to call God Father Then it is the sanctifying Spirit in Galat. 4. 6. We have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father That is this is the property of the holy man no wicked man can call God Father because he hath not any such relation unto God he neither loves God nor God loves him The Apostle saith unto the Church I do this to prove or know the naturalness of your â—â—ve That is they that have the spirit they have as it were a natural inclination wrought in them to love God again to delight in God and in the Communion of Saints And therefore our Saviour saith in Iohn 4. It is my meat and drink to do the will of my Father That is he that hath God for his Father will serve him willingly without constraint as willingly as a man will eat and drink without wages that is he needs not to have wages to do that so he that hath the spirit he will delight in doing Gods will he will serve God though he should give him nothing And in this that God is our Father it will raise some like affections in us to love God again so likewise in prayer to have God to be our Father it likewise raiseth Son-like affections in us whereby we do not only believe that the things we pray for we shall have but we have also boldness to come unto him as unto a Father which no man can do till he have this spirit of adoption Therefore examine with what confidence and boldness you pray with what reverence you hear with what affection you love That is examine whether you have the spirit that doth make you to call God Father The sixt sign whereby you shall know whether you have the spirit or no is this you shall know it by the manner of working That is if it change you and lie combating in you as in Galat. 5. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh That is if you have the Spirit you will have continual fighting and striving in the soul and this will not be onely against some or more particular lusts but against all that it knowes to be a sin I say not onely that there is a striving or a suppressing but it is by way of lusting Because a natural man that hath not the sanctifying spirit may keep down a lust for â—â—me by-respects but it is not from a 〈◊〉 That is it is not because his heart hates it oâ—â—…sses it by another power then a natuâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love of sin still But the opposing and resisting of sin in the godly is by way of lusting because they hate the sin and they fight against it with courage Therefore examine what lusting there is in you that is what hating of sin and then see with what courage and power you go about the subduing of it It is said that Iohn Baptist came in the spirit of Elias that is he came with that spirit that is full of power I say you will fight faintly against sin except you have the Spirit when the Disciples had received the Spirit in Acts 4. They spake with great boldness That is they had greater power to speak then before Therefore the Lord exhorts all men in Isai. 30. 3. Trust not in them they are men and not Gods As if the very name of men were weakness That is they are men that have no power it is God that hath power and therefore trust not in them but in every thing labour to see the power of God in it and seek for all spiritual power to good by God and examine your selves what power you have when you pray what power have you to go through to the end when you hear what power have you to edification when you see evil what power have you to avoid it when you are offered the pleasures and profits of the world what power have you to forsake them if they may prove hurtful unto the inward man if you have strong lusts in you what power have you to suppresse and lust against them Therefore you shall know by this whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no by the working of it The seventh sign whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no is this you shall know it by your carriage in your words and actions and by your
reason of it but because he wanted the spirit and on the contrary when the Disciples had received the Spirit They spake with boldnesse The fourth effect that the spirit begets i holy and heavenly desires in the soul therefore the Church in Cant. 2 is marvellous inquisitive to find Christ and what is the reason there is in men such a want of holy desires but because they have not the spirit The fifth effect is That the spirit begets holy indignation holy anger is an effect of the spirit and therefore thé Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 7. What indignation and wrath This he speaks in the commendation of the Corinthians men will not be angry with sin as an evil untill they get the Spirit The sixth effect of the spirit is holy affections It will make you have heavenly affections towards God to grace to the Saints Therefore the Lord saith Eze. 26. 21. I will give you a new heart Carnal men they may do some things to make their children to reverence them as to love them in regard of some donation that is they may proffer an object but they cannot beget holy affections That is the onely work of the Spirit thus to change the heart The seventh effect of the spirit is this It will purge the soul i. e. it will cast out all rubbish out of the soul There fore the Lord saith that he will purge the sons of Levi as silver That is that they may be fit for the service of the Priesthood he will purge out of them by the spirit that which other wayes would make them unfit And David in Psal 51. often prayes That the Lord would purge him and then after he prayes for the restoring of the spirit making the absence of the spirit the cause of his uncleanness The eighth effect of the spirit is It kindles holy affections to good in us and this is that that giveth us great advantage against sin I say we have no small advantage against the devil when the heart is full of heavenly affections and that for these reasons First because the more holy affections the better man That is God accompts more of him A man is esteemed of God as he hath or hath not holy affections a man is that which he is in his affections that is a man is not a good man because he knowes much but he is a holy man because he hath holy affections when he is full of love to God to Christ and to the Saints The second reason is because holy affections are a means or a second cause of good That is they are the cause of good actions as for example for a man to suffer for Christ and yet not to do it with holy affections out of love unto Christ That is nothing worth Therefore when the affections are ripe they are drawn upwards by the spirit both to do and to suffer The third reason is because holy affections they widen the soul that is they make the soul large for when holy affections are dead in you the soul will begin to shrink in even as cloth that is not thorowly made when water fals upon it it will run in but if you stretch it it will come to its own length again so when the spirit comes and â—…rks holy affections they widen the soul and make it large and firm Therefore that you may have large hearts in prayer and in meditation labour to get the spirit that you may have holy affections kindled in you The fourth benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this it will make the heart good because it is the proper work of the holy ghost to sanctifie the heart that is to cleanse and change it and so make it good It is the work of the Spirit to work repentance a thorow change because men for the most part mistake repentance That is men do think that if they be turned this way and that way from this sin and from that sin though it be not from every sin and evil way that they have true repentance but they are deceived For repentance is a true change of the whole man consisting both of soul and body whereby the parts and faculties of both are turned a quite contrary way That is the heart is turned out of the way of sin into the way of holiness Now that a partial turning is not repentance I will make it clear by this comparison Take any natural thing that is of an earthly substance whose nature is to go downwards Yet you may force it upwards by means that you may use As for example Water you know is of an earthly substance and the nature of it is to descend yet you see by the force and strength of the sun it is drawn upwards first into vapors and then congealed into ice and snow and rain and then it will not rest till it descend again But there is another motion of things light and spiritual clouds ascend upwards and are not forced but naturally do it Even so a carnal man may do the same things that a spiritual man doth he may keep down some lust and he may forsake some evil That is he may forsake his drunkenness and his uncleanness and his old evil haunts but yet he doth not forsake all neither doth he keep out sin by the spirit but by a natural strength if he do a good action itâ—… by constraint he is forced by something to do it but it changeth not his heart a whit he may take a resolution to be good and to be better yet to change his own nature is not in his own power for this is the work of the holy Ghost Thus much for this use and for this point We now come to a third point the Apostle saith he would have them To be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man noting thus much that God must give them the spirit before they could have him The point is this That The Spirit is a free gift I say that the sanctifying Spirit is a free gift I gather it thus The Apostle here prayes That God would give them the Spirit Not that they had deserved it and so should have it by merit as the Papists teach but he must give it them freely without defert of their own I need not stand in the proving of it long That the Spirit is a free gift onely I will shew you briefly how the Spirit is a free gift and this shall be in these five particular things First the Spirit is a free gift and it must be free because the Spirit is a gift and what more freer as we use to say then a gift is Now it is a free gift because it is not merited by us at Gods hands it is not extorted and drawn from God by force nor merited by desert because all the good that is in us is wrought by God it is God that
