The 7. means If you would grow strong in the inward man is this you must get the spirit all other means will nothing avail you except you get this for this is that that makes them effectual and makes a difference betwixt men Sampson was strong and so were other men but Sampson was stronger then othermen because he had the spirit and it is said oâ— Iohn the Baptist that he came in the spirit of Eliah That is he had the same spirit that Eliah had and therefore he had the greater efficacie If Iohn had not had this spirit he had been but as other men therefore whatsoever you do labour above all things to get the spirit nothing will strengthen the inward man except you have the spirit It is the spirit that makes the inward man to grow strong And thus much for the means for the strengthening of the inward man And for this point Now we proceed The next thing to be considered is the means which the Apostle layes down whereby they may be strengthened in the inward man Is to have the spirit That he would grant you c. That you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man That is if you would knowwhat would strengthen you it is the spirit hence note this point That Whatsover saving or sanctifying grace or strength of grace any man hath It all proceedes from the sanctifying spirit I say all saving grace all strength of grace comes from the Spirit Yet do not mistake me as if I did exclude the Father and the Son for they work together in every act The Father works not without the Son The Son works not without the Father The Father the Son work not without the Spirit neither doth the Spirit work without the Father and the Son for what one doth all doe But I ascribe the work of sanctification unto the Spirit because it is the proper work of the spirit to sanctifie and he is the strengthener of all grace That is all grace comes from the Father as the first cause of all things And then through Christ by the Spirit Grace is wrought in the soul Therefore those 3. distinctions of the Trinitie are good The Father is of himself alone the Son is of the Father and the holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son That is the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son and is sent into the hearts of his children to work grace and holiness in them and it must needs be so that the holy Ghost is the onely worker and strengthener of Grace because proceeding from such an holy Fountain as the Father and the Son are the fruit must needs be holy and the way to get sanctification and holiness is to get the holy Spirit Now in that that is sent to sanctifie Two things are to be required First he that is sent to sanctifie must proceed from a holy Fountain But the Spirit doth proceed from a most holy Fountain and pure which is God therefore it cannot chuse but be a holy work that he worketh The second thing that is required in him that is sent to sanctifie is this that he subsist in sanctification That is that he depend not upon another for sanctification but that he be able to sanctifie of himself Now this is the excellencie of the holy Ghost He is sanctification and holiness it self that is subsisting in sanctification and abounding in holiness And therefore able to strengthen the inward man But that you may more fully understand this point I will shew you how the Spirit strengtheneth the inward man working holines and sanctification And this will appear in four things especially The first way how the Spirit strengthneth grace in the the soul Is this By giving unto the soul an effectual operative and digestive facultie that is by rearing the inward man in the soul and setting up the building of grace And this he doth by shedding abroad in the heart the blessed effects of grace into every facultie even as the blood is in used into every vain or as the soul goes through every part of the body and so gives life unto it so doth the Spirit go through all the parts of the soul by infusing spiritual life and power into them therefore the Apostle cals it in the Ephes 4. his effectual power that is he hath such efficacie in working that he infuseth spiritual life into the soul. The second way how the spirit strengthens grace is this when he hath set up the building and swept every corner of the soul Then he enables the soul to do more then it could do by nature That is by putting new habits and qualities into the soul As first when a man can do no more then a natural man can do by nature then the spirit fortifies and enables the soul to act holily and spiritually As for example any hand can cut with a cheesil or the like instrument But if he can by it make a picture this is a work above nature No man can do it unless he have Art and Time about it so when the spirit comes into the heart then it makes a man to do more then he can naturally do Water you know of it self is cold but if you would have it of another qualitie then you must put a qualitie of fire in it so the soul is dead and cold by nature but if a qualitie of the fire of the spirit be added unto it then it will be able to do more then it naturally can do Therefore examine what new habits and qualities be in you that is whether you have new habits of patience love hope experience That is as patience begets experience and experience hope so where the spirit is it doth beget new habits and qualities in the soul by which it is able to do more then naturally it can do as I said it first builds the house and sweepes the rooms and then it fills and furnisheth the Roomes with new habits and qualities of grace The third way how the Spirit strengthens grace is this when it hath given us new habits then it enables and helpes us to use those habits to good when we have them for herein appears the power and the excellencie of the spirit not onely to give spiritual life and strength but also to enable us to the use of that strength for the strengthening of the inward man There may be qualities and habits in the soul and yet want of power to use them As for example a man that is asleep he hath habits and qualities but he wants power to use them so it is with those that are not strengthened in the inward man But he that hath the spirit hath power withal to use those habits to good therefore it is said that They spake as the spirit gave them utterance that is they had power from the spirit to speak to do and use those habits that were in them
Thus Sampson by the power of the spirit had power to use his strength And in the Acts 4 32 it is said that the Apostles spake boldly That is they had power for you must know that there may be habits of grace in the heart and yet want of power but when the spirit comes then it puts strength in the inward man to do Thus it is said that the spirit came upon Saul and he prophesied That is he was able to do more then before he could do and yet know that you may have true grace and yet now and then for the present want action that is power to do yet is but then when the spirit seems to absent it self from the soul and this was that which the Apostle speaks of Heb. 12. 12. Brethren you have forgotten the Consolation That is your spiritual strength may lie hidden dead and forgotten but the spirit will return and then you shall finde good again The fourth way whereby the spirit strengthens grace in the soul is by giving efficacie and power unto the means of growth which is a special advantage for strengthening of the inward man for as he sets up the building and furnisheth the Roomes and gives power unto the soul to use them so that which makes all these effectual is this when he gives power and efficacie unto the means that are for the strengthening of the inward man Now you know that the word is the onely ordinary means to work new habits and qualities in us that is to câ—lâ—…s and beget us into Christ but if the spirit should not add this unto them namely efficacie they will never beget us into Christ Therefore this is the means to make all effectual that is it gives a blessing to the means of grace The word alone without the spirit is as I told you as a scabberd without a sword or bâ—t as a sword without a hand that will do no good though you should stand in never so great need therefore the Aâ—ostle joyns them together in the Acts 20. he cals it the word of his grace that is the spirit must work grace or else the word will nothing avail you Again prayer is a means to strengthen the inward man but it the spirit be not joyned with it it is nothing worth and therefore the scripture saith Pray in the Holy Ghoâ—t That is if you pray not by the power of the Holy Ghost you will never obtain grace or sanctification The spirit is unto the means of grace as rain is unto the plants that is as rain makes the plants to thrive and and grow so it is the spirit that makes the inward man to grow in holiness Therefore it is the promise which God makes unto his Church in Isai. 44. 