these premises they concluded presently that he was an hypocrite Thus it was with the barbarous people Act. 23. Act. 23. when they saw a Viper fastned upon Saint Pauls hand presently the Viper strongly indited him a murtherer Nay Christs Disciples did so Joh. 9.29 Ioh. 9.29 no sooner did they see a man that was borne blind but they they questioned with our Saviour Who sinned this man or his parents that he was borne blind implying that it must needs bee that this man must sinne himselfe blinde So it was with the Iewes in this Chapter Vers 3. they saw Christ despised and rejected of men and presently they inferre that he was rejected of God smitten of God and humbled for his owne sinnes but such men must thinke that even Christ himselfe who like Absalom from the crowne of his head to the sole of his foote had no stayne or blemish of sinne in him yet hee tasted as deepe of the cup of Gods wrath and more than any mortal man besides he that stood highest in his Fathers favour was most low and despicable in the eyes of the world he that was the favourite of his Father in whom his Father was well pleased yet hee was not exempt from that scourge wherewith God chasteneth every Sonne that he receiveth Fourthly if Christ suffered not for his owne sinnes This readâ—s us a Lecture of patience to put up injurice though they bee not deserved in the world It is the plea of some men when they are injured it would not trouble me if I deserved iâ— thinke what Christ deserved at the hands of the Iewes what hee had done that hee was so usâ—d In 2 Pet. 4 21. Christ dyed 2 Pet. 4.21 and hath left us an example to follow his steps What example but an example of patience that we should follow him when wee suffer underserving Seneca gives that advise in his 69. Epistle as if hee had beene a Disciple of Christ 2. Pet. 3.21 We should labour to imitate Corâ—st in this in putting up and digesting injuries though on our part they be causelesse and undeserved In 2. Pet. 3.21 What glory is it if when yee be buffeted for your faults yee take it patiently what great matter is it but if when you doe well and suffer for it then you beare it patiently this is acceptable to God It is true it is acceptable to God that wee suffer punishment patiently when wee have deserved it but when wee are patient and have not deserved it it is highly acceptable as the word imparts Fiftly and lastly Christ dyed not for his owne sinnes then here is Balme in Gilead comfort for wounded and distressed consciences that faint under the weight and burden of their sinnes It is true indeede if Christ had dyed for his owne sinnes then our estate had beene woefull and lamentable then hee had quit scores only with God for himselfe but we should still have remayned as deepely ingaged as ever and have beene cast into utter darkenesse and have beene reserved in chaynes till we had payd the utmost farthing but now Christ hath suffered for us Then as the Apostle inferres Rom. 8.34 Rom. 8.34 Who shall condemne Let Sathan the accuser of the brethren bring what objections hee will this one plea will answer all Christ dyed if he dyed then he hath appeased the wrath of God to us and payd the debt of the Law and the punishment of the Law and fulfilled obedience and given satisfaction to God Christ had no sinne of his owne therefore what hee suffered it was for our sinnes and transgressions This shall suffice to bee spoken of the negative part from this particular But that carries the force of a negation That Christ was affirmed to suffer for his owne sinne We judged him smitten of God and humbled But. The affirmative part followes to be handled But He was wounded for our transgresâ—ions Where I shall not neede to tell you that by being wounded in this place wee are not to understand onely nor principally as some Popish writers doe the bodily torments and tortures of Christ that hee as this day indured on the Crosse but withall and especially those secret agonies and conflicts of soule that he felt that were caused out of a deeper apprehension of the greatnesse of our sinnes that hee suffered for and the sense of the greatnesse of Gods wrath that hee then sustained which being so the conclusion from this affirmitive part is this that Christ Iesus suffered exâ—reame torments in his body and sad and amazing agonies in his soule for our sinnes and trangressions He was wounded for our transgressions c. For the proofe of it I neede not range far from the Text. In the fourth verse of this Chapter surely saith the Prophet hee hath borne our griefâ—s and sorrowes In the fifth vers hee was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was on him by his stripes wee are healed In the sixth vers The Lord hath layd upon him the iniquitie of us all In the eighth vers For the transgression of my people was he stricken In vers 10. He made his soule an offering for sinne In the 12. vers he poured out his soule to death Wee see he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was on him and this not onely in body but in soule too be poured out his soule to death he made his soule an offering for sinne If you aske the reason why I answer first It is a rule of the Schooles where the gift is free and undeserved without merit or desert on our part there the best if not the onely reason that can bee assigned of that gift is the free grace and love of the doner So this gift is freely from Christs love to us so saith the Apostle Eph. 5.2 Eph. 5.2 Let us love one a other as Christ hath loved us and given himselfe a ransome for us where hee shewes not only the manner how wee should love one another As Christ hath loved us but the motive how he loved us hee suffered for us he loved us and gave himselfe a ransome for us Secondly as it was the love of Christ to give himselfe so it was the love of God that gave Christ as Christ saith it of himselfe so hee speakes it likewise of his Father Ioh. 3.16 God so loved the world Joh. 3.16 that hee gave his only begotten Sonne c. Wee must not thinke that God then begins to love us when God is actually reconciled to us in his Sonne so some conceive but amisse if I be not deceived and mistaken for saith the Apostle Rom. 5.18 Rom. 5.18 Hee loved us when wee were enemies God loves us not only when wee are friends when wee are actually reconciled by the death of his Sonne but when wee were enemies S. Aug. Psal 113. So saith S. Austin upon Psal 110. God loves us when hee hates us hee loves us
A GLEANING IN GODS HARVEST FOVRE CHOYCE HANDFVLS The Gate to Happinesse Wounded Saviour Epicures Caution Generation of Seekers By the late Judicious Divine HENRY RAMSDEN sometime Preacher in London IUDO 8.2 Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better then the vintage of Abiezer LONDON Printed for J. D. and R. M. and are to bee sold by Thomas Slater at the Swan in Duck-lane 1639. The Epistle to the Reader GOOD READER THe Author of these Sermons having served his time and being fallen asleepe before their time came to looke out and doe service in the world I conceived it might beare the construction of a peece of some light charitie to lead them out in their Orphan-like condition by the hand of a recommendatorie Epistle into the world Men for the most part desire in Bookes to know first what is said of them before they care to know what they say and sometimes an Author worthy of prime inspection for want of an Agent to make his worth his harbenger may lie as long neglected and unread as the poore Cripple at the poole of Bethsaida lay uncured for want of one to cast him into the water The subject indeed here principally discoursed and brought out of darknesse into light Christian mortification seemeth to disdaine all mediation and petitioning for it it being of so great weight and transcendent importance that it commands all hearts and eyes to looke up unto it and threatens with power and authoritie from on high even the greatest on earth that shall turne their backe and not their face upon it There are three things especially among others that will say well to make this rough and hidden way of Mortification smooth and plaine The first is the greatnesse of the Author and founder of that honourable order of Mortification and who was the glorious President of it himselfe Even the Lord Iesus Christ the apprehension and sense of such fellowship with us in our way cannot but devoure and drowne all sense and thought of what otherwise might be difficult and distastfull in it Among the Romans the Generall being slaine in the battell there was scarce any Souldier that regarded his life but rather chose to make an exchange of it for such a death wherein hee might beare his Generall company and if any did returne home alive in such a case there was a brand of ignominie set upon him ever after The truth is were not the consideration of sin and the madnesse of unbeliefe in the world at hand to qualifie the matter and give satisfaction it were the most astonishing wonder that ever the world saw that Iesus Christ being dead the whole world should not presently resolve to die with him The second is the greatnesse of the helpe or mighty arme of assistance that is ready to joyne with us in this great worke of mortification if our hearts bee once set upon it this is the Spirit of God and of Christ If you mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit you shall live Rom. 8. This Spirit of God residing and dwelling in those that beleeve to whom hee is given is alway at hand ready yea desirous and longing to bee set on worke in their soule to be imployed in this honourable service against sin and all inordinate affections evill-concupiscence uncleannesse pride covetousness c. And being stirred up and set on to purpose it carries on his worke before him with an high hand making havock and desolation among the fleshly lusts and corruptions of the soule The greatest and most difficultest undertakings and such which the soule of man would otherwise abhorre and turne aside from altogether are yet digested and carried on with a sweetnes and pleasantnesse of hope when a man sees measure for strength for strength as much in his meanes as in his opposition as many with him as against him Now the Spirit of God within us is of more might then all the hills of the robbers as David speakes in another case hee is stronger than all their strong holds he is above all the high things and imaginations that lift up themselves to the highest within us against the knowledge of God Mortification can bee no other but a solid delight and spirituall recreation to him that duly and deeply considers what oddes and advantage hee hath of his enemie the flesh by the partaking and close standing of that blessed friend of his the Spirit The third and last is the exceeding greatnesse of the reward which the God of recompences as the Scripture termeth him hath sealed and settled by purpose and promise both Yea and Amen upon this worke of Mortification If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that is wee easily beleeve or have ground sufficient to beleeve that wee shall live with him as the foundation of the ensuing discourse proclaimes aloud to the world whereby living with Christ is not meant of an everlasting being in his presence only though his presence alone be a Paradise of joy and blessedness in abundance but an admittance or taking up into an intire communion with him in all his glory or as himselfe is pleased with the