for are you members of the Church or no yes will every one say will you make me an Infidel will you make me a Pagan Well take your own word then what is it to be a member of the Church but to be a Saint Must thou be a Saint doth not thy profession as thou art a member bind thee to be a Saint In Baptisme was not thy promise to renounce the Divel the World the flesh In renewing thy covenant in the Communion dost not thou purpose to cleave to God in all things Thou that takest liberty therefore in the Church of God under the profession of Religion to live as a libertine thou art a grosse Hypocrite and this aggravates thy sin and makes it worse then a Pagans Thou which art in the bosome of the Church in the Kingdom of Saints as it is in Dan. 7. the people of the Saints of the most high the people of God in the Church wherein thou art a professed member and yet doest thou take liberty grosly to offend God What doth make a Saint In a word to the constitution of a true Saint there is A Separation Dedication Qualification Conversation There is a separation presently when a man is a Saint he is separate from the confused company of the world from the Kingdom of Satan Therefore those that have all companies alike that carry themselves indifferently in all companies as men that professe a kind of Civility that are taken up with the complement of the times men that learn the language of the times that are for all sorts they know not what belongs to the high profession of Christianity There is a due to all I confesse there is a benevolence and a beneficence to all but there is a kind of complacencie a sweet familiarity and amity which should be reserved to a few onely to those in whom we see the evidences and signs of Grace If there be not a separation in respect of Grace there is no holinesse at all a Saint must be separated Not locally but in regard of amitie in regard of intimate friendship As we see it is in outward things in some of our houses there is a Court where all come poor and rich and there is the house where those of nearer acquaintance come and then there is the innermost Roome the Closet where onely our selves and those which are nearest to us come So it is in the passages of the soul there are some remote courtesies that come from us as men to all be they what they will there are other respects to others that are nearer that we admit nearer that are of better quality and there are other that are nearest of all that we admit even into the closet of our hearts and those are they with whom we hope to have communion for ever in heaven the blessed people of God termed here Saints It is an evidence of our translation from a cursed estate to a better when we love such hereby we know saith St. John that we are translated from death to life because we love the bretheren There must be a separation And withal there must be a dedication of our selves to the service of God A Christian when he knowes himself by the word of truth and by the work of the Spirit to be Gods Child he dedicates himself to better services then before he thinks himself too good he thinks too highly of himself to be a base blasphemer or swearer to be a filthy Person he considers himself as the Temple of the Holy Ghost and he useth himself to better purposes to better studies to do good And then with Dedication there is an inward Qualification to inable him with light never to forget the Image of God Herein this Saint-ship stands especially in this inward Qualification whereby we resemble Christ the King of Saints All our sanctification comes from him as Aarons oyntment went down from his head to his beard and so to his skirts so all our sanctification is from Christ. Every Saint is qualified from the Spirit of Christ of his fulnesse we receive this inward qualification that we have another judgment of things then this world hath what is good and what is bad what is true and what is false what is comfortable and what tends to discomfort He hath another conceit of things he hath another light then he had before and then other carnal men have he hath a heavenly light He hath another Language he gives himself to prayer and to thanksgiving he is given to savoury discourse He hath other courses in his particular calling and in his general calling then other refuse company have or then himself had before his calling this is from his qualification And this Qualification and Conversation go together he hath a new conversation he carries himself even like to him that hath called him out of darknesse into marvellous light So a true Saint as every professor of Religion ought to be he is dedicate to God and he is qualified in some degree as Christ was by his holy Spirit he is a new creature he that is in Christ is a new creature and he shewes this by his conversation or else he is no Saint How shall we know a Saint from a meer civil man as there be many that live and d ie in that estate which is to be pittied and one main end of our calling is not only to reduce prophane men to a better fashion of life but to shew civil men their danger A meer civil man lookes to the second table he is smooth in his carriage and conversation with men but negligent in his service to God A civil man he lookes to his outward carriage but he makes no conscience of secret sins he is not holy in all manner of conversation as St. Peter saith 1. Pet. 1. Be ye holy in all manner of conversation In private in publick in your retired carriage he makes no conscience of his thoughts of his speeches of all You may know an hypocrite so that carries himself smoothly and acceptably in the eye of the World but he makes no conscience of his thoughts he makes no conscience of his affections of his desires of his lusts and such things He makes no conscience of lesser oathes nor perhaps of rotten discourses No they are all for this that they may passe in the World that they may carry themselves with acceptance as for what belongs to the New Creature to Saints they care not for they have vain conceits of these and judge them as hypocrites because such a one knowes himself should be an hypocrite if he should do otherwise then he doth therefore he thinks that others that are above his pitch are hypocrites and and they make a shew of that that is not in them because if he should make shew of that his heart would tell him that he were an hypocrite A true Saint differs from an