3. He will pour water upon the dry ground That is the heart which was before barren in grace and holiness shall now spring up in holiness and grow strong in the inward man and this shall be when I pour out my spirit upon them Therefore you see how the spirit doth strengthen grace in the soul by setting up the building of grace in the soul and then by furnishing the Roomes with new habits and qualities of grace And then by giving power unto the soul to use those habits And then by giving a blessing unto all the means of grace The use of this stands thus If the spirit be the onely means to strengthen the inward man then it will follow that whosoever hath not the Holy Ghost hath not this strength And whatsoever strength a man may seem to have to himself if it proceed not from the spirit it is no true strength but a half and counterfeit seeming strength For a man may thus argue from the cause to the effect That that is the true cause of strength must needs bring forth strong effects And on the contrary That which is not the true cause of strength cannot bring forth the effects of strength so that no natural thing can bring forth the strength of the inward man because it wants the ground of all strength which is the spirit And therefore you may have a flash or a seeming power of strength such as the foolish virgins had in Matth. 25. which seemed to be strong in the inward man but it was but a feigned strength because they had not the spirit It is the spirit that must give you assurance of salvatiâ—n and happiness And I have chosen this point in regard of the present occasion the receiving of the Sacrament before which you are especially to examine your selves whether you have this or no which if you have not then you have neither strength in the inward man nor any right or interest unto Christ. for I may well follow the Apostles rule It is the sign of those that are Christs they have the spirit In the 1 Cor. 2. 10. The spirit searcheth the deep things of God which he hath revealed unto us by his spirit And in the Ephesians 1. You were sealed with the spirit of Promise and in the Rom. 8. That they should be raised by the spirit which dwelleth in them and again As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God Thus you see that it stands you upon to examine your sâ—lves whether you have the spirit but above all places there are 2. places which prove the necessitie of having the spirit The one is this place which is my Text That you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man and the other place is that which Saint Iohn hath in the 1 Iob. 3. 14. By this we know that we are translated from death unto life because we love the Brethren That is if we be united in the bond of love that is a sign that we have the spirit and having the spirit it is the cause that we are translated that is changed we must be changlings from sin to grace before we can be saved Therefore examine what effectual spiritual strength you have what spiritual love there is amongst you And so accordingly you may judge of your estates whether you have any right or interest unto Christ And that I may help you in this thing I will lay down some signs by which you may know whether you have the spirit or no. The first sign whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no is this if you have the sanctifying spirit you will be full of fire That is it will fill you with spiritual heat and zeal now if you find this in you then it is the sanctifying spirit and therefore Iohn saith of Christ in Matth. 3. That he will baptize them with the spirit and with fire That is he will baptize them with that spirit whose nature is as fire that will fill you full of spiritual heat and zeal and therefore it is said in Acts 2. that they had tongues
planted them with such graces as flourish and grow up in them Thirdly as one delights in a Feast so God delights in them Cant. 5. 1. I have eaten my honey comb with my honey I have drunk my wine with my milk Revel 3. 20. I will come and sup with them I delight in them as in a Feast Fourthly where a man dwells there he is active one that doth nothing is not said to dwell in the place but rather to be imprisoned as one said of an idle man pointing to his body hic situs est his soul was buried in his body So Christ is said to dwell in us in regard of his activity and influence in regard of the works that he doth in us he works efficaciously in the soul making it fit for himself Christ hath an influence into the Saints he is still active in them furnisheth them with qualities that they had not and with actions that they did not before as one having an house makes his garden he dwells in us as the fire in the iron That is as the fire giveth to the iron all the qualities and properties of fire as hot burning and giving light it makes it like the fire so the spirit of a man when Christ dwelleth in him is made as the Spirit of Christ in all thinâ—s according to that degree of grace that he hath received We now come to the second thing we propounded and that is to shew you the benefits that we have by Christ his dwelling in our hearts and those are six First Where ever Christ dwelleth he maketh that person glorious he filleth his heart with glory This I take out of the Psal. 24. v. 7. Be ye lift up ye everlasting doors That the King of glory may come in The meaning is this when ever Christ cometh into any mans heart he comes as the King of glory That is not as one that is glorious in himself and keepeth his glory to himself but as one that communicateth his glory to that place where he cometh For there is that difference between Christ his coming in to an house and the coming of a Prince when a Prince cometh though he bring never so much glory with him yet he putteth it not upon the house the house remaineth the same But when Christ cometh into the heart he changeth he altereth the house he beautifieth and decks the soul with such excellencies as in themselves are glorious and appear glorious unto the view of others So Moses when he was with God his face did shine when he came down from the Mount because there God communicated his glory to him Indeed it is true that was an outward visible glory but yet the resemblance of that inward glory which God communicateth to the soul of him in whom he dwelleth That is he makes an impression of his own glory of his own Image upon that heart into which he cometh he stampeth it I say upon the heart and it is glorious in the Inward man it shineth forth also in the life and conversation even as the light shineth through the window so is it when Christ dwelleth in the heart he putteth a glory there which shineth forth makes him glorious in the eyes of others giveth a gracious and heavenly tincture to all his actions And the reason is because where he dwelleth he bringeth the spirit with him the Spirit of glory resteth upon them as you have it in 1 Pet 4. The Spirit of glory resteth upon you when you are railed upon for his names sake That is that spirit dwelleth in you covereth you and let them say what they can they shall not be able to hurt you for you are compast about with light even with the glorious Spirit of God As if one should cast dirt upon the Sun he cannot obscure the glory of it because light dwells in it so when men speak evil of the Saints disgrace and revile them they cannot hurt them for there is glory in them that shineth about them Now glory is nothing else but the manifestation of some excellencie to the view of others so we attribute still the word glory to such in whom we see some excellency to see a man in gorgeous apparel An Army under banners to see a ship under sail we say they are glorious So Michal said of David How glorious was the King of Israel to day because then he manifested himself Now when God sheddeth abroad his Spirit into the heartâ— of any whom he infuseth the graces of his Spirit into them he is said to put glory into them This Christ doth wheresover he cometh because he furnisheth them with grace and every grace is glorious As it is said of wisdom in the Proverbs He that is in estimation for wisdom and glory That is for wisdom which is glorious so when Christ cometh into the heart of any he makes them wise and therefore glorious The like may be said of anâ— other vâ—rtue therefore in the Epistle of Peter vertue and glory are joyned together In a word the Image of God is in them which is compounded of many graces Now that image is a glorious Image 2 Cor. 3. You are changed to the Image of God from glory to glory That is from one gloâ—i us degree of grace to another And this is the first bâ—n siâ— we have by Christ he makes them glorious in whom he dwelleth because he putteth his graces in them and stamps his similitudes upon them Secondly A second benefit that we have by Christs dwelling in us iâ— this where ever he dwelleth he ruleth and governeth he guideth the spirit wherein he dwelleth he keepeth the heart in order from mutinies and tumults he keepeth all the affections in obedience And this is a great benefit and this he doth where he dwelleth Therefore in Psal. 24. it is said Be you lift up ye everlasting doors speaking there of the soul which onely is everlasting and the King of glory shall come in That is he ruleth as a King dwelleth as a King that ruleth in the place where he cometh That as Satan ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedience so Christ ruleth in the children of obedience he guideth them and governeth them he ordereth their steps the right way That is when there are in them lusts fighting in their mind a law in their members rebelling against the Law of the spirit he keepeth down these Rebels he mortifieth these lusts and therefore in Rom. 8. The affections are said to be servants to righteousness That is because righteousness ruleth in the hearts of those in whom Christ dwelleth But you will say what benefit is this what priviledge is it to have Christ rule us it seemeth rather to be contrary it seemeth rather that this is to be restrained and to be over-ruled is it not better to have our liberty I answer that it is not but it is a great priviledge to