expression Revel 3.21 a sitting downe with him upon his Throne Men for the most part can bee content that any man should chuse or appoint their worke for them if it might bee permitted to themselves to choose their wages and have good securitie for it Who would refuse with Sampson to encounter Lyons if they could be secured to eate honey out of their carkasses Who would not have cast in his lot with those three faithfull servants of GOD and have beene content to have taken part with them in that hotte service of the fierie furnace could they have beene satisfie for their safe comming off with their lives untouched and like advancement afterward in the Kingdome Low wages and slender recompences make even light worke heavie the only way to drowne the sowernesse or unpleasantnesse of any taske is to make it swimme in an Ocean of reward It is a principle in reason Finis dat amabilitatem mediis Good ends make hard wayes or meanes lovely and desireable If Mortification had as bitter and irreconcileable an opposition and repugnancie to nature as the grave it selfe yet the transcendent vastnesse of the reward that same farre more exceeding eternall weight of glory as Saint Paul had much adoe to bring out his notion of it in words without losse and leaving somewhat behinde 2 Corinth 4.17 dearely apprehended and beleeved mightily and effectuously considered is able fully to reconcile the disproportion I am loth to exceed the time and measure of an Epistle The nature necessitie and meanes of this great Master-peece of Mortification with some other things of Affinitie with them are well laid downe in the Sermons following Some straines I beleeve thou wilt meet withall that have beene strangers to thee heretofore and which will doe lively execution and quit themselves like the words of the
cause it to die at the last In the meane while it is in the wane and languisheth away so that as a man that hath received a mortall wound he is a dead man the reason is because that wound will bring death at the last So we may say though sinne have some life in it yet it is dead naturally too the reason is this because by the death of Christ it hath received its deaths blow that it will never recover and so at the last it will altogether die As sinne is thus sayd to bee dead in us so we are sayd to be dead to sinne in a threefold respect You know death is nothing but the separation of the soule from the body the separation of that that is the principle of life Now looke what the soule is to the body the same is sinne in a sort in a naturall unregenerate man hee lives not so much by his soule as by his sinne his sinne is the life of his life it is that that enacts and enlivens and animates him therefore it is called the body of sinne why because sinne is in an unregenerate mans body as the soule is in the body it gives life to it A naturall man esteemes sinne as his soule and life so the members of his body are called the members of sinne the reason is because looke as in nature the members exercise their functions by the influence and vertue of the soule so an unregenerate man in the corrupt estate of depraved nature such a man his members worke as they are inabled and commanded by sinne that dwells in him Secondly we are sayd to be dead to sinne in respect of those antecedent convulsions and pangs that goe before death Ordinarily there is no death without pangs and convulsions Now as it is in naturall death so it is in this there is no part of crucifying and mortifying of sinne without paine and dolour therefore it is justly called death the mortifying of sinne wee are said to be dead to sinne when we mortifie sinne because it is with so much paine with convulsions and anguish So saith Peter Martyr The parting of a naturall man the foregoing of his sin it is not without much torment and anguish so in that respect it is said to be a death in regard of those convulsions and pangs that usually are the forerunners and harbingers of death Thirdly wee are dead to sinne in another respect for as a dead servant is no longer at the command of his Master let him command what hee will hee heares him not hee doth nothing So it is with a man that is dead to sin let sin command what it will he heares not hee listens not to the suggestions he practiseth not the commands of sinne he is as a dead man to sinne As a dead man performes not the offices of the living a dead servant doth not obey the commands of his master so it is with a man that is dead to sinne Let this be sufficient to be spoken for the meaning of that phrase If we be dead to sinne that is as Christ dyed for sinne Secondly saith the Apostle If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him There is a twofold life Naturall Spirituall The naturall life is not here meant but the spirituall life that is principally the life of grace and consequently the life of glory The reason is this because the life of grace glory be not two lives but one and the selfe same life they differ onely in degrees Looke as the life of the child in the wombe is the same life that the child enjoyes when it comes to bee borne and brought to light in the world so the life of a Christian in this world it is in a manner the same that he lives in heaven onely I say it differs in degrees For looke as grace is nothing but glory begun so glory is nothing but grace consummate But if he meane the life of grace Quest why doth the Apostle say shall live If we be borne with Christ we shall live with him I answer briefly for two reasons Answ First 1. to denote the time when wee shall enjoy this life perfectly that shall be hereafter When this naturall life shall have an end then wee shall enjoy that spirituall life perfectly therefore the Apostle reflects on that life respectively to that time and saith wee shall live the life of grace because then wee shall enjoy this life perfectly whereas here we have it but in some measure and degree with interruption Secondly it is sayd in the future we shall live to affirme the perpetuity of this life this life is not like the life of nature a fading and perishing life of its owne nature It is the observation of Tolet the Iesuite upon the place saith hee though the Apostle meane the life of grace as we see by the 11. Verse yet hee useth the future tense to shew that this life is a perpetuall life and such a life as hath no date nor period I say it is in the future tense to signifie that the life of grace once begunne it never hath date Well the words being cleared I come to speake of the first thing proposed the order and method of the Apostle in these words If we be dead with Christ wee beleeve that wee shall also live with him Wee must first die with Christ if wee will live with him For looke as it was with Christ Propos 1. We must first die with Christ if we will live with him so it shall bee with every member of Christ Christ first dyed before hee was raised to life hee was first brought low and humbled before he was exalted before he had his glory As it was with Christ so it must bee with every member of Christ hee must first die before he can live he must first have his Good Friday before hee have his Easter day hee must first die to sinne before he can live to God It is otherwise in the life of nature then it is in the life of grace there a man must live before he die but here hee must die before he can live Ephe. 4.22.24 So saith S. Paul Ephes 4.22.24 Put off concerning your conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceiveable lusts look in Ver. 24. saith he put on the new man which after God is created in holinesse and righteousnesse Then the Apostle here compares the life of grace to a new garment before wee can put on the white and pure Stole of Christs righteousnssse we must first put off the filthy ragges of our owne corruption put off concerning your conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceivable lusts Eph. 5.8 So in Ephes 5 8. The life of grace is compared â—o light the life of sinne is compared to darkenesse you know before the Medium be enlightned the darknesse must be dispelled First
to labour to die with Christ to sin that so wee may come at the last to live with him The meanes are foure The first cause which is the principall cause is the Spirit of God so saith the Apostle Rom. 8.13 the place before alleadged If yee mortifie the deeds of the flesh through the Spirit yee shall live Rom. 8.13 It is true we are enjoyned mortification but wee cannot doe it till by the Spirit of God our sinnes be mortified It is with sinne as it is with some wilde beasts Simile they cannot bee taken and apprehended till they be shot and wounded So it is with sinne till the Spirit of God give the deaths blow to sinne wee cannot mortifie it of our selves therefore the first and principall cause is the Spirit of God he that is in us is stronger then he that is in the world The Spirit of God is strong and powerfull to subdue sinne Secondly Faith in Christ for by faith we must be ingrafted into Christ and so partake of the Spirit of Christ whereby sinne is dead in us so saith the Apostle Rom. 6.5 Rom. 6.5 For if we be planted into the likenesse of his death wee shall be also into the likenesse of his resurrection First we must be planted and grafted into Christ As a Syens must be planted into the stocke of a tree before it partake of the juice of it So we must be planted into Christ by faith before we be made partakers of the vertue of the death of Christ to kill our sins so saâ—th the Apostle Col. 2.13 Wee are raysed though the faith of the operation of God it is through faith not â—â—â—ely as a perswading mooving cause but as an efficient cause because faith as a pipe of Silver conveyes the juice the water of life the Spirit of God whereby our sinnes are mortified it unites us to Christ and makes us partake of the vertue of his death whereby our sinnes are killed The third meanes to worke this death in us it is Prayer Psal 19.13 so David Psal 19.13 Lord keepe mee from presumptuous sinnes let them not have dominion over me that is mortifie and crucifie them so that they may not have dominion over me or not have a being if it were possible Let them not have dominion over me Fourthly and lastly a speciall meanes to put sinne to death is to submit our selves to the Ministery of the Word such as can manage and brandish the two edged Sword of the Spirit against sinne And so in private by meditation to apply to our selves the curses and judgements that God hath threatned against such sinnes as wee give most way to for if once the principall and vitall sinne as I may call it be destroyed then other sinnes will die of themselves this shall be sufficient for the third part touching the meanes to die with Christ I come now in a few words to the motives to perswade us to die with Christ The first ariseth from the necessitie of dying to sinne eyther wee must die to sinne or die for sinne Rom. 8.13 woe to us if we doe not die to sin If yee live after the flesh yee shall die Rom. 8.13 that is if yee live unmortified yee shall die how eternally not onely the death of the body but of the soule too here is the choyce we must eyther mortifie our lusts or incurre the danger of damnation there is no other way to escape it If yee live after the flesh yee shall die that is eternally therefore there lies a necessitie that should perswade us to die to sinne Secondly from the commoditie by dying to sinne