shall bee an end of all alteration So we see that God intends by his spirit to bring us to perfection though by little and little to perfection of glory as farre as our nature is capable and this shall be at the latter day Quest. Why not before why not in this world Ans. Beloved wee are not capable here of that fullnesse of glory Saint Peter on the Mount had but a glimpse of the glory of Heaven and he was spiritually drunke as it were he knew not what he said we are not capable therefore wee must grow here from glory to glory till we come to that perfection of glory God that gives us the earnest could make up the bargain here if we were capable of it but we are not God will have a differâ—nce betweene the millitant and the tryumphant Church and will traine us up here to live the life of faith till we come to live the life of sight the life of vision for ever in Heaven Doth God by his Spirit change us by his Spirit to the likenâ—sse of Christ from glory to glory till he have brought us to perfection of glory in Heaven Oh let us comfort our selves in our imperfections here we are here lame Mephibosheths hee was a Kings Sonne but he was lame we are spiritually lame and defective though we be Kings Sons Oh but we shal grow from glory to glory till all end in perfection in Heaven what a comfort is this in our imperfections that as every day we live in this world cuts off a day of our life for we live so much the shorter so every day we live brings us nearer to Heaven that as we decay in the life of nature every day so we grow up another way from glory to glory till we come to perfect glory in Heaven is not this a sweete comfort Let us comfort our selves with these things Vse 3 Againe if the state of Gods people bee thus sweet and comfortable and full of well grounded hopes that glory shall goe further on to glory and end in glory Then why should we be afraid of death for grace will but end in glory a meane glorious estate will but even be swallowed up of a truely glorious estate indeed grace is swallowed up of glory even as the Rivers are swallowed up of the Ocean glory takes away nothing but perfects all better by death why should wee bee afraid of death we are afraid of our glory and of the perâ—ection of our glory There be degrees of glory there is glory begunne here in grace and there is the glory of the soule after death and the glory both of soule and body for ever in heaven and these make way one to another A Christian is glorious while he lives and hee growes in glory while he lives he is more glorious when he dyes for then his soule hath perfectly the image of Christ stamped upon it but he is most glorious at the day of resurrection when body and soule shall be glorious when he shall put downe the very Sunne it selfe all glory shall be nothing to the glory of the Saints They shall shine as the Sun in the firmament And indeed there will be no glory but the glory of Christ and of his Spouse all other glory shall vanish and come to nothing but the glory of the King of Heaven and his Queene that hee hath chosen to himselfe to sollace himselfe eternally with when the spirituall marriage shal be accomplished they shall be for ever glorious together why then should we be afraid of death for then there shall be a further degree of glory of the soule and after that a further degree of body and soule when our bodies shall be conformable to the glorious body of Christ when they shall be spirituall as it is in 1 Cor. 15. I beseech you therefore let us learne this to comfort our selves against those darker times of dissolution when we shall see an end of all other glory all wordly glory shall end in the dust and lie downe in the grave when we must say that rottennesse is our Father and the worme our Mother we can claime no other kinne in regard of our body yet then we shall be more glorious in regard of our soules Christ shall put a robe of glory upon us and then afterward wee shall be more glorious still Therefore it is base infidelity to be afraid of our dissolution when indeed it is not a dissolution but a way to glory we should rather consider the conjunction then the dissolution death takes in peeces body and soule but it joynes the soule to Christ it makes the soule more glorious then it was before we goe from glory to glory our Saviour Christ saith Hee that beleeveth in mee shall never dye What doth he meane by that Indeed he shall never dye for grace shall bee swallowed up of glory as soone as ever the life of nature it gone he lives the life of glory presently so he never dies there is but a change of the life of grace and of nature for the life of glory VVhat that glory shall be at that day it is a part of that glory to know for indeede it is beyond expression and beyond the comprehension of our mindes they cannot conceive it nor our tongues expresse it Peter as I sayd seeing but a glimpse of it sayd It is good for us to be here he forgot all his former troubles and afflictions If such a little glimpse of glory could so possesse the soule of that blessed man Peter as that it made him forget all his former miseries and all his afflictions whatsoever to be in love with that condition above all others what shall the glory of heaven be then shall we thinke then of our former misery and basenesse and trouble and persecution oh no. Vse 4 Againe let us be exhorted by this to try the truth of grace in us by our care to grow and proceed further from glory to glory still to be more glorious in Christianity beloved of necessity it must be so let us not deceive our selves in our naturall condition doe we content our selves that we live a sicke mans life no we desire health when we have health is that all no when we have health wee desire strength too that we may encounter oppositions Is it so in nature that life is not enough but health and that is not enough but strength too and is it not so much more in the new creature in the new nature in the divine nature if there be life there will be a desire to have health that our sicke soules may be more and more healed that our actions that come from our facul ies sanctified be not sicke actions that they be not weake languishing actions that we may have healed soules that God together with pardoning grace may joyne healing grace to cure our soules dayly more and more that we may be more able to
of mee as I am of Christ. Q. When did this fulnesse of the Spirit come upon Christ when had hee it Ans. There was a fulnesse of the Spirit powred out upon Christ in the union of the Humane nature with the Divine Vnion and Vnction went together there was annoynting of the Spirit together with the union of the Spirit 2. There was a more full manifestation of the Spirit in his Baptisme when the holy Ghost fell on him in the shape of a Dove then he received the Spirit hee was to enter into the Ministâ—ry of the Gospell the Spirit of the Lord God was upon him because hee had anoynted him to Preach good tidings unto the meek c. Esa. 61. 1. 3. But the fullest degree of declaration and manifestation of the Spirit upon Christ was after his Resurrection after he had satisfied fully for our salvation then the stop of his glory was taken away For to worke our salvation there was a keeping backe of the glory of Christ from his Humane nature that hee might bee abased to suffer for us when hee had fully suffered for us that stay of his glory his abasement was taken away and then nothing appeared but all glory and Spirit in Christ. All things were put under his feet and he was set upon his Throne as a glorious King His Priestly Office appeared in his death his Propheticall Office before his death but then hee appeared to be King and Lord of all in the Resurrection Thus wee see how Christ is that Spirit that is hee is full of the Spirit in regard of himselfe Secondly he is that Spirit in regard of his dispensations towards his Church and Children The Lord is that Spirit that is 1. of all truths and 2. of all persons to give life and quickning to them First of truths what is the scope of the whole scriptures but Christ from the first Promise of the blessed Seed The Seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head to the end of the book What is all the Scriptures without Christ The Law is a dead letter yea and so is the Gospell too without Christ hee is that Spirit which gives life unto all the Scriptures Moses without Christ is but a shadow without a body or a body without a soule Take away Christ what was the Brazen Serpent What was the Arke What were the Sacrifices What is all Is not Christ all in all these The Kings and Prâ—ests and 〈◊〉 they were types of Christ all the Promises they were made and fulfilled in Christ the Law Ceremoniall aymed at Christ the Law Morall is to drive us to Christ Christ is the Spirit of all and the Scripture without Christ it is but a meere dead thing it is but a shell without a kernell as it is to the Iewes at this day 2. Christ is that Spirit in regard of persons quickning them hee is an universall Principle of spirituall life infusing it into al his Church and Children Christ is alwayes with his Church from the beginning of the world and will bee to the end It was no losse to the Church that Christ in his bodily presence lâ—ft it for hee left them the Comforter his Spirit by which he wrought greater workes after his Ascension than hee did before He is annoynted with the oyle of gladnesse and grace above his fellowes but all was for his fellowes whatsoever he is or hath all is for his Church and Children for us he was borne for us he was given hee is a King a Priest a Prophet for us he dyed for us he rose againe for us And he doth all he doth toward the Church as hee hath the Spirit and by the Spirit The Father is the first in the Trinity from whom all comes and the Son by whom all things are but the holy Ghost is the immediat worker of all things next the creature all things are applied from God the Father through the Sonne by the Spirit what Christ wrought and what the Father in wisdome devised was applyed by the Spirit and so the framing of us to be fit for such a glorious condition as wee have by Christ is also by the Spirit And this is the reason why Christ giveth the Spirit to those to whom hee purposeth to give faith or love or to worke any gracious worke For where Christ saveth he doth it not onely by merit and satisfying the wrath of God for us but also by sanâ—tifying and effectuall working in us that he might be a perfect Saviour Now the Essentiall vigour and operative Principle in all things either wrought by or from the Father or the Sonne is the Spirit As in Man there is his will from which he resolveth and purposeth there is wisedome and understanding by which hee proceedeth and then there is a vigorous power in man by which he executeth and doth all so is it in this working of God the Father plotteth and determineth of what is to be done the Sonne who is the wisdome of the Father dispenseth what the Father willeth the holy Spirit the power of both finisheth and worketh all upon us and therefore hee is called the power of the highest Luk. 1. 35. Whatsoever works come from God to the creature in generall and are wrought in the world as works of Creation and providence are immediately by the holy Spirit nakedly considered as the third person comming from the Father and the Sonne And in those speciall workes wrought in his Church and on his Children all things commeth from the holy Ghost but not simply considered as the third person but as hee is the Spirit of Christ that is first sanctifying and filling the Humane Nature of Christ and then sanctifying and filling us Christ could not give the holy Ghost immediately to us wee being in enmity with God and separated from him through our sinnes but he must first take it to himselfe who having by his death and sufferings reconciled us to his Father and purchased the Spirit for us may now dispense and give forth his Spirit to us If we had stood in Adam wee should not have received grace so as now we doe for we should have received it from the first Adam but as from a man now wee receive it not from meere man but which is much more from the second Adam who is God-man nay Adam himselfe received not his grace after so glorious a manner as we doe for he received it from the Spirit nakedly considered as the third person in the Trinity and as all other creatures received their excellencies but wee receive it from the holy Spirit which doth not onely proceed from the Father and the Son but commeth as it were through our owne nature which was marvellously united to God the Sonne and made one with him unto us and worketh in us The first Adam was a living soule the last Adam was a quickning Spirit he quickened himselfe when he was dead and hee
