cloaths and keeps us and we trust in him to do so for us but if we be not provident and diligent in the well ordering and improvement of the helps and benefits and instructions which God affords us in and by second Causes and so expect that Manna come not only down from Heaven but that it also fall into our Mouths we may easily turn this trust into presumption and starve our selves in the midst of Manna round about us So he that expects God should miraculously inspire trust into him without the intervenient use of his own faculties in the improvement of those helps which God affords will find such hopes and trust fitter to be rebuked and frustrated than to be gratified and fulfilled He that would trust in the Lord as his God is to consider 1. Whom he is to trust in the Lord. 2. For what he is to trust in him that he may either see his Face again or be supported and preserved under the Eclipses of it 3. Why he is to trust in him because of his own necessities and Gods Power and Fidelity to help him and the encouragements God gives him 1. Think then O gracious Soul what a God thou hast to trust in God All-sufficient Gen. 15.1 17.1 Now Gods All-sufficiency lies as far as we can know it yet in the vast reaches of his infinite Wisdom In the unboundedness of his Power for it is Omnipotent and in the Riches of his Goodness which knows no bounds in the expressions and efforts thereof but the inviolable harmony of his own Blessed Name and Nature who worketh all things after the Counsels of his own Will and the Capacities of his Favourites Eph. 1.11 God hath an heart to do thee good for he is Love and Goodness is his Nature and Delight Jer. 9.24 1 John 4.16 Now Love is Communicative and diffusive of it self in all such instances and expressions as the Case and Circumstances of the beloved object may require Jer. 31.3 Hos 2.19 20. Hence you may see Gods Paraphrase upon this attribute and his most Copious explication of it in Exod. 34.6 7. Love pities Favourites in their miseries and self-bemoanings Jer. 31.18 20. Love helps them in their straits Isa 63.8 9. Love supplies them in their wants Phil. 4.19 Love hears their cries Phil. 4.6 7. 1 Pet. 3.12 Love emboldens delivers and preserves them and commands all within its Reach and Empire to befriend and serve them to all these purposes and in all these ways that are most suitable to it self and them Isa 61.1 3. Canst thou not therefore trust in him who without any violence or repugnancy to himself is so propense to do thee good Let then the Love and Goodness of thy God come into thy fresh remembrances and most lively thoughts that so thy trust in him may be encouraged and spirited hereby How greatly are we reconciled and quickned to place our confidence where Love is most predominate and natural For thy great mercies sake thou didst not utterly consume them nor forsake them for thou art a gracious and merciful God Now therefore our God who keepest Covenant and Mercy let not all our trouble Hebr. weariness seem little before thee that hath come upon us saith Neh. 9.31 32. And as God hath an heart to do thee good so he hath wisdom to contrive and manage the means and methods of his purposed and free Goodness Eph. 1.8 Now to him that is able to keep you to the only wise God Jude 24.25 1 Tim. 1.17 God guided the wandring Israelites under the Wilderness Eclipses of his Face by the Skilfulness of his Hands Psal 78.72 God best knows when to shew his Face to what degrees and how He sees what ails and what will help thee he is no stranger to thy gloominess and droopings he understands wherein how far and upon what accounts thou so lamentest his withdrawments from thee and what these manifestations of himself are which will afford the best relief to thee He cannot overlook the proper Article of time wherein those friendly Aspects and Appearances which thou covetest so much will most befriend and serve thee the best Men have a Complication of Soul Distempers in them and those Divine Discoveries which might relieve them in their droopings may when desired by them were they but then afforded possibly make them proud or careless However possibly God hath not sufficiently served those purposes to which thy doleful present exercise is directed and so the birth might prove too hasty to be perfect were it produced when desired by thee Job little knew and all his confident pressing Friends as little what God was doing by those so rigid usages whereto that Holy patient Person was exposed God hath more Souls and things to mind than one and he will make every part and instance of his Grace and Goodness to harmonize each with other and is it not more desirable to every resigned Soul to God to abide in this darkness for a while than to have the Course and Methods of Gods orderly proceedings disordered and disturbed for the meer pleasing of some precipitant desires Let God alone and turn not a censurer of his dealings till thou canst comprehend his whole Design upon his whole Creation his Family and on thy Self and let it suffice thee that infinite Wisdom is concerned and engaged for thee and trust him more for thou mayest safely do it because he is infinitely wiser than thy self and knows best when to hide and when to shew his Face God hath Ability and Authority as well as an Heart and Wisdom to relieve and Favour thee Jude 24. 2 Cor. 9.8 He shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand Rom. 14.4 He is the God of Power Job 42.2 He can revive or damp thy Spirit at his pleasure Job 34.29 so that there can be no suspicion of impotence or inability with him He that made Heaven and Earth can succour drooping Hearts and he that revives this Sence of God upon him will find his trust in God more sweet and easie 2. Think also what thou art now allowed to trust him with and for 1 Pet. 4.19 even with thy whole self and with all that can concern the Church the World and thee Wisdom for Conduct Power for due Deliverances and Protections and Salvations and Grace and Comforts to bear thee up under Burthens and Temptations and to furnish thee to every good Word and Work and to carry thee safe to everlasting rest and for the wise and happy issue of every Duty Burthen and Temptation mayst thou firmly trust in God But be sure to trust to him for nothing as far as thou canst learn or know it that is unworthy of God to give and unfit for thee to ask or have But this you may trust him for that he hide nothing of that Face from thee without which thou canst not be an holy and an happy Person and that he lay nothing on
be without the help of an Omnipotent Spirit which only is able to enlighten our Minds and turn our Hearts from the power of Satan unto God All which supposes the Third Person of the Trinity the Holy Ghost By this 't is very manifest that such is the frame of the Christian Religion such the great Fundamentals thereof that without the supposing the Truth of the Doctrine of the Trinity of Persons in the Godhead the Christian Religion is gone 't is lost And how to comprehend this Mâ—stery is impossible There is no contradiction in this Doctrine nothâ—ng in it contrary to our Reason for 't is not said that Three Gods are One but Three Persons are One One God But how to fathom the Mystery we are at a loss 't is certainly beyond Us. So much concerning the Nature and Persons of the Godhead 3. Those Doctrines that have regard unto the ACTS of God are also very profound and mysterious 1. There are the Immanent Acts of God which do not terminate on any Objects ad extra off from God such as Divine Knowledge and the Decree whether of Election or Reprobation 2. Transient Acts such as terminate on an Object off from God namely the Works of Creation and Providence In my discoursing about the Immanent Acts of God I might be very distinct in considering what is very much insisted on by the School-men with reference to the Knowledge of God and acquaint the Reader with the many Distinctions that are used by that sort of men but if I do so I shall exceed the Bounds allotted me I will therefore pass by the Doctrine of Praescience which whatever may be said of it by some has such difficulties in it as admit not of our Solution and make some search into these profound Doctrines about the Decrees of Election and Reprobation That God has decreed the Salvation of some particular Persons is evident enough to any that will deliberately consult the Word of God and that 't is the Vnchangeable Determination of God That such as die in their Sins shall be eternally damned is as manifest The Eternal Decree of Election is so clearly so fully and distinctly reveal'd in Scripture that few or none presume wholly to deny it and such is the known Nature of Election that 't is not easie to believe the Doctrine of Election but withal we must take in the other of Reprobation for Election is but of some and if but some are taken the other are left they are not chosen they are refused they are reprobated But how this Doctrine of Gods leaving or reprobating any from all Eternity is reconcileable to these other that concern the Glory of Divine Goodness and Righteousness is above us The Sublapsarians have done very much towards the clearing up of this by supposing all in their lapsed estate under the guilt and pollution of Sin and God from all Eternity concern'd for his own Glory to Elect some who by being interested in the Blood of Christ should through the sanctification of the Spirit obtain Salvation with eternal Glory but left others to themselves who continuing in Sin are determined to die Hereby the glorious Grace of God in the eternal purpose of Calling Justifying Sanctifying some and thereby preparing them for Heaven is excellently displayed and the purposing from Eternity to leave others to themselves in their Sins for which after much long-suffering they shall be eternally damned is no way inconsistent with that goodness that is so infinitely extended to the Vessels of Mercy but does most fully illustrate how just and righteous God is in condemning them for their Sins and Transgressions Besides 't is obvious enough that the Decrees are but internal Purposes which have no influence on the thing decreed Decreta nil ponunt in Esse Though there is a certainty of the Event yet neither the Sin nor Destruction of the Reprobate is an Effect of the Decree What is here said towards the clearing up the Difficulties that attend this Doctrine is very well urged by the Synod of Dort and 't is no more than what has great countenance from the Holy Scriptures which suppose all in a laps'd and fallen Estate and therefore represents the Elect as Chosen in Christ Ephes 1.4 and Predestinated unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ Elect according to the Fore-knowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit c. 1 Pet. 1.2 All which Expressions seem to suppose the Elect in a fallen estate standing in need both of a Redeemer and Sanctifier even as the Reprobates are said Jude 4. to have been before of Old ordained unto Condemnation which Condemnation does presuppose a Judicial Procedure and the Sentence past against them for their Sin which sufficiently suggests that they were considered to have been in a sinful a fallen state Nevertheless it must be acknowledged That this does not remove the difficulty it only supposes it to be insuperable and therefore to be passed over in silence The great Difficulty is How the Absolute Decree of Reprobation is consistent either with the Goodness or Righteousness of God or those other Methods which are taken for the salvation of all men What of Goodness is there in destinating men to eternal Misery or what of Justice in purposing to punish them for ever without any regard to their Sin even before any evil done or how can the unalterable secret Decree for their damnation accord with the sincerity of God in the many Offers which are made of future Glory 'T is true supposing the consideration of their faln state as antecedent to the Decree 't is goodness enough that any are chosen out of the sinful Mass and it would have been a righteous thing for God to have proceeded against all to a Sentence of Condemnation and seeing Christ has died and thereby satisfied Justice and the Spirit strives and that common Grace which is sufficient to enable men to do more towards their Salvation than they do is offered them and that 't is their Sin which is the only proper cause of their denying due Subjection unto Christ these things seem to be cleared up only the greatest difficulty remains to wit How 't is supposeable that such who came pure out of the hand of God can be considered as fallen without some respect unto the anteceding Decree of God What! is their Fall on the supposition of which depends all the Discoveries of the glorious Perfections of God made unto us in the Scriptures a meer casual hit One would assoon think that this curious and beautiful Fabrick the World was owing only unto the casual concourse of Epicurean Atoms for its being so as that the Glory and Beauty the Wisdom and Harmony that shines forth most illustriously in the Christian Religion should be only the product of Casualty or Chance but if the Fall or Sin of man must be considered to be decreed by that God the Purity and Holiness of whose Nature is infinite
to the end and ye see what power he had with God in Prayer for wicked Sodom God communicated his Secrets to him as one Friend to another and Abraham made Intercession to him as Favourites of Princes for Malefactors So did he for Sodom and ye know how far he prevailed for he was a Righteous man Jam. 5.16 and such a mans Prayer prevaileth much And what was Abrahams Righteousness even the Righteousness of Faith by Imputation Rom. 4. and this Faith living and working XV. We keep our selves in the Love of God when we declare a publick Spirit for the Cause of God in his Church against the Enemies of it by being zealous for his Glory and valiant for his Truth in our Station Judg. 5. This is lively asserted in the Song of Deborah and Barak who after she had praised some for their appearing and others for not appearing in this Cause dispraised the Lord she praised above all for his presence with his People and for that Spirit of Love he poured out upon them in these Words vers 31. So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but let them that love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might Now the Reason why this publick Spirit in the Cause of God is expressed by our Love to God is this Because God is so much concerned in it 1. As to his Honour to defend and deliver his People from his and their Enemies as the Midianites were 2. As to his Power in reducing thirty thousand to three hundred Jud. 7. as in Gideons case all that lapped He as a poor Barley Cake tumbled all the Enemies down and by a small company And a Woman in Deborahs case that is by her self and Jael Judg. 4.21 destroyed Jabin and Sisera's mighty Host To omit many other instances of publick Hearts in this case signally owned by God because they signally appeared for God Thus Moses Exod. 2.11 13. Judg. 5.9 This was their Love Thus saith Deborah My Heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offer themselves willingly bless ye the Lord. Zebulun and Napthali jeoparded their lives unto Death in the high places of the Field and thus did Issachar ver 15. But Reuben Gad Manasseh Dan and Asher are branded for their Cowardise I say all this appearing in the defence of all that was dear to God and them is called Love to God Therefore we may in no wise exclude this Noble publick Spirit in the cause of God and his People from the Love of God for there is no principle in the World like to the Love of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 3.8 Deum odisse in sacris literis peculiariter illi dicuntur qui falsos deos colunt Maimon Which love me and keep my Commandments Illa praecipuè quae ad arcendas pravas superstitiones pertinent Grot. Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pij dicti sunt Ezek. 16.33 36 37. chap. 23.5 Jer. 2.2 I remember the love of the Espousals to animate and inflame the Soul to do great things for God This Spirit was marvellous in David whose very Name was from Love Therefore it is the duty of every Child of God to pray for the Spirit of God which only sheds all divine Love abroad in the Heart Rom. 5.5 which God inspires as he pleaseth XVI A great means of keeping our selves in the Love of God is to be Sincere and Sound in the Worship of God Mark this well for herein lyes the Love or Hatred of God as appears plainly in the second Commandement Exod. 20. ver 6. Therefore Idols and Idolaters are called our Lovers Hosea 2.5 7. Jer. 8.1 Hosea 13. They kissed the Calves ver 2. Therefore our Hankering and embracing of a false Worship provokes God to jealousie Therefore the Lord deals with Superstition and Idolatry in his People after the Law of Harlots and Adulterers The Scripture is full of this Language There is no higher Act of Love in God than to espouse a People to be his own and to give them a Rule of Worship of his own Institution and to hold them to it as he did Israel And when a People follows God and serves God according to his own appointments there are no higher Acts of Love towards him in Gods account God is enamoured with such a People God in his highest acts of jealousie was inraged against his Idolatrous people Psal 78.59 They kissed their Idols giving them all the tokens of Love and Homage 1 King 19.18 Job 31.27 They burnt their Children to them as the costlyest Sacrifice as Abraham would his Isaac in Love to God but God only tryed him by it Mark 7.7 Colos 2.22 Mat. 15.2 3 6. Rev. 17.4 5. he calls them his Hephsibah and his Beulah Isa 62.4 We see it also in the instance of good Kings how the Lord prized and praised them for this very thing for Reforming and setting up the true Worship of God as David Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah Josiah how the Lord prospered them because their Hearts were right and perfect with God in this thing On the other side how he hath branded and blasted all those that were false herein For this was David a man after Gods own Heart fulfilling all his Wills which is chiefly meant in the point of Gods Worship Act. 13.22 As for the Wills of men in the Worship of God by their Inventions Traditions and Commandements he tells you he hates them and they are Abomination to him And no wonder for what intrencheth more upon the Honour of Gods Wisdom and Soveraignty than this That he doth not know best how to appoint his own Worship but must be fain to be beholding to Man for his devices and dictates in the Case This though it seems very gay is Whorish and Poysonous this golden Dress and Cup is intoxicating XVII A great Means of keeping in the Love of God is keeping up the Communion of Saints in all the parts and duties of it What this is we shall see according to Scripture The Communion of Saints is our Participation of all the good things of God in common whereunto all the Saints and only they have right consisting in our Union to God as our chiefest good this is with God as a Father with the Son and Holy Spirit 1 Joh. 1.3 2 Cor. 13.13 1. We have Communion with the Father as Children and all in the greatest Love 1 Joh. 3.1 Rom. 8.16 17. This is procured by Christ 1 Joh. 2.23 only obtained by Believing Joh. 1.12 And maintained by the Spirit Rom. 8.14 Who walk not in darkness but in light 1 Joh. 1.6 7. 2. We have Communion with Jesus Christ the Son of God By which we are made partakers of him of his Nature and of his Grace and of his Glory all which is done by Faith that uniteing and marrying Grace and this works such Conjugal Love between Christ and his Church as makes them
