that he had sometimes found things so with himself Hieron in lib. de virgin Seru. that it seemed to him as if he had been triumphing among Troops of Angels and singing Hallelujahs with the Saints in heaven Yea walking arme in arme with Christ in the Galleries of eternal glory The Apostle is to this purpose 2 Cor. 12.2 3. I know a man in Christ above fourteen years ago whether in the body I cannot tell or out of the body I cannot tell God knowes such a one caught up into the third heaven And I knew such a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knowes how he was caught up into Paradise heard unspeakable words c. This of the Apostle St. Paul does import the highest pitch of a persons being in the Spirit And of such a being in the Spirit the Apostle St. John does here speak his experience I was in the Spirit on the Lords day This for Explication Now for Confirmation Upon the Lords day good mens thus being in the Spirit See Why 't is sensible to some and How 't is possible to others 1. Some of Gods Saints are sensibly in the Spirit upon the Sabbath-day Indeed This day is fittest for the Spirits working yea And they are fittest this day for the working of the Spirit The Sabbath it is a fit day for the Spirit thus to work for 'T is a day blessed Gen. 2.3 and 'T is a day sacred Exod. 20.11 1. The Sabbath being a blessed day it is fit for the blessed Spirit to be about his work Day blessed Note The blesser of it and The blessing on it The blesser of this Sabbath-day is God God above all blessed for ever hath made this day blessed As that is cursed which God curses So that is blessed which is blessed of God The blessing of this Sabbath-day is great As God hath blessed his Servants above other men So he hath blessed his Sabbaths above other time As Isaac had a blessing for Esau but no such blessing as had passed upon his brother Jacob So God hath a blessing for every day but no such blessing as he hath passed upon his Sabbath The very blessing of blessings is the blessing on the Sabbath so that well now may the blessed Spirit be about his most blessed works this being the most blessed day 2. The Sabbath being a sacred day a day sanctified and made holy it is meet for the works of this holy Spirit The holy Ghost As he loves to live in holy persons So he loves to move in holy seasons And so working there is Holy Holy Holy Viz. Gods holy Spirit the work is by Gods holy servants the work is in Gods holy Sabbath the work is on God hath poured out the holy oyl upon the head of the Sabbath as the precious oyntment upon the head of Aaron some drops of which may indeed run down upon the other dayes Upon the head of this day God hath set the holy Crown whence the Ancients well call it The King of dayes The Spirit of God t is termed a Kingly or Princely Spirit Psal 51.12 Vphold me with thy free Spirit Or as the Septuagint reads it Thy Princely Spirit The works of Gods Princely Spirit are most proper for this Princely day this high and holy day it best suites to the work of the most high and holy Spirit of God Gods holy Spirit may its true take A sinful subject to work in And yet a holy Sabbath to work on But his best works in souls sanctified are most seasonable upon this sanctified day Yea and the holy Spirit being now about his best businesse Both honours the Lord of the Sabbath And honours the Sabbath of the Lord. The Lord is highly honoured in the holy Spirits workings for He brings in Christs presence through his Ordinance And he drawes up Christs Ordinance through his presence The presence of Christ is by the Spirit so brought in by the Spirit the Ordinance of Christ is so wrought up as lifts up the Lords honour high The Lord never hath so high honour in a Sabbath-Ordinance as when therein appears his Sabbath-presence The holy Spirit by Christs presence supplies the want of an Ordinance improves the worth of an Ordinance by the presence of Christ And by all this is Christs honour held up in being the Lord of the Sabbath Yea the Sabbath it self is much honoured thereby Gods people whose hearts have been made to sparkle and spring through the Spirit of God upon the Sabbath-day they esteem the day of the Sabbath Not onely as their resting day But rather as their rising day A day Not so much for the earthly easing of their bodies As for the heavenly actings of their souls This day in their hearts they so highly honour that for it they long and in it they labour and all with delight O how honourable in the heart of this Holy Apostle was the Christian Sabbath having there on been ravished in the Spirit He writing to the Churches of Christ first gives it this high Title THE LORDS DAY For the honour both of the Lord and the day Upon such accounts the Holy Ghost may well to chuse take up this as a day most fit for his great and wonderfull works 2 The Sabbath it is the day wherein Gods Saints are most fit for these wonderfull workings in the Spirit This day they being From the world most severed And with themselves best gathered 1. Upon the Sabbath Gods Saints are most remote from the world Greg. Moral lib 1. and so meetest for the Lord and fittest for intimate converse with God One observes that our Saviour being entred into a ship Mark 4. He commanded his Disciples to put a little from the shoare but not to lanch out into the deep Thus true Christians in the week-time may put the ship of their soules a little off from the land removing so far from their worldly affaires as by and by to step back into the businesse of their lawful callings but on the Sabbath they put the ship further off from the shoare and lanch out into the deep withdrawing themselves quite from their earthly occasions and applying themselves wholly to the solemne service of God Another speaking to the Church of Christ does something thus expresseâ— himself O chaste and holy spouse Bernard Christ thy heavenly Husband that will not all the week crowd in to thee through a throng of worldly cares yet upon the Sabbath will give thy soule most sweet visits While Zaccheus was among the presse of people he could not behold Christ but climbing up into a sycomore-tree then he saw him a good man in the presse of his week-day-imployments can get no view of Christ yet then the Sabbath-day is as the sycomore-tree on that he climbes and comes close to Christ Then his heart is in the best frame freest for God being furthest from the world 2. Upon the Sabbath