as being of the same nature with us so being a Mediatour in office and being so fit for a Mediator in nature what a comfort is this Indeed there is no comming to God no entercourse betweene God and us immediately but betweene God-man and God and us who is the Mediatour betweene God and us hee comes betweene in Christ we goe to God in our flesh in our nature and in Christ and from Christ and by Christ we have all grace and comfort from Christ we have all as God together with the holy Ghost and the Father and wee have all in Christ as a head and husband and we have all through Christ as mediator by his merit therefore wee should goe to Christ every way Vse 5 Let us labour to bee in Christ that we may get the Spirit it is of great necessity that wee should have it Above all things next to redemption by Christ labour for the spirit of Christ. Christ is our Saviour not onely by merit and satisfaction but by efficacy and grace that is as hee hath purchased us for his people by his blood so hee will subdue our corruptions and rule us by his Spirit For first Hee that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his those that have not the efficacy of the spirit in them to rule them shall not have benefit by his death to reconcile them for these goe alway together Christ as a King to rule and as a Priest to dye He came by blood and by water to satisfie and to sanctifie Secondly there is a necessity of the Spirit that we may be new Creatures it was the Spirits brooding upon the Chaos that brought forth all so the Spirit must sit upon our soules before any change will be made Now there is a necessity that wee bee changed and that wee bee new or else wee can never bee inhabitants of the new heavens and the new earth we must have the Spirit of God therefore Zech. 4. 6. as in the materiall Temple It s not by might or by power but by the Spirit So in rearing up spirituall Temples it is not by strength of wit or parts but by the Spirit therefore the Spirit is necessary for us even as our being in grace is necessary The holy Apostles wee know till the Spirit came more abundantly upon them what darke creatures they were but when the holy Ghost was come upon them how full of life and light and courage they were that the more they suffered the more they might suffer So it will bee with Christians the more spirituall they grow the more lightsome and couragious the more strong the more lively and vigrous to all duties the holy Ghost is the substantiall vigour of all creatures what soever all the spirituall vigour of every thing comes from the holy Spirit and the holy Spirit from Christ. For nothing can worke above it selfe nature cannot worke above nature That which elevates nature above it selfe and sets a spirituall stampe and puts divine qualities upon it is the Spirit of God That divine quality is called Spirit There is the flesh and the spirit all in us is flesh by nature and what soever is spirituall and divine commeth from the Spirit and therefore it is called Spirit you see therefore a necessity of the working of the Spirit even as there is a necessity to bee new creatures and to bee spirituall If we will be spirituall wee must have it from him that is first spirituall the Spirit himselfe that is the principle and fountaine of all that is spirituall Thirdly wee are called oft times to doe and suffer such things as are above nature and therefore wee must have a spirit above nature when wee feele sin to beleeve the forgivenesse of sinnes when wee see death to beleeve life everlasting and when wee are in extremity to beleeve God present with us to deliver us to beleeve contraries in contraries is a strange almighty worke of faith by the works of the Spirit It is above the work of nature to dye to end out dayes with comfort and to resigne up our soules for nature sees nothing but darknesse and desolation in the grave and destruction 〈◊〉 nothing can make a man comfortable in death but that which rayseth him above nature the Spirit of God Now these things and many such like we must do and suffer if we be Christians and therefore wee must have the Spirit to enable us to doe all The spirit is to the soule as the soule is to the body what is the body without the soule a caâ—kâ—ssâ— a loathsome dead thing what is the soule without the spirit a Caos of darknesse and confusion Well how shall we know whether we have the spirit of Christ or no We may know it partly by that I sayd before The Spirit is a vigorous working thing and therefore all three persons take upâ—n them the name of Spirit but the Holy Ghost especially because he is the spirituall vigour The Spirit is an operative thing the spirits are the quintessence and extraction of things that is nothing but operation God that is nothing but a pure act is said to be a spirit those that have the spirit of God are full of act and vigour the spirits of dull creatures are active when they are exâ—racted shall the spirits of bodies bee vigrous and shall not the Holy Ghost be vigrous that is a substantial vigour therefore if a man have the Spirit of God in him it will worke in him it is very operative Therefore it is compared to fire in diverse respects for first Fire it is of a working nature it is the instrument of nature if we had not fire what could we worke all Fabrickes and all things are done by Fire especially mettalls they are framed and made mallyable by fire So the Holy Ghost it is a working thing and softneth the heart and makes us mallyable it makes us fit for the impression of all good Secondly Fire againe though bodies be darke it makes them lightsome like it selfe Iron is a darke body but if the fire penetrate it it makes it lightsom We are darke creatures of our selves if we have the Spirit it makes us light Againe Fire it makâ—s chearefull and it ascends upward if a man have the Spirit of God his conversation will be upward his conversation will bee heavenly he minds the things of God he doth not grovel here below so in diverse such respects the Holy Ghost is compared to Fire and hath such effects in us in some sort wee finde our understandings enlightned and our selves quickened and carryed up to be above nature in holy and heavenly actions and then it is a good signe that we have the Spirit of Christ. A part will follow the whole as we see a part of the earth it falls to the center because all the earth is heavy all the whole earth fals down to the Center and
from all that is ill from sinne but from that that followes it there is some ill that followes as feare and terrours of conscience c. they follow sinne and death and wrath and such like the subjection to these now where the Spirit of God is it frees from the ill consequents from the tayle that followes sinne where the Spirit is it frees us from feare for the same Spirit that tells us in justification that God is appeased the same Spirit frees us from the feare of damnation and death and judgement from the terrours of an evill conscience being sprinkled with the blood of Christ we are freed from feare And it frees not onely from the feare of ill things but it shewes immunity and freedome to good liberty implies here two things a freedome from ill from a cursed condition and likewise a liberty to a better a liberty from ill and to good we must take it in the just latitude because the benefits of Christ are compleate not onely privative but positive not onely to free us from ill but to conferre all good to us as much as our nature is capable of as much as these soules of ours are capable of they shall be made free and glorious and happy in heaven God will leave no part of the soule unfilled no corner of the soule empty by little and little he doth it as we shall see in the next verse when we are called out of Sathans kingdome we are not onely called out of that cursed state but we are made free of a better kingdome we are mede the members of Christ we are infranchised and so in justification we are not onely freed from damnation from the justice and wrath of God but likewise wee can implead our righteousnesse whereby we have title to heaven which is a blessed priviledge and prerogative we are not onely free from the curse of the law but likewise wee have other gracious prerogatives and priviledges we are not onely freed from the dominion of sinne but we are likewise set at liberty by the spirit to doe that that is good wee have a voluntary free spirit to serve God with as great chearefulnesse as we served our lusts before and as we are freed from the rigour and curse of the law so we have prerogatives to good answerable we are now by the Spirit set at liberty to delight in the law to make the law our councellour to make the Word of God our councellour that that terrified and affrighted us before now it is our direction even as he that was a severe Schoolemaster to one in his under yeares after when hee comes to yeares becomes a wise Tutor to guide and direct him so the law that terrified and whipped us when we were in bondage till we be in Christ it scares us to Christ that law after comes to bee a Tutor to tell us this we shall doe to councell us and say this is the best way and wee come to delight in those truthes when they are discovered to us in the inward man and the more we know the more wee would know because wee would please God every day better so that besides freedome from that that is ill and the consequents of ill there is a blessed immunity and prerogative and priviledge that is meant here by liberty For Gods workes are compleate we must know when he delivers from ill he advanceth to good his workes are full workes alwayes he doth not things by halves therefore wee have through Christ and by the Spirit not onely freedome from that that is ill but advancement to all that is comfortable and graciously good And one thing give me leave to touch which though it bee more subtile yet it is usefull that the text puts mee to speake of Where the Spirit of God is there is liberty of the inward man liberty of judgement and liberty of will where the Spirit of God is not there is no liberty no free will a little to touch upon that That which we call free will it is either taken for a naturall power and indowment that God hath put upon the soule and so the will is alway free in earth and in hell the divils will is free so free to evill there is the naturall freedome for freedome it is a dowrie upon the will invested upon the will that God never takes from it to doe it freely that is upon reason that it sees be it good or evill so I meane not freedome but I take freedome for ability and strength to that that is good for any liberty and ability to that that is good is onely from the spirit and the defence of Luthers and others that wrote of this freedome is sound and good that the will of man is slavish altogether without the Spirit of God Where the Spirit is there is liberty Liberty as it is taken for power and ability to doe good In a word there is alway a liberty of the subject of the person a liberty of the understanding but not of the object to this or that thing a liberty to supernaturall objects comes from supernaturall principles nothing moves above its owne spheare nothing is acted above its owne activity that God hath put into it now a naturall man can doe nothing but naturally for nothing can worke above it selfe by its owne strength no more than a beast can worke according to the principles of a man therefore the soule of man hath no liberty at all to that which is spiritually good without a supernaturall principle that rayseth it above it selfe and put it into the ranke of supernaturall things First the Spirit of God puts a new life into the soule of a man and then when hee hath done that it preserves that life against all opposition and together with preserving that life it applyes that inward life and power it hath put into it to particular workes for when wee have a new life yet wee cannot doe particular actions without the exciting power of the Spirit of God the Spirit stirres up to every particular thing when the soule would be quiet of it selfe the moving comes from the Spirit of God as every particular moving in the body comes from the soule so the Spirit it puts a new life it applyes that life it applyes the soule to every action Where the Spirit of God therefore is not there is no liberty to any supernaturall action but where the Spirit of God is there is liberty It followes both the negatively and affirmatively there is a liberty of will to that that is good so then this riseth from hence againe that where the Spirit of God is efficatious and effectuall in his working there it robbes not the soule of liberty but perfects that liberty You have some Divines too many indeede that hold that the holy Ghost onely workes by way of perswasion upon the soule and by way of mooving as it were without