and manner of Preaching 1. For the Subject-matter of Gospel Preaching it is determined by the Apostle expressely to be Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 Two things Ministers have to do about Him in preaching Him to them that are without 1. To set him forth to People Gal. 3.1 to paint him in his Love Excellency and ability to save 2. To offer him unto them freely fully without any limitation as to Sinners or their sinful State And then Christs Laws or Will to be published to them that receive Him and are his for the Rule of their walk and his promises for the measure and foundation of all their hopes and Expectations and his Grace and fulness for their supply in every case till they be brought to Heaven This was the simplicity of the Gospel that remained but a little while in the Christian Church for Ceremonies amongst the Jews Col. 2. and sinful mixtures of vain Philosophy amongst the Gentiles did by degrees so corrupt the Gospel that the Mystery of Iniquity ripened in the production of Antichrist It was a sad Observation of the Fourth Century that it became a matter of Learning and Ingenuity to be a Christian The meaning was that too much weight was laid on Notions and matter of Opinion and less regard had unto the soundness of the Heart and Holiness of the Life In the beginning of the Reformation from Popery the Worthies whom God raised up in several Countreys did excellently in retrieving the Simplicity of the Gospel from the Popish mixtures but that good work took a stand quickly and is on the declining greatly How little of Jesus Christ is there in some Pulpits It is seen as to success that whatever the Law doth in alarming Sinners it is still the Gospel voice that is the Key that opens the Heart to Jesus Christ Would Ministers win Souls let them have more of Jesus Christ in their dealing with men and less of other things that never profit them that are exercised therein 2. As for the manner of successeful Preaching I shall give it in a Negative and Positive from these two places 1 Cor. 1.17 2. 1. 4. What this negative disowns is our inquiry The Words are full for Christ sent me not to baptize but to Preach the Gospel not with wisdom of Words lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect Again I came not to you with excellency of speech or of Wisdom declaring to you the Testimony of God Again And my speech and my Preaching was not with inticing words of mans Wisdom These are the words of the Holy Ghost concerning a way of Preaching that is unprofitable a way that seems was in use and respect with the Corinthians and honest Paul was despised by them for his simple and plain way different from theirs I shall only instance in things that this Scriptural Negative doth check and reprove in the way of Preaching 1. The establishing and advancing of Divine Truth upon the Foundation of humane Reason As if there were some weakness and insufficiency in those methods and arguments of working on mens Consciences that the Holy Ghost prescribes The great Foundation of all a Minister hath to say is Thus saith the Lord and a grave declaring of the Testimony of God in this matter is Ministers Duty 1 Cor. 2.1 and will have more Authority on mens Consciences than many humane Reasons There is a rational Preaching as it is called wherein men do not satisfie themselves to make use of Reason as a Tool and Instrument and then its use is excellent but will establish it as a Judge and Dictator in all Divine matters and Truth and so in effect turn all their Preaching into little better things than the Lectures of the Philosophers of old save that the poor Pagans were more sincere in their Morals and serious in delivering their Opinions Let a Minister therefore still think with himself that a plain Scripture Testimony is his main argument and accordingly let him use it When he teacheth Philosophy and when he teacheth men the Will of God about Salvation he is in distinct Provinces and his management of his work therein should be very different 2. It is to Preach with excellency of Speech and words of mans Wisdom when men think to reach the Gospel-end on Sinners by force of even spiritual reason and perswasion This corrupt thought riseth in some from an imagination that moral suasion is all that is needfull for converting a Sinner and in some this thought rises on a better account the Light of the Glory of God in the Gospel shines so brightly in upon their own Hearts that they fall into this Conceit That no man can stand before that Light which they can hold forth Melancthon's mistake at first till Experience made him wiser Hast thou a clear Knowledge of Gospel Mysteries and the word of Exhortation is with thee also so that thou art qualified to urge beseech and plead warmly with sinners on Christs behalf Take heed of this Snare lest thou think that thy Wisdom and Gifts can promote and carry on the Gospel-design on men 3. This also is check'd in the Apostles words the setting forth the beauty of the Gospel by humane Art The truth of the Gospel shines best in its bare Proposal and its Beauty in its simple and naked discovery We may observe from Church-History that still as Soundness of Doctrine and the Power of Godliness decayed in the Church the Vanity of an affected way of speaking and writing of Divine things came in Quotations from the Fathers Latine and Languages are pitiful Ornaments unto Preaching if a man design Conversion and Soul-edification And yet more despicable are all playing on words Jinglings and Cadencies which things are in all the Rules of true Eloquence justly exploded and yet some men reckon much on them But would any man think his Friend in earnest with him that would accost him in any affair with such sort of Language and Gesture 2 The Positive is in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power 1 Cor. 2.5 1. Paul preach'd so as gave a demonstration that the Holy Ghost was in him sanctifying Him This is a plain and blessed thing happy is the Minister that manageth his work so that if the hearers get not a demonstration of great Parts and Learning yet they have a demonstration of the sanctifying Spirit of God in the Minister 2. Paul preach'd so as gave a demonstration that the Spirit of God was with him assisting and helping him in his work even when he was amongst them in much weakness fear and trembling vers 3. Happy is the Minister that can preach this way he must be a depender upon assistance from the Holy Ghost 3. Paul preached so as a demonstration of the Power of the Holy Ghost was given to the Hearts of the Hearers The Spirit of God so wrought on them by his Power in and by †2 Cor. 4.2 Commending our selves to â—â—ery
they may have thereby they will give them up to be an easie prey unto the other Designers And there are two Engines that are applied unto this purpose the one is Ignorance the other is Prophaneness or Sensuality of Life Whenever either of these prevails the Experience intended must necessarily be lost and excluded And the means of their prevailing are want of due Instruction by those who are the Leaders of the People and the encouragement of Sensuality by Impunity and great Examples This is the only formidable Conspiracy against the Profession of the Truth in this Nation without whose Aid all power and force will be frustrate in the Issue And as there is a great appearance in Divine Permission of such a state of things at present amongst us so if they be manag'd by Counsel also and that those ways of Ignorance and Sensuality are countenanced and promoted for this very End that the power of Truth being lost the Profession of it may be given up on easie terms there is nothing but Sovereign Grace that can prevent the Design For the Principle which we have laid down is uncontrollable in Reason and Experience namely That the loss of an Experience of the power of Religion will issue one way or other in the loss of the Truth of Religion and the Profession of it Whence is it that so many corrupt Opinions have made such an Inroad on Protestant Religion and the Profession of it Is it not from hence that many have lost an Experience of the power and efficacy of the Truth and so have parted with it Whence is it that Prophaneness and Sensuality of Life with all manner of corrupt Lusts of the Flesh have grown up unto the shame of Profession Is it not from the same Cause as the Apostle expresly declares it comes by 2 Tim. 4 2 3 4 5. One way or other the loss of Experience of the power of Truth will end in the loss of the profession of it But I proceed unto the Instance which I do design in the Church of Rome for the Religion of it at this day is nothing but a dead Image of the Gospel erected in the loss of an experience of its spiritual power overthrowing its Use with all its Ends being suited to the Taste of men carnal ignorant and superstitious This I shall make evident by all sorts of Instances in things relating to the Person and Offices of Christ the State Order and Worship of the Church with the Graces and Duties of Obedience required in the Gospel And in all my principal Design is to demonstrate what is the only way and means of securing our own Souls any Church or Nation from being insnared with or prevailed against by Popery 1. It is a general Notion of Truth that the Lord Christ in his Person and Grace is to be proposed and represented unto men as the principal Object of their Faith and Love He himself in his divine Person is absolutely invisible unto us and as unto his humane Nature absent from us For the Heavens must receive him until the time of the restitution of all things There must therefore an Image or Representation of him be made unto our Minds or he cannot be the proper Object of our Faith Trust Love and Delight This is done in the Gospel and the preaching of it for therein he is evidently set forth before our eyes as crucified amongst us Gal. 3.1 So also are all the other Concerns of his Person and Offices therein clearly proposed unto us yea this is the principal End of the Gospel namely to make a due Representation of the Person Offices Grace and Glory of Christ unto the Souls of men that they may believe in him and believing have eternal Life John 20.31 Upon this Representation made of Christ and his Glory in the Gospel and the Preaching of it Believers have an Experience of the power and efficacy of the divine Truth contained therein in the way before mentioned as the Apostle declares 2 Cor. 3.18 For 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. Having a Spiritual Light to discern and behold the Glory of Christ as represented in the Glass of the Gospel they have experience of its transfoâ—ming power and efficacy changing them into the likeness of the Image represented unto them that is of Christ himself which is the saving effect of Gospel-power But this Spiritual Light was lost among men through th efficacy of their Darkness and Unbelief they were not able to discover the Glory of Christ as revealed and proposed in the Gospel so as to make him the present Object of their Faith and Love And this Light being lost they could have no experience of the power of Divine Truth concerning him changing them into his Image They could make no affecting discovery of him in the Scripture All things therein were dark and confused or at least seemed an inaccessible Mystery which they could not reduce to practice Hence those who had got the publick conduct of Religion drove the people from Reading the Scripture as that which was of no use but rather dangerous unto them What shall these men then betake themselves unto shall they reject the notion in general that there ought to be such a representation made of Christ unto the minds of men as to inflame their devotion to excite their Faith and stir up their affection to him This cannot be done without an open Renunciation of him and of the Gospel as a Fable Wherefore they will find out another way for it another means unto the same end And this is by making Images of him of wood and stone or Gold and Silver or painting on them Hereby they supposed he would be made present unto his Worshippers That he would be so represented unto them as that they should be immediately stirred up unto the embraces of Faith and Love And herein they found sensible effects unto their great satisfaction For their minds being dark carnal and prone to superstition as are the minds of all men by nature they would see nothing in the Spiritual Representation of him in the Gospel that had any power on them or did in any measure affect them In these Images by the means of sight and imagination they found that which did really work upon their Affections and as they thought did excite them unto the love of Christ And this was the true Original of all the Imagery in the Church of Rome as something of the same nature in general was of all the Image-worship in the World So the Israelites in the wilderness when they made the Golden Calf did it to have a representation of a Deity near unto them in such a visible manner as that their Souls might be affected with it so they expressed themselves Exod 32 1. Wherefore in this State under a loss of
Conviction but endeavour the temporal and eternal destruction of all that are otherwise minded This Image like that of Nebuchadnezzar was once set up in this Nation with a Law that whoever would not bow down to it and worship it should be cast into the fiery Furnace God grant it to be so no more But if it should there is no preservation against the Influence of Force and Fires but a real experience of an efficacious Communication of Christ unto our Souls in this holy Ordinance administred according to his appointment This therefore is that we ought with all diligence to endeavour and this not only as the only way and means of our edification in this Ordinance by an exercise in Grace the strengthning of our Faith and present Consolation but as the effectual means of our preservation in the profession of the Truth and our deliverance from the Snares of our Adversaries For whereas it is undeniable that this peculiar Institution distinct from all other doth intend and design a distinct communication and exhibition of Christ if it be pressed on us that these must be done by Transubstantiation and Oral Manducation thereon and can be no otherwise nothing but an Experience of the power and efficacy of the Mystical Communion with Christ in this Ordinance before described will preserve us from being ensnared by their Pretences There is not therefore on all accounts of Grace and Truth any one thing of more concernment unto Believers than the due exercise of Spiritual Light and Faith unto a satisfactory experience of a peculiar participation of Christ in this Holy Institution The same is fallen out amongst them with reference unto the Church and all the principal Concerns of it having lost or renounced the things which belong unto its primitive Constitution they have erected a deformed Image in their stead as I shall manifest in some Instances SECT IV. IV. It is an unquestionable Principle of Truth that the Church of Christ is in it self a Body such a Body as hath an Head whereon it depends and without which it would immediately be dissolved a Body without an Head is but a Carkass or part of a Carkass and this Head must be always present with it An Head distant from the Body separated from it not united unto it by such ways and means as are proper unto their Nature is of no use See Eph. 4 15 16. Col. 2.19 But there is a double Notion of an Head as there is of a Body also For they both of them are either Natural or Political There is a Natural Body and there is a Political Body and in each sence it must have an Head of the same kind A Natural Body must have an Head of Vital Influence and a Political Body must have an Head of Rule and Government The Church is called a Body compared to it is a Body in both Sences or in both parts of the comparison and in both must have an Head As it is a Spiritually living Body compared to the Natural it must have an Head of Vital Influence without which it cannot subsist and as it is an Orderly Society for the common Ends of its Institution compared unto a Political Body it must have an Head of Rule and Government without which neither its Being nor its Use can be preserved But these are only distinct Considerations of the Church which is every way one and the same It is not two Bodies for then it must have two Heads but it is one Body under two distinct Considerations which divide not its Essence but declare its different Respects unto its Head And in General all who are called Christians are thus far agreed nothing is of the Church nothing belongs unto it which is not dependant on which is not united to the Head That which holds the Head is the true Church that which doth not so is no Church at all Herein we agree with our Adversaries namely that all the Privileges of the Church all the Right and Title of men thereunto depend wholly on their due Relation to the Head of it according to the distinct Considerations of it be that Head who or what it will that which is not united unto the Head which depends not on it which is separated from it belongs not to the Church This Head of the Church is Christ Jesus alone for the Church is but one although on various considerations it be likened unto two sorts of Bodies The Catholick Church is considered either as believing or as professing but the Believing Church is not one and the professing another If you suppose another Catholick Church besides this one whoso will may be the Head of it we are not concerned therein but unto this Church Christ is the only Head He only answers all the Properties and Ends of such an Head to the Church This the Scripture doth so positively and frequently affirm without the least intimation either directly or by consequence of any other Head that it is wonderful how the imagination of it should befall the Minds of any who thought it not meet at the same time to cast away their Bibles But whereas an Head is to be present with the Body or it cannot subsist the Enquiry is how the Lord Christ is so present with his Church And the Scripture hath left no pretence for any hesitation herein for he 〈◊〉 so by his Spirit and his Word by which he communicateth all the Powers and Vertues of an Head unto it continually His Promises of this way and manner of his Presence unto the Church are multiplied and thereon doth the Being Life Use and Continuance of the Church depend where Christ is not present by his Spirit and Word there is no Church and those who pretend so to be are the Synagogues of Satan and they are inseparable and conjunct in their operation as he is the Hâ—â—d of influence unto the Church as also as he is an Head of Rule for in the former sense the Spirit worketh by the Word and in the latter the Word is made effectual by the Spirit But the Sense and Apprehension hereof was for a long time lost in the world amongst them that called themselves the Church An Head they did acknowledge the Church must always have without which it cannot subsist and they would confess that in some sense he was an Head of influence unto it they know not how to have an Image thereof though by many other pernicious Doctrines they overthrew the Efficacy and Benefit of it But how he should be the only Head of Rule unto the Church they could not understand they saw not how he could act the Wisdom and Authority of such an Head and without which the Church must be headless They said he was absent and invisible they must have one that they could see and have access unto he is in Heaven and they know not how to make Address to him as occasion did require all things would go to disorder notwithstanding
conscientious respect unto it Force and Fear rule all This is that Discipline in whose execution the blood of an innumerable company of Holy Martyrs hath been shed that wherein all the vital Spirits of the Papacy do act themselves and whereby it doth subsist and although it be the Image of Jealousie or the Image of the first Beast set up by the Dragon yet it cannot be denyed but that it is very wisely accommodated unto the present State of the Generality of them that are called Christians amongst them For being both blind and carnal and having thereby lost all Sense and Experience of the Spiritual Power of the Rule of Christ in their Consciences they are become an Herd not fit to be governed or ruled any other way Under the Bondage of it therefore they must abide till the vail of Blindness be taken away and they are turned unto God by his Word and Spirit for where the Spirit of the Lord is there and there alone is Liberty SECT VII Unto the foregoing particular Instances with respect unto the Church I shall yet add one more general which is indeed comprehensive of them all or the root from whence they spring a root-bearing Gall and Wormwood And this is concerning the Catholick Church What belongs unto this Catholick Church what is comprized in its Communion The Apostle declares Heb. 12.22 23 24. It is the Recapitulation of all things in Heaven and Earth in Christ Jesus Eph. 1.10 His Body his Spouse or Bride the Lambs Wife the glorious Temple wherein God doth dwell by his Spirit An holy mystical Society purchased and purified by the blood of Christ and united unto him by his spirit or the Inhabitation of the same spirit in him and those whereof it doth consist Hence they with him as the body with its head are mystically called Christ 1 Cor 12.12 And there are two parts of it the one whereof is already perfected in Heaven as unto their spirits and the other yet continued in the way of faith and obedience in this world Both these constitute one family in Heaven and Earth Ephes 3.15 In Conjunction with the holy Angels one Mystical-Body one Catholick Church And although there is a great difference in their present state and condition between these two branches of the same Family yet are they both equally purchased by Christ and united unto him as their Head having both of them effectually the same principle of the life of God in them Of a third part of this Church neither in Heaven nor in Earth in a temporary State participant somewhat of Heaven and somewhat of Hell called Purgatory the Scripture knoweth nothing at all neither is it consistent with the Analogy of Faith or the promises of God unto them that do believe as we shall see immediately This Church even as unto that part of it which is in this world as it is adorned with all the graces of the Holy Spirit is the most beautiful and glorious effect next unto the forming and production of its Head in the Incarnation of the Son of God which Divine Wisdom Power and Grace will extend themselves unto here below But these things the glory of this State is visible only unto the eye of Faith yea it is perfectly seen and known only to Christ himself We see it obscurely in the light of Faith and Revelation and are sensible of it according unto our participating of the graces and privileges wherein it doth consist But that spiritual light which is necessary to the discerning of this Glory was lost among those of whom we treat They could see no reality nor beauty in these things nor any thing that should be of advantage unto them For upon their principle of the utter uncertainty of mens spiritual estate and condition in this world it is evident that they could have no satisfactory perswasion of any concernment in it But they had possessed themselves of the notion of a Catholick Church which with mysterious Artifices they have turned unto their own incredible secular Advantage This is that whereof they boast appropriating it unto themselves and making it a pretence of destroying others what lies in them both temporally and eternally Unto this end they have formed the most deformed and detestable Image of it that ever the world beheld For the Catholick Church which they own and which they boast that they are instead of that of Christ is a company or society of men unto whom in order unto the constitution of that whole society there is no one real Christian grace required nor spiritual Vnion unto Christ the Head but only an outside profession of these things as they expresly contend A Society united unto the Pope of Rome as its head by a subjection unto him and his rule according to the Laws and Canons whereby he will grant them This is the formal reason and cause constituting that Catholick Church which they are which is compacted in it self by horrid Bonds and Ligaments for the ends of Ambition worldly Domination and Avarice A Catholick Church openly wicked in the generality of its rulers and them that are ruled and in its State cruel oppressive and died with the blood of Saints and Martyrs innumerable This I say is that Image of the Holy Catholick Church the spouse of Christ which they have set up And it hath been as the Image of Moloch that hath devoured and consumed the Children of the Church whose cryes when their cruel step-mother pittied them not and when their pretended Ghostly Fathers cast them into the flames came up unto the ears of the Lord of Hosts and their blood still cries for vengeance on this idolatrous generation Yet is this pretence of the Catholick Church pressed in the minds of many with so many Sophistical Artifices through the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive proposed with the allurements of so many secular advantages and imposed oftimes on Christians with so much force and cruelty that nothing can secure us from the Admission of it unto the utter overthrow of Religion but the means before insisted on A spiritual light is necessary hereunto to discern the internal spiritual beauty and glory of the true Catholick Church of Christ Where this is in its power all the paintings and dresses of their deformed Image will fall off from it and its abominable filth will be made to appear And this will be accompanied with an effectual experience of the glory and excellency of that grace in the souls of those that believe derived from Christ the sole head of this Church whereby they are changed from Glory to Glory as by the spirit of the Lord. The Power Life and sweetness hereof will give satisfaction unto their souls to the contempt of the pretended order of dependance on the Pope as an head By these means the true Catholick Church which is the body of Christ the fulness of him that filleth all in all growing