conclude their cunning endeavours were perillous and pestilent and by all meanes possible to be suppressed Such men lift up Moses to throw down Christ advance God the Father to abase Christ the Son and to deface his glory due Zanchius de oper redempt li. 1. ca. 19 fol 612. And though they seem to be for God and his Law yet 't is an unlawful and ungodly thing sayes Zanchius as to have no certain day for Gods publick service so to undermine and to overturn that day which is certainly setled for the Lords Day Secondly some grant this to be the very Lords Day but they do not believe 't is a day so precisely to be celebrated As there are few so far Atheists as absolutely to deny there is a God A God many grant there is that yet deny the true God and many acknowledge the true God that yet cannot be convinced he is such a God so just holy pure and perfect Thus there are few so far opposite to Sabbath as wholly to deny there is any day A day they yield there is but then they do not confesse the right day or they do not confesse the day aright a day to be kept so holy and strict this they withstand whence they are very loose and take large liberties upon the Lords Day And of these there are two sorts Some so minded for want of better Instructions And some so minded from the force of base Corruptions 1. Some have strange latitudes in their judgements of the Lords Day and indeed the very Doctrine of some Churches and Canons of Synods set the door wide allowing liberty for worldly labour recreations and sports upon the Sabbath-day But these are black sports that blemish their beauty in the sight of God 2. Some who live where they might learn better the light of the Lords Day in the Doctrine of it breaking out more bright and shining forth clear and pure yet they cannot see the holinesse of the Day through the filthinesse of their flesh and their dear indulgings of their delightful lusts Neither are they willing to see the Sabbaths Sanctity lest it should disturb their sinful security If for the Lords Day they should be strict in their opinions they could not with conscience-quiet be loose in their practice these persons in this point of corrupt principles and erroneous judgements object divers things as 1. Objection The Sabbath is mutable and moveable from one day to another and therefore may be removed quite and made utterly to cease Answer The Sabbath 't was mutable being altered from the last to the first day of the week but 't is not possible there should be such another change in that there can never possibly be such another cause To that change we may consider a double cause concurring The material cause for it and The actuall cause of it The cause upon which the day was altered viz. Christs Resurrection The cause through which the day was altered viz. Christs Institution So that the cause on which and the cause by which this was done all was Christ In this change of the Sabbath we may observe a double use Originall and Organicall The primary Id sine dubio tenendum quod Ecclesia ab Apostolis Apostoli à Christo Christus à Deo suscepit c. Tertul. Nostrae potestatis non est sanctificare Deus est qui sanctificat c. Muscul Loc. Com. Praecept 4. principall efficient cause of that change was Christ The holy Apostles were the Secundary and Instrumentall cause for to such purposes all their power was from Christ who did extraordinarily call qualifie and commissionate them upon such accounts as never can come the like The Lord himself set up his own Sabbath and indeed 't is onely for him to give a being to a Sabbath that can give a blessing to a Sabbath this is the work of the Lord alone to blesse and sanctifie a day Therefore not any person may assume power nor by any power may persons presume to alter and settle any other Sabbath Men must not alter the ordinance for the day as they may not alter the ordinances in the day to bring in other Sacraments another Gospell Gal. 1.8 If an Angel from heaven should preach another Gospel to you then that you have received let him be accursed and so he that shall cry up amongst you any other Sabbath then what ye have observed let him be accursed 2. Object 'T is contrary to Christian liberty to be limited to a day wherein to worship God Answer Christian liberty learned out is taken Either more strictly Or more largely Strictly Christian liberty is a release from Mosaical Ceremonies and Judaical circumstances but this doth not free from a fixed day for the Lords service which is not a ceremonie a circumstance but the very Soul and substance of Christian religion Largely Christian liberty or Gospel-freedome it does comprise these two things Freedom from the service of sin and Freedom in the service of God First to be free from sins servitude this implies freedom from death and divel the curse of the Law and the wrath of God the sequels of sins slavery Sins service is the