where these outward liberties are it is a signe that God hath an intendment to set men at Spirituall liberty Those therefore that are enemies of the dispensation of the Gospell in the ministery they are enemies to spiritâ—all liberty and it is an argument that a man is in bondage to Sathan when hee is an enemy any way of the unfolding of the Word of God for it is an argument that he is licentious that he will not be called to Spirituall liberty but live according to the flesh when he will not heare of the liberty of the Spirit as you have some kinde of men that account it a bondage Let us breake their bonds and cast away their coards why should we be tyed with the Word and with these holy things it is better that wee have no preaching no order at all but live every man as he would though they speake not so in words yet their lives and prophane carrige shew that they regard not outward liberties and that argueth that they are in spirituall bondage and that they have no interest in spirituall liberty because they are enemies of that whereby spirituall liberty is preserved Therefore the Gospell is set out by that phrase The Kingdome of God not onely the Kingdome of God set up in our hearts the Kingdome of the Spirit but likewise where the Gospell is preached there is the Kingdome of God why because with the dispensation of divine truth Christ comes to rule in the heart by the outward kingdome comes the spirituall kingdome they come under one name Therefore those that would have the spirituall kingdome of God by grace and peace to rule in their hearts till they reigne for ever in heaven they must come by this doore by the ministery by the outward ordinance the ordinance brings them to grace and grace to glory and it is a good and a sweete signe of a man spiritually set at liberty brought out of the kingdome of Sathan and freed from the guilt of sinne and from the dominion of sinne which is broken in Sanctification when we can meekely and cheerefully submit to the ordinance of God with a desire to have his spirituall thraldome discovered and to have spirituall duties unfolded and the riches of Christ layd open when hee heares these things with a tast and relish and a love it is a signe God loves his soule and that he hath interest in spirituall liberty because he can improve the Charter of his soule so well Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty And besides this liberty in this world there is a liberty of glory called the liberty of the Sonnes of God The liberty of our bodies from corruption the glorious liberty in heaven when we shall be perfectly free for alas in this world we are free to fight not free from fight and we are free not from misery but free from thraldome to misery but then we shall be free from the encounter and incombrance all teares shall be wiped from our eyes wee shall be free from all hurt of body in sickenesse and the like and free from all the remainders of sinne in our soules that is perfect liberty perfect redemption and perfect adoption both of body and soule And that we have by the spirit too for where the Spirit of God is there is that to in this world in the beginnings of it for beloved what is peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost is it not the beginnings of heaven is it not a Grape of the heavenly Canaan is not the Spirit that wee have here an earnest of that inheritance an earnest penny and an earnest is a peece of the bargaine it is never taken away but is made up with the bargaine therefore when by the Spirit we have the beginnings of grace and comfort we have the beginnings of that glorious liberty and it assures us of that glorious liberty as sure as we have the earnest for God never repents of his bargaine that he makes with his children grace in some sort is glory as we see in the next verse because grace is the beginning of glory it frees the soule from terrour and subjection to sinne from the thraldome of sinne so the life of glory is begunne in grace we have the life of glory begunne by the Spirit this glorious life Vse 1 If we have all these blessed liberties in this world and in that to come by the Spirit then we should labour to have the Spirit of Christ or else we have no liberty at all and labour every day more and more to get this spirituall liberty in our consciences to have our consciences assured by the Spirit that our sinnes are forgiven and to feele in our consciences a power to bring under sinne that hath tyrannized over us before let us every day more and more labour to finde this spirituall liberty and prize dayly more the ordinances of God sanctified to set us at liberty attend upon spirituall meanes that God hath sanctified wherin he will convey the Spirit there were certaine times wherein the Angell came to stirre the waters of the poole so the Spirit of God stirres the waters of the Word and Ordinances and makes them effectuall attend upon the ordinances of God the Communion of Saints c. and the Spirit of God will slide into our soules in the use of holy meanes there is no man but hee findes experience of it he findes himselfe raysed above himselfe in the use of holy meanes The more we know the Gospell the more we have of the Spirit and the more Spirit we have the more liberty we enjoy If we prize and value outward liberty as indeede we doe and wee are naturally moved to doe it how should wee prize the Charter of our spirituall liberty the Word of God and the promises of Salvation whereby wee come to know all our liberty where we have all the promises opened to us the promise of forgivenesse of sinnes of necessary grace the promise of comfort in all conditions whatsoever therefore let us every day labour to grow farther and farther both in the knowledge and in the taste and feeling of this Spirituall liberty Vse 2 Oh beloved what a blessed condition it is to have this spirituall liberty doe but see the blessed use and comfort of it in all conditions for if a man hath the Spirit of God to set him at Spirituall liberty in all temptations either to sinne he hath the Spirit of God to free him from temptation or if temptation catch hold on him for sinne he hath the Spirit of God to flye too the blood of Christ to shew that if he confesse his sinnes and lay hold on Christ he hath pardon of sinne and the blood of Christ speakes better things than the blood of Abel it speakes mercy and peace if hee by faith sprinkle it upon his soule if he know the liberty of justification
and make use of it what a blessed liberty is this when wee have sinned In restraint of the outward man if ever God restraine us to humble us what a blessed thing is this that the Spirit is at liberty and that is the best part of a man a man may have a free conscience and minde in a restrayned condition and a man may be restrayned in a free state in the guilt of sinne bound over to the wrath of God and bound over to another evill day a man in the greatest thraldome may have liberty what a blessed condition is this So in sickenesse to consider that there is a glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God and a redemption of body as well as of soule that this base body of mine shall bee like Christs glorious body that there is a resurrection to glory the resurrection will make amends for all these sicknesses and ills of body what a comfort is it to thinke of the resurrection to glory And to when death comes to know that by the blood of Christ there is a liberty to enter into heaven that Christ by his blood hath opened a passage to heaven And so in all necessities to thinke I have a liberty to the Throne of Grace I am free of heaven I am free of the company of Saints in earth and in heaven too I am free to have Communion with God I have a freedome in all the promises what a sweet thing is this in all wants and necessities to use a spirituall liberty to have the eare of God as a favourite in heaven not onely to be free from the wrath of God but to have his favour to have his eare in all our necessities what a blessed liberty is this that a man may goe with boldnesse to the throne of grace by the Spirit of Christ Beloved it is invalluable there is not the least branch of this spirituall liberty but it is worth a thousand worlds how should we value it and blesse God for giving Christ to wroke this blessed liberty and for giving his spirit to apply it to us more and more and to set us more and more at spirituall liberty for both the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost all joyne in this Spirituall liberty the Father gives the Sonne and he gives the Spirit and all to set us free It is a comfortable and blessed condition Vse 3 But how shall we know whether we be set at liberty or no because all will pretend a liberty from the law and from the curse of God and his wrath in justificaâ—ion and though it be the foundation of all I will not speake of that but of that that alwayes accompanies iâ— a liberty of holinesse a liberty to serve God a liberty from bondage to lusts and to Sathan Therefore Wheresoever the Spirit of God is there is a liberty of holinesse to free us from the dominion of any one sinne we are freed to serve him in holinesse all the dayes of our lives where the Spirit therefore is it will free a man from thraldome to sinne even to any one sinne for the Spirit discovers to the soule the odiousnesse of the bondage for a man to be a slave to Sathan who is his enemy a cruell enemie what an odious thing is this Now whosoever is in thralled to any lust is in thraldome to Sathan by that lust therefore where this liberty is there cannot be slavery to any one lust Sathan therefore cares not how many sinnes one leaves if he live in any one sinne for hee hath them in one sinne and can pull them in by one sinne as children when they have a bird they can give it leave to flye so it bee in a string to pull it backe againe so Sathan hath men in a string if they live in any one sinne the Spirit of Christ is not there but Sathans Spirit and he can pull them in when hee will The beast that runnes away with a coard about him he is catched by the coard againe so when we leave many sinnes and yet notwithstanding carry his coards about us hee can pull us in when hee lists such are prisoners at liberty more than others but notwithstanding they are slaves to Sathan by that and where Sathan keepes possession by one sinne and rules there there is no liberty for the Spirit of Sanctification where it is is a counterpoyson to the corruption of nature and it is opposite to it in all the powers of the soule if suffers no corruption to get head Againe where this liberty from the Spirit is there is not onely a freedome from all grosse sinnes but likewise a blessed freedome to all duties an inlargement of heart to duties Gods people are a voluntary people those that are under grace they are annointed by the Spirit and the Spirituall annoyntment makes them nimble Christian is nothing but annointed now he that is truely annoynted by the Spirit is nimble and quicke and active in that that is good in some degree and proportion one use of annoynting is to make the members nimble and agile and strong so the Spirit of God is a Spirit of chearefulnesse and strength where it is therefore those that finde some chearefulnes and strength to preforme holy services to heare the Word to pray to God and to performe holy duties it is a signe that this comes from the Spirit of God the Spirit sets them at this liberty because otherwise spirituall duties are as opposite to flesh and blood as fire and water When we are drawne therefore to duties as a Beare to stake as we say with forraigne motives for feare or out of custome with extrinsicall motives and not from a new nature this is not from the Spirit this performance is not from the true liberty of the Spirit for the liberty of the Spirit is when actions come off naturally without force of fâ—are or hope or any extrinsicall motive a childe needes not extrinsicall motives to please his father when hee knowes he is the child of a loving father it is naturall so there is a new nature in those that have the Spirit of God to stirre them up to duty though Gods motives may helpe as the sweete incouragements and rewards but the principall is to doe things naturally not for feare or for giving content to this or that man Artificiall things move from a principle without them therefore they are artificiall clockes and such things have weights that stirre all the wheeles they goe by and that moove them so it is with an artificiall Christian that composeth himselfe to a course of religion he moves with weights without him he hath not an inward principle of the Spirit to make things naturall to him and to excite and make him doe things naâ—urally and sweetely Where the Spirit of God is there is freedome that is a kinde of naturall freedome not forced nor