we shall not onely free our selves from eternall death but from much trouble and molestation and disquiet also that wee should be sure to have by keeping sinne alive and by yeelding to the lusts of sinne Most true it is that it is with our lusts as with little children humour and observe them and give them that they cry for Simile and you shall never have rest but still they will cry for something more so it is with our corruptions and sinfull lusts yeeld to them upon every desire and we shall never have done when we have satisfied one lust it will call upon us againe and will never have done whereas by mortifying of it we shall bring to ourselves much quiet and free our selves from much molestation Thirdly consider the facilitie by mortifying the deeds of the flesh we loose nothing that will make to our happinesse Adam in innocencie in Paradise was happy without these lusts Christ on earth was happy without them the Saints in heaven are happy without them Iam. 1.21 these are but superfluities Iam. 1.21 Lay aside all superfluitie of naughtinesse and malice Wee may have all true contentment whatsoever yet part with our lusts they are things that we may well spare By mortification of them a man looseth no profit nor pleasure nor honour whatsoever but there is recompence with advantage Let a man mortifie his lusts that bring him profit hee shall have profit in durable riches not onely in this life but for his reward hee shall have a whole kingdome to enjoy Let him loose some present pleasures as we have all too much of common Souldiers in us we love present pay hee shall have infinite recompence he shall have pure pleasures peace of conscience God will praise him and say well done good and faithfull servant he shall have peace of conscience that will lift a man above ground an infinite recompence in the losse of other pleasures Secondly for honour what if a man for the crucifying of his lusts be reproached and contemned in the world yet he shall have true honour of God in heaven he shall have honour of Angels of good men honour did I say of good men nay wicked men shall honour him God is able to command honour from the hearts even of wicked men so much as hee is mortified Let a wicked man see one that is a mortified man that as David was he behaves himselfe as a weaned child from the world he cannot but give a good testimony but if he will not now let him be on the racke in sicknesse let death appeare then he will desire to die the death of the righteous and that his last end may be like his It is true while he is in his jollitie and bravery then such men load a mortified man with reproach and contempt but wee must doe as Phisitians doe when they judge by urine of the state of the body they looke not on the urine that is voyded when men are walking up and downe before they goe to bed Simile but that which they make after their first sleepe when they are come to themselves So take not a wicked man now in the fulfilling of his lusts but looke on that man when hee hath slept and you will judge otherwise of him he cannot chuse but give
reckon what it would cost him Sixtly and lastly if wee must first die with Christ before we can live with him it serves for direction to teach us what order and methode to take to come to live with Christ He that will live with Christ must be sure to begin at the right end to die with Christ first he that will performe holy duties gracious actions that man must labour to crucifie and mortifie sinfull affections Sinfull affections are like weedes the Husbandman that desires his corne should thrive and live hee labours first to kill the weedes I say sinfull affections in the soule are like weedes in the ground or soyle if wee desire that grace should thrive and to performe gracious duties with content to our selves and to God we must labour to kill our lusts When wee find in our selves an unaptnesse and an indisposition to the performance of gracious duties suppose it bee to prayer to humble our selves before God to heare the word of God c. let us then reflect on our selves and see what sinfull lusts there have gotten strength and labour to abate the power of that and then certainly wee shall live with Christ wee shall bee enabled to performe holy duties So saith the Apostle in the second place If me bee dead with Christ wee beleeve that wee shall also live with him Which is the second thing I proposed in the beginning The connexion and conjunction of these two If wee bee dead with Christ wee shall also live with him Where first give me leave to remember you of what I formerly delivered in the unfolding of these words that the life that the Apostle here meanes when he saith If wee bee dead with Christ wee shall also live with him it is the same that in verse 4. hee calls Newnesse of life Therefore wee are buried with him by baptisme into death that as Christ was raised by the glory of the Father so wee should walke in newnesse of life I say the Apostle meanes here the life of Grace which in verse 4. hee calls newnesse of life And in verse 11. hee calls it living to God Likewise reckon yee your selves dead to sinne but alive to God Though secondarily and by consequent I deny not but that the Apostle meanes living with God in life eternall And the reason is as I shewed before that the difference of the life of grace and the life of glory it is not in Nature but in degrees Grace is Glory begun and glory is nothing but grace perfected As the childe in the wombe hath the same life that it enjoyes in the world only then it is in a further degree so the life that a Christian enjoyes in this world it is the same life in nature though it differ in degrees from that hee enjoyes in heaven The Apostle useth the future tense If we bee dead with Christ wee believe that wee shall live with him for these three reasons First to shew the order and Methode betweene this life and the former death because this life in nature though not in time is after our death with Christ As it is in nature the introducing of habites in nature is after the expelling of privations as the enlightning of the ayre in nature is after the dispelling of darknesse Secondly the Apostle useth the future tense because though the life of Grace bee here begunne yet it is not consumate till afterward in which respect the Apostle saith Wee beleeve that wee shall live with him Hee makes this life in respect of the complement and consummation an act of faith according to that in the Creeds I beleeve the life everlasting Thirdly because the life of grace doth not fade as the naturall life perrisheth but it is an induring life As Christ being once raised he died no more verse 9. so every member of Christ he that is once quickned and raised with Christ from sinne hee dieth no more so saith Christ Ioh. 5.24 hee that beleeveth hath eternall life What hath every one that beleeveth life eternall Yes every one that beleeveth hath life eternall in hope and in the beginning of grace because hee hath that life for the present that doth not fade and perish but endure to eternitie Verily I say unto you hee that heareth my word and beleeveth in him that sent mee hath eternall life and shall not come into condemnation which expresseth the former Now what this life of grace is this spirituall life will appeare by comparing it with spirituall death It is the propertie of opposites being set together as to impugne and sight against the nature one of another so to discover the nature one of another Now spirituall death as 〈◊〉 Naturall includes two things First a separation from the fountaine and principle of life And as a consequent of that a privation of the faculties and acts of life Looke what the soule is to the body the same is the Spirit of Christ to the Soule it is that that enlivens and quickens it so saith Christ Joh. 6.63 Ioh. 6.63 It is the Spirit that quickens Now looke as upon the parting of the soule from the body the body dies so upon the separation of the Spirit of God from the soule the soule dies So it was in Adam when by eating the forbidden fruit hee had cut off and separated himselfe from the fountaine and principle of life he died spiritually I say as when the Soule that enlivens and quickens the body when that is separated the body dies so the Spirit of Christ that enlivens and quickens the soule when that is separated from the soule the soule dies Secondly looke as upon the separation of the soule from the body there follows a deprivation of the faculties and acts of life so upon the separation of the Spirit of God from the Soule there followes a deprivation of the habits and acts of grace The gifts and habits of grace are as the faculties the acts and operations of grace are as the acts of those faculties and as upon the separation of the soule from the body there followes a deprivation of the faculties and acts of life so upon the separation of the Spirit of Christ from the Soule there followes a deprivation of the habites and acts of grace If it be so then spirituall life includes two things First the having of the Spring and fountaine of life the Spirit of God and an union of it to the soule Secondly the having the habites and acts of this spirituall life First the having of the principle of spirituall life the having the Spirit of God in our soules for it is not sufficient that there be a quickening Spirit unlesse it bee united to us For looke as when a man dies Simile the soule of a man and the body of a man continue still but there is no life because the soule is not united to the body so I say there may be a spirituall death though there bee the
Blasphemer and what you will saving what they should and so that he suffered death for his owne sinnes and transgressions This But checks and controlls the conceit that the world had of Christ Which being so The deduction hence in a word is that What Christ suffered on earth either torments of body or anguish of soule it was not for any sinne or fault of his owne that hee was guiltie of personally Wee looking to outward appearance wee judged him smitten of God and afflicted but this But hath the force of a negation there was no such thing I say whatsoever Christ suffered on earth whether torment of body or anguish of soule it was not for any sinne of his owne This the Apostle Saint Peter witnesseth 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ suffered once for sinne 1 Pet. 3.18 saith the Apostle The just for the unjust that hee might bring us to God Where the Apostle Saint Peter having said that Christ suffered for sinne lest some should misconceive that Christ suffered for his owne sinne hee prevents this cavill and removes the ground of suspition The just for the unjust If Christ had suffered for his owne sinnes hee had not suffered as just but as unjust as a malefactour hee had suffered the punishment due to his owne transgressions so saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.20 21 22. Exhorting those to whom hee wrote 1 Pet. 2.20 21 22. to patient suffering and induring of injuries though undeserved hee sets before them the patterne of Christ who though hee had committed no evil and there was no guile found in his mouth yet when he was reviled reviled not againe when hee suffered yet notwithstanding hee reproached not but committed himselfe to God that judgeth righteously Marke though hee had committed no evill nor there was no guile found in his mouth there was no sinne or demerite