debt And the strength of the argument is thus If Christ had not risen again but been still in the power of the grave and kept under by the enemy of our salvation the poor believer might have been justly afraid his debt had not been paid but Christ being risen and out of hold he is out of doubt As when the debtor sees the Kings Son that was his surety at liberty and in the Kings Court he fears not but his debt is paid so when the poor believer sees Christ set free from the power of the grave c. he knows God hath accepted the payment he hath made as sufficient for him Let us therefore look upon our selves as having a part in Christ and know whatsoever he did it was for us even for every true believer so that he rising again we rise again which being so it manifests that God hath accepted Christ his payment if any thing could hinder it must be death and the grave but Christ being risen they have lost their power and so none able to condemn Rom. 6. 9. Christ rose for us never to dye again and therefore that we should never dye eternally A third reason is taken from the sitting of Christ at the right hand of God which puts all out of question that he paid our debt when he laid down his life in that he is risen and ascended up to his Father Now God would never have admitted him to sit at his right hand had the work been unfinished but now being ascended to the right hand of his Father where he is advanced to the highest pitch of honour glory and Majesty and that in our Nature sitting in full authority King of heaven earth there for ever by his spirit to gather and guide all his children and quell the power of their enemies it is apparent that our Sureties payment is accepted so that now nothing can condemn a Believer not his conscience nor any thing else can condemn him and therefore he may triumph over all accusations In the fourth place add unto all this that Christ doth not onely sit at Gods right hand but so as that he also maketh intercession for every true beleever having not onely power but even the same good will and mind that ever he had to do them good consider this well whether thou beleeving needest to fear the face of any enemy whatsoever The poor man that was indebted to the great King For whom the Kings son was pleased to undertake and satisfie when he sees him come out of prison set at liberty in his fathers Court in greater honor and not onely so but highly favoured of the King his father and continually requesting him for that poor man What needs he now care for all his enemies He need not be affraid to look all officers in the face c. Is this the secure and happy estate of every true believer out of himself in Christ. Then see the necessity of using all those means and that constantly whereby Christ our Blessed Redeemer is pleased to communicate himself and this his grace unto us Faith is a special gift and grace and comes from God in Christ and Christ he comes onely in the meanes which are channels and conduit-pipes Therefore if thou wouldest have this grace and be strengthened and increased therein even as thou wouldest have thy soul thus dignified use carefully all the means As The word which is the Scepter of Christs Kingdome submit thy soul to it If thou wilt have an excellent spirit such a one as Ioshua had pray to God for it and take heed of grieving the spirit of God by continuing in the practice of any known sin which is as water that quenches the fire but rather cherish thy faith and put fuel unto it by constant consionable hearing reading prayer meditation receiving the Sacrament holy conference and watching over thy heart For if thou put fuel to thy faith and keep away that which may quench it thou shalt clearly see this blessed truth and find the power of faith in this that hath been said Therefore as thou wouldest have this confidence and comfort in thy heart and soul use the means for it The dilligent hand becomes rich in Gods ordinary providence and so mayst thou in this grace if thou use diligence there is no way else Therefore whilst thou hast time use the means give attendance to the word and all those heavenly meanes before mentioned It s true indeed Christ hath freed himself by dying rising again and bring at the right hand of God and this I believe saith the poor soul in the midst of his fears temptations and troubles of mind but how should I bee comforted in knowing that I am freed from all that danger and condemnation which my sins do deserve Yes upon this ground every beleeving soul and so thou if thou doest believe mayest be sure to be freed as Christ himself is freed and that even because Christ undertook and did all this for the poor believing soul and he had not done it but for him Esai 9. 6. Toâ—us a child is born to us a Sonne is given All he did was for us and for our Salvation so that if Christ hath any happiness thou believing in him mayest be assured of it as Christ himself All Gods intentions towards thee are founded in love else how should that be true Iohn 3. 16. God so Loved the world c. Christ also took all upon him for our sake even to redeem and save us he needed not have done it for himself for he was God in glory c. lift up therefore thy heart by faith and beleeve this and thou shalt find it true though we miserable wretches are unworthy of any such mercies yet is God worthy to be believed Look on Christ and consider who he is and reflect it upon thy self and if thou canst believe the Lord Jesus hath done all this for thy sake To help and strengthen thee to this First Consider Christ did it for us that believe as a surety we were all bannk-rupts in the law of God for want of obedience thereunto now Christ the surety of mankind comes and undertakes for us and hath done iâ— Hebrews 7. 22. He was made surety of â—a better testament Therefore think on him alwayes as thy Surety in glory Christ there is said to be a Surety of better things then the legal Rites were even of the New Testament wherein whatsoever is contained it is for us and there it is treasured up ask and thou shalt have seek and thou shalt find All he did he did as my Surety all the evil he took away and all the good he purchased it was for me A second means or help to strengthen thee if thou art one that art humbled for sin and desirest more and more to believe is to know that God hath bound himself and sworn to it and he is true though every man
So that though he durst not justifie himself in his own righteousness and integrity of life yet did not this hinder from the assurance of his salvation before God in Christ for Iob 19. 25. 26. I am sure saith he my redeemer liveth c. whom I my self shall see and mine eyes shall behold and no other for me So that though he stood not upon the righteousness of works for himself yet he was assured in Christ of Eternal Salvation The second example he brings is of David Psalm 26. 1. who saith Iudge me O Lord for I have walked in mine Innocency to show what a holy and righteous man he was and yet saith Bellarmine for all that he doubts of his Salvation as appears Psal. 19. 12. where he saith Lord who can understand his errours cleanse me from secret faults Now if he had secret sins that he feared might hinder him how then could he have assurance We deny that because he that truly believes and repents all his sins both secret and open are pardoned known and unknown he confesses and repents of all and therefore they are forgiven Rom. 8. 1. Labouring to know his sins and forsake them though he cannot know them all yet is he accepted So the not knowing of our sins particularly hinders not our assurance of salvation though David knew them not yet had he assurance of the pardon of his secret sins and faults as well as other in Christ. I but he was afraid he might be blinded in them and so he might doubt saith he We deny not but he might fear for we say none can be assured of Salvation but he that fears to offend As a good child fears to offend his father Now his fear hinders not his fathers love fear of Gods favor indeed may hinder assurance but not fear to offend him Fear of sinning against God keeps him that his assurance is the stronger the child of God that falls into sin when he casts off his fear and trembling least he should offend against God dashes and weakens the strength of his assurance and the more a man fears to sin the more it keeps him in the favour of God 2 Sam. 12. 12. David had assurance from God by the very prophet c. Ps. 32 when he confessed his sinnes he prophesied that God forgave them besides Psalm 73. 25. he testifies to all the world that he had none in heaven but his reconciled God alone all which shewes how strong assurance David had notwithstanding all his fear Again in the third place he brings that of Paul 1 Cor. 4. 4. where he saith though I know nothing by my self yet am I not thereby Iustified Whereby Bellarmine would prove that Paul could not be assured For Answer hereunto we must know that the Apostle there speakes not of the justification of his person but his office and that not before God but men who though he knew he had used all faithfulness in his doctrine yet I stand not upon that saith he for he acknowledged that God might find and see faults enough that way but because Christ had done such things for him c. God had accepted of his sincere obedience in Christ nothing could hinder his assurance of Gods approbation and love to him which he testifies Rom. 8. 34. shewing his assurance that nothing could seperate him from the love of God in Christ so that none of these holy men Iob David nor Paul howsoever they durst not stand upon their works yet in regard of Gods love in Christ they were all assured of their salvation and so may every true beleeving soul. What comfort else could we have at the day of death First Satan who at first was an angel of light yet fell away saith he But to that we answer Satan he had never a covenant made with him in Christ we speak onely of believers Secondly Adam But that is nothing to the purpose likewise because before his fall he was never in this covenant of grace He had ability to stand if he would but he never had that promise before his fall which wee have in Christ As namely that we shall continue and never depart away God putting his spirit in us Thirdly Saul To which we answer that he was never a truly righteous man though he was called to be a king and had a new heart fitted with endowments for his kingly office yet were his graces but common graces nor peculiar and special saving graces Fourthly Salamon Bellarmine holds that he perished yet he saith that he was a man beloved of God 2 Sam. 12 25. Therefore say we he fell not totally and finally he lost not all grace because he had still so much grace as kept him from falling finally as we may see by his book or repentance Fifthly David Bellarmine saith he fell totally But that is not so he lost not all when he fell into sin as appeareth Psalm 51. 12. Though the operation of his faith ceased yet lost he not the substance and habit thereof for there was a spirit of prayer and repentance still left he had a conflict within that made him so earnestly pray restore me to the joy of thy salvation c. where note he prayes not simply for salvation for that he was assured of but for the comfort of it and his prayers we know were the prayers of faith for they brought him joy and comfort So that then he had not lost all his faith Sixtly Peter But he also lost not all which to hold were directly contrary to that of our Saviour Luke 22. 32. where he tels Peter that he had prayed to the Father that his faith might not fail him and it is a priveledge Christ hath purchased for every beleeving soul that howsoever he may be grievously and continually tempted on every side yet shall his faith never utterly fail because Christ hath prayed for it Seventhly He brings Simon Magus But we deny him to be a true believer he was at the best but in the gall of bitterness his heart was stark naught and therefore for him to fall away it is no wonder Lastly Iudas whom we deny to be given to Christs keeping to eternal salvation though he was given him as an Apostle for Christ to prevent all declared plainly that he was the son of perdition from the beginning so that there is indeed no strength in all these to weaken and hinder the assurance of him that truly believes onely the Devil stirs up all his instruments by all means to discourage him if it were possible but he shall never prevail The use of this in the third place is for trial namely that we should examine our selves to finde if we have this insulting and triumphing faith whereby we may be able to look up to God in the day of tryal and hold out If a man have base and counterfeit coyn in his
