strong love When we cannot apprehend our selves happy without him count all things dung and dross Phil. 3.7 8 9. When we desire a sense of his love or our reconciliation by Christ. This vehement desire after Christ cannot endure to want him if we are deeply affected with that want and make hard pursuit after him Psa. 63.8 My Soul followeth hard after thee We desire his grace or sanctifying Spirit are here hungring and thirsting after righteousness and the perpetual vision of him hereafter as our desires abate so there is some abatement of the degree of our love 4ly Delighting in him Or in the Testimonys of his favour more than in worldly thing Psa. 4.6 Thou hast put more gladness into my heart then in the time when their Corn and Wine is increased And Psa. 119.14 I delight in the way of thy Testimonys more than in all riches Accordingly there is an observing of his coming and going his presence or absence we mourn for the one Matth. 9.15 We rejoice in the other when God is favourable and propitious either manifesting his love to us or helping us in our obedience to him 2. Intermission of acts Or effects of love These more sensibly declare the former for the weakness or strength of the decree is seen by the effects when the heart grows cold and listless and loose in our love to God the Soul is not made fruitful by it Now the effects of love do either concern God sin or the dutys of obedience 1. With respect to God love as to the effects of it is often described First by thinking and speaking often of him Psa. 63.6 I remember thee on my Bed and meditate of thee in the night â—atches And Psa. 104.24 My meditation of him shall be sweet The wicked are described to be those that forget God Psa. 9.17 And seldom or never think of his name Psa. 10.3 God is not in all their thoughts 'T is the pleasure of the Soul to set the thoughts on work upon the object of our love Now when our hearts and minds swarm with vain thoughts and idle imaginations and thoughts of God are utter strangers to us if they rush into our minds they are entertained as unwelcome guests you have no delight in them 't is to be feared your love is decayed For surely a man that loveth him will think often upon him and speak reverently of him and be remembring God both in company and alone upon all occasions his main business lieth with God He is still to do his will to seek his glory and to live as in his sight and presence and subsists by the constant supports he receiveth from him 2dly As love Implieth a desire of nearer communion with him so we will be often in his company in duties Frequency and fervency of converse with God in prayer and other holy dutys is an effect of love there cannot a day pass but they will find some errand or occasion to confer with God to implore is help to ask his leave counsel and blessing to praise his name Psa. 119.164 Seven times a day will I praise thee Now when men can pass over whole days and weeks and never give God a visit it argueth little love Jer. 2.32 My people have forgotten me days without number There is little love where there is a constant strangeness Psa. 26 8. I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth They love Ordinances because there they meet with God and Psa. 63.2 That I may see thee as I have seen thee They cannot let a day pass nor a duty pass God is object and end they seek him and serve him Love is at least cold if not stark dead when God is neglected when we have no mind to dutys or God is neglected in them 2. With respect to sin When the sense of our obligation to Christ is warm upon the heart sin doth not scape so freely love will not endure it to live and act in the heart Grace will teach us to war and strive against it Titus 2.12 Do we thus requite the Lord Or is this thy kindness to thy Friend Sin is more bewailed As she wept much because she loved much Luke 7.47 Now when you wallow in sin without remorse have lost your conscientious tenderness can sin freely in thought and sometimes foully in act spend time vainly have not such a lively hatred of evil Psa. 97.10 let loose the reins to wrath and anger the heart is not watched the tongue is not bridled speeches are idle yea rotten and profane wrath and envy tyrannize over the Soul you are become vain and careless more bold and venturous upon temptations and snares less complaining of sin or groaning under the relicks of corruption surely love decayeth 3. With respect to the dutys of obedience Love where it remaineth in its strength 1. Breedeth self-denyal So that the Impediments of obedience are more easily overcome and so we are the more undaunted notwithstanding dangers as Daniel More unwearied in the work of the Lord Patient under labours difficulties and sufferings Love will be at some expence for the party beloved and will serve God whatever it costs us Nay counts that duty worth nothing that costs nothing 2 Sam. 24.24 Now when every lesser thing is pleaded by way of bar and haesitancy and all seemeth too much and too long and too grievous to be born love is not kept in vigour an unwilling heart is soon turned out of the way and every thing is hard toilsome to it 2dly It maketh us act with sweetness and complacency 1 John 5.3 His commandments are not grievous Acts of love are sweet and pleasing Therefore when you have left the sweetness and complacency of your obedience the fervour of your love is decayed otherwise it would be no burden to you to be Imployed for a good God 3 It puts a life into dutys Rom. 12.12 Not sloathful in business fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Otherwise the worship of God is performed perfunctorily and in a careless stupid manner sin is confessed without remorse or sense of the wrong done to God Prayer for spiritual blessings without any such ardent desire to obtain them returning thanks without any esteem of the benefits or affection to God in the remembrace of them Singing without any life or affection or delight in God or spiritual melody in our hearts conference of God and Heavenly things either none or very slight and careless hearing without attention Reading without a desire of profit Our whole service like a carcass without a Soul As Faith enliveneth our opinions so doth love our practices And as dry reason is a dead thing to Faith so without love every thing done God-ward is done slightly why do we find more life in our recreations than in our solemn dutys but because our love is decayed 5. Having now found the sin let us consider the causes of it 1. One cause or occasion
in the world than he who hath God for his God Christ for his Saviour and the Spirit for his Comforter and Heaven for his portion Partly because there is so much help from God either he hath already obtained strength from God which he doth not improve or may obtain strength from God which he doth not seek after God prayed unto giveth deliverance or support Psal. 138.3 In the day when I cryed thou answerest me and strengthnedst me with strength in my soul And partly because of the mischiefs which follow this fainting There is a two-fold fainting first there is a fainting which causeth great trouble perplexity and dejection of spirit Heb. 12.3 Lest ye wax wears and faint in your minds Weariness is a lesser fainting an â—â—gher degree of deficiency in weariness the body requireth some rest or refreshment when the active power is weakned and the vital spirits and principles of motion dulled But in fainting the vital power is contracted and retireth and leaveth the outward parts lifeless and sensless When a man is wearied his strength is abated but when he fainteth he is quite spent These things by a metaphor are applyed to the soul or mind A man is wearied when the fortitude of his mind or his spiritual strength is broken or beginneth to abate or his soul sets uneasie under sufferings but when he sinketh under the burden of grievous tedious and long afflictions then he is said to faint The reasons or grounds of his comfort are quite spent Now this is a great evil in a child of God for the spirit of a man or that natural courage that is in a reasonable Creature will go far as to the sustaining of foreign evils Prov. 18.14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity And 't is supposed of a Christian that his spirit is â—ound and whole being possessed of the love of God and therefore though his natural courage be spent which goeth on probabilities yet his faith and hope should not be spent which goeth on certainties nor be overmuch perplexed about worldly troubles as if his mercy were clean gone or his promise would fail therefore a Christian should strive against this Psal. 77.7 8 9 10. Will the Lord cast off for ever Will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever Doth his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies And I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High 2. There is a fainting which causeth dejâ—ction and falling off from God Surely this worse becometh the children of God Revel 2.3 Thou hast born and hast patience and hast laboured and hast not fainted This maketh us cast off our profession and practice of godliness and so cuts us off from all hope of reward Gal. 6.9 Ye shall reap in due time if ye faint not 'T is not taken there for some weariness or remisness or perplexity which may befall Gods children but a total defection When troubles discourage us in our duty 't is a step towards it and tendeth to Apostacy which Christians should prevent in time Heb. 12.12 13. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet less that which is lame â—e turned out of the way We often begin to faint and lag in Heavens way being wearied and vexed with the oppositions of the carnal world reproaching threatning and persecuting us but when we begin to waver we should look to it betimes and rouze up our selves that we may resolve to go and finish our race and not lose the benefit of our former labours and sufferings 2. Consideration That in his weakness if be we left to our selves we cannot support our selves This appeareth partly because they that have but a light Tincture of the spirit give up at the first assault Matt. 13.21 When tribulation ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended Offers of pardon of sins and eternal life affect them for a while and ingage them in the profession of godliness but when once it cometh to prove a costly business they give it over presently and partly because the most resolved if not duly possessed with a sense of their own weakness soon miscarry if not in whole yet in part witness Peter Matth. 26.33 34 35. Christ had warned them that such afflictions should come as the stoutest should stumble at them and fall for a time but Peter being conscious to himself of his own sincerity could not believe such weakness to be in him but God will soon confute confidence in our own strength as the event of his fearful fall did evidently declare partly because they that seem to be most fortified not only by Resolution but strong Reasons may yet overlook them in a time of Temptation As Eliphaz told Job Chap. 4.3 4 5. Behold thou hast instructed many and hast strengthened the weak hands thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthened the seeble knees But now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled 'T is one thing to give counsel and another to practice it and there is a great deal of difference between tryal apprehended by our Judgement and felt by our sense John 12.27 Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I to this hour When well we easily give counsel to the sick They that stand on shore may direct others when strugling with a Tempest And besides we know many things habitually which we cannot actually bring to remembrance being overcome with the sense of present evils and grace that seemeth strong out of tryal is found weak in tryal and faileth when we should most act it and partly because those that do not wholly despond but are yet wrestling are plainly convinced that they cannot conquer by their own strength Jer. 8.18 When I would comfort my self against my sorrow my heart fainteth within me The tediousness of present pressures doth so invade their spirits that they find themselves much too weak to grapple with their troubles They assay to do it but find it too hard for them Now after all these experiences of the Saints Where is the man that will venture in his own strength to compose his spirit and overcome his own infirmities 3. That when we cannot support our selves through our weakness the spirit helpeth us We speak not of the necessity of the holy spirit to our regeneration but confirmation After grace received worldly things set near and close to us and the love of them is not so quite extinct in us but that they have too great a command over our inclinations and affections that we cannot overcome our infirmities without the assistance of grace which Christ dispenseth by his spirit And 't is not enough for us
some special way of operation Rom. 5.5 And 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have not received the spirit of the World but the Spirit of God that we may know the things that are freely given us of God And Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you A believers Body and Soul is the Spirits Mansion-house and those that have the Spirit to dwell in them not to come upon them at times are in an abiding state of Grace The Spirit came upon Balaam at times Num. 24.34 but in his People he makes his abode He doth act in others as a Spirit assisting but not as a Spirit inhabiting He dwelleth in his people The Spirit is often promised to dwell in our Hearts not only for a season but for ever John 4.14 The water that I shall give him shall be a Well of water springing up to everlasting Life Mark the Spirit doth not give a Draught but the Spring not a Dash of rain that is soon dryed up but a Well not a Pond that may be dryed up at length but a Fountain that ever keepeth flowing so that we shall never thirst more it shall quench his thirst after worldly Vanities and Delights These things grow tastless the more of the Spirit we have The Spirit of Christ as the Fountain doth make this Grace enduring in its self and in its effects a Well of inexhaustable fulness and refreshment So John 7.38 He that believeth in me out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water Not a petty refreshment for a season but his Spirit to dwell in us as a full Fountain to flow forth for the refreshment of himself and others Though the Ocean be in God yet there is a River in the Saints in Christ there is plentitudo fontis in us plentitudo vasis if we find any remission of the Comforts of this Spring it 's through our own Pride and Unbelief and Idleness John 14.16 17. I will give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever The Spirit will not change his dwelling place This is such a degree of Grace as the unregenerate World cannot receive 4. This inward Principle is expressed with respect to the Instrument which is the Word of God so 't is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 1.21 the ingrafted Word The root of the matter is within 't is not the word heard only or the word obeyed only will save us but it must be an ingrafted Word 't is not bound on but ingrafted 't is not enough to yield some present Obedience to it but it must be rooted in us So in that notable Promise Heb. 8.10 I will put my Laws in their minds and write them upon their hearts The Writing is the Law of God the Tables are the Minds and Hearts of men that is the understanding and will and rational Apetite and this is written by the Finger of God there where is the Source and Original of all moral operations of all thoughts and affections and inward motions there is the Law of God written in those parts of the Soul where the directive Councel and the imperial commanding power of all humane actions resideth there will God write his Laws in lively and legible Characters and what is the effect A man becometh a Law to himself he carryeth his Rule about with him and hath a ready and willing mind to obey it Psa. 37.31 The Law of God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide The truth is rooted in him and his heart is suited and inclined to it he unfeignedly loveth what is commanded of God and hateth what is forbidden by him 5. The work its self is sometimes generally expressed by these Notions 't is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the New Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 when a man is thoroughly framed anew in all his Faculties And 1 Joh. 3.9 't is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the abiding Seed not a vanishing affection but a remaining seed and 't is called a good Treasure Math. 12.35 There is a stock that supplyeth holy Thoughts Words and Actions As a man that hath a bad Treasure of Corruption the more he spends the more 't is encreased so a man that hath a good stock he bringeth forth holy Thoughts Words and Actions And 't is called a new Heart and a right Spirit Psal. 51.10 Ezek. 36.26 27. and 't is called a sound heart Psa. 119.80 There is a slight heart and a sound heart which is not only opposed to the shows of Hypocrites but to the suddain pangs and half dispositions of Temporaries when Grace beareth an universal soveraignty over us inclining the heart to love and please and serve God 6. Sometimes the work is particularly expressed by the several Graces of the Spirit all which are comprized in Faith and Repentance Acts 20.21 Teaching them Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ Repentance towards God because by it we return to the Duty we owe to our Creator and Faith in the Gospel notion doth principally respect our Redeemer and his mediation for us By Repentance we return to the Duty injoyned by the Law from whence we are fallen and by Faith we apprehend the Love of Christ and what he hath done for us By Repentance we are set in joynt again as to our Obedience to the Law-giver and by Faith we close with and are united to our Redeemer without which we cannot be accepted with God Both are the Principles of all sincere Obedience and subjection to the Gospel-law or Covenant If you ask me What is this Oyl in the Vessel that we must have to qualifie us to meet the Bridegroom at his coming Answ. 'T is Repentance mortifying our inward Lusts and Faith working by Love 1. Repentance mortifying our inward Lusts that in newness of Life we may glorifie God therefore called Repentance from dead works Heb. 6.1 By common Grace men may cast off all outward evils escape the pollutions of the World but are never really and inwardly changed in their natures 'till the Spirit of Christ worketh this Grace in the Heart they are but as a Sow washed 2 Pet. 2.22 there is an inclination to wallow in the Mire of carnal delights again 'T is possible a man may see such an excellency in Christ and be so affected at the hopes of his Mercy and melted at the thoughts of his Love as to cast off outward gross evils which the World liveth in but this is but the Sow washed the heart is not changed Lust for a while may be benummed seem quenched but 't is not deadned 't is not weakned If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the Body Rom. 8.13 as appeareth by its breaking out again with the more violence 2. Faith working by Love that is the great principle of Gospel-obedience True Grace doth not lye hid in the Soul in lazy habits but sets the Soul awork for God upon the apprehension of
us to all holy endeavours of Obedience this is sometimes called the activity or working of Grace Faith worketh by love Gal. 5.6 Sometimes Zeal or an earnest burning of affection towards God or that holy Ardor whereby we repress those affections unruly motions and desires which are contrary to his Will and do excite and stir up our selves more and more to honour him and please him Titus 2.14 Zealous of good works Sometimes Alacrity and Chearfulness as we prevail in striving against sin and our Love to God increaseth 1 John 5.3 4. All these are as so many degrees First We make Conscience of doing our Duty but that 's not enough a Convinced man may have his Conscience stirring and pleading for God but a Converted man or a renewed Heart hath an inclination and not only an inclination but some fitness and not only some fitness but there is an impulsion which discovereth its self either by stirring or exciting to that which is good though with difficulty which is the lowest degree All Grace is stirring and would fain break out into action for 't is not a dead and sleepy habit but seeketh to break forth and is called by the Apostle The Lustings of the Spirit Gal. 5.17 Another Degree is Zeal and Love to the glory of God whom they honour and desire to exalt continually which maketh them complain of Corruption and to strive against it and to shake off sloathfulness and the weights of sin that hang upon us when the Spirit gets the upper hand but the flesh is not easily subdued Then we are more at liberty to serve God and so Alacrity followeth when a man hath Pleasure in good actions and the Flesh is so overcome and subdued that it can make little or no opposition and so we perform our Duty with more ease and delight which is the highest degree SERMON III. MATTH XXV v. 3 4. They that were foolish took their Lamps and took no Oyl with them But the wise took Oyl in their Vessels with their Lamps I Come now to the Second Effect Secondly An habitual Aversation to that which is evil Psal. 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil 'T is as natural to Grace to hate evil as to love good As Love was made for God and the things which he hath Commanded and tends to the enjoyment of him so Hatred was made for sin and what is contrary to God Man hath an eschewing faculty as well as an embracing and choosing faculty and Grace falleth upon both and sanctifyeth the one as well as the other Amos 5.15 Hate the evil and love the good Love was given us for good and Hatred for evil Love was made for the chiefest good and all things that tend to it and Hatred for that which is truely and properly evil Now concerning this Effect of Grace I shall observe these things 1. Grace produceth an Hatred of sin not a bare abstinence from it Sin may be restrained by forreign reasons not proper to Grace as a Dogg that hath a mind to the Bait may abstain for fear of the Cudgel So Men may abstain because of the Penalty of Laws Infamy shame in the World or other reasons as Haman refrained himself that he might the better take Revenge upon the whole race of the Jews Men may refrain from sin when there is not a rooted Enmity against it whereas in the Saints there is a constant Principle of resistance against it 1 John 3.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Seed of God abideth in him The Grace of Sanctification doth change the nature of a man and his Heart is set against that he loved before Look as the Lord will not respect mens external practice of Good when it may be their Hearts abhor and loath it and are bent on other courses he requireth chiefly that they be rooted in the Love of good and delight in it so he will not accept a simple not-doing or forbearing evil while it may be their Hearts are going a Whoring after it but will have them really hate and detest it that there should be an abiding Enmity in their Hearts against it and where 't is so that there is an habitual Love of good and hatred of evil Christ will pass by many failings in practice as you may see Rom. 7.22 23 24 25. that is the Case there The evil that I hate that do I and I delight in the Law of God in the inward man Clear these two once and the remainders of sin will not be your ruine 2. Grace produceth an hatred of sin as sin out of a principle of Love to God and as it is contrary to his Law and the new nature planted in us Ye that love the Lord hate evil and he that is born of God sinneth not that is the principle because the Seed of God abideth in you The School-men distinguish of two sorts and kinds of Hatred Odium abominationis and Odium inimicitiae the first is defined by Aquinas to be Dissonantia quaedam appetitus ad id quod apprehenditur ut repugnans noxium an aversation of the Appetite to what is apprehended repugnant and contrary to us Such an hatred there is in the regenerate for they apprehend sin as repugnant and contrary to their renewed Will to the unregenerate 't is agreeable and suitable as Draffe to the appetite of a Swine or Grass and Hay to a Bullock and Horse The other is an Hatred of Enmity so called both for the ground of it and the effect of it the ground as an evil that which is an Enemy and hurtful to us as sin is to our Peace and Happiness Temporal Spiritual and Eternal but chiefly as to the effect of it Hatred is a willing of evil and mischief to the thing or person hated Both these Hatreds are in the Children of God They hate sin not only as it may bring Loss and Detriment horrour of Conscience and Damnation but out of the pure Love of God as 't is contrary to his Image and Will and they hate it with an hostile Hatred so as to seek the destruction of it Non cessat in laesione Peccati sed in exterminio it doth not scratch at the Face of sin but is seeking to mortifie and subdue it and therefore are alwayes Mourning Praying Watching Striving Famishing it by cutting off its Provisions and denying its Satisfactions and still following the work close 'till we get the Mastery of it 3. I Observe That renewing Grace doth so far obtain and produce this effect in the Hearts of those that are under it that their Hatred to sin is greater than their Love to it and sin is thereby more and more weakened and subdued in the Soul We flatter our selves with notions of Love and Hatred unless there be some answerable Success and Prevalency It cannot be Imagined that sin should Live in its full strength where there is a fixed settled frame of Heart against it that there should be in the Soul
a working warring principle that shall rouse up a man dayly to take heed of it as the greatest evil and yet sin should be as powerful and as frequently and freely break out as it doth in others no where there is such an enmity hostility and irreconcileableness or to say in a word such an habitual aversation it cannot be 1 Joh. 3.9 He that is born of God doth not commit sin his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God He that hath such a blessed change wrought in him by the operation of Gods Spirit as to be transformed in the Spirit of his mind it cannot be supposed but that Grace will have such Energy and efficacy upon him as to prevent the life and growth of sin and restrain the practice of it that the habits of Grace being cherished this must needs be famished and starved by degrees A man that hath a fixed root of ungodliness in him he is at sins beck the Devils Slave but a permanent habit of Grace doth produce a constant carefulness that God be not dishonoured or displeased The Apostle telleth us That Christ bore our sins in his Body upon the tree that we being dead unto sin may be alive unto righteousness 1 Pet. 2.24 Now certainly this effect is obtained in those that have benefit by his Death or have assured it by Faith before they were alive to sin being active and delighting in the Commission of it but dead to Righteousness impotent and indisposed for any spiritual act but afterwards their love to sin is weakened and their Hearts quicken'd to spiritual Life Once more That there is a decay of the evil Principle appeareth by that of Gal. 5.16 17. This I say then walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would This place sheweth that the lusts of the flesh though they be not wholly abandoned yet they shall not be fulfilled We take it otherwise but the meaning is The unrenewed part shall be kept under we cannot fully effectuate the evil we would The Spirit alwayes opposeth what we would do according to the direction of the Flesh. There are two Active principles never wholly dead The flesh doth not advance with a full gale but meeteth with a contrary tyde of resistance from the Spirit 1. Vse Is to Reprove those that can afford a little Religion but cannot afford enough It may be good words without practice or practice without principle Good words without practice many talk well their notions are high and strict but observe them narrowly and you will find them cold and careless like the Carbuncle at a distance it seemeth all on fire but touch it and it is Key-cold Be warmed be cloathed will not pass for Charity nor Opinions for Faith nor Notions and elevated Strains for Godliness You would laugh at him that would think to pay his Debts with the Noise of Money and instead of opening his Purse shake it 'T is as ridiculous to think to satisfie God or discharge our Duty by fine words or heavenly Language without an heavenly Heart or Life or afford practice without a Principle or an inward disposition or inclination of heart to holy things 'T is not enough to do good but we must get the Habit of doing good to believe but we must get the Habit of Faith to do a vertuous action but we must have the Habit of Vertue to perform an Act of Obedience but we must get the Root of Obedience The Soul must be divested of evil Habits and decked and adorned with habits of Grace and endowed with new and spiritual Qualities before it can have a Principle of Life in its self But most men content themselves with a little good Affection that is soon spent Hosea 6.4 Ephraim's goodness is like the morning dew that wets the surface but is soon dryed up Many have some good things in them but they want a firm Root which is an habitual Inclination towards God Oh the difference that is between a man that forceth himself to do good and one whose Heart is inclined to do good He doth not go to it like a Bear to the Stake but with a native willingness he is inclined to think of good inclined to talk of good and holy discourse inclined to pray to exercise himself to Godliness The Lord hath put a new Nature in him and he feeleth an internal Mover or an inward Impression that moveth him This is Life but 't is little regarded Many have a shew but Life cannot be painted otherwise an handsome Picture of Godliness men may keep up But what are the Reasons of this 1. Negligence They are loath to be at the pains to get Grace to be at the expence of brokenness of Heart and that humble waiting and earnest praying that it will cost us A Form is easily gotten and maintained painted Fire needs no fuel to keep it in vanishing Affections are soon stirred A little remorse in a Prayer or delight in a Sermon they may have but it will cost us labour and diligence to have the Heart strongly bent towards God Prov. 13.4 The Soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing but the Soul of the diligent shall be made fat All excellent things have their incident difficulties and nothing is gotten without diligence labour and serious mindfulness That which is opposed to common Grace is casting off sloathfulness and a diligence to keep some full assurance of hope to the end Heb. 6.11 12. 2. Inconsideration They do not consider how they shall appear before Christ at the day of Judgment Therefore are they called foolish Virgins because they did not foresee all Events to provide against them As if the Spouse should come later they thought this Oyl they had might suffice or they should have opportunity to get more Christianity is a business of Consideration When Christ had laid down the Terms he biddeth them sit down and count the Charges Luke 14.28 A Builder doth but lay the foundation of his shame in his Cost if he be not able to carry on the Building a War were better never be begun if we have not means to maintain it If you mean to build for Heaven to bid defiance against the Devil World and Flesh you must not rashly engage but deliberately resolve We must consider the Quality of Christs Laws what visible Oppositions there are that we may knowingly all difficulties considered put our selves into his hands There is an anxious and serious deliberation necessary otherwise to leap into Profession sleightly maketh way for Apostasie or else for such a cheap Religion which costs nothing and therefore is worth nothing 3. Some unmortified corruption or indulged Lust which hindereth both the Radication and Prevalency of Grace The Heart divided touched partly with