what apprehensions we shall have of God there but sure it is more excellent than that that is here therefore this implyes imperfection We consist of body and soule in this world and our soules are much confined and tyed to our sences imagination propounds to the soule greater things than the sences so God helpes the soule by outward things that worke upon the sences sence upon the imagination and so things passe into the soule God frames his manner of dealing sutable to the nature he hath created us in therefore he useth the Word and Sacraments and such things whereby hee makes impressions upon the very soule it selfe And this indeed by the way makes Spirituall things so difficult as they are oft times because wee are too much inthralled to imagination and sence and cannot abstract and raise our minds from outward sensible things to spirituall things therefore you have some all the dayes of their life spend their time in the barke of the Scriptures and they are better than some others that are all for notion and out side such things as frame to the imagination and never come to know the Spirit of the Scriptures but rest in outward things in languages and tongues and such like whereas these things leade further or else they come not to their perfection the Scripture is but a glasse to see some other excellencies in it We see as in a glasse Now the use of a glasse among us especially is two fold It is either to helpe weakenesse of sight against the excellencie of the object when there is a weake sight and an over excellent object then a glasse is used or some polite and cleare body as we cannot see the sunne in it selfe the eye is weake and the sunne is glorious these two meeting therefore together we helpe it by seeing the Sunne in water as in an eclipse if a man would judge of an eclipse he must not looke on the sunne but see it in water and there behold and discerne these things so to see the glory of God in himselfe it is too glorious an object our eyes are too weake how doth God helpe it he helpes it by a glasse by God manifest in the flesh and by the Word and Sacraments whereby we come to have Communion with Christ to apply this more particularly Now that we are to receive the Sacrament conceive the Sacraments are glasses wherein wee see the glory of the love and mercy of God in Christ for take the bread alone as it doth not represent and figure better things and what is it and take the wine alone as it doth not represent better things and what is the wine but an ordinary poore creature Oh but take them as they are galsses as things that convey to the soule and represent things more excellent than themselves so they are glorious ordinances take a glasse as a glasse it is a poore thing but take the glasse as it represents a more excellent thing than it selfe so they are of excellent use so bread and wine must not be taken as naked elements but as they represent and convey a more excellent thing than themselves that is Christ and all his benefits the love and mercy and grace of God in Christ and so they are excellent glasses therefore I beseech you now when you are to receive the Sacrament let your mindes be more occupied than your sences when you take the bread thinke of the body of Christ broken and when you thinke of uniting the bread into one substance thinke of Christ and you made one when the wine is powred out thinke of the blood of Christ powred out for sinne when you thinke of the refreshing by the wine thinke of the refreshing of your spirits and soules by the love of God in Christ and of the love of Christ that did not spare his blood for your soules good how doth Christ crucified and shedding his blood refresh the guilty soule as wine refresheth the weake Spirits thus consider them as glasses where better things are presented and let your mindes bee occupied as well as your sences and then you shall be fit receivers as in a glasse We behold c. God when he made the World this glorious frame of the creatures and all their excellencies he created light to discover it selfe and all other excellencies for light is a glorious creature it discovers it selfe it goes with a majesty and discovers all other things good and bad whatsoever and together with light God created sight in man and other sences to apprehend the excellencie of the creation what were all this goodly frame of creatures the sunne and moone and starres and glory of the earth if there were not light to discover and sight to apprehend it by Is it so in this outward creation of the old heavens and old earth that must be consumed with fire and is it not much more in the new creation there is excellent glory mervailous glory wondrous grace and Christ c. must there be light and must there not be an eye to discover this surely there must therefore it is sayd here We behold God puts a Spirituall eye by his Spirit into all true beleevers whereby they behold this excellent glory this glorious grace that God may have the glory and wee the comfort those are the two maine ends God intends his owne glory and our Salvation there must be a beholding how should he have glory and wee comfort unlesse all were conveyed by spirituall sight Well then the Spirit creates and workes in us Spirituall sences with Spirituall life there are Spirituall sences sight and taste and feeling sight is here put for all We behold There are many degrees of sight it is good to know them therefore I will name some of them We see God in his creatures for The heavens declare the glory of God they are a booke in folio there God is layd open in his creatures that is a goodly sight but what is this to the knowledge of him in his will to us what he meanes to us the creatures discover not what he meanes to us Besides therefore the sight of God in the creatures there is a sight of God in his will in his Word and promises there we see what he is his grace is revealed in Christ and what his good will to us is and his will from us what he will doe to us and what he will have from us againe there wee see him as a spouse sees her husband in a loving letter which concernes her selfe we see him as the heire sees a deed made to him with an inheritance he sees with application it is not a bare sight but a sight with seeling and discovery of a favour so the sight in the Word and Sacraments it is a higher sight there was a sight of Christ when he was in the flesh when hee was covered with the vaile of our flesh upon
earth it was a sweeâ—e sight Abraham desired to see it and Simeon when he saw it was willing to be dissolved and to depart he had enough but that outward sight is nothing without another inward sight of faith There is a sight therefore of faith and other sights are to no purpose if they be without this a sight of God shining in Christ and this is perfected in heaven in the sight of glory when we see him as hee is Now there is a comfort in all these sights to see him in his Word and workes it was a glorious thing to see him in his bodily presence and by faith to see God in Christ to see his face in Christ oh it is a sweete and lovely sight to see God shining in Christ oh but what is all this to the sight of him after in glory Now this beholding meant here especially is the beholding of faith in the Ordinances in the Word and Sacraments We all behold as in the glasse of the Word and Sacraments by the eye of faith faith is expressed by beholding by knowledge for indeede faith is nothing but knowledge with application therefore faith includes knowledge what is faith but o know God and Christ and the promises as mine Christ in the Sacrament as mine as verily as the outward things are mine knowledge with application is faith therefore when I â—ay faith I include knowledge We behold The knowledge of the minde is compared to the eye of the body knowledge and faith is compaâ—ed to seeing and beholding for many reasons First because sight is the most gâ—orious and noble sence it is the highest in situation and the quickest in apprehension for in a moment presently sight apprehends its objâ—ct in the highest heavens so it is with faith it is the most noble sight of all and it is quicke as sight is for faith is that Eagle in the cloud it breakes through all and sees in a moment Christ in heaven it lookes backeward and sees Christ upon the crosse it lookes forward and seeeth Christ to come in glory faith is so quicke a grace that it presents things past things above things to come and all in a moment so quicke is this Eagle-eye of Faith Againe it is the largest sence for we can see almost the whole hemisphere at one view that a little thing in the eye shold apprehend so much in a moment as it is quick in apprehension so it is large in comprehension Againe it is the most sure sence sight more then hearing therefore that divine act of knowledge is compared to seeing beleeving is compared to beholding when faith lookes upon God in the glasse of the word and promises it is as certaine as the object is certaine Now how certaine is the object the mercy and love of God in Christ who is truth it selfe is most certaine Then it is that sence that workes most upon the soule sight for what the body seeth the soule is affected and mooved with the affections of desire and love rise out of sight it workes upon the affections most therefore the knowledge that stirres up the affections and works upon the heart is compared to sight it affects us marveilously for answerable to our faith we love and joy and delight it alters the frame of the whole man therefore it is expressed here by beholding divine spirituall knowledge it workes upon the heart So wee see why this beholding spirituall of the understanding and soule is compared to outward sight it is called beholding because it is a most noble spirituall act of the soule and it is most certaine and sure faith is the evidence of things not seene and it workes upon the heart and soule Therefore wee should labour to cleare this eye of the soule that wee may behold the glory of God in the glasse of the Gospell Quest. How shall wee have the eye of our soules fit to behold the glory of God Answ. Wee must fixe the eye of the soule fixe our mediation upon the glory of God and the excellency of Christ a moving rouling eye seeth nothing therfore we must set some time apart to fixe our meditations upon these excellent things in the Gospell Then againe wee must labour to have the hinderances remooved both within and without Sight within is hindred by some inward suffusion wee must labour that the soule be cleansed and purged from all carnall passions and desires and base humours that wee may clearely behold this spirituall object unlesse the soule be spirituall it can never behold spirituall things the bodily eye cannot apprehend rationall things nor the rationall eye beholds not spirituall things therfore there must bee a spirituall eye the soule must be purged and sanctified by the Spirit there must bee some proportion betweene the soule and spiritual things before the soule can behold them therefore as the soule must bee fixed upon this meditation so the Spirit of God must sanctifie and purge the soule Outward hindrances of sight as dust in the eyes and clouds c. they hinder sight Sathan labours to hinder the sight of the soule from beholding the glory of God shining in the Gospell with the dust of the world as the Apostle saith in the next chapter The God of this world blindes the eyes of men that they behold not the glory of God shining in the Gospell therefore if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that perish that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded their mindes that they beleeve not least the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine upon them therefore take heed of too much worldly things of fixing our soules upon the dust of the world upon things here below the sight of Christ and of God in Christ it is not gotten by looking below by fixing the soule upon base things below let us looke therefore that our soules be inwardly cleansed and fixed upon spirituall things and then we shall the better behold the glory of God shining in the Gospell And we should preserve this sight of faith by hearing begets seeing in Religion death came in by the eare at the first Adam hearing the Serpent that hee should not have heard death came in by the eare so life comes in by the eare we heare and then wee see as we have heard so have wee seene say they in the Psalme It is true in Religion most of our sight comes by hearing which is the sence of learning God will have it so therefore wee should maintaine all we can this beholding of the glory of the Lord in the glasse of the Word and for that end heare much You will aske mee what is the best glasse of all to see and know Christ inâ— If you aske a Papist he will shew you crucifixes and such kinde of things Oh but to behold Christ in the glasse of the word with a Spirit