word even the root of all good works that can possibly be accepted in Gods sight And the first means whereby to come to such a faith is to see consider and take to heart what estate we are in without believing in Christ this is the first step thereunto and before this a man can never come truly to believe and so to be knit to Christ in the mariage bond of Grace Now what estate we are in before may easily appear by these particulars as That we all in Adam are fallen away and so have lost the image of God Are wholy under the guilt of sin The children of Gods wrath In the power and snares of the Devil Under the curse of the Law howsoever we may bless our selves and the world think us blessed c. And lastly guilty of eternal condemnation and so endangered to be swallowed up of the gulfe of Hell when we are dead without we get this faith Now by all this we may see what need we have to get into the rock Christ it being the estate of every child of Adam Kings Emperors c. even all and every one by nature Which when the poor soul strucken with the word comes to understand aright and feel it as in the presence of God then he comes To think how he shall be brought to God again How he may be born again being of such a sinful case How he may get the heavy curse removed How he shall come to get out of the power and snares of the Devil How to come to be a child of Gods love To think how he shall be freed from the gulfe of Hell when he dies Now when a man sees this and is convinced throughly thereof in his judgement hee cannot be quiet until he hath sought some remedie then hath he set the first step to this blessed estate of true saving faith Examples hereof we have Act. 2. In those three thousand that were converted at one Sermon who having their case layed open cryed out what shall we do to be saved and that was the first step to their believing for after that they came to believe so likewise Act. 16. 30. The Iaylor when he came in trembling and desired to know by what means to come to salvation then the Doctrine of faith took place even so we before we can attain to this faith that triumphs against condemnation we must go out of our selves and run to God onely in Christ without whom we perish And the reason many find not this faith is because they have a general and conceited faith wherewith they content themselves which makes them to slubber over all things and so live and die in the same even because they come not soundly to understand by the word of God their woful and lamentable estate by nature the true and effectual knowledge whereof is the first step to true saving faith A second means is when a man not onely sees it soundly and so doth effectually go out of himself but also resolveth to cast away that sin he sees in himself a man may come to consider his estate deeply and yet go on in wicked courses But when he can desire with all his heart to bee rid of all his sinne and cast it off it is a special meanes and a further step to this faith at least to the manifestation of it to us Repent and believe is the voice of the gospel No man can believe except he repent and cast off sin so no man can repent except he believe and have some hope that his sins may be pardoned Many see their sins yet cast them not away and therefore the conscience beats them off and will not let them believe It tels them that Christ and such a soul cannot stand together The door is shut if thou makest not account in thy affection and conversation to leave all sin 1 Io. 3. 6. whosoever saith the Apostle sinneth hath not seen God So that the soul hath a second step to believe when a man truly repents of all his sins 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Then God offers himself as a father to a man when he casts off such as are lin be as it were of Satan and of the fellowship of darkness that is when a man casts off his evil company and all sin that may defile his soul and make him unworthy to be Gods child and therefore when a man casts off sin and the instruments of sin then is he fit to believe and God will be ready to shâ—w himself unto him not a judge but a father Rev 3. 19. When a man begins to be zealous for God and amend his sinful wayes and courses and leaves cherishing those abominable sins that before he hath lived in and for want of this resolution to take Christs part against sin it comes to pass a mans heart and conscience will not let him come to lay hold of Christ even because he harbors Christs enemies that will not suffer him to come in A third means is when a man renounces as well his own righteousness as his sinnes It is Christs righteousness that must make us righteous before God that is our justification to eternal life There is to say the truth no righteousnesse before a man comes to be in Christ onely 't is call'd an outward righteousness and is so taken before men and therefore if thou wilt come to this faith thou must cast off all not conceit of righteousness but thine own righteousness indeed For that cannot further thee in this point as thine own sins cannot hinder thee What hindred the Jewes and Papist and thousands of Protestants at this day from faith that should uphold their souls but a conceit of their own righteousness The Jewes they would perform obedience to the law and venture their salvation upon that righteousness Rom. 10 2â— And therefore they could not believe So the Papists now they do still in part stick upon their own righteousness whereas there is none in himself righteous but God alone Iehouah who is righteousness as he proclaims himself We lost all in Adam and recover all again in Christ. Many ignorant Protestants and some that have knowledge also will not stick to say that if a man have a good meaning dealing righteously and serving God he shall be accepted all which is nothing without Christ for the more a man goes on in good intentions before he be in Christ by faith all his performances are but cursed abominations and so further off from faith and that which God hath most severely punished as he did Saul his good intention without obedience unto him But may some say if it be so then it is better to sin and not do good works â—t all Not so for then thou encreasest thy punishment thy sin is the less if thou hast a good meaning because thou thinkest that thou dost that which is good if thou knewest and thoughest otherwise thy condemnation
the shaddow doth the body Now I say grace is the immediate work of the spirit the very power of the holy Ghost which is able to out-wrestle all difficulties and to help us against all spiritual wickednesses assist us in all holy obedience But it may be objected I but grace though it do strengthen thus yet it is but a creature for though it be a quality that is wrought by the holy Ghost in the heart if it be so yet it is but a creature therefore seeing every creature is subject to weakness how doth grace strengthen a man thus To this I answer First that grace is a quality of that nature that it empties a man of himself it is an emptying quality It is not as other indowments other qualities and other habits put into the soul but it is an emptying quality that takes a man off from his own bottom it cuts him off from his own root and ingrafts him into another it teacheth him to depend upon God For if you look upon faith which is the main grace and gift as it were the root and foundation to all other graces is it not an emptying Grace what is faith but to teach a man to trust in God Now no man trusts in another fully but he distrusts himself fully it makes a man nothing in himself and wholly dependant upon the Lord. Even such is grace it takes a man quite off from any root of his own and makes him as ivie that hangs upon and clasps about the tree receives its being and sustenance from it So grace it annihilates the creature as it were it takes a man off from that sufficiency that every man seeks to have in his own spheare in his own nature it teacheth a man to know that he is not able to think a good thought nor to do a good work of himself Again I answer though it be a quality and that our strength is from God immediately yet God will have us to use means and instruments wherein he himself helps us to do For it is true if any man will trust to this habitual grace which I say is an inherent quality wrought in the heart by the holy Ghost if any man will grow careless in the strength of this grace and say well I am now a man grown strong I have now gotten some good measure of grace therefore now I will venture upon occasions of sin c. Here a man makes flesh his arm though he do trust to grace for he ought not so to do he ought to look up to God for another transient exciting and assisting grace besides this inherent quality which I speak of to have a dependance upon him and yet not altogether to rest in that for then a man should not be bound to increase in grace and to grow in it which every man is bound to do grow in grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ. Therefore there is a use of that you must make account you are so much the stronger by it for no man will labour for a thing but he will know some end of it As we see in other things a man may use the strength of horses and of men he may use means and friends but still it is required that he remember how he useth them that his eye be still upon the Lord as him that giveth the strength It is he that keeps that grace in being it is he that must act it and stir it up to do the works we are to do from time to time The chief use we are now to make of it is to examine and try our selves whether we have grace in our hearts or no by this property and character of grace here set down that it makes a man strong thou my son be strong in the grace c. We must I say examine our selves for there are two special times wherein the Lord himself makes a privy search as it were the one is at the time of the Sacrament the other at the day of death Therefore when men come to the Lords Table the Lord as it were goes down himself and takes a view of the guests and sees whether they be so qualified as men ought to be that come to his Table therefore look to your selves now you are bidden examine your selves In the Law a man might not come to the passeover but he must be circumcised those you know were but legal types and resembled somewhat else You must not come to the Lords Supper but there must be this circumcision made without hands there must be such a fitness in you as you may be accepted therefore you must examine your selves when you come hither Again another time wherein the Lord makes this privy search is at our entrance into the wedding chamber at the day of death When the Bridegroom goes in then the Lord searcheth whether we have oyl in our Lamâ—s or no whether those that offer to enter in have any effects any tincture of his Sons blood upon them The effect of his Sons blood you shall see Heb. 9. 