a Christian to be cowardly because he hath death and hell conquered and every thing is made serviceable to help him to heaven But for another man to set light by these things it is more madnesse No man but a Christian can be stout and couragious except it be from a false spirit especially in things that are above mans natural power as death it is eternal and what man can stand out against the eternal wrath of God And therefore those that put on a Roman stoutnesse and courage though they seem to have strong spirits it is but false either they are besotted with sensuality or else with a spirit of pride When they look before them and see eternity and see their sins and that they must all appear at the day of Judgment they cannot be strong Let us labour therefore to have our hearts stablished by the Spirit of God and try our selves often by propounding Queries how we do things with what minds and upon what grounds Again another Evidence whereby we may know that we have spiritual strength and stability in Christ wrought in us by the Spirit of God is this when it makes us desire the coming of Christ when it makes us think of death and of the time to come with joy and comfort and that for the present it gives us boldnesse to the Throne of Grace in extremities He that in extremity can go to God in Christ it is a sign his heart is established Hypocrites in extremity flye to desperate courses as Saul and Achitophel did but in extremity the soul that is stablished goes to God My God my God saith Christ so Job Though he kill me yet will I trust in him I say it is an evidence of a soul stablished upon Christ by the Spirit of God to have boldnesse to the Throne of Grace in extremity nay when God seems to hide himself which is the principal extremity of all as in Divine temptations when God seems to be an enemy then for a man to fight and wrastle with God and tug with the temptation and not to let God go though he kill him this is a true Israel a conquerour of God this is a heart fortified by the Spirit It is an argument of a heart established when besides for the present for the time to come he can chearfully and boldly think how it will be with him when death shall come that he shall go to Christ that the Match shall be fully made up that is begun by God between Christ and him for the contract is in this world but the nuptials are celebrated in heaven and in confidence hereof can say Come Lord Jesus come quickly A heart that is not stablished saith Oh come not Wherefore art thou come to torment us before our time say the Devils to Christ so an unstablished heart at the hour of death is afraid it shall be tormented before the time and therefore come not come not saith such a soul. But the soul that is stablished upon Christ and upon the promises in Christ of forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting by the Spirit of Christ that saith Come Lord Jesus come quickly I have been larger upon this Point then I intended these unsettled times moved me to speak a little more then ordinary that we might labour to have our hearts stablished that whatsoever comes we may have somewhat that is certain to stick to that our estate in Christ may be sure whatsoever becomes of our state in the world otherwise VERSE XXII Who hath anointed us and also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts THe Apostle having formerly laid open the riches of a Christian In this Verse he cometh to shew his strength His riches consisteth in the promises of God in Christ His strength in being stablished upon those promises Now that which he had spoken of more generally in the word stablishing he unfolds in three borrowed Terms Anointing Sealing Earnest Implying therein the manner of the Spirits establishing a Christian. He who stablisheth us how is that wrought By the Spirit anointing by the Spirit sealing and by the earnest of the Spirit which three terms do all argue assurance For you know that in the old Law Kings Priests and Prophets were anointed that is they were authorized and confirmed in their places And for sealing Writings among our selves are sealed for security And an Earnest secures Contracts and Bargains So that whatsoever may serve to strengthen a Christians faith and assurance is here laid down God to help our soules by our senses fetcheth it from humane affaires applying words borrowed from earthly commerce by a heavenly anagogical sense to spiritual things First the sure estate of a Christian is set down in the general by stablishing and then in particular we are anointed and sealed and have the Earnest of the Spirit God in the Covenant of grace doth our part and his own too he gives faith and strengthens faith and seales us he gives us promises he doth stablish us upon those promises and works our hearts to an embracing of them he anoints us and seales us and gives us the Earnest of the Spirit All in the Covenant of Grace depends upon the faithfulnesse of God and not upon ours but upon ours dependantly as he is faithful in stablishing us Now because the holy Apostle would have us settled in the excellency of the state of a Christian in the Covenant of grace you see how large-hearted he is he useth four words implying one and the same thing Stablishing Anointing Sealing and giving Earnest all of them words used in ratification amongst men God is pleased to stoop to speak to us in our own language to speak of heavenly things after an earthly manner and therefore he sets down the certain estate of a Christian by borrowed speeches This is a gracious condescending of God stooping as it were lower then himself and indeed so he alwayes abaseth himself when he deales with man coming down far below himself To come to the words in particular And hath anointed us This word hath a double reference The holy Ghost carries our minds first to the relation and proportion that is between the graces of the Spirit of God and the oyntment with which in former times they were anointed in the Jewish Politie And it hath reference likewise and relation to the persons that were anointed The persons were Kings Priests and Prophets Now God hath anointed us in Christ. The order is this First Christ himself as Mediatour is anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes but for his fellowes The oyntment is first poured on the head of spiritual Aaron and then it runs down to all the skirts of his garment that is to the meanest Christian. Even as the least finger and toe is actuated and enlivened and moved by the soul and spirits that the head and the chief vital parts are so every Christian though he be but as the toe or
Spirit that raised and advanced him at the lowest that very spirit there being but one spirit in the head and members in our greatest abasement shall vouchsafe us the greatest advancement that we can look for to sit at the right hand of God to reigne with Christ for if we suffer with him we shall reign with him And hence you may have a reason likewise why Christians have no more comfort they doe not studie Christ enough they consider not Christ and the neernesse wherein Christ is to them and they to Christ that both make one Christ they doe not consider how Christ hath sweetned all he hath turned God and turned all to us he hath made God our Father and in him all things favourable unto us so that now the fire is our friend the Stone and the Gout and all diseases disgrace and temptation all are at peace and league with us all is turned in the use and issue to good to the help and comfort of Gods Children All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods 2 Cor. 3. ult There is not the worst thing but it is at peace with us because the malignant power it hath in order to damnation is taken away now it doth not hurt us but there is a soveraigne curing power to turne it to good I confesse Gods Children are discomforted but then they wrong their principles they wrong their grounds their religion their Saviour they wrong all the comforts they have interest in because they do not improve them when occasion serves As Job is checked Hast thou forgot the consolations