of Grace Their choice of God for their portion remaineth unshaken They have chosen the better part adhere to it and have a general purpose to please God in all things 2. An universal slumber is not usually incident to the Saints 'T is not the sleep of the whole man as to all goodness 't is not in all parts of the soul. If there be a remiss will and dead affections yet not a sleepy Conscience something that taketh Gods part as appeareth because they are unsatisfied with this dull and drowsie estate 3. They are more easily alarmed and rouzed up out of it than others that sleep the sleep of death Their Faith and Love is soon awake again and easily set a work for God there is somewhat to work upon A true Christian riseth by unfeigned repentance when his Conscience hath but leizure and helps to deliberate and bethinks what he hath done and so much the better resolveth and bethinketh himself against his sin for the time to come 4. When they rise again and repent and do their first works they are more earnest and fervent than they were before As it were to make amends for their former languishing and to redeem the time they have lost they double their diligence Thirdly I come to the Reasons of this Sleepiness 1. There are two Principles in the Children of God the Flesh inclining to sleep and the Spirit to wake Mat. 26.41 The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak and therefore the degree of Grace which the best attain unto in this life is mixed with imperfection The guiding and commanding faculties do but imperfectly direct and the inferiour faculties imperfectly obey 'T is the Office of the Understanding and the Will to command of the inferiour faculties to obey There is weakness in all of them therefore 't is said Jam. 3.2 In many things we offend all The Understanding in many things is but a blind guide the Will is but in part rectified and so cannot exercise such a powerful command over our thoughts passions and senses 2. Variety of outward Occurrences working upon the diversity of Principles in us As sometimes we are in a prosperous estate sometimes in deep troubles both may cause this deadness and drowsiness in us Sometimes deep troubles make us weary of well-doing 2 Thes. 3.13 so Heb. 12.3 Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners lest you be weary and faint in your minds Now as this weariness and heaviness causeth sleep in the body so it doth in the soul. We are tyred in Gods service and then our Wheels are clogged A man may be secure in trouble but usually he is so in time of peace Peace Wealth and Honour are often abused to spiritual drowsiness and secure neglect of God Ease slayeth the fool Prov. 1.32 We had need watch when Delilah spreads her lap for us and the Delights of the world open their bosom to us Surfeiting with the abundance of worrldly prosperity we neglect the Power of Religion and please our selves with the Form David enjoying peace and plenty slew Vriah his Friend who in his adversity spared Saul his Enemy yea his heart smote him but for the cutting off the Lap of his Garment In the abundance of outward comforts we sit loose from God therefore we have those cautions Deut. 8. from ver 7 to ver 14. 3. Conversing with Spiritual Sluggards that count it an high piece of wisdom not to be too forward Irreligious Company and Example is a great matter and hath a mighty force upon us And though it doth not begin sin in the Soul it doth increase it Isa. 6.6 Sin is by propagation not by Imitation but yet the contagion of Example is a great advantage to Corruption To be among warm heavenly mortifyed self-denying Christians is a great advantage in the spiritual life There is a notable provocation and excitement in their example Saul among the Prophets had his Raptures 1 Sam. 10.10 Heb. 10.24 Let us provoke one another to Love and good Works This begets a holy Emulation who shall excell but carnal Company is a deadning thing We are more susceptible of evil than good we catch a disease from one another but we do not get health one from another By touching the unclean they became unclean but he that was unclean was not purified by touching the clean The Conversations of the wicked have more power to corrupt than the good to provoke and excite to vertue A man that would keep himself awake unto God and mind the saving of his Soul must shake off evil Company Psal. 119.115 Depart from me ye evil doers for I will keep the Commandments of my God And by evil Company I mean not only the Prophane who bespeak their own hatred and detestation by their apparent odiousness but the loose and careless As we are to take heed that we be not allured to that which is evil so that we be not deadned to that which is good Neglect of God will keep us out of Heaven as well as Prophaneness We easily leven one another with deadness and formality frequent Society with dead hearted persons breedeth it such whose conference is empty and unsavoury and altogether of worldly things Certainly our dulness and backwardness is such that we need the most powerful helps 4. Another cause is a dead Worship Missa non Mordet Christ compareth spiritual Duties to new Wine Mat. 9. but the Pharisaical Feasts to Taplash or old unsavoury stuff that hath no Spirits Old Bottles will endure that well enough Nothing lulleth the Soul asleep so much as a perfunctory Worship or sleepy Devotions Christs Ordinances are simple but full of vertue his Institutions conscientiously observed will keep us awake Psal. 119.93 I will never forget thy Precepts for with them thou hast quickned me Use them much in Faith and Obedience and Graces will be preserved in us in a lively manner and constant exercise 1 Thes. 5.19 20. Quench not the Spirit Despise not Prophesying If you would not quench the Spirit you must not carelesly use the means of Grace The words of the wise are as Goads to prick us forward Eccl. 12.10 in Heavens way To stir us up to our Duty the Spirit of God sharpeneth and pointeth the Word that it may be as Goads in our sides When we are negligent here is quickning A dull Ministry as well as a dull Minister maketh us fall asleep 5. Slumber is the cause of Sleeping Mark the order in the Text They first slumbred and afterwards slept One degree of carelesness makes way for another and usually there is a lesser degree at first Take heed of the beginnings of declinations If we would avoid sleep we must avoid slumber No man becometh stark naught at the first step One careless Prayer maketh way for another Give way to it now and it will settle into an utter deadness at last Men fear not the danger of little sins and so are hardened under them
Progress in Religion and stop there they lose what they have Luk. 8.18 From him that hath not shall be taken what he seemeth to have to him that imployeth his stock more shall be given but the other is on the losing hand Secondly As to the Hope and Comfort that followeth this Profession An Inclination to that which is good I suppose without that there can be no true Comfort 'till we should submit to the Conditions of the Gospel-law Matth. 5.28 29 30. There Temporaries are defective all therefore see it and know it when they are serious and considerative and their mistakes and misconceits are blown away by Death and Judgment now the conditions are Believing Repenting and Gospel-walking Now their Faith will not yield Comfort Gal. 5.6 Neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision availeth any thing but Faith that worketh by love Not their Repenting not a little sorrow for sin past 'till carnal Distempers are mortified 2 Cor. 7.10 So for Gospel-walking not a loose owning of Christ Mat. 7.21 'till there be a full Obedience to his Law putting it in practice with an upright Heart which is not consistent with allowed failings A man may profess himself a Christian yet if he do not his Fathers Will he may come short USE Oh then let us take heed we be not of the number of those whose Lamps are gone out The Lamps of the Sanctuary were never to go out but to burn alwayes Exod. 17.20 To this end 1. Apply your selves to Christ in the use of his appointed means for the renewing your Natures That his Spirit may give you a new Understanding and a new Heart God hath made the offer Ezek. 36.26 and it is only made good to those that diligently attend upon the appointed Means 2. Improve what you receive in that way 1 Thess. 5.14 Quench not the Spirit Fire may be quenched by powring on water or withdrawing the Fuel Quench not the Spirit by fleshly delights nor by a careless Conversation 3. They ask the wise Give us of your Oyl First This demand was unseasonable to be getting Oyl when they should use it to have their Oyl to buy when their Lamps should have been burning There is a time of getting if we lose that our opportunity is gone Luke 14.32 Isa. 55.2 John 9.4 While you have the day work for the night cometh in which no man can work Secondly It was extorted by meer necessity In a time of straits and distresses men will call upon the People of God to help them as Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron when Gods Judgements were upon him SERMON VII MATTH XXV v. 9. But the wise answered saying Not so lest there be not enough for us and you but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selves IN the words we have 1. A Denyal 2. The Reason of the Denyal 3. Their advice and Counsel to the foolish First The Denyal not so 't is not a churlish and envious Denyal but such an Answer as the nature of the thing would bear If they should be so kind they would deprive themselves and not leave sufficient for them both therefore they were better take the usual way of supply Three points are in this Verse 1 Doct. Every one must get Oyl into his own Lamp or get Grace of his own or else in the day of his Accounts the Grace of others will do him no good Secondly From the Reason lest there be not enough for us and you 2 Doct. They that have most grace have none to spare 3 Doct. If we would get Grace we must have recourse to the Ordinances For the first Point That every man must get Grace of his own 1. I do not hereby exclude the Righteousness of Christ or his communicating his Spirit to us There is a great deal of difference between Christ and the Saints in point of Sufficiency Power and Authority First They have not a Sufficiency for themselves and us too Christ hath a fulness out of which you may receive enough John 1.16 Of his fulness we receive grace for grace There is plenitudo Fontis plenitudo Vasis The Fulness of a Fountain and the Fulness of a Vessel The fulness of a Vessel is lessened and abated the more you take out of it the Creature is wasted by giving but a fountain is ever flowing and overflowing it keepeth its fulness still though it affordeth to others God saith to Moses Numb 11.12 I will take of the Spirit that is upon thee and put it upon them The words seem principally to intend as if his own Gifts and Abilities were given to them to help bear a part in the burden of the Government Secondly In point of Power they have no power to transfuse and put over their Righteousness to another As a man cannot divide and part his Life between him and another But Christ who liveth in us and is spiritually united to us he can impart his Grace and Righteousness 2 Cor. 5.21 He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Gal. 2.20 The life that I live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God Thirdly If they could do so they have no Authority and Commission to do it as God hath given to Christ Joh. 3.34 35. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand And Joh. 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him Such a difference there is between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Saints He can give us of his Oyl and will do it will not deny those that seek it humbly and seasonably and have enough himself as the precious Oyntment upon Aarons head and beard ran down to the skirts of his Garments Psal. 133.2 so doth Christ the Head communicate his Gifts and Graces to all his Members 2. I do not hereby exclude the Benefit which we have by the Communion of the Saints in the Mystical Body of Christ here in this World The Members are mutually usefull to one another as 't is said Col. 2.19 From which all the Body by joynts and hands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God 'T is from the Head but knit together by Nerves Veins and Arteries The Apostle saith that every joynt supplyeth something Eph. 4.16 we communicate to one another that strength and nourishment which all receive by the Head There is no Member but is of use we have benefit from one anothers Gifts and Graces or else we could not be serviceable in the Body But the Case in the Text is different these foolish Virgins had their former advantages which they should have improved to have supplyed them in the day of their Account Now the wise could not help the
mouth keep the door of my lips I do observe there First That unadvised and passionate Speeches do easily drop from us in our Troubles especially in our Persecution Secondly That a godly conscientious Man is very tender of these as of all evil He that would live in Communion with God for the present and hope to appear with comfort before him hereafter is sensible of the least thing that tends to Gods displeasure and Gods dishonour This is the true spirit of one that will be owned by Christ at the last day Thirdly There is no way to prevent being provoked to Impatience and rashness of Speech or any evil but by keeping a VVatch and renewing our Obligations to God Fourthly VVhoever would keep a VVatch must call in the aid and assistance of Gods Grace Lord set a VVatch upon the door of my lips SERMON XI MATTH XXV v. 14 15. For the Kingdom of Heaven is as a Man travelling into a far Countrey who called his own Servants and delivered to them his Goods And unto one he gave five Talents to another two to another one to every one according to his several ability THE particle for sheweth that this Parable hath some connection with the former We have but two great Affairs in the World the one to promote Gods glory the other to save our own Souls Or in other words To be faithfull to God and wise for our selves This latter was taught us in the former Parable the wise and provident Virgins made sufficient preparation for their reception into the Nuptial Feast The other faithfulness to God in employing our Gifts Talents and Opportunities for his glory is taught in this Parable Therefore the drift of it is to set us all a-work in our Places and Callings for the Glory of God that we may look Christ in the Face at his Coming For the Kingdom of Heaven c. In which words we have First The Person trusting A Man Who is here represented 1. As a great Lord and Master that hath Servants of his own and several Gifts to bestow upon them at his pleasure In Luke 't is A certain Nobleman who went into a far Countrey to receive for himself a Kingdom Luk. 19.12 In Mark Chap. 13.34 A great Master of an house who entrusts his Servants with his goods till his return 2. He is here considered as travelling into a far Countrey Christs ascending into Heaven is thereby intended for Gifts are the fruits of his Ascension Secondly The Persons intrusted He called his own Servants and delivered to them Not only Ministers and Officers of the Church are meant though they especially but all Christians who are Christs Servants employed by him in one state of life or other Thirdly The things intrusted his Goods they are bona things good in their nature and they are dona gifts freely given and delivered to us and not meerly given They are Talenta Talents not things meerly given as we give Money to a Beggar but as we give an Estate to a Factour As they are bona they must not be despised as dona Gifts they call for Thankfulness as Talents for Faithfulness The Jewish Talent was an hundred Eighty one pound ten shillings Now these Talents are Ordinances Opportunities Estates Gifts Graces all that we have received from God Either dona Administrantia or Sanctificantia Helps and Means and Opportunities to glorifie him which are the Occasions or the Graces of the Spirit which are the Dispositions to make us so to doe Fourthly The Variety observed in the Distribution To one five to another two to another one Which difference expresseth the divers kinds of Gifts and the measure and the degree in which they are bestowed Though all have not equal measure yet every one hath some Gift and some measure something that is peculiar to himself whereby he may be usefull Fifthly The Rule which is observed in the Distribution to every one according to his ability As in the Parable the wise Master knoweth every Servant according to his prudence and skill so in the Explication of the Parable every man is gifted and employed by Christ according to his natural Receptivity The Eye hath its office as an Eye and the Hand as an Hand and the Foot as a Foot I shall not pursue every minute Circumstance but only touch upon those things which are most remarkable First Observe then Doct. 1. That Christ Iesus is the great Lord and Owner He is so represented here with respect to Persons and Things Persons Those that received the Talents are called his own Servants and the several Gifts and good things bestowed upon them are called his Goods and these dispensed according to his sovereign will and pleasure to one more to another less Concerning Christs being a Lord and Owner let me give you these Observations First The Power of Christ as an Owner and free Lord is to be distinguished from his power as a Governour and Ruler As a free Lord he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy As a Governour and Ruler so he judgeth the World in righteousness or according to the Law or stated Rule which he hath given of his Will With respect to the one 't is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy But with respect to the other so run that you may obtain Compare Rom. 9.16 with 1 Cor. 9.24 for God that is arbitrary in his Gifts is not arbitrary in his Judgments His Law and the Precepts of it is the Rule of our Duty but in the Sanction of it 't is the Rule of Gods Process But as an Owner he discovereth his Sovereignty and Dominion as a Ruler or Judge his Justice or Righteousness All acts and matters of free favour are dispensed by him as a Lord but matters of right and wrong come before him as a Judge The Good man of the House pleaded ill I may do with my own as it pleaseth me Mat. 20.15 that belongeth to a Supream Owner Besides his being an Owner goeth before his being a Ruler and is the foundation of it For his absolute Propriety in us giveth him a legislative power over us to dispose of us or command us according to his own will He may give his Creatures what Rules he pleaseth and order them to what ends he thinketh good and bind them to observe his Order upon what terms he will I am the Lord Lev. 18.1 2 3 4 5 6. Therefore before the course of Government established between him and the World he is first considered as an Owner Secondly This Power and Ownership accrueth to Christ by a double Title jure Creationis Redemptionis 1. By right of Creation Ezek. 18.4 Behold all Souls are mine He hath a right to dispose of Man and all the rest of his Creatures as being all of them the works of his hands He that gave them their Beings when they were not and still supporteth them now they are hath an undoubted
the good and honest Heart that receiveth the good Seed so as to keep it so as to be a Principle of Life to them to these shall be given And then here is the other occasion when Christ speaks this The taking away of the Talents is after the Lord had been reckoning with his Servants after he had been a long time absent and in a far Country Therefore this taking away the Talent is not meant of the Gift its self as of the Comfort Benefit and Reward of it For all trading then is at an end that 's the time of Recompense and the Talent is lost it will do us no good to have had Estates and to have lived in Pomp and Splendour in the World if we have not made use of it for God Our Fall will be the greater because of our heighth 'T will do us no good to have born Office in the Church if we have not been faithful Matth. 7.22 Many shall say unto me in that day Lord Lord we have prophesied in thy Name Such as have taken up Office and Imployment in the Church and made no Conscience of doing the Duty that belongeth thereto these will not have but lose their Reward These are idle Shepherds Zech. 11.17 Their Unfaithfulness and Idleness in their Trust will cost them dear So for the Orninances and Means of Grace Luk. 13.26 Then shall they begin to say We have eat and drank in thy Presence 'T will be no Plea That you have been at God's Board nay you will have the greater Judgment Matth. 11.23 And thou Capernaum which are exalted to Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell A Place that enjoyeth the Gospel is near Heaven 't is the Suburbs of Heaven but where not improved these Priviledges plunge a Man deeper in the State of Condemnation Sins against the Law do not weigh so deep in his Ballance as sleighting and neglecting the Gospel that brings on heavy Wrath So for common Gifts good Affections partial Reformation 't is all lost as to any Reward Ezek. 33.13 Yea 't is worse 2 Pet. 2.20 21. For if after they have escaped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the latter End is worse with them than the Beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment The Wrath against them that return back to their Sins is much greater than if they had never been so enlightned and reformed Those that have had more Light and some taste of the Sweetness of Heavens way If they fall away 't is hard to renew them to Repentance This is the principal Sense intended in this Place yet because the Words are so contrived that they comprehend also the Loss we may sustain in this World while we are trading for God I shall shew you how God punisheth naughty and sloathful Servants in this World with the Loss of their Talents 1. Sometimes God taketh from them Opportunities and Liberty of doing Good Nothing is so soon lost as this Gal. 6.10 As we have therefore Opportunity let us do Good to all Men. There are some fit Opportunities offered us by the Providence of God for doing our Duty in this kind as are soon gone and being past and gone 't is hard to say whether ever we may enjoy the like As when we are specially fitted and there is a concurring Harmony of all Circumstances Therefore we should take hold of them without Delay or Foreslowing Opportunities are not alwayes as long as Life Eccles. 11.1 2. Cast thy Bread upon the Waters and give a Portion to seven and to eight for thou knowest not what Evil there may be upon Earth Embrace the present Opportunity thou canst not foresee how soon thou may'st be deprived of it Thou may'st die and leave thy Wealth to those that will shut up their Bowels Thou may'st be in want God may disable thee therefore make use of the Season for Liberality for doing Good while you have it So Office Authority Respect in the Church is an Opportunity God may cast us out of the Vineyard by the Malice of Men or as unsavoury Salt Matth. 13. Mal. 2.9 Therefore I have made you contemptible and base before the People Though all that are cast out are not so Matth. 21.35 the Husbandman took his Servants and beat one and killed another However it will be a discomfort if we have been negligent 2. Ordinances Means of Improvement may be lost Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with Man that is by the Ministry of Noah And God threatneth to take away the Hedge of his Vineyard when all his Cost is lost Isa. 5.5 6. What could I have done more for my Vineyard So Luk. 13.7 And he said to the Dresser of the Vineyard Lo these three Years came I seeking Fruit on his Fig-tree and I find none Cut it down why cumbreth it the Ground 3. Common Gifts God justly taketh them away from those that abuse or make no good use of them Many that excelled in Gifts that seemed to have great Parts are pitifully blasted afterwards 'T is no hard matter to discern a Maim and Decay of Gifts in them that use them not as if the Spirit were departed from them Zech. 11.17 The Idol-shepherd's Arm shall be dryed up and his Eye darkned That is his Gifts shall be taken away at least the Power and Life of them Many lose the Freshness of their Gifts of Prayer the Liveliness of their Knowledge 4. Initial Grace Heb. 6. Saving Gifts and Graces are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Repentance Rom. 11.29 Where there is Life begun 't is not quenched But where there are some hopeful Inclinations they begin to draw off their Hearts from the World to God though they had escaped the Pollutions of the World their latter End may be worse than their Beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 5. Dona Sanctificantia ought still to be improved that the Grace of God be not received in vain 1 Cor. 15.10 Grace in some measure may suffer Loss by our Negligence 1 Thess. 5.19 Quench not the Spirit despise not Prophesying Fire is quenched by pouring on Water or with-drawing Fuel So the Spirit is quenched by living in Sin which is like pouring on Water or not improving our Gifts and Grace which is like with-drawing the Fuel Gradus remitritur actus intermittitur habitus non amittitur Though the Habit be secured by God's Covenant yet such Portions and Degrees of Grace may be lost as may not easily be recovered again VSE Is to commend to us Diligence and Industry especially in the Work of our Heavenly Calling A Man's Life is divided between Waking and Sleeping so is his Waking time divided between Labour and Rest For Humane Nature cannot endure continual Exercise without Intermission Therefore a spiritual wise Man should so govern his Life
those that have only a washy weak Knowledg not a living Light and Knowledg that is rooted in their own Hearts they talk like Parrots like the Moon they are dark themselves though from others they shine to others like Vintners that keep Wine not for use but for sale The Cellar may be better stored but it is for others 2 Pet. 1.8 For if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a disparagement to know Christ and never be the better for him These are like the Noble-man of Samaria that saw the plenty of Samaria but could not taste of it Surely there are not greater Atheists in the World than Carnal Scholars that have a great deal of Light but no Grace It is sad to hear of such a Christ and feel nothing John 17.17 Sanctify them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth They who are able to understand the Word but to no purpose must needs doubt of the Truth of it Vse 2. To press Christians to grow in Knowledg that they may enter upon Eternal Life by degrees Hos. 6.3 Follow on to know the Lord. There is a growth in Knowledg as well as Grace it is not so sensible in the very increase and progress as that of Grace is because growth in Grace is always cum luctû with some strife but the Work upon the Understanding is more still and silent Draw away the Curtain and the Light cometh in and our Ignorance vanisheth silently and without such strife as goeth to the taming of Lusts and vile Affections yet afterwards it is sensible that we have grown Ye were Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord Ephes. 5.8 as a Plant increaseth in length and stature though we do not see the Progress We read of Jesus Christ that he grew in Knowledg we do not read that he grew in Grace he received the Spirit without measure and nothing could be added to the perfection of his Innocence yet it is said Luke 2.40 The Child grew and Vers. 52. Jesus increased in Wisdom and in Stature and in favour with God and Man The Godhead made out it self to him by degrees Oh let us increase It is notable that Moses his first Request to God was Tell me thy Name and afterward shew me thy Glory a more full manifestation of God We should not always keep to our Milk our Infant-Notions and Apprehensions but go on to a greater Increase it much advanceth your Spiritual Life and will be an advantage to your Eternal Life They have the highest Visions of God hereafter that know most of him here upon Earth they are Vessels of a larger capacity and though all be perfect yet with a difference Now for Means and Directions take these 1. Wait upon the preaching of the Word God appointed it and hath given Gifts to the Church for this end and purpose We should quicken one another Isa. 2.3 Come and let us go up to the House of the Lord and he will teach us his Ways God's Grace is given in his own way When Men neglect and despise God's solemn Institutions they either grow brutish or fanatical as we see by daily experience Light as well as Flame is kept in by the breath of Preaching By long attention you grow skilful in the Word of Righteousness Men that despise the Word may be more full of Crotchets and Curiosities but that Light is Darkness It is disputed which is the sense of Learning Hearing or Seeing By the Eye we see things but must by reason of innate Ignorance be taught how to judg of them 2. You must read the Word with diligence That is every Man's Work that hath a Soul to be saved They that busy themselves in other Books will not have such lively Impressions Psal. 1.2 His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night that must be our Exercise not Play-Books Stories and idle Sonnets How many Sacrilegious Hours do many spend this way Castae deliciae meae sunt scripturae tuae Aug. Nay good Books should not keep from the Scriptures Luther in Gen. cap. 19. saith Ego odi libros meos saepe opto eos interire ne morentur lectores abducant a lectione ipsius scripturae We should go to the Fountain 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation We put a disparagement upon the Word when we savour and relish Humane Writings though never so good and excellent better than the Word of God it self This is the standing Rule by which all Doctrines must be confirmed and you do not know what sweet fresh and savory Thoughts the Spirit of God may stir up in your own Minds for Word-representations are not so taking as our own inward Thoughts and Discourses these like a draught of Wine from the Tap are more fresh and lively It is necessary as I said before to wait upon Preaching to hear what others can say out of the Scriptures but it is good to read too that we may preach to our selves Every Man is fittest to commune with his own Heart and that Conviction which doth immediately arise out of the Word is more prevalent A Man can be angry with any Preacher but Conscience In another when a Matter is expressed to our Case we are apt to suspect the mixture of Passion and private Aims but read thy self and what thoughts are stirred up upon thy reading will be most advantagious to thee Besides those that are studious of the Word have this sensible advantage that they have the Promises the Doctrines the Examples of the Word more familiar and ready with them upon all Cases It is said of one that he was a living Bible and a walking Library 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a Christian is a walking Concordance And whereas other Christians are weak unsetled in Comfort or Opinion these have always Scriptures ready And let me tell you in the whole Work of Grace you will find no Weapon so effectual as the Sword of the Spirit as Scriptures readily and seasonably urged Therefore no diligence here is too much if you would not be barren and sapless in Discourse with others if you would not be weak and comfortless in your self read the Scriptures that you may bring sic scriptum est upon every Temptation and urge the solid grounds of our Comfort I speak the more in so plain a Point because I would make Men more conscionable both in their Closets and Families in this Point that they may not only have recourse to learned Helps and Books of an humane Original but to the Word it self 3. The Scriptures must be read with Prayer We must plow with God's Heifer if we would understand his Riddle we must beg the Spirit 's help The Spirit is the best Interpreter bene