of his owne that he should deserve such punishments And this is one difference that the Apostle observes Heb. 7.26 betweene the high Priests under the Law and our high Priest Christ they offered first for their owne sinnes and then for the sinnes of the people but Christ had no need to offer sacrifice for his owne sinnes for he had none but we have such a high Priest and such a one it became us to have as is holy and undefiled separate from sinners And this is the reason likewise why the Prophet Isay in this Chapter assigning the true reason of Christs suffering hee repeats and inculcates these and the like phrases Hee bore our infirmities and carried our sorrewes hee was broken for our iniquities and wounded for our transgressions and with his stripes wee are healed Still hee layes all the fault and blame upon our selves but hee doth not so much as mention any fault in himselfe whereby hee did deserve to die And indeed how could hee suffer for his owne sinne that was free from all sinne So saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.21 2 Cor. 5.21 Hee was made sinne for us that knew no sinne Hee knew no sinne that is hee did practise none he committed none for in spirituall things wee are said to know no more good then wee practise so Christ is said to know no evill that is hee practised it not Hee made him sinne for us that knew no sinne Hee was free from originall sinne in his birth and conception And hee was free from actuall sinnes in his life and conversation First hee was free from Originall sinne in his birth and conception For whereas there are two parts of originall sinne First the imputation of the guilt of that actuall sinne of Adam in eating the forbidden fruit Secondly the corruption or perversnesse derived and propagated to us from our first Parents Christ was free from both First Hee was free from the guilt of Adams sinne though hee had his nature of Adam hee was a child of Adam but hee was not begotten by Adam not by a sonne of man the latter whereof is that that entitleth us to our first Parents transgression and makes it ours By one man sinne entred into the world c. Secondly for that corruption and perversnesse that followed on that transgression of the command of God Christ was free from this not by vertue of the Wombe that bare him as if the blessed Virgin Mary had beene free from sinne as Scotus affirmes upon the Third sentence distinct 26. Article 4. but hee was free from sinne by the supernaturall worke of the holy Ghost sanctifying and purging that substance of the Virgin whereof his body was framed from the common infection of our nature so that he is styled by the Angell Luke 1.75 Luk. 1.75 That holy thing by way of excellencie Secondly as Christ was free from originall so from actuall sinne as hee was free from Originall sinne in his birth and conception so he was free from actuall sinne in his life and conversation so in the ninth verse of this chapter Hee had done no violence there was no deceit in his mouth hee committed no evill as Saint Peter speakes On this ground Christ challengeth the Iewes Which of you can accuse mee of evill It is true they accused him and laid many crimes to his charge as what innocent was ever so happy as to be exempted and priviledged from unjust imputations but how slight they were you may judge by this in that the Iudge before whom he stood as prisoner at the barre accounted him acquitted though hee used no oratory but silence I find no sinne in this man If Christ had had any sinne of his owne hee could not have satisfied God for us hee might have quit scores with God for himselfe but for our hand-writing it had stood still Let this suffice to shew that what Christ suffred on earth in body or soule it was not for any sinne of his owne but for us not that hee stood personally guiltie But how then could it stand with the justice of God to suffer him to die Obiect if hee did not deserve death for so wee find in Ezek. 18.20 so runnes the menace Ezek. 18.20 if Christ did not sinne how could God suffer him to indure the punishment due to sinne I answer briefly Christ is to bee considered in a double respect Answ either as a private person or as a publike person standing in our roome and stead If Christ bee considered as a private person so it is true it could not stand with the justice of God to suffer him to die because hee was not guiltie of inherent personall sinne and shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right But consider Christ as a publike person standing in our roome and stead taking on him the guilt and burden of our transgressions so the justice of God required that hee should die because though hee were not guiltie of any personall sinne yet hee was so guiltie as our sinnes were translated and imputed to him and so it was requisite hee should die Looke
take heede lest they fall Vse 2 Secondly Why the best should suffer admonition if the best men have neede of admonition then it should teach the best men to suffer with patience the words of admonition out of conscience of their neede That is the reason why many men take with such impatience the words of admonition because they are strangers to themselves they know not their owne weakenesse they thinke they have no neede of admonition And that is the reason they returne hatred for good will when they are admonished to reproach and revile them that admonish them Saith the wise man Pro. 9 8. Prov. 9.8 Rebuke not a scorner least he hate thee but rebuke a wise man and he will love thee Why would hee not have a man rebuke a scorner every scorner is a proud man he knowes not himselfe hee is a foole Now every foole is a stranger to himselfe hee knowes not himselfe and his owne weakenesse if a man reproove such a one he cannot expect but to bee hated Hee thinkes hee goes not about to heale him but to make him sore But faith hee reproove a wise man and hee will love thee why hee is a wise man hee knowes his owne weakenesse for that is a speciall point of wisedome hee knowes how apt hee is to offend how prone to be secure therefore he thanks a man he takes it kindly out of conscience of his owne weakenesse when hee is admonished it comes as oyle to a wound as a fomentation to open the sore that the admonition may enter and have its due effect so it followes in the ninth verse there admonish a wise man and he will be wiser Vse 3 Thirdly if the best men have neede of admonition then those of us that thinke our selves to have made the greatest proficiencie in goodnesse let us know and demeane our selves as those that are sicke that neede Physick not onely courteously and thankefully to accept of the remedy when it is tendred casually but to consult with the Physitian and Apothecarie where it is to bee had So let us not onely accept of admonition when it is tendred but repaire to the places where we may be admonished Let us diligently reade the word of God that God hath left though not for that end onely as Bellarmine falsly but yet for that end too to admonish and to teach us to take heede of these and other sinnes Let us diligently repaire to Gods ordinances to the ministery of the word which God hath ordained to admonish us 1 Thes 5.12 1 Thes 5.12 God knowes how apt we are to be secure notwithstanding wee are beset and beseiged and begirt with dangers therefore God hath appointed the Ministers as watchmen as Sentinells to espie dangers a farre off and to give us notice when dangers come they ring the allarme that we may provide for our selves Therefore wee should diligently goe to the Word that we may be admonished of the dangers least we be surprized unawares I remember the saying of that Generall presuming on a mans owne strength is the greatest weakenesse and the ready way to betray himselfe to dangers is to contemne them You see the persons to whom Christ gives this charge Take heede to your selves Least at any time Conclusion Our care and caution continuall It seemes then it is not sufficient to take heede for a while for a day or a moneth or a yeare but our care and caution it must be constant and continuall Hee doth not say take heede least at sometime but take heed least at any time your hearts be overcharged c. It is our Saviours counsell in the 36. verse of this Chapter Watch therefore and pray alway he that would watch alway must take hee de least his heart bee overcharged at any time why because if the heart bee overcharged at any time hee cannot at that time watch For as amans body that is overcharged with meate and drinke he is inclined to sleepe so when a man is drunke and eaten up with covetousnesse he is inclined to sleep insinne he cannot watch therefore if wee would watch we must alway take heede least at any time our hearts be overcharged And Christ implies the reason in the words of the Text Least the day come upon you unawares The summe and substance of this our care and caution ought to be answerable to the danger now that is not for a time onely but continually First Reas Because thero is danger I. Of the sins there is danger least we be overtaken with these sinnes that is the first danger We know Lot hee that lived soberly in the midst of a sensuall im pure generation yet when hee was in the mount when hee slacked his guard but a while hee was twice overcome with the sinne of drunkennesse therefore we must take heed alway because we are al way in danger to be overtaken Secondly there is another danger as there is danger least wee be overtaken with the sin 2. Of judgment so there is danger least we be overtaken with judgement cyther the day of death or the day of judgement So the rich man Luke 12. Luk. 12. he was anxious thinking of pulling down his old barnes and inlarging them and at that time God requires his soule Wee see here at that time when his heart was overcharged with the cares of this life death surprizeth him and he was taken away Or else if not the day of death the day of judgement for so Christ saith in the next verse the day of judgement shall come as a snare upon the world There is something in that Simile as birds wee see commonly they are entangled in the snare that is cast over them when they are eating to the world when they are eating and drinking and sensuall that day shall come upon them as the snare on the birds when they were eating Luk. 17. So Christ saith Luke 17. looke as it was in the time of Lot when Sodome and Gomorah was destroyed so it shall be when the world shall be destroyed they shall be eating and drinking and buying and selling They shall be eating and drinking is there any harme in that No that is not the meaning of it but eating sensually and drinking immoderately and buying and selling covetously then that day shall come upon them So that here is danger continuall danger least we be overtaken with these sins at all times or least death or the day of judgement overtake us at all times therefore our care should be alway Least at any time But alas if we looke to the practice of men Vse Discoveting the abounding of these sinnes how farre is it from this continuall care we neede no other example but this ordinary practice of dunkennesse surfeiting and covetousnesse if it were no where else but in this Citie men are so farre from watching as that they thinke it lawfull for them to have ther hearts