we enter into that the nearer we are to the Kingdome of glory The next degree of glory is when the soule enjoyes the presence of God in heaven then the upshot and conclusion the closure and consummation of all at the day of judgement when body and soule shall bee united againe then is perfect glory here it is insinuated when hee saith we are changed from glory to glory that is from grace to grace till all end in glory which is the perfection of all in heaven when body and soule shall bee both glorious From glory to glory In this is considerable first that grace is glory And then that grace being glory is growing in a continuall course till it come to perfection wee grow from glory to glory from one degree of grace to another Grace whereby wee resemble Christ is glory and indeed so it is for the Image and likenesse of God is our glory what was Adams glory but his likenesse to God he was created in Gods Image and what is our glory to be like Christ therefore grace is our glory Mans perfection is his glory but the renewing of Gods Image in grace is mans perfection therefore it is his glory That which makes a man terrible to all opposites whatsoever is glory but grace makes a man terrible to the Devill and to wicked men both grace in one man and grace in the Church for the Church is Terrible like an army with banners when the Ordinances of God are set up in glory and there is glorious obedience to them in the Church it is terrible to the enemies as an army with banners for there is a luster and glory in all that is Gods both in the persons of beleevers and likewise in the Ordinances of God grace is glorious as the wise man saith Wisedome makes a mans face to shine Is not wisedome a glorious thing to see a wise understanding man able to guide himselfe and others it puts a beauty upon a man to be a wise and understanding man humility makes a man glorious for it makes God put glory upon a man when a man is glorious and understands it not as Moses when his face shined he knew not that it shined himselfe many humble men are glorious and thinke not so they are glorious and they shine though they see it not It is not a glorious thing to be taken out of our selves to deny our selves to offer a holy violence to our selves and to our corruptions is not this a glorious thing when others lye grovelling like slaves under their corruptions to stand vnmoveable in all the changes of the world and in all entercourse of troubles to stand as a rock in the middest of all unmoveable founded upon the love of God in Christ and the hope of glory after not to be shaken with the winde of temptations from his standing at least not to be shooke off his standing this is glorious to have a constant Spirit Is it not glorious to have admittance boldly by grace to goe into the presence of God at all times to be prevailer with God faith overcomes not onely the world but God himselfe it bindes him with him owne promise is not faith a glorious grace that triumphs over the great God himselfe binding him with his owne Word and promise Is not love a glorious grace that melts one into the likenesse of Christ beloved get love it is the onely artificiall worker of imitation it melts us into the likenesse of Christ it constraines it hath a kinde of holy violence in it no water can quench it wee shall glory in sufferings for that we love nothing can quench that holy fire that is kindled froÌ„ heaven it is a glorious grace Hope what doth it when it casts anchor in heaven it keepes us in all the waves it purgeth our natures to bee like the thing hoped for there is no grace but it is glorious so that grace is glory the Image of God is glory it makes a man glorious it makes him shine Beloved doe but represent to your thoughts such a one as Ioseph of a sweete wise and loving Spirit it is an excellent state to see a man in his place in the common wealth what a glorious sight is it to see a Ioseph a Nehemiah to see a man like Paul all on fire for the glory of God and the good of the Church the care of all the Churches lay upon him the conceite of a man shining in grace what a glorious representation in our thoughts is it And so in men now living when we see wisedome and love tending to the common good when wee see a spirit of mortification when wee see a Spirit of love that is not for it selfe but for other men a Spirit of love above selfe-love all for the good of others as Christ went about doing good It makes them so lovely and glorious as that no object in the world is so glorious as to see a man in whom the Image of Christ is it puts a glory upon him Besides it puts an inward glory upon a man when it makes him rejoyce The Spirit of glory rests upon him nay in imprisonments and abasements take a good man in any condition he is glorious his carriage is glorious you shall not see flesh and blood no revengefull humor when flesh and blood is subdued and nothing appeares in a man but the Image of Christ he is a glorious creature in the greatest abasement that can be when Paul was in the stockes what a glorious condition was he in when he sung at midnight when the Spirit of glory was upon him to see the Martyres suffer without revenge to pray for their enemies that they had a Spirit that conquered all wrongs and feare of death and displeasure of men a triumphant Spirit above all things below to râ—yse them above incouragements and discouragements what a glorious thing was this to see a man in his right principles with the Image of God upon him he sees all things below beneath him this is glorious to see a man that overcomes the world that cares no more for the offers of preferment on the right hand or for threatnings on the other hand all is nothing to him he breakes it as Sampson did his cords to see such a victorions spirit is not this glorious to see a glorious soule that is above all earthly things whatsoever that tramples the world under foote as the Woman cloathed with the Sunne treades the moone under her foote the Church cloathed with Christ who is the glory of the Church tramples all earthly things under feete grace is victorious and conquering prevayling over those corruptions that prevayle over ordinary men A Christian as David when he had Saul in the Cave overcomes himselfe it is an argument of a great deale of strength of grace Christ overcame himselfe on the crosse he prayed for his enemies so
excellent let us all labour for grace above all things we all as I said before desire liberty and as we desire liberty so wee desire glory but we know not the way how to come to it in seeking liberty wee seeke licensiousnesse in seeking glory we seeke it from men that cannot give it we seeke glory in outward things that are nothing what is the glory of all outward things but the shining of a rotten peece of wood in the night time or as a glow-worme what is all this glory but a flash it is nothing if we would seek true glory indeed as naturally all doe let us seeke grace thereby we resemble Christ the Lord of glory thereby wee are glorious in the eyes of Christ thereby wee are glorious both without and within though this glory for the present bee hid thereby we are terrible to the devill and all enemies For ever since his head was crushed by Christ that broke the Serpents head he is afraid of mans nature in Christ he is afraid of Christians as knowing that they be better then himselfe and hee shall bee judged by them ere long the devill shall be judged by Christians therefore let us studdy for this glory a man is never glorious till he be a Christian. It is said of Antiochus that he was a vile person what though hee was a King yes let a man be never so great in the world if he be a wicked man a man that dishonoureth his tongue that shold be his glory that hath not the language of Canaan that dishonors and defiles his body that should be the Temple of the Holy Ghost a man that carries a malicious and malignant Spirit that hath the image of the devill in his soule if hee bee never so great a person he will be vile ere long when all relations shall end in death all excellencies must bee layd downe in death therefore seeing all other excellencies cannot keepe a man from being a vile person let us labour for that that will put a glory upon us labour for the Image of Christ to be stamped upon our soule There is a great humour in this age in looking to peeces of workemanship if a man have skill to discerne a peece as they call it it is more then ordinary Beloved what a vanity is this though these pictures be lawfull they are a kind of mute poetry but what is this to the having of the glorious Image of Christ stamped upon us to bee glorious in the eye of God and in the very judgement of carnall men There is nothing so excellent as grace and nothing so base as sinne indeed there is nothing base but sinne and nothing excellent but grace so that Gods children not onely in their glorious riches and prerogatives to be the Sonnes of God and heires of Heaven are glorious but they have an inward glory The Spouse of Christ is glorious within Insomuch that Christ is in love with his owne graces he wonders at his owne graces in his children Vse 2 Againe oppose this to the scorne and hatred of the world base minded persons that disgrace goodnesse that their illnesse may bee the lesse discerned they labour to make all alike all they can by slaunders at least that their illnesse may not appeare oppose the judgment of Gods Spirit that esteemes grace glory a gainst all the judgement of the base world Beloved they shall know one day that those that they despise shall judge them and their hearts secretly tell them so what makes them maligne men better then themselves they have a secret conceit he is above me The spirituall man judgeth all things he is a man that discernes by a spirituall eye he judgeeth and condemneth my wayes and hereafter he will judge mee a secret conscience in him makes him feare a good man though hee deprave and maligne him yet his heart stoupes Vse 3 Againe is grace glory when God sets it on us shall wee cast our crowne in the dirt shall wee defile and blemish our glory by sinniug against conscience wee forget our excellency that grace is glory it teacheth us how to carry our selves to our selves If there be grace is us let us be honorable to our selves It is a good caveat that wee should be venerable to our selves that is Christians should take a holy state to themselves What I that am an Heire of Heaven I that am a King I that am a Conquerour I that am the Sonne of God I that am a Freeman should I tangle my selfe with these things shall I goe and staine my selfe Is it not an unsightly thing to see a golden pillar daubed with dirt or to see a crowne cast in the dirt God hath put a crowne upon me he hath made me a King he hath made me an Heire of Heaven hee hath made me his Sonne he hath put a glory upon mee shall I abase my selfe to devillish base courses No I will be more honorable in my owne eyes Let us thinke our selves too good for the base services of Sathan these thoughts we should take to our selves these are not proud thoughts but befitting our condition when wee are tempted to any base course whatsoever it is it is contrary to my calling Vse 4 And let us comfort our selves in the worke of grace though it bee wrought in never so poore a measure in all the disparagements of the world for those that are besotted with false vaine-glory they have the eyes of their soules put out and dimmed and dazled with false glory they cannot judge of the glory of a Christian they want eyes therefore let us bee content to passe in the world as hidden Christ passed concealed in the world onely now and then the beames of his glory brake forth in his miracles so wee must be content for our glory is hid in Christ for the most part and it is clouded with the imputations and malice of men and sometimes with infirmities as it will in this world let us comfort our selves with this that wee are glorious howsoever and glorious within and this glory will breake out in a holy conversation and it is better to be glorious in the eyes of God and Angels and good men and in the consciences of ill men then to have glory from their mouthes mallice will not suffer them to glorify them with their mouthes but their consciences must needes stoope to goodnesse for God hath put a majesty into goodnesse that any man that is a man that is not a beast that hath naturall principles will reverence it and the consciences of such men wil make them speake the truth one day and they shall say We fooles thought these men mad but Nâ—w wee see our selves fooles therefore in the disparagements of worldly men that know not where true glory lies let us be content with this that God hath made us truely glorious by working a change in a comfortable measure let us comfort our selves in this Vse