may strengthen and enable us to serve him that so we may please him in all things with fear and reverence so likewise 2 Pet. 3. ult But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ growth is properly of that which is a permanent thing of that which is an inherent thing as when a thing is said to grow whiter and whiter c. so I say grace is an inherent quality which is stamped upon the heart which is begotten in the heart But then I add that it is a supernatural quality that is it is such a quality as elevates and raiseth a man that enableth a man to do more then he is able to do by the strength of nature As for example to illustrate it If you take water of it self you know it is able to make your hands cold or any thing that is put into it but if you will have water do any thing above the nature of it you must put in a higher quality if you will have it heat you must put it to the fire So it is here we are able to do the things agreeable to nature without any special help but when we are to do the duties of new obedience to please God to do things that nature cannot reach unto we must have a higher quality infused into our hearts therefore I say grace is a supernatural quality that raiseth nature that elevates it that helps it to do more then otherwise it is able to do Again I add that it is a supernatural peculiar quality because there are some common supernatural gifts as those gifts of temperance knowledge patience meekness and the like these are the gifts of the Holy Ghost and these are many times wrought in the hearts of those that are not truly sanctified and these are supernatural gifts too but yet they are but common gifts they are such gifts as the Holy Ghost bestows upon those that are not elected to life But now saving grace is a gift peculiar to the Elect peculiar to those that are within the Covenant therefore to make a distinction we put them together in the description and say it is a supernatural peculiar quality Again further I add that it is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost because no creature in heaven or earth is able to work grace in any mans heart for to put grace into the heart is to put life into the heart now to put life into the heart is the property of the Spirit it is he that makes a man to live another life that as it is onely fire that can beget heat so it is onely the Holy Ghost that can beget life It is true other instruments are used the Word is an instrument and holy men are instruments but yet it is the Holy Ghost that works it principally and all instruments can do nothing without the influence of the Holy Ghost I add again to make it yet more full that it is wrought by the Holy Ghost whereby we are enabled to please God All those other common graces and all the effects and fruits of them though the things be good in themselves and supernatural because they come from the holy Spirit yet they do not please God that is the Lord is not so well pleased as to accept the man that is the Subject and the Agent of them to eternall life Onely by faith a man is able to please God and faith you know is the principle and root of all other graces it is onely grace that makes a man able to please him because the Lord delights in that which is like to himself This grace is the stamp and Image of God till a man then have such a quality in him and that all the works that he doth proceeds from this Image he pleaseth not God Lastly I add it enableth him to please God in all things for it is the property of grace that as it hath a general being spread through the whole soul so it hath general effects that is it hath an influence into all a mans life into all his actions so that whatsoever he doth there is some tincture of grace seen in it some leaven as I may say of grace some taste of grace Such a grace as is bestowed upon a man as a common gift it helps a man to do such a particular business it makes him mâ—ek it makes him temperate it makes him to understand his profession it makes him able to rule c. but yet this property it hath not to have a general influence into all that a man doth into all his actions for that is only the property of saving grace it enableth us to please God in all things So we see briefly what grace is Now I say this grace strengtheneth us wheresoever it is it makes a man strong in the inner man it makes him able to do the duties of new obedience he is not onely willing and desirous and purposing to do them but it gives him power and strength and vigor to go through with the work and the reasons are two First because grace changeth the nature of a man when a mans nature is changed that he doth naturally he doth it strongly There is nothing so strong as the course of nature you see it is hard to turn that other things that are not natural their course is easily altered but to make a man another man of a Lion to make him a Lamb this grace can do and nothing else Now take all feigned and counterfeit things they are feigned and return quickly to their own nature again You know guilded things last not long the guilt weareth off colours that are not wadded they will not last because they are but counterfeit and counterfeit things abide not they have no strength in them Now grace changing a mans nature it runs strongly it makes a man able to do the things he is set on work to do that is the first Reason Secondly Grace is the vigour or strength or efficacy of the spirit the very force and power of the holy Ghost As it is said of the Gospel It is the power of God to salvation so you may say grace it is the power of the spirit All other things in a man do but proceed from the flesh that is they have a root in the flesh common graces have a rise in our selves though there is a help of the holy Ghost in them yet there is something of the flesh in them Now whatsoever cometh of the flesh though it be beautiful yet it is as a flower that will fade away There is a weakness in all flesh as there is a strength in spirit which is intimated Isa. 21. 3. Fear not the Egyptians for they are flesh and not spirit As if he had said if there be nothing with them but an arm of flesh they are but weak for weakness is that that follows the flesh as naturally as
and through temptation it will vanquish and subdue corruption and bring him on his knees and so he falls flat before the Lord In such a case I say a man that hath his corruption subdued though it were a tryal tentimes greater and more sore yet he may live upon better terms with the Lord and more comfortably then another man with a lighter cross As it falls out many times in the time of War and hostility between two Cities or Nations the weaker part in the time of War indures and sustains more inconvenience and blood-shed and loss of men then after the full conquest is made especially if the government of the Conqueror be moderate and just as it is sometimes So as long as a man stands out with God in pride of spirit and will not yield he lives far more uncomfortably then when he is truly humbled and subjected to God Thirdly and lastly these general and greater afflictions may be born more comfortably and a less may more disquiet and trouble the heart because when a man hath been afflicted but in some one thing or a few things and hath many outward contentments and comforts yet remaining to him this is the usual course of men in such a case they think when their spirits are bruised and wounded with grief of heart they have lost such a friend they have lost part of such an Estate or credit then presently they fall to other things that are left them and they think to make themselves whole there when they have lost their contentment in one particular they enjoy they think to make them whole and to supply it with the outward things that remain This succeeds not because the wound that is made in the spirit by the loss of that whatsoever it be thou art crossed with it may be the anger of the Lord is mixed with it it may be the arrow of the Lord sticks in thy soul. Now if that be thy case all the outward application of comforts of the world will not do the turn Onely that hand that strook the arrow in our side is able to pluck it out of us And we see nothing more frequent and usual in the world men as long as they have other things to solace themselves with to set their delight on they never go to God If a man go to God for comfort it is as it were because he shuts every door else against him he hath no passage else that he must needs go that way or no way Therefore as long as God affords men the things of the world to solace and comfort them they do their utmost to seek it there but when God takes away all things and strikes away every prop that he hath nothing to rest on as the Dove that Noah sent that had no rest for the sole of her foot till she returned to the Ark this forceth a man of necessity to the Lord. Now though the wound were ten times more grievous and heavy coming to the right Physitian the Lord that made the wound he can cure it and comfort a man again If a man have but a scratch with a pin if he have an unskilful Chyrurgion the wound goes on to ranckle more and more and at last it costs a man his life On the other side if a man have a wound that is dangerous if he go to one that is skilfull this man recovers and lives in the world So many times many men live with disquiet minds they go to the world and seek to be whole there they seek their Physitian there and make the wound that is made worse and the latter end is worse then the beginning But now though a man be never so empty of comfort and be struck down and the hand of God be never so heavy upon him if he go to God and seek to him the Lord is able to make him a comfortable man again and to revive his spirit and bring him again from the grave So we see that objection fully answered that though we be not able to stand under lighter afflictions we may be able and strong enough to bear greater So much for this time THE LAVV OF SIN and GRACE COMBATING Rom. 7. 