overcharged For surfeiting they thinke it sometimes lawfull to give liberty and reynes to bee overcharged with it As at Christmas the time of the comming of Christ as if they could not celebrate the comming of Christ in the flesh except themselues become fleshly And at the beginning of Lent as if they intended to revenge themselves on God before hand and since he will needs have them fast they will get in his booke as farre as they can by surfeiting And so on the holidayes as if by celebrating of holy dayes they must needs become unholy And so in some times people thinke it not onely unlawfull but that they are bound to be drunke as at Nuptialls or at the Coronation of a King they thinke it a point of duty to bee drunke that day and they that are not drunke then as they sayd to Pilate hee is not Cesars friend And so at the meeting of friends as if they could not meet friendly and courteously except they bee enemies to themselves or as if they could not expresse humanitie unlesse by drunkennesse they overwhelme and loose it And so at the meeting of strangers men thinke it lawfull to be drunke it is the manner of some to doe so as if the way to entertaine stangers were to become strangers to themselves And so for the third the cares of this life some men are so farre from thinking of and using this caution alway that they thinke they may sometimes suffer their hearts to be overcharged with the cares of this life As when they are married and have a charge of Children As if the same God that cared for them single would not care for them when they are married and as if the same providence that extends to Sparrowes did not extend to Children those that are made after the similitude and Image of God Such men should remember what Christ saith here they should take heede least at any time their hearts be overcharged As there is no place so there is no time that can dispence with these sins to make it lawfull to have our hearts overcharged with surfeiting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life Well saith David Psal 93. holinesse becommeth thy house forever Psal 9â— ult Holinesse never weares out of fashion If holinesse become Gods house for ever then unholinesse surfeiting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life they never become Gods house And if they become not Gods house then they become not Gods Temple his Chappell as wee are 1 Corinth 6. saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4 Know yee not that you are the Temples of the holy Ghost Let us then bee advised to take heed as Christ saith here lest our hearts hee over charged with surfeiting or drunkennesse or the cares of this life Take heed lest at any time we defile and polute the Temple of God with these sinnes Remember as in all vertues so in this the crowne is vig lancie constancie and continuance we must not only watch but we must watch continually Wee must not not only take heed lest at some times but lest at any time our hearts bee â—vercharged with surfeiting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life Let us remember wee deale with such an enemie as will give us no truce nor rest such a oâ—e as with whom w e can never have peace or truce that daily layes waite to subvert us that layes snares in our meate and drinke and the things of this lâ—fe Indeed as Saint Chrysostome saith well S. Chrysost the whole world is but one snare Now if Sathan use this care conâ—inually to subvert us shall wee no bee as continual1 in our care not to bee subverted Shall he bee more diligent to worke our ruine then wee shall bee to worke our safetie and salvation As wee see those that are besieged when a Towne or Citie is besieged with enemies they doe not slacke their guard a moment because they feare that at that time the enemie may come on them and surprize them yet notwithstanding sometime they may slacke their guard and not have harme because the enemy may not know it But it is not so with our spirituall enemies wee are surrounded with spirituall enemies that not only watch all opportunities and take all advantages but they know when wee give them advantage when wee are secure and retchlesse and they take it Therefore it concernes us to looke lest at any time our hearts be overcharged Let us not plead difficultie and say it is a thing hard to stand upon our guard wee cannot enjoy our selves If the thing bee difficult yet looke to the end it is profitable lay the benefit we shall enjoy by this care in the other end and that will make the care light As in a paire of ballance Simile if a a manlay weight in the one scale and none in the other it will sinke but if he lay a weight answerable in the other scale the first will bee light a man may lift it easily So let us lay this continuall care and caution in the one ballance and the benefit that wee have by it in the other ballance and wee shall never grudge at our care Let us thinke with our selves while this care lasts we are free from all other care and who would not care for a while upon condition to be eternally secured after I have done with the third point 2 how long we must take heed in these words Lest at any time Now I proceed to the fourth part that is of what wee are to take heed And that is first generall Lest your hearts be over-charged Observat Drunkenness and covetousnesse c. overcharge the heart It seemes then It is the Propertie of these sinnes surfeiting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life to overcharge the heart That is the point Take heed saith our Saviour lest at any time your hearts bee overcharged It implies that it is the propertie of these sinnes here mentioned to overcharge the heart Looke what a milstone or a talent of lead is to the body the same are these sinnes to the soule which is meant by the heart as S. Peter saith the hidden man of the heart that is the hidden man of the soule they over-presse and burden the soule so much the Word here used implies and imports in the Originall Take heed to your selves lest your hearts bee overcharged The Word comming from Balâ—s that signifies no ordinarie portable burden but a grievous oppressing burden as the Etimologists have it such as cannot belifted but with an extraordinarie strength with a Giants arme such are these sinnes to the soule they are no ordinary portable but grievous oppressing burdens Now the grievousnesse of this burden appeares by these two things First these sinnes are such a burden to the soule as presse the soule as presse the soule from heaven to earth Secondly they are such a burden as except they bee disburdened except we acquit our selves
of them they will presse our soules downe from earth to hell First Reas 1. They presse the soule from heaven to earth the presse the soule from heaven to earth from heavenly affections to earthly Looke as a man is oppressed with a great burden from which hee is not able to rise nor to stirre hand nor foot to helpe himselfe for the doing of any thing so it is with a man when his soule is overcharged with surfeiting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life hee is oppressed with a grievous burden hee is not able to stirre hand nor foot hee is not able to exercise the powers and faculties of his soule to doe any good or to performe any spirituall dutâ—e indeed As for two of them the two first surfeiting and drunkennesse they disable a man from worldly performances therefore much more from heavenly and spirituall performances For the other the cares of this life Covetousnesse they burden the soule no lesse then the former though I grant it is more slilie and insensibly nay they burden the soule in these two respects more First surfeiting and drunkennesse they burden the soule but now and then sometimes no man is continually surfeiting or drunke but when Covetousnesse oppresseth the soule it doth it constantly it is a continuall burden therefore in that respect they burden the soule more then the former Secondly surfeiting and drunkennesse they burden the soule not immediatly but by the body they burden the body the instrument of the soule and so by consequence the soule but Covetousnesse burdens the soule immediatly it hangs a weight as a plummet of lead upon every facultie or the soule so that the soule cannot lift it selfe to any spirituall dutie it hangs a plummet of Lead upon every power of the foule whereby it becomes bowed and bended to the earth Will you see the truth of this in some particulars The highest and noblest facultie of the soule is the understanding that whereby we apprehend and judge of things now covetousnesse clogges and burdens the understanding Take a covetous man there is no man so dull to apprehend spirituall things as he Indeed in matters of the world talke with him in his owne spheare of the world and worldly things there I grant he is quicke and nimble enough if not above yet equall with others for the most part above others It fares with a covetous man as it is with the Moone when the Moone is inlightned in that part that is toward the earth commonly his most darke in that part that is towards heaven Simile so it is in this there is ignorance of spirituall things oft times where there is the greatest light towards the things of the world I say talke with such a one in his own spheare of matters of the world and the things of it hee is quicke and nimble enough but come to spirituall things that concerne the life to come and there hee is a very Nichodemus he understands nothing Covetousnesse is to the understanding like the nayle of Iael saith the Text Iael drove the nayle through Siseras temples when hee was asleepe and fastened his head to the ground so covetoushesse fasteneth the head the understanding to the ground that it cannot lift up it selfe to apprehend and understand the things of the Spirit wee see then Covetousnesse it burdens the chiefe facultie of the soule the understanding And so for the other faculties the will and the affections it burdens them it makes the will and the affections of a man when once it possesseth them like the woman in the Gospell that had a disease and infirmitie 18. yeares saith the Text shee was bowed together that shee could no way lift up her selfe Luke 13.1 So it is with a covetous man it bowes the will to the ground Luke 13.1 that hee is not able to lift up himselfe to a through prosecution of that that is good or to a constant declining and flight from that which is spiritually ill And so for the affections it bowes them to the ground that they are not able to lift up themselves to desire and delight in any thing that is heavenly not to love and joy in any thing but such as are earthly and sensuall I say it bends them so to the ground that they cannot constantly delight in these things I grant that a cove ous man for a fit for a while his will and affections may lift up themselves a little but they are not able to hold out the greatnesse of the weight beares him downe againe and oppresseth him Hee that hath his heart overcharged with covetousnesse and so with surfeiting and drunkennesse he may for a while lift up himselfe as a man that is opprest with a burden that gets the upper hand of him and beares him downe Covetousnâ—sse bowes the understanding the will and affections to the ground And not only these but likewise the fancie and memorie and speech â—oo it burdens those Take a man that is covetous his imagination workes and exerciseth it selfe about the things of the world For his memorie it treasures up nothing or but little else besides these And so for his speech the speech of a covetous man Simile it is as the breath of a dying man Wee say that when a man approacheth to death his breath is earthly so it is with the Discourse of a covetous man it is of the earth It burdens the fancie and memorie and speech of a man so that hee dreames of nothing he remembers nothing hee speakes of nothing willingly with delight ordinarily but that which is earthly You see then that Christ might well say take heed lest your hearts bee overcharged with surfeiting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life for it is the propertie of these sinnes to overcharge the heart as it is of a burden to presse downe first from heaven to earth but that is not all They presse downe further except wee depose 2. They presse the soule from earth to hell and disburden our selves of them they presse the soule as from heaven to earth so from earth to hell so saith the Apostle expressely for two of them 1 Cor. 6.10 Bee not deceived neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor effeminate abusers of themselves with mankind or theeves or covetous or drunkards shall ever inherite the kingdome of God Neither covetous nor drunkards there are two of them and so for the first of them surfeiting you see in Phil. 3.19 Phil. 3.19 the Apostle speakes of some whose belly is their God whose end is damnation and destruction So likewise Gal. 5.21 Gal. 5.21 the Apostle reckons surfeiting or revelling among the workes of the flesh and tells them before hand that those that doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God envie murder drunkennesse and revelling and such like revelling may signifie and doth properly gluttony of which I have told you before in time past that they that doe