to the end of the World Into whatsoever place and time of the World our Lot is cast we may have an assurance of Christ's Presence that is of his Assistance and Blessing as much as if he were actually and corporally present with us To Ministers Now if they improve their Interest they might have Christ in their Company as the Apostles had they are taken into the same Patent and Charter So also to all Believers Mat. 18.20 Where-ever two or three are met together in my Name I am present in the midst of them Whenever we are met together in any religious Work and Business Christ's gracious presence is with us in this sence he will never depart from Believers Now this gracious Presence was not vouchsafed till his corporal Presence was removed Partly because Christ will do nothing unnecessarily When he was personally present to solve their Doubts to instruct them in all Cases the Spirit was not poured out in such abundance as it is usual still with God to make up to us in spiritual Supplies what we want in outward Helps Partly because his Disciples had carnal Thoughts of his bodily Presence and rested in it which was to be confuted by his absence Partly to make way for his unlimited universal Influence his bodily Presence could only be in some Places but now he is ascended he filleth all things Eph. 4.10 As the Sun if it should come down and shine on one particular Field it could not diffuse its Beams far and near but now it is fixed in the Firmament nothing is hidden from its Light So Christ exalted scattereth his Beams and Influences every where into all parts and corners of the World Partly because it was meet that Christ should enter into his Glory and Kingdom before he declared his Efficacy to Men by the more plentiful pouring out the Spirit as Princes use at their Coronation to give Gifts and send abroad Ambassadors So when Christ was in his Royal Palace he gave Gifts unto Men and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers Ephes. 4.8 11. Vse 1. For confutation of the Lutherans who to establish their Doctrine of Consubstantiation make Christ's Ascension to be not a local Remove but only a change of the manner of his Presence they say he is still corporally present but not visibly as if the Humane Nature of Christ were made invisibly Omnipresent and not locally removed and carried into Heaven This is a Doctrine contrary to Scriptures for it is expresly said Acts 1.11 that he was taken up into Heaven And by virtue of this taking up he is no more in the World no more in the Earth nor in any place thereof For it is said Acts 3.21 That the Heavens must contain him till the time of the restitution of all things there is his personal-Presence fixed And therefore if any say Lo here or Lo there believe him not it is flatly contradictory to Scripture that Christ should be corporally present on Earth till he cometh to Judgment and it is contrary to the Truth of Christ's Body though it be glorified it is not deified a Body cannot be Omnipresent and without Quantity for then it is no more a Body And it is a Doctrine barren and of no use the Presence of Christ's Body is not so absolutely necessary to the comfort of a Christian John 6.63 It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing Nearness or distance of place doth not help or hinder his Presence with us or Efficacy upon us The Degree of his gracious Operation doth not depend upon the Degree of his Personal Presence as if Christ were like the Sun shining more or less hot according to the difference of his Posture and Scituation Christ doth not work like a natural Agent by Contact but according to his free Pleasure and the wise Dispensation of his own Will and our Communion with him is wholly Spiritual and Mystical not Gross and Carnal the Flesh profiteth nothing Yea it is against our Comfort Christ hath Business to do for us in Heaven and it is our Advantage that he is no more in the World If he were not in Heaven he were not a Priest Heb. 8.4 If he were on Earth he could not be a Priest And again Heb. 7.26 we had need of a Priest who is made higher than the Heavens that is that is ascended into the Third Heaven those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those Holy Places not made with hands now to appear in the Presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 But to leave this Vse 2. To press Christians to look for the Spiritual Presence of Christ tho they do not enjoy his Bodily You may make use of Christ now he is in Heaven as the Disciples did on Earth to ask him Questions to seek his Counsel to commend your Prayers and Persons to God It is no disadvantage to Faith that Christ is removed out of sight but only an occasion given whereby it may discover it self with more praise Therefore let us believe in Christ tho we see him not we shall one day see him in the Heavens to our Comfort and to the Terror of the Wicked in the mean time let Faith serve instead of Vision It will be your commendation whom having not seen ye love 1 Pet. 1.8 God hath removed Christ out of sight to make way for the Exercise of Faith and Love and it is much better by Faith to converse with him in Heaven than by sight to see him upon Earth John 20.29 Blessed are they that have not seen and yet believe Thomas would make his Senses the Judg he must feel the Wounds and put his Finger in the print of the Nails and thrust his Hand into his Side which discovered the weakness of his Faith Faith is not grounded on Sense but Testimony Be not discouraged tho you never saw him in the Flesh you shall one day see him in Heaven tho you could not hear his gracious Words yet you have Whispers and Counsels from his Spirit You saw him not hanging on the Cross yet he is crucified before your Eyes Gal. 3.1 In the Word and Sacraments he is notably and plainly laid forth to Faith The Gospel is a Magical Glass as it were wherein God will have the Soul look that we may see our absent Friend Sic Oculos sic ille Manus sic or a ferebat there are the very Postures of Christ. Therefore let us make use of our present Advantages you may expect as powerful Influences from him as if present in Person as the Sun doth not come down from Heaven but only his Influence There is a derivation of Virtue from his Person yea Christ is not like the Sun the farther absent from us in Body the more powerful is his Influence Ephes. 4.10 When he ascended up on high he filled all things Briefly then if you have any thing to do with Christ you know where to seek him Those
for ever to make intercession for us He is interceding with God that the Merit of his Death may be applied to us and that is Salvation to the uttermost The Heirs of Salvation need not to fear miscarrying Jesus Christ who is the Testator who by Will and Testament made over the Heritage to them he liveth for ever to see his own Will executed tho he died once to make the Testament yet he liveth for ever to see it made good Christ is risen from the Dead and dieth no more and therefore a Believer cannot miscarry 3. On the Spirit 's part there is a continued Influence so as to maintain the Essence and Seed of Grace The Father's Love is continued by the Merit of Christ that he will not depart from us and we are preserved by the Spirit of Christ that we may not depart from him He doth not only put into our Hearts Faith and Fear and other Graces at first but he maintaineth and keepeth them that the Fire may never go out Our Hearts are his Temples and he will not leave his Dwelling-place There is a continued Influence Now this he doth to preserve the Honour of Christ and the Comfort of Believers he glorifieth Christ and is our Comforter It is to preserve the Glory of Christ. Christ hath received a Charge from the Father John 6.39 This is the Father's Will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last Day nothing neither Body nor Soul In point of Honour and that he may be true to his Trust he sendeth his Spirit as his Deputy or Executor that his Merit may be fully applied therefore for the honour of Christ where-ever the Work is begun it is continued Christ is called Heb. 12.2 the Author and Finisher of our Faith Where-ever the Spirit is an Author he is also a Finisher when the good Work is begun he will also perfect it and continue his Grace to the end It was said of the foolish Builder He began and was not able to make an end This Dishonour cannot be cast upon Christ because of the Power and Faithfulness of the Spirit he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 go through with the Work which he hath begun Phil 1.6 Being confident of this that he that hath begun a good Work in you will perform it unto the day of Christ. The Spirit is to fit Vessels for Glory he doth not use to leave them half carved but finish them for the honour of Christ. The Spirit is faithful to Christ as Christ is to the Father The Father chuseth the Vessels Christ buyeth them and the Spirit carveth and fitteth them that they may be Vessels of Praise and Honour He is our Comforter working Grace he puts us into an expectation of Comfort and Glory and therefore to make it good he carrieth on the Work without failing Rom. 8.23 And not only they but our selves also who have the first-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body 2. Cor. 1.22 Who hath sealed us and given the Earnest of the Spirit in our Hearts We have the Taste and the Pledge of it it is good it is sure The first degree of Grace is conferred as a Pledg of eternal Life he giveth it as an Earnest or Pledg assuring us of a more perfect Enjoyment of him It is a Pledg of the whole Crop as an Earnest hereby God assureth us that he will pay the whole Sum. An Earnest is a Pledg whereby we confirm a Bargain it is a Piece of Money whereby we are assured he will pay the whole Grace it is the Livery and Seisin of Glory as soon as a real Change is wrought in us we have a Right that is indefeasible it is engaged by Promise Therefore that the Spirit may be faithful when he hath given us the First-fruits the Earnest shall he not give us the Inheritance Vse 1. It exhorteth us to persevere with the more care John 2.26 27 28. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you But the Anointing which you have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lie and even as it hath taught you you shall abide in him And now little Children abide in him that when he shall appear ye may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming Since we have so many Advantages of standing let us not fall from him O how great will your Sin be if you should fall and dishonour God! We pity a Child that falleth when it is not looked after but when a froward Child wresteth and forceth it self out of the Arms of the Nurse we are angry with it You have more ground to stand than others being brought into an unchangeable Estate of Grace being held in the Arms of Christ so that God will be very angry with your Slips and Fallings Mercy holdeth you fast and you seek to wrest your selves out of Mercies Arms. Never any can sin as you do there is much frowardness in your Sins You disparage the Spirit 's Custody the Merit of Christ and the Mercy of the Father Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it Some seem to stand and do not and some seem to fall utterly and do not A Child of God indeed cannot come short but he should not seem nor give any appearance of coming short Our Course in Religion is often interrupted tho it be not broken off this is a seeming to come short of it Hereby you bring a Scandal upon the Love of Christ as if it were changeable upon the Merit of Christ as if it were not a perfect Merit Tho we do not fall so as to break our Necks yet we may fall so as to break our Bones Vse 2. If you fall be not utterly discouraged As the Spinster leaveth a Lock of Wooll to draw on the next Thread There is somewhat left when you are departed from God you have more hold-fast in him than an unregenerate Sinner A Child tho a Prodigal will go to him and say Father Psal. 119.176 I have gone astray like a lost Sheep seek thy Servant for I do not forget thy Commandments Through natural Weakness I have gone astray like a Sheep but I seek thy Commandments there is some Grace left yet Isa. 64.8 But now O Lord thou art our Father we are the Clay and thou art Potter we are all the Work of thine Hand The Church pleadeth thus nay God is angry when we do not plead so Jer. 3.4 Wilt thou not from this time cry My Father thou art the Guide of my Youth You have an Interest in God yet Thus do and your Fall
good Work it is not of your selves but of God Every Act every Degree of Holiness is from God III. For whom he prayeth the Apostles I. That were already holy John 13.10 Ye are clean and in the Verse immediately preceding They are not of the World yet now Sanctify them let their Hearts be more heavenly and their Lives more pure every day Observe Those that are sanctified need to be sanctified more and more Rev. 22 1â— He that is righteous let him be righteous still he that is holy let him be holy still 1. Our inward Sanctification must increase because of the weakness of present Grace and the relicts of Corruption 2 Cor. 4.16 Tho our outward Man perish yet the inward Man is renewed day by day It is not a Work to be done at once 1 Thess. 5.23 And the very God of Peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is perfect in parts at first the New Creature doth not come out maimed but not in degrees there is need of more Sanctification in Spirit in Soul in Body the Kingdom of Heaven increaseth by degrees 2. Our outward Man must be cleansed day by day because of new defilements John 13.10 He that is washed needeth not but to wash his Feet but is clean every whit It is an Allusion to a Man coming from the Bath his Feet contract Soil in the Passage Your Persons are sanctified by the Spirit but when you are never so holy there are new Defilements Vse 1. Be not satisfied with any present degrees of Grace There is an holy Covetousness I count not my self to have attained Phil. 3.14 Christ is so full that we cannot receive all at once 2. It is a strange Conceit in any to think they may be too good When we begin to be unwilling to grow better we begin to wax worse it is a good degree of Grace to know our Defects 3. Therefore let us use Means to persist in Holiness to increase in Holiness especially Prayer which is the Breath which God hath appointed to keep in the Flame II. For the Persons once more They were to preach the Word as a Preparative he prayeth for Sanctification Observe Holiness is a good Preparative to the Ministry and they are inwardly consecrated by the Spirit sanctifying them 1. That they may have experience of the Truth of the Doctrine upon their own Hearts The Apostles were to preach the Truth to others now saith he Sanctify them through thy Truth I believed and therefore have I spoken Psal. 116.10 We speak best when we speak by experience This is the right way of getting Sermons by Heart We are God's Witnesses now we should have sound Experience 1 John 1.1 That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our Eyes which we have looked upon and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you Ezekiel was first to eat the Roll Ezek. 3. 1 2 3. not only to see it and to hear it but to eat it Ministers must first eat themselves then feed others We are not to speak by hear-say to deliver God's Message as a meer Narration but out of a deep Impression on the Heart What cometh from the Heart and from Experience is quick and lively 2. For the Honour of God Carnal Ministers bring a Reproach upon the Ordinances 1 Sam. 2.17 The Sin of the young Men was very great before the Lord for Men abhorred the Offering of the Lord. Who will take Meat out of a Leprous Hand 3. To answer the Types of the Law Aaron and his Sons were sanctified for the Levitical Priesthood Exod. 29.4 To be washed with Blood and Oil to be washed in the great Laver sprinkled with Blood anointed with Oil which denotes Remission of Sins Regeneration the Gifts of the Spirit 1 John 5.8 There are three that bear Witness in Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood Every Office should have a solemn Consecration Vse 1. Ministers should look to their inward Call They that are designed to serve God in a special manner must look after special Purity It breedeth Atheism when we do not live up to our Doctrine People will say they must say something for their Living 2. Let People look to their choice of Ministers There is a great deal of difference between an Eloquent and an Experienced Pastor Secondly We now come to the Means or Manner how Christ's Request is to be accomplished by thy Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be rendred in thy Truth or by thy Truth oâ— through thy Truth as Vers. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without an Article that they may be sanctified through the Truth or as in the Margeâ—t truly sanctified but we better render it by the Truth there is an Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in Truth but in the Truth and it is presently added thy Word is Truth So that it noteth not the kind of their Sanctification but the Instrument and Means Now these words by thy Truth may be understood either of God's Faithfulness or his revealed Will both which are called his Truth Of God's Faithfulness as Vers. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as keep them by thy Power so sanctify them by or according to thy Truth and Faithfulness But this Exposition tho plausible yet is not so proper because it is presently added thy Word is Truth By Truth then is meant not his Faithfulness but his revealed Will. Now God hath revealed his Will by the Light of Nature or by the Light of his Word That Will of God which is revealed by the Light of Nature is called Truth so the Gentiles are charged Rom. 1.8 With-holding the Truth in Vnrighteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may be known of God Vers. 19. is called Truth How came the Gentiles by the Truth who are strangers to the Covenant of Promise The Apostle answereth much of God was known to them But this Truth that is here spoken of is the Will of God made known in his Word or the Knowledg of things necessary to Salvation concerning God and his Worship first delivered by the Prophets afterwards explained by Christ himself to the Apostles and by them consigned to the Church Now the Truths delivered in the Word may be referred to two Heads Law and Gospel The distinction in Christ's Time was Law and Prophets In this place Christ chiefly intendeth the Gospel the Truth which they were sent to preach to others Christ would have them to have an experience of it themselves And it is notable that in many places of Scripture the Gospel is called Truth not only in opposition to humane Writings but also with respect to the Law and other parts of Scripture because it is the Truth by way of eminency as we call the Plague
Zin because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the Children of Israel 4. Another Quality to be discerned in the Manner and Form of the Scriptures is the Harmony and Agreement that is to be found in them all along notwithstanding the diversity of Times Places and Persons still there is an increase of Knowledg and Dispensations rise higher and higher as the Light increaseth till Noon-day but there is no difference Luke 1.70 As he spake by the Mouth of his Holy Prophets which have been since the World began One Mouth many Prophets They lived in such distant Ages handled such diversity of Arguments yet all conspired in promoting the same Truth which is now revealed to us in the New Testament There is a great difference of Style some speak with more loftiness and majesty others with greater familiarity and humility of Expression yet all promoting the same thing There is a difference in the manner of Prosecution yet an exact harmony in the Substance and essential Quality of their Writings not only in their general drift and scope to set out the Glory of God and the Good of Mankind but in the matter handled without any spice of secular Vanity as is to be seen in other Writings So that one and the same Spirit appeareth throughout the whole 1 Cor. 12.4 Now there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit Yea there is not only a diversity of Style but a different degree of Light according to the increase of God's Dispensations yet there is an Harmony God's Name and Style and the Mystery of Christ was made known to the Church by degrees the solemn Title and Style of God was not one and the same from the beginning of the World but tho they were divers yet they were not one contrary to another but one perfecting the other He is called by Melchisedeck The most High God Possessor of Heaven and Earth Gen. 14.19 Afterwards by reason of his Covenant with Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Alsufficient Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God or the Alsufficient God walk before me and be thou perfect Then when he was put to it he made known himself by the Name of Jehovah Exod. 6.2 3. And God spake unto Moses and said unto him I am the Lord. And I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the Name of God Almighty but by my Name IEHOVAH was I not known unto them And after the appropriation of the Covenant to the Family of the Patriarchs he is called the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob Exod. 3.15 The Lord God of your Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath sent me unto you This is my Name for ever and this is my Memorial unto all Generations Then upon experience of God's care of them he is called Exod. 20.2 The Lord thy God which hath brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage Then the Lord that brought his People out of the North Country Jer. 23.7 8. Therefore behold the days come saith the Lord that they shall no more say The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt But the Lord liveth which brought up and which led the Seed of the House of Israel out of the North Country and from all Countries whither I had driven them and they shall dwell in their own Land Then when the Sun of Righteousness was risen the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope c. 2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Mercies and the God of all Comfort Ephes. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ. So for the Mystery of Redemption First it was revealed to Adam to be by the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 I will put enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed It shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel Then to Abraham by thy Seed Gen. 12.3 In thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed which was repeated to Isaac to cut off Ishmael then to Jacob to cut off Esau. Then it was revealed out of what Tribe he should come viz. out of Judah Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the Law-giver from between his Feet until Shiloh come Then that he should come of David's Line Isa. 11.1 There shall come forth a Rod out of the Stem of Jesse and a Branch shall grow out of his Roots And that he should be born of a Virgin Isa. 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and shall bear a Son and shall call his Name Immanuel There is a difference of manifestation yet still an Harmony as there is a difference between a small Print and a great Print but the Matter is the same The Mystery of God manifested in the Flesh is set forth in a fairer Edition 5. There is one Character more in the Form and Manner of these Writings and that is Impartiality Kings and Subjects are bound by the same Laws liable to the same Punishments encouraged by the same Promises If the Scriptures were only a Politick Device to keep Subjects in awe there would be some exemption for Potentates but they are alike obnoxious to God's Judgment and the same Tophet that is provided for the Peasant is provided for the Prince Isa. 30.33 For Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large c. Tophet was a Valley where the Idolatrous Jews were wont to burn their Children therefore as a fit Type of Everlasting Punishment it is put for Hell it is capacious enough to receive all King and Subject Now the Scriptures that threaten Potentates as well as others must needs be a Law that cometh from an higher than the Highest Who would presume else to threaten those in Power Rev. 20.12 And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which was the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works On this side the Grave there is a distinction between Man and Man but all are alike obnoxious to Christ's Judgment and all stand in dread of it There is enough in the Scriptures to astonish the Heart of the mightiest Potentate and make it tremble II. Now from the Matter of the Scriptures I am much prevented from what is published on James 1.18 But let me speak something now All that is spoken in the Scripture may be reduced to these five Heads Precepts Promises Doctrines Histories Prophecies Now all these
can be no true Calling unless you see God in it as well as Men. And the Lord taketh it to be his Prerogative to bestow Officers upon the Church Dabo Evangelistum I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good Tidings Isa. 41.27 He did not only appoint the Office but doth design the Persons Now what is this Inward Call I Answer God calleth us when he maketh us able and willing the Inclination and the Ability is from God The Inclination He thrusts out Labourers into his Harvest Mat. 9.38 And the Ability He makes us able Ministers of the New Testament 2 Cor. 3.6 and both these are required of us Ability there must be Look as Princes count it a point of Honour when they send out Ambassadors to Foreign Nations to employ those that are fit so it is for the Honour of God that all his Messengers should be gifted and fitted Gifts and Abilities are our Letters of Credence that we bring to the World that we are called of God and authorized to this Work Certainly if the Spirit of God fitted Bezaleel and Aholiab for the material Work of the Tabernacle much more doth Spiritual Work require proportionate Abilities It is true there is a Latitude and Difference in the degree of Abilities but all that can look upon themselves as called of God must be able and apt to teach The Apostle took this for a Call 1 Tim. 1.12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the Ministry If ever God put us into the Ministry he first enableth us and bestows suitable Gifts and Graces But that is not all a Man must be willing too 1 Tim. 3.1 If a Man desire the Office of a Bishop he desireth a good Work There must be a strong Inclination that carries us out to such a course of Life if the Lord shall give us a Call Yea in some Cases in the Conscience of the Inward Call a Man may offer himself his Gifts to Trial and his Person to Acceptance so it be done modestly and not in a vain-glorious Confidence As Antisthenes said in the Case of Magistracy that a Man should deal with Magistracy as with Fire a Man would not come too near the Fire lest he burn himself nor stand at too great a distance lest he grow stiff with Cold So of the Ministry a Man must not be too forward nor too backward In some Cases it is good to expect the fair Invitation of Providence an Inclination there must be if the Lord vouchsafe a Call In some Cases we may offer our selves to the Acceptation of the Church if the Lord see fit that we be chosen But to return he hath the inward Call who is able and willing I mean upon Spiritual Grounds having first counted the Charges Difficulties Duties Dangers of this Calling Well then if Men be willing but not fit they are not called of God or if fit yet not willing they have not Warrant enough to undergo the Difficulty much more they that are neither fit nor willing but only thrust themselves upon the Office by the carnal Importunity of Friends or corrupt Aims at Honour and secular Advantage Thus you see what the Inward Call is 2. There is an Outward Call The Inward Call is not enough to preserve Order in the Church an Outward Call is necessary As Peter Acts 10. was called of God to go to Cornelius and then besides that he had a Call from Cornelius himself So must we having an Inward Call from the Spirit expect an Outward Calling from the Church otherwise we cannot lawfully be admitted to the Exercise of such an Office and Function As in the Old Testament the Tribe of Levi and House of Aaron were by God appointed to the Service of the Altar yet none could exercise the Calling of a Levite or serve as an High Priest till he was anointed and purified by the Church Exod. 28.3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted whom I have filled with the Spirit of Wisdom that they may make Aaron 's Garments to consecrate him that he may minister to me in the Priest's Office The like is repeated Numb 3.3 So the Ministers of the Gospel tho called by God must have their External Separation and setting apart to that Work by the Church as the Holy Ghost saith Acts 13.2 Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the Work whereunto I have called them Mark the Spirit of God had chosen them and yet calls upon the Church the Elders of Antioch to separate them for the Work of the Ministry But now in what Order this is to be done and by whom this Separation is to be made is the great Controversy Politicians and with them Erastians make it to be the Magistrates Right the Anabaptists with some others make it the Peoples Right Papists and others give it to the Bishops others to Presbyters and Elders of the Church To examine every Claim at large would take up a great deal of time let us compound the Difference as well as we can In short there are three Pretenders to the Power of the External Call the People the Elders the Magistrate and we may divide it among them and give every one their share and then the Call will be compleat I say there are but three Pretenders for we need not to speak of the Bishops Plea for Bishops and Presbyters or Elders in the Scripture are all one The Apostle writes to the Bishops and Deacons at Philippi Phil. 1.1 The Apostle taketh notice of no other Officer in that Church And Chrysostom's Gloss is of weight What is the Reason the Apostle saith to Bishops were there more than one of one City The Reason is saith he because Bishops and Elders or Presbyters are the same So when the Apostle bids Titus Tit. 1.5 6. Ordain Elders in every City if any be blameless c. He adds Vers. 7. For a Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God To lay aside this then we shall speak to the Claim of the People the Elders and the Magistrate and give every one its due For in the External Call there are three parts Election Ordination and Confirmation Election that belongeth to the People Ordination which standeth in Examination of Life and Doctrine together with Authoritative Mission that is the Right of the Presbytery and Confirmation that belongs to the Magistrate 1. Election is the Peoples Right This appeareth because their Consent and Suffrage is required in all Offices even in the choice of an Apostle Acts 1.15 26. the 120 nominate Matthias in the room of Judas and God decided it by Lot and in the choice of a Deacon Acts 6.3 Look ye out among you seven Men of honest Report full of the Holy Ghost c. and of an Elder Acts 14.23 And when they had ordained them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders in every Church and had prayed with Fasting they commended them to the