sorest bondage Austins Position is proper August de civit Dei li. 3. cap. 4. A good man though he serves yet he is free a wicked man though he reigns he is a servant Rome saith he is the great Mistresse of the World yet the drudge of sin Chrysos Hom. 19. in priorem Epi. ad Corinth and hence Chrysostome concludes Joseph was the freeman and his Mistesse who obeyed her lusts was the servant 2 Pet. 2.19 While they promise themselves liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought into bondage Secondly to be free in the service of the Lord is sweet liberty this is the case of Christians whatever they do towards God as their duty 't is under a freetenure viz. the Covenant of Grace T is through a freee mover viz. the Spirit of Christ yea and their own spirits set free by Christ The precepts of the Lord are a good mans large walks Psal 119.45 I shall walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts BEDDACHAH at large that is the onely free life that 's spent in seeking serving obeying and blessing God So then into Christian liberty let 's look never so farre we shall not find that a discharge from the Lords day is any breach thereof And therefore a strict observance of this Lords day is no breach thereof 3. Objection Under the Gospel there is no difference of dayes to be observed Answer For satisfaction herein we shall consider first That there is a difference between dayes which it is sinful for to observe And Secondly That yet there is a difference of the Sabbath from other dayes which not to observe is sinful Sinful it is to observe such a difference of days as is Heathenish Jewish
many thousands murthered But O how exceeding sad is this when people may come to the publike in peace pray in peace hear in peace depart in peace from Sabbath after Sabbath yet loiter at home on the Lords Day I wish empty seats make not way for empty pulpits and that quite forgetting Sabbaths be not the event of slighting Sermons To say nothing of such as desert our assemblies upon the groundlesse grounds of Separation what Atheisme begins to grow in the Land who le Parishes live as without God in the world scarce knowing when a Sabbath comes Help Lord. Now amongst such as sin against the Lords Day in respect of works thereupon to be done Divers things are objected Some against the condition of the work in the day And Some against the continuance of the day in the work The condition of this dayes work considered some object Because any thing of the day is required in publick Others Because so many things in the day are required Some say They can read good books and serve God at home when the Sabbath comes Answer 1. They can but 't is a question whether they will or no. Such as in their houses all the whole week do little or nothing in the worship of God are like to do no great matter at home when the Sabbath comes in the service of God As one well observes that commonly they who forget God in the time of their life do forget both God and themselves in the day of their death So they who neglect God in the week-time do ordinarily little regard God or the good of their souls upon the Sabbath-day Secondly The publike preaching of the Word is of more Soul-concernment on the Sabbath then any private reading at home if we consider Either the precept of God Or the Profit of man Both expresse in that of the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.2 As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Sincere milk of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sermon-milk warm milk from the Mothers brest is best to battle the babe Sodden milk hath not so much spirits therein nor the child that refreshing thereby * Revera fratres nubes sunt praedicatores c. August in Psal 35. Sermon-milk is the best food for spiritual growth Agustin compares the preaching of the Word to the raining of the clouds which more refreshes the corn then if pond-water should be poured out in pailes and buckets My doctrine shall drop as the rain and my speech shall distill as the dew Deut. 32.1 2. Slight not such Sabbath-showres nor misse upon the Lords Day the former or the latter rain Object On the Sabbath in publike I shall only hear another at home I my self can speak to God in prayer Answ In publike thou mayest not only hear but also pray even then when not one word thou speakest A man at home may speak many words yet make never a prayer and a Christian in the congregation may pray earnestly though he speaks never a word 'T is not the speaking of the tongue but the working of the heart that makes prayer * Non vocis magnitudine sed cordis magnanimitate clamandum est c. Clamabat populus et non audiebatur tacebat Moses et audiebatur ille Ambros in Psal 119. One observes how the Israelites when the Egyptian army was behind them and the Red-sea before them they lift up their voyces and cryed out to the Lord yet God did not regard this as a prayer Exod. 14.10 Moses he was silent not one word of prayer appears yet the Lord sayes to Moses Wherefore cryest thou unto me ver 15. Though his tongue was still his heart was hot in holy prayer Secondly he that will not upon the Lords Day hear Gods Word his private prayer is but unpleasing to God 'T is a saying of one of the Ancients God oft rejects his prayer in trouble who in the daies of his peace does despise Gods precepts Deus saepe ejus precem in perturbatione deserit qui precepta illius in tranquillitate contemnit Greg. Mor. li. 5. ca. 36. and so God does but abominate his prayer in private who will not hear upon the Sabbath-day Gods holy precepts in publike He that turnes away his ear from hearing the Law his prayer shall be an abomination Prov. 28.9 He must first hear God that will be heard of God Objection On the Sabbath in publike I may be put upon expence in contributing to some or other in want which by being at home I escape Answ 1. Charity to such as are in necessity is alwaies an excellent duty It makes a man to resemble God who hath never need to receive but is ever most free to give Jam. 1.5 2. For the duty of charity the most seasonable day is the Sabbath * Chryso in 1. Cor. 11. Homil. 