of the Almighty or why dost thou forget them so if we have consolations and forget them and dote and pore upon our grievance it is just with God to leave us comfortless not that we want any comfort but we flatter our grievance and forget our comfort Let us change our object and when we have looked upon our grievance and been humbled in the sight of our sins let us look upon the promises let us look upon Christ in glory and see our selves in Heaven triumphing with him What can terrifie a Soul not Death it self when it sees it self in Christ Triumphing Faith sees me as well Triumphing in Heaven and sitting at the Right Hand of God as it doth Christ for it knowes I am a Member of Christ and whatsoever is between me and that happiness that is reserved for me in Heaven I shall triumph over it Christ triumphed in his own person over death Hell sin the Grave the Devil and she will triumph in me his mysticall body what he hath done in himself he will doe in me This faith will overcome the world and the Devill and Hell and all that is between us and Heaven A Christian that sees himself sitting at the right hand of God with Christ triumphing with him he is discouraged at nothing for faith that makes things to come present it sees him conquering alreadie Let us be exhorted to joy Rejoyce and again I say rejoyce we have reason to do so if we look to our grounds but when we yield to Satan and our own flesh we robb God of his glory and our selves of comfort but we may thank our selves for it But I come to the sixth verse wherein the Apostle inlargeth himself by shewing the end of his sufferings in regard of them by setting downe both parts both affliction and comfort VERS VI. Whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation or whether we be comforted it is for your consolation and salvation IT is much in every thing how the mind is prepared to receive what is spoken the Apostle therefore to make way for himself in their hearts he removes therefore scandall from his sufferings and he shews that it was so farre that they should take offence at it that they ought to do as he did to bless God for it for as the sufferings of Christ abounded in him so his comfort abounded And because they should think themselves no way hurt by his sufferings and base usage in the world he tels them in the verse that all was for their good no man should be offended at his own good they had no reason to take scandall at that which was for their good but saith he if you think basely of me for my sufferings you think basely of your own comfort for my sufferings are for your good and my comforts are for your good whether I suffer or be comforted it is or you The crosse is a distastfull thing to us and likewise the crosse in others is a distastefull thing not onely distastfull and bitter to us but shamefull St. Paul knowing this because he would as I said work himself into their good conceit that he might prevaile with them for their good saith he you ought not to think a whit the worse of me for this for all is for you So you see the scope of the words Whether we be afflicted it is for your c. But first he speakes of affliction alone and then of comfort alone If we be afflicted it is for your good and if we be comforted it is for your good His reason is because sometimes afflictions appeare without comfort therefore he saith not If we be comforted onely it is for your good but if we be afflicted it is for your good Sometimes comfort is before our afflictions that we may indure it the better God cheares us to it Sometimes God sheds his Spirit in affliction that there is abundance of comfort in it but for the most part it comes after after we have waited but in it there is always such a measure of comfort that supports us that we sink not yet the speciall degree of comfort usually comes after therefore he speaks of affliction in the first place If I be afflicted it is for you c. The Point is easie that The afflictions of the Saints are for the good of others The afflictions of Gods Church are Gods peoples especially the afflictions of Pastors and Leaders of Gods Armie God singles out some to suffer for the good of others the good especially of consolation and salvation for these two goods How can this be that the afflictions of Gods people are for the consolation and salvation of others I answer many wayes as we shall see afterwards more particularly but onely now to make way Afflictions are for the good and comfort of others because we have their example in suffering to traine us up how to suffer Example is a forcible kinde of teaching therefore saith the Apostle our afflictions are for you to lead and teach you the way how to suffer Words are not enough especially in matter of suffering there must be some example therefore Christ from Heaven came not onely to redeem us but to teach us not onely by words but by example how to doe and suffer willingly and chearfully and stoutly in obedience to God as he
many times but by the power of the Spirit he checked it and kept it under it was not his rule Now the reasons of this Doctrine That the godly guide not themselves by fleshly wisdome which hath worldly aimes and carnal means to bring those aimes to passe they are First Because Gods Children will not cherish that in them and make that their rule which is contrary to God which is enmity to God but this carnal wisdome which proules for the world and looks for ease and profit and pleasure it is enmity to God Rom. 8 6 7 8. the Apostle proves it at large They being subject to God Children of God being under him in all kind of subjection as servants as Children as spouses they will not cherish that which is rebellion to God which is not subject to God neither can be as we may say a Papist that is Jesuited he is neither a good Subject nor can be so the wisdome of the flesh neither is it subject to God nor can be subject in the nature of it it is rebellion It is Gods enemy it withstands all the Articles that he hath given us to believe fleshly wisdome hath some opposition against all truth it opposeth every command that God gives us to obey there is something in flesh and blood to withstand every command it is the greatest enemy that God hath And as it is an enemy to God so it is to us it is contrary to our good It is death the wisdome of the flesh Rom. 8. Saith the Apostle Rom. 7. The flesh deceived me and slew me There is no wise man will cherish that which is death and which is Gods enemy and his own too The wisdome of the flesh as it is opposite to Gods Spirit a rebel and an enemy to him so it is death to a Christian and therefore be will not frame his course of life by it It brings us to eternal death it betrayes us to Satan Sampson could have had no harm had not Dalilah betrayed him so the Devil could not hurt us unlesse it were for fleshly widome the Devil is not such an enemy to a man as his own fleshly wisdome Again a Christian knowes that as it is contrary to God and contrary to his good so it is base and unworthy as well as dangerous It is base and unworthy for a Christian that is an heir of heaven that is raised to be a Child of God to abase his wits to proule for the world how base and unworthy is it for him to seek the things below that is born