14. It is to purge the conscience from dead works If there be no strikes as it were of his blood if there be no dye of it he gives the destroying Angel power to devour them because there is not that grace that is the effect of the blood of Christ they have no oyl in their Lamps therefore they are shut out Therefore I say when we come to the Lords Table let us consider what we do for you must know that the Lord admits none to his Table but friends such as are of his acquainance those that are strangers to him may not presume If thou come to the Lords Table be a stranger to him that is if thou want grace in thy heart this quality that we now speak of thou hast nothing to do here for you must know that no man must sit at his Table here in earth that is not to sit at his Table in Heaven to sit with Abraham Isaak and Iacob in his Kingdom The Lord will take it for a great presumption therefore take heed of intruding upon this duty When the Ark was brought among the Philistines and the Bethshemites would be so bold as to look into it the Lord smote fifty thousand of them for it What was the reason of this say they who shall stand before this holy Lord God If the Lord were thus ready to revenge himself on them for prophaning of that which was but a type what will he do for prophaning the body and blood of his Son You know that is the comparison Heb. 12. If any man transgressed against the Law of Moses he received a recompence and reward What will he do then to those that contemn the salvation that is brought by his Son So if the Lord would do this for the prophaning of the Ark that was but a type of Christ Jesus but a legal rite that had but
us strength when we have not that we give over The power of grace therefore is alwayes seen in that it enableth us to go through the work to perform it Therefore the world is exceedingly deceived in the misapplication of that distinction the Lord accepts the will for the deed I say the misapplication of that is the cause why there is so much laziness and dulness in men that they do not set themselves to go through with holy duties for say they we have a desire and a purpose and the Lord accepts the will for the deed You are exceedingly deceived the Lord indeed will accept the will for the deed when there is such an impediment as that you cannot proceed for what is the occasion of that speech of the Apostle to the Corinthians when they had liberal minds to supply the necessities of the Churches and yet they wanted money in this case saith the Apostle the Lord accepts the will for the deed Wilt thou say now therefore because thou hast a good desire to serve God to pray to keep to Gods truth to keep thy heart close to him and thou hopest the Lord will take the desire for the deed and yet thou wilt be negligent in them what impediment hast thou If thou wouldest bestow time in prayer if thou wouldest bestow time in working on thy heart to warm it and to quicken it to duty thou shouldest have the deed as well as the will what hinders thee then where therefore there is no impediment the Lord will not accept the will for the deed Look how much will there is so much deed there will be when the will is wrought by the spirit of God the deed will follow I am able saith Saint Paul not onely to purpose and intend but to do all things If thou hast the power of grace in thee as he here exhorts Timothy to be strong thou wilt go through with the work I say if thou hast the power and strength of grace in thee thou hast strength and ability to do all these things Again as the power of grace is seen in enabling thee to do so further it is seen in this that when thou hast begun to do it keeps thee from fainting in well-doing Another man will have some fits in well-doing but he is uneven he is unlike himself Now herein the power of grace is seen that though a man be sometimes transported through the violence of corruption and passion and the like yet grace brings him back again that is he is not quite carried away with temptations as the chaff with the wind but he is held with a strong anchor that though he float up and down and be off and on in degrees yet he is not carried clean away Therefore you shall see 2 Pet. 3. ult take heed saith he that you be not drawn away from your stedfastness but grow in grace c. As if he should say this is the power of grace that it will keep a man that though he do sin and forget God and have some such falls as David had yet herein is the power of it that it never lets a man go quite but still it brings him back again This is much for the comfort of those that are upright hearted for some man might say alas though I do purpose and have performed and kept on in a good course yet I am apt to fail back again to my old sins and am ready to return to my old courses It is true thou mayst do so but yet herein be assured that the strength of grace will be manifested in thy heart to kâ—â—p tâ—…e from falling from thy steadfastness it will keep thee along it will not suffer thee to go quite away thou wilt not depart from the Lord Ier. 32 40 I will plant my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me As for example take Saul and David Saul was in a good course a great while and he made many turnings aside yet the Lord kept him by the common assistance of his spirit yet at length he went quite away from the Lord. But now David how many turnings aside had he how many great infirmities had he yet he had the sure mercies of David the strength of grace kept him along that he never departed from the living God he never went aside so as he returned no more Therefore if thou find this that though thou fall yet thou art returning again that thy heart is never at rest till thou hast gotten the Lord again it is a sign that thou hast the true touch of the spirit As the needle we know that is touched with the load-stone it never is at quiet till it find the north point again Lastly As the strength of grace is seen in enabling us to do and in keeping us from fainting so it is seen in the particular things we do in those good duties that we perform the hearing of the word communicating the partaking of all the holy ordinances in all the duties belonging to Gods Worship herein I say the power of grace is seen For as everything is in its being so it is in its working look what being and essence it hath such is the work of it Now take those that are common and counterfeit graces which are not sound and right they are able to reach the form of good duties but not the substance but where there is true lively grace there a man is able to do the thing indeed that is he can do holy duties as he ought to do them This is the property of grace that it enableth you to do the things you do with a pure heart for my brethren it is grace that purifieth the heart it is that which makes the inside clean other things may cleanse the hands and the head Philosophy education and parts of morality but the power of grace is such as that when you come to do duties it purifies the heart because grace makes a man wise Now a wise man will be sure to look to the foundation that is to look to the heart wherewith he performs every duty the foundation is all in-all a wise man will see with what heart he performs every duty the outward performance is but as the top of the building the foundation is the principal Besides grace puts a treasure into a mans heart and makes him prize that treasure and where a mans treasure is there his eye will be he will look therefore to his heart in the performance of duties Besides it teacheth a man to exalt God as God in his heart and when he is so exalted he is more to him then a thousand witnesses It enableth him to seek praise with God and not with men Again it gives a man light whereby he can discern of the secret failings of his heart Another man that hath not light he cannot see them he can see grosse enormities but it is grace onely that makes us to see