43. Chrysostenme observes that the Sabbath is the day when God in his best bounty does most appear unto us and therefore for us to expresse our bounty to others the Sabbath is the fittest day 3. Though charitable duties are fit for every Sabbath yet such occasions are not constant Christians indeed upon those Lords Dayes when they are not communicating to they should be commiserating of such as suffer in the World when they are not in their contributions liberall they should be in their compassions lively In their thoughts they should go forth and look upon the burdens of their brethren remembring those that are in bonds as if bound with them Hebr. 13.3 Object Some Sabbath-work I am willing to do but so many works on the Sabbat be burdensome Answer 1. The more work the more wages The more good Sabbath-seed men sowe the more plentifull crops of comfort they shall râ—ap both in earth and heaven God hath more Sabbath-mercies to vouchsafe then we duties to perform 2. As on this day men have much work So they have much help Scriptures Ministers Ordinances yea Angells yea God himself Father Son and Holy Ghost Our Lord is not like Pharaoh who required brick but withheld straw 3. The work indeed on the Lords Day is large but it is all excellent businesse that well becomes Kings yea and pions Princes have accounted it not onely their duty but their dignity not onely to see that others but themselves also in all holy duties do observe the Lords Day Zozom Eccl. hist si 1. ca. 8. History in the praise of Constantine reports much of this And the Scripture prophesies that Princes in Gospell-times should not abate but abound in Sabbath-day-duties And the burnt-offering that the Prince shall offer to the Lord in the Sabbath-day Exek 46.4 shall be six Lambs without blemish and a Ram without blemish This by type did signifie that in succeeding times the Service of God should be plentifully performed even by the highest of the people upon the Lords holy Day 4. Upon the Lords Day though of duties there be
day and for ever Christ who is The Lord our righteousnesse he is the Lord our Sabbath So chat we shall have a Sabbath last as long as Christ lives A good conscience Sabbatum Dei illud quo exterius â—b opere cessasse dicitur Sacramentum est interioris Sabati ubimens sancto per bonam conscientiam a peccato quiscâ—ns c. Hugo Chrysost Homil. 17. in Genes August Serm. 10. ad fratres in Exem as it is a continual feast so a Sabbath of rest Prov. 15.15 Esay 57.20 The wicked are like the troubled Sea that have no Sabbath of rest Tell me not sayes Chrysostome the man hath a sumptuous Table is cloathed mith silks attended with servants shews me his conscience there is a hurry of lusts a tumult of sins A continual Sabbath-lesse man A good conscience 't is sayes Austin the bed of God the Palace of Christ the Temple of the holy Ghost the Paradise of delights the standing Sabbath of Saints c. Let us be faithful in the Sabbath that may possibly cease and then may we be sure of a never ceasing Sabbath In the saddest most unsetled seasons when customes are changing and Kingdoms are shaking and all Gods Ordinances seem to be taking their leave in a Land yea when all externals in the world are at worst yet there is an internal Sabbath in the heart and an eternal Sabbath in the heavens whereof every Saint may be sure Sabbatum duplex Pectoris et Temporis Aquinas 12ae quest 100. Art 5. Suppose there should be here no more Sabbaths remaining yet there is a remaining Sabbath Heb 4.10 And though the Lords day will end the Lord himself will be a never ending day THE LORDS DAY Enlivened Revel 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day THe holy Apostle in the words present plainly reports The Season upon which he was set and The condition into which he was put The Season which he was on It was the Lords Day The condition which he was in He was in the Spirit I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day The Point we are next to prosecute is That it is sensible to some and possible for all pious men to be in the Spirit on the Lords Day This Doctrine I shall endeavour To clear To prove and To presse For the clearing of truth it is fit to unfold What is the Spirit in which they may be on the Lords Day and What it is for them on the Lords Day to be in the Spirit Spirit This is to be considered both as it relates To God and To Man Omnes Nomenis Jehovae literae sunt spirituales ut denotetur Deum esse Spiritum Alsted Spirit This as unto God does import Either the whole divine Essence Or one personall subsistence The whole Essence of the God-head is Spirit As Christ King Priest and Prophet is one compleat Saviour So God Father Son and holy Ghost is one spirituall being And as in the Spirit they are but one being So in their being they are but one spirit Thus God is a Spirit John 4.24 Thus Spirit is attributed as unto God 1 Tim. 3.16 1. Pet. 3.18 c. 2. The third Person subsisting in the God-head is Spirit As there is God a Spirit So there is the Spirit of God Through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God Rom. 15.19 The things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 c. This