pacifie the Consciences of sinners any more than the Blood of Bulls and Goats could do it under the Law yea any more than the Lustrations and Expiations of Sin amongst the Heathen could effect it Wherefore they have at length formed a more stated and specious Image of it to serve all the turns of convinced Sinners and this is a Purgatory after this Life that is a subterraneous place and various means where and whereby the Souls of men are purged from all their Sins and made meet for Heaven when the Lord Christ thinks meet to send for them or the Pope judges it fit to send them to him Hereunto let them pretend what they please the People under their conduct do trust a thousand times more for the purging of their Sins than unto the Blood of Christ But it is only a cursed Image of the vertue of it set up to draw off the minds of poor sinners from seeking an interest in a participation of the efficacy of that blood for that end which is to be obtained by faith alone Rom. 3.25 Only they have placed this Image behind the curtain of mortality that the cheat of it might not be discovered none who find themselves deceived by it can come back to complain or warn others to take care of themselves and it was in an especial manner suited unto their delusion who lived in pleasures or in the pursuit of unjust gain without exercise of afflictions in this world From these two sorts of persons by this Engine they raised a revenue unto themselves beyond that of Kings or Princes for all the endowments of their Religious houses and Societies were but commutations for the abatement of the fire of this Purgatory But whereas in its self it was a rotten Post that could not stand or subsist they were forced to prop it with many other imaginations for unto this end to secure work for this Purgatory they joyned the distinction of Sin into mortal and venial not as unto their end with respect unto Faith and Repentance not as unto the Degrees of sin with respect unto the aggravations but as unto the nature of them some of them being such namely those that are Venial as were capable of a purging expiation after this life though men die without any repentance of them And when this was done they have cast almost all the sins that can be named under this order And hereon this Image is become an Engine to disappoint the whole Doctrine of the Gospel and to precipitate secure sinners into eternal Ruin And to strengthen this deceiving security they have added another invention of a certain storehouse of Ecclesiastical merits the keys whereof are committed to the Pope to make application of them as he sees good unto the ease and relief of them that are in this Purgatory For whereas many of their Church and Communion have as they say done more good works then were needful for their salvation which they have received upon a due ballance of Commutative Justice the Surplusage is committed to the Pope to commute with it for the punishment of their sins who are sent into purgatory to suffer for them then which they could have found out no engine more powerful to evacuate the efficacy of the blood of Christ both as offered and as sprinkled and therewith the Doctrine of the Gospel concerning faith and repentance Moreover to give it farther countenance as one-lie must be thatched with another or it will quickly rain through they have fancied a separation to be made between guilt and punishment so as that when the guilt is fully remitted and pardoned yet there may punishment remain on the account of sin For this is the case of them in Purgatory their sins are pardoned so as that the Guilt of them shall not bind them over to eternal damnation though the wages of sin is death yet they must be variously punished for the sins that are forgiven But as this is contradictory in it self it being utterly impossible there should be any punishment properly so called but where there is guilt as the cause of it so it is highly injurious both to the Grace of God and blood of Christ in procuring and giving out such a lame pardon of sins as should leave room for punishment next to that which is eternal These are some of the rotten Props which they have fixed on the minds of persons credulous and superstitious terrified with guilt and darkness to support this tottering deformed Image set up in the room of the efficacy of the blood of Christ to purge the souls and consciences of Believers from sin But that whereby it is principally established and set up is the darkness ignorance guilt fear terrour of conscience accompanied with a love of sin that the most among them are subject and obnoxious unto being disquieted perplexed and tormented with these things and utterly ignorant of the true and only way of their removal and deliverance from them they greedily embrace this sorry provision for their present ease and relief being accommodated unto the utmost that humane or Diabolical craft can extend unto to abate their fear ease their torments and to give security unto their superstitious minds And hereby it is become to be the life and soul of their Religion diffusing it self into all the parts and concerns of it more trusted unto then either God or Christ or the Gospel Spiritual light and experience with the consequents of them in peace with God will safeguard the minds of Believers from bowing down to this horrid image though the acknowledgments of its divinity should be imposed on them with craft and force otherwise it will not be done for without this there will a strong inclination and disposition arising from a mixture of superstitious fear and love of sin possess the minds of men to close with this pretended relief and satisfaction The foundation of our preservation herein lies in Spiritual light or an ability of mind from supernatural illumination to discern the Beauty Glory and efficacy of the purging of our sins by the blood of Christ when the glory of the wisdom and grace of God of the love and grace of Christ of the power of the Holy Ghost herein is made manifest unto us we shall despise all the paintings of this invention Dagon will fall before the Ark and all these things do gloriously shine forth and manifest themselves unto believers in this misterious way of purging all our sins by the blood of Christ Herein will ensue an experience of the efficacy of this heavenly truth in our own souls There is no man whose heart and ways are cleansed by the blood of Christ through the effectual application of it by the Holy Spirit in the ordinance of the Gospel but he hath or may have a refreshing experience of it in his own soul and by the power which is communicated therewith he is stirred up unto all that exercise of Faith and all those duties
And when his Operations are such as we call a Possession yet he may work by means and bodily dispositions and sometimes he worketh quite above the power of the Disease it self as when the unlearned speak in strange Languages and when bewitched Persons vomit Iron Glass c And sometime he doth only work by the Disease it self as in Epilepsies Madness c. From all this it is easie to gather 1. That for Satan to possess the Body is no certain Sâ—gn of a graceless state nor will this condemn the Soul any if the Soul it self be not possessed Nay there are few of Gods Children but its like are sometime afflâ—cted by Satan as the Executioner of Gods correcting them and sometime of Gods Trials as in the Case of Job whatever some say to the contrary it is likely that the â—rick in the Flesh which was Satans Messenger to bâ—sset Paul was some such Pain as the Stone which yet was not removed that we find after thrice praying but only he had a promise of sufficient Grace 2. Satans Possession of an ungodly Saul is the miserable Case which is a thousand times worse than his possessing of the Body but every Corruption or Sin is not such a possession for no man is perfect without Sin 3. No Sin proveth Satans damnable possession of a man but that which he loveth more than he hateth it and which he had rather keep than leave and wilfully keepeth 4. And this is matter of great comfort to such Melancholy honest Souls if they have but understanding to receive it that of all men none love their Sin which they groan under so little as they yea it is the heavy Burden of their Souls Do you love your Unbelief your Fears your distracted Thoughts your Temptations to Blasphemy Had you rather keep them than be delivered from them The proud man the ambitious the Fornicator the Drunkard the Gamester the Time-wasting Gallants that sit out hours at Cards and Plays and idle Chats the gluttonous pleasers of the Appetite all these love their Sins and would not leave them as Esau sold his Birthright for one Morsel they will venture the loss of God of Christ and Soul and Heaven rather than leave a swinish Sin But is this your Case Do you so love your sad condition You are weary of it and heavy laden and therefore are called to come to Christ for ease Mat. 11.28 29. 5. And it is the Devils way if he can to haunt those with troubling Temptations whom he cannot overcome with alluring and damning Temptations As he raiseth storms of Persecution against them without as soon as they are escaping from his Deceits so doth he trouble them within as far as God permitteth him We deny not but Satan hath a great hand in the Case of such Melancholy persons for 1. His Temptations caused the Sin which God corrects them for 2. His Execution usually is a Cause of the Distemper of the Body 3. And as a Tempter he is the Cause of the sinful and â—â—â—ublesom Thoughts and Doubts and Fears and Passions which the 〈◊〉 holy causeth The Devil cannot do what he will with us but whâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ive him advantage to do He cannot break open our doors but 〈◊〉 enter if we leave them open He can easily tempt a heavy flegmatick Body to sloath a weak and cholerick person to anger a strong and sanguine man to Lust and one of a strong Appetite to Gluttony or to Drunkenness and vain sportful Youth to idle Plays and gaming and Voluptuousness when to others such Temptations would have small strength And so if he can cast you into Melancholy he can easily tempt you to overmuch Sorrow and Fear and to distracting Doubts and Thoughts and to murmure against God and to despair and still think that you are undone undone and even to blasphemous thoughts of God or if it take not this way than to Fanatick Conceits of Revelation and a prophecying Spirit 6. But I add that God will not impute his meer Temptations to you but to himself be they never so bad as long as you receive them not by the will but hate them nor will he condemn you for those ill effects which are unavoiâ—â—ble from the power of a bodily Disease any more than he will condemn a man for raving thoughts or words in a Feaver Phrensie or utter Madness But so far as Reason yet hath power and the Will can govern Passions it is your fault if yâ—â—â—â—se not the power though the difficulty make the Fault the less II. But usually other Causes go before this Disease of Melancholy except in some Bodies naturally prone to it and therefore before I speak of the Cure of it I will briefly touch them And one of the most common Causes is Sinful Impatience Discontents and Cares proceeding from a sinful love of some bodily interest and from a want of sufficient submission to the will of God and Trust in him â—â—d tâ—king Heaven for a satisfying Portion I must necessarily use all these words to shew the true Nature of this complicate Disease of Souls The Names tell you that it is a Conjunction of many Sins which in themselves are of no small malignity and were they the predominant beâ—â—â—â—d habit of Heart and Life they would be the Signs o◠〈…〉 â—hilâ— they are hated and overcome not Grace but â—â—r heavâ—nly 〈…〉 â—â—re esteemed and câ—â—sen and sought than earthly prosperiâ—y â—he Mâ—â—cy of Goâ—â—hrough Christ doâ—â— pardoâ— it and will at last deliver us from all But yet it beseeâ—â—â—â—h â—ven a â—â—â—doned Sinner to know the greatness of his Sin that 〈◊〉 may not favour it nor be unthankful â—â—r forgiveness I wiâ—â—â—herefore distinctly open the parts of this Sin which bringeth many 〈◊〉 â—â—smal Melancholy It iâ— prâ—supposed 〈◊〉 God trieth his Servants in â—his Life with manifold Afflictions and Christ will have us bâ—ar the Cross and follow him in submissive Patience Some are tried with painful Dâ—seases and some with 〈◊〉 ougâ—â— Enemies and soâ—e with the unkindness of Friends and 〈…〉 â—â—oâ—ard provoking Relatives and Company and some 〈…〉 â—â—d some with Perâ—eâ—â—tion and many with Losses Disapp◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 here Impatieâ—â—◠〈…〉 beginning of the working of the sinful Mâ—â—â—â—â— Our Natures are all too regardful of the Interest of the flesh â—nd 〈◊〉 â—eak in bearing â—eaâ—y burdens and Poverty hath those Trials 〈…〉 â—â—ll and wealthy Persons that feel them not too little pity especially iâ—â—wo Cases 1. When men have not themselves only but Wives and Children in want to quiet 2. And when they ar◠〈◊〉 debt to others which is a heavy Burden to an ingenuous mind though thievish Borrowers make too light of it In theâ—e Straights and Trials men are apt to be too sensible and impatient whâ—â— they and their Families want Food and Rayment and Fire and other Necessâ—ries to the Body and know not which way to get supply when Landlords and Butchers and Bakers and other Creditors are calling for their Debts
notitiae connotat affectum light and heat clearer views and dearer and stronger Loves must go together 3. The Persons who are to labour after a greater measure of Knowledg and those are real Christians who have attained to some degree of spiritual Understanding that Light which is as the Light of the Moon should be increased so as to equal the Light of the Sun and that which is as the Light of the Sun should be augmented so as to equal the light of seven days should grow more and more glorious 4. The Arguments to perswade and they are two Christ is their Lord Christ is their Saviour 1. Christ is their Lord a Lord most great most gracious the more this is understood the better will his Service be liked as honourable and advantageous and Obedience will be yielded with greater chearfulness and constancy 2. Christ is their Saviour a Saviour from the greatest Evils Sin and the miserable effects of it in time in eternity a Saviour to the greatest Blessedness an everlasting Kingdom and Glory a Saviour of that which is most pretious the Soul which if safe the whole man must needs be secured The Text may be considered with a double reference to what goes before to what follows after 1. To what goes before grow in Grace and Knowledg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hence we may observe That the way to increase in Grace is to increase in the Knowledg of Christ the means of Grace will be found inefficacious and empty will convey nothing if Christ be not with them and in them if he be not understood by those that use them All that fulness out of which the Church is replenished from the beginning of the world to the very end of it it has pleased the Father should dwell in Christ Col. 1.19 If a man know where a vast Treasure lies hid he may quickly go and enrich himself the way to have more Grace is to understand that Christ is the Fountain from whence all Grace is derived He is head over all things to his Church which is his Body and is called to shew the reality and plentifulness of Communication the fulness of him who filleth all in all Eph. 1. ult 2. The Text may be referred to what follows after To him be Glory both now and for ever Amen Hence observe thâ—t thâ— grâ—â—â—â—r Knâ—â—lâ—â—â—â—â—â— Christ we attain to the more we shall â—â—â—â—â—r and sâ—◠〈…〉 glorifie him his Godhead is the same with the Fathers his 〈…〉 Dominion equal and eternal The Church millitant muâ—◠〈…〉 begin to glorifie her Lord and Saviour and wheâ— she comes to be 〈…〉 praises will be vastly higher and to magnifie to love to aâ—â—ire and to rejoyce in him will be her everlasting business But I shall wave the Connexion and from the words themselâ—â—â— râ—â—se this Doctrine That it highly concerns all sâ—â—cere 〈◊〉 to grow and iâ—crease in the Knowledg of Christ The Gospel which revâ—â—ls Christ 〈…〉 mystery which the Angels themselves desire to 〈…〉 looking they admire the manifold wisdom of God the exceeding riches of his Grace and love and shall not the Saints search farthâ—â— into this Gospel shall they not look more unto and into Jesus what 〈…〉 him the nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham The better Christ is understood the better will they understand how happy he has maâ—â—â— them and that Christ being theirs all is theirs The question that in this exercise I am to answer is this How 〈…〉 grow in the Knowledg of Christ and make use of and 〈…〉 Kâ—â—wledg Now that the Answer may be the more full I shall do theâ—â— four things First I shall tell you what it is to grow in the Knowledg of Christ 〈◊〉 the telling you this will tend to the advancement of this groâ—th Seâ—ondly What Properties are required in this Knowledg Thirdly The Directions are to follow that you may increase in the Knowledg of him Fourthly What Vse and Improvement you are to makâ— of tâ—is Kâ—â—wledg or of Christ known I begin with the first of these What it is to grow in the Kâ—â—wledg of Christ Here several Propositions are to be premised 1. The Knowledg of Christ is of the greatest Excellency The Apostle calls this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I câ—â—â—t â—ll things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord other kind of Knowledg is like Light from the Sâ—ars this like bâ—amâ— from the Sun Christ is called the Sun of Righteousness He is called Wisdâ—m in the abstract Sapientiae omnimoda sapientia Prov. 1.20 in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdom in him iâ—â—he Sum the Perfection of Wisdom To know him does assimuâ—ate and make us like him and when we shall have a full view of him in glory we shall to our utmost capacity fully resemble him To know him is Life eternal and they that seek Life any other way will find death 〈◊〉 themselves mistaken in the end No wonder the Apostle glories in 〈◊〉 Knowledg and that an ancient Father said he was glâ—d he had sometâ—â—â—â— of value he meant Philâ—sophy to despise in comparison 2. This Knowledg of Christ is of absolute necessity Stat invicta haec rupe s. Ego sum Via nullus a in s quicquid ante m via haec non fuerit error lubricum te nebraesunt Luther Tom. 2. p. 507. In Scripture he is compared to those things which are so needful that we cannot be without them 〈◊〉 Mâ—â—t and Drink and Raiment Christ is the Bread of Life the fountain of Living Water we are to put on the Lord Jesus his righteousness is tâ—â— Garment which must cover and secure us To be totally ignorant â—f him must needs be death eternal for there is not Salvation in any other◠〈◊〉 4.12 3. The Knowledg of Christ is by supernatural revelation Much of God may be râ—â—d in the Book of nature his visible Works do make the wisdom pâ—wer and goodness of the Worker also visible But Christ is a mystery hâ—d from Ages and Genâ—rations and would have remained hid still if the Gospel had not revealed him Col. 1.26 Who could ever have thought of God his being manifested in the flâ—sh and redeeming the Church with his oâ—â—â— Blood if this had not been brought to Light by the Gospel Thâ—se are indeed the deep things of God which the Spirit reveals 1 Cor. 2.10 11. and power to discern them and believe them is from the same Spirit 4. The Knowledg of Christ was communicated in a degree under the old Testament The Prophets spake of him and if they had not what they had said besides had been insignificant The Law was a Schoolmaster to bring Israel to Christ Gal. 3.24 The Ceremonial Law requiring the blood of so many sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewed plainly that the Sacrificers themselves deservâ—d to die and therefore is said to be against them
because he cannot be at once in all parts of his Dominions but God is omnipresent filling Heaven and Earth If thou goest up to Heaven he is there if thou make thy Bed in Hell behold he is there if thou dwellest in the uttermost parts of the Sea there shall his Hand lead thee and his right Hand shall guide thee All things are within his reach wheresoever any thing is doing or to be done there God is who is present in every place and with every person He stands at our right hands and so may well guide them so to do will cost him no travel nor trouble In him we live and move and have our being not at a distance from him not out of him but in him 2. God can easily Govern the world because of his almighty Power he is stronger than all his Word is enough to accomplish all his will The wisest of men are foolish creatures and the strongest are weak Kingdoms and Nations have frequently proved ungovernable to potent Princes Such breaches have been made as they could not heale and such tempests have risen as they could not lay Nay that man is not found in the world who hath Power sufficient to Govern himself How often doth his will rebel against his reason Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor His judgement sees and votes for that which is good but his will chooseth what is worse his sensual appetite longs for it and that must be gratified whatever the cost be We sometimes see that wise men gracious and holy men cannot curb their own passions but they take heâ—d and hurry them into great and uncomely extravagancies But now God is of infinite Power as he hath an arm long enough to reach so strong enough to rule all things He binds the Sea with a girdle and stayes its proud waves saying hither shall ye go and no further He makes the wrath of man to praise him though it be more boisterous than the Sea and the remainder thereof he shall restrain Job hath sundry passages to this purpose worthy of our remark Job 26. take some of them thus He hangeth the world upon nothing He hath compassed the waters with bounds He divideth the Sea with his Power the Pillars of Heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof And then he closeth thus in verse 14. Lo these are part of his ways but how little a portion is heard of him and the Thunder of his Power who can understand The Power of his Thunder is great which discovered the forrest and makes the hinds to calve what then is the Thunder of his Power when God doth but whisper a rebuke into the eare of a man that maketh his beauty to consume like a moth what then can he do nay what can he nor do when he thunders from Heaven In short his Power is irresistible and his will in all things efficacious He can master all difficulties and conquer all enemies and overcome all opposition when he hath a mind to work who shall let him he askes no leave he needs no help he knows no impediment Mountains in his way become plaines his counsel shall stand and the thoughts of his heart to all generations 3. Thirdly God is fit to Govern the world upon the account of his wisdom and knowledg His eyes run too and fro through the Earth He observes all the motions and wayes of men He understands what hath been is and shall be Hell is naked before him how much more Earth His eye is upon the conclave of Rome the Cabals of Princes and the closets of particular Persons Excellently doth David set forth the divine Omniscience Psal 139. Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising and understandest my thoughts afar off Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways there is not a word in my tongue but O Lord thou knowest it altogether thou hast beset me behind and before He knows not only what is done by man but also what is in man all his goodness and all his wickedness all his contrivances purposes and designs The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it do you ask who the answer is ready Jehovah He searcheth the heart he tryeth and possessâ—th the reins Those are dark places far removed from the eyes of all the world but Gods eyes are like a flame of fire they carry their own light with them and discover those recesses run thorow all the Labyrinths of the heart they looke into each nooke and corner of it and see what lurks there what is doing there O! what manner of Persons should we be with what diligence should we keep our hearts since God observes them with so much exactness Men may take a view of the practices of others but God sees their principles and to what they do incline them Yea He knows how to order and command the heart not only how to affright it with terrours and to allure it with kindnesses and perswade it with arguments but likewise how to change and alter and mend it by his Power He cannot only debilitate and enfeeble it when set upon evil but also how confirm and fix and fortifie it when carried out to that which is good The hearts of Kings are in the hands of the Lord and he turned them as the Rivers of Water 4. Fourthly God is fit to Govern the world upon the score of his long-suffering and forbearance Those that have the reins of Government put into their hands had need be Persons of excellent and cool Spirits for if they have a great deal of Power and but a small stock of patience they will soon put all into a flame That man who hath but a little Family to mannage will in that meet with trials and exercises enough How much more he that is set over a Kingdom and unspeakably more yet he that is to Govern the world especially considering the present State of the degenerate world and how things have been ever since Sin made an entry into it The whole world now lyeth in wickedness there is not a man in it but doth every day offer a thousand affronts to God and provokes him to his face Angelical patience would soon tire and be spent and turn into such fury as would quickly reduce all into a Chaos There is not an Angel in Heaven but if there were a commission given him he would do immediate execution and sheath the Sword of vengeance in the bowels of malefactors But now to his glory be it spoken God is infinite in patience slow to anger and of great kindness Though he be disobeyed abused grieved vexed pressed with the sins of men even as a cart is pressed that is laden with sheaves yet he spares and bears and waites How loath is he to stir up all his wrath and to pour out the Vials thereof He counts that his strange work when he goeth about it his bowels do
your own evill ways and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and your own abominations How much of his wickedness doth the profane sinner forget Lies Oaths rotten Language Slander Iniquities all forgotten till God in mercy or in wrath awaken their Consciences and then all is set in order before them either to their conversion or confusion Hence that emphatical charge Deut. 9.7 Remember and forget not how thou provokest the Lord thy God to wrath in the Wilderness c. 6. Our Vows and Obligations to God The corruption of our memories appears plainly in this There is first our great vow in Baptism that we would sincerely renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil and pay unto our Lord and Redeemer unfeigned obedience to all his Commandments This is seldom actually remembred by any of us too seldom virtually especially by such as do directly run counter to it in the usual scene of their Lives And then our Sickness vows when our Lives or the comforts of our Lives have been in hazard What serious and fair Promises did we make what was our Frame then and what is it now either then thou wast a great Hypocrite or else now thou art a great Apostate But be not deceived God is not mocked He hath divers ways to wet up such Memories And our Obligations to others which should stick in our Memories assoon worne off whether they are formal by promises or virtual by kindnesses received neither whereof signifie any thing with a false or unthankful man of whom we usually say that they have ill Memories But against these will rise in Judgment not only God his Word their own Consciences and the Heathens but even the brute Creatures themselves One of whom even a Lyon is credibly reported to have spared and cherished one Androdus Aul. Gel. lib. 5. cap. 14. that was thrown to be devoured having remembred that that very man had formerly pull'd a thorn out of his foot in his Den. 7. The Church of God the whole Catholick Church doth every day implicitely beg of us O remember me in your Prayers And holy David said Psal 137.56 If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning If I do not remember thee let my Tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth And there is not a more genuine Token of our Adoption than a feeling and constant remembrance of Gods Jerusalem and especially in this Juncture of time wherein the Christian Church is almost every where so sorely distressed that were it not for the Scripture and former Experience we might fear to hear her last groans And yet if the secret and Family Prayers of very many were well search't it s to be doubted that their Memories were very bad here also 8. Our Latter End This should be much and this is little remembred by most men As the Prophet said to the people of his time Isa 47.7 Thou didst not lay these things to thy heart neither didst remember the latter End of it And the Other laments it Lament 1.9 She remembred not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully And so they are like to do that remember not their end It s true in propriety of Speech remembrance is only of things past or at least of a thing which now is not first known yet in the Phrase of Scripture we are required to remember death resurrection judgment hell and heaven partly because these are foretold and chiefly because it behoofs us to meditate and consider of them which cannot be done without the Memory But there are no deaths-heads so effectual to mind us of this as a firm perswasion that we are but strangers here and that our true Country is in the World to come an heart mortified to the World sick of sin and an heavenly frame of Soul which being restless here will of its own accord groan to have mortality swallowed up of Life And so much may be sufficient to explain and demonstrate the corruption of the Memory which is the third Point IV. The Sanctification of the Memory which is the Restoring this Faculty to its former Integrity and to its proper Objects For when a mans corrupt Nature is chang'd all the Faculties are renew'd there 's a new Creation of him This is done 1. By Purging the Faculty and so conversion is said to begin here Psal 22.27 All the Ends of the World shall remember and turn unto the Lord for he that remembers what mans Estate was by Creation must needs find that there 's a sad change and consequently that there 's need of restauration The same method is prescribed after second falls Revel 2.6 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent And without doubt as the Holy Spirit of God burns up the dross of the powers of the Soul so of this with the rest and razeth out of it many sinful impressions which were there 2. By strengthening it for as sin weakens so Grace strengthens the faculty This effect it hath upon the understanding and will and so it hath upon the memory it 's apparent that many who before their Conversion to God would forget whole Chapters and Sermons yet after their new birth would carry away a great deal of them Gods spirit then helps them and according to our Saviours promise John 14.26 Brings all things to our Remembrance Grace stops the lakes in that vessel which sin hath made 3. By reconciling it to good things and setting it against evil Before regeneration as the Heart so the memory nauseates good things as a foul stomack doth wholesom meat and delights in trash it can hold nothing that 's good so is it with our vitiated memories they cannot hold Savory and pious things these things are like a spark of fire in green wood it soon goes out but when Grace comes and changes the whole frame of the heart this faculty begins to relish and make room for spiritual things when the heart begins to delight in them the mind retains them Psal 119.16 I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will never forget thy word So on the other side those sins which the memory delighted to keep in mind to review them and in a sort to repeat them over and over when God hath been at his new Creation within then the remembrance of those sins is bitter Then the poor Creature can say as the Church did in another case Lament 3.20 My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me 4. By filling it with good things For when the new creature is once born again no new born Child doth more desire and long for milk than the Soul doth for knowledge and wisdom and then the memory consequently is stored with Scripture-Truths Promises Rules and Helps Then the substance of all that is apprehended by the sanctified understanding is conceived to the memory and lodged there And then as 't is
somthing when they are nothing and so deceive themselves They take Gifts for Grace and the common for the saving works of the Spirit Presumption goes with them for Faith and a little sorrow for Sin is Repentance They do not distinguish between the Form and Power of Godliness betwixt a blockish Stupidity and true Peace of Conscience Thus I have told you many but not one half of the evil Effects of Pride let me proceed a little farther in this Discovery Pride makes men censorious and uncharitable Proud persons are very prone to judge and censure others especially if they differ from them in Opinion a little matter will make a proud person to count and call such Hypocrites or Hereticks he no sooner espies a Mote in their eyes but he thinks it a Beam he would have others to think the best of him but he himself will think the worst of others Again it makes men Whisperers and Back-biters Such are joyn'd by the Apostle Paul with proud persons Those who are proud don't only censure others in their hearts but they reproach and defame them with their Tongues they hope by speaking evil of others they shall be the better thought of themselves they endeavour to build their own Praise upon the Ruines of others Reputation Again it makes men dislikers and haters of Reproof Proud persons are ready to find fault with others but they do not like to hear of their own faults Solomon says of a Scorner that is a proud person as ye heard before that he doth not love one that reproves him Prov. 15.12 and in another place he says that he hates him Though the Reprover was his Friend before yet now he counts him as his Enemy Herod imprison'd John for telling him of his Sin though before he reverenc'd him Again Pride makes men heretical One says of Pride Haereticorum mater Superbi◠Aug. that it is the Mother of Hereticks Simon Magus that great Haeresiarch was a very proud man the Gnosticks the Manichees the Eunomians were all noted for Pride the latter vainly and blasphemously boasted that they knew God as well as he knew himself Experience teacheth that if any Infection of Heresie comes into a place those that are proud do soonest catch it Mark those says one that are turn'd any where from the way of Truth and see if they were not proud and conceited persons Again it makes men Separatists and Schismatical There are such persons amongst the professing People of God though all are not such that go by that Name These are they says Jude that separate themselves They went out from us says the Apostle John because they were not of us Proud conceited Christians are not contented to come out and separate from the unbelieving Idolatrous world but they will separate also from the true Church of Christ and cast off all Communion with them who hold communion with him they will say to those that are holier than themselves Stand off for we are holier than you Oh 't is Pride that is the chief Cause of all Church-Rents and Divisions We may thank Pride for all the Factions and Fractions that are in the Churches of Christ at this very day Again Pride makes men Hypocrites It prompts them to put on a Vizard and Mask of Religion and to be in appearance what they are not in reality Proud persons love the praise of men more than the praise of God and therefore they are more careful to seem religious than to be so indeed they more study to approve their ways to men than they do their hearts to God Again Pride makes men malicious and wrongful Proud persons are forward to do wrong but backward to bear or endure it they expect that others should forgive and bear with them but they will not forgive or bear with others they require an eye for an eye and render evil for evil nay sometimes evil for good A proud person careth not whom he wrongs or betrays so he may accomplish his own ends he makes no bones of Falshood Slander Oppression or Injustice if he apprehend it necessary to his own honour or ambition Again it makes men Murmurers and Complainers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proud persons find fault with their Lot and are discontented with their condition they think themselves wiser than God himself that in some things they could mend what he doth or hath done They suppose they could guide Gods hand and teach him knowledge if they were of his Counsel they could give him direction for the better governing of the world in general and for the better ordering of their own conditions and concernments in particular Again Pride makes men to slight the Authority and Command of God Proud persons don't only oppose their wisdom to Gods wisdom but their wills also to Gods will they not only disobey but despise the Commandment of God and say at least in their hearts as that proud King Who is the Lord Jer. 2.21 that we should obey his voyce or as those proud ones in Jeremiah We are Lords and will come no more to thee The Prophet calling the Israelites to hear and give ear Jer. 13.15 17. he immediately subjoyns and be not proud and by and by he adds If ye will not hear my Soul shall weep in secret places for your pride Again it maketh persons to establish their own righteousness and to set that up in the room of Christ's righteousness Proud persons will not submit themselves to the righteousness of God so it is exprest in the Epistle to the Romans God hath provided a righteousness for sinners of the Children of men such as is every way sufficient to justifie and save them and that is the righteousness of his Son What he did and suffered may by Faith be imputed and made over to them as if they themselves had done and suffered it so that as by the disobedience of Adam they were made sinners by the obedience of Christ they might be made righteous and as Christ was made sin for them so they may be made the righteousness of God in him But such is the Pride of mans heart that he will not submit to this way of Justification and Salvation he will not be beholden to another for that which he thinks he hath in himself he will not go abroad for that which he thinks he hath at home A proud Sinner sees no need of a Saviour and thinks he can do well enough without him Thus I have set before you two Decads of the evil Effects of Pride I might have given you as many more May all serve to shew you the sinfulness of this Sin 2. Be throughly perswaded that this Sin of Pride is in your selves that Direct 2 you are deeply guilty of it and in great danger by it Though you see it to be a sin and a great sin yet if you do not see it to be your sin and that 't is in you in a prevailing and dangerous
such a year and such a year it may be for many years spent in open profaness and all manner of debauchery As you fill up your time with sin God fills it up with secret wrath which will be revealed one day Time carries along with it all the things good or evil that are done in that time the neglect of a present duty Leave that time void of the duty that belongs to it and there is no going back to fill it up As for instance If your Present duty be Prayer if you don't pray now you can never pray now You may pray afterwards but that does not answer to the present now You may do the same duty for substance at another time but it does not bear the same date That hour in which thou dost omit any duty proper to it will witness against thee when that part of thy life comes under examination have a care that time does not carry an evil report of you to God There is a voice in time Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth knowledg Psal 19.2 Time past is present with God he sees how it slips thorow thy fingers how it is stained by thy sins Time is ill bestowed upon thee it may provoke God to shorten thy days and to cut thee off in the midst of thy years Psal 55.23 4. You can have no tryal of your spirit nor of the truth of your state 'T is impossible you should ever prove your sincerity but by a conscientious discharge of your present duty The power of godliness lies much in this in having a respect to God in all our common actions There can be no Religion without this and in this there is peace true hearts ease Psal 119.45 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ipsâ latitudine When a man so walks that his conscience meets with nothing that offends it that strikes against it the way is broad enough a plain path of duty which is very satisfactory to conscience But when the business is dark and doubtful looks as much like sin as duty a man cannot be at ease in this case the way is very narrow there is a grating upon the conscience and after all the tricks salves and distinctions that may be used to justifie what we do we cannot have inward peace whilst something always rubs against the conscience as we go 5. You cannot walk evenly with God if you do not your present duty One would wonder to see what broken forms of godliness some men rest in They pick and chuse here a duty and there another this they will do and this they will not do Their Religion is but a voluntary Religion what they please pure will-worship Col. 2.23 They will stint themselves and stint God so much he shall have and no more They draw up to themselves a scheme of Religion such as they think will serve the turn and on they go in this round of duties Here they are now and here you shall find them Seven years hence I am not against a method of Practical godliness provided it be comprehensive enough but 't is very dangerous tying up our selves to these narrow set forms of practical holiness which some men place all their Religion in a step farther they will not go Alas the Providence of God may lead you to such duties which you thought not of in doing or suffering for him John 21.18 Therefore you should be in a readiness to comply with every call of God standing compleat in his whole will Present obedience gives understanding for the future A good understanding have all they that do his commandments Psal 111.10 Let it be the purpose of your heart to walk before God unto all well-pleasing Col. 1.10 and then your hearts will not reproach you while you live Job 27.6 Some men walk very unevenly there are so many gaps in their obedience they move from duty to duty per saltum quite leaping over some and lightly touching upon others as if they had no great mind to any They act Grace so abruptly that it gives no continued sense we know not where to find them There are so many vacant spaces so many blanks of omission so many blots and blurs of commission they drop a duty here and another half a Mile off that you cannot say A man of God went this way This is not even walking their way is crooked in and out sometimes they wander on the right hand and sometimes on the left they never touch upon the right path unless it be in crossing the way from one sin to another which is rather to break thorow a duty than to perform it Here is no beaten path of holiness no continued tract of godliness They don't always exercise themselves to keep a good conscience They who are not frequent in duty are never exact in duty their hearts cool so much between duty and duty that there is no servour of spirit left they are key-cold now and then they take up a Bible read a little dipping at a venture but are no way concern'd in what they read they heed it not now and then they hear a Sermon now and then pray but without any life and spirit They who pray but seldom never pray well Actus perficit habitum Frequent acts beget a habit and frequent acts maintain it We can never perfect holiness but by a constaut tenor in holiness going on from day to day in the practise of it Some trees tho they bring not forth much fruit yet that as is is the bigger and fairer but 't is not so in a Christian The less you are in duty the more lank and lean are your duties As all Graces grow up together in the heart in an apt disposition to actual exercise when occasion is given to draw them forth And as no grace in the heart grows up alone so no duty thrives in the life alone one duty borrows strength from another is bounded within another as stones in a wall do bare up one another so a Christian is built up of many living stones many graces many duties There is the same reason to do thy duty in one thing as in another the same authority commands both Unless you have respect unto all the Commandments you truly respect none 6. You must begin somewhere at some present duty Why not at this It will be as difficult nay more difficult to come to Christ to morrow than 't is to day Therefore to day hearken to his voice and harden not your heart Break the Ice now and by Faith venture upon thy present duty wherever it lies Do what you are now called to You 'l never know how easie the Yoke of Christ is till 't is bound about your necks nor how light his Burthen is till you have taken it up While you judg of holiness at a distance as a thing without you and contrary to you you 'l never like it Come a little nearer to it do but take it