again to an inheritance immortal and undefiled that is reserved for him in Heaven How unworthy is it for him that hath his understanding and all his inward parts and powers dedicated and consecrated to God to make his understanding a bawd for the base purposes of the flesh The high indignity of the thing makes the Child of God ashamed to be ruled by the flesh to prostitute the strength of his soul to the flesh to make his soul that should carry the Image of God to carry the Image of the Devil to make his wit and understanding a bawd to accomplish earthly things which God hath sanctified to attain grace and comfort in this world and to live as a Christian should do that he may die with comfort and enjoy heaven Again Gods Children will not be ruled by that which they should mortifie and subdue but this wisdome of the flesh is the object of mortification they are redeemed from it A Christian as he is redeemed from hell and damnation so he is redeemed from himself he is redeemed and set at liberty from the slavery of his soul to Satan to the world and worldly projects he is redeemed from the base conversation he was in before What hath he to do to be ruled by him from whom he is redeemed These things might be amplified at large but you see the truth evident what ground a Christian hath not to be ruled by fleshly wisdome But to make it a little clearer A Christian hath no reason to be ruled by earthly wisdome for the yielding to it doth all the mischief in the world it is the cause of all the misery in the world unto Christians especially God catcheth the wise in their own 〈◊〉 though they be politick and wise especially if a Christian give way to carnal politick wisdome God will universally shame him I never knew a Christian thrive in politick courses When he hath secret conveyances for the world God crosseth him every way in his reputation in his projects and purposes But consider to amplifie that which I gave in a branch before what reason hath a Christian to be ruled by fleshly wisdome when it hinders him from all that is good if he yield unto it and keeps him in imperfect good I speak especially now to those that are not in the state of grace What reason hath any one of you to be ruled by fleshly wisdome when it keeps you in the state of unregeneracy It keeps you perhaps in some good but it is imperfect good You think you are good enough and that all is sure and God will be merciful c. when as a Reprobate may go beyond you It hinders from good actions with pretences for fleshly wisdome will tell us there will be danger you shall be reproached if you do this and that you shall be accounted thus and thus and run into obloquie It hinders from doing good There is a Lion in the way it forecasts this and that danger it keeps us in imperfect good that will never save us it objects dangers the sluggard that will not set on his spirit to labour he thinks himself wondrous wise in forecasting dangers Oh I shall want my self c. It dulls and distracts us in good he that hath a carnal projecting head it eats up his soul that when he comes to pray or to hear or to meddle with spiritual matters the marrow and strength of his soul is eaten up with carnal projects and he doth things by halves Nay Carnal Wisdome as far as it is in us unmortified it sets it self against good by depraving good that we may seem to be mischievous and ill and wicked with reason Men are loath to go to hell without reason there was none that ever went to hell yet without wisdome a great deal of wisdome And how doth their wisdome bring them to hell as in other respects which I named before so in this it whets the poysonfulnesse of their nature to invent and to raise scandals or to be willing to take scandals when they are offered A carnal wise man when he knowes that such a degree of Religion is contrary to his carnal projects he fastneth all the disgrace on it that he can that he may be the lesse observed Religious he would be but with a limitation with a reservation and restraint as far as may stand with his
he saith We have not led our conversation according to carnal fleshly wisdome but by Grace his meaning is that a Christian when he hath heavenly wisdome he hath all graces and wisdome together There is a connexion a combination of graces as I said so he leads his life by all graces for all graces are necessary to a Christian life therefore instead of wisdome he puts the word grace Now besides these besides the favour of God accepting us in Christ And besides the working of these graces in us in and after our conversion there is another degree of grace requisite which is a particular exciting applying strengthening grace which is required to every good act to act every good work and to resist every evil and to enjoy good things as we ought to enjoy them I say there is a grace necessary to withstand temptations in all evil besides graces habitual that are wrought in us of Faith and Love and Hope c. These except they be actuated and enlivened by the continual work of the Spirit except they be brought to act and a new strength put into them they are not sufficient for a Christian life Therefore S. Paul here by Grace meanes not onely the graces of the Spirit habitual graces but the power of the Spirit acting enlivening quickening and strengthening him against every evil in particular and to every good work in particular But by the Grace of God In that the Apostle here though he principally mean wisdome yet he names Grace the next point I will observe is this That All the Wisdome that we have it comes from Grace All the wisdome we have comes from Grace meerly from Grace And this Grace is not wanting to us when we have renounced our fleshly wisdome Heavenly wisdome comes altogether from Grace To make this a little clear Whatsoever is spiritual it comes from Christ since the fall we have nothing but by especial grace God being reconciled by Jesus Christ he hath placed all fulnesse of grace in him he hath inriched our nature in him with wisdome and all graces whatsoever All the treasures of wisdome are in him and all other graces God the Father and our Saviour Christ they send the Spirit they communicate the Spirit which takes of Christ and doth enlighten and quicken and guide all those that are members of Christ. All in particular all inward things come from Grace Grace comes from the Spirit the Spirit from Christ and this is the descent of Grace and Wisdome Thereupon they are taken indefinitely in Scripture sometimes to walk wisely to walk graciously sometimes to walk in the Spirit sometimes to walk in Christ it is all one sometimes to be in Christ Whosoever is in Christ c. And to walk in the Spirit and by the Spirit to pray in the Spirit and in wisdome and in faith or to live by faith or to live by Grace or in Grace they are all one because they are subordinate For Christ is the treasure of the Church all that is Good for the Church is laid up in him Wisdome and whatsoever Of his fulnesse we receive Grace for Grace Grace answerable to the grace that is in him he vouchsafes us his Spirit Now the Spirit guides us not immediately but it works a habit in us as we call it it works somewhat in us to dispose us to that which is good And when that is wrought the Spirit