approbation to the Gospel Many spake highly of God that never received him for their God Nebuchadnezzar was forced to confess Dan. 2.47 Of a Truth it is that your God is a God of Gods and Lord of Kings Deut. 32.31 Their Rock is not as our Rock even our Enemies themselves being Judges His Enemies speak well of him The Church commendeth God as they have cause Who is like unto the Lord our God in all the World But now they might seem partial and therefore God will extort praise from his Enemies those that are apt to think of Christ as an Impostor and Seducer shall see the Reality of their Religion It was an Honour to Christianity that the People magnified the Apostles tho they had not a Heart to run all Hazards with them Acts 5.13 2. It is for the clearing of his Process at the last Day The Heathens being convinced by God's Works are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without excuse Rom. 1.20 God hath not left himself without a Witness Acts 14.17 So those that live within the found of the Gospel tho they do not come under the Power and Dominion of the Christian Faith yet they have such a Conviction of it as shall tend to their Condemnation at the great Day All those whom the Lord arraigns at the last day they will all be speechless and have nothing to say for themselves Mat. 22.12 At the Day of Judgment our Mouths will be stopt as being condemned in our own Conscience then the Books shall be opened and one of the Books opened is in the Malefactor's keeping the Sinner's Conscience they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God's Providence is justified by the Conviction of their own Hearts It is a Question which is the greatest torment the Terribleness of the Sentence which shall be past upon Wicked Men or the Righteousness of it You know the Apostle tells you When the Lord Jesus shall come in flames of Fire to render Vengeance to the World 2 Thess. 1.7 8. there are two sorts of Persons he shall meet with Them that know not God that is Heathens which did not take up what they might know of God from the course of Nature from the Knowledg of their Eye and Ear and them that obey not the Gospel them that lived within the sound of the Gospel and heard much of it they were convinced they had some kind of Knowledg and Belief of it yet they would not let their Hearts be subject and give up themselves to it It clears the Lord's Process if Men continue ignorant and opposite to the Grace of the Gospel by this means they are left without excuse therefore that he might be clear when he judgeth the World shall be convinced and brought to a temporal perswasion that thou hast sent me the old Conviction that remaineth with them shall justify God Secondly With respect to the Elect for all is for the Elect's sake The World would not stand if it were not for their sakes Time would be at an end but that God hath some more that are not called and the number of the Elect is not fully accomplished When all the Passengers are taken in the Ship lancheth forth into the Main So we should all lanch forth into the Ocean of Eternity if all the Elect were taken in He prays with respect to them that the World may believe How doth this concern them 1. Their Conviction conduceth to others Conversion Many of the Samaritans possibly would not believe if Simon Magus their great Leader had not been convinced Acts 8.10 To him they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying This Man is the great Power of God If the Word can gain such an one but to the Conviction of the Truth tho he be an Enemy to it in his Heart yet it is a mighty Means to further the Conversion of the Elect. The Conviction of the World it is a rational Inducement it is a Door by which the Gospel entreth It is no small advantage that Christianity hath gotten such esteem as to be made the publick Profession of the Nations that Potentates have counted it the fairest Flower in their Crown to be stiled The Defender of the Faith the Catholick King the most Christian King By all kind of Means is this to be promoted to bring Men to a general Confession Tho it be no great benefit to them as to the World to come yet it is a help to the Elect that they are under such a Conviction For if Christianity were still counted a novel Doctrine an hated Doctrine and were publickly hated maligned opposed and persecuted what would become of it 2. For the Safety of the Church Tho God doth not change their Natures yet he breaketh their Fierceness that they may not be such bitter Enemies and so Persecution is restrained and when there is a restraint and he ties their Hands by Conviction we enjoy the more quiet Alas what Wolves and Tigers would we be to one another if the Awe of Conviction and the Restraints of Conscience were taken off We owe very much of our Safety not to visible Force and Power but to the Spiritual Conviction that is on the Hearts of Men by which God bridles in the corrupt and ill-principled World that they cannot find in their Hearts so much to molest it as otherwise their Natures would carry them to but that the Gospel may have a free course and the gathering of the Elect may not be hindred for God's Conviction is the Bridle he hath upon them to keep them from doing hurt tho they be not converted yet they shall be convinced Acts 5. Gamaliel being convinced the Apostles obtained liberty of Preaching Pliny moved by the Piety of Christians obtained a mitigation of the Persecution from Trajan and such Halcyon-days might we expect if Christians would walk more suitable to the Privileges of the Mystical Union they would dart a great deal of Reverence in the Minds of Men and would be more safe than they are For when the Wall of visible Protection is broken down a Christian meerly subsists by the Awe that is upon the Consciences of Men. Wicked carnal Men as they have a slavish fear of God which is accompanied with hatred of God so they have a slavish fear of the Saints only their Hatred is greater than their Fear When you abate of the Majesty of your Conversation and behave not your selves as those that are taken into the Mystical Body of Christ and have the Communion of the Spirit when you do not walk up suitably to your Spiritual Life and Privileges then the Hatred of your Enemies is increased and their Fear lessened whereas otherwise their Fear which ariseth from thence is a mighty restraint How often are we disappointed when we expect to beat down opposite Factions by Strife and Power more good is done by Conviction and the Church hath greater Security and Peace when they subsist by their own Virtue rather than by force
the chief Object and Center of our Rest Otherwise we are troubled with divers Cares Fears and Desires Thus Grace worketh upon us But the distance lieth not only on our part but God's Before God and the Creature can be brought together Justice must be satisfied Christ came to restore us to our Primitive Condition 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself The Merit of Christ bringeth God to us and the Spirit of Christ bringeth us to God It is as necessary Christ should be united to us as we to God 5. Our Happiness in God is compleated by degrees In this Life the Foundation is laid we are reconciled to him upon Earth But the compleat fruition we have in Heaven there we are fully made perfect in one Here there is weakness in our Reconciliation we do not cleave to him without distraction there are many goings a whoring and wandring from God after our return to him And here on God's part our Punishment is continued in part God helpeth us by Means at second and third Hand We need many Creatures and cannot be happy without them we need Light Meat Cloaths House Our Life is patched up by Supplies from the Creature But there God is all and in all 1 Cor. 15.28 We find in God whatever is necessary for us without Means and outward Helps There God is all and in all he is our House Cloaths Meat Ordinances We have all immediately from God and in all all are made perfect in one We cannot possess any Thing in the World except we encroach upon one anothers Happiness Worldly Things cannot be divided without lessening and we take that from others which we possess our selves Envy sheweth the narrowness of our Comforts But there the Happiness of one is no hindrance to another all are gratified and none miserable As the Sun is a common Privilege none have less because others have more All possess God as their Happiness without Want and Jealousy Vse If to be drawn into Unity and Oneness with God be our Happiness and Perfection then take heed of two Things 1. Of Sin which divides God from you 2. Of doting upon the Creatures which withdraweth you from God 1. Of Sin which maketh God stand at a distance from you Isa. 59.2 Your Iniquities have separated between you and your God and your Sins have hid his Face from you As long as Sin remaineth in full Power there cannot be any Union at all What Communion hath Light with Darkness And the more it is allowed the more it hindreth the Perfection of the Union What is the Reason we do not fully grow up to be one with God in this Life that our Communion with him is so small Sin is in the way the less Holy you are the less you have of this Happiness such unspeakable Joys lively Influences of Grace and immediate Supplies from Heaven In bitter Afflictions we have most Communion with God many times that is nothing so evil as Sin as Afflictions abound so do our Comforts 2. Of doting upon the Creatures which withdraweth your Heart from God The more the Heart is withdrawn from God the more miserable Let the Object be never so pleasing it is an Act of Spiritual Whoredom Sin is Poyson Creatures are not Bread Isa. 55.2 Why do you spend your Mony upon that which is not Bread and your Labour for that which satisfieth not It cannot yield any solid Contentment to the Soul These things are short uncertain things beneath the Dignity of the Soul there is a Restlesness within our selves and Envy towards others they are not enough for us and them too Not for us if enough for the Heart not for the Conscience If God do but arm our own Thoughts against us as usually he doth when the Affections are satisfied with the World he will shew you that the whole Soul is not satisfied therefore he awakeneth Conscience As Children catch at Butterflies the gawdy Wings melt away in their Fingers and there remaineth nothing but an ugly Worm Desertion is occasioned by nothing so much as Carnal Complacency Many times the Object of our Desires is blasted but if not God awakeneth Conscience and all the World will not allay one Pang You may understand this Oneness with respect to our Fellow-Members and so you may understand it jointly of the compleatness of the whole Mystical Body or singly of the strength of that brotherly Affection each Member hath to another There is a double Imperfection for the present in the Church every Member is not gathered and those that are gathered are not come to their perfect growth So that let them be perfect in one is that the whole Body may attain to the integrity of Parts and Degrees First Let us take it Collectively that they may all be gathered together into a perfect Body and no Joints lacking Observe That all the Saints of all Places and all Ages make but one perfect Body In this sense the glorified Saints are not perfect without us Heb. 11.40 God having promised some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect It is no derogation for Christ is not perfect without us The Church is called the Fulness of him that filleth all in all Ephes. 1.23 They are as to their Persons perfect free from Sin and Misery made perfect in Holiness and Glory but not as to their Church-Relation So Ephes. 4.13 Till we all come to the Vnity of the Faith and of the Knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Christ. All the Body must be made up that Christ Mystical may be compleat Now there are some Joints lacking all the Elect are not gathered Vse 1. See the Honour that is put upon the Saints The Saints on Earth and the Saints in Heaven make but one Family Ephes. 3.15 Of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named In a great House there are many Rooms and Lodgings some Above some Below but they make but one House So of Saints some are Militant some Triumphant and yet all make but one Assembly and Congregation Heb. 12.23 We are come to the General Assembly and Church of the First-Born which are written in Heaven we upon Earth are come to them Our Christ is the same we are acted by the same Spirit governed by the same Head and shall be conducted to the same Glory As in the State of Grace some are before us in Christ so some are in Heaven before us their Faces once as black as yours We have the same Ground to expect Heaven only they are already entred Vse 2. It is a ground of Hope we shall all meet together in one Assembly Psal. 1. 5. The Vngodly shall not stand in the Judgment nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous Now the Saints are scattered up and down where they may be most useful then all shall be gathered together
Christ we partake of the influence and fruit of his Merit and Purchace and the benefit is made ours and so our old man is said to be crucified with him The Merit of his Passion beginneth then to take place so that every good Christian can say I am crucified with Christ Gal. 2.20 our old man beginneth then to receive its deaths wounds so that we are not the â—ame men we were before being made partakers of the fruit of Christs Death II. The Fruit of it or what the Spirit is to do that is intimated in the next Clause That the body of sin might be destroyed Here 1. What is meant by the body of sin 2. In what sense it is said to be destroyed 1. What is meant by the body of sin Answ. By the body of sin is meant the whole stock and mass of corruption which is called a body of sin 1. Because it is composed of many sinful passions and disorders as the body is of divers members Col. 2.11 In putting off the body of the sins of the flesh And again Col. 3.5 Mortifie your members upon the earth It is not meant of the natural but sinful body for it follows Fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is idolatry 2. Because they are executed by the body Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies And Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Sin is gotten within us by the Soul but it hath taken possession of the body the gate of the senses let it in and other powers of the body are as ready to let it out 2. In what sense it is said to be destroyed The Duty is ours but the Grace is from God it is done on Gods part by the Spirit but it is our duty Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Both Agents carry it on to such a degree in this life as it may not reign in us On Gods part there needeth no more Merit to get sin destroyed but that of Christ nor a greater power than that of the Spirit to subdue it and by degrees the work is accomplished its reiging power is taken away by converting Grace it s very Being is abolished by his final perfecting Grace The same Spirit that begun it at first ceaseth not to work till it be wholly abolished in us On our part we must yield up our selves to be renewed by him and obey his sanctifying motions till our cure be perfectly wrought Observe here 1. It is the whole body of sin must be quitted and put off not actions only but lusts 1 Pet. 2.11 Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. Not some parts only and branches but all sin As the body compasseth about and incloseth the Soul so doth the body of sin inclose us The corrupt mass is made up of many sins it is an impure body that hath many members now all these must be mortified 2. It must be carried on to such a degree that sin may lye a dying We must not cease to oppose sin till it be destroyed not only scratch the face of it but seek to root it out Christians are said to destroy sin four ways 1. Proposito in the setled purpose of their hearts as Christ ceased not till he had done his work so a Christian 1 Pet. 4.1 Forasmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin Now a work is spoken of as done when it is throughly purposed to be done As a fire is said to have taken an house when it hath only taken a little corner of the house because if it be not quenched it will in time consume all There is a fixed purpose to get rid of it 2. Voto in desire in their constant Prayer accompanied with hearty groans Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Psal. 119.133 Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Nothing less will content them than a total extirpation of sin 3. Conatâ— they have begun it with a mind to finish it and are always thwarting and curbing the desires of corrupt Nature 1 Cor. 9.27 I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest after I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away 4. Eventu the work is not only really begun but they have some success in it and while it is a doing they have the comfort of it The reign of sin is broken Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the law but under grace They are somewhat enabled to prevail over it so far that there is a manifest difference between them and the carnal whilst others cherish their lusts and make provision for them they crucifie them and are freed from that base servitude III. What man must do or the Obligation lying upon us That henceforth we should not serve sin Here observe 1. The word Henceforth We did before serve sin before Regeneration we were all slaves Tit. 3.3 Serving divers lusts and pleasures There is a double notion of servitude intimated in Scripture and confirmed by the practice of all Nations One is of those that yield up themselves by their own consent and willing subjection in bondage to another of which that Text speaketh Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are whom ye obey These are servants by consent that yield up their time and strength and life to de disposed of by another to whom they have sold themselves The other is of that slavery which is introduced by Conquest as those that were taken in War were at the dispose of him that took them that is spoken of 2 Pet. 2.19 While they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in bondage The first deliver up themselves as servants and slaves by their own consent the other by Conquest for by the Law of Nature Victory giveth Dominion and though men had a mind to do otherwise they cannot help themselves Both notions express the reign of sin and our servitude under it which is both voluntary and unavoidable at first it is voluntary afterwards unavoidable they first yielded up themselves and then are overcome by their base and brutish lusts and so lose all liberty and strength of will to help themselves first willingly and by our own default we run into it and afterwards we are captivated and though we are convinced of better we shall do that which is worse being overcome by our lusts though they see their duty they are not able to perform it they
sin and God being pacified in Christ doth restore it to us Man brought upon himself spiritual death by sin and the gift of the sanctifying Spirit is the great and first Act of Gods pardoning Mercy and a means to qualifie us for other parts of Pardon Though the thing be plain of it self yet to make it more clear to us 2. Let us distinguish of the kinds of Justification There is a twofold Justification it is either constitutive or executive First Constitutive Justification is by the new Covenant when those who submit to the Terms are constituted or made righteous Joh. 5.24 He that heareth my word and believeth in him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life There is Gods Grant and whosoever can make good his Claim hath a right to Justification by Gods own Grant according to the Law of Grace he is one freed from sin Secondly Executive when God accordingly taketh off all penalties and evils and giveth us all the good which belongeth to the Righteous or Justified as in the case in hand when God giveth us the Spirit to break the power and reign of sin And therefore so often in Scripture is God said to sanctifie us as a God of Peace or as a God pacified and reconciled to us in Jesus Christ Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight 1 Thess. 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie ye wholly c. 2 Cor. 5.18 And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. This God doth as a Judge acting according to the Rules of Government constituted in the new Covenant upon the account of the Merit of Christ and our actual interest in him II. As to the Degree how far we are freed from sin 1. All the justified and converted to God are freed from the Reign of it The flesh though it remaineth is made subject to the Spirit which by degrees doth destroy the reliques of sin For it is said of the justified Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit 2. The more obedient we are to the motions of the sanctifying Spirit the more power we have against sin Gal. 5.18 If ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law under the irritating Power and Curse of it Many sins are in a great measure left uncured as a part of our punishment We should have more of his Spirit and so more of his Grace to mortifie sin if we did mind more the Covenant we have made with God as our Sanctifier but degrees of Grace may be forfeited by our unworthy dealing with the Spirit Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption He seeketh by degrees to fit us for our everlasting estate and final deliverance from all sin and the consequence of sin 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God who also hath given to us the earnest of his Spirit And therefore he must not be obstructed in his work while he is preparing the Heirs of Promise afore-hand unto Glory lest we lose not only the comfort of our future Hopes but also be set back in the spiritual Life and so grieve both our Sanctifier and our Comforter 3. If we fall into hainous wilful sin God manifesteth his displeasure against the party sinning by withdrawing his Spirit This was the evil that David was so much afraid of Psal. 51.10 11 12. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me by thy free Spirit In which expressions he desireth that God would not withdraw his Grace and the influence of his holy Spirit which by that hainous sin he had so justly forfeited This is the sorest Judgment on this side Hell to be deprived of Communion with God in point of Grace Though it may be not a total separation from his Presence and Grace yet it is a degree of it when God is strange to us and suspendeth all the Acts of his complacential Love leaving us dull and sensless that we have no heart or life to any thing that is spiritually good Yea if after such scandalous falls we repent not the sooner God may deliver us up to brutish lusts the evils are lesser and greater according to the rate of our sins or neglects of grace These penal withdrawings of his Spirit should therefore be observed for God sheweth much of his pleasure or displeasure by giving and withholding the Spirit His Blessing and Favour is shewed this way Prov. 1.23 Turn ye at my reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit upon you and I will make known my words unto you But when God is refused or neglected or highly provoked Psal. 81.11 12. My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me so I gave them up unto their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsels This is more than all the calamities of the World 4. Where the work is really begun and duly submitted unto we have hopes of a better estate it still increaseth towards that perfect Blessedness when we shall be without spot and blemish or any such thing Eph. 5.27 What a life do Gods holy Ones live in Heaven who are wholly freed from sin There is no worldly mind nor pride nor passion nor fleshly lust to trouble them Here many wallow in their own dung others are in a great measure defiled and blemished but there they are freed not only from the Reign but Being of sin Hath God been so kind to them in glory And will he not do the same for us also There is none in Heaven by the first Covenant all that are there come thither as sanctified and justified by Jesus Christ and in the way of his pardoning grace Surely since we have the same Redeemer depend upon the Merit of the same Sacrifice and wait for the same Spirit in the use of all holy means and endeavours he will not be strange to us Christ is willing if we are willing there you will find it sticketh he came to take away sin but we will not give way to his Spirit we are neither sensible of our sickness nor earnest for a cure at least a sound cure We seek ease and comfort more than the removing of the distemper but if we were throughly willing will he fail a serious Soul It is Christs Office to expiate sin and destroy it his Blood was shed for his
with Christ. What that is we have explained already all that I shall now add is That in Scripture it implieth two things First Conformity with Christ in his Sufferings so we have a Saying like that in the Text 2 Tim. 2.11 It is a faithful saying for if we be dead with him we shall also live with him which presently is explained vers 12. If we suffer we shall also reign with him Secondly It implieth mortification of sin so it is understood here if we have communion and fellowship with his Death for the mortification of sin 2. The Term of Proposal conditionally If we The Particle if hath sometimes the notion of a Caution see that ye be dead with Christ sometimes it is a note of Relation when one priviledge is deduced from another as here if we partake of the effect and likeness of his Death in dying to sin we shall partake of the effect and likeness of his Resurrection in being quickened to live in Holiness and Righteousness all our days Dying to sin and newness of life are inseparable if we have the first we shall have the other also they are branches of the same work of Regeneration and both proceed from the same Cause Union with Christ. 2. The Truth hence inferred We shall also live with him This is meant both of the Life of Grace and of the Life of Glory Regeneration and Resurrection the one is to newness of Life the other is to everlasting Bless and Happiness Regeneration is the Spirits begetting us to the Image and Nature of God our heavenly Father and Resurrection is for the perfecting of that Likeness which is 't is true perfect in part here in the Soul 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Hereafter both in Body and Soul Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his own glorious body according to the wonderful working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself As to degrees 1 Joh. 3.2 When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is As to kinds both in Holiness and Happiness 1 Cor. 15.49 As we have born the image of the earthy we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Now we are conformed to his Image in afflictions Rom. 8.29 He hath predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son we look like him in the form of a Servant then we shall be like him as the Lord from Heaven heavenly Therefore the life of Glory in Heaven must not be excluded 3. The Certainty of the Inference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not a matter of Opinion and Conjecture but of Faith we are certainly perswaded of the truth of it We must distinguish of this Truth for it may be considered two ways First As a general Maxim or Proposition so it is absolutely true Those that are dead with Christ shall live with him This is an Article of Faith to be believed fide divinâ Secondly As it is applied to us or as it is a ground of our particular Confidence so it is true Hypothetically or upon Supposition and our Confidence can be no greater than the evidence of our Qualification If we be indeed dead with Christ we in particular shall also live with him It is but a rational Conclusion from two Premisses one of which is of Divine Revelation the other of inward Experience namely that I am dead with Christ therefore I believe that I shall live with him It is an act both of Faith and Reason an act of Faith by participation as it buildeth on a Principle of Faith Doctrine Those that are dead with Christ have no reason to doubt but that they shall also live with him I. I shall speak of the Condition If we be dead with Christ. II. Of the Benefit They shall live spiritually and everlastingly III. Of our certain Apprehension We believe I. Of the presupposed Condition If we be dead with Christ. 1. Who are dead with Christ. 2. How necessary this Order is The one will shew us that it is not an over-strict but a comfortable Condition the other that it is a Condition absolutely necessary to subsequent Grace 1. Who are dead with Christ. 1. Such as owne the Obligation which their Baptism and Profession puts upon them That reckon themselves dead indeed unto sin Rom. 6.11 that make account they are under a Vow and Bond wherewith they have bound their Souls The careless mind it not but the sincere Christians acknowledge that the debt lyeth upon them they being solemnly ingaged to Christ to do it The Apostle saith Rom. 8.12 We are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh as the Jew by Circumcision is bound to observe all the Rituals of Moses Gal. 6.3 so Christians by Baptism are bound to crucifie the flesh and obey the Spirit What say you Are you at liberty to do what you lift or under a strict Bond and Obligation to dye unto sin Let your lives answer for you 2. They make Conscience of it and seriously address themselves to perform it Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts they have begun to do it and still go on to do it more and more for this is a continued action not the work of a day but of our whole lives They have not only retrenched the desires of the flesh but seek to mortifie and subdue them and perform their Promise so solemnly made to God 3. They obtain the effect in such a degree that the reign of sin is broken though sin it self be not utterly extinct us They do no longer live in their old slavery and bondage as those do who obey every foolish and hurtful lust that bubleth up in their hearts A mans condition is determined by what is in the Throne habitually and governeth our lives and actions There are two warring Principles in us full of enmity and repugnancy to each other the Flesh and the Spirit but one reigneth which constituteth the difference between the carnal and the renewed in the carnal Flesh reigneth but in the regenerate the Spirit hath the mastery and is superiour and most powerful so that a Christian sheweth himself to be Spirit rather than Flesh otherwise it could not be said That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3.6 The acts of sin are disowned acts and he may say with Paul It is not I but sin that dwelleth in me Sin is against the bent and habit of our wills 4. They substract the fuel of their lusts as they wean themselves from earthly things and shew such contempt of the World that the good things which they enjoy by Gods allowance are not a snare to them For the Apostle saith of those that set their affections
on things above and not on things on earth Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ Col. 3.2 3. It is the Divine and heavenly life which they seek to live Well then here is a brief and plain description of those who are dead with Christ in four things 1. They make Conscience of their solemn Vow in Baptism wherein they promised to put off their former lusts of their ignorance and the corrupt conversation that flowed from them 2. They are busily at work in it and it is their daily endeavour 3. They prevail so far that sin is a dying and Grace groweth in strength and power 4 They continue faithful in that purpose and their savour of earthly things is deadned and their hearts are still working towards God and Heaven 2. It is a Condition absolutely necessary to obtain subsequent Grace For 1. The Graces of the Spirit cannot thrive in an unmortified Soul therefore then we set about our duty in the right order when we begin with Mortification in the first place and thence proceed to the positive duties of the new Life Faith will not thrive in a proud unhumbled impenitent heart Joh. 5.44 How can ye believe which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Nor will the love of God ever bear sway where sensual and worldly love is in such strength and prevalency 1 Joh. 2.15 If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Vain pleasures divert us from our great Hopes or the Pleasures that are at Gods right hand for evermore 1 Pet. 1.13 Be sober and hope to the end Sobriety is an holy moderation or sparing use of worldly delights they behave themselves as in their journey Well then we must dye before we can live in purity and holiness and seek that Glory which Christ now enjoyeth with God in Heaven We must put off our old rags before we can put on the garments of Righteousness 2. The longer corruption is spared it groweth the worse for the more it venteth it self by inordinate and sinful desires the more it acquireth strength and secures its interest more firmly in the Soul Every Act strengtheneth the Habit and then it groweth into an inveterate Custom Jer. 9.3 They bend their tongues for lyes but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth for they proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the Lord. Therefore the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.2 3. That he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in licentiousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquettings and abominable idolatries Alas sin is too deeply rooted and ingrained in our Natures already and that hindreth the coming on of the Divine Life either we never receive the Grace of Regeneration being so stiffned and hardned in our sins or else it hath more corruption to grapple with so that all our days there is more to do to keep it alive in our Souls 3. Till sin be mortified the good we pretend to is but a covering and hiding of our loathsom lusts Jam. 4.8 Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded Many being taxed for their evil and inordinate life will say they hope their hearts are good if the heart were good the life would be better the sinner must cleanse his hands Others are plausible in their carriage but their fleshly and worldly lusts were never soundly mortified therefore Hypocrites must cleanse their hearts Here the operation of the Spirit beginneth Our Lord saith Mat. 23.25 26. Cleanse first that which is within the cup and the platter that the outside may be clean also Many external Acts may be counterfeited or over-ruled and influenced by bye ends the purity of the outside is loathsom to God without the purity of the heart Pharisees are compared to whited sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead mens bones and all uncleanness so ye outwardly appear righteous unto men but within are full of hypocrisie and iniquity Mat. 23.27 28. So Luke 11.44 Ye are â—s graves which appear not and the men that walk over them are not aware of them not as a grave when new but a grave when over-grown with grass The Jews buried out of the City in the fields they thought themselves defiled by coming too near the dead Men may be fair in outward guise and shew but in heart the most noisom and polluted that can be So that no Mortification is necessarily requisite to Vivification we must dye before we can live II. Let me open the Benefit We shall also live with him Here 1. Observe how Grace is followed with Grace one part with another God loveth to crown his own gifts and we are indeared to him by his own mercies So it is in the general Zech. 3.2 Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire But some mercies draw on other mercies and are given in order to them as Mortification in order to Vivification Grace in order to Glory God giveth the one that he may give the other he maketh one degree of Grace a step to the other 2. Observe how Grace is followed with Glory We shall also live with him One and the same word expresseth both Life spiritual and eternal is but one Life It is good to observe how many ways the Scripture sets forth the connexion between the Life of Grace and the Life of Glory sometimes by that of the Seed and Crop Gal. 6.8 He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting No seed no crop now is our seed-time sometimes the first-fruits and the harvest for the offering of the first-fruits dedicated to the whole harvest Rom. 8.23 We our selves who have the first-fruits of the Spirit c. sometimes to the Fountain and the Stream or the River losing it self in the Ocean Joh. 4.14 He that shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life sometimes of the Pledge and Earnest with respect to full and actual Possession 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts Sometimes to the beginning and accomplishment or the degree with the top and height life is begun by the Spirit and perfected in Heaven There is a mighty suitableness between Life spiritual and eternal Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent The Life of Grace consisteth in knowing and loving God and the Life of Glory is the everlasting Vision and perfect Love of God now we are changed by the sight of Faith 2 Cor. 3.18