an abomination Oh bury her out of my sight says Abraham of his beloved Sarah Gen. 23.4 What do men take pains and care about What are they at cost and charge upon rising early and going to bed late but only for such things as may serve and please the Body VVhich very Body must be beholden to the Soul for to keep it from becoming worms meat and rottenness VVe might value our Bodies and their concerns as much as we do or as we list to do would it but cause us so much the more to esteem our Souls as they deserve for keeping our Bodies in a capacity for our care and kindness 6. Our Bodies follow their Condition 6. It is in the last place very considerable as to us to enhance our opinion of the Soul that our Bodies follow the condition of our Souls As our Souls are so shall our Bodies be when raised up to all Eternity and therefore St. Stephen when he was a dying commends only his Soul to our Saviour Acts 7.59 and our Saviour himself in his last breath commends his Spirit or Soul to his Father Luke 23.46 neither making any mention of their Bodies as knowing that their Bodies by consequence would be happy that they would be cared for by God and raised up in Gods time to be blessed with their Souls to all Eternity If our Souls be found unbelieving and impenitent without Gods Image and favour all the rich attire and sumptuous fare will not keep our Bodies no more than they did Dives his Body from being tormented in those flames that shall burn and none can quench them on the other side if our Souls be sanctified and accepted notwithstanding any present poverty disease or misery they shall hereafter sit with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven Shall I carry this a little further it may be more home and close unto you The welfare of the Body even in this life depends upon the Soul As the case of thy Soul is so are all those very things that befal thy Body even in this world VVe judge amiss and call good evil and evil good take all things together and stay till the conclusion and you will then see that all the prosperity that befel a man his riches health friends reputation c. were all evil if his Soul be evil that is unpardoned unregenerated oh very evil Isa 3.10 11. Psal 7.11 God is angry with the wicked every day In his healthful prosperous days he hath the wrath of God the least drop whereof will imbitter all his sweets and this is mixt in the Cup and is as death in the Pot But one that hath his Soul pardoned and purged from sin by the Blood and Spirit of the Son of God All his very torments and Miseries if any such befall him are what God in wisdom hath chosen for him Rom. 8.2 8. and in faithfulness hath layd upon him they are the very best providences that God could find out for him thus to the pure all things are pure c. Titus 1.15 And now I hope that the pretiousness of the Soul being manifest although I have all a long enforc'd my Argumenes as practically as I could I may yet have room for the remaining Application which I am now come unto APPLICATION Informaâ—â—â—â— 1. If the Soul be so pretious we have heard enough to make us abhor sin for ever Sin must needs be the most mischievous thing to us It being that only which can ruine our Souls whereby only we can lose our Souls Other Evils can but bereave us of our Estates or at most of our Lives but they have no more mischief which they can do but sin does deservedly cast Body and Soul into Everlasting Fire Isa 59.2 they are only our iniquities which separate betwixt God and us not tribulation and anguish c. no loss or cross these can and do work for good but sin is such a bitter root that it can bring forth nothing but bitter fruits Sin is the Souls sickness nay its death causing a divorce betwixt it and God the fountain of its life Hence it is said to war against the Soul 1 Pet. 2.11 and to pierce the Soul through 1 Tim. 6.10 I appeal to any whether they would not detest and oppose those that should do such things to their Bodies O fools and slow of heart to believe Luk. 24.25 If ye will not believe God who hath said there is no peace nothing truly good no Salvation to be sure to the wicked believe at least your selves who cannot but find that as sin grows stronger your Souls grow weaker and that by it you forsake your own Mercies and get Boiles and Ulcers nay the Plague in your Souls 2. This does recommend and endear our Blessed Saviour to us who is the Saviour of our Souls and the Shepheard of our Souls and therefore only it is that they do not want he washed them in his blood 1 Pet. 2.25 and quickens them by his Spirit and keeps them by his power and crowns them with his glory to them which believe these things he is pretious 1 Pet. 2.7 If ye value your Souls above the World ye will value our Saviour above all the world too for had it not been for his love and care your Souls had been the miserablest things in it 3. This commends Holiness in all its parts to us Holiness is nothing else but the right Temper and Healthful Constitution of the Soul 't is the beauty of the Soul without which 't is most deformed and loathsome in God's sight To be Heavenly and Holy is to be as God is and to have the Spirit of Glory rest upon you Heb. 12.14 nay without Holiness none shall see God For though there was no defect in the price that Christ pay'd he did and suffered till all was fulfill'd yet if we be wanting in our applying of it we may perish and it will be our sore condemnation that light is come into the World and we love darkness Colos 1.27 't is Christ within us that is our hope of Glory I must not take occasion to commend those comprehensive Graces Faith and Repentance unto you but in a word as ye love your Souls value and esteem them they are to you as tabula post naufragium a plank to get safely to shoar withal If you do not make timoâ—s use of it your Souls will be drowned and perish Everlastingly Godliness is the Souls food ye cannot live a day without it or your Souls will be weak and faint nay expire and dye It is indeed the Souls Life as Jacobs Life was bound up in Benjamins life so is the Souls Life bound up in Godliness where Godliness decays there the Soul goes down with sorrow to the Grave nay to Hell Where Godliness thrives the Soul exults and cryes out Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace Luk. 2.29 nay in this world What a Feast does Godliness
Rule to act by His Internal Holiness and Perfection being his sole Rule But as to Vs in our Actings we have an External Rule by which all that we do is to be squared and therefore by and according to this Rule the Spirit guides us And our Conformity thereunto is both the Measure and also the Design and End of the Spirit in his Guidance of us The Word it self carries in it a leading and directive Property Prov. 6.22 23. VVhen thou goest it shall lead thee For the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light Psal 119.105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path 133. Order my steps in thy VVord Mic. 6.8 He hath shewn thee O man what is good The written Revelation of God's Will is the Christians great Rule the Compass by which in all things he must steer his Course the Star that must direct him in all his Motions 'T is to the Law Isa 8.20 and to the Testimonys that we must have our continual Recourse for the regulating of us in all matters of Faith and Practice Now this Leading of the word and that of the Spirit are never to be sever'd As that is in subordination to This so This is ever in Conjunction with That This Word we must in all things keep close unto or else we run our selves upon most dangerous Rocks The Enthusiast is for a Light within for immediate Revelations Inspirations Impulses from the Spirit and I know not what But are these Praeter-Scriptural much more are they Anti-Scriptural Oh then they are nothing but mens own Fancies and Delusions and not at all the leadings of the Spirit of God When any upon the pretence of these go off from the written Word what wild Opinions and Practices do they run themselves upon Of which we have had too many instances both at Home and Abroad The Spirit and the VVord are our full and compleat guide The Spirit gives Light and Life to the Word and the VVord gives Evidence that the Guidance is from the Spirit But it may be ask'd Does the Spirit guide only in this mediate way Quest Is there not an immediate Leading by him at least pro hic nunc No unless you state it thus That although he may not always Answ in an Express and in an Explicit manner guide by the VVord yet his Guiding always is according to the VVord and Consentaneous to it The Word evermore is in the matter though sometimes it may not be in the manner of the Spirits Guidance He may without making use of the Word by an immediate Divine Light and Excitation lead me to this or that duty but he never leads me to any thing but what the Word first makes to be Duty Take it in that other Act of the Spirit which follows here v. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God This witnessing of Adoption is usually Mediate and by the Word yet 't is not always so sometimes 't is Immediate and without the VVord That is the Spirit assures of this not only in a syllogistical way by such and such Scripture-signs Marks Qualifications Dispositions which evidence Sonship to God as He that is led by the Spirit is the Son of God Thou art one who art led by the Spirit therefore thou art the Son of God But he sometimes may and does directly and immediately say to a person Thou art a Child of God But now though here he thus witnesses Abstractly and praecisively without making use of the marks and signs of the Word concerning this Relation yet he never so witnesses but according to the Word i. e. where those marks and signs are In like manner 't is as to his leading this is not always managed by an express Revival upon the Heart of this or that passage in the Word yet for the matter of it 't is ever done in a way consonant and agreeable to the Word And so long as we keep to this I think there will be no great danger of Enthusiasm or Fanaticisme rightly so called The manner of it III. The manner of the Spirits Leading Concerning which not to run out into all the various Explications that occur about it I 'le confine my self to these two things The Spirit leads 1. With Power and Efficacy 2. With Sweetness and Gentleness Fortiter Suaviter 1. With Power and Efficacy The Spirit leads so as that the Person led shall certainly follow him For in this Act he does not only illuminate the Vnderstanding or barely dictate to the Mind and Conscience what way is to be taken but he does also Inwardly by a Secret Power upon the Heart incline and bend the Will to close with what he directs unto He leads with a strong Hand so as that the Soul shall not be able to resist him I mean ad Victoriam I speak not of his Guidance which is common and general but of that which is peculiar and saving of that which is put forth either in those that are regenerate already or in those whom God designs to make such This leading of the Spirit in such Persons is ever carryed on with Power and Efficacy I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Ezek. 36.27 here 's not only an Informing Light but an Overpowering Influence I 'le cause you to walk in my Statutes Turn thou me and I shall be turned 'T is leading in the Text to shew the Mildness of the Spirits Operation elsewhere 't is Drawing to shew the Power of the Spirits Operation 'tis Drawing as to the depraved Will 't is Leading as to the Sanctified Will The Evil Spirit leads to sin How Why he moves perswades solicites to sin and further than that he cannot go But the Holy Spirit in his leading to Grace and Holiness pursues this with a Determining and Overcoming Power so as that the Effect which he aims at shall certainly be produced This we must grant or else we must hold a parity of Operation betwixt the two Spirits that the Holy Spirit has but the same causal Influx upon what is good which the wicked Spirit has upon what is evil then which nothing can be more absurd 2. Yet 't is Power acted and exerted with all sweetness mildness and gentleness Here 's leading but no Force Conduct but no Compulsion no Coaction vehemens Inclinatio non Coactio Ghorran The Will is determin'd but so as that not the least violence is done to it to the infringing of its Liberty Ne arbitreris istam asperam molestamque violentiam dulcis est suavis est ipsa suavitas te trahit Aug. How spontaneously does the Person led follow him that leads him so 't is here This and all the other workings of the Spirit are admirably suited to the Nature of Reasonable and Free Agents Efficacious Grace does not at all
destroy Natural Liberty Where the Spirit does not find sinners willing by his sweet Methods he makes them willing Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power a day of power yet willing Even the Spirits Drawing is managed with all consistency to the freedom of the will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys he draws but 't is one that he makes willing to follow Hos 2.14 Behold I will allure her ay there 's the Spirits leading This being the constant and avowed Doctrine of the Protestants and †Ductus spiritus non est impulsus violentus quo rapimur inviti ut stipites sed est efficax persuasio quâ ex nolentibus efficimur volentes Par. with many others particularly their Explication of the Spirits leading in the Text how injurious and invidious are the Popish Writers in their traducing and calumniating of them as if they asserted the Spirit in This or any Other Act to work with Compulsion or in a way destructive to mans Essential Liberty 'T is a vile scandal And yet how do Esthius Salmeron Contzen upon the Words charge our Divines with it We perfectly concurr with Blessed St. * Enchirid. Cap. 64. de verbis Apostol Serm. 13. c. 11 12. Austin in that excellent passage of his cited by the Rhemists As many as are led by the Spirit he meaneth not says he that the Children of God are violently compelled against their Wills but that they be sweetly drawn moved or induced to do good But no more of this IV. The Extent of this Leading of the Spirit The Extent of it A threefold account may be given of that 1. In regard of the Subject or person led So it extends to the Whole Man First to the Interior Acts of the Soul in its several Faculties Vnderstanding Will and Affections And then to the Exterior Acts of the Body yea to the whole Conversation For all these are comprehended within and fall under the Spirits Leading For as his Sanctifying Operation extends to all of these the God of Peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of Christ 1 Thes 5.23 So does his Guiding Operation also these two being Commensurate and Coextensive This might be made out in Particulars was I not afraid of too much prolixity 2. In regard of the Object or Matter that the Spirit leads unto So it extends to the whole Duty of a Christian to all that he is to Know Believe and Do. Look as the Word in its External Leading guides us in all things that concern Faith and Practice it being a compleat and perfect Rule 2 Tim. 3.16 17. so 't is with the Spirit in his Internal Leading too Joh. 14.26 For Knowledge and Faith the Promise is But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 16.13 And again Howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth see 1 John 2.20 27. And so 't is as to Holiness also this Spirit directs those who have him to and in the Practice of Holiness in its full and utmost Extent and Latitude Tit. 2.12 As the Grace of God the Gospel Without teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously godly in this present world which is the summe of all Duty towards God towards Men and towards our selves So the Spirit Within teaches guides inclines to all these His Gracious Conduct is not confin'd to does not terminate in this or that particular Duty of Religion no but it extends to every Duty to the whole Obedience of a Christian 3. In regard of the Degree and Measure of it Concerning which 't is clear that this Leading of the Spirit in the Directing Inclining Governing Notions of it is not as to Degree equal in all God's Children All have the Thing in the Necessary and Substantial part of it yet so as that there is a Gradual Difference in their having of it Some having more and some less He being a Free and Arbitrary Agent does proportion this Act of his Grace to different Persons as he pleases And he making Some more ductil to his Leadings than Others accordingly he vouchsafes more of Them to Those than he does to Others But in None does it reach so high as to render them perfect here For although we should grant which I do not that the Spirit should advance his Guidance consider'd in it self and as it comes from Him to such a Degree and Pitch as to lay the Foundation of Perfection in Saints here below yet considering what the Capacity of the Subjects of this Act is here they being Flesh as well as Spirit 't is not imaginable that de Facto and in Eventu they should ever here be perfect upon it Wherefore it must be bounded and limited though not from what the Spirit could do yet from what he is pleased to do in Believers in their present imperfect state He shall guide you into all Truth what so as to make Saints Omniscient or Infallible He guides unto all Holiness what so as to render them sinless and impeccable here on Earth we must by no means carry it thus high It therefore must be qualified thus He shall guide you into all Truth i. e. into the Knowledge of all Necessary and Fundamental Truths And he shall guide you into all Holiness i. e. so far as your present state admits of and so far as is necessary for your future Glory Beyond this Measure we must not extend or heighten the Spirits Leading For the truth is if we take it in this bounded Notion we secure the Thing but if we go higher we totally undermine and nullifie it as all Experience proves And by the way Observe that this Guidance of the Spirit in the General and that Guidance of His in Particular in the Duty of Prayer do much stand upon the same level Insomuch that as the Former the Spirits immediate Guiding of Believers in the Matter and Manner of their Actions does not thereupon render Them or Their Actions perfectly Holy and free from all mixtures of sin So neither does the Latter the Spirits immediate Guidance and Assistance in the Matter and Manner of Prayer render the Prayers of such infallible or of equal Authority with the Scriptures as some Object Because as to Both this Agency of the Spirit is to be limited partly from the Consideration of the present State of the subject in whom it is exerted and partly from the Spirits Aim and End therein 'T is true to obviate a bad Inference that may be drawn from hence the Apostles themselves considered as but Men and as men in the State of Imperfection so they were fallible as we are But as they had in matters of Faith