guides us to every particular action These things that the Spirit works in us are called Graces because they come from out of our selves by the Spirit so wisdome is called Grace because it comes from the Spirit the Spirit comes from Christ and Christ hath grace not onely grace in himself but he infuseth Grace into us he hath not onely abundance but redundance not only Grace flowing in himself but redundant overflowing to all his members This Saint Paul meanes when he saith We have had our Conversation by the Grace of God that is by such blessed habits of Wisdome Faith Love c. as are wrought by the Spirit of God which Spirit is given us by Jesus Christ our head Hence we learn that every thing that is necessary to bring us to heaven it is a grace that is it comes from without us Adam had it within him he was trusted with his riches himself but now in Jesus Christ we have all of Grace we have all out of our selves Christ is the Sun we have all our beams from him all our light all our life from him he is the head all our motion is from him And this is not onely true of habits as we call them that is a constant work or disposition wrought in Gods Children which for the most part they carry about with them but likewise in all the particular passages of their life they have need of grace for every particular action And herein the soul is like to the ayr the ayr stands in need of light and if it be not enlightned by the Sun it is presently dark so a man is no wiser in particular actions then God will make him on the sudden put case he be a man of a wise spirit for the most part that he passeth for an understanding man and is so yet except he have the grace of Gods Spirit except he have wisdome to guide him in particular he is no wiser then God at that time will make him to be You see all motion in the body it comes from the head let the spirits in the head be obstructed never so little and there followes an apoplexy there will be no motion so all our wisdome all the direction that we have to lead our lives as becomes Christians it comes from Christ it comes from Grace not only the disposition but likewise every particular action for we need Grace continually to assist us to excite and stirre up our powers and to strengthen them against oppositions and if the opposition be strong we have need of a stronger Grace There is never a good work that we do but it is opposed from within us from without us From within us by Carnal wisdome as I said before and by carnal passions and affections From without us by Satan by the world and by men that are led with the spirit of the Devil therefore there is need of a strength above our own Besides the Grace that is in us ordinarily there needs a new particular strength and light to particular actions Doth all come from God and from his Grace Let us take heed when we have any thing of sacrilegious affections of attributing any thing to our selves to our own wisdome and let us give all presently to Grace Mark the phrase of S. Paul here Not by fleshly wisdome but by the Grace of God he doth not say by any habit in my self he doth not say by any wisdome that is in me but he chooseth that which is in God Grace and favour because he would
fool The fool as the Wise man saith knowes not the way to the City so a wicked man he knowes not the way to heaven he discerns not the difference he provides not he knowes not the way thither he cannot do one thing that is gracious not one action that may further his account I might be very large in the point it is profitable because we do infinitely deceive our selves in that point which is of more consequence then the whole world for the man is as the rule that he is led by is carnall men are led by carnal rules gracious and holy men guide their lives by heavenly wisdome by a gracious rule Now if you find your selves defective for a good Christian may be defective in this but if he have hearkned to carnal wisdome if he have forgotten himself if he have troubled himself too much about the world he will come to his Centre again he will come to his old way again he will not be long out of it his way and course is by grace Sometimes he may have a policy that is not good as David had yet his way is gracious I say if you find your selves defective I will shew some helps how we may guide our selves not by fleshly wisdome but by the Grace of God that is by gracious wisdome by the Spirit Now the Spirit leads us not immediately but works Graces in us and stirres up those Graces in us The Spirit guides a godly man by working grace in him by making him better by using those graces in him Sometimes the Spirit of God moves a wicked man but it makes him not better he puts conceits into his head and makes him do that which otherwise he would not but he is not bettered The Spirit guides a good man by making him better he works a gracious disposition a gracious bent in him that his judgment concurres with Gods his affections concur with the holy Spirit and make him holy and pure There is a disposition wrought in a good man like to the Spirit that sanctifies him and like to the disposition of Christ to whose Image he is renewed Now that we may guide our lives by the Spirit working in us spirituall and gracious wisdome First of all consider what I said before of fleshly wisdome there are none but they have one of these two guides either the flesh and by consequent the divell for the divell dwells in our carnall reason that is his Fort that is his Tower his Castle Carnall fleshly Imagination is the Divells forge there he workes all his tooles all his Instruments For the Divell workes not so much immediately as by carnall men that are led with him Our wit and policie and carnall wisdome it is the shop the forge of the divell wherein he works all his mischief to overthow us It is the Divells Worke-house where he engins with all his tooles and Instruments Then considering that there are but two guides the flesh the world and Satan which alway go together in one or Gods Spirit and Grace let us be willing to submit our thoughts and desires to submit our projects and our aimes and all to the Spirit of Grace submit to the Word of grace and to the motions of the Word the Word of God having the Spirit of God accompanying of it the Word of grace accompanied by the Spirit of Grace is forcible as the Apostle saith 1. Cor 10. It beates down strong holds strong Imaginations Satan fortifies himself in strong holds as the Scripture calls them in high thoughts working discoursive thoughts Now when we come to hear the Word which teacheth the simple sincere truth of God that teacheth us how we should be saved and how we should guide our lives if we will be guided by grace if we will yield to Gods simple truth let him erect a throne in us let us lay down all When we come to hear the Word let us think I come to hear the wisdome of heaven it self I come to hear that Word that shall make me wise to salvation I will not entertain projects I will not entertain a wisdom that is contrary to it when they rise in my soule contrary to the direction of the Spirit and of the Word down they shall I will not owne them this is the wisdome of a man that intends to make grace his rule Now a carnal hearer a carnall reader