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to the law of sin which is in my members THat which is to be done for the solemnity of this day which hath been most profitable and necessarily set a part by the Church for the rememberance of our deliverance from the Gun-powder Treason I leave it to be performed by another We have now pitched upon a text which will serve for our particular use This day indeed puts us in mind of a great Treason which was intended against the whole State both of Church and Common-wealth and this will put us in mind of a Treason within us Now it is true that these outward Treasons and when we hear of Wars and rumours of Wars such things as are terrible to us every man is ready to be affected affrighted with things of this nature change of state loss of goods abreption of life these things are naturally terrible to us the very hearing of them But this now is a War within which is much more dangerous and concerns every one of us to be affected with a thousand times more for it is a deadly War a War that devours the soul the other destroys onely the body this is a War which kills us with an everlasting death when as the other is onely the loss of a temporal life And this is a War which is for the most part forgotten and not minded for it is a fight that makes no noise it comes not with the sound of drums and trumpets it carrieth along with it no terrible appearance hence it is that we think of it but little Now what do we serve for that are the watch-men of your souls but to stir you up to a mindfulness of this War to sound an allarm to you and if you will be stirred up to work your deliverance well if not we have delivered our own souls and he that perisheth his blood shall be upon his own head In this Chapter in the verse before my Text the Apostle Paul triumpheth in that liberty which he had through the grace of God I delight saith he in the Law of God concerning the inner man though I find many temptations to the contrary But when he had exprest that triumph he comes now with another caution which he expresseth in these words that I have read But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and leading me captive to the Law of sin that is in my members That is I find in my self a strong inclination a strong habit of sin carrying me violently to that which is evil Now this he sets forth by these properties First he calls it a Law Secondly he saith it is
IOHANNIS PRESTONI VIRI CLARISSIMI S. S. THEOLOGIAE DOCTORIS EFFIGIES RICHES OF MERCY TO MEN IN MISERY OR Certain Excellent Treatises concerning the Dignity and Duty of Gods Children By the late Reverend and Faithfull Minister of IESUS CHRIST IOHN PRESTON Doctor of Divinity and Chaplin in Ordinary to his Majesty Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometime Preacher of Lincolns Inne Psal. 34. 8. Taste and see how good the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him LONDON Printed by I. T. and are to be sold by Iohn Alen at the Rising Sun in Pauls Church Yard 1658. THE PREFACE KNow Christian Reader that this Remainder of Doctor Prestons works was never heretofore extant being the last of His that are likely to see the light taken by the same pen that his other works were and no way inferior to those already published Dr. Sibbs of eminent memory contemporary with Dr. Preston and one of those to whom he committed the publishing of what should be thought fit for publick view did in his life time own these Treatises by affixing his approbation to them And the Attestation of such Reverend authority forbids any doubt concerning the Author or worth of the work though this Treatise may inherit Orphans usage being not so exactly polished as it would have been had the Author lived But the filings of Gold and the dust of Diamonds must not be made waste of such advantages have accrucd to the souls of men by his other labors that we could not think it any lesse then a wrong to the Church of Christ to conceal any thing that might make for it 's spiritual benefit Perhaps thou wilt ask why this Piece was so long suppressed To which I answer the age hath doted so much about new lights that we perceived Old Truths to be neglected and laid aside but after men had filld themselves with their own devices and found their souls thriven no more then if they had fed upon ashes the vicious humor came to be abated and their appetite was reduced to a better state by the great Physician who testified his dearest respect to mens souls by the price he paid for restoring of them The intent of these Sermons is to promote the work of grace in the heart and life of a true Believer Not onely to enlarge the knowing faculty but chiefly to improve the practical part and distribute god liness through the whole man The Rickets are not so epidemical in the bodies of Children as in the soules of men and women whose heads are swollen with notions while their feet are feeble in heavenly motion The benefit of this work will better appear by thy serious perusal thereof from which I shall no longer detain thee Farewel Doctor Sibbs his testimony of this Treatise This Treatise hath nothing offensive in it but contains arguments tending to edification and may be of singular use and comfort to all true Believers R. Sibbs THE CONTENTS Of the Sermons in this Book Ephes. 3. 16. Doct. 1. That God is exceeding merciful p. 1. 1. To move men to come unto him 2. 2. It affords a ground of confidence to all distressed sinners ibid. 3. All men are exhorted to look after a portion in his abundant mercy ibid. Quest. What to take his mercies in vain answered 4. Means to partake of Gods mercy 6. Two sorts of mercies to be hungred after 7. Gods mercy a motive to duty 8. Motives to this from the severall properties in a good Master which are all found in God 20. Comfort to the Church from the consideration of Gods mercy 24. Why God afflicts his children 26. Doct. 2. Gods mercy is his Glory or God accounts it his glory to be merciful 28. USE 1. Doubt not but your petitions shall be heard for it is his glory to shew mercy 30. 2. Glorifie God in his mercy which is his glory ibid. Sermon 2. D. 1. Inward strengthning should be the earnest desire of a Christian. 38. Wherein this spiritual strength is seen 40. USE 1. Blaming them that seek not after this strength 44. Advantages of this spiritual strength 49. 2. Exhorting all men to labour after spiritual strength 60. Several motives to labour after it 61 62. 3. Directions for the attainment of spiritual strength 67. Several means 69. Rules propounded 72 c. Hinderances 77. c. D. 2. Sanctifying grace proceeds from the sanctifying spirit 82. How the spirit strengthens grace in the soul. 83. USE 1. Without the holy Ghost wee are without strengthening and sanctifying grace 85. Signs of having the spirit 88. 2. Above all things to labor for the spirit 106. Benefits of having the spirit 107. D. 3. The spirit is freely given 113. USE Terrour to them which have not the spirit 114. Means to obtain the holy spirit 115. Ephes. 3. 17. D. A great prerogative the saints have that Christ dwells in their hearts 121. What it is to have Christ dwell in our hearts 122. The benefits of Christs dwelling in our hearts 125. USE 1. To judge aright of Gods working in your hearts 135. 2. To saints that they would rejoyce in this priviledge that Christ dwells in them 139. Rom. 8. 34. D. Nothing can hinder the salvation of a believer 145. Reasons if it 147. USE 1. To see a necessity of all those blessed means whereby Christ is pleased to communicate himself 150. 2. Confutation of the Church of Rome as to their doctrine of doubting 152. Objections answered 153. 3 Of examination about the certainty of our spiritual state 160. 2 Tim. 2. 1. D. 1. Grace hath a strengthening property 183. Reasons 186 187. USE 1 To examine whether we have grace 189. Strength of grace in three things 192. Grace enables to actions of new obedience 200. And to constancy in it 201. D. 2. All Grace received from Christ. 207. Christs willingnesse to match with us 208. D. 3. Wee must not onely get strength but use it 212. USE To quicken us to our duties in the putting forth of our strength 217. Helps to exercise spiritual strength 219. Necessity of it 223. 2 Tim. 3. 5. D. 1. Godlinesse onely accepted and required of God 233. Godlinesse what 235. To exalt God 237. Reasons of the point 238. USE 1. Not to content our selves with any thing that nature hath wrought in us 242. Application to the Sacrament 246. Godlinesse how wrought 251. 2. Exalt God in your hearts 253. 3 Labour to excell in Godlinesse 256. D. 2. Most men have but a form of godlinesse 257 Reasons of it ibid. USE To examine whether we have onely a form 261. Five differences between the power and form of godlinesse 263. 2 Tim. 1. 13. Doct. The words of a Minister must bee wholesome 271. Reasons of it 273. USE 1. Two sorts of words are reproved 276. 2. The people must receive nothing but what is wholesome 283. 3 We ought to esteem wholesome words as our food 288. 4. What the behaviour of Ministers ought