such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God So then wee see the grievousnesse of these sinnes in two things First they presse the soule from heaven to earth in the affections and exercise and then except wee be disburdened of them they presse the soule from earth to hell Vse To take heed of this sin as a burden If it be the propertie of these things to burden the soule it may bee a motive to force this caution of Christ to take heede that wee be not overcharged with surfeiting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life Why should wee take heede the reason is because they burden the soule and the heart We are naturally of our selves lumpish and heavy enough to performe spirituall duties wee neede not make our selves more heavy We bring into the world burden enough to presse our soules that makes us unfit for spirituall performances wee neede not clog our soules with more unnecessary burdens You will say Obiect those that are given to these sinnes they feele not a burden if it were the property of these sinnes to be a burden then they that are subject to them would feele the burden but we see they doe not I answer Answ Why men feele not the burden of their sinnes it is true they feele not the burden of them the reason of it is this because it is the propertie of these sinnes to take away the sense of them the burden is not the lesse because they feele it not because it is the propertie of these sinnes to besot the soule and make it insensible that they cannot perceive the burden The wise man saith as much of drunkennesse Prov. 23. ult Prov. 23. saith he thou shalt be that is if thou give thy selfe to drunkennesse as one that lyeth in the middest of the Sea or the top of a Mast The wise man resembles a drunken man to a man that lies on the toppe of a Mast in a great stonne when there is danger when the shippe and the Mast reels he lies there and thinkes not of it in his drunkennesse he feeles it not And then in the last verse saith he they have stricken me and I was not sicke they have beaten me and I felt it not It is the propertie of drunkennesse to make a man insensible of the wounds and plagues that hee receives by it I grant that they that are adicted to the these sinnes they feele not the burden because it is the propertie of these sinnes to take away the sense of them but what then because they feele not the burden of them is it the lesse Nay it is greater because it is not felt As the Phisitians say of diseases of all diseases those are most dangerous that are not felt And that is the reason that a Consumption it is hard to be cured because it is hard to be discerned till it have eaten and wasted the body so much that it is almost impossible to be cured When it is easie to be cured it is almost impossible to bee discerned and when it is easie to be discerned it is almost impossible to be cured As of all diseases of the body those that are most dangerous that are not felt So of all the burthens of the soule those are most dangerous that are not felt The reason is because the feeling of the danger makes men seeke for remedy and labour to be disburthened of them when they feele the burthen but when men feele not the burthen that lies on them they seeke not for remedy that is the first answer But secondly if they feele not the burthen now the time shall come that they shall feele it eyther when God opens their eyes to see the grievousnesse of their sinnes and to give them the grace of repentance or hereafter when they shall presse the soule to the bottome of hell First if God open their eyes then they will bee sensible of the burden It is with sinne as the Philosophers say it is with heavie elements it is a rule in Philosophie that an element in its proper place is not heavy that is it exerciseth not actually its heavinesse If a man lye under water though all the water be above him hee feeles not the weight of it the reason is because the water is in its proper place So in a Well or Pumpe when a man drawes a bucket of water he feeles it not while it is under water but when it is above water he feeles the burthen then of it So as long as men lie under these sinnes when God gives them not a hand to lift them up they feele not the burthen of them but if God reach a hand of grace to lift them up and open their eyes to see the grievousnesse of their sinnes they feele the burthen of them and goe and importune the throne of grace and desire to bee disburthened that is the first thing But if they feele it not so that God open their conscience and their eyes here they shall seele the burden of it hereafter I told you what the Apostle saith and what hee saith to the Corinthians I say to you that drunkards and covetous I may say it of surfeiting also they that are guilty of these things shall not inherit the kingdome of God They presse the soule to hell and though for the present they take away the sense of them yet afterwards when it is past redresse men shall be sensible enough of the burden Vse 2 To use remedies against these sinnes Secondly as it may serve for caution to stirre us up to a more diligent heede of these sins so for remedy too that if we have been or be intangled with these sinnes not to rest till wee bee disburthened of them So wee doe in other things when a burthen rests upon our body or estate or name wee are carefull and diligent to be disburthened of them Shall we be carefull of our bodies of our estates and of our name and shall wee not of our soules doe wee desire that those may be free from burthens and doe we not desire that our soules may be free It is the exhortation of the Apostle Heb. 12.1 Heb. 12.1 saith he since we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight that presseth downe and runne with patience the race that it set before us It is the advice of the Apostle to lay downe every weight that we may runne with patience the race that is set before us Now surfeiting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life or covetousnesse are weights and clogs that burthen the soule and hinder a man not onely from running the race that is set before him but they hinder him from so much as going when a man is sunke under this burthen hee is not able to steppe or set one foote before another in this way therefore we had neede to be diligent to disburthen our selves if wee finde
our selves burdned oppressed with these sines But you will aske if a man finde himselfe after search Quest that he be opressed with these sinnes how shall he come to relieve and disburthen himselfe I answer briefly to disburthen our selves of these sinnes Answ Meanes to be disburdened of these sins First labour to feele the grievousnesse of them Till a man feele the grievousnesse of the disease he is not diligent to use the remedy 1 To feele the grievousnesse of them it is otherwise with spirituall diseases then with corporall In corporall diseases first we finde the simptomes of them and then wee know them but in spirituall diseases first wee must know them before wee can have the simptomes of them before wee can be relieved of them the first thing wee must labour for is the knowledge of the grievousnesse of them to feele how they burthen us both in spirituall duties and other how they presse our soules except we be disburthened of them in time even to hell 2 Goe to Christ for his Spirit Secondly let us goe to Christ for as it is Christ that beares our burden for us so hee likewise is able to take our burthen from us Let us goe to him and desire him to send his Spirit into our hearts that is a Spirit of strength and power able to lift off these burthens For as I told you when he saith heere take heed least your hearts be overcharged it signifieth such a burthen as is a grievous oppressing burthen such as cannot bee lifted but with a Giants at me such a burthen are these sinnes they oppresse the soule and none but the Spirit of God can case us of them Therefore let us goe to Christ and desire him to send his Spirit into our hearts to ease us of this burthen Looke as it is with those that are troubled with the Incubus the Night-mare when they feele a great weight and burthen on them they put forth all their power to free themselvâ—â— of it so when we finde this Incubus this spirituall Night-mare to lye on us and to presse not onely our bodies but our soules wee should use all our strength and power to bee free that so we may runne with patience the race that is set before us Thirdly and lastly let us use the meanes besides these there are some meanes to bee used to disburden our selves 3. To practise the contrary What are those Looke as in Physicke the rule is contraries are cured by contraries so if we have burthened our selves by surfeiting let us disburthen our selves by the contrary if we have burthened our selves by eating immoderately let us put the knife to our throate abridge our selves in the use of meate not to eate so much as we may doe for as I sayd before out of that doubtfull author he that will goe in the use of indifferent things as farre as he may to the utmost length of his tether it is a thousand to one but that man will offend He that sleepes upon the pitch or brinke of a downfall or Precipis it is twentie to one but hee falls And so for drunkennesse if our hearts and soules be oppressed with the excessive use of strong drinke faith the Apostle rather then I will offend my brother I will not eate flesh while I live if the Apostles argument be good rather then I will offend my brother I will not eate flesh the argument will hold thus too that rather then we wil offend our selves and burthen our soules we will not drinke strong drinke while we live Let us labour thuâ— to take a kinde of holy revenge on our selves so