a common Christian he brings his naughty proud heart he brings his high conceits to the hearing and reading of the Word he comes as a Censurer as a Judge he comes to talk of what was said in this passage and in that passage he comes not as to hear God speak in his Ordinance he comes not as a humble man he comes not to hear it as the Ordinance of God with reverence and that makes him come and go out again as a beast As the beasts that went our of Noah's Ark they went out as they came in so many come into the Church and go out again as beasts they go our worse then they came in because they bring not hearts to submit themselves to God and to his Word O a spirit of subjection it is a blessed thing Self-denyall is some help to this be content in the guiding of your common life and in the guiding your way to salvation to be no wiser then Gods Spirit and Gods Word will make you to have no will nor no wisdome contrary to his will and wisdome but you will live as men that have nothing of their own nothing different from God no distinct will no contrary will and wit to God but you will let God take the guidance of you himself and whom he guides must needs come to a happie end as the Psalmist saith excellent well Thâ—… wilt guide me by thy counsell and after bring me to glorie Those that submit themselves to be guided by Gods counsell he will bring them to glory Serviceable to this is that which is pressed every where in the Scripture Humility God gives Grace to the humble that is he gives them not onely forgivenesse of sins and acceptation to life but he gives them grace for the regiment of their lives he gives Grace to the humble Those that humble their wits to God for there is a humiliation of the wit as well as of the affections that they care not for the depths of Satan they care not for School-tricks they care to know nothing but Christ and him crucified as S. Paul saith Gods Word is of Power and Majestie enough to save me I need not bring my wit for my acceptance to God it is truth that is accepted not a strong brain to cavil God gives Grace to the humble Those that bring their understandings to be led and taught by God he gives grace to them Again in the third place If we would have our thoughts guided by counsel let us have a high esteem of wisdome above all precious
stones and pearles Solomon presseth it have a high estimation of wisdome of the government of Gods Spirit as the best government And be out of love with carnal reason with carnal affections and their guidance account them as base things not worthy to come into the esteem of a Christian heart Those that highly prize wisdome God will lead them by it those that sell all for the pearl shall have it There must be a high price set on the guidance of Gods Spirit and on grace as indeed it is worthy of it and then we shall have it Again if we would lead our lives according to spiritual and heavenly wisdome according to grace and gracious wisdome let us learn as it is Job 22. to be more and more acquainted with God by prayer for grace comes not from within us Grace is in Christ as in the root as in the spring as in the Sun we have it but as the beam as the stream therefore let us learn to be acquainted with God and with Christ by prayer and meditation and search into his Word by reading and by hearing him speak to us and let us often speak to him Let us acquaint our selves with him by prayer and by hearing his Word and then we shall have his grace to guide us For grace is a fruit of his peculiar love he gives grace to his own peculiar people How do you think shall he have a peculiar delight in us if we labour not to be more and more acquainted with him by often speaking to him by often hearing of him by coming into his presence and attending as much as we can upon his holy Ordinances by conversing as much as we can in the holy things of God Those that will be warm they come under the beams of the Sun those that would have the Spirit work effectually they must come where the Spirit is effectual where the Spirit works Now the Spirit is effectual in the Word preached the Spirit fell upon Cornelius and the rest when they were hearing of S. Peter And the Spirit is where there is conversing in good company Where two or three are met together I will be in the middest of them saith Christ. If we walk with the wise we shall be wiser It must be the heavenly wisdome of a Christian if he would lead his life by grace to attend upon all the meanes of grace because the Spirit of God is effectual by his own means he works by his own means therefore use the meanes that the Spirit hath sanctified for the working of grace I do wonder at a company of vain sottish creatures that carry themselves according to their vain conceits according to the whirling of their own brain in toyes and baubles that come into their heads they care not for the hearing of Gods blessed truth either they abstain altogether or else they hear it carelesly as if it were a thing that concerned them not Oh but those that will lead their lives by grace they come to it by the Spirit and the Spirit is onely effectual in holy Ordinances It must be our wisdome therefore to bring our selves under some meanes or other that the Spirit may be effectual The wisest and the best men in the world are no longer gracious then they are wise this way if they neglect good company good acquaintance if they neglect the hearing of the Word if they neglect prayer they will grow dead and dull and carnal-minded they will be possessed with base thoughts How do men differ one from another not so much by any habitual grace that is in them as by avoiding all that might prejudice them in a Christian course and by using all means whereby the Spirit of God may be effectual Again the way ro be under the grace of Gods Spirit is often to meditate of the grace of God the free love of God in Jesus Christ for so it comes first The first grace of all is Gods free love in the forgiving of our sins and accepting us to life everlasting and then he doth alter and change our natures more and more he transforms us more and more when we find therefore any defect of grace in our hearts when we find coldnesse and deadnesse and dulnesse go to the first fire to the first Sun to the free grace of God in Christ pardoning all our sins and accepting us to life everlasting and promising us grace to lead our lives in the mean time If you have fallen into any sin by the temptation of Satan or your own weaknesse beg not first grace to alter your course to sanctifie your life but renew every day your interest in the first grace in the forgivenesse of sins and your acceptation to everlasting life For till God have pardoned your sinnes and have witnessed to your soules that you stand reconciled he will not give the best fruit of reconciliation which is grace Therefore every day examine your lives if you have offended God in what termes you stand with God and if you stand in ill termes that there is any sin against conscience the best way is not presently to amend that for that will not be except the heart be warmed with Gods love and favour in the pardon of your sins first and in the acceptation of you in Christ notwithstanding your sins as he justifieth us every day not onely