is contrary to Gods policy and that God hath thus done look into the stories of the Church and see if there was ever any good by done it we may find that much hurt hath been done what contentions rents and schismes have been made in the Church how many Churches have been ruinated by it As Arius his heresie was stirred up by this wherefore we must do with heresies as men do with a fire in a town leaving not a spark least it stir up novum insendium a new fire least it fall out in cutting up of heresies as it is in cutting up of weeds if the seeds do but fall there will be new weeds though not presently God commands that all heresies should be resisted therefore there must be no removing of some and admitting of other that God hath commanded so Ier. 15. 19. when Ieremy went on in such a course that the people began to contend with him he being weary of their clamors began to turn unto them nay saith God let them return to thee but return not thou to them and good reason that a string out of tune should be set to that in tune and not the other set out to that And therefore it was an excellent answer of a man to some that were better States men then Church men That Religion was of a stiff nature it would break not bend there must be no coming half way in religion Now when God commits a thing to us we must do it thoroughly One example we have in Moses who when God bad him take all away he would not leave a hoof so that if there be but the husks of heresie to cover it they must not be left no not so much as that which may cover the feet of heresie For then we do detractare mandato detract from Gods Commandement and especially they that sweep Gods house they must not suffer cob-webs to be in it least they breed spiders and they new cob-webs and so the Church become as defiled as ever it was 3. It draws not them to us but it is as tares that it may take hold of and pluck us to them and as stirrups that thereby they may get into the saddle Again it is not in Heresies as it is in the symbolizing Elements that they easily be transmutated one into the other therefore so far as in our power is let 〈◊〉 take that councel concerning heresies that Salomon gives of water to stop every crevis for else it will run in and make a breach and offer an inundation so let not us entertain a word of heresie especially let Ministers keep the hedge whole that there be no gap where the foxes may enter in for the small grapes must not be neglected see and understand the place Cant. 2. 13. 2. A second fault is when words are not sound for matter that concern practice as for defence of usury unjust non-residency from Livings c. we must take heed that in these we fail not of wholesome words And that for that place Mat. 5. 19. He that breaks the least Commandment and teaches men so shall be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven It is a fearful note that is affixed to the name of Ieroboam this is he that made Israel to sinne I confess it is good to know liberties as well as restraintments and I would have none to put a sore upon mens consciences except on good ground if matters be doubtful then let them alone onely that which is sure must be spoken in the pulpit yet of the two it is safer not to do them when dubious he that teaches any thing not to be lawful had best be sure least he make Israel to sin and least his words be like the words of Humeneus that fretted like a cankar an evil that soon overâ—â— reads the body Men in this case are like tinder and one or two words may set them on fire it is sure that to live at ones living and not take upon usury is safest And if men will do it let not the Minister have a hand in them for it is a fearfull thing to have other mens sinnes set on our score though our own be but small 3. A third is such as are unwholesome but more frequent The two former wounded Religion in the legges and arms but this doth Petere Iugulum kill it at the heart and that is when Religion is disgraced in the general by Puritanism or what terms soever If these words were onely heard in Taverns and desperate deboised persons spake â—…h desperate words it were no great matter but for the pulpit to bend this way is unwholesome Words against sinne are like fire in green wood that if it be not followed it will die but in this case an intimation is enough and it passes like lightning into mens hearts and consciences one push sets down the hill but it requires much labour to get up One stroke with the oars sets down the stream but it is hard to go against the stream since therefore men are tender in this case these words are to be taken heed of all that men can do is not enough to cry down sinne and all the arguments that can be used cannot restrain them If all Ministers should joyn together to cry down the Atheism of the times it were not enough How much to blame are they then that disgrace Religion and make it run into the rocks and dare not look out These Elimases cast dirt in the face of it on every side and well may they be called Elimases for as he perverted the straight ways of God so they make Religion seem crooked as water doth a staff and as a false glasse makes the face look deformed and God pronounces a wo against such Wo to them that make sweet things sowre It is no jesting matter to bring an evil report upon the holy land for God said they should not enter into it but die in the wildernesse But because these have something to say for themselves we will see their defence and I will we could quench their tongues set on fire by the fire of Hell Object 2. They say they speak against Hypocrites Answ. It were well if it were so and I would wish their words were as sharp as raisors to them for they make others fare worse but then what need this generality of Obloquies all are not Hypocrites as in a great payment some bad gold may crowd in so among Christians may be found Hypocrites It is a signe therefore that in thus speaking they call religious men Hypocrites and Religion hypocrisie Consider what makes an Hypocrite not the ill report of bold calumniators for then Christ should not be blameless If they call him Belzebub how much more you Act. 28. 22. The Iews tell Paul his sect is every where spoken against Neither do some slips or some grose sins make a Hypocrite for then David Salomon Peter and all the Apostles should be Hypocrites
and that is done by delivering the signs of the vice we reprove In diseases we see not the Radices but the Symptomes of it so we see not sin in the heart but in the practice Therefore signs are good 4. Let reproof be renewed not naked as it is drawn from the Text but with other reasons to make us afraid of committing it as from the danger the consequents the effects and Gods judgements on such sins and here if speeches be edged with Rhetorick to make a division between the marrow and the bones it shall be fitly done 5. The secret reasons must be answered that keep men in the practice of sin for if there be but one objection unanswered the reproof will not fasten on them for no man sinneth but by false reasons therefore they are called deceitful lusts and this is required 2 Cor. 10. 4. The weapons of our warfare are spiritual casting down imaginations the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. Let such medicable rules be prescribed as may keep men from it 4. In exhortation to some vertue or to the performance of some duty this is absolved in five degrees 1. Let the vertue exhorted be commended to the people and set forth in the beauty of it that so they may be stirred up to love and like it 2. Let it be shewed how defective men are in practise of it for men are as ready to arrogate in that as to derogate in other things to think they have it when they have it not And this is done two ways First by bringing down that duty to particulars more motes are seen in a little of the Sun-shine then in the whole shade Secondly by describing the particular speeches and actions of men shewing the difference between them and this discovereth the disagreement in the minds of men 3. Let exhortations be renewed not simply but with motives to stir up to embrace the vertues and to this it is needful that we use a cloud of arguments let the speech be framed with such figures as becomes it So that First it be with gravity secondly with concealing of art 4. Let the false reasons be shewed that keep us from embracing of it for either we think the practice of it brings into danger or difficulty therefore let these be done away 5. Shew them the way the means how they may go on as if it be demanded what ground of Scripture for this I answer for interpreting and dividing the Word we have precepts the working of it is from example only let these cautions be added First In all points this kind of handling is not to be used for sometime Explications Reasons or Consectary may be omitted as occasion serve these transitions are not alwayes manifested but so the right rule be known we may put them together as it seem good I should have added several other directions but I must defer them till another time AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST HEART-FEARS JOHN 14. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled THe point that we delivered out of these words was this That It is the will and advice of Christ our Lord and Master that our hearts should be established and not be troubled in the day of fear Now after we had delivered the reasons of this point we came then to set down some means how we might be capable of this advice and instruction that our Lord and Saviour perswades us unto Some of the means I have already opened unto you four we handled in the fore-noon The first was to set our selves another task another employment and so divert our thoughts and affections from fears about these outward things This point we opened at large and shewed what effect it took in the case of Saint Paul and other Christians Heb. 10. In Abraeham and his family in removing out of the Land where he had possessions being he was mindful of another possession in Heaven and regarding not the possessions he left Again a second means we delivered was this to get a clear light to burn by us that so we be not mistaken in the apprehension of things for this ground was here delivered that nothing works upon the heart and affections of a man according to the truth of it but evermore according to the apprehension Indeed if the apprehension be joyned with truth then it works according to the truth of it or else the apprehension stirs up the affections As in that example Mark 6. 49. The disciples were troubled when they saw Christ himself supposing that he had been a spirit A third means that we delivered and opened at large in the fore-noon was to take heed of promising our selves great matters from the things of this world for this is a truth when a mans hopes lift him up to Heaven if he be disappointed of this home he is thrown down to Hell Therefore we should use the things of the world as if we used them not according to Saint Pauls exhortation then when a man useth them as if he used them not he will be as if he had them not Other things I added for the opening of this point Fourthly The last thing that I touched in the fore-noon it was this to labour to be humbled labour I say to be humbled under the hand of God for as it is said a froward proud heart finds nothing good nothing that it is contented with but it will pick quarrels with God measure out what portion he will So on the contrary a spirit that is truly humbled finds nothing but that which is good Whatsoever God affords a man that is truly humbled he takes it for a great savour and mercy I opened that place Isay. 49. the Lord saith the pastures of his people should be in the High wayes and on the tops of the Mountains There is the poorest feeding of all the grass is the shortest there is nothing to be gotten yet sheep will live and do well with such feeding where the fat oxen would be starved so a poor and mean Saint will pick a contented life where a proud heart gets nothing but vexation and trouble We proceed to a fifth means for there are three more The fifth means we must add which ought to take place before any other and that is it which the Apostle speaks of Ephes. 6 10. be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might What is that that is account and esteem the power of the Lord as your own Now if a man had so much strength and power of his own as the Lord hath he would make no question that any man should be able to encounter with him or any trouble or temptation in the world Now if we were perswaded that the power and strength that God hath were ours that he would be ready to put it out for our comfort and deliverance that would stablish our hearts as David saith be strong and he shall stablish your hearts be