place for them after the storm of this World is over whenever they dye their place is ready for them there is a Friend on shore ready to receive them So elsewhere 1 Cor. 15.20 Christ is risen as the first-fruits his Resurrection is a certain proof that other men shall have a Resurrection also as by a handful of the first-fruits the whole Harvest was blessed and consecrated to God the First-fruits did not bless the Tares the Cockle or the Darnel or the filthy Weeds that grew among the Corn these are not carried home into Gods Barn But penitent Believers may be confident of a joyful Resurrection if we be reconciled by his Death we may much more expect to be saved by his Life 4. Christ by his Resurrection is the Cause of our Life for Christ liveth in Heaven as a quickening Head who will give the Spirit of Grace to all his Members to change their hearts and to bring them into the Life of God Joh. 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also Christ is the Fountain of all Life the life of Believers is derived from the Life of Christ without which it could not subsist if he had remained under a state of Death he were not in a capacity to convey Life to others and so had neither been a Fountain of Grace or Glory to us therefore his Resurrection is the Fountain-cause of our living to God having first purchased Grace for us he is risen to apply it and bring us into possession of it Therefore he sendeth his Spirit into the hearts of his People even that same Spirit by which he was raised up to a new Life Rev. 1.18 I am be that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore he liveth for ever to make and keep us alive Now this is a mighty encouragement to us that we live by virtue of Christs endless Life When the Fountain faileth the stream may be dryed up but that cannot be and therefore we are encouraged to expect our supplies from him 5. Christs Life after his Resurrection is a Pattern of ours both as to the Immortality and Perfection of it First The Immortality Christ when he rose again rose to an eternal immortal Life he shall dye no more he is no more obnoxious to Death The Phrases that express the Immortality of Christs Life are suited to our case that he may the better be propounded as a Pattern to us both of what we ought to endeavour our selves and of what his Spirit doth work in us 1. Being raised he dyeth no more We should once so fix and settle our hearts to live to God that we should no more return to our old course and our old bondage There are some who are always dying and rising and dying again that return to their old sins and lick up their vomit and after they are washed wallow in the 〈◊〉 these never dyed in good earnest for then they would so dye unto sin once as not to revert to it any more but to be repenting of sin and committing of sin and then repenting and committing again sheweth our Mortification is not sincere A bone often broken in the same place is very hard to be set again Relapses make our case to be more dangerous if it be into open sinful courses it sheweth our Repentance is not sincere Men are sick of sin but when that trouble is over they presently are as bad as they were before Prov. 24.11 As a dog returneth to his vomit so a fool returneth to his folly their hearts were never changed their renounced sins and fleshly practices are as dear to them as ever True repentance will produce a constant perseverance in well doing but if the unclean spirit returneth after it seemed to be cast out Luke 11.24 we never parted in good earnest Was your repentance sincere and will you taste of the bitter waters again Indeed we must distinguish of Relapses 1. As to the degrees of sin there are infirmities which we cannot avoid while we are in the body and there are iniquities which we can and ought to avoid A man that is troubled with vain and distracting thoughts in Prayer may be troubled again but of gross and wilful sins we never soundly repented if we cease not from them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pollutions of the world spoken of 2 Pet. 2.20 Doth a man repent of his â—â—cleaâ—ness that often falleth into it as often as the occasion returneth So again 2. As to the seasons of sinning we must distinguish between the acts repeated before any repentance professed or after An Issue when it is new made before the orifice of the wound be well closed may bleed afresh after it is bound up So before we are throughly recovered sin will be breaking out as in Lots doubled Incest Samsons returning often to Dalilah when God had rebuked him for his sin Peters treble denials his heart was not throughly touched and moulded as yet this was as one continued sin 3. As to the manner of the return if it be frequently readily easily this will infer a Habit for an Habit serveth ut quis facitè jucundè constanter agat Now though some sins solicite us more than others yet uprightness requireth that we should keep our selves from our iniquity Psal. 18.23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from my iniquity So that Repentance which consists only in sorrow for sin and such trouble for it as doth not mortifie it is but like thawing a little in the Sun-shine or giving weather soft at top and hard at bottom True Repentance is a thorow change of heart and life therefore to repent and go on still in our trespasses is no found Repentance 2. Death hath no dominion over him so should not sin have over us After all our care sin will be troublesom but it must be kept out of the Throne if men forsake not known wilful sins they are wicked men sin reigneth and the power of it is no way broken Therefore let it not have dominion so as to draw you to a sensual life or command your thoughts and affections or ingross your time and strength Psal. 19.13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me so shall I be upright and free from the great transgression As to the Merit there needeth not another Sacrifice and to the conveyance and making over the blessings of the Gospel there needeth not another Covenant so as to the Application there needeth not another Regeneration or total Conversion unto God as also our Baptism which is the sign of it needeth not to be repeated or reiterated though the Acts of our Faith and Repentance need often to be repeated For all known sins it is expresly required for sins of ignorance and lesser escapes they are pardoned of course and as they are retracted iâ— a general Repentance Well then let us so rise to newness of life as never to return
his commandments are not grievous And also for this reason because it is their usual practice and that which they are versed in Prov. 10.29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Others with much ado bring their hearts to do a little good but the more we walk in Gods ways the more we may one part of godliness helpeth another and the more we obey God the more we are fitted to obey him As in a Watch there are many wheels and the one doth protrude and thrust forward another the motion could not be so constant and orderly if there were fewer wheels in it So there are many Duties implied in Holiness and one maketh another easie and one Duty puts forward another as Hearing fits us for Prayer and Prayer for Practice and frequent and continual Practice maketh the whole work go off the more roundly Or as in the Body labour begets an appetite and when we have an appetite food is more pleasant and that helpeth digestion and that strengthens us to labour again So the more we exercise our selves to godliness one part and degree fits for another whereas Christian Duties are difficult and tedious when men deal superficially with God because the difficulty ever continueth the work is not throughly minded Partly also for this reason because the more Holiness prevaileth the more the rebelling Principle is curbed and maketh least opposition and is more weak and ineffectual to tempt and draw us from God Gal. 5.16 Walk after the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lasts of the flesh If you be sincere and true to Gods interest and cherish the better part and follow the motions and directions of it the flesh will languish and dye away by degrees There is yet a fourth reason Gods blessing goeth along with our sincere resolution to walk in his ways for as he punisheth sin with sin so he delighteth to reward Grace with Grace and to crown his own work Isa. 58.13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thy own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord. Psal. 27.14 Wait on the Lord and be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. The way to pray is to pray to delight your selves in God is to delight in him Pluck up your spirits take courage and God will give you courage for every holy action and reward it with a new supply of Grace whereby strength is renewed and the Duty sincerely performed bringeth its Grace and Hope along with it Well a Life spent in Holiness must needs be a pleasant Life because the more we mind it and set about it still the work is more easie it is the partial superficial obedience that is difficult and the hard heart that makes our work hard For when men are biassed with fleshly Lusts and are not easily nor without much ado perswaded to set about Religion in good earnest they are only acquainted with the toil but never with the comfort Conscience is still urging them to do that which they have no heart to do 7. Those that have their Fruit to Holiness all their Mercies and Comforts are more sweet because they have them from Gods Love and they use them for his Glory 1. They have their worldly Blessings from Gods Love a Covenant-Right is surely much sweeter than a bare Providential Right 1 Cor. 3.22 23. All things are yours for you are Christs and Christ is Gods That is a Covenant-Right when we have these things not only by the fair leave and allowance of his Providence but as fruits of his fatherly Love in Christ. We find most sweetness in the Creature when our persons and ways are pleasing to God God accepteth thy works Eccles. 9.7 Alas others who are not reconciled to God have their portion sowred by remorse of Conscience God may give them a liberal share of these outward things but this is all they must look for no more It is said Prov. 10.22 The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it There is a common Blessing which is vouchsafed to the carnal and there is a special Blessing which is vouchsafed to the holy wicked men do not acquire Wealth without Gods common Blessing the Wealth it self and the comfortable use of it they have it from him elsewhere it is called Food and Gladness But these words are much more true of the spiritual Blessing when an Estate is sanctified then we have not only the natural comfort of the Creature but a spiritual use of it a comfortable supply of outward things and a peaceable Conscience which is more than natural refreshing Alas unless we be upon good terms with God all our rejoycings are but as stoln waters and bread eaten in secret 1. As they use them for his Glory when they take more occasions to do good that is the sweetest use of the Creature when we use them with Thankfulness Charity and Purity With Thankfulness to God 1 Tim. 4.4 Every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving that is with a due acknowledgment of God whose invisible hand reacheth out these supplies to us We must use them as a glass wherein to see our Creators goodness and glory and surely this religious use of the Creature is more sweet than the natural use With Charity with respect to our Neighbours ministring to others that want necessaries Nehem. 8.10 Go your way eat the fat and drink the sweet and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared Man is not Lord of these things but a Steward for we have not the Right of a Lord but the Right of a Servant and must give an account Luke 16.2 we do not receive these things to satisfie our fleshly mind but to do good with them and the pleasure is not in the possession but the use Luke 16.9 Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations It is more God-like Acts 20.35 It is more blessed to give than to receive Sobriety respects our selves our Lord hath given us a caution Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life Now Temperance is much sweeter than Excess as being more healthy and refreshing to Nature whereas Excess oppresseth it Upon the whole the holy mans comforts are sweeter than other mens he hath them from God reconciled and useth them for his glâ—ry And thus I have proved to you that to have our fruit unto Holiness is the greatest pleasure the very doing it is pleasant and God owneth them pardoning their sins and assuring them of his Love and
so in many other places Whole Christianity is a coming to God by Christ Heb. 7.25 and that is the reason why faith cannot be in the heart of one that is yet intangled in the false happiness John 5.44 How can ye believe which receive honour one from another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only Which is to be understood not only meritorie but effective because while they are intangled in the false happiness Christ is of no use to them neither will they mind any serious return to God as their felicity and portion 2. From self to Christ for we are to flee from wrath to come or the Condemnation deserved by our Apostacy and Defection from God Mat. 3.8 O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from wrath to come Heb. 6.18 Who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us Therefore none are in Christ but those that thankfully receive him and give up themselves to him John 1.12 To as many as received him 2 Cor. 8.5 They first gave themselves unto the Lord That is Venturing on his Promises gave up themselves to the Conduct of his Word and Spirit and trust themselves intirely in Christs hands while they go on with their duty and pursuit of their true and proper happiness 3. From sin to Holiness both in Heart and Life for we are called to be holy and must flee not only from wrath but sin which is the great make-bate between us and God and therefore we need not only reconciling but renewing Grace which is accompanied in us by the spirit of Sanctification 2 Thes. 2.13 Who hath chosen you to Salvation through Santification of the spirit and belief of the truth The Spirit beginneth it as the fruit of Gods Elective Love and by faith and the use of all holy means doth accomplish it more and more for he acts in us as the spirit of Christ and as we are Members of his body for framing us and fitting us more and more for his use and service The Third Proposition observed in the Text was 3. Doct. Those who are in Christ obey not the inclinations of corrupt nature but the motions of the Spirit This is brought in here as a fruit and evidence of their Vnion with Christ and interest in Non-condemnation for being united to Christ they are made partakers of his spirit and they that have the spirit of Christ will live an holy and sanctified life the spirit first uniteth us to Christ and sanctifieth and separateth the soul for his dwelling in us and the effects of it are life and likeness We live by Vertue of his life Gal. 2.20 and walk as he walked 1 John 2.6 or else our union is but pretended But let us more particularly consider this Evidence and Qualification They walk not after the flesh but after the spirit where we will enquire First What is meant by Flesh and Spirit By Flesh is meant corrupt Nature by the Spirit the new Nature according to that noted place John 3.6 That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit 2. Both serve to those that are influenced by them as a guiding and inciting principle The Flesh to those that are after the flesh and the spirit to those that are after the spirit Rom. 8.5 The flesh guideth and prompteth us to those Things which are good for the animal life for Things of sense are known easily and known by all Carnal Nature needeth no Instructor no Spur it doth pollute and corrupt us in all sensual and earthly Things but spiritual and heavenly Things are out of its reach 2 Pet. 1.9 and it inclines as well as guideth for the Things we see and feel and taste easily stir our Affections Demas hath forsaken us having loved the present world Yea 't is hard to restrain them and it is not done without some violence Gal. 5.24 They that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof that the spirit or new nature doth both guide and incline is clear by those expressions Heb. 8.10 I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people 3. That those who are under the prevalency of the one principle cannot wholly obey and fellow the other is clear for those two are contrary Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and contraries cannot subsist together in an intense Degree they are contrary in their Nature contrary in their tendency and aim contrary in their rule Gal. 6.16 the one carrieth us to God and Heaven the other to something pleasing to present sense the one is fed with the world the other with Heaven they are contrary in their assisting powers Satan and the Spirit of God the good part is for God and the flesh which is the rebelling Principle is on the Devils side 1 John 4.4 Satan by the lusts of the flesh taketh men captive at his will and pleasure 2 Tim 2.26 That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will and pleasure but the Spirit of God is assisted by the Author of it the holy Ghost Eph. 3.16 Strengthened by the spirit with might in the inner man They are irritated by the Spirit or the flesh presenting different objects of sense and faith The flesh hath this advantage that its objects are near at hand ready to be injoyed but the Objects of Faith are to come lie in an unseen world only they are greater in themselves and faith helpeth to look upon them as sure enough Heb. 11.1 4. That every Christian hath these two principles in himself the one by nature is called flesh the other by grace is called Spirit Gods best children have flesh in them Paul distinguisheth in the former Chapter betwixt flesh and spirit the law of the members and the law of the mind Rom. 7.18 23. as two opposite Principles inclining several ways 5. Tho both be in the children of God yet the Spirit is in predominancy For the acts of the flesh are disowned not I but sin that dwelleth in me and a mans estate is determined by the reign of sin and grace in a man converted to God the spirit or renewed part is superior and governeth the will or whole man and the flesh is inferior and by striving seeketh to become superior and draws the will to its self so that the heart of a renewed man is like a kingdom divided Grace is in the Throne but the flesh is the rebel which disturbeth and much weakneth its Soveraignty and Empire it must needs be so otherwise there would be no distinction between nature and Grace a man is denominated from what is predominant in him and hath the chiefest power over his heart if it be the flesh he is carnal if
dwelleth he is chief and principally beareth sway in the heart whatever opposeth or controuleth his Motions 't is as an intruder in a common house or as an Idol set up in a Temple 2. What it is to be or live in the flesh It noteth two things The natural life or the carnal life 1. The natural life as Gal. 2.20 The life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God that is while I exercise the â—unctions and actions of this natural life Phil. 1.22 But if I live in the flesh this is the fruit of my labour That is if I 〈◊〉 I enjoy this natural life for the Apostle was in a strait which to desire to be in the flesh or out of the flesh 2. The carnal life as the 8 th verse of this chapter They that are in the flesh cannot please God Sometimes 't is put for some acts belonging to the carnal life but more usually for the state of carnality if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Now I say the children of God having his spirit dwelling in them tho they live in the flesh tho they live a life natural and have not divested themselves of the interests and concernments of flesh and blood no more than others yet they do not live after the flesh A life carnal see it notably expressed 1 Pet. 4.2 that he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but the will of God Tho the life be in the flesh still yet it is not ordered by the wills of the flesh but the will of God 'T is in the flesh we live but not after the flesh mortifying and subduing the inclinations of corrupt nature yet more and more Thus we see the sense of the words 2. Let me prove the connection That tho they live in the flesh yet they do not live after the flesh The very explication doth sufficiently shew it 1. For if the dwelling of the Spirit implieth intimacy and familiarity or such operations in the hearts of believers as are not common to others but peculiar to them Then certainly Gods children tho they live in the flesh as others do yet they should and do live above the rate of flesh and blood for they have an higher principle in them which others have not 'T is a charge on Christians that they walk as men 2 Cor. 3.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we do no more than ordinary men do wherein do we differ What peculiar excellency do we shew forth Some live as beasts as if they had forsaken all humanity and had no reason but sense others only as men that have reason but not the spirit But our way should be with the wise above as having a more excellent spirit dwelling in us 2. If it implieth the constancy of his operations he doth not sojourn for a season but dwelleth in us by his continuance and abode in our hearts for he hath constant work to do there to quicken and enliven our graces and check the flesh and abate the force of it Surely then the tenor of our lives must not be after the flesh but after the spirit There are but few but have their good moods and fits but a constant habitual influence or principle of life inferreth more than some good moods now and then a constant living in obedience to God 3. If it implieth Soveraignty that he dwelleth as Lord in his own house then he must not be controlled nor grieved by the indulging the desires of the flesh so that the terms explained do evidence themselves and make out their own truth to any mans consideration But yet we shall give you some other Reasons 1. The Spirit dwelleth no where but where he hath changed the heart so far as to put a new nature in us He writeth the word of God upon the heart Heb. 8.10 and thereby imprinteth his image upon them 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all as with open face beholding the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image so fitting us for God and making us amiable in his sight Now they that are thus prepared aâ—re in the flesh but not after the flesh they keep the affections which belong to the bodily life but they are mortified and subdued they are not governed by them 2 Pet. 1.4 To us are given great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust In which place is intimated a new principle and that is the divine nature a new rule and that is not the course of the world but the will of God revealed in his Word new ends and motives and those not the satisfying of our fleshly lusts but the vision and fruition of God intimated in the great and precious promises Now if the Spirit of God dwelleth no where but where he hath thus fitted the heart for his residence by santifying it and inclining it to God and the World to come as our happiness and the Word of God as our sure direction thither it must needs follow that where the Spirit of God dwelleth they do not live after the flesh tho they live in it for then there is a contrary principle the new nature which must needs be a curb upon the flesh if we obey the inclinations of it Gal. 5.16 Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh And a contrary rule which is the will of God Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to this world but he ye transformed by the renewing of your minds that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God For by it they are new formed and to it they are suited and there is a contrary end and tendency which is to love please serve glorifie and enjoy God As the natural soul looketh after the conveniences of the body and catereth only for the body so the renewed soul looketh after the pleasing of God 1 Pet. 4.6 We live to God in the spirit Their business lieth with God and their happiness lieth in God 't is his favour they seek his work they do and the fruition of him they aim at Spiritual life carrieth a resemblance with the life of Christ as Mediator Now Christ in that he liveth he liveth unto God Rom. 6.10 so doth a Christian his whole life is a living unto God Gal. 2.19 The life that I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God 2. When the heart is thus prepared the Spirit of God cometh to dwell in them to take possession of them for Gods use 2 Cor. 6.10 I will dwell in them and walk in them for I will be their God and they shall be my people They have given up themselves to God and God owneth the dedication and sendeth his Spirit into their hearts first to take possession of them and
wait for Eternal life Gal. 5.5 But we through the spirit do wait for the hope of righteousness by Faith That is which is built upon it 2. This spirit is the evidence of mens being true Christians the only sure and proper Evidence this will appear 1. By the Metaphors and terms by which the Spirit is set forth he is called a Seal a Witness and an Earnest Who hath sealed us and given us the earnest of his spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 and Eph. 1.13 14. After ye believed ye were seald with the holy spirit of promise Men used to set their mark and stamp upon their wares that they might own them for theirs God sealeth by his spirit his stamp is his Image 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed into his image from glory to glory So he is also set forth under the notion of a Witness Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it's self beareth witness What is the Witness of the Spirit Not an immediate revelation or oracle in your bosomes to tell you that you are Gods Children but the renovation of the Soul and the constant operation of the holy Spirit dwelling and working in you this testifieth to our consciences or Spirits that God hath adopted us into his Family thus the Spirit is a Witness to the Scriptures So he is set forth as an Earnest 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us to this self same thing is God who hath also given us the earnest of his spirit An Earnest is part of the sum we have somewhat of the Life and peace and joy of the Spirit now which inableth us to wait with the more comfort and assurance for our future Blessedness 2. From the congruity of this Evidence 1. The coming down of the Holy ghost upon him as the evidence of Gods love to Christ and the visible Demonstration of his filiation and Sonship to the world The Evidence of Gods love Joh. 3.34 The Father loved the Son and gave him the spirit without measure Now Christ prayed John 17.26 That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and v. 23. That the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me None will think in degree therefore in kind that God would manifest his love to us as he did to him by the gift of the Holy Spirit or his filiation John knew Christ to be the Son of God by the spirit descending and abiding on him Joh. 1.32 I saw the spirit descend from Heaven like a Dove and it abode on him Yea God himself owned this as a demonstration of his Sonship Matt. 3.17 This is my well beloved Son in whom I am well pleased So do we know our selves to be the children of God by the spirits inhabitation and sanctifying work upon our souls 2 The pouring out of the spirit was the visible evidence given to the church of the sufficiency of Christs satisfaction When God was reconciled then he shed forth the spirit Acts 2.33 Therefore being at the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear so Joh. 7.38 39. He that believeth in me as the Scripture saith out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water this he spake of the spirit which they that believed on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified Now this is true of Gods Love and Reconciliation to us in particular when he is pacified he giveth the spirit because the part followeth the reason of the whole and the atonement made and the atonement received Rom. 5.11 are evidenced the same way even by this fountain of living water which is given to all believers 3. This is the witness of the truth of the Gospel and therefore the best-pledg of the Love of God we can have in our hearts for the believers hopes are confirmed the same way the Gospel is confirmed that which confirmeth Christianity confirmeth the Christian The Extract and original Charter are confirmed by the same stamp and impression the spirit confirmeth the love of God to sinners and therefore the love of God to me Act. 5.32 And we are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him The word was confirmed by the great wonders wrought by the Holy Ghost Heb. 3 4. God bearing them witness with signs and wonders and divers gifts of the Holy Ghost The sanctifying spirit John 17.17 Sanctify them through the truth thy word is truth 1 John 5.10 He that believeth on the Son hath the witness in himself The spirit comforting the conscience by the blood of Christ and sanctifying the heart and cleansing it as with pure water This also is our evidence 3. From the Qualities of this evidence and so it is most apt to satisfie the doubting conscience concerning its interest in Christ and his benefits 1. 'T is a great benefit becoming the love of God to give us his holy spirit 'T is more than if he had given us all the world Persons that have been at variance will not believe one another unless their Reconciliation be verified by some remarkable good turn and visible testimony of love A great Offender reconciled to Augustus yet would not believe it unless he put some notable mark of his favour upon him as David to Amasa making him General of his Army Surely the breach hath been so great between us and God that we shall have no peace and joy in believing till we have some gift that may be a perfect demonstration that he is at peace with us Rom. 5.11 We joy in God as those that have received the atonement The pledg of it is in the gift of the spirit Most mens patience cometh from their stupidness their confidence from their security their quiet from their mindlesness of heavenly things but the soul that is in good earnest must have a witness of Gods love or a sufficient proof that he is reconciled and taken into Gods Family made an heir according to the hope of eternal life which is the spirit of adoption Gal. 4.6 And because ye are sons God hath sent the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba Father 2. 'T is most sensible as being within our own hearts The death of Christ was a Demonstration of Gods love but that was done without us on the Cross and before we were born Justification is a blessed Priviledg but either that is Gods act in Heaven accepting us in Christ or else in the sentence of the law by which we are constituted just but this cometh into our hearts Gal. 4.6 God hath sent the spirit of his son into our hearts so 2 Cor. 1.22 He hath given us the earnest of the spirit in our hearts so 1 John 5.11 He that believeth hath the witness in himself compare the eighth Verse 3. 'T