in the first act of conversion but daily he acquits our consciences daily from our sins and therefore in the Lords Prayer Christ teacheth us every day to say Forgive us our sins And then after forgivenesse of sins to beg the particular graces for our lives that we want I would this were better thought on Challenge likewise the Covenant of grace we have a promise of all grace and the spring of all grace We have a Promise of Love God will teach us to Love one another We have a promise of Fear he hath promised that He will put his fear into our hearts that we shall never depart from him We have a promise of the holy Spirit Let us challenge these Promises every day So much for the Directions how to lead our lives by Grace But by the Grace of God Saint Paul here makes it the ground of his rejoycing that he led not his life by fleshly wisdome but in simplicity and sincerity and by the Grace of God and all that are led by S. Paul's spirit live thus There is a Religion in the world that bears it self very big on high terms of Universality Succession Antiquity c. and they will have it thought to be a spiritual and holy Religion Well if a man be a carnal man that is led with fleshly wisdome and not by the grace of God that Religion must needs be a naughty Religion that hath onely the support and the foundation of it in fleshly wisdome which is an enemy and opposite to the grace of God and to simplicity and sincerity But Popery is this
the sweetnesse of his spirit joynes us with you he saith not you with us but as if they were as firmly set in Christ as himself he saith us with you he puts them together with himself for indeed all of us one with another weak Christians and strong Christians fetch all that we have from one Fountain draw all from one Spring are led all by one Spirit You have here also the Character of a sound Christian he loves and values all Christians A carnal man may value excellent Christians that have excellent parts of whom he hopes for kindnesse in some peculiar regard but he loves not all the Saints Love to all Christians as they be Christians because they have some anointing of the Spirit some earnest somewhat they have to be valued is a note of a good and sound Christian Another reason why he joynes us with you is to shew that the working of the Spirit it is not in the members severed from the body but as they are in the body The Spirit works in us but in us with you and in you with us that is as all the spirits come from the head and heart to the severall members of the body so they must be united they must be in the body before they can have the benefit of the spirits there must be an union with Christ the head and with the rest of the members before we can have the Spirit to strengthen us and anoint us those that rend themselves from the body cannot hope for stablishing from the head This should be a bond to ty us to the communion of Saints we have all that we have in the body we all grow in the body we are all stones in one building whereof Christ is the foundation therefore as stones in an Arch strengthen one another so should we Let us look for grace to be given in the communion of Saints it is an ill sign when any man will be a solitary Christian and will stand alone by himself As we are knit to Christ by faith so we must be knit to the communion of Saints by love That which we have of the Spirit is had in the communion of Saints It is worth ohserving the better to cherish Christian lovingnesse Thus you see the parts of this sentence in which we have the grace it self here spoken of Stablishing In whom we are stablished In Christ. By whom by God And who those are that are stablished Us with you To make now some Application of all If it be God that stablisheth us let us make this Use of it Let God have the glory of our stablishing If we have it in dependance upon God by Prayer let us return all by praise and thanksgiving all comes of his meer grace let all return to his meer glory Not unto us but unto thy Name give the praise It is the song of the Church on earth and the song of the Church triumphant in heaven that all glory be to God in all the whole carriage of salvation The promises are his stablishing is his that he would make a Covenant it is his that he will perform his Covenant to us it is his that he will enable us to perform the Covenant it is by his strength all is his therefore both the Church here and the Church in heaven our song should be Great and gracious and merciful is the true God that is so gracious and righteous in all his promises Let us labour I beseech you for stablishing especially in these times Is it not a shame that we have gotten no more ground now then we had threescore yeares ago nay that we rather call principles into question The Pope hath been Antichrist and Traditions have been accounted Traditions and not equal with the Word what shall we now stagger in the foundation is here our progresse Oh beloved labour to be stablished in the present truth that you may not be a prey for every subtile man And here especially I would speak to the younger sort that they should labour for this stablishing betimes before they be engaged in the world and before other businesses possesse them over-deeply for falshood hath more correspondency and suits better with our corruption specially if it be forced from subtil wits it prevailes much with unstable dispositions those that are uncatechized and ungrounded they are soon led away and therefore with other studies we should study the truth and remember that our best calling is to be a Christian and our best honour to be able to stand for the truth we professe Labour to have fundamental graces established and then all will be stablished if the root be strengthened the tree stands fast radical graces must be strengthened First Humility The foundation of Religion is very low and humility and abasing is in all parts of Religion every grace hath a mixture of humility because our graces are from God they are dependences Now humility is an emptying grace and acknowledgeth that in my self I am nothing Spiritual poverty with humility acknowledgeth that I in my self am a dependent creature if God withhold his influence if God withdraw his grace I shall be as other men as Sampson when his hair was cut Our strength is in God altogether Let us pray that we may be humble God gives grace to the humble When I am weak saith blessed S. Paul then I am strong that is when I am humble and feel and acknowledge my weaknesse then I am strong or else a man is not strong when he is weak but when he feeles and acknowledgeth his weaknesse Therefore let us labour to grow in humility and self-denial and we shall grow in strength Then again another radical grace to be stablished is Faith Depend upon God altogether for considering our strength is out of our selves and faith being a grace that goes out of our selves and layes hold of that that is out of our selves faith is necessary to our stablishing Believe and ye shall be stablished saith the Prophet Though the Promise be sure in it self yet we must be established by faith How doth God stablish us by working a spirit of faith therefore strengthen faith strengthen all other graces all have their issue from faith And faith comes from sound knowledge knowledge therefore hath the name of faith This is eternal life to know thee strengthen and increase knowledge Historical faith is nothing but knowledge when we know the Word of God to be as it is and that is the ground of justifying faith and dependance For the more I know God in Covenant as he hath revealed himself and the more I know the promise and the more I know Christ the more I shall depend upon him and trust in him They that know thy Name will trust in thee Psal. 9. Therefore let us labour for certainty of knowledge that we may have certainty of faith What is the reason that our faith is weak because men