by policies so that when any good motion cometh it hath most voices to cry it down therefore it works in us an ill opinion of the wayes oâ— God oâ— the strictness and purity of Religion it makes us think well of luke-warmness And besides it possesseth the â—â—queports the sences admitteth no objects but those that agreewith it And again it draws us from ourstrong holds from prayer from hearing the Woâ—â— from holy performances as Ioshua did the men of Aâ—â— when he drew them from the City such a stratagem it useth and that makes it dangerous to us when we are drawn from our strong holds as the Conies from their borroughs then it soon cosâ—ns us and easily takes us Again it takes away supply from the inward man as you see the Philistines in the time of hostility between them and the Israelites they would not suffer a Smith to be in Israel so this Law takes away the supply that should be given to the regenerate part Again it affrights us with false fears as you know it was the stratagem that Gideon used in his War he came upon the Host of the Medianites in such a manner that he put them all in a fear he deceived them with a false fear So this Law of our members affrights us with false fears perswades us that such and such lusts can never be overcome it tells us that perfect walking with God will never stand with the times we shall never come to preferment nor rise in the world if we observe the purity of Religion and the like Again it draws us from God in that it sets us upon those things that are contrary to him it causeth us to rebell against him When his Law commands one thing it puts a contrary inclination into us whereby we resist the Law of God and are led captive to this Law of sin and indeed at last to death and destruction These things if we considered aright we should not be so negligent in maintaining this War as we are this is the fight that this Law in our members hath I say consider the stratagems it many times assaults us with light skirmishes and after brings in the main battel which we observe not Thus Peter was foiled he was first brought into the High-Priests Hall out of curiosity to see and to hear and then afterwards fell to the denial of his Master David was first drawn to less sins and then to greater So likewise Salomon These stratagems it useth which every man must be careful to observe that he may grow expert in this War But I will not stand to enlarge this any further You see then these three things It is a Law a Law in the members and a Law that warres against the Law of the mind Now the last is that it leads us captive and that it doth so you shall see from these particulars You know one part of captivity or bondage is for a man to be detained in a strange Country to be kept in prison to be kept from his friends and from his business and employment at home So doth this Law in our members it detains us in our own Country it keeps us from God from the things that are heavenly where our coversation ought to be continually it keeps us in prison it with-holds us from those that are our proper companions And then again you see in bondage there is no rest given to those that are slaves so this Law in our members it breedeth a restlessnesse it gives us no leave to eat or drink or sleep that is it so hurries the souls of men to and fro it so occupies the thoughts it so takes up a mans affections that he is still busied in doing the things it commands There is no rest saith my God to the wicked Again in bondage there are hard tasks put upon men as you know it was part of the bondage of the children of Israel in Egypt that the Egyptians gave them more to do then they could possibly compass they were to make so many tale of Brick and yet they were not allowed the materials So is it in this captivity our lusts give us more to do then we can perform The lust of pride and ambition in Haman we see it set him on more then he could possibly compass The lust of covetousness in Ahab for Naâ—aoths Vineyard you see how hardly it charged him and what difficult things it put him upon Again it addeth this to it if there be not a performance of what it requires as the Task-Masters in Egypt did to the children of Israel they beat them so if we cannot do the things that these lusts sets us about as the Apostle expresseth it 1 Tim. 6. They pierce us through wiâ—h many sorrows That which is said there of the lust of riches may be said of any other lust when it is not satisfied it pierceth us through with many sorrows Lastly as in bondage a man is set on work about business which is not for his own good but onely for the advantage of his Master that commands him so doth this Law in our members it sets us about a work that stands onely with our hurt Therefore in that place 1 Tim. 6. they are called hurtful lusts that is lusts that hurt the party that fight against the soul and indeed 〈◊〉 onely for the profit of the Devil And herein they deceive us so that we think that we do our selves a great pleasure and that we act that which is for our own profit and advantage and yet in the mean time there is no thing redounds to the soul but hurt the advantage is onely to Satan We carry Uriah's Letter which we think to be for our own advantage and indeed it is for our destruction Therefore as they are said to be hurtful lusts so it is added they are foolish lusts that is we are fools for our labour in yielding to their commands So now you see these four things That as it is a Law a Law of the members a Law that warreth so it is a Law that in warring leads captive And so much shall serve for the explication of the first point Namely that there is a strong inclination in every mans nature leading him captive or carrying him strongly to that which is evil Now Secondly I add again to this That In every regenerate man there is a contrary Law a Law of his mind residing this Law in his members and carrying him as powerfully to do that which is good And this is a Law even as the other is because it commands and forbids powerfully it so commands us to do a duty to perform an action of new obedience that withall it gives us strength and ability to perform it as the Apostle saith I am able to do all things through Christ that strengthneth me And again it forbids as powerfully as we see in Ioseph when he had that temptation from his Mistriss saith he How
against this Law of sin in a man that is regenerate he fears anoath it is the expression in Eccl. 9. that is his fear is set a work against sin And so his desire My heart breaks for the desire I have after thy commandements Psal. 119. As if he should say If I had my desire there is nothing that I would wish so soon as to have my sinful lusts mortified to have my soul enabled to keep thy commandements And so for joy I rejoyce greatly saith David to keep thy commandements And so for sorrow Peter wept bitterly This is the first difference in a natural man the combate is onely between the conscience and the rest of the soul but in the regenerate the whole soul all the parts and faculties fight against this Law in the members this law of sin Again as there is a difference in the combatants so secondly there is a difference in the manner of the fight A natural man though he make resistance yet it is but a faint resistance he fights as one that is not willing to overcome or caâ—es not whether he get the victory or no he gives but a faint denyal When a suitor is but faintly denyed we know it makes him the more importunate So we shall see balaam when the messengers came from Balaak King of Moab he indeed gave them a denyal but it was such a kind of denyal as that they saw he had a good will to the journey notwithstanding therefore they did not give over to importun him So the prophet that came to Bethel when he began to enter into tearms with the old Prophet we see he was not strong and peremptory in the resistance a parleying castle we know will not long hold out when we come to these faint denyals and no more there is no likelyhood of prevailing Now the resistance that the regenerate part makes it is a strong and resolute resistance like that of Saint Paul when he was to go to Ierusalem why do you weep and break my heart saith he I am not onely ready to be bound but to die for the Name of Christ Like that of David what have I to do with you yee sons of Zerviah So I say this regenerate part it fights not faintly against the Law in the members but it fights strongly like a hearty enemy whom nothing will satisfie but a conquest Secondly for the manner of fighting this is another property in it that the regenerate part doth not dally with sin for it fights out of enmity and when there is an enmity there a man will not indure any thing no not the very appearance of evil As a Pigeon that hates the Hauk will not endure the feather of a Hauk So it is with the regenerate part it will not onely abstain from gross sins but from every thing that is called evil from the tincture from the garment spotted with the flesh Whereas a naturul man perhaps abstains from the gross act but comes as near as he can to the brink of sin Many men will resolve never to be drunk yet you shall find them go to the tavern and sit there till they be overtaken Balaam took up a resolution I will go with you saith he but I will not say any thing but what the Lord shall bid me there he would abstain from the gross act but you see what the issue was even as the Levite he would not stay all night in Benjamin by no means but he would be perswaded to eat his break-fast This is the second difference when the regenerate part fights the resistance is out of enmity it hates all that is called sin it cleanseth it self from all pollution of flesh and spirit The other doth not so it resists onely the gross acts but dallies with that which hath affinity with sin Lastly In this manner of the fight there is this difference that the natural conscience though it strive and contend against the Law of the members yet it doth not fight against it as it is sin but against the shame against the disprofit against those evil consequences that follow sin committed against hell against wrath against eternal death