the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 7.11 saith hee Behold this selfe same thing that you sorrowed after a godly sort what clearing of your selves what revenge it hath wrought I say thus we should take a spirituall revenge of our selves that if we have beene overshot in the use of meate or drinke and exceeded our bounds that for the future we limit and abridge our selves and take a kinde of revenge of our selves This is the way to disburthen our selves if wee find that our hearts have beene oppressed with these things Vse 3 Thirdly and lastly if it bee the propertie of these sinnes to burden the heart then here take notice briefly of the perverse judgement of the world The false judgement of the world how contrary it is to the judgement of our Saviour aske the world who have the lightest and merriest hearts of all men They will tell you those that fare daintily that are good fellowes they are joviall and merrie hearts But aske Christ and hee will tell us that surfeiting and drunkennesse opresse the heart they have not as the world would make us beleeve light-some hearts It is true if wee will beleeve their faces they seeme to have lightsome hearts if we will judge of their hearts by their sleiting and laughter but Solomon saith Prov. 14.13 Prov. 14.13 That even in that laughter the heart is sorrowfull there is sorrow in their laughter it is but from the teeth outward and it is not so only for the present but the end of that mirth is heavinesse It is sorrow for the present and the conclusion is heavinesse Therefore whatsoever the world saith Epicures and drunken men such as are given to the immoderate use of meate and drinke those men have the heaviest hearts Let the world say what it will the life of a Christian is chearefull he hath a lightsome heart Saith Christ Come unto mee Mat. 11 2â— all yee that are wearie and heavy laden and you shall find rest to your soules Take my yoake upon you for my yeake is easie Christs yoake is easie hee that hath given his name to Christ that sets himselfe constantly to the performance of spirituall duties hâ—â—â—ath a lightsome hearâ— Nay whereas 〈◊〉 other things they may beâ— burthened his body and his estate may be burthened for a while and his name may be burthened for a while but his heart is light and merrie Therefore as the Wise man saith A wounded spirit who can beare But if the heart be well it will beare a mans infirmities so long as a mans heart is light as long as the burthen lies in a mans body or his name or estate if the heart bee light they may bee borne Of all men a Christian a good man a conscientious man hath the lightsomest heare This shall suffice to bee spoken of the fourth part in generall what wee are to take heed of lest our hearts be burthened I told you it is the propertie of these things to burthen the heart Now I come in the next place more particularly to tell you what wee are to take heed of that our hearts bee not overcharged with surfeiting Take beed lest your hearts bee oppressed at any time With surfeiting That is with riotous immoderate excessive eating The word in the originall is Clisani The sense and
derivation of the word is borrowed from those two paines and distempers of the head that is caused by sympathie and consent of the head with the stomacke through distemper of ryot and inordinate eating In the Latine it signifies those crudities that are caused in the stomacke through immoderate excessive eating when the heart is surcharged when there is more meat then it is able to digest Thence it is that Christ wisheth us here to take heed Take heed to your selves saith Christ lest your hearts bee overcharged with surfeiting Now looke what Christ charged his Disciples hee chargeth us also as I told you out of Marke 13. ult What I say unto you Mark 13. ult I say unto all It was indeed spoken to them first to the Disciples it is our dutie also to take heed lest at any time our hearts bee overcharged with surfeiting The point that I will insist on at this time is this that It is our dutie to take heed Doct. We should not be overcharged with immoderate eating that our hearts 〈◊〉 not overcharged with immoderate and excessive eating It is that that the Apostle warnes the Galatians of in Gal. 5.21 to take heed of Gal. 5.21 hee reckons it among the workes of the flesh revelling or gluttonie The workes of the flesh are envie murther drunkennesse revelling or gluttonie and the like Now see the caution in the words following Of which I tell you before as I have told you in time past that they that doe such things shall not inherite the kingdome of God To stirre up and inforce caution the Apostle sets before them the greatnesse of the danger if they did suffer their hearts to be overcharged with revelling and gluttonie it would bee such a burthen as would presse their soules downe to hell such as would exclude them from entring into the heavenly Canaan So likewise the wise man in Pro. 23.20 saith hee Be not among wine-bibbers Prov. 23.20 or riotous eaters of flesh Observe saith the Wise-man bee not among them What not among them is there such danger Is their companie so contagious and infectious that we may not bee among them No wee must not willingly ordinarily be among them wee must not choose such company to converse with Why because there is danger of infection Danger in conversing with Epicures First there is danger by their example And then there is danger by their exhortation or counsell First by their example you know it is a saying that seeing other men eate oft-times brings a man a stomacke hee that had no stomack or appetite by seeing others eate it drawes him on to eate so the very sight of a man eating that is a glutton and gives scope and loseth the raines to his appetite it transports others that are spectators by his example Secondly by counsell you know men often call upon others and say eate neighbours c. as they give themselves to immoderate excesse of eating therefore in both these respects wee are not to affect or seeke their company it is dangerous by reason of their example and of their counsel But why are wee to take heed that ouâ— hearts be not overcharged with surfeiting Reas 1 I answer first because if our hearts bee overcharged It unfits us for good duties wee are unfit to performe spirituall duties I told you before surfeiting burtheneth and overcharged the soule and makes it heavie and lumpish not able to lift up it selfe to performe any spirituall dutie It is a pretty conceit of Saint Chrysostome in his first Homilie on Genesis that Mâ—seâ— S Chrysost Gen. hom 1. when he came from the Mount and brought the two tables of the commandements with him when he perceived the people of Israel to whom he came that they had filled themselves full and betooke themselves to dauncing and sporting themselves saith Saint Chrysostome he tooke the Tables and threw them downe Why hee thought it an absurd and unfit thing to give commandements for them to observe who now had gorged themselves with meate No man is so unfit for the service of God to observe the commandements of God as those that have surfeited and filled themselves with meate So likewise saith our Saviour Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting In the next verse but one saith he Watch and pray alway hee opposeth watching and prayer to surfeiting Those that have their hearts overcharged with surfeiting cannot watch and pray and performe spirituall duties Now therefore the first reason why wee should bee heedfull that our hearts bee not overcharged with surfeiting is because it makes our soules unfit for the performance of spirituall duties it makes us unapt for the doing of that for which wee came into the world Reas 2 Secondly It is the nurse of securitie we are to take heed of it because surfeiting is the nurse of securitie When a man hath filled himselfe with meat and drinke as it is apt to incline him to bodily sleepe so it is to spirituall sleepe too to securitie Hee that gives himselfe to satisfie his sensuall immoderate appetite there is no man so subject to securitie See the truth of this in those of the old world in the time of Noah though hee preached to them that the world should bee drowned and overwhelmed yet they cared not they were secure and carelesse and feared not the threatning of Noah nor the judgement of God the reason is given because they betooke themselves too much to eating and drinking Luke 17.27 Luk. 17.27 They did eate and drinke and marrie wives and give in marriage till the day that Noah entred into the Arke and the flood came and destroyed them all But why did the flood come and destroy them The reason is insinuated in these words because they ate and dranke that is they gaue themselves to immoderate eating and drinking Reas 3 Thirdly It breeds many lusts we should therefore bee carefull that our hearts be not overcharged with surfeiting because surfeiting occasions and breeds many lusts it feedes the soule with lusts It is with the soule as it is in ground commonly the rankest and fattest soyle is fullest of weedes so it is in the body the fullest and fattest bodies those that are given most to satisfie their sensuall appetite they are troubled most with lusts that fight against the soule As the Apostle Peter saith in that place As pilgrims and strangers abstaine from fleshly lusts that fight against the soule If a man give himselfe to immoderate eating hee strengtheneth the flesh to combate and fight against his soule it gets the victorie and oppresseth and beares downe the soule See the like in Ierem. 5.8 Jer. 5.8 speaking of Israel that they were as fed horses In the morning every one neighs after his neighbours wife See the consequent In the morning they are as fed horses there is a surfeiting they filled themselves to the full then