the foot yet all have communicated by the Spirit from Christ the head So that the third person the Holy Ghost that sanctified the humane nature of Christ that filled and enriched it with all grace and anointed Christ the same Spirit enricheth all his mystical members As there is one Spirit in Christ and that sacred body he took on him so there is in the mysticall body but one Spirit quickening and enlivening and moving the head and the members He is a head of influence as well as a head of eminence Of his fulnesse we have all grace for grace He is first anointed and then we are anointed in him We will first speak of it as it hath reference to an oyntment and then as it hath reference to the persons anointed In the first place then why are graces here called anointing I answer they are called anointing from reference to that composed oyntment in Exod. 30. where you have the composition of the holy oyl laid down But in particular you may observe these five particulars in which the relation standeth First Oyntment is a liquor supereminent it will have the highest place it will have the eminency and be above all other liquors and in that respect it is a royal liquor so the graces of Gods Spirit they are of an eminent nature Spiritual gifts are above the gifts of nature and spiritual blessings are above earthly things the grace of God is a supereminent a royall thing it will be above all even above our parts of nature if a man have by nature a strong wit grace will subdue his wit so that he shall be onely witty to salvation he shall be onely strong to defend the truth and to do nothing against it he will subjugate and subordinate his parts and whatsoever excellency he hath by nature to grace cast all at Christs feet count all as dung in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ. And so again grace is above corrupt nature above all our corruptions it will bring them under it will subdue corruptions temptations afflictions any thing what you will that is either natural or diabolical for grace is spiritual and that which is spiritual is above all that is below Grace is of an invincible nature it will bear sway by little and little it is little in quantity but it is mighty in operation And it is above any outward excellency whatsoever if a man be a King if he have this anointing it makes him better then himself he is better in that he is a Christian that he hath this sacred anointing then for any other created excellency under heaven whatsoever yea though he were an Angel Grace hath its derivance and influence from Christ who is higher then all and will be above all and so will grace That is the first Other liquors the best of them will be beneath but oyl it will be above all It is compared to oyntment in the second place because that oyntment is sweet and delightful so was the oyntment that was poured upon our Saviour by the woman in the Gospel therefore the Spouse in Cant. 1. 3. speaking of Christ Because saith she of the savour of thy good oyntments thy Name is as an oyntment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee The graces that are in Christ are so sweet that they draw the Virgins they draw all believers after him So grace in a Christian it makes us sweet it sweetens our persons and our actions It sweetens our persons to God God delights in the smell of his own graces it makes us delectable for Christ and his holy Spirit to lodge in our soules as in a garden of Spices It makes us sweet to the Church to the communion of Saints A gracious man that hath his corruptions subdued is wondrous sweet his heart is as fine silver every thing is sweet that comes from him When the woman poured the box of oyntment upon Christ the whole house was filled with the smell thereof so the whole Church is filled with the savour of the graces of good men that either do live in the present times or have left their graces in writing to posterity A wicked man is an abomination to God and so are all his actions he that is in the flesh cannot please God a civil man that hath not this anointing all that he doth is abominable to God all things are unclean to the unclean even their best actions have a tincture of defilement from their corruption without this oyntment we are not sweet neither to God nor to others therefore the Scripture terms men in the state of nature Swine and Goats stinking creatures and so indeed they that have not this anointing they are stinking Goats and shall be set at Christs left hand except they have grace to sweeten their understandings and affections and to draw them higher then nature can Likewise grace is full of sweetnesse to a mans self it sweetneth our nature and our actions to our selves a good conscience being privy to it self of the work of grace is a continual feast the conscience of a Christian once renewed by grace inlargeth the soul and fills it with sweet peace and joy in believing Thirdly the graces of the Spirit are called anointing because anointing strengthens therefore usually Warriours and Combatants amoug the Heathen that were to encounter were first anointed so there is a Spirit of strength in all those that are true Christians which they have received from God whereby they are able to do that that worldlings cannot do they are able to deny themselves to overcome themselves in matters of revenge c. they are able to want and to abound to beare crosses to resist temptations and as the Apostle saith able to do all things nothing can stand in the way of a gracious man no not the gates of hell he that is in him Grace is stronger then he that is in the world the least measure of grace though it be but as a grain of mustard-seed is stronger then the greatest measure of opposition though strengthened with all the power of hell In the fourth place oyntment makes the joynts of the body nimble so this spiritual anointing it oyles the joynts of the soul as I may say and makes them nimble and ready to serve God in newnesse of Spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter Gods people are called a willing people and a chearful people ready to every good work And there is good reason for it for they have an inward spiritual anointing that makes them active and nimble in every thing they do that Spirit that sanctifieth them that Spirit telleth them what Christ hath done for them that there is no damnation to them that God is reconciled to them that they are freed from the greatest dangers that all is theirs and so their joy and nimblenesse is from good reason and there is a spirit of love in them unto God and Christ which makes them nimble