little stone grew to a mountaine Dan. 2. so we must bee content to grow from grace to grace there is a graduall proceeding in the new creature wee must not be presently in Canaan God will lead us through the wildernesse through temptations and crosses before wee come to Heaven many because they see they are farre short of others that are stronger Christians therefore they thinke they have no grace at all Therefore let those that are on the growing hand though they bee short of many that are before them let them not be discouraged with their over-little beginnings for it is Gods Ordinance course in this world to bring his children by little and little through many stations as they were led in the wildernesse from standing to standing and from place to place so God brings his children by many standings to Heaven and it is one part of a Christians meekenesse to subject to Gods wisedome in this kinde and not to murmure that they are not so perfect as they would be or as they shall be but rather to magnifie the mercy of God that there is any change in such defiled and polluted soules that hee hath vouchsafed any spirituall light of understanding any love of good things that the bent of their affections are turned to a contrary course then they were before that God hath vouchsafed any beginnings rather magnifie his mercy then quarrell with his dispensation that he doth not this all at once and indeed if we enter into our owne hearts it is our fault that wee are not more perfect but let us labour to be meeke and say Lord since thou hast ordained that I shall grow from glory to glory from one degree of grace to another let me have grace to magnifie thy mercy that thou hast given me any goodnesse rather then to murmure that I have no more and bee content in the use of meanes and indeavour to grow further though wee have not so much as others have Nay wee may not be discouraged because of the weaknesse of grace but we may not be discouraged with a seeming interruption in our spirituall growth God sometimes works by contraries hee makes men grow by their puttings backe and to stand by their falls sometimes when God wil have a man grow hee will suffer him to fall that by his fall he may grow in a deeper hatred of sinne and in jealousie over his owne heart and a nearer watchfulnesse over his owne wayes that he may grow more in love with God for pardoning of him and grow more strong in his resolution for the time to come that he may grow more in humility none growes so much as those that have their growth stopped for a time Let none be discouraged when they find a stop but consider that God is working grace in another kind the Spirit appeares in one grace when it doth not in another it grows in one grace when it doth not in another sometime the Spirit will have us grow in humility as the juyce of the herbes runnes to the roote in the Winter it is in the leaves in the Spring it is in the seede in Autumne as the life sometime appeares in the plant in one part and sometime in another so the Spirit of God appeares sometime in humility sometime in joy sometime in spiriâ—uall strength and courage Let none bee discouraged over much when they finde a stoppe for there is no interruption of spirit altogether and this little interruption is like a sickenesse that will make them grow and shoote up more afterwards it spends the humours that hinders growth there is such a mystery in the carrying of men from glory to glory that it makes men more glorious sometimes by base sinnes I would have no man discouraged therfore indeed God will worke so that hee shall wish he had not given him occasion to shew his strength in his weakenes his glory in his shame but God where hee hath begunne he will go through with the worke and will turne all to good And to incourage us here grace begunne hath the same name as grace perfect both are glory why doth God call them by one name To incourage Christians he tels them that if it be begunne it is glory not that it is so properly but if it be begunne it shall never end till it come in Heaven therefore God stiles grace in all the latitude from the highest to the very beginnings by the same name to incourage Christians if they be within the doore of the Temple though they be not so farre as those that are in high and glorious places yet they are going thither to incourage Christians to know that unavoydably and undefesably they shall come to perfection of glory if it be begunne and God lookes not on Christians as they are in their imperfections and beginnings but that that in time hee meanes to bring them to he intends to bring them to glory therfore he gives grace the stile of glory As in the creatures God looked not on the seedes of trees as such but he looked on them as seedes that he meant to make trees of and when God lookes upon his children he lookes not on them as they are children but as they shall be perfect men Doth the wisedome of God looke on the seedes of trees as he intends to make them trees and doth he not looke upon Christians that are babes in grace as he intends to make them men to come to the perfect stature of Christ he viewes us at once in our beginnings and perfections all is presented at once to him therefore he gives one name to the whole state of grace grace and glory all is glory I beseech you therefore if there be any goodnesse any blessed change in us let us be comforted for he that hath brought us to the beginnings of glory will never faile till hee hath brought us to perfect glory in heaven and there our change shall rest there is no further change there when we are once in our element For even as God when he made man he rested from all his worke upon the Sabboth man was his excellent peece so the Spirit of God will rest sanctifying and altering of us when we are once in Heaven in that eternall Sabboth then wee shall neede no changes from glory to glory wee shall for ever be filled with the fulnesse of God till which time there is no creature in the world so changable as a Christian. For first you see hee was made in Gods Image and likenesse in his state of standing After he fell there was a change to his second state of sinne After the state of fall there is a change to the state of grace After that from one degree of grace to another in this world till hee dye and Then the soule is more perfect and glorious but at the last when body and soule shall be united there shall bee no more change there
us labour to grow from glory to glory though wee lose otherwise that is well lost and parted with in the world that is with the gaine of any grace because grace is glory It is a good sickenesse that gets more patience and more humility it is a good loâ—se that makes us grow lesse worldly minded and more humble by it all other things are vanity in comparison and that grace that we get by the losse of them is well gayned grace is glory and the more we grow in grace the more we grow in glory Therefore I beseâ—ch you labour to thrive that way to grow up heaven-ward dayly more and more in our disposition Beloved the more grace we get the more glory and the more like we are to Christ and to God the more we adorne our profession and the more wee shame Sathan and his instruments and stop their mouthes the more duties come off naturally and sweetely from us without constraint it is good for us to be growne Christians that we neede not be cumbred with corruptions the more wee grow the more nimble and cheerefull and voluntary we shall be in duty wee shall partake more of that annoynting that maâ—es us nimble in Gods service There is nothing in the world so glorious as a growne Christian therefore let us be in love with the state of Christianity especially with growne Christians of all things he is compared with the best if he be a house he is a temple if he be a plant he is a Cedar growing up if hee be a flower he is a Lilly rising and growing fresher if he be a stone he is a pearle he growes in estimation and use more and more Beloved if we had spirituall eyes to see the state of a Christian of a growne Christian especially wee would labour above all things to thrive in this way have we not many workes to doe have we not many enemies to resist have we not many graces to perfect are we not to dye and to appeare before God are we not to enjoy the blessings of God purely and doe not these things require a great deale of strength of grace oh they doe therefore labour above all things in the world to behold Gods love in Christ and to behold Christ that by this sight we may grow from glory to glory And this will make us willing to dye what makes a man willing to dye but when he knowes he shall goe from glory to greater glory after death is the perfection of glory then we are glorious indeed when we are in heaven a weake sight here by faith changeth us but a strong sight when we shall see face to face perfectly changeth us then we shall be like him when we shall see him face to face A wicked man cannot desire death he cannot desire heaven it selfe why because heaven is the perfection of grace glory is but grace he loves not Therefore it is a certaine evidence of future glory for a man to love grace and to grow I say such a man is willing to dye a wicked man that hates grace that loves not Christ in his Image in his children or in his truth he hates glory that is the perfection of grace for peace and joy and comfort they are but those things that issue from grace and spring from grace grace is the â—hiefe part of heaven the perfection of the Image of God the perfection of all the powers to be like Christ but for peace and comfort that springs from it a wicked man loves peace and quiet but to have his nature altered he loves not that and if he love not grace how can hee love glory there is no man but a Christian that loves heaven We are ready to drop away dayly now to be in a state unchanged it is a fearefull thing unlesse we be changed by the Spirit of God we shall be afrayd to dye we cannot desire to be in heaven the vâ—ry heaven of heavens is the perfection of grace to see God to be all in all and by the sight of God to be transformed into his likenesse it is the chiefe thing in heaven therefore I beseech you let us labour more and more to grow in grace set Christ before us Let me adde this one â—hing make use of our patternes among us Christ is now in heaven but there will be the Spirit of Christ in his children to the end of the world and grace is sweetely convayed from those that we live amongst we grow up in grace by growing in a holy communion one with another Christ will kindle lights in every generation therefore let us labour to have the spirit of those wee live with given to us in conversing to be like Christ in his mâ—mbers to love the Image of Christ in his children and to converse with them to be altred into their likenesse this will change us to the glorious likenesse of Christ more and more Those that care not what company they keepe those that despise the Image of Christ in those among whom they live can they grow in grace We shall give account of all the good examples we have had doth God kindle lights for nothing we should glorifie God for the Sunne and Moone and Stars and other creatures is not a Christian more glorious than all the creatures in the world we should glorifie God for grace in Christians and labour to be transformed to them that we may grow the liker to Christ that we may grow more and more glorious I speake this to advance the Communion of Saints more and more as wee desire to partake more and more of this grace and to grow from glory to glory Vse 6 Againe considering that God meanes to bring us by little and little by degrees to perfect glory of body and soule and condition in Heaven to be like Christ let this make us be content to bee vile for Christ in this world as David said when he was scorned I will be yet â—ore vile doe you thinke I thinke much to shew my selfe thus for the honour of God when Michall scoffed I will be more vile Let us bee content to goe out of the campe and beare the reproach of Christ beare the reproach of Religion let the world scorne us for the profession of Religion God is bringing us from glory to glory till hee bring us to perfect glory and shall we suffer nothing for him let us bee content to bee more vile and to beare the reproach of Religion the very worst thing in Religion the reproach of Christ as Moses made a wise choyse it is better then the treasures of Egypt the most excellent things in the world are not so good as the worst thing in Religion because reproach ends with assurance of comfort that God will take away that and give us glory after Therefore let us not bee discouraged from a Christian course but goe through good report and bad report break through al