presently their soules are overborne every one neighs after his neighbours wife There is the third reason why wee should bee carefull not to have our hearts overcharged with surfeiting because it fills our soules full of lusts Reas 4 Fourthly Jt brings Gods judgements on us and lastly it brings on the judgements of God Looke as it was with Sodome they were eating and drinking and giving themselves to satisfie their sensuall appetites and the judgements of God came and swept them away suddenly and fearfully Ezek. 16.49 Ezek. 16.49 Behold this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome pride fulnesse of bread there is surfeiting Now in verse 50. Verse 50. Therefore I tooke them away as I saw good They gave themselves to pride and fulnesse of bread to surfeiting and drunkennesse and God tooke them away as hee saw good So in Amos 6.4 5 6. speaking against the wantonnesse of Israel Amos 6.4 5 6. he saith They stretch themselves on beds of Ivorie they eate the lambes of the flocke and the calves out of the middest of the stall that is they did yeeld too much to their sensuall appetite in the use of these things Verse 7. What then Therefore in verse 7. They shall goe captive with the first that goe captive and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed Because they gave themselves to satisfie their sensuall appetite and to the immoderate use of the creature God would cut them short and they should goe into captivitie where they should be pinched with want and penurie You see the reasons why wee should take heed that our hearts bee not overcharged with surfeiting First because it makes the soule unfit for spirituall duties Secondly it is the nurse of securitie Thirdly it fills the soule full of noysome lusts that fight against the soule Fourthly it provokes the judgements of God as against us so against others too These sinnes are such And against others that they provoke the judgements of God not only against us but against others Oft times poore people smart with famine and penurie the reason is because of the excesse and immoderate eating of great ones As in a mist wee say it is a signe of raine and showers Simile when the mists goe up by the mountaines so when surfeiting sends up a mist in those mountaines those that are eminent above others in power or place it is an argument it will bring raine not onely on the mountaines but on the holes and vallies it will cause a storme and tempest These sinnes are such sinnes as draw judgements not onely on them that are guiltie of them but on others also Reas 5 I might adde to these many other reasons It hurts the body as first we are to take heede of this because it doth not disable the soule onely but the body also it fills that full of diseases in respect of which it is growne now a disputable question and hath beene long whether surfeiting or the sword kill more We complaine that men in these times live not to the yeares of our forefathers It is true wee live a lesse time the reason is because wee eate more meate we kill our selves Every glutton is guilty of his owne death at least if hee be not guilty of his death manifestly yet he is obliquely he cuts his life short which hee might else enlarge I question not to the dayes of our forefathers if we were carefull of our lives Reas 6 It doth not onely disable our bodies 6. It hurts his estate but our estates as we see it plainely in many of our gallants It was a good saying of Plato a heathen man a man undoes himselfe by giving way to his sensuall apetite hee devours his estate and patrimony Reas 7 It hurts not onely our selves in soule and body and estate It wrongs the common-wealth but it huits others it hurts the common wealth because by prejudicing of our selves by consequent we prejudice the common wealth whereof we are a part You know what the Civillians say it concernes the communitie that every particular man use his estate well Now if wee use our estates ill and impoverish our selves in our estates by consequence we impoverish the common wealth if we make our bodies unfit by surfeiting to serve God and our countrey we impoverish the countrey Reas 8 Lastly It wrongs the poore we hurt not onely our selves but our brethren that might be relieved with our superfluitie we hurt our brethren and so by consequence we come to be guilty of a double murther by surfeiting wee murther our selves and our poore brethren that by our superfluitie might be relieved I will not insist further on the reasons but come to make some Vse Surely if ever it were seasonable to take heede of surfeiting Vse it is at this time seasonable not onely because it is a time wherein God calls for fasting and humiliation though in that respect we ought to take heed least we be overcharged with surfeiting but because of the commonnesse of this sinne it is so common that there is almost no notice taken of it We many times speake against drunkennesse and if there were not lawes made against it what could wee expect but an inundation and catoclisme and overwhelming Time was it was the fault of Beggers As drunke as a Begger they used to say but now it is the fault of great ones It is a fault not onely of the night and of the darkenesse but of the noone day but for gluttony we lift not up our voyces as trumpets as we should doe Simile It is true it fares with the diseases of the soule as it doth in the body Phisitians tell us and wee know by experience when a man is troubled with the stone and the goute if he have a pang and fit of the stone he feeles not the goute The reason is because of the violence of the stone it is so grievous a paine that it beares downe and takes away the sence of the goute Iust so it is with surfeiting and drunkennesse they are both grievous diseases of the soule but yet drunkennesse is the more grievous the reason is because of the violence of it we take no notice of gluttony but speake against drunkennesse though that be a worke of the flesh as we see Gal. 5. As the goute is a grievous disease Gal. 5. though the stone bee more grievous so gluttony is a grievous disease of the soule though drunkennesse be a more grievous And if wee that are Ministers had ever neede to speake against gluttony surely it is in this land as wee may see by that order lately setforth It is a sinne almost proper to this Land we make our selves a scorne by our intemperance in meate and if wee should speake against it in this nation I know not where it should bee more then in this place But are so many guiltie of sufeiting here
Spirit of God and the Soule if the spirit be not united to the soule that is the first thing Secondly where the Spirit of God is as a consequent of the other there followes the faculties and acts of life the habituall presence of all the graces of the Spirit and the actuall exercise of them In these two consists the nature of this life These things premised I come to shew the necessary conjunction of this spirituall life that I have explained in the kind and nature of it with spirituall death If wee be dead with Christ wee beleeve that wee shall also live with him Which Hupotheticall proposition or supposition affords us this Catagoricall Position that Those that are dead with Christ shall live with him For when the Apostle saith If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that wee shall also live with him This is supposed as much as if he had said in effect They that are dead with Christ shall live with him Or They that are dead to sinne shall live the life of grace Looke as it was with Christ so it is with the members of Christ as hee being dead rose againe and could not choose but rise againe As it is said Act. 2. the chaines of death Act. â— the cords of death could not hold him So it is with every member of Christ hee that is dead with Christ must needes live with Christ Death cannot hold him not death in sinne The Apostle affirmes as much in this Chapter verse 5. For as wee are planted into the likenesse of his death so wee shall be also into the likenesse of his resurrection If wee be planted with Christ into his death there is our death with Christ we shall be also in his Resurrection there is the conjunction and connexion of our life with Christ where the Apostle not only averres the truth of the former proposition but withall insinuates the reason of it those that are planted with Christ into the similitude of his death shall also into the similitude of his Resurrection Why because they are planted with Christ As a Plant that is grafted into a stocke it partakes of the whole vertue of the stocke so every member of Christ hee that by faith is grafted into Christ and made partaker of the vertue of Christs death to the mortification of sinne that man also is made partaker of the vertue of his Resurrection to the reviving and quickening of him to a new life of grace The ground of it is this First to whomsoever Christ communicates himselfe hee communicates himselfe wholly to whomso ever hee imparts the vertue of his death for the killing of sinne to him hee imparts the vertue of his Resurrection to revive and quicken him to a new life of grace If wee be planted with Christ into the similitude of his death wee shall be also into the similitude of his Resurrection because are planted with him Every plant partakes of the whole vertue of the roote and by consequent wee partake as well of the quickening vertue of Christ to raise us to the life of grace as of his crucifying vertue to kill sinne The second reason is from the insufficiencie of the one without the other If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that wee shall also live with him Why because death with Christ is insufficient unlesse wee live with Christ Philosophie saith that nature doth nothing in vaine much lesse doth Christ the God of Nature Now as in Christ it was in vaine for him to die for us unlesse hee had risen againe so it is in vaine and ineffectuall for the members of Christ to die to sin if they be not quickened to the life of grace The reason is this that death to sinne indeed defaceth the Image of sinne but it doth not renew in us the Image of God Now it is the Image of God that makes us fit and capable of eternall life It is true the righteousnesse of Christ gives us title to eternall life but our owne inherent righteousnesse qualifies us and disposeth and makes us fit and capable of it for without holinesse no man shall see God Flesh and bloud shall not enter into the kingdome of God By mortifying of sinne wee cease to be sinners by mortifying of sinne wee have the Image of Satan defaced but the Image of God is not renewed in us therefore besides our death with Christ there is required our life with Christ that so besides the defacing of Satans Image wee may have the Image of God renewed that wee may be capable of eternall life and be qualified and disposed and made fit to partake of the inheritance with the Saints in light The third Argument is drawne from the opposition betweene the life of sinne and the life of grace Philosophy tells us that in those opposites that are immediatly opposite that is such opposites where one must of necessitie be in the subject if one be removed the other of necessitie followes the subject Health and sicknesse are immediate objects a man must either bee sicke or well Now that which removes sicknesse restores health that that expells darknesse out of the Ayre it brings light Now the life of sinne and grace are thus opposite that that takes away the life of sinne then it must of necessitie bring with it the life of grace If Christ mortifie sinne in us and take away the life and vigour of sinne Christ of necessitie must bring into the same subject the life of grace because these are immediate objects hee that takes away the one must bring in the other as that that takes away sicknesse brings in health This shall suffice for the proofe of the point I come to make use of it If wee be deed with Christ wee shall also live with him Vse Those that are dead with Christ to sinne as Christ died for sinne those shall live the life of grace If it bee so if there be such a necessary connexion betweene these two then it followes backe againe that those that doe not live with Christ those are not dead with Christ For looke as it is betweene Faith and good Workes if good workes be necessarily joyned with Faith then where there are no good workes there is no faith So thus it followes if spirituall life the life of grace bee necessarily joyned with death to sinne then where there is no life of grace there is no death to sinne According to that of Saint Chrysostome S. Chrysost saith hee it is true indeed faith without workes is dead so it is true on the otherside workes without faith is dead No man can performe good workes though hee may for substance yet not formaliter without Faith hee that hath not Faith hath not Workes If good Workes be necessarily joyned with Faith then where there are no good Workes there is no Faith so if our life with Christ bee necessarily joyned with death to sin then where there is no life with