is called The Spirit of truth John 14.17 The Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 The Spirit of holinesse Rom. 1.4 The Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 Spirit This as appropriate to man implies Either the whole soul of man Or the superiour facultie of the soul 1. For the soul wholly in the substance thereof As every individuall man hath his soul So the soul of every single man it is his spirit Each man is a compound creature made up of soule and body Hence men are compared to Gideons souldiers Judg. 7.16 Ambros de Spir. Sa. lib. 1. cap. 16. Each having his â—arthen pitcher and Lamp therein when the earthen pitcher of mans body is broken by death the Lamp of his soul abides burning either in heaven or hell Thus Matth 10.28 Mans soule while in his body is called his Spirit Isay 26.9 Ex egests vid. Augustin in locum et Ambros Com. in loc With my soule have I desired thee in the night and with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Luk. 1.46 47. Mary said My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour 2. Spirit That is the soules superiour facultie As the soule it is spirit So there is the spirit of the soule Or The spirit of the mind as the Apostle calls it Rom. 12.2 This is the intellectual or the knowing power of the soule Who knowes the things of man save the spirit of man which is in him 1. Cor 2.11 Thus 1 Thess 5.23 the Apostle mentions body soul and spirit Indeed this is most applicable to man as born of God considered Not onely in his proper constitution But also in his further restitution As the woman in the Gospell who hid her leaven in three measures of meal till the whole lump was leavened Thus the Lord layes his Grace in these three parts body soule and spirit till the whole man is sanctified Now such a man so spirited is fit to be in the spirit on the Lords Day On the Lords Day in the spirit Spirit it is taken as referring both to God and man The Spirit of God and the spirit of man meeting 2. What it is for a godly man on the Lords Day to be in the Spirit In the Spirit This notes Both his soules habitual condition as settled And his soules actuall condition as moved 1. The soul of a sanctified man according to his settled condition considered is in the spirit Being by grace habitually planted and effectually put into God Father Son and Holy Ghost John 17.21 That they sayes Christ to his Father may be one in us In us That they are not in thee onely nor in me alone but in us viz. Father Son and holy Spirit Every gracious soul Rests in God Abides in Christ and Lives in the Spirit Bernard 1. In God there is a resting Psal 37.7 The soule of every true Believer sayes a learned Writer Hath a double Mansion One wherein it rules viz. the body and The other wherein it rests viz. God The soule of every Saint is settled in God as in its centre The force of some temptation may seeme to unsettle his soule and as it were to separate it from God but then as Noah's Dove out of the Ark it finds no rest back again it comes God is its centre and out of God truly it can never be taken maugre all the malice of hell 2. In Christ there is his abyding John 15.7 In the heart of Christ and In the
hand of Christ As by force none can pluck him from the strength of Christs hand So by fraud none can take him out of the lov of Christs heart In Christ Not onely as a man But as a member Not the least bone of Christs mysticall body can be broke off nor the smallest stone be struck out of this building The weakest branch ever abides in this vine 3. In the Spirit there the believing soul lives Gala. 5.25 If ye live in the spirit walk in the spirit That life by which the soules of Saints live Both for its entrance And its progresse It is in the Spirit the Spirit being the Principle From which their life was first received And by which their life is after preserved As man is kept alive by his soules being in the body So a Saint is kept alive by his souls being in the Spirit It is through the Spirit that converted Christians are set into God and put into Christ Therefore sure the holy Spirit does not leave their soules out of himself but they are likewise in the Spirit Rom. 8.9 Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit In the Spirit thus are not onely some but all the Saints of God And in the Spirit thus are Gods servants not onely upon the Sabbath-day but at all other times they are never out of the Spirit nor ever shall Yea in the Spirit thus is the whole man of every good man The man whole if Not the whole man The man whole is so in the Spirit as that he is a spiritual man Gal. 6.1 Take him with his bodily part and about his weekly work yet he is a spiritual man and a man that is in the Spirit Now to be in the Spirit on the Lords day though 't is to be in the Spirit thus yet it is more then thus to be on the Lords day in the Spirit So in the Spirit signifies the spiritual transactions of mans sanctified soul as it is moved and acted by the Spirit of God and as mans renewed spirit through the Spirit of God moves and acts upon the Lords day exercised in the Spirit That is In the graces of the Spirit and In the comforts of the Spirit 1. In the Spirit That is in the graces of the Spirit exercised all the Lords day then acting in graces Various and Vigorous On the Sabbath the soul is set a work in several graces and such as seem to be of a differing nature as faith and fear heavenlinesse of mind and humblenesse of heart repeatings for sin yet relyings on God Tremblings of soul yet restings on Christ Dreading God in the justnesse of his Judgements yet loving God whose judgements are just A real longing