and Doctrine for a special End that Extraordinary Guidance and Direction from the Spirit which no common Believers now have so They and They only became Infallible Wherefore although Saints now are partakers of a special Assistance and Guidance from the Spirit in Prayer and in their General Course of Life quoad veritatem rei yet this does not make them infallible in the One or impeccable in the Other it being vouchsaf'd to them but in such a Degree as is consistent with their present state and subservient to the End of the Spirit in his present Operations in them Which is but to guide them to necessary Truth and Holiness to help them in their Infirmities and the like but not to advance them to Apostolical Endowments Of which now the Evangelical Doctrine being published and sealed there is no Necessity And thus I have gone over the Doctrinal Explication of the Leading of the Spirit I come now to resolve some Practical Enquiries about it which will be in stead of the Application The First is this How may We as to Our selves or Others know 1. Enquiry whether We or They be led by the Spirit of God It highly concerns us to be very inquisitive about this Both because our Sonship to God must be evidenc'd by it for the Text is express As many and no more then as are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God and also because there are great Mistakes in Men about this The Most lay claim to it when yet God knows but very few partake of it in truth and reality How many please themselves with the thoughts of their being led by the Spirit when 't is most obvious they are not Every man in the World is acted by Some Spirit or Other Omnes Homines aguntur aliquo Spiritu Orig. Now there being different and contrary Spirits some Evil and some Good the Question is What that is which we are led and acted by There 's the Spirit of the World 1 Cor. 2.12 by which the Men of the World are led There 's the Corrupt and Sinful Spirit Do you think that the Scripture saith in vain Jam. 4.5 The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy by this all in the Unregenerate state are led There 's the Spirit of Whoredom Hos 4.12 the Spirit of perverseness Is 19.14 the Spirit of seduction 2 Tim. 4.1 under the Conduct of which too many are These are the Evil Spirits within Us which influence Men in their Actings And then there 's the Grand Evil Spirit without the Devil the Spirit that worketh in the Children of Disobedience Eph. 2.2 And Oh what an Heart-piercing Soul-afflicting thing is it to consider how the Generality of Men are led by this wicked Spirit All these Spirits are Evil. In Opposition to which there are Other Spirits that are Good And they are either the Renewed Spirit in Gods people the Heart as sanctify'd as having a Vital Supernatural Principle infus'd into it which leads and inclines to Holiness Or the Renewing Spirit Gods own Spirit of whom the Text speaks These Spirits are contrary to the Former both in Themselves and also in their Leadings For as They are all for what is Evil so These are all for what is Good And the Contrariety is such betwixt them as that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incompatible in the same Subject in their full entire Power and Strength So as that a person can be led but by One of them Both cannot lead together I mean as to a Mans General Course and as to their Absolute Power and Dominion in Him The Text speaking of the Leading of Gods Spirit the Enquiry must be confin'd to that And so it s laid down How may we know whether we be led by the Spirit of God For the Resolution of which I must refer you to what I have been upon Having said so much in the Opening of the Thing it self by the comparing of your selves with that you will be able to determine your own Case whether it belong to you or not It would be superfluous for me to enlarge again upon those Heads in the Application which I have already been so large upon in the Explication Only therefore to give some brief Direction I would desire you to look back 1. To the Essential and Constitutive Acts included in the Holy Spirits Leading viz. Guidance Inclination of the Heart to Good Corroboration Gubernation Art thou One that art guided by this Spirit to and in the great Duties of Christianity One who art strongly inclined to what is good One that feelest an inward Divine strengthning for Doing and Suffering One that art ruled and governed by this Spirit Surely thou art led by Him But if it be otherwise thou art led not by This but by some Other Spirit 2. To the Matter or Terminus of the Spirits Leading Truth and Holiness Do thy Opinions carry Truth in them thy Practices Holiness Oh then thou art led by the Spirit But what shall we say to those who are led away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the error of the wicked 2 Pet. 3.17 or led away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with divers lusts 2 Tim. 3.6 why 't is a concluded Case these are not led by the Spirit The Course discovers the Guide The Fruits of the Spirit ever accompany the Leading of the Spirit Principiata respondent suis Principiis If the Action be Holy Spiritual and Good such as suits with the Holy Spirit it then proceeds from Him but if it be sinful and wicked Satan and thy own evil Heart are thy Leaders in it and to it Whoever doth not righteousness is not of God 1 John 3.10 nor led by his Spirit What live in Drunkenness Vncleanness Sensuality Injustice Malice Hatred And yet pretend to the Conduct of the good Spirit What a Delusion is this to thy self what a Reproach and Injury to the Blessed Spirit 3. To the Rule by which the Spirit leads the written VVord of God He Indited this Word and he Guides by it The Spirit and the Word go hand in hand together Is your Faith regulated by this Your Conversations steer'd by this hereby you may know that the Spirit leads you But if any Believe Live Speak not according to this VVord 't is because there 's no light in them Is 8.20 He that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of Error 1 John 4.6 Oh let all take heed of fathering any thing upon the Holy Spirit which does not comport with nor is founded upon the Holy Scriptures The Enthusiast is very bold with the Spirit but his Arrogance and Folly shall be made manifest at one time or another 4. To the manner of the Spirits Leading He leads with Power and Efficacy Well what do you find of this what have you more than a bare directive Light is there a Power working in
you Eph. 3.20 effectually to incline and draw you to what is Good To beat down and subdue the innate Renitency and Reluctancy of the Will Oh here 's the Leading of the Spirit To find out which two things must be searcht into 1. Whether it be the Spirit of God that leads us 2. Whether he leads us in a peculiar and saving or only in a common and general way Now the first must be found out by the foregoing Heads the last by that Head which I am now upon If the Spirit work in me as a Spirit of Power as well as of Light and Direction I may conclude I am led by Him I beseech you lay these Tryals and your Hearts close together and the Decision then will be easie and safe And pray consider as the Spirits Leading must evidence your Divine Sonship so the Things set before you must evidence the reality of that Divine Leading A Second Enquiry is What Inducements are there to excite and move men to endeavour to attain and live under this Leading of Gods Spirit 2. Enquiry Answ Many and Great Oh how strong are the Motives that are proper for the urging of this 1. As First The Excellency of the Thing The Person leading he is excellent the great Spirit of God The Act Divine and Supernatural Leading that is excellent The Object which this tends unto and terminates in that is excellent as the Loving of God Delighting in God Conformity to God all carry a transcendent Glory and Excellency in them Oh did but sinners know what this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Conduct and Guidance of the Spirit is what a blessed thing 't is to possess and feel it how earnest would they be in their Desires and Pursuits after it I 'me sure The Saints that have it would not be without it no not one Day for Millions of Worlds 2. The Necessity of it The Leading of the Spirit Oh how highly necessary is it who can be without it What becomes of the poor blind Man that has none to guide him Of the weak Child that has none to uphold it Alas the poor sinner in both respects does more need the Spirits Leading inwardly than either of These need external Leading Such is our Spiritual Blindness our Aptness to wander our Ignorance of our Way our lyableness to fall into Pracipices and the like as that without a Divine Hand to guide us we are lost And such too is our Spiritual Debility and Weakness as that if the Spirit of God do not hold us up in our Going taking us by our arms Hos 11.3 we fall immediately How absolutely necessary therefore is the Spirits Leading both for Direction and also for Sustentation 'T is true God has planted in Man a Natural Faculty to guide and direct him in his Actings the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Understanding Reason Conscience to be his Director and Monitor as to what he is to do And this in things of a meer Natural and Moral Consideration may be of great use to him Prov. 20.27 the Spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord Ah but as to things of a Spiritual Consideration the matters of Evangelical Faith and Practice he must have an higher Guide and Leader even the Holy Ghost or else in these things he 'l be at an utter loss Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Prov. 16.9 a mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps The Natural Light separate from what is Supernatural is a very incompetent and insufficient Guide which evinces the Necessity of the Spirits Guidance 3. As the Natural Guide is defective and insufficient so there are other Guids which are destructive and damnable such as Satan Deprav'd Nature Indwelling Sin the Flesh the World Oh what dangerous Guides are these If they be our Leaders whither will they lead us why first to sin and wickedness here and then to Hell hereafter 'T is with them as with Solomons Whore Prov. 7.27 Her house is the way to Hell going down to the chambers of Death Can the Course be good when the Guide is bad and can the End be good when the Course is bad neither can be expected The Conversation Naturally comports with the Leader and the End judicially comports with the Conversation So that if these lead you this will inevitably follow upon it you 'l be very wicked in this Life and very miserable in the Life to come And besides this pray consider what a base thing it is for such a Creature as Man to be under the Conduct and Government of such base things as These Oh what a Debasement is it to him who is of such a Divine Extract and Original to be at the beck and ordering of such vile Things as Satan Sin and the rest Yet this is the misery of the Falne State upon Adams Fall Man has sadly lost his way and has put himself under woful Guides And one great thing done in his Restauration to his Primitive State is to reduce him to God as his First and Best Guide and Leader To drive this a little further in a word know that where 't is not the Leading of the Good Spirit it is the Leading of the Evil Spirit For One of these it must be not a Man in the World but he 's led by One of them Now do you not dread the thoughts of being led by Satan Oh it will be so unless you be led by this Holy Spirit of God What the Devil thy Leader Oh dreadful What comes after a Devil leading but a Devil tormenting 4. Weigh the Way and Manner of the Spirits leading You see how the Conduct of the Opposite Leaders is stated well how does this Leader manage his Conduct with great exactness and Wisdom he so leads as never to mislead so as always to direct with the deepest Judgment For as in all his Other Acts so in This he is the Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding the Spirit of Counsel the Spirit of Knowledge Isa 11.2 I will instruct thee says God and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guide thee with mine eye i. e. with great care and accuracy Psal 32.8 Thus the Spirit leads And He does this with infinite Truth and Faithfulness also As the wise man personating his Father says I have taught thee in the way of wisdom I have led thee in right paths Prov. 4.11 And as Abrahams Servant in the Particular Case before him Blessed be the Lord God of my Master Abraham which hath led me in the right way Gen. 24.48 And as the Psalmist with respect to Gods Conduct of Israel in the Wilderness He led them forth by the right way Psal 107.7 Such a Leading is this of the Spirit as to Believers in their whole course he always leads them in the right way And then he leads safely in
himself no more about us Oh take heed how you carry your selves towards him Not only upon Ingenuity Jer. 2.17 its base to be unkind to our Guid Hast thou not procured this to thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way But also upon the account of self-Love for as we behave our selves to him so he will behave himself to us Ita nos tractat ut a nobis tractatur 3. Labour after the having of the Leading of the Spirit in an higher Degree and Measure than what as yet you have attained unto 'T is not enough meerly to keep it but there must be a Getting more of it As there should be a Rise in our following so we should press after a Rise in the Spirits Leading of us And that in a threefold respect that he lead us 1. More Extensively as to the Object 2. With greater Light and Clearness Power and Efficacy as to the Manner 3. With more Eavenness and Constancy as to the Duration and Continuance of it He guides you to Truth but does he guide you to all Truth He guides you unto Truth but does he guide you into Truth and is this his Constant and Continued working in you Oh this high Measure of it we should aspire at and pant after taking up with nothing short of it And so as to Holiness and Practical Godliness the same is to be endeavoured after There is indeed much Mercy in the lowest Degree of this Act and they that have the lest should be thankful but yet a fuller Proportion may and ought to be desired by every Child of God And surely they who experience what this Leading of the Spirit is never think they have Enough of it 4. So live as that it may appear to others that you are led by this Spirit Christians your Actions and Conversations should be such as may suit with the Spirit that leads you Such as may evidence to the world that you are not in pretence only but in truth and reality under a Divine and Supernatural Conduct Do we lay claim to this Oh then what Good do we do more what Evil less than Others do VVhat live in sin do Evil things be Proud Worldly Covetous Passionate Unclean Malicious Fraudulent and yet pretend you are led by the Holy Spirit Lord what an Indignity and Affront do you put upon Him what a Cheat and Fallacy upon your own Souls Pray never talk of This unless your Lives be Holy and Good For ye who are real Saints oh that you would oft think of this and look upon it as one of the highest Engagements to Circumspect Walking You that are Guided by such a Word without and such a Spirit within What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 5. Be very thankful for this glorious Mercy Led by the Spirit admirable Love VVhat Thankfulness is due to Father Son and Spirit for it for all These have an hand though the last be more Immediately concerned in it VVhen you know not your way this Spirit shews it to you when you are weak and feeble not able to go this Spirit strengthens you I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their arms Hos 11.3 VVhen Others are left to the Conduct of their Own Light Vnderstanding Inclinations which lead them to Sin and Death you are under the Conduct of this Gracious Spirit which leads you to Grace and Glory what cause have you to admire this Distinguishing Grace How great is the Fathers Love in this who as Fathers here when they send their Sons into Foreign Countreys and they themselves cannot be with them they send a Tutor or Governour with them in all their Travels to instruct and govern and take care of them Just so does your Heavenly Father do for you in and by his Spirit in this state of your Pilgrimage and absence from him How great is the Love of the Son in this for he has Purchased and now does Actually send this Spirit to be your Teacher Monitor and Guid. And how great is the Love of the Spirit too in this All his Operations carry infinite Goodness and Condescension in them but none more than this his tender and patient Guiding of us Should not all the Persons therefore be heartily sincerely and with the greatest enlargedness of Heart blessed and adored for it Especially considering how they design and aim at the exalting of Themselves by this very Act. As in the Miraculous Leading of the People of Israel out of Egypt through the Red Sea and so on set forth Isa 43. V. 12. that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm dividing the Water before them V. 13 14. that led them through the deep as an Horse in the Wilderness that they should not stumble As a Beast goeth down into the Valley the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest so didst thou lead thy people for what end to make thy self a Glorious Name Surely so in that Spiritual and Gracious Leading that I am treating of the great God whether Essentially or Personally considered designs much Glory and Adoration to Himself And let him have it for he well deserves it from all that have any Experience of this Grace A Fifth Enquiry May such who are led by the Spirit fetch comfort from it 5. Enquiry Is this a solid Bottom for any to build Holy Joy upon Undoubtedly it is You who have it may rejoyce and that greatly For 1. It 's a clear Evidence a deciding Argument of your being the Sons of God And what a Soul-rejoycing Priviledge is that Sons of God this assures of dear Affection tender Care strong Protection constant Provision free Access to God ready Audience of Prayer a gracious Presence in every Condition a favourable Acceptance of all Duties a good Inheritance and Portion and what not All These Blessings are yours if ye be the Sons of God and so you are if led by the Spirit Oh then what a Ground of Comfort is this 2. As 't is a certain Evidence of Sonship here so 't is a certain Pledge of Heaven and Salvation hereafter And that both upon the account of the Relation which it instates in For if Sons then Heirs Heirs of God and Coheirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 And also upon the account of the Leading it self For whereever that is as 't is in Order to Salvation so this Salvation by it shall certainly be obtained Never did any perish that liv'd under the Spirits Guidance and Conduct God ever saves where the Spirit leads All that he guids come safe to the End of their Journey to their Eternal Rest 3. Besides the Things which are wrap'd up in this Leading besides the Matter and Manner of it all of which carry in them Ground of the highest Joy consider but two things Further about it 1. That it is Abiding Permanent Continuing The Spirit does not lead and
then leave as some Guids do with poor Travellers deserting them in the midst of their Dangers no but he holds on repeats and lengthens out this Act to the very last True this depends upon Conditions on our part as ye have heard but yet these do not make the thing Vncertain and lyable to Intercision because 't is part of the Spirits Leading to direct encline and overpower to the performance of those Conditions So 't is secur'd as to the Continuance of it to all the Elect of God Every upright Christian may triumphantly say with David This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guid even unto death Psal 48.14 The Cloud never left Israel till it brought them to the land of Promise so t is here 2. That it is managed and carryed on all along with Mixtures of all other Grace i. e. with the bestowing of inward Peace and Comfort and of all supplys necessary to the believing Soul 'T is not a bare naked Leading but such as is attended with the Conveyance of all Other Mercies According to that encouraging Text Isai 49.10 He that hath Mercy on them shall lead them even by the Springs of water shall he guid them Is not here Heb. 6.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong Consolation for all who are led by Gods Spirit In the Sixth and last place it might be enquir'd 6. Enquiry Since this Leading of the Holy Spirit is a Special and Discriminating Act what Inferences may be drawn from it as being such I might instance in several if I had not already exceeded the Bounds of a Sermon Therefore take but this One That 't is not a thing much to be wonder'd at that Saints and Sinners do so much differ and that Saints and Saints do so little differ The Difference 'twixt the two Former is great Light and Darkness Heaven and Hell do not more differ than they That which the One Loves the Other hates in their visible Practices there 's little but Sin in the â—â—e there 's Holiness though imperfect in the other The One Curses Swears takes Gods Name in Vain lives a brutish Life minds not God the Other fears God avoids Evil desires to order Words Thoughts Actions by the Rule of the Word Prays Sanctifies the Sabbath does Good is not here a vast Difference There is indeed but can it be expected it should be otherwise they being led by Different and Contrary Spirits Oh upon this no wonder that their Actings and Courses are so different Men will and must Be and Do according to the Spirit which Guides and Governs them Therefore the Unregenerate and Wicked being under the Guidance and Power of the Evil Spirit they will do what suits with that Spirit e contra the Renew'd and Sanctifyed being under the Guidance and Power of the Holy Spirit they will do what suits with that Spirit And upon this Foundation there must be an Everlasting Difference and Contrariety betwixt them But then for Saints and Saints they do not thus differ As to lesser Matters there may be too much of Differences even amongst Them but as to the Fundamentals of Faith and Practice so there is an admirable Harmony Vnity and Consent amongst them Some live in one Age some in another some in one Place some in another yet there is a blessed Oneness and Agreement amongst them all They believe the same Truths performe the same Duties attend upon the same Worship walk in the same path of Holiness have and act the same Graces groan under the same burdens drive on the same Designs as Face answers to Face so do they to one another And whence is this why from this they are all led by one and the same Spirit Hence it is that they do so concurr in all the Necessary and Vital parts of Religion We having the same Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 There is one Body and one Spirit which actuates and animates all that Body Eph. 4.4 'T is One and the self same Spirit which worketh in all as the Apostle speaks in reference to Gifts 1 Cor. 12.11 As many as are led by the Spirit of God here are Many that are led but 't is but One Spirit that leads them all This is that which causes such an Vnanimity and Harmony in Gods people both in Matters of Faith and Practice Oh that the World might see more of the Thing and then the Reason thereof would be obvious SERMON XXVII Quest What advantage may we expect from CHRISTS PRAYER for Union with HIMSELF and the Blessings relating to it JOHN 17.20 21. Neither Pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word V. 21. That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the World may believe that thou hast sent me IN this Chapter we have the admirable Prayer of Christ offered up to the Father a little before his last and greatest Sufferings In this Prayer we may observe the design and the contents of it The design of it is to encourage his Disciples ver 1. These words spake Jesus c. He had spoke much in the former Chapters for their comfort and encouragement and in pursuit of the same design he lifts up his eyes to Heaven and pours forth this Heavenly Prayer in their hearing The contents that which he prays for is Union with him and the Father and the blessings relating thereto of which more particularly afterwards The words considered joyntly with the design and contents of the Prayer offer us this Observation Observ The People of Christ have great encouragement from his Prayer in reference to Vnion with God and the Blessings relating to it In the prosecution hereof 1. I shall give some account of the severals he prayed for And 2. Shew what encouragement we have to expect what he prays for For the first he prays for Vnion with Himself and the Father for Faith the bond of this Union for Holiness the effect of it for Perseverance that it may continue and not be dissolved and interrupted lastly for Glory the Consummation of this Union 1. For Faith that those may have Faith who did not or do not yet believe ver 22. That the World may believe that thou hast sent me He prays that those who were chosen to Glory as the end and so to Faith as the means may be brought to believe on Christ as sent of the Father to be the Mediator and so accept of him as their Prophet Priest and King 2. He prays for Holiness the growth and increase of it ver 17. Sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth The word of Truth through the Spirit working with it and making impressions by it on the Heart is the instrument and mean both to begin Holiness in regeneration 1 Pet. 1.23 James 1.18 and to promote it where it is begun 1 Pet. 2.2