but be raised up from the grave and their vile bodies be changed like unto the Glorious Body of their Redeemer SERMON XIV ROM VIII 11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you THE Apostle is answering a doubt How there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ since death which is the fruit of sin yet remaineth on the Godly Answer 1. By concession that sin is indeed the seed and original of mortality the body is dead because of sin Not only the carnal undergo it but the justified tho the guilt of sin be taken away by a pardon and the dominion and power of it be broken by the Spirit of Christ yet the being of it is not quite abolished and as long as sin remaineth in us in the least degree it maketh us subject to the power of death 2. By way of correction He opposeth a double comfort against it Destruction by sin is neither total nor final First Not total 't is but an half death v. 10. The spirit is life because of righteousness Secondly Nor final it hath a limit of time set which when it is expired the body shall have an happy Resurrection and that by vertue of the same spirit by which the soul is now quickned so that mark both parts receive their happiness by the spirit the soul and the body the soul tho it be immortal in its self yet the blessed immortality it hath from the spirit the spirit is life because of righteousness and the dead body shall not finally perish but be sure to be raised again by the same spirit If the spirit of him c. In the Words we have 1. The condition upon which the Resurrection is promised if the Spirit 2. The certainty of performance set forth 1. By the Author or efficient cause he that raised up Jesus from the dead 2. By his spirit that dwelleth in you the way and manner of working 1. The condition A Resurrection is necessary but an happy Resurrection is limited by a condition Phil. 3.11 If by any means 2. The certainty of performance 1. From the Author of God described by his eminent and powerful work he that raised up Jesus from the dead This is mentioned partly as an instance of his power and partly as an assurance of his will first an instance of his power Eph. 1.18 19. According to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Our Resurrection is a work of the same Omnipotency with that which he first evidenced in raising Christ from the dead the same power is still imployed to bring us to a glorious Eternity Secondly 'T is an assurance of his will for Christs Resurrection is a pattern of ours 1 Cor. 6.14 God hath both raised the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power 2 Cor. 4.14 Knowing that he that raised up Jesus shall also raise us up by Jesus 2. For the way and manner of bringing it about by his spirit that dwelleth in us Where take notice 1. Of the Relation of the Holy Spirit to God Secondly His interest in and nearness to us 1. His relation to God He is called his Spirit and the Spirit of him that raised Jesus from the dead That is of God the Father The Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Fathers Spirit and sometimes Christs Spirit because he proceedeth both from the Father and the Son the Fathers Spirit John 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father even the spirit of truth he is also called Acts 11.4 The promise of the Father and Christs Spirit Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts Now the Spirit being one in essence and undivided in Will and Essence with the Father and the Son surely the Father will by or because of the Spirit dwelling in us raise us again for Father Son and Holy Spirit are one and the same God 2. His interest in and nearness to us he dwelleth in us All dependeth upon that mark he doth not say he worketh in us per modum actionis transeuntis so he worketh in those that resist his work and shall perish for ever but per modum habitus permanentis as we are regenerated and sanctified and the effects of his powerful Resurrection remain in those habits which constitute the new nature so the Spirit is said to dwell in us and in the former verse Christ to be in us if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin verse 10. Doct. That the bodies of Believers shall be raised at the last day by the spirit of holiness which now dwelleth in them 1. I shall a little open this inhabitation of the spirit 2. Shew you why 't is the ground and cause of our happy Resurrection 1. For the first the inhabitation of the Spirit Dwelling may relate to a double Metaphor either to the dwelling of a man in his house or of God in his Temple of a man in his house 1 John 3.24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and be in him so it noteth his constant familiar presence or of God in his Temple 1 Cor. 6.16 Know ye not that you are the Temple of God and the spirit of God dwelleth in you Which noteth a sacred presence that presence as a God to bless and sanctifie the spirit buildeth us up for so holy an use and then dwelleth in us as our Sanctifier Guide and Comforter the one maketh way for the other first a Sanctifier and then a guide as a ship is first well-rigg'd and then a Pilot and by both he comforts us he hath regenerated and guided us in the way of holiness first he sanctifieth and reneweth us Tit. 3.5 But according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy ghost and John 3.6 That which is born of spirit is spirit First he buildeth his House or Temple and then cometh and dwelleth in it Secondly He guideth and leadeth us in the ways of holiness Rom. 15.14 And my self also am perswaded of you my brethren that you also are full of godliness filled with all knowledg If we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit Gal. 5.25 Before we were influenced by Satan Eph. 2.2 Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air that now worketh in the children of disobedience He put us upon anger malice envy unclean lusts and noisome and filthy ways and we readily obeyed 2 Tim. 2.28 And that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil who are taken captive
hath redeemed us to God Rev. 5.8 Rom. 14.4 For to this end Christ both died and arose again and revived that he might be Lord both of dead and living Well then we are not to live as we list but to live unto God not debtors to the flesh to live after the flesh but debtors to the spirit to be led by the Spirit of God ex ordine justici justice requireth this we are the Lords 2. The benefit of this spiritual new being its self or our regeneration inferreth it For we are justified and sanctified and by both obliged and also inclined to live unto God obliged for these benefits of Christs Righteousness and Spirit given to us are such excellent benefits that for them we owe our whole selves to God if Paul could tell Philemon thou owest thy self to me Phil. 1.9 because he had been an instrument in converting him to God How much more is our obligation to Christ who is the principal Author and proper efficient cause of this grace surely we owe our whole selves and strength and time and service to him jure beneficiario as Gods beneficiaries we are in debt to him as our benefactor and not only obliged but inclined by the gift of Christs Righteousness and Spirit he hath formed us for this very thing and fitted to perform the more easily what we owe to God Every thing is fitted for its use so we are prepared and fitted for the new life and all the duties that belong thereunto Eph. 2.10 We are his workmanship in Christ Jesus created unto good works The new creature is put by its proper use if we live after the flesh for all this cost and workmanship is bestowed upon us in vain if it doth not fit us to live unto God 3. Our own Vow and Covenant sworn and entred into by Baptism Baptism doth infer this debt for there we renounced the flesh and gave up our selves to God as our proper Lord Baptism is a vowed death to sin and a solemn obligation to live unto God therefore every Christian must reckon himself dead to sin Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God and Col. 3.3 5. Ye are dead therefore mortifie your members and Rom. 6.2 How shall ye that are dead unto sin live any longer therein He argueth not ab impossibili but ab incongruo for a baptized person or one that is entred into the Oath of God and being made servants of God we are bound to live in all new obedience 1 Pet. 3.21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God The answer of a good conscience saveth 4. In regard of the benefits we do hereafter expect from Christ our resurrection and glorious estate in heaven That is mentioned ver 11. as binding us to the spiritual life Certainly where we have received good and expect more good things we are the more obliged to obedience From the flesh we can look for nothing but shame and death but from the Spirit life and peace Therefore in prudence we are bound to make the best choice for our selves and to live not carnally but spiritually Sin never did us any good office nor can you expect any thing from it for the future it hath never done you good and will do you eternal hurt and are you so much in love with sin as to displease your God and lose your souls for it which might otherwise be saved in a way of obedience to the Spirits sanctifying motions This Argument is again repeated in the 13 th ver if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye That we might seriously consider it Can the flesh give you a sufficient reward to recompence the pains you incur by satisfying it 1. VSE is Information It informeth us of divers Truths 1. If your obedience be a debt then there can be no merit in it for what is debitum is not meritorium Luke 17.10 When ye have done all that is commanded you say We are unprofitable servants We have done that which was our duty to do We owe our selves and all that we have are and possibly can do to God by whom we live and are and therefore deserve no further benefit at his hands Put case we should do all yet in how many things are we come short Therefore surely God is not bound to reward us by any right or justice arising from the merit of the action its self but only he is inclined so to do by his own goodness and bound so to do by his free promise The creature oweth its self wholly to God who made it and God standeth in such a degree of eminency so far above us that we can lay no obligation upon him Aristotle said well That children could never merit of their parents and all their kindness and duty they perform towards them is but a just recompence to them from whom they received their being If no merit between Children and Parents surely not between God and men 2. When a believer gratifieth the flesh 't is not of right but tyrannous usurpation For he is not a debtor to the flesh he oweth it no obedience Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies Rom. 6.11 14. Sin shall not reign it may play the Tyrant Chrysostome saith That a Child of God may be overtaken through inadvertency or overborn by the impetuous desires of the flesh and do something which his heart alloweth not his sins are sins of passion rather than design and tho the reign of sin be disturbed yet 't is not cast off Our lives should declare whose servants and debtors we are for whom do you do most Your lives must give sentence for you whether you are debtors to the flesh or to the spirit If you spend your time in making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 you are debtors to the flesh If you check the flesh and tame it cut off its provisions tho now and then it will break out you are not debtors to the flesh but the spirit The flesh may rebel for a time but the grace of the spirit reigneth Some are wholly governed by their fancies and humours or the passions appetites and desires of the flesh are carried on headlong by their own carnal and corrupt inclinations to every sense pleasing object are not masters of themselves in any thing but serve divers lusts and pleasures against the dictates of their own reason and conscience Now 't is easie to pronounce sentence concerning them Others who are led by the Spirit of God to the earnest pursuit of heavenly things Now these tho so often fomented to self-pleasing and compliance with their lusts and corrupt inclinations yet the heavenly mind hath the mastery they complain of this tyranny are grieved for it troubled and do by degrees overcome it 3. It informeth us what answer
is usually the Note of an Instrument yet the Spirit is not our Instrument but we are his he first worketh by us as Objects then by us as Instruments and therefore tho the duty falleth upon us and we are said to do it by the Spirit yet it must be thus understood W are the principal parties as to Obligation of duty but as to Operation and Influence of Grace the Spirit is the principal 2. In the duty there is the Act mortifie the Object the deeds of the body 1. The act mortifie I shall open it more fully by and by only note for the present First Sin is alive in some degree in the justified Otherwise what need it to be mortified The Exhortation were superfluous if sin were wholly dead 2. It noteth a continued Act We must not rest in a Mortification already wrought in us He saith not If ye have mortified but if ye do mortifie this must be our daily practice not done now and then or by fits if we always sincerely labour to mortifie the deeds of the body we are in the way of life 3. It sheweth that this work must not be attended slightly or by the by but carried on to such a degree as corruption may be weakned or lye a dying or be upon the declining hand the success and event is considerable as well as the endeavour where the event dependeth upon outward and forreign causes a man hath comfort in doing his duty whatever the success be but here where the event falleth within the compass of our duty its self there it must be regarded we must so oppose sin that in some sort we may kill it or extinguish it not only scratch the face of it but seek to root it out at least that must be our aim 4. Mortifying noteth some pain or trouble For nothing that hath life will be put to death without some strugling and the flesh cannot be subdued without some trouble to our selves or violence offered to our carnal Affections only let me tell you if it be painful to mortifie sin you make it more painful by dealing negligently in the business and drawing out your vexation to a greater lenght the longer you suffer this Canaanite to live with you the more will it prove as a Thorn or Goad in your sides here if ever it is true our affection procureth our affliction sin dyeth when our love to it dyeth your trouble endeth your delight in it ceaseth as you can bring your souls to a resolution to quit these things Quam suave mihi subito factum est carere suavitatibus iniquorum No delight so sincere as the contempt of vain delights 3. The Object the deeds of the body that is our sins so called 1. Because sin is compared to a body Rom. 7.24 Who shall deliver me from this body of death and Col. 2. 11. In putting off the body of the sins of the flesh There is besides the natural body a body of corruption which doth wholly compass about the soul there is the head of wicked desires the hands and feet of wicked executions the eye of sinful lusts the tongue of vain and evil words therefore 't is said Col. 3.5 Mortifie your members which are upon earth Not of the natural body but of the mass of corruption particular sinful lusts are as members of this body 2. Sins are called the deeds of the body because they are executed by the body Rom. 6.22 Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies that ye should fulfil the lusts thereof and Rom. 6.19 As ye have yielded up your members servants uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity All the members of the body are employed as instruments to serve our sin now affections are manifested in actions therefore by the deeds of the body he meaneth not outward acts only but lusts also Well then fight we must but not with our own shadows sin is gotten within us by the soul it hath taken possession of the body The gates of the senses are always open to let in such Objects and Temptations as take part with the flesh and the flesh is ready to accomplish whatever the corrupt heart doth suggest and require 4. The life that is promised to them that mortifie sin ye shall live a spiritual life of Grace here and an eternal life of Glory hereafter Heaven is worth the having and therefore the reward should sweeten the duty From this Clause the Points are Three 1. That justified Persons are bound to mortifie sin 2. That in the mortifying of sin we and the spirit concur The Spirit will not without us and we cannot without the spirit 3. That eternal life is promised to them who seriously improve the assistance of the Holy Ghost for the mortifying of sin 1. Doct. That justified Persons should mortifie sin 'T is their Duty so to do 1. What is mortification that lieth upon us 1. Negatively What it is not we must distinguish between the mock mortification and the counterfeit resemblances of this duty and the duty its self 1. There is a Pagan Mortification I call it so because such a thing was among the Heathens which is nothing else but a suppressing such sins as nature discovereth upon such reasons and arguments as nature suggesteth Rom. 2.14 The Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law Namely as they abstained from gross sins and performed outward acts of duty this was a kind of resemblance of mortification and but a resemblance we read of this in story Socrates his Answer to the Physiognomist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when his Scholars enraged at his Character 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So of Palaemon coming in a drunken fit to scoff at Xenocrates his Lecture with his head crowned with a Garland of Rosebuds was by his grave and moral discourse reduced from his riot and licentiousness which was a kind of moral conversion but this we fault because 't is but an half turn from sins of the Second Table or lower Hemisphere of Duty and because these sins were rather suppressed and hidden rather than mortified and subdued Sapientia eorum abscondit vitia non abscindit Lact. As Haman refrained himself when his heart boiled with rankor and malice Esther 5.10 Their Wisdom tended to hide sin rather than to mortifie it and besides this kind of conversion was not a recovery of the soul from the flesh and the world to God but only an acquiring a fitness to live more plausibly and with less scandal among men 2. There is a popish and superstitious mortification which standeth in a meer neglect of the body and some outward abstinences and austerities and such observances as are prescribed by men without any warrant from God as in abstaining from marriage and some sort of meats or apparel as unlawful yea from the necessary functions of humane life the Apostle telleth us that these things have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Col. 23. A shew of wisdom have a specious shew and
getting into the Pool see Jam. 1.23 If a man be a hearer of the word and not a doer he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass c. If so there is a season lost there is some duty pressed some sin discovered some want laid open mortification is much promoted by observing and improving these seasons 1 Pet. 1.22 seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit and Psa. 119.104 Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way By attending on the word we get new degrees of light and hatred against sin sometimes God weakneth this lust sometimes that according as he is pleased to direct it to your consciences 3. After some notable fall or sin against God See the coar of the destemper pulled out to get a pardon is not enough but mortification must be looked after the longer sin defileth the Heart the deeper it is rooted therefore speedily recover your selves at such a time a green Wound is more easily cured than an old rankled Sore and David complaineth his wounds did stink through his foolishness Psa. 38.5 The longer these Wounds be neglected the worse if a Member is sprained or out of joynt if you delay to set it it never groweth strong or straight Peter did not lie in the sin but went out immediately and wept bitterly Matth. 26.75 The longer corruption is spared it acquireth the more strength secureth its interest more firmly and is more deeply rooted in the Soul and bringeth a custom on the body also 2. Why justifyed persons must mortifie the deeds of the body 1. With respect to Christ. 2. With respect to sin 3. With respect to grace received 1. With respect to Christ and there 1. What he did and is to us 2. Our relation to him 1. What he did and is to us For what end he suffered for us and for what end he is offered to us He suffered for us to take away sin or to purchase grace whereby sin may be mortified he paid the price to provoked justice 1 Pet. 2.24 He bore our sins in his body upon the tree that we being dead unto sin should live to righteousness Naturally we are dead to Righteousness and alive to sin but Christ intention in dying for sinners was to remedy this that sin might die and grace live and therefore our old man is said to be Crucified with Christ Rom. 6.6 Then the Price was paid and grace purchased He came not only to free us from punishment but cut also the power of sin The guilt of sin is contrary to our happiness the power of sin to Gods Glory 2. The end for which he is offered to us God propoundeth Christ not only as a foundation of Comfort but as a Fountain of grace and Holiness 1 Cor. 1.30 Who of God is made to us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption to be our Sanctification as well as our Righteousness where he is the one he is the other one principal blessing is to turn us from our sins Acts 3.36 and that is mortification or weakning the power and love of sin in our hearts now that we may receive him as God offereth him and not rend and divide him by a broken and imperfect Faith as we look for Comfort in Christ in the sense of our justification and pardon so an experience of his power in mortifying sin otherwise we have but half of Christ. 2. Our relation to him both by external profession and Real implantation both bind us to mortifie sin 1. External profession obligeth us to die unto sin 't was a part of our baptismal vow and we quite nullifie and frustrate the intent of that Ordinance unless we Mortifie the deeds of the body The Flesh was renounced in our answer to Gods Covenant-Questions 1 Pet. 3.21 Baptism is called the answer of a good conscience towards God 'T is an Answer to the Lords offers propounded in the Gospel when we were first consecrated to this warfare and that dedication must never be forgotten 2 Pet. 1.19 And hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins To neglect is to forget as to distribute and communicate forget not that is neglect not So here hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins while they please the flesh they neglect their Baptismal vow and so make that Ordinance of none effect to them we are said Col. 2.13 To put of the body of the sins of the flesh That is in vow and obligation being buried with him in baptism Now if we do not stand to our vow our solemn admission into Christs family was in vain 2. By real implantation surely they that are united to Christ cannot live in the servitude and slavery of sin for by this union with him they are assimulated and conformed to him Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ and 't was not his priviledg alone but all the justifyed Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof This conformity is called by the Apostle a being planted into the likeness of his death Rom. 6.5 Christ was crucified in his human nature and we in our corrupt nature We crucified him by our sins and we are crucified with him by his spirit Christ dyed for sin and a Christian unto sin 2. With respect to sin which remaineth in us after we are justified Here are three considerations demonstrating why we should mortify sin 1. That sin still abideth in us after we are taken into the justifyed estate while we dwell in flesh this woful and sad companion dwelleth with us we cannot get rid of this cursed inmate till the house its self be pulled down we die struggling with it and when one of our feet is within the borders of eternity yet it departeth not as hair groweth after shaving as long as the roots remain so is corruption sprouting therefore must be always mortifying always cleansing 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit Always purifying 1 John 3.3 He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as Christ is pure Always laying aside the weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us Heb. 12.1 Since sin is not nullified it therefore must be mortified the war must last as long as the enemy liveth and hath any strength and force 2. It still worketh in us is very active and restless not as other things which as they grow in age grow more quiet and tame James 4.5 The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy The flesh is not a sleepy habit but a working stirring principle Rom. 7.8 Sin wrought in me all manner of concupiscence That is sinning nature 't is always inclining us to evil hindring that which is good 1. Inclining us to that which is evil It doth not only make us flexible and yielding to temptations but doth urge us and impel us
thereunto Rom. 7.23 But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind We think and speak too gentle of sin when we think it a tame thing that worketh not till it be irritated by the suggestions of Satan No 't is like a living fountain that poureth out its waters tho no body come to drink of them 't is irritated by the law of God many times and the motions of the spirit these corrupt humors within us are in a continual fermentation Gen. 6.5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great upon earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually Temptations only make them more violent 2. Hindring us from that which is good either it draweth away the heart from duty or distracteth the heart in duty it draweth away the heart from duty Rom. 7.21 I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me It abateth the edg of our affections discourageth us by many unbelieving carnal thoughts and so the heart is drawn away from God that sin may the more domineer or distracting our minds in duty Ezek. 33.31 Their hearts go after their coveteousness filling our minds with thoughts of the world vain pleasures revenge turneth our duties into sins 3. The sad consequence of letting sin alone When sin is not mortified it groweth outragious and never ceaseth acting till it hath exposed us to shame before God Men and Angels or hardneth us in a carnal careless course Lusts let alone end in gross sins and gross sins in a casting off all Religion Love of pleasures let alone will end in drunkenness and uncleanness Envy in murther and violence Judas allowed his Covetousness that brought him to betray his Master Gehazi first blasted with Covetousness then with asking a Bribe to Gods dishonour then with Leprosie so became a shame and burden to himself Annanias and Sapphira taken off by a sudden Judgment The Devil loveth by lust to draw us into sin and by sin to shame and by shame to horror and despair sin is no tame thing But do the people of God run into such notable excesses and disorders Yes when they let sin alone and discontinue the exercise of mortification witness David that run into lust and blood and Peter into curses and execrations Solomon into sensuality and idolatry old sins long laid asleep may awaken again and hurry us strangely into mischief and inconvenience 3. In regard of grace received 1. The grace of justification Relyance upon the Righteousness of Christ for Justification doth not shut out the work of Mortification but conduceth much towards it it doth not exclude it for the justified must be mortified it pleadeth for it Grace teacheth us to deny ungodliness Tit. 2.11 That sin may be mortified and put to death for Christs sake Christ was crucified and put to death for our sakes God doth not require it in point of Soveraignty but pleadeth with us upon terms of Grace Grace hath denied us nothing it hath given us Christ and all things with him and shall we stick at our lusts Grace thought nothing too good for us not the Blood of Christ nor the Favour of God not the Joys of Heaven and shall we count anything too dear to part with for Graces sake Mortification is an unpleasing task but Grace commands and calls for it and that with such powerful Oratory as cannot be withstood 2. In regard of the Grace of Sanctification To exercise it preserve it and increase it 1. That we may exercise it to that end for which it was given to us It was given to us to avoid sin 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God dtoh not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God and 1 John 5.18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and the wicked one toucheth him not There is a seed and principle within us to curb and restrain sin too and keep us from falling into the power of the Devil or being brought back into our old bondage this other principle was set up in us on purpose as to excite unto what is good so also to abate the power of sin as the way to destroy weeds is to plant the ground with good seed and 't is given us as a bridle actually to restrain the exorbitances and hold it in when it flyeth out now this grace of God will be in vain unless it be used to such a purpose and one of Gods most precious gifts would lie idle therefore we should act it or walk in the spirit that we may not fulfil the lusts of the flesh 2. Preserve it in power and vigour For the life of grace dependeth very much upon the dying of sin as health and strength in the body cometh on as the disease abateth 1 Pet. 2.24 That we being dead unto sin might be alive unto righteousness But as the life of sin increaseth Grace languisheth and withereth and is ready to die Rev. 3.2 The flesh and the spirit are contrary and always are incroaching upon one another and there is this advantage on the flesh's side that it is a native not a foreigner home-bred plants which the soil-yieldeth naturally without any tillage as Nettles will sooner preserve themselves and get ground upon better plants because the earth bringeth them forth of its own accord or as water heated the cold is natural to it and will prevail against the heat unless it be driven out by a constant fire whether the prevalency of sin doth weaken Grace effective or meritorie by its malignant influence or as deserving such a punishment from God I will not now dispute but weaken it it doth that is clear by experience for tho Grace be planted in us by God 't is not settled in such an indivisible point as that it cannot be more or less there is a remission of degrees Matth. 24.12 The love of many shall wax cold Faith may grow sick and weak there are soul-distempers as well as bodily and then a man is altogether unfit for action and performeth duties in a very heartless and uncomfortable fashion therefore still we must be mortifying sin 3. That we may increase it Grace is not only Donum a Gift to be preserved but Talentum a Talent to be improved and increased upon our hands that we may be the more fit to glorifie God that appeareth by the many excitations in Scripture to growth 2 Pet. 3.18 But grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 'T is not enough to maintain that measure of Grace which we have already received but we must get more always look after the growth of it in our selves and indeed the one cannot be done without the other there is no possibility to keep what we have unless it be improved he that roweth against the