within I speake of those actions which are actions of mercy be you mercifull therefore as your heavenly father is for that is a sign that you have the same spirit that he hath when God cometh into the heart of any man he receiveth the spirit of the father And therefore as you would have a witnesse and testimony to your selves that you are the sons of God be you merciful There is a natural mercy I confess found in those that have not mercy indeed but this God accepteth not because such mercies are but counterfeit to the true mercy Labour to be merciful as God is to abound in mercy that every one may fare the better for you wherever you dwell and whatsoever you doe let all your actions be works of mercy so will God accept them and be ready to render mercy to you again INWARD STRENGTH The desire of a Christian. Text EPHES. 3. 16. That you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man THese words are a part and indeed the sum of that excellent and divine prayer that Paul made for the Ephesians the principal thing that the Apostle prays for is this that they may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man and this the Apostle sets down in such a manner that he answereth all doubts that might hinder the Ephesians from obtaining this gracious priviledge For first they might demand this of Paul you pray that we may be strong in the inward man but how or what means shall we use to get this strength the Apostle answereth to this and tels them the means to be strong in the inward man is to get the spirit that you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man Secondly but they might demand But how shal we do to get the spirit The Apostle answereth to this you must pray for him for your selves as I do for you for I pray that he would grant you the spirit that you may be strengthened in the inward man and thus you must do for your selves be earnest in prayer to get the spirit which he hath promised to those that ask it Thirdly They might demand but what should move God to give us his spirit and to hear our prayers To this he answers that the moving cause is the riches of his glory that you may be strengthened in the Inward man Fourthly they might demand yea but what shall we be the better for this strength if we get it To this the Apostle answereth in the verses following then saith he you shall be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length and the height the depth and the breadth of the riches of the love of God towards you in Christ. Now in that the Apostle above all other good that he wisheth unto them prayes for this that they may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man I gather this point That which is to be desired of every Christian and to be earnestly sought for is this that they may be strengthened in the Inward man I gather it thus Saint Paul was now to pray for some special good to the Ephesians and considering what might be most profitable and advantagious he makes choice of this above all other good things making it the sum and substance of his prayer that you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man I shall not need to prove this by any other places of scripture because the place in hand sufficiently proves the point as being the main scope and intent of the spirit of God in this place to shew the necessity of this doctrine of strengthening the inward man But for the fuller explaning of this point we will first shew you what this strength is and then wee will come to the uses There is therefore a twofold strengthening 1 There is first a natural 2. There is a supernatural Strength First I say there is a Natural strength and this is when a man is naturally strong or able either in the parts of his body or in the guifts of his minde as for example a man that hath a strong memory this is a natural strength or in other qualities of the minde or else when a man is strong in the parts of his body these are natural strengths but this is not the strength that is here meant Secondly there is a Supernatural strength and this is two fold The first is a Supernatural strength which is received from the evil spirit which is when Satan shall joyn with the spirit of a man and adds a Supernatural strength and so makes him to doe more or suffer more then otherwise by Nature he were able to doe With this spirit are all the enemies of the Church strengthened Paul himself before he was committed was strengthened by this spirit Some men have more then a natural strength to undergo torments and yet not to shrink at them but this is not the strength here meant But there is a Second supernatural strength which comes from the sanctifying spirit whereby a Christian is able to do more then naturally he could doe and this is the strength which is here meant in this place and with this strength all the Saints are strengthened that is this was the strength that Eliah Stephen Iohn Baptist the Apostles and the rest had this made them speak boldly in the name of Christ. But you shall the better understand what this strength is if you doe but consider the particulars which are these The first particular wherein this spiritual strength is seen is this if a man chearfully thrive under many afflictions that is when they can rejoyce under great troubles and tryals they have this strength as Acts 5. 41. it is said of the Apostles that they departed from the Councel rejoycing that they were thought worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ he that bears some troubles hath some strength but to bear great troubles is required great strength that is to stand fast to Christ to profess his name as the holy Ghost saith in Rev. 2. 13. there where Satan hath his throne must needs be a great Supernatural work of the spirit The Second particular is this in the hour of temptation when the storms arise and the flouds lift up their voyce the heart is stablished being founded upon the rock so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it all Satans darts fall upon such a state as an arrow upon a rock the heart is fixed like mount Zion The third particular wherein this spirituall strength is seen is this when a man doth believe though hee have all reason and strength against him this is to be strong in the inward man but to go further that you may the better know what this strength is I wil give you a definition of it It is a general good disposition or right habit a temperature or a due frame of the mind wherby it is enabled to
please God in all things 1. I say it is a general good disposition or right habit because a disposition to some one particular good is not strength as for example to have present passion to good not to continue argueth not strength in the inward man or to have the understanding strong yet to have the will and affections weak is not to be strong in the inward man but they must be all fortifi'd as for example a man or a woman is not said to be perfectly beautiful except they be beau tiful in all parts for beauty is a fit composure of all parts so likewise a man is not throughly strong but imperfect except he be strong in all parts that is strong in the understanding strong in the will strong in the affections Secondly I call it a temperature or due frame of the mind because it sets the soul in order that is it sets new bits on the faculties and fit obiects for those habits the soul was before like a disordered instrument or clock that went at randome every thing was out of its place but when this strength of the inward man is communicated to the soul it frames it a new that is it puts it into a right temper again Thirdly it is a frame whereby a man is enabled to please God in all things because it sets a good hew upon all our actions for as varnish makes all colours fresh so doth the strength of the inward man it sets a deep die upon all our actions puts a grace upon them and makes them beautiful nothing without it will hold trial every thing that hath the tincture and virtue of the strength of the Inward man will hold good it sets the stamp of holiness upon them as implanted by the spirit and therefore they are acceptable unto God Now that you may know the better what this strength is you must first inquire what weakness is now by weakness we doe not mean weakness before a man be converted for that cannot so properly be called weakness as wickedness and therefore know that this weakness which the Apostle speaks of here which is proper unto Christians is of two sorts The First is weakness or a small measure of grace as in 1 Cor. 3. 1. That is those that are weak in knowledge and habes in Christ. The Second kinde of weakness is this when one that hath been strong is now fallen sick and weak that is he is fallen into a consumption of grace so that he cannot use his strength and his grace as formerly he could Now those that are weak in the first kinde they grow stronger and stronger but they that are weak in the second way they grow weaker and weaker therefore if there be any here that are such that have made profession of Christ but now are fallen unto the love of the world that were once lively and quickly to good duties but are now backward and cool my counsel to them shall be the same which Christ gives to the Church of Ephesus in the Rev. 2. 