must be damned or saved for ever might understand in things necessary to Salvation what we mean and aim and drive at it hath made me tremble to hear some soar aloft that knowing men might know their parts while the meaner sort are kept from the knowledge of Christ and put their matter in such a dress of words in such a stile so composed that the most stand looking the Preacher in the face and hear a sound but know not what he saith and while he doth pretend to feed them indeed doth starve them and to teach them keepeth them in ignorance Would a Man of any Bowels of compassion go from a Prince to a condemned man and tell him in such Language that he should not understand the conditions upon which the Prince would pardon him and the poor man lose his Life because the proud and haughty Messenger must shew his knack in delivering his message in fine English which the condemned Man could not understand but this is course dealing with a Man in such circumstances that call for pity and compassion Paul had more Parts and Learning but more self-denyal than any of these when he said 1 Cor. 2.1 And I Brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God 4. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing Words of mans Wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power 2 Cor. 3.12 Seeing then we have such hope we use great plainness of speech 13. and not as Moses which put a vail over his face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished Some put a vail upon their words that people of mean Education that yet have Souls that must be damned or saved cannot look into those truths that shall never be abolished but what is this but a cursed preferring their own parts and praise before the Salvation of Eternal Souls and the preaching themselves and not Christ which will not be their praise but shame at the Eternal Judgment when some shall plead they stand there condemned because the Learned Preacher would not stoop to speak to them of Eternal matters in Language that they might have understood 4. This Eyeing of Eternity would stir us up to improve our Interest in God and Men for a continual succession of Men in the Ministerial Function In God by Prayer that the Lord of the Harvest would send forth Labourers into his Harvest In men whether such as have Children of pregnant parts studious and bookish serious in Religion and inclined to this Imployment that they would give them to God and give them Education in order to it which would be the Honour of Parents to have such proceed from their loins that shall be Embassadors to call the blind ungodly World to mind Eternity to escape Everlasting Damnation and obtain Eternal Life or whether they be such as have no Children so qualifyed or disposed yet have riches to be helpful to such as have such Children but not an Estate to bring them up for there is a necessity of a standing continued Ministry Men in all Ages are hasting to Eternity those that were our Ancestors in former Ages are already there and have taken up their Lodgings where they must for ever dwell and we are following after them and what a mercy is it that we have the Gospel preached unto us wherein we have directions how to escape Everlasting Torments and obtain Eternal Joyes in the other Eternal World to which we are a going and those that shall live after us when they have been upon the stage of this World awhile shall follow us and our Fathers into Eternity and give place to those that follow after them thus this World doth often change its Inhabitants What is the Life of Man but a coming into time and a going out into Eternity Oh how needful is it then that while they make their short stay on Earth they should have preaching Ministers to warn them of Eternal Misery and teach them the way to Eternal Glory Those that are now engaged in the work will shortly be all silenced by Death and Dust and how desirable is it that your Children and posterity should see and hear others preaching in their room and the Honourableness of the Office might allure young men to encline unto it is it not an Honour to be an Embassador of the great Eternal God to propound Articles of Everlasting peace between him and Everlasting Souls What is buying and selling Temporal Transitory things in comparison of a calling wherein it is mens work and business to save Souls from Eternal Misery and to bring them to the Eternal Enjoyment of the glorious God Thus in some few particulars we have shewed the Influence that the Eyeing of Eternity will have upon us in what we do Do you so Eye Eternity and the rest here for want of room omitted you shall by experience find out which will be better than knowing of them in the notion only because they are told you The Conclusion of this Discourse shall be some particular uses omitting many that it would afford 1. Is there an Eternal State Such unseen Eternal Joyes and Torments Who then can sufficiently lament the blindness madness and folly of this distracted World and the unreasonableness of those that have Rational and Eternal Souls to see them busily imployed in the matters of time which are only for time in present Honours Pleasures and Profits while they do neglect Everlasting things Everlasting Life and Death is before them Everlasting Joy or Torment is hard at hand and yet poor sinners take no care how to avoid the one or obtain the other Is it not matter of lamentation to see so many Thousands bereaved of the sober serious use of their Understandings That while they use their reason to get the Riches of this World they will not act as rational men to get the joyes of Heaven and to avoid Temporal Calamities yet not to escape Eternal misery Or if they be fallen into present Afflictions they contrive how they may get out of them if they be sick reason tells them they must use the means if they would be well if they be in pain Nature puts them on to seek after a Remedy and yet these same Men neglect all duty and cast away all care concerning Everlasting matters they are for seen pleasures and profits which are passing from them in the enjoyment of them but the unseen Eternal Glory in Heaven they pray not for they think not of Are they unjustly charged Let Conscience speak what thoughts they lye down withal upon their pillow if they wake or sleep fly from them in the silent night what a noise doth the cares of the World make in their Souls With what thoughts do they rise in the Morning of God or of the World Of the things of time or of Eternity Their thoughts are
God 1. By Sanctifying our Hearts and assimilating our Natures to the Nature of God for there can be no Communion where there is no likeness of Nature What Communion hath Light with Darkness or Fire with Water because there is no similitude in their Natures As the Elements that have symbolical qualities and some likeness in their Nature do easily pass one into the other by a Natural transmutation In this Communion with God there must be some suitableness and likeness between God and the Soul and that enmity and contrariety which is in our Natures to him must be removed by the sanctifying operation of the Holy Spirit in us 2. By elevating and raising the Soul above its Natural power and reach The Apostle distinguisheth between the Soul and Spirit in Man the Spirit is the superior part of the Soul and it is in the Spirit that we have our Communion with God who is a Spirit As the Union and Communion between the Soul and the Body in Nature is by the Superiour and most refined part of the Body which are the Vital Natural and Animal Spirits so our Union and Communion with God is by the Spirit the supreme part of the Soul and that elevated and raised by the Spirit of God above its own Natural capacity or power These are the principal wayes for Communion with God but then there are subordinate wayes which are the Ordinances and Institutions of God for that end For God hath in all ages been training up his people to this to have Communion with himself and therefore he did appoint Ordinances for that end under the Law there were Sacrifices and Altars and Solemn Feasts appointed of God especially the Sabbath-Day and a Sanctuary erected c. and all for this end that his People might therein draw nigh to him and have Communion with him And so in the New Testament God hath his Ordinances also appointed for this end as Prayer Hearing the Word Singing of Psalms Baptism and especially the Lords Supper which is therefore called the Communion as that Ordinance wherein we have a more special Communion with Christ and with God in him Quest But what is to be done more particularly on our part to obtain it and maintain it also Answ 1. In general we are to desire it and pant after it as the most beneficial and necessary thing in the World Many have it not because they desire it not They satisfie themselves in their converse with things below and the Communion they have with things sensible and natural and desire not this Communion with God Answ 2. You are to make it your scope and end in all the Ordinances you approach to to have therein Communion with God Many come to them out of custome some out of curiosity and others in hypocrisie and so find not that Communion with God which else they might obtain if they did make it their great scope and end David testifies his great longing that he had after the Sanctuary of God but it was for this end that he might there meet with God and have Communion with him as he expresseth it in the Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord to dwell in the House of the Lord that I may see the Beauty of the Lord and enquire in his Temple And again Psal 63. O God my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee that I may see thy Power and thy Glory as I have seen thee in thy Sanctuary which is in effect that he might there have Communion with God But to speak to this more particularly 1. If we would have Communion with God we must keep up the exercise of Faith in Christ for it is as I said by him that we have all our Communion with God therefore Christ had his Name Immanuel given to him which signifies God with us Let Faith look upon God as in Christ and so we may behold him reconciled we may behold him coming down to us in our own Nature we may behold him upon a Throne of Grace and as entred into a Covenant of Grace whereby we may with a greater freedome and boldness have access unto him which is the active part of this Communion with God and through Faith in Christ God also communicates himself by his Spirit to his People in Light Life and Love which is this Communion in the passive part of it The Apostle 1 John 4.15 saith to this purpose Whosoever confesseth that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God This Confession is an act of Faith and if it be not only from the Mouth but from the Heart it leadeth the Soul into this Communion with God expressed in our part by our dwelling in God and on Gods part by his dwelling in us 2. Keep up a dayly exercise of Repentance that so no new Sin nor the Guilt of it in the Conscience may hinder and interrupt our Communion with God For who can say his Heart is clean He is pure from sin and therefore there is need of dayly Repentance that sin may not interrupt our Communion with God which it will do if we abide impenitently under it The Apostle speaks in this Chapter of Fellow-ship with God and here in the Text and afterwards adds If any man say he hath no sin he deceiveth himself So that this Communion with God may consist with the Being of sin but not with impenitence under it and therefore adds If we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive it and we know that Confession of Sin is one great part of Repentance and when Sin is thus confessed and forgiven it need not hinder our Fellowship with God The Apostle also mentioneth in my Text Fellowship with God and the cleansing of us from sin by the Blood of Christ both these are put together so that to maintain this Fellowship with God we must be cleansed from sin which is done meritoriously by the Blood of Christ but on our part upon the Conditions of Faith and Repentance 3. Keep up a constant course of Prayer and praising God 1. Prayer Prayer is a special Ordinance for Communion with God and therefore so much commanded in Scripture Pray without ceasing saith the Apostle in one place Pray all manner of Prayer in the Spirit as he speaks in another place For if it be not a Prayer in the Spirit accompanied with Faith and fervour of Soul we may pray and yet have no Communion with God Prayer is compared to incense but it doth not ascend to Heaven but in the Fire of Holy Affection kindled by the Spirit And Christ therefore propounded several Parables to put men upon Fervency Faith and Perseverance in Prayer which are so well known that I need not mention them If the Soul draws nigh to God in any Duty it will be this And so Gods drawing nigh to the Soul is experienced to be much in this Duty of Prayer Christ himself
kindness to Men as to communicate himself to them as I said before and to admit men to make such near approaches to himself both these manifest his great goodness II. Take notice wherein Christianity excels Philosophy properly Vse II so call'd The one directs us the way to Communion with God which the other cannot do Philosophy speaks nothing of the Mediator the Man Christ Jesus by whom alone we can draw nigh to God Philosophy improves the Principles of meer Nature but cannot confer a new Nature doth not infuse such Principles as the Gospel doth to lead men into Communion with God Philosophy whether Natural or Moral hath an excellency in it in its proper Sphaere but yet falls far short of Christianity the Principles of the Gospel and the Mysteries of Faith wherein Men are led to the true knowledge of God and fellowship with him III. This may be matter of Lamentation in this prophane and Apostate Vse III Age that there is so little of this Communion with God to be found among men Some understand not what it is some desire it not nor seek after it some have lost what once they had And some deride and scoff at it as a foolish fancy a dream a delusion of some fanatick people Though some may pretend to it that have it not yet God forbid we should deny it The Apostle in the Text asserteth it and the experience of real Christians in all Ages bears witness to it And if it be not a fancy but a real thing I am sure it is the most solemn and important thing in the whole World Q. But why are there so few that attain it A. 1. Some are under an evil heart of unbelief whereby they depart from the living God Heb. 3.12 And what stands opposite to Communion with him more than departing from him 2. Others walk in Hypocrisie and have only External Communion with the Church and Ordinances of it but for want of true Grace and sincerity in their hearts have no real Communion with God 3. Others walk in Pride and God resisteth the proud knoweth him afar off and all Communion with God is intercepted hereby 4. Others are in such friendship with the World which as the Apostle saith is Enmity against God and where there is Enmity there can be no Communion 5. Others are under the disturbance of head-strong Passions and Communion with God requires a quiet serene and sedate frame of Spirit 6. Others concern themselves only about Disputes and Controversies in Religion and mind not that wherein the Life and Power of it consisteth which is Communion with God 7. Others satisfie themselves with notions and speculations with fine Language strains of Rhetorick well compiled forms of devotion and look no farther 8. Others give way to wandring thoughts and serve God with a distracted mind whereby their Hearts are carryed from God even while they are serving of him 9. Others make Religion meer matter of Discourse please themselves to talk of it and that 's all 10. And Lastly Others are fall'n into down right Atheism question Gods very Being and indeed are of no Religion at all and can have no Communion with the Deity which they doubt of or deny Now is not this to be lamented for Men to have no Communion with that God who gave them their Being that God in whose favour is their Life that God in whom is treasured up the true felicity of Man God is a Fountain of Living water a Spring of endless Pleasure an Ocean of all Perfection and Holiness but what is this to him that hath no Communion with him and hath not a drop of all this falling upon himself But in stead of this Communion with God have not these Men Fellowship with unrighteousness and the unfruitful works of darkness which the Apostle forbids Eph. 5.11 Fellowship with the Adulterer or Adulteress in Uncleanness with the Swearer in Prophane Oaths with the Unjust in Unrighteousness with the deceiver in his frauds the Lyer in false Speaking the Drunkard iâ— riotous and intemperate Drinking which Men call good Fellowship c. And I could wish that the Fellowship that men call clubbing at Taverns and Coffee-houses at unseasonable hours whereby the duties of their Families are neglected were forborn at this day Certainly a more circumspect walking is required of us especially such as pretend to Religion in a day wherein God is visiting the Nation and rebuking his own people for their Iniquities And many in stead of Fellowship with God have Fellowship with the Devil I mean not so much Witches Sorcerers or such as Confederate expresly with him but such as do his Lusts and carry on his work in the World What is the Devils great work Is it not to propagate Wickedness to persecute the Church to obstruct the Gospel to foment Divisions to corrupt the Truth with Error and to sow Tares among the Wheat And how many are there that have Fellowship with the Devil in such works as those But they little think of the Fellowship they are in danger to have with him in his Torments who at present have this Fellowship with him in these works of Wickedness IV. I shall next proceed to exhort men to seek after this Communion Vse IV with God And I shall first speak to such as are meer strangers to it have lived many years in the World and in a Land where the Gospel hath been long preached and yet know nothing of it 1. Let me perswade them that there is really such a thing and that all that is spoken of it is not meer canting and vain pretence 2. Let me perswade them seriously to seek it and to make it the great work of their lives and their great scope and end in all Religion to attain unto it 3. As the Gospel invites sinners to Christ let them make haste to him that in him they may have their peace made with God and receive that Grace whereby they may be capable of Communion with him 4. Let them no longer walk in darkness For if we say we have Fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth as the Apostle speaks in this Chapter And here remember what I spake in the opening of the Text. Wisdom is Light and Folly is Darkness Knowledge is Light and Ignorance is Darkness Truth is Light and Error is Darkness Holiness is Light and Sin and Wickedness are Darkness Let Men then first walk wisely and not as Fools Wisdom lyes in choosing to a Mans self a good end and in fitting means sutable to that end let Men do this Wisdom lies in preferring things according to their true worth and value let Men do so Wisdom lies in embracing of Seasons and redeeming of Time let Men practise this Wisdom lies in looking to things in their End and Issue and not only how they appear at the present let Men do this also And secondly I said Knowledge is Light Ignorance is Darkness