for promised mercies and yet a quiet staying for those mercies long By hope expecting good things to come and yet by faith possessing the same things at present Utterly unsatisfied in Gods hiding his face yet patiently waiting for God while his face is hid And though this be the continued posture of gracious souls yet into this they are put and on in this they are kept through Sabbath-day-quicknings In the Spirit On this day grace is enlivened in them and they lively in grace In gracious actings their hearts were before as the Chariots of Pharaoh that drove heavily now in the activities of grace their hearts are as the Chariots of Amminadib that ran swiftly Before the members of the new-man were as the lame Cripple that lay at the gate but then they became as the cured Cripple Whose ancle-bones receiving strength he stood up and went on leaping and praysing God Act. 3.8 Yea upon the Lords day the soul of a sincere Saint may be in the lively actings of grace Both reflect And direct 1. Reflect actings That soul which in the week-season walks out in with the body about the businesse thereof upon the Sabbath-day it turns in upon it self most seriously considering its own concernments Gregor moral lib. 31. cap. 17. An ancient Writer spiritually expounding that place Prov. 24.27 Prepare thy work without in the field and afterward go in and build thine house Understands by the field man's body and by the house the heart and soul of man In the week a mans work more lyes in the field viz. about the businesse of his bodily being but upon the Lords day his work more lyes in the house viz. the work of the soul is more gathered then within it self And as Christs Spouse-sayes Cant. 1.7 They have made me to keep other Vineyards but mine own Vineyard have I not kept So upon the Sabbath sayes a good mans soul within him all the week I have been made to minde a multitude of worldly affairs but mine own concernments have been set aside Now return into thy self O my soul O my soul now bethink thy self And is not this to be in the Spirit upon the Lords day the soul of a Saint being then seriously set Upon deep intuitions and Diligent Inquisitions Narrowly looking in it self and Throughly searching of it self One of the Ancients compares holy men on the earth Gregor moral li. 19. Sect. 30. unto those holy Angels of heaven Revel 4.8 that are said to be full of eyes within and without In the week Gods Saints make use of their eyes without looking after their necessary callings and occasions in the world but upon the Sabbath they more solemnly set a work their eyes within looking inward upon the true estate of their souls Upon the Sabbath are a Saints most serious soul-searches and heart-discourses I communed with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search sayes David Psal 77.6 Upon the Lords day with great diligence is the soul of a Saint set To find out things that are and To find up things that were Within he finds so much of sin and so little of God as makes his heart lie low and brings him to be in spirit poor Matth 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit August lib. 1. de Serm. Do. in monte Ambros lib. 5. in Luc. cap de beatit Basil in regulis contract quaest 205. Not poore of spirit as if any without the Spirit of God were blessed but poor in spirit that is good men poore in the spirit of their own mindes out of a sight of soul-sins and sense of soul-wants or poor in spirit That is sayes one poore for the spirit Of the spirit they may discern little but desire much That good they seek after which they never possesse And that good they seek for which seemes to be lost The woman in the Parable Luk. 15. having lost a piece of silver She lights a candle and sweeps the house and seeks diligently till she finds it O this is good seeking in the spirit upon the least losse of God to go into the house of the Heart and there using The candle of knowledge and The Besome of Repentance Diligently seeking till somewhat more of God may appear When hearts
Lords Day 2. We shall consider their spirits towards the Lord For suitablenesse And capablenesse For the pliablenesse and Indefatigableness of them 1. Suitable are the spirits of Saints to the Lord Christ Christ and the things of Christ and the spirit of a Saint so suite That his Spirit hath onely a sympathy with them And they onely can satisfie his Spirit The sympathy of a good mans spirit is with the things of Christ His heart hath a kind of Antipathy to things of an other nature Even the things of the world his Spirit opposes refuses rises if of them any tenders be to take him off from Christ When Valence the Emperour sent to Basil the offer of great preferments the good mans spirit was up in an anger and made this answer Let him offer these ratles to children and not to Christians When some bade stop Luthers mouth with preferments one of his Adversaries answered It is no boot that Germane Beast cares not for gold God himself sayes Luther shall not put me off with these things Hooper when one offered him a pardon for life if he would recant he cryed out If you love my soul away with it For Gods sake away away with it But to such men the things of Christ truths of Christ waies of Christ Words of Christ Commands of Christ do accord And herein also are the Spirits of Gods Saints satisfied How was it with that holy man who replyed to his friend Speak to me while you will no words can satisfie me except you mention Christ Write to me what you please it will not satisfie me unlesse in your letters I may read Christ Give me never so much I cannot be satisfied except you help me to somewhat of Christ Christ and the things of Christ were onely things that satisfied the spirit of this precious man Suitable things are ready to run into one another to mix and hold fast together This made Nebuchadnezzars Image to fall asunder because it was made up of such unsuitable matter things of such a differing nature This makes famous professors to fall and divers to desert Christ because the things of Christ do not suite to their spirits The spirits of sincere Saints are agreeable to gracious objects the very frame of their hearts is fitted to the waies of truth and holinesse Among good things with that which is best their spirits best agree The more holy and pure any person or Ordinance is the better there with their spirits accord The new nature and settled temper of their spirits is most suitable to the Lord himself and may not they be in the Spirit upon the Lords Day 2. Capable are the spirits of Gods servants to take in of the Lord largely Their hearts are compared to Vialls Revel 5.8 A Viall is a vessel narrow beneath and wide above The hearts and spirits of good men are more closed downward and more open upward Of enlarged capacities Christ-ward And though of Christs fulnesse they have already received grace for grace yet there is room to receive more In these two we may comfortably conclude there 's room viz. Gods glorious heaven and Mans gracious heart As God in his heaven hath more room for good men So good men in their hearts have more room for God Holy mens spirits are let out and their hearts made wide By Godly sorrowes for sin and By earnest desires for God By Godly sorrowes Christians cast out sin Beata anima quae est instardomus Jacobi in qua nulla simulaâ—hra nulla effigies vanitatis Amb. de fuga secuâ— cap. 5. and so make more room for Christ in their hearts Hence the heart of a holy man is made as the house of Jacob in which is no place allowed for the least representation of vanity the very images of evil thoughts are thrown out and the whole house is set apart for the precious things of God and the more plenty of these appearing the more he labours heart-enlargement As the rich man Luk. 12. when he saw plenty of Corn upon the ground he pulls down his barns and builds greater that he may have more room to receive in such fruits Thus a Godly man by repentance pulls down his heart he sees it is too narrow for the vast things of God and thereupon labours to make his heart as capacious as possible And by every penitential breaking builds it better By earnest desires also after God he brings his heart into a better and bigger capacity O whom Lord have I in heaven but thee and who on earth do I desire besides thee Psal 73. Yea for Sabbath-enjoyments of God the Spirit of a pious man pants Psal 42.1 2. He even faints for more full fellowships and fruitions of God As against sin he thinks his heart can never be close enough shut So for God he thinks his heart can never be wide enough open Of sin he would fain have lesse when he hath least and when he hath most of God he yet desires more And by such wayes the soul of a Saint is set wider for God and thus the spirits of Christians become more capable to take in more largely the things of the Lord and may not they then be in the Spirit on the Lords day 3. Plyable are the spirits of Gods people for the Lord to let out themselves freely Their hearts towards the Lord are waxy and willing in all wayes of well-pleasing Judg. 5.9 Psal 110.3 Being oyled with an holy Unction And wheeled with holy affections The oyl of grace is poured upon the hidden man of the heart which makes all the spiritual members of the new man to be agil and nimble for God As it is said to Christ Heb. 1.9 God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnesse above thy fellowes So may we say to the soul of a Saint God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of grace and goodnesse above thy fellowes The heart it is first and most sanctified and therefore may well be most free and forward for God In man no marvel the sensitive powers and corporal parts are lesse plyable As the oyntment was first and most poured upon the head of Aaron and from thence drops went down to his beard and skirts of his garments Thus the oyl of grace is primarily and principally upon the heart of a Christian and from thence it descends into all the powers parts of the man so that this hath cause to come in first and come off freest for God as indeed it daily does When other parts rest the heart runs Yea the heart of a holy man is set upon such wheeles as make it move quick for Christ Judgement cleared affections fired 1 Chron. 29.3 I have sayes David set my affection to the house of my God and hence he was so lively and liberal labouring to lift up the honour of God in preparing for him a house The dispositions and affections in the soul of a Saint