have petty ones attending them must be chiefly attended by us and we must not discontinue the work till we have gotten some power against them and they be considerably weakned Be it lust or passion or sloath and dulness or worldliness or pride we must Pray and Pray again as Paul Prayed thrice grace must watch over it and keep it under and abate it by contrary actions that we may the better govern this inclination and reduce it to reason 5. Take heed of an unmortified frame of spirit there are certain dispositions of heart which argue much unmortifiedness and do loudly call for this remedy and cure even the grace of the spirit whereby we may be healed as first impotency of mind whereby temptations to sin are very catching and do easily make impression upon us The heart like tinder soon taketh fire from every spark certainly there is great life in our lusts when a little occasion awakeneth them As it is said of the young fool in the Proverbs he goeth after her suddenly Pro. 7.22 That is as soon as inticed Upon the least provocation we grow passionate the temptation findeth some prepared matter to work upon as straw is more easily kindled than wood Now this calleth upon us to weaken the inclination 2. When the temptation is small a little adversity puts us out of all courage and patience Pro. 24.10 If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small If we be so touchy that we cannot bear the common accidents of the world how shall we bear the most grievous persecutions which we are to endure for Christs sake For the other sort of corruptions for handfuls of Barley or a piece of Bread will that man transgress So selling the righteous for a pair of shooes Selling the Birthright for one morsel of Meat She is a common prostitute that will take any hire A little thing makes a stone run down hill Certainly the heart must be looked after the bias and inclination of it to God and Heaven more fixed 3. When lusts are touchy storm at a reproof If the word break in upon the heart with any evidence carnal men cannot endure it 1 Kings 22.8 He doth not propechy good concerning me but evil 't is a bad crisis and state of soul when men would be soothed in their lusts cannot endure close and searching truths but either affect general discourses that they may creep away in the crowd without being attacked or loose garish strains that please the fancy but do not reach the heart or must be honyed and oyled with grace scarce can endure the Doctrine of Mortification none need it so much as they or love flattery more than reproof 't is a sign sin and they are agreed and they would sleep securely Not only did an Herod put John in Prison but an Asâ— put the Prophet in the stocks 2 Chron. 16.10 4. In case of great spiritual deadness The heart hath too freely conversed with sin and so groweth less apt for God Psal. 119.37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy ways and Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the Blood of Christ purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God Our vivification is according to the degree of our mortification and therefore great deadness argueth the prevalency of some carnal distemper 5. Live much in doing good The intermitting of the exercise of our love to God maketh concupiscence or the carnal love to gather strength and when men are not taken up with doing good they are at leasure for temptations to entice them to evil our lusts have power indeed to disturb in holy duties but 't is when we are remiss and careless and usually 't is the idle and negligent who are surprized by sin as David walking on the Terras 2 Sam. 11.2 Diabolus quem non invenâ—â— occupatum c. I will close all with these two remarks 1. That 't is more sweet and pleasant to mortifie your lusts than to gratifie them Stolen waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant but the dead are there Prov 9.17 so Job 20.12 13 14. Tho wickedness be sweet in his mouth tho he hide it under his tongue though he spare it and forsake it not but keep it still within his mouth yet his meat in his bowels it is the gall of asps within him Sin is but a poisoned Morsel Mortification is not pleasant in its self yet in its fruits and effects 't is rewarded with joy and more occasions of thanksgivings we shall have Rom. 7.24 25. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. If you enter not into a war with sin you enter into a war with God shall sin be your enemy or God the Eternal Living God Ezek. 23.14 Can thine heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with thee I the Lord have spoken it and will do it SERMON XIX ROM VIII 13 If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body DOCT That in mortifying of sin we and the Spirit must concur Here I shall handle 1. The manner of this Co-operation 2. The necessity of it 1. To state the manner of this Co-operation First We must know what is meant by the Spirit 't is put either for the Person of the Holy Ghost or for his Gifts and Graces the new Creature or the Divine Nature wrought in us The Person of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 Baptize all nations in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost The new Nature John 3.6 That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit The former is here intended the uncreated Spirit or Author of Grace called the Spirit of Christ v. 11. which leadeth and guideth us in all our ways v. 14. which witnesseth to us v. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Spirit is the Author or principal Agent in this work For he doth renew and sanctifie us we are merely passive in the first infusion of Grace Ezek. 35.25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthiness Eph. 2.1 You that were dead in trespasses and sins yet now hath he quickned but afterwards we cleanse our selves 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit First he worketh upon us as Objects then by us as Instruments So that we concur not as co-ordinate causes but as subordinate Agents being first purified and sanctified by him we purge out sin yet more and more 3. Tho the spirit be the principal Author yet we must charge our selves with the duty it is our work they destroy all humane industry and endeavour that make mortification to be nothing else but an apprehension that sin is already slain by Christ no 't is charged on us Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon
Belief of the threatnings of God from whence ariseth a sense of our sinful and miserable condition so far 't is good and useful Partly from an ill cause the Devil who delighteth to vex us with unreasonable terrors 1 Sam. 16.14 The spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord vexed him The Devil both tempteth and troubleth as the Huntsman hideth himself till the poor Beast be gotten into the toile then he appeareth with shouts and cryes Partly from the corruption of mans heart which either turneth this work to an utter aversation from God or some perfunctory and unwilling way of serving him some know the right use of the Covenant others not and therefore we must consider not only how 't is wrought by the spirit but how 't is entertained by man through our corruption our conviction of sin and misery by the spirit turneth into Bondage and servitude 2. The spirit of bondage is better than a profane spirit Some cast off all thoughts of God and the World to come and are not so serious and mindful of religion as to be much troubled with any fears about their eternal condition it were happy for them if they were come so far as a spirit of Bondage they that are under it have a conscience of their duty but such as perplexeth them and lasheth and stingeth them with the dread and horror of that God whom they serve Now this is better than the prophane spirit that wholly forgets God Psa. 10.4 God is not in all their thoughts whether he be pleased or displeased honoured or dishonoured this may tend to good the gradus ad rem gradus in re Yea it may in some degree be consistent with sincerity for though to have no love to God is inconsistent with a state of grace or to have less love to God than sin yet to have more fear than love is consistent with some weak degree of grace especially if the case be so that love is less felt in act than fear and therefore though men are conscious to much backwardness yet keep up a seriousness though to their feeling 't is more fear than love which moveth them yet we dare not pronounce them graceless for there may be a love to God and a complacency in his ways though it be oppressed by fear that the spirit of adoption is not so much discovered for the time 3. That 't is an ill frame of spirit to be cherished or rested in For while men are under the sole and predominant influence of it they are never converted to God fear doth begin the work of conversion but love maketh it sincere the spirit by fear doth awaken men to make them see their condition terrifying them by the belief of Gods threatning and the sense of his indignation that they may flee from wrath to come Matth. 3.7 Or cry out What shall I do to be saved Acts 2.37 But yet tho they have a sensible work they have not a saving work Some by these fears are but troubled and restrained a little and so settle again in their sensual course but to their great loss for God may never give them like advantages again Others betake themselves to a kind of religiousness and forsake the practice of those grosser sins which breed their fears and so resting here continue in a state of hypocrisie and self-deceiving religiousness 1. USE is Information and Instruction to teach us how to carry it as to the spirit of Bondage First 't is not to be slighted partly from the matter which breedeth the fear and bondage which is the law of God the supreme rule and reason of our duty by which all debates of conscience are to be decided partly from the Author this sense of sin and misery is stirred up in us and made more active by the Operation of the Spirit of God partly from the faculty wherein 't is seated the conscience of a reasonable creature the most lively and sensible power of mans soul which cannot be pacified but upon solid grounds and reasons partly from the effect the fear of eternal death the greatest misery that can befall us for surely 't is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Heb. 10.31 To smother and stifle checks of conscience doth increase our misery not remove it and produceth hardness of heart and contempt of God therefore when our souls are at this pass that we see we are in bondage to sin and know not how to help it in bondage to wrath and know not how to quench these fears which are awakened in us by the spirit surely we should look after solid satisfaction and peace of soul setled on us upon Gospel Terms Run to the blood of sprinkling Heb. 10.20 2. Yet 't is not a thing to be chosen prayed for or rested in Partly because 't is a judiciary Impression a spark of Hell kindled in the conscience a tender conscience we may and must pray for but not a stormy conscience when we ask legal terrors we know not what we ask a belief of the threatnings belong to our duty as well as a belief of the promises but we must not so reflect upon terrors as to exclude the comfort and hope of the Gospel when under a spirit of Bondage we are in a most servile condition far from all solid comfort courage and boldness but is it not an help to conversion Answer Let God take his own way we are not to look after the deepness of the wound but the soundness of the cure not terrible representations of sin and wrath but such an anxiousness as will make us serious and solicitous partly because the Law-Covenant is an antiquated dispensation the law of nature bindeth not as a Covenant for the promise of life ceased upon the incapacity of the subjects when under a natural impossibility of keeping it the threatning and penalty lieth upon us indeed till we flee to another court and covenant The Jewish Covenant was abolished when Christ repealed the Law of Moses that Covenant dealt with us as servants the Gospel dealeth with us as sons in a more ingenuous way and inviting us to God upon nobler motives and partly from the nature of that fear that doth accompany it it driveth us from God not to God Gen. 3.5 Adam hid himself among the bushes and he gives us this reason because he was afraid and still we all fly from a condemning God but to a pardoning God we are incouraged to come nigh Psal. 103.4 There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared In the wicked the fear of Gods Wrath once begun it increaseth daily till it come to the desperate fear of the damned and the fault is not in the law or in the spirit but in man who runneth from his own happiness and maketh an ill use of Gods Warnings 2. USE is to put us upon tryal and self-reflection All that attend upon Ordinances receive some spirit
or other a spirit of bondage or a spirit of adoption now with what kind of spirit are we acted withall Gods children who are adopted into his family may have some degree of the spirit of bondage great mixtures of fears and discouragements for only perfect love casteth out fear 1 John 4.18 but these fears are over-ballanced by the spirit of adoption they have some filial boldness a better spirit than a slave do not wholly sin away the love of a father tho the delight and comfort be much obstructed 't was a sad word for a child of God to speak Psal. 77.3 I thought of God and I was troubled The remembrance of God may augment our grief when conscience representeth his abused favours as the cause of his present wrath and displeasure with us but this is not their constant temper but only in great dissertions for a constancy while sin remaineth somewhat of bondage remaineth but there is a partial predominant legality the partial may be found in the regenerate who do by degrees overcome the servile fear of condemnation and grow up more and more into a Gospel Spirit certainly where that prevaileth there will be liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 Tho for a while the heir differeth nothing or nothing to speak of from a servant yet in time he behaveth himself as a son and is treated as a son and they get more comfort and joy in the service of God but the predominant legality is in the carnal it may be known by the governing principle fear or love the inseparable companion of the spirit of bondage is fear and love and sonship or the spirit of Adoption go together and where slavish fear prevaileth and influenceth our Religion it may be known by these two things First By their unwillingness and reluctancy to what they do for God The good they do they would not and the evil they do not they would do that is they would fain live in a sinful life if they durst and be excused from religious duties except that little outward part which their custom and credit engages them to perform like Birds that in a sunshine day sing in the Cage tho they had rather be in the Woods They live not an holy life tho some of the duties which belong to it they observe out of a fear to be damned if they had their freest choice they had rather live in the love of the creature than in the love of God and the pleasures of the flesh than the heavenly life But now they that have the spirit of Adoption are inclined to the love of God and Holiness have hearts suited to their work Psal. 40.8 Thy law is in my heart and Heb. 8.10 I will put my laws into their minds and write them upon their hearts They obey not from the urgings of the law from without but from the poise and inclination of the new nature not barely as enjoined but as inclined They do not say O that this were no duty or this sinful course lawful but O how I love thy law Psal. 119.97 O that my ways were directed Psal. 119.5 They do not groan and complain of the strictness of the law but of the remainders of corruption Rom. 7.24 Not who will free me from the law but who will free me from this body of death Their will is to serve God more and better not to be excused from the duties of holiness or serving him at all 2. By the cause of their trouble about what they have done or left undone They are not troubled for the offence done to God but their own danger not for sin but merely the punishment as Esau sought the blessing with tears when he had lost it Heb. 12.17 He was troubled but why Non quia vendiderat sed quia perdiderat Not because he sold it which was his sin but lost the priviledges of the birthright which was his misery so many carnal men whose hearts are in a secret love and league with their lusts yet are troubled about their condition not because they are affraid to sin but affraid to be damned 't is not Gods displeasure they care for but their own safety the Young-man went away sad and grieved Mark 10.22 because he had great possessions because he could not reconcile his covetous mind with Christs counsel and direction Felix trembled being convinced of sins which he was loath to discontinue and break off slavish fear tho it doth not divorce the heart from its lusts yet it raiseth trouble about them 3. USE is to press you to get rid of this spirit of bondage and to prevail upon it more and more For Motives 1. 'T is dishonourable to God and supposeth strange prejudices and misrepresentations of God as if his government were a kind of Tyranny grievous and hurtful to man and we think him an hard Master whom it is impossible to please as the evil and sloathful servant Matt. 25.24 25. I knew that thou wert an hard man reaping where thou hast not sowed and gathered where thou hast not strawed and I was affraid and went and hid thy talent in the earth His fear was the cause of his negligence and unfaithfulness which fear is begotten in us by a false opinion of God which rendreth him dreadful rigorous and terrible to the Soul while we look upon God through the Glass of our guilty fears we draw a strange Picture of him in our minds as if he were a ridgid Lawgiver and a severe Avenger harsh and hard to be pleased and therefore unwilling to submit to him 2. 'T is prejudicial to us in many regards 1. It hindereth our free and delightful converse with God The legal spirit hath no boldness in his presence but is filled with tormenting fear and horror at the thoughts of him The Spirit of adoption giveth us confidence and boldness in prayer Heb. 4.16 and Eph. 3.12 but on the contrary the spirit of bondage maketh us hang off from God As Adam was affraid and run to the bushes Gen. 3.12 and David had a dark and uncomfortable spirit and grew shy of God after his sin Psal. 32.3 4. fain to issue forth an injuction or practical decree in the Soul to bring his backward heart into his presence v. 5. And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord of Hosts Gen. 4.16 as unable to abide there where the frequent Ordinances of God might put him in remembrance of him And Jam. 2.29 The Devils believe and tremble They abhor their own thoughts of God as reviving terror in them The Papists think it boldness to go to God without the mediation and intercession of the Saints The original of that practice was slavish fear when God had opened a door of access to himself 2. It breaketh our courage in owning the ways of God and truths of God The Apostle when he presseth Timothy not to be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor his servants and to be partakers of the afflictions
cannot rationally expect the best and richest Fruits of this gift and to be inabled and inlarged by the spirit who do not give such ready entertainment and obedience to his motions as the more serious and fruitful Christian doth 4. But do all that have it know that they have it I Answer 1. The spirit of adoption is in some weak and therefore not so perceptible as it is in others for small and weak things are hardly discerned All Gods Children have the spirit of adoption in the effects though not in the sense and feeling of it They have the spirit of comfort though not the comfort of it for if any have not the spirit of Christ they are none of his Rom. 8.9 The Witness of his spirit is spoken of as distinct from receiving the spirit v. 16. There is a Child-like inclination and impression left upon them tho they know it not own it not There is a difference between the thing its self and the degree we cannot say we have not the spirit of adoption because we have not so much of this spirit calming our hearts rebuking our fears and filling us with joy and peace in believing The spirit was given to Christ without measure but to Christians in a different measure and proportion as they yield up themselves more or less to the conduct of his grace and overcome the enemies of their peace the Devil the World and the Flesh the impression is left upon some in a smaller upon some in a larger character all are not of a growth and size some are more real Christians others only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eminent grace will more discover its self than a little grace under an heap of imperfections a fervent love will be felt and a lively hope of Heaven demonstrate its self and an exact obedience less liable to dispute as we increase in Love and Heavenly mindness so the spirit discovereth his presence in us 2. Where the spirit of adoption acteth at the lowest rate there is something to difference it from the spirit of bondage 1. They are carried on to wait upon God upon Gospel grounds though they cannot apply the comforts and enter themselves heirs to the priviledges thereof some know they are of the truth and can make out their title with clearness and satisfaction 1 John 3.14 And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him others depend on Gods general offer while their claim and sincerity is as yet questionable God offereth to be a Father in Christ to all penitent believers and so we are incouraged to come to him by Christ the Apostle telleth us Heb. 7.19 That the gospel brought in a better hope by vertue of which we draw nigh to God There is a Child-like inclination when there is not a Child-like familiarity and boldness the soul cannot keep away from God but will come to him that he may pardon our sins and heal our souls and save our persons now this is the spirit of adoption in the lower or more obscure way of addressing our selves to God as a Father 2. There are child-like groans as well as child-like comforts compare Rom. 8.26 The spirit it self maketh intercession for us with sights and groans which cannot be uttered with 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory In some the spirit only discovereth himself by hungring and thirsting after righteousness in others he worketh peace which passeth all understanding and joy unspeakable and full of glory 3. There is a child-like reverence when there is not a child like confidence They are affraid to offend their Heavenly Father though they cannot challenge all the fruits and effects of his Fatherly love as belonging to them when they cannot own him as a Father with delightful confidence yet they dare not offend him for all Gods Children have a Child-like love to him when they have not a full sense and assurance of his paternal love to them for he hath a title to our dearest love before we can make out a title to his benefits now they that love God hate evil Psal. 97.10 are tender of omitting any duty or committing any offence where there is this Holy awe there is a spirit of adoption 't is an owning of God as a Father 1 Pet 1.17 If ye call on the Father c. And therefore this reverence we call filial fear 4. The heart is carryed out to heavenly things though we cannot call them ours All that are children do look after a childs Portion there is a twofold hope First an hope which is the effect of regeneration 1 Pet. 1.3 And an hope which is the effect of experience Rom. 5.4 Now this puts a difference between the spirit of Bondage and the servile mercenary spirit when the currant of thine affections is carried out after the eternal inheritance servants and mercenaries must have pay in hand they covenant with you from day to day or from quarter to quarter or from year to year a child in the Family tarryeth for a Childs Portion Math. 6.4 When thou dost thine alms do not sound a trumpet before thee as 〈◊〉 hypocrites do in the synogogue and in the street they have their reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 present wages they look for discharge God from other things if he wiâ—l give them the honour and pleasure of the world they are satisfied and look for no more 5. Why this is the fruit of the new covenant dispensation There are three things which must not be severed 1. The object 2. A powerful agent 3. The disposition of the subject thence resulting 1. There is an object and that is the Gospel offering pardon and life reconciliation with God and the everlasting fruition of him in Glory In the Gospel or new covenant we have the highest discovery of Gods Fatherly goodness that he might be more amiable and lovely to us and be loved by us the great end of reconciling and saving lost man by Christ his wonderful condescention in his incarnation life sufferings and death was to commend his love to us Rom. 5.8 Herein God commended his love to us in that when we were yet sinners Christ died for us To this end also tend his merciful covenant and promises that we might not look upon God as a condemning Judg but as a gracious and reconciled Father offering to be so to all that will accept Christ and submit to him God would not immediately beget this perswasion in our minds by his own secret power but use this objective means work upon our love by love because he will work on man agreeably to the nature of man his covenant shall speak him a Father that we may apprehend him as a Father 2. There is an internal powerful agent and that is the spirit Besides the external objective means there must be an internal effective cause for though Gods Fatherly love
as Heaven is prepared for the Saints so the Saints are prepared for Heaven Rom. 9.23 Vessels of mercy which he hath aforehand prepared unto glory Col. 1.12 Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light Now we are prepared by the Spirits sanctifying Body and Soul and fitting us for the heavenly estate 't is said 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed into his image from glory to glory as grace increaseth glory hastneth on every degree is a step nearer we grow more meet to dwell with God as we grow more like God now this Argument holdeth good on Gods part and ours when God hath formed us and fitted us for any estate he will bring us to it as the Apostle telleth us 2 Cor. 5.6 Now he that hath wrought us to this self-same thing is God who hath given us the earnest of the spirit This piece of workmanship was never designed to be left always here in the world but suited to a better place to which it shall be translated 'T is the Wisdom of God to bestow all things in apt places every creature hath its Element and a peculiar nature which carryeth it thither as Fishes desire to live in the Water and Fowls in the Air 't is answerable to the nature which God hath put into them the new creature hath a suitableness to the glorious estate to come hereafter therefore the New Jerusalem is the only convenient place to the new creature and they that have a Divine Nature must live in the immediate Presence of God On their part Gods Word telleth them of a better life than this and their hearts incline them to it they being formed and fitted for it for the more a thing is formed for the end the more vehemently it tendeth towards it God will not carry us to Heaven against our will rherefore there is not only a preparation but an earnest expectation which is the fruit of it they long to enjoy their God to see their Redeemer to enter upon that blessed estate for which God hath prepared them whereof in part he hath assured them No man is unwilling to be happy and to attain his end Certainly a Christian out of Heaven is out of his proper place we are like fish in a paddle-trunk or small vassel of water which will only keep us alive we would fain be in the Ocean 4. By the first fruits of the spirit our title and right is assured For 't is compared to a Seal to warrant our present interest Eph. 4.3 Ye are sealed with the holy spirit of promise To an Earnest to secure our future enjoyment 2 Cor. 4.22 Who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the spirit in our hearts This blessed state belongeth only to those who have the first fruits of the spirit Their title is clear for God will own his Seal and Impress will never take back his Earnest but it remaineth with us till there be no place left for doubts and fears Now who being secured of a better estate and for the present burdened with sorrow and temptations would not groan and long after it 1. VSE is Information It informeth us of the certainty of blessedness to come If there were any perfect estate in this life nothing would sooner bring us to it than a participation of the spirit but this doth not for they that are partakers of the spirit groan wait and are not satisfied with their present estate but long for a better breathe after something greater and beyond what they here enjoy Therefore certainly God hath reserved for them a better estate in another world We prove another life by the disposition and instinct of nature towards happiness in the general yea eternal happiness All would be happy they grope and feel about after eternal good Acts 17.26 this being the universal desire of all mankind 't is an argument that there is such a thing as eternal good for natural desires are not frustrate for Nature doth nothing in vain but the Desires of the Sanctified do much more prove it For these act more regularly direct their desires and groans to a certain scope and end and those are excited by the Holy Spirit of God he imprinteth the firm persuasion of this happiness in them and stirreth up these groans after it and that usually in our gravest and severest moods when we are solemnly conversing with God in his holy Worship then he doth raise up these affections towards heavenly things by the Word Prayer and Sacraments and leaveth this heavenly relish upon our hearts as the present reward of our duties And the more serious and holy any are the more do they feel of this Now this is a greater argument for Holiness was never designed for our torment and these desires being of Gods own planting they will not be disappointed 2. That none but those who have the first fruits of the spirit will groan and hope for eternal life Others have no warrant for they have not Gods Earnest and God never giveth the whole Bargain but he first giveth Earnest for without holiness no man shall see God Others have no inclination for most mens thoughts are not busied about this but rather go after worldly things they are for serving their lusts and pleasing their fleshly appetites and fancies whereas the Apostle biddeth us be sober and truss up the loins of our minds 1 Pet. 1.13 If we would hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 'T is true death is the ordinary refuge for embittered spirits and the bach-door we seek to get out at in our discontent In passion men will desire to die when beaten out of the World Heaven is their Retreat but no serious groans and desires of Heaven 3. That we must so groan under the present misery that we may wait for deliverance with patience Hope is not only made up of looking and longing but waiting also Heb. 6.12 Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promise 4. That one great means to support our faith and patience is the hope of the redemption of our bodies 1. Because the man cannot be happy till the body be raised again for the Soul alone doth not consummate the man neither was it made to live eternally apart from the body but is in a state of widowhood till it be united to it again and live with its old mate and companion The man is not happy till then 2. 'T is the body is most pained in obedience and endured all the troubles and labours of Christianity there it hath part in the reward as well as the work Heb. 11.35 Not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection 3. 'T is the body which seemed to be lost Some of the bodies of the faithful were devoured by wild beasts others consumed in the fire some swallowed up in the sea all resolved