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and to doe their first workes lest their Candlestick be taken from them that is let them remember what they were in times past and what they are now and let them humble themselves and turn again into the right way and be ashamed of themselves that they have run away so far from Christ and that in time too lest their Candlestick be taken away from them that is lest those opportunities to good and the offers of grace be taken away from them Again as there are kindes of weaknesses so there are degrees of weaknesses The first degree of weakness is that which followes a relapse and this is of two sorts 1 Sensible 2 Insensible First Sensible and that is when the understanding is good in regard of the grace it knowes yet not in regard of the good it feels 2. There is a weakness Insensible and is such as cannot be felt and this is when men change their opinions of sins that is when they have thought otherwise of it then they now do As for example before they thought every sin a great sin but now they think some to be little or none at all The Second degree of weakness is that which followes the new birth and that is of two sorts 1 General 2 Particular First General weakness and this is when the judgement will and affections are all weak that is when a man is weak in all the parts of the soul and over-run with an universal feebleness The Second degree is a particular weakness and that is when a man is Generally strong and yet weak in some parts as for example a ship may be strong built or generally strong and yet having a leak in it cannot be said to be strong in all parts because it hath that in it which will at last destroy it so it is with a Christian if there be but a leak that is a weakness in one part of the soul he is not strong in the inward man therefore a man must take heed of all weakness though a man may be generally strong that he be not weak in some things Now I come to the Reasons wherefore we should be strong in the inward man and they are these The first Reason wherefore we should be strong in the inner man is this because it will fit us for many imployments that is it will make us go through much work with great ease to perform the weightiest duties in Religion in such manner as otherwise we could never be able to perform and this should perswade men the rather to pray earnestly for this because God rewards men according to their works that is it is not for beauty riches or dignity that moves God to give grace and glory unto any but according to their works a good reason it is therefore to perswade men to be strong in the Inner man that they may be able to go through great matters for God and that with great strength and this should make men to beg the spirit because he works in us effectually to the strengthening of us in the Inward man The Second reason why you should desire to be strong in the Inward man is this because it brings most comfort and chearfulnes into the soul. First because it makes us do all that we do with facility and easiness that which we do is easie unto us As for example a man that is weak in judgement and understanding any high point of Religion is weariness unto him because he wanteth a capacity to conceive now that which is not rightly conceived or understood he hath no comfort nor delight in it but it is with irksomness much weariness unto nature where as the same things unto a man of larger capacity they are easie unto him and he delights in them Secondly the more strength a man hath in the Inward
is They would not put off the motions of the spirit but they would strike while the Iron is hot and grinde while the winde blowes But men will not believe and therefore it is that they go on in sin as they do It is not so for earthly things men are easily to be brought to believe any promise of them As for example If a man shall come and tell a man of a commoditie which if he would buy and lay by him it would in a short time yield an hundred for one oh how ready would men be to buy such a commoditie with the wise Merchant Matth. 8. 44. they would sell all that ever they had to buy this oh that men would be thus wise for their souls Beloved I tell you this day of a commoditie the best the richest the profitablest commoditie that ever was bought even Christ grace and salvation for which if you will but lay out your stock to buy them you shall have them that is if you have but a desire to rest your wearied souls on Christ to lay him up in your hearts I tell you it will yield you an hundred for one Christ who is the commoditie himself saith Mark 10. He that for saketh Father and Mother wife and children and life for my sake shall receive an hundred fold in this life and everlasting life in the world to come but men will not believe that but time will come when you shall see it to be true and befool your selves that you lost so precious a bargain as Christ and salvation is for the disbursing of a little profit and pleasure but as I said before the difference lies here men want faith and hence it is that they neglect the strengthening of the inward man And are so over-burthened with losses and crosses because they want faith And so much for the third difference The fourth difference is this natural strength leads a man unto a form of godliness but the spiritual strength leads a man unto the power of godliness I call that the form of godliness when a man doth perform or do any thing with carnal affections not to a right end and it is known by this when men fall away from that stedfastness or form or shew of holiness which they seemed to have this form of godliness is the same with that Heb 6. which have tasted of the word of life and yet notwithstanding fall away that is they seemed to have tasted of saving grace and to have the power with the form but it was not so because they continued not that is they lost the form which made them seem to be that which now it appeares they were not Again I call that the power of godliness which is performed by the Divine power force and efficacie of the spirit in the Rom. 2. it is said that The Gentiles that were not under the Law did by nature the things contained in the Law That is they did not by the power and efficacie of the spirit but by Nature This Paul speakes of in the 2 Tim 2. 3. In the later time men shall come in form of godliness that is with a form or shew without substance or power of the spirit But the inward strength which is in the Inward man doth not onely teach you to do but also it teacheth you how to do them from an inward principle of sanctiing grace But know also men that have but a common strength have some bubbles and motions to good and they seem to have this strength because they have the law of nature written in their hearts and they may promise much and yet not be spiritually strong having onely a form because he cannot do spiritual actions in a spiritual manner for he goes about them with a natural strength which should be performed with a spiritual strength in 1 Pet. 1. 3. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation That is when aman is truly regenerated when he hath not power of his own to do the will of God then he hath the spirit to help him that is they are not only kept by his power but also they are inabled to all the acts of grace betwixt this and salvation The fift difference between the natural and the spiritual strength is this That which proceeds from the spirit is alwayes joyned with Reluctancy of the will but in the natural strength there is no Reluctancy because there is no contraries but in the spiritual man there are two contraries the flesh and the spirit in every new man there are two men and you know these can never agree but are still opposing one another As for example a man that is going up a hill he is in labour and pain but he that is going down a hill goes with much ease so there is much labour and pains which a spiritual man takes to subdue the flesh but the natural man hath no reluctancy at all that is he hath no fighting and strugling with corruption but he goes without pain because he is but one he is one man and one cannot be divided against it self but in every spiritual man there are two men the old man and the new man the flesh the spirit And hence growes that spiritual combate Gal. 5. 13. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh that they cannot do the things that they would These two men in a regenerate man strive for masteries And you must know also That in a natural man there may be a kind of reluctancy in the will against some particular sin as covetousness strives against pride and pride against niggardness yet not fighting against it as it is a sin but as it crosseth and twarteth his covetousness and pride Again know that a natural man may have reluctancy in some part of the soul as in the conscience the conscience being sensible of sin hence it may convince the man and yet the rest of the faculties be at peace but where this spiritual strength is it is in all parts not one facultie against another but all are fighting against sin in the whole man Now the reason that there is not this reluctancy in every facultie in a natural man is because he wants saving grace to oppose the workings of sin That is grace is not in the facultie opposite unto the corruption that is in it but in the holy man there is And therefore he is like Rebekah there are twins in him Iacob and Esau the flesh and the spirit hence it is that Paul complaineth so in Rom. 7. I finde another Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my mind A Law That is I find something in me that is contrary unto me and in my members That is in my body and soul notwithstanding I see the evil of sin as most contrary to grace yet I cannot avoid it I cannot do the things that I would But