this and that Hour and Glorify thy self any time else Some think Hezekiah was loath to Dye Isa 38.23 Because he was in the midst of his Reformation and the work unfinisht He might possibly think it more son Gods Glory to live then than Dye Let me out live this Sickness escape this Persecution avoyd this Judgment and Father Glorify thy self ever after is our Language But wher 's Resignation to the Will of God all this while One would think the Patriarks died very unseasonable Heb. 11.4 When they expected the fulfilling of Promises but however they died Contentedly Many of us would gladly be spar'd to see the Resurrection of the Witnesses the fall of Antichrist the return of the Jews and the Descension of the New Jerusalem and then they think they could say with Simeon Luke 2.29 30. Lord now let thy Servant depart in Peace c. These desires are good if attended with Submission to the Will of God otherwise Rebellious 4. Though Nature shrinke our Souls be perpext our Thoughts disturb'd for fear of the hour Approaching yet our Wills must be Resigned our Reasoning silenc't our Passions Resisted and all Submitted to the Will of God The Lord Jesus was now strangely Perplext fear and amazment stopt his Mouth for a while yet as soon as he can Recollect himself this is the Language both of Heart and Lips Father Glorify thy Name It may be we have Plausible Arguments against Drinking the Cup as our Weakness Psal 39.9 Levit. 10.3 our Fear and possibly that to escape would be more for Gods Glory that 't is an hard case that we are not Ready c. Well but if we would have God Glorify himself Reason must be silent and only Faith speak as Christ doth in the Text and Matt. 26.39 c. 5. This Resignation is not only a Thought but a Deliberate desire 'T is Christs request to God Nay he begs more Hartily that the Father Glorify himself then that he should be saved from that Hour Christians may now and then use such an Expression by way of Ejaculation as a short Prayer the result of some close Spiritual reasoning in our Souls but can we settle our desire this way can we say in time of Plague Persecution or other Distress Father Glorify c. The Lord Jesus knowing how much it conduced to the Fathers Glory doth not only desire to Suffer but desires it earnestly and passionately Luke 12.50 I have a Baptism to be Baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplisht His Heart was bent Bent to Glorify his Father he was therefore Angry with Peter for diswading Matt. 16.22 23. He spaks with an Holy Passionateness and Indignation Jo. 18.11 The Cup that my Father putteth into my Hands shall I not Drink it And this is recorded for our Imitation Acts 21.13 What mean you to Weep and breake my Heart I am ready c. was Paul's Spirit The Name and Glory of the Lord Jesus are concerned in my Sufferings and I will Suffer his Will We should endeavour not only to be Content but desirous of Suffering when it is for the Glory of God 6. Lastly This is Christs last and Final Resolve he was at first Reluctant but now he fixeth and Changed not till Death Ah! many of us may say now and then Father Glorify thy Name but our Spirit alters Our goodness is as a Morning Cloud early dew that soon Vanisheth Hos 13.3 O but a resigned Soul makes it his abiding Resolve 3. The next General is to Alledg some grounds on which this Resignation is Built and reasons for it 1. We cannot prescribe how God should be Glorified therefore 't is fit we be Resigned How have Men befooled themselves and dishonoured God in the case of Worship They 'l invent and prescribe Forms and Modes when they have no ground to believe he 'l accept them Nothing pleaseth God but his own Will Even in the case in hand we must not dispose of our Selves and Suffer how and when and where and by whom we please for this would rather dishonour then Credit the cause of God because it wholy depend's upon his Pleasure He hath laid the Whole Platform and contrivance thereof in his own Councels and purpose and therein all the several Spirits of the Mystery answer and add Beauty to each other Now any thing of our Will would deform the rest and take off from that Divine Symmatry and Concord which render all becomming the Wisdom Holiness Power and Soveraign Grace of God And why do we not as well teach him how he should Govern the World as how he should dispose of us would it be for Gods Honour if we should direct when it should Rain and when Shine when there should be a Storm and when a Calm He that understands not the whole Councel of God cannot direct any Fragment thereof who hath known the Mind of the Lord and who hath been his Councellor Rom. 11.34 Nay is it not most dishonourable that his Creatures should advise him that dust and ashes should correct his Will Isa 45.9 10. The way of Gods Glory is the way of his Pleasure Rev. 4.11 Into which unless we resolve our selves we obstruct his Honour 2. Because Gods Glory is most Valuable Christ stood not upon his Life in Comparison of his Fathers Glory what then is our Life or Ease or Credit to be laid in the bottom with it Better the World Perish then God not be Glorified It was made for his Pleasure Rev. 4.11 for that end is it continued and if it be dissolved that will be the design see how magnificently the Prophet speaks of God Isa 40.15 16 17. And shall nothing shall we stand between him and his Glory Methinks we should Tremble at our unwillingness to Suffer according to his Will considering how it Eclipses his Glory Joshua was more Solicitous for Gods Name than his own Life or all the Camp of Israel Jos 7.9 3. Because Christ hath shew'd us the way in this most difficult case Learn of me saith he for I am Meek and Lowly Matt. 11.29 Wherein did he express his Meekness see Isa 5.3 7. He neither refused nor murmured complained nor resisted He behaved himself most Submisly and Obediently Now learn of him lay down Passion and tumult in a Suffering day and lye at the feet of your Father what did the Lord Submit and may the servant Rebel Nay the Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant as his Lord c. Matt. 10.24 'T is enough to be like him Eliah was content to Dye if God pleased why I am not better then my Father 1 Kings 19.4 Did the example of the Patriarcks move him Behold a greater then the Patriarks is here 4. Because God hath had his Will and Glorified his Name hitherto so he saith immediately after our Text. And must Providence be put out of its Course for us did not God Glorify himself upon and by all our Predecessors
to redress and check his own despondent Spirit 7. And here the State and Temper of Davids Spirit is remarkable for it was 1. Sensible of Gods hand and Mans upon it 2. Observant of its own resentments and deportment under its Grievances 3. Therefore much conversant with it self 4. Desirous of some Redress but yet from God alone and not only desirous But also 5. Duly provident and industrious to obtain it looking within to see its Maladies and above to get Relief and Succour for having Grace to act it and God to help it and a Covenant of Promises to encourage and support it it was resolved and at work to Act most like its considerate and gracious Self and to make its best of God Secondly Let us now consider these words as they contain what is Doctrinal to us as giving us some Notices of our present State and Duty of what we are liable unto viz. To be cast down and disquieted and of what we are to do when exercised thus viz. 1. To discourse our selves And 2. To urge our Hope in God upon our selves and to press upon our selves what may enforce it and encourage it For 1. We find that all passages of Sacred Writ are upon Record for our Instruction and Advantage Rom. 15.4 2 Tim. 3.16 17. And why not this amongst the rest 2. We are exhorted to take the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering Affliction and of Patience James 5.10 And such was David Acts 2.30 3. And in this Great and Exemplary Prophet we have this Four-fold Mirrour 1. A Mirrour of the Calamities whereto the best of Men may be exposed viz. To be cast down and disquieted Dreadful Afflictions and Dismal Apprehensions and Constructions arising from them and deep Resentments of them are incident to the holyest and best Men. I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I have Roared by reason of the disquietness of my Heart Thy Arrows stick fast in me and thy Hand presseth me sore Psal 38.2 6 8. I need not tell you what pressures were upon the Spirit of the Lord Christ and how they were resented by him 2. A Mirrour of that peculiar work at home which gracious Souls in their Afflictions are to mind Psal 77.6 11. 4.4 They must search into and commune with themselves about what lies upon them and how it is born and taken by them 3. A Mirrour of that redress and remedy whereunto they must repair when thus exercised and afflicted Psal 94.19 56.3 Let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee Psal 25.20 None but God and nothing but hope in him can give relief unto the troubled Soul And then 4. A Mirrour of that Grace and Wisdom which prompts and fits Men to Discourse themselves and to hope in God Hope thou for I shall yet let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee Psal 25.21 Here you may see the Holy poyse and bent of gracious Souls Sufferings though never so manifold and mighty and continuing will never bring the graceless Soul home to it self or God Only great thoughts of God and a due space of his relations and promises to us and of his interest in us can make us bear up our despondent and afflicted Spirits by fixed hope in God and bring us to discourse our selves to purpose The Power and Tendency of Holy Principles and of gracious dispositions are here conspicuous and legible in my Text take then the Sense thereof in this comprehensive proposition following Doctr. When gracious Souls are cast down and disquieted within themselves they should discourse themselves and revive those thoughts and such a Sense of God upon themselves as may encourage and enforce their hopes and confidence in God Psal 77.6 10. Holy David he is here a pattern to us all For here you see that in the greatest Agonies and Conflicts of his Spirit with what attempted thus to bear and keep it down David here 1. Makes a right and amiable representation of God to himself he sets him always before him as the Lord Jesus did Acts 2.25 and that 1. As God 2. As his God 3. As the health of his Countenance 4. As One that he should praise and therefore he expected the glorious appearances of this God for him 5. As One who in his great and gracious appearances for his Releif would master all those difficulties which any ways might threaten to obstruct the passages of his desired and expected Succours to him For I shall yet i. e. let things be as they will at present praise him 2ly He thence expects great things Such as are matters of high praises and acknowledgments to his God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laudabo Targ. Confitebor ei vul lat and infers them from these cheering considerations of his God 3ly He improves what he discovers and infers for the fixing of his hope in God 4ly And all this is to rebuke and moderate his otherwise too extravagant dejections and disturbances arising from excessive Sorrows Fears and Cares So that you see that no sorrows or dejections must banish or divorce us from our selves and God and from just hopes in him No Calamities should lay gracious Persons Prostrate at their Feet But they must conflict and argue with themselves and bring their Sorrows to the impartial Test and Scrutinies lest they promote their own distresses by sinful negligences and inadvertencies and make themselves to be the less receptive of those Encouragements and Supports which they might otherwise derive with ease from him who is their God and under strong propensions and engagements to act and to approve himself accordingly for their good Good Men are too propense and apt to make their Cups more bitter than ever God intended they should be whilst they attend more unto the resentments of their afflicted than to the hopes advantages and Principles of their gracious selves We wrest Gods dealings with us and then we censure him for what we bring upon our selves But Grace directs to better things and prompts Men first to self-discourses and debates about what is so very hard upon them that so the malady with its impressions and effects upon them being well understood the remedy may the better be considered and improved by them for as we can do nothing without God so he mistakes the proper state methods of Divine Redresses and Releifs that looks for any thing from God whilst he neglects himself But let me shew you the reach and purport of this Doctrine in these few following Propositions Proposi I. No Man so Great or Good in this World but he may fall under pressing and uncomfortable Circumstances Heb. 1.12 7.8 and Psal 34.19 the arrows of the Almighty are within me the poyson thereof drinketh up my Spirits the terrours of God set themselves in battle array against me Job 6.4 We have here neither a continuing City nor resting Place the troubles of the Patriarchs
our God is the God of Salvation Psal 68.20 Think on him therefore as Infinitely Aimable Trusty and Compassionate for were not his Fideliey Inviolable his Mercy and Grace exceeding Rich and his Compassionate Bowels deep how could these Characters of Excellence which he Imprints upon the Gracious Soul be called his Image 'T is Blaspemy against the Grace and Goodness of your God and a flat Contradiction to all the Endearing Accounts which he hath given you of his Grace and Clemency for you to think him Careless or Cruel Inaccessible and Inexorable or False Exhort II. Bless God for Jesus Christ by whom we are brought to this Relief and our Hope in God 1 Pet. 1.3 9. For Christ brought in this better Hope by which we thus draw nigh to God Heb. 7.19 By Christ we have access by Faith unto this Grace wherein we stand and Rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God and can Rejoyce in Tribulation as knowing what Excellent Fruits they are now made productive of Rom. 5.1 5. see Ephes 1.11 and let those Two Chapters Engage your deepest and most serious Thoughts I cannot now stand to open them least I should grow too large When Sin had torn us from our God and set his Face against us how Dismally did all things look about and towards us then the Face of God was Terrible the Thoughts of God were Frightful and Amazing the Way to God was blockt up from us and the Majesty of God was no where visible but in the Presages and Effects of Dreadful Jealousies and Revenges till Christ arose a Prince and Saviour sent from God to give a Glorious Resurrection to our dead and buried Hopes there was enough to cast and keep our Spirits down and to Disquiet us for ever Infinite Wisdom to contrive our Snares and Miseries Insuperable Power to bind and keep us to our Torturing Wracks Inflexibe and Inexorable Justice as to us incenst and prompted by deep and keen Resentments of our Degeneracies and Defections to call for Rigid Satisfaction and to Demand the Absolute Resignation of our All unto Divine Revenges and the Concerns and Glory of Gods disturbed Government rendring it needful that Gods Violated Laws by us be fully Executed on us to cut off all Relief and Hope from us and nothing in our selves to be discerned but what must Justifie Divine Severities and Revenges on us and fit us for and vex us in that Sea of Wrath and Fury which we expected and over which we hung Surely such things as these could not but make us every way Hopeless Helpless and Disconsolate and Wrack our Spirits to the utmost with Disquietudes and Dejections But our Hope dawned when Christ was promised and prefigured and made its Advances by gradual discoveries towards the Glorious shining of that more perfect Day wherein the Sun of Righteousness arose with Healing under his Wings in Mal. 4.2 with Isa 50.10 And when the Lord Redeemer came our Hope and Trust in God was taught by his Doctrine Enjoined and Regulated by his Laws Sanctified and illustrated by his Practice Purchased by his Blood Ingenerated and Cherished by his Spirit Confirmed by his Exhibited and Sealed Covenant and all his Federal Relations to us Enforced and Encouraged by his Intercession with the Father for us and its Accomplishment undertaken and secured to the full by his most Glorious Resurrection and Ascention 1 Pet. 1.21 And its Success is to be visibly and compleatly full at his Appearance and his Kingdom and hence Christ is called The Blessed Hope Tit. 2.13 So that with most Tryumphant Thankfulness and Joy may we Cry out If God be for us who can be against us He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all How shall he not with him also freely give us all things Who is he that Condemneth seeing it is God that Justifieth and Christ that Died yea rather that is Risen again who is even at the Right Hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us Who or what shall separate us from the Love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distress c. Rom. 8.31 39. And what Acknowledgments to God can bear proportion to so great a Gift as this whereby our Hope and Trust in God is thus Revived and Exalted Col. 1.21 27. View but the Face of God in Christ and let that Name of Christ be studied by you in Isa 9.6 7. and then see what can any way discourage you from Hope or Trust in God the Smiles of Majesty and the Supplies of Grace which we Expect and Covet are all from God in Jesus Christ Phil. 4.19 Epes 3.19 21. Christ is himself our Hope and the great Anchor of it 1 Tim. 1.1 Hebr. 6.18 20. And it is by him that God so Reconciles us to himself as to Encourage and Accept our Hope and Trust in him 2 Cor. 5.18 21. Both Comforter and Comforts are through him John 16.7 22. And he is the Patron and Exemplar of our Hope in God Exhort III. Look to your selves least any way your Hope or Trust in God be starved or stifled or trodden down by you Judg. 20.21 2 Pet. 3.11 14. 1 John 3.3 Phil. 2.12 13. If God make great Provisions to countenance sustain and raise this Hope and Trust in him must it not be our care and work to bear our Spirits up in the Liveliest Exercise thereof Let then my Text be Viewed again and see therein how your Work lies before you see that you mind your Souls and be more Conversant therewith than ever see what you have to Trust to your God and the Salvations of his Face or Presence see that your Hope and Trust be suited to the Grounds and Object thereof Observe the Timings of your Duty then most repair to this your Hope and Trust when Troubles and Discouragements press most severely on you and let your Spirits be Argued and Urged hereto by a due Sence of God and by Motives drawn from him Quest How the Religious of a Nation are the Strength of it SERMON XXX The Text is Isa 6.13 But yet in it shall be a Tenth and it shall return and shall be eaten as a Teil-Tree and as an Oak whose substance is in them when they cast their Leaves so the Holy Seed shall be the Substance thereof The Prophet was sent with heavy Tydings to the People 1. OF Spiritual Judgments like to befal them blindness of Mind and hardness of Heart to which they should be left the most dreadful Plague on this side Hell verse 9.10 2. Of Temporals to verse 11 12. until the Cities be wasted without Inhabitant c. God many times seconds Spiritual Judgments with Temporal they that are under the former can not be secure against the latter they that are insensible of the one may be made to feel the other But lest it should make the hearts of the few Righteous among them over sad and should prove in the event a temptation to despair and deject
we do not hear our selves 3. Beware of a lazy posture of the Body for the Soul is drawn into consent and sympathy with it verse 5. here the Jews stood up to shew their reverence and attention to the word of God They lifted up their hands bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground here was exalted Attention and Devotion and most humble veneration with intense affections and these could say Amen Amen But to see one sit and hang down his head and hang his hat on his nose or perhaps sleeping till he snore himself awake and then give a yawn or an idle Amen any one without breach of Charity may think him guilty of lazy Hypocrisie with detestation This is a mocking of God giving the Congregation a flap with this Foxes tail when they have cunningly slept over the greatest part of the Prayer and slipt out of the Congregation without removeal Irreligiosissimum est sedere nisi quod deo exprobamus quod oratio nos fatigaverit as Tertul. de Or. do says 'T is most indecent without a good Reason to sit at Prayer for 't is else in effect to tell God Prayer hath tired us out Use 4. Is of Direction and Exhortation how to keep up this Harmonious Amen in Publick Assemblies 1. Let Pastor and People never meet but premise some solemn preparations of Heart to meet the Lord. Rehoboam and most of the Kings of Israel and their People also Sin'd in this That they prepared not themselves to set their Hearts to seek the Lord 2 Chron. 12.14 he fitted not his Heart as the Hebrew Word imports it was no more fit to that Duty then an Ass is to play upon an Harp We should never offer God that which cost us nothing put off thy Shoes from thy Feet Vain Thoughts and Vile Affections and put on the Lord Jesus Christ e're you go into the Fathers Presence A Worldly Spirit coming off from common Employments is not fit for Communion with God A common Heart will never be inclosed in any Duty but runs wild of it self and lies open to all Incursions Vzzah was smitten though he touched the Ark out of a good intention but in an undue manner 1 Chron. 15.13 He did it not in Judgment nor according to Gods Order and Appointment 2. We must watch unto Prayer Matth. 26.41 for the Devil is there as to catch away the good Seed so to catch us away by every wandring Thought 1 Pet. 4.7 Peter and John were at Christs Transfiguration in the Mount Luke 9.32 but were sadly heavy with Sleep It is strange when they should have been taken up with Raptures and Extasies of Joy that they should be so Drossie and Drowsie But how hard a matter it is for to watch with Christ One Hour in Duty Grief might make them heavy in the Garden and yet Christ his Propassion and Sweating Drops of Blood was enough to have put them into an Agony of Compassion But alas neither the Garden nor the Mount is able to transport us or keep up Intention of Soul or Affection unless God keep Fire on his own Altar and blow up our Spark into a Flame 3. Our Intention cannot last long our Actions depending on the Body and those Spirits the finer Particles of the Blood separated from it by the Alembick of the Brain And as it is sometime e're they rise so their height and speed is soon over and then we run down into Flegm and Heaviness therefore in all Publick Duties solemn Fastings excepted for humbling Soul and Body we ought not to be too Prolix but to labour for strength rather then length thick and short as Davids Panting and Daniels Praying Chap. 9.19 Oh Lord hear Oh Lord forgive Oh Lord hearken and do defer not c. When weighty Petitions are sent up for thâ— whole Church they draw Universal Consent Not that we ought for Brevity 〈◊〉 to confine all Prayer to the Lords-Prayer as if no Bushel was a Bushel but 〈◊〉 Standard so to fall down at this and stand up against all others whereas it is 〈◊〉 diffused in Sense and so contracted in Words that the Text may very well admiâ— Comment in Conformity to its Sense and we need a more Comprehensive Mind then the Vulgar have to fill those words with 4. When all is done there is nothing done but all to do till we implore the good Spirit of God which he gave the Jews here Nehem. 9.20 And he bad them work for his Spirit was with them Hag. 2.4 And should remain among them when they Built the Temple Luke 24.49 Christ bad his Disciples tarry at Jerusalem till they were Endued with Power from on High there was no Preaching or Praying without this Spirit of Grace and Supplication Zech. 12.10 It is impossible the Organs of our Bodies or Faculties of our Souls should Praise God aright unless this Spirt of God fill them and blow them up He must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philip. 1.19 tune the Praise and form the Prayer in us he must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 5.16 inlay it and work it both in and out and he is the Master of the Choice to hold and keep us in Frame as well as set us in and enable us to drive all our Petitions home and through to a fervent Amen Deus solus docere potest ut velis se orari as Tertul. says None but God can teach us how to Pray tâ— God That Spirit of Adoption that enableth us to say Abba Father can only teaâ—â— us how to pronounce Amen Amen FINIS