Ephod and enquired of the Lord saying Shall I pursue after this Troop and shall I overtake them 1 Sam. 30. Thus Jehoshaphat before he would march with Ahab to Ramoth-Gilead he desires all the Prophets of God and God by the Prophet Micaiah might be consulted with Ahab transported with a false spirit presses onely Horse and away Let Micaiah say what he will To Ramoth-Gilead he must 2 Chron. 18. Whereas counsel given a good man takes and turnes his designes So David when he was with his men upon the march against the house of Nabal Abigail meets him and he stops upon her advice blessing God that he shed no blood 1 Sam. 25. Now an evil spirit having sprung a design at least seemingly good yet violently provokes and impetuously presses to prosecute men not considering or consulting except with such as are on the same mind No seeking to God except some prayer as a colour They first resolve their businesse and then go to prayer then ask counsel but if contrary come they cast off all Yea this spirit it drives and will rarely leave or let them have time to take advice Satan that evil spirit in the Serpent having upon Eves sight of the pleasant fruit begun to move gave her no time to seek God confer with her husband or consider the sad events onely eat she must So Judas the Divel suggesting a Booty to betray his Master he immediately goes out Joh. 13. rises from Supper even when the best dish was to come as the Learned conceive he never stayes to speak a word but away about his work He considers not what guilt of blood he should bring Matth. 27.3 Then Judas which betrayed him when he saw what was done he repented himself c. It seems he thought things would never have come to that That spirit which thus drives men in considerately precipitately c. 't is not the Spirit of God 4. A roving spirit that wheeles and whurries men obout is not the Spirit of God Men rove Psal 78.8 Esay 19.14 Jam. 1.6 7 8. Observe From what and In what There is a spirit that in moving makes men to rove viz. Ordinarily from the rules of Scripture And often from the rules of Reason Scripture-rules men rove from They will make Scripture go with them as far as ever they can and being they must go further they leave it They wrest and rack Scripture and stretch it as far as for their own advantage Thus that wicked spirit did with our dear Lord Matth. 4. Thus doe such unstable spirits in these last dayes 2 Pet. 3.16 They make holy Scriptures as their hired servants who when they will no further serve their design they turn them off Every good man moved and managed by Gods good Spirit sayes to Scripture as Ruth to Naomi Where thou goest I will go where thou stayest I will stay thy God shall be my God and thy people my people nothing but death shall part thee and me Sozomen reports of Constantine that whatever was pressed he would say Bring me the Book of God when things were disputed and various wayes urged he used still to stand up and call for Gods Book commanding all should there settle and none from thence swerve That spirit which in moving men makes them swerve and rove from Gods good Word is not the Spirit of God Yea beyond the rules of reason as well as Scripture men are made to rove through an ill-moving spirit Hence they roll and rove Both from using reason And from reason used They do not use that reason which might stay themselves From men of no reason the Apostle prays he may be delivered That we may be delivered from unreasonable men 2 Thess 3.2 Neither can that reason which others use stay them As they have not reason to rule themselves no more will they be ruled by reason Grounds of reason and strength of arguments will no more bound nor bind them then green wit hs could Samson The things in which an evil spirit moving makes men to rove are Both inward And outward Viz. In their opinions And affections In their discourses And courses Men of rolling spirits who hold many things yet hold to nothing Like those Arrians of whom Athanasius reports now they held one thing and anon another and never were at any certain stay Socrat. Scho. lib. 1. cap. 25. wandring Stars fixed to no Orb Meteors carried about with every gust as children tossed to and fro with every wind Ephes 4.14 They like and dislike cry up and cry down hot and cold ramble and rest at no point unstable in all their wayes Constantly inconstant men given to change See Seneca lib. de tranq and that love to wander as unsetled as the waves of the Sea Such Christians even Heathens condemn Such motions are not from the Spirit of God 5. A renting spirit that moves men to make divisions and fractions is not the Spirit of God The Spirit of God 't is All is uniting The Spirit of faith The Spirit of love The Spirit of patience By faith the Spirit unites and knits us up to God and by love the Spirit unites and knits us one unto another and by patience the Spirit unites and knits each one within himself And for want of the Spirit of God in these graces there are a multitude of sad severings For want of faith a man breaks and falls off from God For want of love a man breaks and falls off from his Brethren And for want of patience a man breaks in pieces and falls asunder within himself All evidences an evil spirit present and prevalent Mark 9. There is a man possessed with a spirit that did oft-times cast him into the water and into the fire and wheresoever it did take him it did tear him that he gnashed his teeth and foamed at the mouth O what a spirit does possesse such men as does cast them into that water whereby their love is quenched and into that fire whereby their wrath is kindled and so takes them as it tears them with impatiency infidelity and separation from Christian-society Sure such have not the Spirit of God Jude 19. These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit 'T is not the Spirit of God that hath moved some to separate themselves from our publick Assemblies Vid. Cameron de Eccles tract de Schism They having no good cause for it and There being many bad effects upon it No cause good If we in our assemblies are not separated from God they have no cause to separate from us Are we separate from God Is not the drift of our daily endeavours to draw men to God Is not this the bent of our businesse to bring men into obedience to God communions with God to set up God in hearts and houses Is it not the enjoyments of God after which we seek Is it not worshippings of God in Spirit truth after which we presse