is a Lion That is he is strong in grace secondly be is a grey hound That is he is swift in the performance of all holy duties Thirdly a hee goat serviceable to God and profitable to the Church fourthly a King to rule and over-rule his Iusts Every spiritual man is a King because he bears rule in the inward man but it is not so with a wicked man his lusts rule him that he is a slave and not a King and therefore the Apostle saith let not sin reign in your bodies to obey it in the lusts thereof That is if it once reign it will rule and if it rule you must obey whatsoever drudgery or slavery is injoyned you Therefore labour to get strength in the Inward Man And know also that you shall not only be free from the slavery of sin but you shall also keep your excellencie And therefore it may be said of every one that is weak in the inward man as Iacob said of Reuben in the 42. of Genesis Thou art become as weak as water That is thou wast that which thou art not now thou wast excellent but now thou hast lost it So I say unto you if you lose the strength of the inward man you will lose your excellency Now no man would willingly lose his excellencie if you would not lose you must keep strength in the inward man In the 1. Psal. the Psalmist sets forth the excellencie of that man that is strong in the Inward man He shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water First he sets forth the propertie of the spiritual man he shall be green secondly he shall be as a tree planted that is that shall not easily be plucked up Thirdly his perpetuitie his branches shall shall never wither That is he shall never grow unseemly Fourthly his fruitfulness he shall bring forth fruit in season that is he shall be fruitful in grace But on the contrary when a man grows weak in the inward man it will be far otherwise with him he will be like a tree that hath lost both sap and root leaf and fruit set in an barren soil with withered branches and fruitless fit for nothing but the fire but if a man can keep the strength in the Inward man neither reproach disdain nor shame or the Divel shall be able to make a man miserable Therefore keep the vigour of the inward man safe whatsoever becomes of the outward man And there is good reason why you should keep the inward man safe because it keepes the soul and directs it to that right end In the 1. Eccles. The wise man saith all things are vanitie and vexation of spirit That is when a man loseth his happiness in the Inward man Though he keep the outward man secure yet it is but vanitie and vexation of spirit That is he goes besides the rule he should go by For there is a rule unto every creature that he is to go by And the nearer the creature comes unto the rule the more excellent is the creature but if it go besides the rule it looseth its excellency As for example the fire and water they are excellent creatures if they keep to their rule But if they exceed their rule they become hurtful so the rule of the soul is the law put into the Inward man And the closer you keep to this the more excellent you are Therefore that you may keep your excellency which you cannot do except you strengthen the Inward man let this move you to a diligent attendance to it In the third place this may serve for direction for you may say unto me you have shewed us what this inward man is And the differences betwixt the inward strength and the outward strength And you have also laid down Motives to move us to strengthen the inward man But alas how shall we strengthen the Inward man To help you in this work I will lay down some means by the use of which you may be strengthned But before I come unto the particulars it will not be amisse to stand upon the general That is to perswade you a little to desire to be strong for if you could but bring your hearts unto this but desire to be strengthned it will be a great means to move us to prevail against whatsoever may seem to hinder us from it I say if you did but desire it that is if you did but know the excellency of the Inward man it would work a holy desire in you and a true desire will let no means escape that will further a man This is the same means that Christ useth to his Disciples when he would have them in love with faith If you have faith saith he but asmuch as a grain of Mustard seed you shall be able to remove mountains That is if you did but know the excellency of this grace of saith you would desire it and if you did but desire it you would never rest till you had got it so if you did but prize grace and the worth of the Inward man at a high rate you should be sure to gain it Therefore you know the promise in the 5. of Matthew Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after vighteousness for they shall be satisfied Therefore if you would but bring your hearts unto this frame as to hunger after the strength of the Inward man you shall have it or if you can but bring your hearts to this temper as to desire and seek after the strength of the Inward man you shall find it as in Prov. 2. 7. If thou searchest for her as for silver and diggest for her as for hidden treasure then thou shalt find her That is if thou didst but esteem the Inward man as men do silver and prize it as a rich treasure at a high rate Then the effect would follow you shall find it So then if you will desire salvation and happiness and the strength of the Inward man you shall have it for you will never thrive in grace until you have a desire to thrive grace will not grow till there be a desire wrought in the soul for when men do not delight in the inward man they never grow in grace and holiness That is they are not as trees planted that bring forth seasonable fruit but are barren do what you will to it the soul is naught for the spirit hath not yet tilled the heart and sown in it the first beginning of the seed of grace which is an earnest desire after it Now as it is good in the bodily â—â—ckness to know the means of recovery so in the sickness and weakness of the Inward man it is good to know the means by which it may be strengthned Therefore we will come to the particular means for the strengthning of the Inward man The first means to strengthen the Inward man is to abound in spiritual knowledge because the more
as of fire And again it is said That the Apostles were stirred up with boldness to speak That is when they saw God dishonoured this spirit kindled a high zeal in them that is set their hearts on fire it set their tongues on fire when the spirit enters into the heart of a Christian it will fill it full of zeal the heart the tongue the hands the feet and all the rest of the parts will be full of the heat of the spirit for it is imposssible that any man should have true zeal except he have the spirit Therefore it is said that they spake with New tongues us the spirit gave them utterance that is they spake with a great deal of zeal of another nature and qualitie then they did before Well then examine what heat and zeal you have in your actions so much heat so much spirit He shall Baptize you with the spirit and with fire That is if you have the sanctifying spirit you shall know it by the zeal that is in you in the performance of holy duties Therefore I say it is an excellent sign whereby a man may know whether he hath the spirit or no Now that a man may know by this I will make it clear by this example Take a bottle that is full of water and another that is full of Aqua vitae look upon them outwardly and they are all of one colour but if you tast them the one is hot and lively the other is cold and raw So look unto the formal outward actions of wicked men they have the same colour which the actions of holy men but if you tast them that is examine their lives and search into their hearts you shall find a great difference It may be they may seem to have light and heat in them but they want this Spirit for they have neither a loathing of sin nor power to resist sin They may put a false colour upon their actions but it will not hold And by this they may restrain lusts for some end they cannot Master and subdue them and it may heat a part of his heart but it cannot heat all his heart But where the sanctifying Spirit comes it heats all the soul That is it kindles a holy fire in all the faculties to burn up sin that is there Therefore this was the difference between Iohn the Baptists Baptisme and Christs Iohn could baptize them with water but Christ with the Spirit and with fire Therefore examine what heat there is in you against evil and what zeal there is in you to good Are you cold in prayer in conference in the Communion of Saints it is a sign that you have not the Spirit It may be you read hear pray and conferâ— but see with what heat you do them is it with you in these things as the Apostle would have you to be in earthly things in the 2 Cor. 7. 30. 