for these are things sensible to him but against sinne it self as it is sinne he doth not resist but the regenerate part resists the sinne it self because there is something within him that is contrary to sinne and therefore he makes resistance against sinne as it is sinne the other I say never makes resistance against it as it is sin but against the consequents and effects of it and this is the second difference they differ in the manner of the fight Thirdly They differ in the object in the thing about which this contention is he that hath onely a natural conscience to fight against the Law of the members his strife is not about things of that nature that the others are moral vices and moral vertues they know and are sensible of they resist the one and stand for the other things that belong to outward credit and civill honesty things that are morally good these things they are sensible of and the contention is about them and no other You see Herod was careful about his oath and why because of those that sat at Table with him and this was the great matter that swayed him And so Darius had a contention when he put Daniel into the Lions den but his promise to the Princes overruled him But there is another kind of contention in the regenerate about things of another nature spiritual evils spiritual wickednesse he fights against those evils that are contrary to the image of God that are contrary to that purity and holiness that God requires Other men see not the things of this nature therefore they cannot resist them When the Sunne shines clear we know we may see the least moat so where there is a clear light of grace that shines in a mans heart he sees spiritual evils which another man sees not he resists them and his chief business indeed is about them Another man cannot perceive them and therefore cannot resist them this is another difference they differ in the object Fourthy This fight differs in the success there is a different success and event in these two fights a natural man though he have many good motions and inclinations and intentions suggested to him yet he walks after the vanity that is in his minde that is his law that is though he have many remorses and checks yet if you observe him in the constant course of his life he serves the flesh and the lusts thereof But in the regenerate it is contrary though he have many evil inclinations many evil suggestions yet he walks after the spirit and not after the flesh that is his constant course is good And if you object are they not foyled many times Did not David fall and Peter fall I answer It is true they may be foyled in
in the right way and a good man may sometimes miss the the right way and go out of it therefore you must observe what your constant course is For the constant course of a mans life ariseth from the inward root and bent of his disposition and look what the inward bent of his disposition is in that he will be constant Sometimes he may do the contrary yet he will return again As you see waters that are naturally sweet if brackish waters break in to them they grow salt indeed yet if the nature of that water be sweet it will work out that brackishness and return to its former sweetness So here let a mans disposition be good let his heart be regenerate let him be renewed in the spirit of his mind though sin break into him yet he purgeth it out he cleanseth himself from it though sometimes he be stopped in a good course yet he breakes over this damme and falls to his former course that is to those holy wayes that he was wont to walk in So it is on the other side take but an evil man whose course is to do evil though he may be stopped sometimes and may have some good purposes and desires yet his heart works them out and he returns to his old byass And therefore you muâ—…try your selves by your constant course Take a swine put him into a clean medow he keeps himself clean but let him come into a durty lane and he will wallow in the myre and if you wash him again yet if he come near such a puddle again he will do the like and why because his swinish nature is not washed and so long as his nature remains his constant course will be suitable So it is with the unregenerate man when his nature is not changed his constant course will be evil God may sometimes hedg a man in and when a man is put into a way where there is a hedg on either side so long as that lane lasts he must keep on but if he be at liberty when he is at the end of that lane he turns aside So I say God oft times hedgeth in the wayes of men So he hedged in Ioash so long as Iehoiada lived it is said he did that which was upright in the sight of the Lord but after when this hedge was taken away when he died he fell to Idolatry So much for this time SELF-SEEKING Opposite to CHRISTS INTEREST PHILIP 2. 21. For all men seek their own and not the things that are Iesus Christs THe occasion of these words you shall see in the two verses going before them The The Apostle tells the Philippians to whom he wrote that he would send Timothy to them which saith he will be much for your advantage and he gives them this reason of it for saith he in the words before he will be very diligent to do you any good to take care of your matters which he sets out comparatively saith he I have no man like minded who will naturally or faithfully take care to your things Now he gives a reason why he saith he had no man like minded to Timothy that would faithfully and naturally take care for their matters for saith he this is the condition of men this I have found by experience every man seekes his own things and not the things of Iesus Christ. So you see these words containe a complaint of that common condition that common frailty that generall desease and corruption to which all men are subject every man is apt to seek his owne things every man is apt to it and for the most part doth it he seekes his own things and not the things which are Jesus Christs The words are so plain that I need not to analyse or open them or stand long upon the exposition These three things you shall see may very easily be observed out of them First Whereas the Apostle complaines of it as a great fault and a sin that men seek their own things and not the things of Jesus Christ one conclusion hence then is that It is every mans duty or every man ought to seek the things of Iesus Christ and not his own This you know must needs be a conclusion arising from hence for if it be the complaint of the Apostle of the corruption that is in men in this kind then by the contrary rule it must be every mans duty to seek the things of Jesus Christ. Secondly Though this be the duty of every man yet when we look to the execution and performance of this duty every man is ready to do the contrary every man seeks his own things and because every man doth the contrary therefore the duty is the more precious When a man denies himself because there are so few that deny themselves that makes self denial to be the more regarded and esteemed God makes the more account of it for he hath no need of such men as will not deny themselves and seek the things of Jesus Christ. There is scarce any man but seeks his own things therfore you need not wonder why all the world is ready to go in a wrong way a man in this business hath so few to keep him company It is a thing that alway hath been every man is apt to seek his own things Therefore let not a man be discouraged with it it is no more then hath been it is no more then you are 〈◊〉 look for for the most seek themselves and their own things Those that will seek the things of Jesus Christ the world accounts them busie-bodies because they are occupied about things that the world likes not of it hath been the custom of all times to seek their own things and it is in every mans nature thus to do he that doth best and doth deny himself yet he hath the same nature with the rest so then that is the second observation that every man doth it he seeks his own things And lastly from this opposition every man seekes his owne things and not the things of Jesus Christ there is this third conclusion that for the most part our owne things and the things that tend to Jesus Christ and his advantage they are contrary and opposite one to the other for our natures are contrary there is an enmity between Christ and us that which we do for Christ must needs be contrary to our selves that which is for the advantage of Christ for the most part is for our disadvantage And the reason is I say because of the contrariety between our natures and the nature of Jesus Christ and his wayes Now we will begin with the first that It is the duty of every man not to seeke his owne things but the things of Iesus Christ. It is not only the duty of every man but it is best for every man to do it It is a thing that you are all perswaded of that you ought not to seek your
Scriptures that when blessings are there mentioned the Lord sets an acâ—… upon the special benefits when he names what he had done for his people as his people of Israel I brought you out of Egypt and delivered you from Pharaoh these and these great mercies I wrought for you The Lord looks for great thankfulness for great mercies So when he speaks to David I tooke thee from the Ewes with yong and gave thee the Kingdome c. These great mercies As you must be thankfull for all so you must render according to the greatness of them This mercy bestowed upon Hezekiah was a great mercy and that he was not thankful for it accordingly the Lord took it ill at his hands Therefore that you may fulfil this condition you ought to look back to the former passages of your lives and consider what notable blessings you have received what great deliverances And still remember that as the mercies go beyond them which others have so we must go beyond them in thanksgiving for we ought to render to the Lord according to the mercies received Fourthly This is also required that it be presently done but Hezekiah did not render according to the mercies received It might have been said though Hezekiah had not yet done it yet he might do it afterward for the Ambassadours came to him immediately after his recovery yet because he did not do it at that time but deferred it you see the Lord takes the deferring to do it for an omission of it The Lord looked for this at his hands that as he had received great mercies from him so he should be careful to render thanks and to render it presently It is a sinne against God in a special manner although we should perform a duty yet to put it off and not perform it in due season Every duty we perform ought to have right circumstances the very deferring of our thankfulnesse is that which debaseth and lesseneth it as well as the omission of it David when he would shew himself