changed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord so in the chayne of Salvation you have passive words in them all Whom God foreknew he chose and whom hee chose hee justified and whom he justified he glorified all because they come from God and the Spirit of God so here we are transformed from glory to glory all is by the Spirit of God the third person for beloved even as from God toward us all things come through the Sonne by the Spirit so backe againe all things from us to God must come by the Spirit and through Christ wee doe all by the Spirit as all things are wrought in us by the Spirit God gives us the Spirit of Prayer and supplication and the Spirit of Sanctification and we pray in the Spirit and worke in the Spirit and walke in the Spirit wee doe all in the Spirit to shew that the Spirit doth all in all in this new creature and worke of Sanctification it is by no lesse then the Spirit of the Lord For beloved as it was God that redeemed us so it is God that must change us as it was God that wrought our Salvation and reconciled us no lâ—sse person could doe it so it must bee God that must perswade us of that glorious worke and fit us for it by his holy Spirit it is God that must knit us to our head Christ and then by little and little transforme us to that blessed condition that Christ hath purchased for us God the Sonne doth the one and God the Spirit doth the other you have all the three persons in this place for wee see the glory of God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost shining in lesus Christ. Christ is the Image according to which we are changed the Spirit is he that changeth us according to that Image God shewes his mercy in Christ we knowing and apprehending the mercy of God in Christ by the Spirit are changed by that Spirit from glory to glory so that the blessed Trinity as they have a perfect unity in themselves in nature for they are all one God so they have a most perfect unity in their love and care and respect to mankinde we cannot want the worke of any one of them all their worke is for the good of mankind The Father in his wisedome decreed and laid the foundation how mercy and justice might be reconciled in the death of the mediator Christ wrought our Salvation the Holy Ghost assures us of it and knits us to Christ and changeth and fits us to be members of so glorious a head and so translates and transformes us more and more from glory to glory It is a comfortable consideration to see how our salvation and our fitting for salvation till wee be put in full possession of it stands upon the unity of the three glorious persons in the Trinity that all joyne in one for the making of man happy I will name two or three Doctrines before I come to that which I meane to dwell on As first that The Spirit comes from Christ. It is said here By the Spirit of the Lord that is of Christ Because Christ doth spirare as well as the Father the Father doth spirare and the Son doth breath the Holy Ghost proceedes by way of spiration from both therefore the Spirit is not only the Spirit of the Father but of the Sonne as we see here The Spirit of the Lord. Christ sends the Spirit as well as the Father I will send you the Comforter The Holy Ghost proceedes from the Father and the Sonne and hee doth report to us the love of the Father and of the Sonne and therefore 2 Cor. 13. The shutâ—ing up of the Chapter The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost c. As the Holy Ghost hath communion in proceeding from the Father and the Sonne and knowes the secrets of both so he reveales them to us the love of God the Father and the Sonne and the communion of the the Holy Ghost so the Holy Ghost proceedes from the Sonne as well as from the Father he is called here the Spirit of the Lord. Then againe the Spirit is a distinct person from Christ it is said before The Lord is that Spirit that might trouble men how to know that The Lord is that Spirit men might thinke that Christ is all one with the Spirit No here the Spirit is said to be the Spirit of the Lord he meanes he is another distinct person from Christ and the Spirit is God as well as Christ because the Spirit hath the operations of God attributed to him to change and transfrome and make new wee are changed into the same Image from glory to glory Even as by the Spirit of the Lord creation and renovation of all new is from an Almighty power all the power in Heaven and earth cannot make that that was not to be especially that that was contrary and opposite to be now for a man in opposition and enmity to Religion to be changed to a better Image to the Image of Christ it argueth an Almighty power these Doctrinall poynts I doe but onely touch I come to that that I judge more usefull that is that What soever â— good in us it comes from the Spirit of God What need I stand upon reasons whatsoever is above nature it must come from Gods Spirit the Spirit is the Authour of all things above nature grace whereby wee are like Christ it is above nature therefore it must bee by the Spirit of God Besides that which riseth of nothing and is opposite and hath Sathan to oppose it it must have an Almighty power to work it Therefore whosoever workes any thing that is supernaturally good in us hee must be above the devill we cannot so much as call Iesus with a feeling but by the Spirit of God we cannot thinke a good thought all is by the Spirit whatsoever is gracious and comfortable in us I should bee overtroublesome to you to be much in so cleare a common argument as this is therfore I wil hasten to make some use of it Vse 1 And therefore put out of your thoughts I beseech you when you look to have any grace or comfort wrought shut out of your hearts too much relying upon any outward thing thinke not that education can make a man good or plodding can make a man good in bodily exercise in hearing much in conferring much in custome or education or any paines of our owne these are things that the Spirit will be effectuall in if we use them as wee should but without the Spirit what are theyâ— nay what is the body of Christ without the Spirit The flesh prositeth nothing what is the Sacrament and the Word dead things without the Spirit of the Lord nothing can worke upon the soule no outward thing in the world but the Spirit of God and the
glory of Gods mercy in Christ pardoning our sinnes for the righteousneffe and obedience of Christ and then that love warmes our hearts so that it changeth our hearts by the Spirit from one degree of grace to another there is a changing power that goes with the love of Christ and with the mercy of God in Christ this 〈◊〉 Doctrine the same Spirit that justifieth us by applying to us the obedience of Christ the same Spirit sanctifyeth us therefore their allegations and objections are to no purpose wee see here the Spirit of the Lord changeth us And so for your common Atheisticall professors that professe themselves Christians they partake of the name but not of the annoynting of Christ true Christians that are annoynted with the Spirit of Christ it will inforce a change Beloved we cannot behold the Sunne but wee must be enlightned we cannot behold the Sunne of righteousnesse but we shall be changed and enlightned The eye of faith though we thinke not of it though it looke upon Christ for justification and forgivenesse of sinnes yet notwithstanding at the same time incensibly there is an alteration of the soule if a man looke up for other ends yet at the same time there is an enlightning by the Sunne so at the same time that wee looke upon the mercy of God in Christ at the same time there is a glory shines upon us and wee are altred and changed though we thinke not of it at the very instant that we apprehend justification and forgivenesse of sinnes in the mercy of God in Christ at the same instant there is a glory put upon the soule we cannot have commerse with the God of glory but we shall be glorious Therefore there is no man that hath any thing to doe with God that hath not some glory put into his soule whatsoever he is Therefore let no man thinke hee hath any thing to doe in Religion till he finde the worke of the Spirit altering and changing him He hath the title of Holy Spirit from the blessed worke of sanctâ—â—ying anâ— changing he 〈…〉 And when hehath changed us he governes and guides us from glory to glory where the Holy Ghost is therfore he promotes the worke of grace begunne he doth not onely move us but promove he promotes the worke begunne therefore those that have the Spirit of God they rest in no degree of grace but grow from grace to grace from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith till they come to that measure of perfection that God hath appointed them in Christ those therefore that set up their staffe and will goe no further that thinke all is well they have not the Spirit of God for the Spirit stirres up to grow from one degree of grace to another to adde grace to grace and to enter further and further into the Kingdome of grace and to come nearer to glory still For this end the holy Spirit dwels in us and guides us as it is Rom. 8. he is a Tutor to us where the holy Ghost is in any body it is as a counseller Guide mee by thy counsell till thou bring me to glory It is a Tutor as Noblemens children they have their Tutors so Gods children are nobly borne they have their Tutor and Counsellor as well as Angels to attend them they have the Spirit of God to tell them this doe and that doe and here you have done ill they have a voyce behind them to teach them in particular wherein they have done amisse they that have the Spirit finde such a sweete operation of the Spirit the Spirit is a teacher and a counsellour to them they that are acquainted wiâ—h the government of Gods Spirit they find i checking them presently when they doe ill 〈◊〉 grieves them when they grieve the Spirit so it teachâ—th them in particular â—usinesses doe this doe not that Thus wee may know if we have the Spirit if it guide and governe us from glory to glory till wee come to perâ—ection where the Spirit is all in all in heaven Another evidence is this the Spirit where it is it rests and abides because it doth not onely change us at the first but it leads us from glory to glory as Saint Augustine saith wicked men have the Spirit of God knocking and he would saine enter as the wickedest man when he heares holy truthes discovered the Spirit of God knockes at his heart and he findes sweete motions in his poysonfull rebellious nature but this is but the spirit knocking that would have entrance but Gods children have the spirit entering and dwelling and resting there The spirit of God resteth on Christ and it rests on Christs members how can it change them and having done so guide and governe them from glory to glory but hee must rest there hee must take up his lodging and residence a Christian is not an ordinary house but a Temple he is not an ordinary man but a King he is not an ordinary stone but a Pearle he is not an ordinary tree but a Cedar hee is an excellent person and therefore the Spirit of God delights to dwell in him As the excellency of the body is from the soule so the excellency of the soule is from the spirit dwelling in him However in particular operations the spirit suspends his acts of comforâ—ing and guiding to humble them for their presumption alway the Holy Ghost is in the heart though he be hid in a corner of the heart I will send you the Comforter and hee shall abide with you for ever saith Christ thus we see how we may try ourselves whether we have the Spirit of the Lord oâ— no If wee have not the Spirit we are none of his wee are none of Christs Rom. 8. 13. And then whose are we if wee bee none of Christs Doe but thinke of that therefore if wee would not be men not having the Spirit that is men dead lead with a worse spirit then our own let us labor to know whether we have the Spirit of Christ or no Let us see what change there is to the likenesse of Christ for the Spirit as it comes from the Lord so it makes us like the Lord and wee are changed by reasons from the Lord by reasons and considerations from Christ and from the love of God in Christ because the spirit takes from Christ whatsoever he hath Hee shall take of mine c. that is the comfort hee comforts the soule with hee fetches them from his death and blood-shed and the love of God in him that he takes of Christ so there is a change wrought is us by reasons fetched from the love of God in Christ those conforming reasons God hath given his Sonne and Christ hath given himselfe and wee feele the love of God by the Spirit if the Spirit worke any grace or comfort by considerations fetched from Christ this is the true Spirit the change and alteration that it workes in