importance and the eternal recompences not their own interest only as David Psal. 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency As if he had said What reward is there of Holiness Mortification Patience and self-denyal In the lower world where God is unseen our great hopes yet to come the flesh being importunate to be pleased and the things of the world necessary for our use and present to our imbraces Christians are not certain and past all doubts of the truth of their everlasting hopes else there would be no weak faith nor faint hope Did not the Disciples in a great temptation doubt of an Article of Faith Luke 24.21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel And v. 25. O ye fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken To doubt of what the Prophets spake was not to doubt of their own Salvation but of the constant state of their Souls all the Godly are perswaded of the truth of the Gospel that ordinarily they have no considerable doubts about it but that still they resolve to cleave to God and Christ looking for their reward in another world whatever it cost them here and in some measure can fell all for the pearl of price 2. As to the hope which ariseth from your assurance 1. Make your sincerity more clear and unquestionable and every day your hope and your confidence will increase upon you to believe and hope that you your selves shall be saved is very desirable and comfortable but then you must do that which assurance calleth for give diligence to make your calling and election sure abound in the love and work of the Lord grow more indifferent to temporal things venture all in Christs hands for while your faith and repentance is obscure you will not have such full comfort tho you are confident of the truth of Gods promise to all penitent believers 4. This latter or consequent hope which dependeth on the assurance of our interest admits of a latitude it may be full or not full Heb. 6.11 To the full assurance of hope That is full which casteth out all fear that is not full which is accompanied with doubts but the certainty prevaileth Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief Cant. 5.2 I sleep but my heart waketh Now we should labour to go to Heaven with full sails or abound in hope Rom. 15.13 and 2 Pet. 1.11 For so an enterance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. With hearts full of Comfort 5. When 't is full it may be interrupted or continued to the end or at sometimes it may be full or nor full at another 1 Pet. 1.13 Hope to the end If we continue in our duty with diligence affection and zeal our full hope may be continued if we abate our fervour grow remiss and cold in the spiritual life we lose much of the comfort of our hopes 6. The hope which followeth after experience and much exercise in the spiritual life may result from an act of ours and from an impression of the comforting Spirit 1. From an act of ours From our considering the truth of Gods promises or his wonderful mercy in Christ and his grace inabling us in some measure to fulfil the conditions of the new Covenant when thereupon we put forth hope Phil. 3.20 21. For our conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile bodies that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body 2. Or some impression of the comforting spirit supporting and relieving us in our distresses or rewarding our self-denial and obedience as Rom. 5.5 Hope leaveth not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy ghost given unto us The one is an act of Godliness the other one of Gods internal rewards the one is a duty the other a felicity 2. VSE Is to press us to get and act hope Hope implieth two things 1. Certain Perswasion 2. An earnest Expectation The certainty is seen in the quiet and pleasure of the mind for the present The earnestness in the diligent pursuit after the thing hoped for by all holy means Now we must look to both acts of Hope 1. To strengthen the certain expectation There we must often revive the grounds of hope which are these 1. The mercy of God which hath made such rich preparation for our comfort in the Gospel The first ground of hope to the faln creature is the undeserved grace mercy and goodness of God 2 Thes. 2.16 He hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace And therefore it is our great invitation to hope Psal. 130.7 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord is mercy and plenteous redemption Apply your selves to God as a God of mercy otherwise such were our undeservings and our ill deservings there were no hope for us so Psal. 13.5 I have trusted in thy mercy my soul shall rejoyce in thy salvation Let others trust in what they will I will trust in thy mercy The serious remembrance of Gods mercy maketh hope lift up the head so Jude 21. Looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus unto eternal life There 's our best and strongest plea to the very last Therefore the Heirs of promise are called Rom. 9.23 Vessels of mercy Because from first to last they are filled up with mercy 2. The promise of God which cannot fail Titus 1.2 The hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised before the world began he promised it to Christ in the Covenant of Redemption and he hath promised it to us in the Covenant of Grace that before time this in time now God will not fail to do what he hath promised when he made the promise he meant to perform it For what need had God to court his creature into a false hope or to flatter him into a fools paradise to tell them of an happiness he never meant to give them and if he meant it is he not able to perform it Men break their word out of weakness they cannot do all that they would their will exceedeth their power Or out of imprudence they cannot foresee what may happen or out of levity and inconstancy for all men are lyars but none of these things can be imagined of God We have Gods Word and Oath Heb. 6.18 We have his Seal the spirit who hath wrought miracles without to confirm this hope and assâ—re the world Heb. 2.4 God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the holy ghost Within preparing the hearts of the faithful for this blessed estate Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy spirit whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption And giving them some beginnings of it as an earnest 2 Cor. 1.22 Who
will without which it would lie sluggish and idle or like a Chariot without wheels and horses or a Bird when her wings are clipped therefore the Holy Ghost stirreth up these affections and our heart within us makes us willing and this bringeth the Soul to God for no other can give us satisfaction but he alone And the difficulties of Salvation are so many that we cannot overcome them but in his power and strength Now sense of wants and an earnest desire of a supply will ordinarily put words into a mans mouth and affections beget expressions Yet because many accidental reasons may hinder it the weight of Prayer is not to be layed so much upon the expression as the affection if there be a strong and an earnest desire after grace it will make us express our selves to God in the best manner that we can As long as you Pray for necessary graces and other things in subordination thereunto and can heartily groan and sigh to God for what you want with respect to your great end the Prayer is well performed there may be a great petulancy and extravagance of words where there is not a good and an honest heart vain bablings without faith or feeling or spiritual affection 4. 'T is not to be understood as if all that pray graciously had the spirit in a like measure or the same persons always in the same measure No the wind bloweth where it liâ—â—eth John 3.7 And he giveth us to will and to do We cannot find the assistance at our own pleasure some have it in a more plentiful others in a scanty measure tho all have iâ— Jesus Christ himself tho he had not the spirit by measure yet he exercised and acted the spirit of Prayer more at one time Luke 22.44 And being in an agony he prayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more earnestly His love to God was always the same but the expression of it different So Gods Children seek Heavenly things with a weaker degree of desire and sometimes with a stronger at sometimes we have the directing work of the Spirit and are not sensible of those earnest and unexpressible groans That is to say we put up our requests for things lawful and useful and most necessary for us at the time but not with that ardour and fervency that we do desire we cannot say that the Holy Ghost doth not assist these Prayers as sometimes the assistance is given us more largely as to the groaning part and men are all in a flame strong and passionate affections do most bewray themselves Sometimes as a spirit of confidence and Holy liberty with our Father and faith is clearly predominant in Prayer at other times repentance and Child-like reverence and fear are altogether in action in the Prayer and there is a great seriousness tho not such life and vigour or strength of faith as grief for sin bemoaning our failings 5. Gifts are more necessary when we joyn with others and are their mouth to God But the Spirit of Prayer is of most use when we are alone and we have nothing to do but to set our selves before the searcher of hearts and draw forth our desires after him when without taking in the necessities of others we present our personal requests to God and lament the defects of our own Hearts and the plague of our own Souls When we pray alone 't is good to observe the workings of our own hearts surely whatever Prayer we make to God we should find it in our hearts 2 Sam. 7.27 Therefore hath thy servâ—nt found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee Having a deep sense of our wants a real desire of the blessing we ask exercising grace rather than memory and invention pouring out our very Souls to God with sighs and groans rather than words we are liberty there to use or not use the voice to continue speech and break it off and lift up the heart by strong desires to God VSE It informeth us 1. What kind of help we have from the spirit of God in prayer his work is to guide and quicken you First to guide you in Prayer that you may Pray to God in an Holy manner we know not what to pray for as we ought on a fourfold reason 1. As blinded with self-lâ—ve 2. As discomposed by trouble 3. As struck dumb by guilt 4. As straitned by barreness and leanness of soul. 1. As blinded by self-love Oh what strange prayers will men put up to God if they take counsel of their lusts and interests as the Disciples that called for fire from Heaven Christ told them ye know not of what manner of spirit ye are of Luke 9.55 Self love so blindeth us that if we be lead by it we shall rather beg our ruin than our salvation for we know not what is either profitable or prejudical to us so that it would be an argument of Gods anger to grant our requests The Ambitious if he should pray from the passion that possesseth him would only ask honour and worldly greatness The Covetous only that God would double his worldly portion and inlarge his estate according to his vast desires the Sensual the ability and opportunity of glutting his bruitish inclinations the Vindictive that he may interess God in his quarrels All sinners would serve him only to serve their carnal turns whatever words we use to God in Prayer if we serve him to these ends and hope that by praying they shall be the better gratified our Prayer is turned into sin but he that is guided by the Spirit intreateth nothing of God but what is pleasing to him and suiteth with his Glory we come to our Father which is in Heaven when we Pray and our welfare in the World must be subordinated to our Eternal and Heavenly estate And we come in the name of Christ now to ask honours in his name who was born in a Stable and Dyed on a Cross pleasures in his name who was a man of sorrows is utterly incongruous no! Gods Glory Kingdom Will must be preferred before our inclinations other things asked with reservation and submission 2. Our minds are discomposed by trouble that we scarce know what to do or say 2 Chron 20.12 Lord we know not what to do but our eyes are unto thee Our Lord Christ John 12.27 My soul is troubled what shall I say in great grief Christ himself was at a loss The great Teacher of the Church who hath so much to say for our comfort and counsel in such cases yet was amazed and at a nonplus and David Psal. 77.4 I am sore troubled I cannot speak Our words stoppeth the mouth Now when our thoughts are thus confounded we scarce know what to pray for the Spirit teacheth us what to say Look as in the case of the fear of men Luke 12.12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you shall say So in our perplexities when we are scarce able to open
a more glorious heighth which is Heaven and there is a dismal depth which is Hell God can provide an harbour for his people turneth the Devils design quite contrary to his intention A TABLE of the principal Matters contained in this PART A ABsolute property of God alone Page 100 Abuse of the Creature to wrong ends is bondage Page 201 Act single do's not discover what men are Page 43 Accusers of Christians who Page 332 Abstaining from some sin and different motives and what are those motives Page 121 Adams principle was his rule also Page 36 State blessed yet terrene in Innocency Page 89 Mortal and how Page 90 Adam the First and Second Page 114 Accountable we are for all Page 101 And what this all Page Ib. Addictedness to worldly things hinders our Christian hope Page 234 Adoption consequent on profession of Faith Page 81 Full of love and delight in the law of God Page 157 158 State of Adoption what Page 160 Spirit of Adoption how differs from Spirit of Regeneration Page 162 Effect of spirit of Adoption Page 163 Tho 't is not it might be in all that hear the Gosspel Page 163 Not equally in all believers Page 164 Nor alike known to be in us Page Ib. In lowest degrees and what this in some Page 164 How conveyed to us Page 165 Seek it Motives and directions Page 166 Signs of it Page 167 Adoption a great priviledge Page 168 169 Adoption great support of Christians Page 170 By it we pray and apply the promises Page 173 Affections our Affliction Page 120 What. Page 129 Affections from self-love Page 129 Worldly impediment of Heavenly life Page 186 Anger mischievous Page 117 Afflictions for Christ ensure it that we are joint-heirs Page 175 Some longer some shorter to believers but their reward of equal duration to all Page 183 Under Afflictions do nothing unworthy of your hopes Page 243 But pray Page 244 All Afflictions work for our good if we love God Page 268 Exemplified Page 269 270 271 How certain this is Page 271 What good this is Page 271 272 How wrought Page 273 Wait on God in Afflictions and why Page 274 Be good by it so 't is a blessing Page 274 Our work is to bear and grow better by 't is God's work to put end to Afflictions Page 275 276 What gain by them Page 276 They teach us and how Page 277 278 279 In deepest Afflictions God with us and how Page 319 Increase Grace Page 364 Glorifie God Page 365 366 Agenda of Christianity less controverted than Credenda Page 361 All together work for good to believers Page 267 268 Yet not sin and why Page 269 All things with Christ given to believers Page 326 Animal Life must be put off Page 89 90 Answer to prayers unanswered Page 273 Appeal from Law to Gospel Page 3 338 344 From Iudge to Iudge Page 344 Appetite sensitive may in some things be pleased without sin Page 43 When this is Page ib. Arguings for sin Page 65 Against it for duty too weak Page 149 Assent of Faith renewed Page 86 Assurance cleared by our fulfilling our covenant with God Page 36 47 Assistance continually needful and why Page 134 246 Assembly general our encouragement to hope Page 235 Atheists convinced Page ib. They credulous Page 240 Foolish and venture on the worst side Page ib. B BAllancing Eternal-futures bears up the suffering Christians Page 368 369 Baptism Page 49 86 Implieth doing and suffering Page 392 Obligeth us to obey Christ. Page 102 10â— 109 To mortifie the flesh Page 113 124 Too long forgotten by us Page 113 Baptism Consecrated Christ captain of Salvation and Satan presently assaulted him so Christians Page 362 Believers not united to the Church first so to Christ by the Church Page 4 5 How come to be in Christ. Page 5 6 Set themselves to Believe and are benefited Page 86 Sin but not of design Page 103 Well guided and guarded Page 151 Now hidden Page 189 And who Page ib. To whom Page 190 191 And why safety in Christs love Page 357 Beneficiaries must obey God Page 102 103 Benefits good gifts talents and to be used as such Page 101 Bind us to obey God Page 102 Bent and business of the soul for God Page 49 Birth new ground of Adoption Page 161 Body how to be denied or gratified in delights Page 71 Dead how Page 88 91 Therefore prepare for it Page 91 Overcared the soul neglected Page 91 Body sanctified Page 96 What we owe it Page 100 'T is subject to the soul. Page 108 Bondage in which all are till made free Page 20 And what both are Page ib. How came upon us Page 21 State of Bondage Page 153 154 It may bring on conversion Page 155 May remain Page 341 In part upon Believers Page 156 Whence 'tis whether state of Bondage be good or bad Page 156 Bondage of the creatures Page 201 Bordering on carnal World mischievous to us Page 47 Yet we do so Page 190 Borrowing above what we can pay is specious Robbery Page 17 Broken spirit under terrors not to be slighted desired chosen or rested in Page 157 This spirit of Bondage on us while love is imperfect Page 159 Yet over-ballanced by spirit of love Page ib. Business of Believers with and his happiness in God Page 75 Common good by Christians be managed by best principles Page 78 C CArnal minded what Page 54 55 56 57 Carnal men know not God Page 55 Are not affected with what they do know Page ib. Think meanly of Christians Page 77 Calvin hardly spoken of Page 5 Calling twofold and what Page 287 288 Call by the word twofold and what ineffectual what effectual Page 288 Its properties Page 289 The ends of it Page ib. To shew God's Wisdom Power Goodness Page 289 Discovery of Gods love Page 290 To our profit Page 291 Obeying this Call what Page 292 This Call effect of Predestination Page 307 Checks of Conscience to be regarded Page 115 Differ from repugnancies of new Nature and how Page 134 Child-like love obedience and dependence on God Page 163 Carriage toward God our Father Page 250 169 Prove us Children Page 179 Christs satisfaction Page 324 And effects of it Page 3 To be in Christ what Page 4 Lord of new Creation Page 11 12 14 356 A head to his Page 17 Died because we could no other ways be delivered Page 26 27 He was true man Page 28 And why Page ib. 29 A Sacrifice for sin Page 30 31 He healeth our natures Page 34 36 Mortifies sin Page 124 Is fittest example for us to follow Page 78 Is in Believers what and how Page 88 301 328 Ruleth Page 88 Love to Christ constrains and how Page 128 It mortifies sin Page 134 So doth his Death Page 136 Christ whole not by parts enjoyed by belivers Page 140 Hath double inheritance and what 't is Page 178 Died to expiate our sins Page 178 Hath preeminence Page 298 Openeth the
None other please God Page 70 Spirit of Renovation what Page 162 Precedes Adoption Page 169 Reprieve forfeited by us Page 3 Religion what Page 36 Of carnal men what Page 107 Every man will have some Page 107 What its end Page 109 Reaping as we sow Page 95 Resignation of our selves to God nature knows not Page 65 Resisting is in part conquering Page 370 Resist not the spirit a Sanctifier Page 150 'T is dangerous Page 150 Rewards and punishments necessary Page 21 143 Lawful to look to them Page 142 143 Radication of Grace Page 82 Reason enslaved in flesh-pleasers Page 117 Rejoycing sensually very unsuitable to our state Page 204 Repentance what Page 34 36 Necessary to begin our interest in New-Covenant Page 36 Reverence and filial fear Page 165 Rigors external and Popish not acceptable Page 121 Restraining Grace Page 122 Resurrection whence Page 92 Effected by the Spirit of holiness now dwelling in Believers Page 93 Is work of the whole blessed Trinity Page 94 Of the spirit and Christ Page 95 Blessed Resurrection to holy ones Page 95 Onely of man Page 201 Resurrection of Christ influenceth our Iustification Page 346 How Page 347 Rights and Prerogatives of children of God Page 206 Right we have is limited of trust and accountable Page 101 196 Lest by the fall yet witked men have a civil Right Page 196 Rule of Believers obedience Page 73 S SAcrament of Lords Supper what Page 32 Spirit of Adoption suits it well Page 167 Hope suits it Page 235 Safety is to keep our selves from our selves Page 49 Is in our Iustification Page 237 Sacrifices for sin and their effects Page 31 Sanctification imperfect matter of wailing Page 1 Is obedience to the better principle in a subject is denial of following the worst principle Page 1 6 How wrought and increased Page 6 Effect intended by the death of Christ Page 34 35 Accompanieth Iustification Page 35 Comfort grows with it Page 150 Satans hand in our afflictions to draw us from God Page 365 Satans design against God and man in his tempting us and how defeated Page 29 He burrieth some into sin Page 40 Is executioner Page 97 Rules where spirit of God doth not dwell Page 98 Satisfaction to God Iudge Page 342 Seal of the spirit what and why given Page 42 96 Sanction of a Law what Page 12 Scripture witness is the spirits witness Page 172 Self-love blindeth us Page 253 Senses must be kept under the government of Reason Page 116 Shame of Believers turned into Glory Page 185 Sincerity for a time in particular things Page 260 Yet man hypocrite Page 286 Sin indwelling breeds fear of condemnation Page 1 Every new sin makes our claim doubtful Page 8 205 Ever hurts us Page 103 Lives tho dying in believers Page 119 124 125 All kinds of Sin in Believers Page 126 127 Each Sin hath several ways of acting Page 127 128 Is Mortal if not mortified Page 128 What Sin consistent with life Page 234 Sin condemned what Page 31 It s double power destroyed Page 32 Sin is a disesteem of God Page 144 108 Seen aright onely by the light of the spirit Page 133 Think of it as 't is greatest evil Page 144 All that came in by Sin shall be destroy'd Page 201 Is enemy to all creatures Page 213 State of man fourfold Page 205 Soul propends to its old friend and mate the body Page 97 Slaves are they who cannot peruse true happiness Page 204 Slavish fear what Page 63 153 Service what Page 154 When prevails Page 158 Far from Conversion Page 160 Sons of God Page 150 How we are Page ib. Subsistences three in the Divine Nature Page 64 Subjection to God inseperable to the creature Page 102 108 Spirit what Page 6 In every Christian Page 74 80 82 Prevalent Page 77 82 And how known Page 7 Its object Page 7 Given by Christ Page 9 17 What Page 14 Somewhat of the Spirit given to Heathens Page 17 18 More to Iews Page ib. Most to us in hearing the Gospel Page 18 All Believers have it but not in equal degrees Page 19 Evidence of having it Page 20 Spirit of Bondage and Adoption Page 25 Acteth grace in Believers Page 40 Things of the Spirit Page 47 To be minded more Page 52 53 To be chosen and valued pursued and sought in Gods way Page 54 Above other things and with Prayer Page 53 Spiritual mindedness what Page 59 Spirit Of Adoption what Page 61 Spirit Not to be resisted but obeyed universally constantly Page 78 79 What to have the Spirit Page 81 Without it we can do nothing Page 83 Is such evidence of true Christians Page 83 84 Its qualities Page 84 Effects Page 85 Never given in anger Page 85 Procure the Spirits presence Page 85 Get more of it and how Page 86 What it is Page 93 Is an eternal principle of happiness Page 90 How he dwells in Christians Page 93 94 Cause of our Resurrection Page 95 96 98 139 Mindeth us of our duty Page 100 Co-operates in Mortification Page 152 153 And how Page 132 133 135 136 Guides the godly Page 146 Sweetly and effectually Page 151 Supports Page 245 T TAste of things shews what men are Page 56 118 Temptations suited by Satan to hearts Page 116 Matter of groaning Page 217 Terrors of conscience restrain from sin Page 122 Foretaste of Hell Page 184 Thoughts discover what we are Page 43 45 56 Are of three kinds Page 55 Good of God to be cherished Page 159 Deep and ponderous about eternal things Page 185 Are known seen by God Page 257 Threats sure Page 111 Verified in Christs death Page 112 Lawfully used now against sinners Page 112 Of use to Adam innocent Page 112 Temporal things bewitch such as compare them not with eternal Page 182 How these should be compared Page 182 183 Trinity engaged distinctly in the work of our Salvation Page 14 Glorified in it Page 35 Unfolded Page 94 Temple of holy Spirit eternally shall glorified Bodies and Souls be Page 184 Tenderness of Spirit least we omit good or commit ill Fruit of love and spirit of Adoption Page 165 Tender hearts of Gods children most sensible of afflictions and sorrows Page 218 More burdened by sin Page 218 Testimony of Scripture is Testimony of the Spirit Page 172 Discovers what is done in us by grace Page ib. 173 With conscience which proceeds with reason Page ib. And both concur to the same Testimony Page 173 What to be done to get it Page 174 Titles tho greatest yet less than this Title Children of God Page 169 Torments for the bad after this life Page 22 Tryals in highest degrees to be respected by us Page 359 These discover our graces and what Page 360 361 Tribulations what Page 351 All conquered by our fervent love of Christ Page 370 And its appendages foreseen and felt to differ Page 371 Troubles of Christians many and great Page 372 And why Page 353 Truths tho small must be
unto the day of Redemption When freed from all sin and misery All sin at Death and misery at the last day Converse and Communion with God here is the beginning of our Everlasting Communion and living with God hereafter For the throne of grace is the gate and porch of Heaven so that a Believer when he dyeth doth only change place not company 4. Earnest is given for the security of the Party that receiveth it not for him that giveth it Indeed he that giveth the Earnest is obliged to fulfil the Bargain but 't is most for the satisfaction of the receiver So this Earnest is given for our sakes there is no danger of breaking on God's part but God was willing more abundantly to shew to the Heirs of Promise the Immutability of his Counsel because of our frequent doubts and fears in the midst of our Troubles and Tryals we need this Confirmation 5. 'T is not taken away till all be consummated and therein an Earnest differeth from a Pawn or Pledge A Pledge is something left with us to be restored or taken away from us but an Earnest is filled up with the whole Sum So God giveth part to assure us of obtaining the whole in due season the beginning assureth the man of obtaining the full Possession Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ. The beginning assureth the Compâ—eat Consummation of their blessed estate in Soul and Body Spiritual comforts are joys of the Spirit which assure us that we shall receive the end of our Faith the Salvation of our Souls 1 Pet. 18. 3. The use and end of an Earnest is 1. To raise our confidence of the certainty of these things Believers are apt to doubt if ever the Covenanted Inheritance shall be bestowed and actually injoyed by them Now to assure them that God will be as good as his word and doth not weary us altogether with expectation he giveth us something in hand that we may be confident You see God offered you this Happiness when you had no thought of it and that with an incessant importunity till thy anxious Soul was troubled and made a business of it and by the secret drawings of his Spirit inclined thy heart to chuse him for thy portion pardoned thy failings visited thee in Ordinances supported thee in troubles helped thee in temptations his Spirit liveth dwelleth and worketh in thee therefore always confident ver 6. There is some place for doubts and fears till we be in full possession from weakness of Grace and greatness of Tryals 2. To quicken our earnest desires and industrious diligence The first fruits are to shew how good as well as earnest how sure this is but a little part and portion of those great things which God hath provided for us If the Earnest be so sweet what will the Possession be A glimpse of God in the heart how râ—â—ishing is it O how comfortable a more lively expectation 3. To bind us not to depart from these Hopes The Earnest of the Spirit convincing comforting changing the heart have you felt this in your selves and will you turn back from God after Experience SERMON VIII 2 Cor. 5.6 Therefore we are always Confident knowing that while we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord. IN the words observe Two things 1. The Effect of God's giving the Earnest of the Spirit Therefore we are always confident 2. The State of a Believer in this World Knowing that while we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord. In the first Branch take notice 1. Of the Effect its self We are confident 2. The constancy or continuance of this Confidence Always To be confident at times when not tempted or assaulted is easie but in all conditions to keep up an equal tenour of Confidence is the Christian heighth which we should aspire unto for the strength of this Confidence is discovered by manifold Tryals and Difficulties 3. The illative Particle Therefore Why Because God hath wrought us for this very thing and given us the Earnest of the Spirit For the Effect itself There is a twofold Confidence 1. Of the thing 2. Of the Person for both are requisite for the latter presupposeth the former there can be no certainty to a person of a thing which is not certain in itself An Immortal state of Bliss is to be had and enjoyed after this life we are Confident of that before we can be Confident of our Interest and actual injoyment of it We are Confident of the thing because God hath promised it and set it forth in the Gospel But because the promise requireth a Qualification and performance of duty in the person to whom the promise is made Therefore before twe can be certain of our own Interest and future injoyment we must not only perform he duty and have the Qualification but we must certainly know that we have done that which the promise requireth and are duly Qualified Now the Serious performance of our duty Evidenceth its self to the Conscience And as our diligence increaseth so doth our Confidence But so far as a man neglecteth his duty and abateth his Qualification so far his confidence may abate also The Illative Particle Therefore The earnest of the Spirit hath influence both upon the Confidence of the thing and of our own interest 1. Of the thing If God never meant to bestow Eternal life upon his people he would not give Earnest 2. Of our Interest and future injoyment For the Spirit of God convincing Comforting and changing the heart doth assure us that he hath appointed us to Everlasting glory Well then the full meaning of this clause is That we certainly know that we shall be Crowned in Glory and being assured by the Earnest of the Spirit that we shall not fail of it therefore we lift up the Head in the midst of pressures and afflictions knowing that if they should arise as high as death they will bring us the sooner to the Lord that we may live with him for ever Doct. They who have the Earnest of the Spirit are and may be Confident of their future and glorious Estate Let me shew you 1. What is this Confidence 2. What is the Earnest of the Spirit 3. How this Confidence ariseth from having the Earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 1. What is this Confidence 1. The Nature of it 2. The Opposites of it 3. The Effects of it 4. The Properties of it 1. The nature 'T is a Well grounded perswasion of our Eternal Happiness But I must distinguish again as before There is a twofold Confidence one which is proper to faith another which may be called assurance or a sense of our own interest 1. There is a Confidence included in the very nature of Faith usually called Affiance We have often considered Faith as it implyeth a firm assent and