thankful for the mercies he had received he would not go to bed nor suffer his eyes to slumber till he had found out a place for God We should therefore take heed of delayes in this kind When we go about any ill action indeed it is good to delay but in the service of the Lord the more hast the better In the service of the Devil and sin the more hast the worst speed To use an argument from the greater to the less As we see in Abraham there was two great commands that he had the one was to put away Ishmael The other to offer Isaack The Text notes this that in both of them he rose early he did not defer it For although they were duties very contrary to his flesh as he was a man yet because the Lord commanded it he did them speedily I say if in these duties which were burdensome and hard duties it is noted in the text that Abraham did them speedily what ought we to do in the duty of thankfulness It was the commendation of Abrahams servant that he would not eat nor drink till he had done his Masters business and declared his message When we have business of the Lords to do it is a sign of diligence to do it speedily Why is that noted in the servant of Abraham Is it not for our learning These four things therefore are to be observed Now to apply this If this be a thing that the Lord looks for at our hands that we render according to the mercies received Then let every one of us consider whether we have answered this expectation of the Lord or no Among men there is nothing so grevious as when their expectation is crossed When a man expects a thing from his Wife or his Friend or his Child and receives not according to that expectation there can be nothing more grievous When we answer not the Lords expectation it causeth his wrath to be kindled Now you shall find that in these cases in case of great affliction in case of great deliverance in case of great means in all these cases the Lord expects great thankfulness When the Lord sendeth afflictions and we do not make use of them when we are not drawn in by them when we are not wrought upon by them This is a thing that provokes him to anger You know what is said of Ahaz that when he was afflicted he was worse and worse This is King Ahaz he rebelled yet more and more A brand is set upon him The Lord looked for fruit from the fig-tree and when he found it not he cursed it When the Lord shall send such a mercy as he hath now to us to remove this visitation be sure the Lord looks now for something more then ordinary at your hands Consider therefore how you answer his expectation And if you say every one of us hath not such interest in it Those that have been in the danger and been in the fire and have escaped out of it let them look to it No my brethren let us know that every one of us have an interest in it for let me ask you When the Lord sends a sickness and it lights but upon one place of the Kingdome yet the Lord is at controversie with the whole Nation he is at war with the whole land For the end of a plague is to discover the wrath of God and that he is displeased with the whole people Now consider with thy self when the Lord hath a controversie with the Land who is he that should answer this there is no action of a whole body so considered that can be expected but every particular man must take notice of it and if every particular man why doth it not belong to thee as well as to another The Lord looks for this at the hands of every man that he should consider his dealing in sending this sickness and visitation and that he should consider again his mercy in removing it to humble himself under the one and be thankful for the other And this thankfulness is to be inward and in truth I say this belongs to every one of us And remember that if we answer not his expectation wrath will return upon us as it is said it did upon Hezekiah as the text saith I confess we have cause to fear that the Lords expectation is not answered among us that we have not profited by this judgement as we ought Let us remember this that if we have not a worse thing will befal us For it is a usual thing with the Lord to send diverse afflictions to take away one to try us and to make known his patience and if we do not amend then lesser wedges make way for greater as it is Levit. 26. If ye return not I will send greater judgments I will plague you seven times more That in Ier. 34. is worthy our observation when the Lord had sent Nebuchadnezar
of his sin and then preacheth the Gospel first he made a preparation by fire and an earthquake before he came in the soft and still voice so God humbleth a man before he worketh by faith to lay hold on Christ. The murderer will not seek to the City of refuge before the revenger of blood follow him and this must not be done slightly but your conscience must be awakened to apprehend sin fully and this prepareth you for Christ for in these three things stands the sound conversion of a sinner to God first humiliation secondly the taking of Christ as the chiefest good thirdly when you will not forsake for him any worldly thing And these three things follow one another for if sin be the chiefest sorrow Christ must needs be the chiefest joy if we once have Christ we can never forgo him those therefore that are not soundly humbled have cause to fear that they have no part in Christ. Secondly Consider whether you live in Christ or no for if you live not in him you have not received him for who taketh Christâ—s â—nâ—râ—ted into him as into a living stock if you would therefore know whether you have taken Christ in good earnest or no for many think they have Christ when they have him not I ask you this question do you grow in Christ and wax green in Christ are you changed into the same nature with him If you find these things it is a sure sign you have taken Christ but if you find not this new life in you it is a sign you never received him and this is not a light chaâ—â—â— but a great and manifest change as apparent as the difference is betwixt a dead man and a living man because when a man takes the Son he hath the spirit of the Son within him and if he hath the spirit he hath the dispossition of the Son the same life that the Son hath for the spirit is to the soul as the soul is to the body and therefore if you find no life it is a sign you have no part in Christ. Lastly Consider whether you be broken off from the old stock upon which you did grow from whence you did take sap and bring forth fruit those therâ—fore deceive themselves that think they can take Christ and yet follow their pleasureâ— and covetousness this croâ—…th their co-mixtures and I assure you they make the way too broad for whosoever will receive Christ must pâ—rt with all things else though they be nevâ—r so dear to him FINIS Vse of the first point Similie Use 2. Use 3. Similie Eph. 1. 18. Similie Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. 4 Means to partake of Gods mercy 2 Sorts of mercies to be hungred after Math. 11. The second means to partake of Gods mercy What faith is Heb. 11. The third meanes to obtain mercy Quest. Answ. What it is to depend upon God Similie Similie Quest. Answ. Deut. 8. 2. The fourth means to partake of Gods mercy Matâ— 10 11. What it is to be worthy of Gods mercy in general Luke 10. 8. Acts 13 45. 46. Prov. 11. ult Pet. 1. 17. Use. 5. Deut. 28 47. Rom. 12. Object Answ. Ephes. 5. The reason why men serve other things and not God How to amend it Heb. 11. 8 Properties of a good master which are found in God Psalm 103. Jam. 5. 11. 2. Property 3. Property 4. Property Psalm 41. 〈◊〉 Psalm 31 7. 5. Property 6. Property Rev. 2. 19. 7. Property Psalm 78. 8. Property Luke 18. Use. 6. Comfort for the church in general in affliction Zach. 12. 3. 4. 5. 6. Bellarmine his argument for their Church with the answer to it Comfort for every Christian in particular in affliction 1. Answ. 2. Answ. Reason why God afflicteth his children 5. Special cases of affliction 2. Chron. 20. 35 36 37. 2 Cor. 12. 2. Doct. 1. Reason Exod. 33. 18. and 34. 6. 2. Reason 3. Reason Last Reason Vse 1. What glory is Use. 2. Isay 6. Object Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Last Answ 2. Answ. Similie 3. Answ. 4. Answ. 5. Answ. Numb 16. Last use 1. 3. 4. Doctrine Acts. 5. 41. Rev. 2. 13. 1. 2. 3. 1 Cor. 3. 1. Rev. 2. 5. 1. 2. Reason 1. Reason 2. 2. 3. 4. Use. 1. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 3. Col. 3. 2. 4. Diff. 1. 1. Jere. 31. 1. 2. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 4. 4 2. Differ 1. 3. Differ Heb. 11. 1 Tim. 4. 1â— Heb. 11. 1. Mark 15. 15. Matth. 8. 44. Mark 10. 〈◊〉 Differ Heb. 6. Rom. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 3. 5. Differ Galat. 5 13. Rom. 7. 2. Use. Acts 16. 2. Motive Isai. 57. John 17. John 14. 3. Motive Isai. 48. 18. Prov. 22. 4. Motive Psal. 45. Prov 30. 4. Prov. 30. 4. Gen. 42. Psal 1. Eccles. 1. 3. Use. Matt. 5. Prov 2. 7. 1. Means 1 Pet. 2. 2. 1 Cor. 3. 1 Heb 5. 13. 1. Rule 2. Rule 3. Rule 4. Rule 3. Means 1. Sign 2. Sign 1 Sam. 11. 6. Act. 4. 32. 3. Sign Phil. 4. Prov. 17. 4. Sign 1 Tim. 2. 12. 5. Sign Isai. 40. 4. Means 1. Hind 5. Means Luke 11. 14. 6. Means 2 Cor. 12. Jere 17. 7. Means Doctr. 1. 2. 1. Wor Ephes. 4. 2. Wor. 3. Wor. Acts 4. 32. Heb. 12. 12. 4. Wor. Acts 20. Isai. 44. 3. Use. Mat. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 1â— Ephes. 1. Rom. 8. 1 John 3. 〈◊〉 1. Sign Matt. 3. Acts 2. 2 Cor. 7. 30. 31. Revel 3. Titus 〈◊〉 Object Answ. 2. Answ. 2. Sign 1. Acts 4. Acts 4. 1 Sam. 18. Cantic 6. 3. John 17. 17 3. Sign Galat. 3â— Quest. Answ. John 1. 8. Galat. 2. 20. Rom. 12. 2. 1 Cor. 2. 4. Sign 1. Proper 2. Proper 3. Proper Rom. 〈◊〉 5. Sign Gal. 4. 6. Iohn 4. 6. Sign Galat. 5. Acts 4. Isai. 3 〈◊〉 7. Sign Rom. 6. Rom. 8. Rom. 8. Galat 5. Kings Acts 4. 20. Object Answ. 2. Use. 1. Benefit Gen. 44. James 4. 5. Acts 20. 22. Revel 1. 2. Benefit Isai. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 2. 9. 3. Benefit John 14. 〈◊〉 3. 4. Cant. 2. 5. 1 Cor. 7. 6. Ezek. 26. 21. 7. Psalm 51. 8. 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Benefit 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Use. Note 1. Means 2. 3. Hebr. 3. 2. Means Galar 3. 3. Means Luke 11. 14. Object Answ. James 1. Acts 2. 4. Means 5. Means Acts 9. Acts 10. Doct. What it is to have Christ dwell in the Heart 〈◊〉 â—t consisteth in 4 things The cause of perseverance in Grace z. Isai. 55. 3. Object Answ. Jere. 32 4. Gal. 5. 3. 3. Isai. 62. 4. 1. Cant. 4. 1 2 3. 〈◊〉 Cant. 4. 12. 3. Cant. 5. 1. Revel 3. 20. 4. 1. 6. Benefits of Christ dwelling in us Psal. 24. 7. 1 Pet. 4. 2 Cor 3. Psal. 24. Rom. 8. Objection Answer Simile 3. Benefit Isai. 57. 15. Rom. 14. 17. 4 Benefit 5 Benefit How Christ sanctifieth us 2 Tit. Deut. 30. 6. How we may get Christ in our hearts Heb. 17. 16. Simile Quest. Answ. 6. Benefit Isaiah