the illumination of the Spirit And then the change according to the Image of Christ this is altogeâ—her by the Spirit of Christ it is altogether from the holy Ghost Christ baptiseth With the Holy Ghost and with fiâ—e and Christ came By blood and by water by blood to dye for us and by water by his Spirit to change us and purge and cleanse us all is by the Spirit Christ came as well by the Spirit as by blood This change and the graduall change from glory to glory all is by the Spirit therefore wee should not thinke altogether of Christ or God the Father when we goe to God in prayer but thinke of the worke of the Spirit that the holy Ghost may have his due Lord without thy Spirit my body is as a thing without a soule a dead loathsome stiffe unapt carkasse that cannot stirre a whit and so my soule without the operation of thy holy Spirit it is a stiffe dead unmoveable thing and therefore by thy Spirit breath upon me as thy holy Spirit in the creation did lye upon the waters and brood as it were all things there lying upon the waters it fashioned this goodly creature heaven and earth this Mundus so the Spirit of God lying upon the waters of the soule it fashions all graces and comforts whatsoever they are all is wrought by the Spirit in the new creature as all in this glorious fabricke of the world was by the Spirit of God Let the Spirit of God therefore have due acknowledgement in all things whatsoever And what are we to looke to mainely now the knowledge of God the Father and his love to us shining in Christ all is in Christ and if we would have any thing wrought in us any alteration of our natures let us begge the Spirit that we may have the discovery of the love of God in Christ the Spirit attending upon the Gospell And because we have all these aboundantly in these latter times of the Church in the second spring of the Gospell in the reformation of religion after our recovery out of Popery there is a second spring of the Gospell oh belovd how much are we beholding to God never since the beginning of the world was there such glorious times as we enjoy Wee see how the holy Apostle doth preferre these times before former times when the vayle was upon their eyes and when all was hid in ceremonies and types and such things among the lewes Now saith he we behold the glory of God and are changed by the Spirit from glory to glory To conclude all therefore consider that the glory of the times and the glory of places and persons all is from the revelation of Christ by the Spirit which hath the Spirit accompanying it the more God in Christ is layd open the more the times and places and persons are excellent What made the second temple beyond the former Christ came at the second temple therefore though it were baser in it selfe yet the second Temple was more glorious than the first what made Bethelem that little City glorious Christ was borne there what makes the heart where Christ is borne more glorious than other folke Christ is borne there Christ makes persons and places glorious What makes the times now more glorious than they were before Christ what made the least in the Kingdome of heaven greater than Iohn Baptist he was greater than all that were before him and all that are after him are greater than he because his head was cut off he saw not the death and resurrection of Christ and the giving of the holy Ghost he saw not so much of Christ so that the revelation of Christ and the love of God in Christ it is that that makes times and persons and places glorious all glorious because the vayle is taken away from our eyes we see Christ the King of glory in the Gospell flourishing and the love of God manifested and by the Spirit of God the vayle is taken away inwardly as well as outwardly now for a fuller discovery of Christ than in former times comes the glory of the times now there are more converted than in former times because the Spirit goes together with the manifestation of Christ what is the reason that this Kingdome is more glorious than any place beyond the Seas because Christ is here revealed more fully than there the vayle is taken off and here we see the glory of God with open face which changeth many thousands from glory to glory by the Spirit of God that accompanies the revelation of the Gospell Is there any outward thing that advanceth our Kingdome before Turkey or Spaine c. No thing their government and riches and outward things are as much as ours if not more the glory of places and times are from the revelation of Christ that hath the Spirit accompanying of it that Spirit changeth us from glory to glory our times are more glorious than they were a hundred yeeres or two before why because we have a double revelation of Christ and of Antichrist we see Christ revealed and the Gospell opened and the vayle taken off we see Antichrist revealed that hath masked under the name of head of the Church and hath seduced the world Now this double revelation challengeth acknowledgement of these blessed times what should all this doe but stirre us up to know the time of our visitation to thankfulnesse to blesse God that hath reserved us for these places and Countries that we live in to cast our times to be in this glorious light of the Gospell to be borne in what if we had beene borne in those darke Egyptian times of Popery our lives had not beene so comfortable Now we live under the Gospell wherein with open face we see the glory of the mercy of God in Christ the unsearchable riches of Christ opened and discovered to us And together with the Gospell the ministery of the Spirit goeth the Spirit and those that belong to God thousands by the blessing of God are changed from glory to glory Certainely if we share in the good of the times we will have hearts to thanke God and to walke answerably that as wee have the glorious Gospell so we will walke gloriously that we doe not by a base and fruitlesse life dishonour so glorious a Gospell I beseech you let us thinke of the times else if we be not the better for the glorious times if the vayle be not taken away we are under a fearefull judgement The god of this world hath blinded our eyes doe wee live under the glorious light and yet are darke that wee see no glory in Christ we see nothing in religion but are as ready to entertaine Popery as true religion is this the fruite of the long preaching of the Gospell and the vayle being taken off so long certainely the God of this world hath cast the dust of the world into our eyes that we can see
Three parts of the Text. Happinesse of man in two things Doct. The mercie of God his glory Glory what Excellency Evidence Victory Witnesse Severall attributes shine on severall occasions All attributes terrible without mercie Why men are enemies to Gods free grace The glory of God in the Gospell greater than that in Adam The glory of God in Gospell above that in Creation Gods glory to man more than to Angels 1 Cor. 14. The glory of Gods mercy shineth in Christ. To imbrace this mercy God joynes our good with his glory To admire the love of God We may glory in Gods love without danger Glorious mercy will satisfie conscience Comfort from Gods mercy How we may looke at our owne Salvation How to thinke of mercy in temptation Often offences exclude not from mercy How God shewed Moses his glory Exhortation to accept mercy When we account grace glorious Necessity of the Gospell God condescends in giving the Gospell Motions of the Spirit in men unconverted God must be seene in some glasse God hath ingaged himselfe by his promise We cannot see Divine things but in a glasse Sight weak here perfect in heaven Our soules helped by our sences What makes spirituall things difficult Vse of a glasse To helpe weake sight Sacraments glasses Degrees of sight In the creatures In the Word Of Christ in the flesh Of faith Faith compared to sight It is the noblest sence It is largest It is the surest It is most working Vse How to keepe the eye of the soule cleare To â—ixe it on the object Remoove hinderances Inward Outward Spirituall sight presered by hearing The best glasse to know Christ in The vayle tooke away But in part Two fold use of a vayle Why men see not though the Gospell be unvailed Boldnesse in the Gospell Feare taken away by the Gospell Boldnesse in sinne weakneth boldnesse of faith How to â—ecovâ—r boldnesse with God Comfort in community in Religion To labour for union Necessity of a chang Simil. Reasons why our nature mâ—st be changed Because naturally we are opposite to God Simile Change double We cannot â—lse be fitted for heaven Every true Christian desires it A change in Sanctification as well as justification We can performe no holy action else The change especially on the will God qualifies whom he dignifies All good in Christ opposite to the ill in Adam Why the 〈◊〉 of Gods children is unâ—ltâ—rable Why Christ changeth us into his Image He is a powerfull head and husband We are predestinate to his likenesse Christs end is to destroy sathans work in us We could have no communion with Christ else To stuâ—â—dy Christ. Christs carriage Toward his friends To weake Christians To those that had but seeming grace To his Father To himselfe To his enemies To the Devill To Hypocrites How to reade the life of Christ in the Gospell The more we are like Christ the more beloved of God And of one another Simil. Who keepe Christ alive in the world How we come to be like Christ. How we are dead and risen with Christ. Three things comfortable to us in Christs death Whence hatred of sinne proceedes How to know if we be changed to Christs Image Most desire to be changed into the likenesse of the world Meditate on Christ. The sight of remainder of sin Christ all in all in changing us The gift of the Spirit For Christ. From Christ. The patterne of all grace from Christ. The reasons of this câ—ange from Christ To see all that is good and comfortable in Christ first This change wrought by beholding The excellencie of the glasse of the Gospell Vpon what ground we are changed by beholding Three efficatious sights How to knoW if we see the glory of God as we ought Love workes imitation Repentance a turning If there were not a change God would be forsworne Foure degrees of the glory of a Christian. Sin makes us shamefull Glorious comforts in religion Growth in grace glory The glory of the soule in heaven Of bodie and soule at the resurrection Grace is glory It is Gods image Mans perfection Terible to al opposites Wisedome Humility Selfe deniaâ—l Boldnesse with God Love Hope The glorious condition of a Christian. Difference betweene a Christan and another man Why the world despise those that are gracious From blindnesse of carnall men From Saints infirmities It is but a forced contempt We must be conformed to Christ. Grace in others either imitated or envied The excellency of Christians above others Two sorts of carnall men To labour for grace that we may be glorious No man glorious but a Christian Oppose this glory to the base esteem of carnall men Comfort our selves in the disparagements of the world To know whether we have grace by our esteeme of it In himselfe In others The state of grace and glory both goe under one name Heaven must be begun here Comfort that grace and glory have the same name Difference betweene the state of the godly and wicked Grace glorious when it is in strength Grace of a growing nature From our disposition From Gods purpose Simil. Grace more refined in aged Christians The least degree of grace glory in respect of the state of nature To labour for strength of grace Priviledges of growth in grace Not to be discouraged in the weaknesse of grace God leads his by degrees to heaven It is our owne fault that we are not more perfect Not to be discouraged in seeming interruption of spirituall growth The least beginnings and the perfection of grace have the same name and why Simile No change in Heaven Why we are not brought to perâ—â—ction here Not to â—â—are death Degrees in the glory of a Christian. A part of heaven to know the glory of it To trâ— the truth of our graces Christians grow when they thinke they doe not Why God brings us on by little and little Not to decay in grace Christians compared to the best things A â—icked man cannot desire heaven Account must be givâ—n for examples To beare the reproach of Christ. Vse 7. To be thankfull for glory beforehand In our head By Faith In the first fruites The workâ— of the whole Trinity in mans salvation Doct. Doct. Not to rest too much in outward performances The Spirit quickens all ordinances The Word and Spirit compared to the blood and arterieâ— The Spirit in Christ naturall and mysticall In the state of grace we must looke for nothing from our selves Comfort in want of goodnesse in us When men trust their owne strength they fall Whether we have the Spirit It openeth the eyes of the soule It discovers Gods love It sanctifieth Slander of the Papists He promotes sâ—nctification The Spirit a Counsellor It abides It changeth by reasons from Christ How to get the Spirit By hearing the Gospel In holy Communion Prayer To give the Spirit of God his dâ—e Whence the glory of times and places is Why more are converted now than formerly The danger of unprofitablenesse under meanes Spirituall judgements â—errable