31. To sorrow as if you sorrowed not to use the world as if you used it not That is do you perform holy duties with that coldness as if you cared not whether you did them or did them not Do you hear as if you heard not and do you receive the Sacrament as if you received it not do you pray as if you prayed not do you love as if you loved not then surely you have not the Spirit And on the contrary if you find spiritual heat and zeal in you a nimbleness and quickness to goodâ— it is a sign that you have the Spirit â—or it is the propertie of the Spirit to heat the soâ—l therefore the Prophet saith The zeal of thy house hath even eaten me up That is I have such a measure of zeal wrought in me by thy Spirit that I cannot see thee in the least measure dishonoured but I must burn with zeal Therefore examine your selves what zeal you have for God and godliness Are you hot for the things of this world and cold for grace and holiness Then whatsoever you think of your selves yet you have not the sanctifying Spirit There is not a holy man or woman that belongs unto Christ but they have this holy fire in them And yet I would not have you to mistake me as if every Christian did attain unto the like heat and zeal as others do for you must know that some have more and some have lesse according to the measure of the sanctifying Spirit that they have but this you must know that you must be full of heat full in some measure answerable to the measure of the sanctifying Spirit but if you find no heat at all in you then you have not a grain of the Spirit in you Not to be hot is to be luke warm and luke warmness is that which God hates it is a temper mixt of both heat and cold loathsome to nature and odious to God and therefore in Revel 3. Because the Laodiceans were neither hot nor cold but luke warm that is they had neither heat to God nor were so cold as to forsake the Truth That is sin and holiness stood in arbitration together and they had as good a minde unto the one as unto the other Now because it was thus with them therefore saith God I will spew them out and in the next verse he exhorts them To be zealous and amend That is except they labour to be hot in the Spirit they cannot be saved Again in Titus 2. it is said by the Apostle That Christ died that he might purchase to himself a people zealous of good works that is this zeal must not be a constrained zeal but a willing zeal And if there were no other motive to move men to be zealous but this because Christ came to redeem them for this end that they might be zealous of good works for his glory if there be any spark of the fire of grace in us it will burn at Christs dishonour And if Christ came to this end to make men zealous then surely Christ will not lose his end but they that Christ will save shall be zealous Therefore I beseech you labour to be strong in the inward man and labour to get the Spirit that you may be zealous But alas men think that they have drunk too much of this cup of giddiness That is they think they need not be so zealous as they are but I say if you be not it is a sign that you have not the Spirit especially it stands men now upon if they have an holy zeal in them to shew it I say it is time you should when you see such halting between two opinions shew your zeal by hating and abhorring Poperie and labouring to draw men from it especially now when we see men so desirous to go into Egypt again which is to be lamented in these dayes for which the Lord hath stretched out his hand against us But where is our zeal That is what spiritual heat is there in us where are those
meditate power to love power to obey all above nature and a power to forsake life and libertie riches and honour pleasure and all things which no man will do except he have the Spirit Secondly as it gives a strength and an excellent qualitie above nature so it adds unto it holiness that is it puts a tincture of goodness upon all your actions it warmeth the gifts of the minde and puts the heart in a frame of grace many men have a kind of strength but they want holiness and sanctification with it Now a man is said to be a holy man when the soul is separated and divided from things that are contrarie to its salvation and happiness and joyned And then joyned and united unto Christ wholly and totally Then and not until then is a man a true holy man it is with a holy man in this case as it is with a spouse she is separated from others and united to her husband are joyned to the Spirit have holiness with it and separated from sin The vessels in the time of the Law they were holy vessels because they were appointed to Gods worship in like maner when the Spirit comes into the heart it sanctifies it and makes him a holy man by making him in all his aims and ends to pitch upon Gods glory And this can no man do till the spirit of Christ be his In Cant. 6. 3. The Church saith I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine That is because he is my husband and I am his spouse therefore I will labour to be like him in holiness And our Saviour prayeth for this holiness for his Disciples In Ioh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is Truth That is the word is the means to work holiness in them when they want holiness they want all things for when profit and pleasure comes then the Spirit of holiness is as it were plucked from them but when they have the Spirit then they see the vanitie of these earthly things therefore it is that men are deceived with false and counterfeit wares because they want the Spirit of discerning but when the Spirit of God comes into the heart of a Christian then it shewes him the vanitie of these things and this he doth by enlightning the mind and therefore it is that they are kept from playing the Adulteresses with these things because they have the Spirit of discerning Now examine what strength above nature what conjunction of holiness have you with it what Spirit of discerning have you are not these things in you then you have not the Spirit The third sign whereby you shall know whether you have the Spirit or no is this examine when and by what means it came into thy heart This is the sign that the Apostle makes in Galat. 3. Did you saith he receive the Spirit by the work of the Law or else by Faith preached That is if you have the Spirit then tell me how you came by it how and by what means came he first into the heart But here all the Question is how a man may know whether the Spirit be come into the heart in the right manner or no. To this I answer That this you must know that the onely means to receive the Spirit into the heart that is the right conveyance of the Spirit into the heart is by the word purely preached That is when it comes in the evidence of the Spirit purely without the mixture of any thing of mans with it and further you shall know whether you have received the Spirit by the Preaching of the word by these two things 1. By the Antecedent 2 By the Consequent First I say you shall know it by that which went before I say if the spirit hath been brought into the heart by the word then there will be a deep humiliation wrought in the soul for sins And then Christ and the Spirit comes into the heart begins to cheer up the dejected sou and hereupon there will be a through change wrought in the whole man and it must needs be so because the nature of the spirit is first to pull down what mans corruptions have built And then to lay the foundation of the spiritual building Humilitie And then afterwards to rear the buildings of grace in the soul. As for example if you would know whether the plants receive vertue from the Olive or no Then you must know that first they must be cut off from their own stock and then they must be ingrasted into that and then see whether they have the fatness of the Olive and then whether they bear the Olive leaves So a Man that hath not received the the spirit by the word he shall see it by the ripeness of sin the corrupt branches the bitter fruit that comes and is brought forth by him But on the contrarie if the word by the spirit hath cut you down and humbled you throughly by the light of your sin and then ingrafted you into Christ by working in you a saving a justifying faith and if it hath made you fat and well liking in grace that you have brought forth better fruit then you could do before then surely the spirit came into the heart the right way and works in the right manner but as I said it will first humble you by the word as in Iohn 1. 8. The Spirit shall reprove the world of sin of Righteousness and of judgement First he will reprove them of sin to humble them Secondly of righteousness because they have not believed the all-sufficiencie of Christ. Thirdly of judgements that they might change their opinions that they might do those things and bring forth that as fruit is agreeable to Gods will Secondly consider the consequence that is look to the thing that followeth the spirit where it comes in Where the spirit comes it works a through change in the soul I call it not a bare change but a through change for as there may be a glistering shew of something like gold that is not gold so there may be a cessation and a change from sin but not throughly or heartily and so not at all for what will it avail Herod to forsake some and like of Iohn Baptist in some things well if he will not forsake all and like of Iohn Baptist in reproof of all In like manner what if you change your opinions of some sins That is what if ye esteem some sins to be sins indeed if you have no the like opinion of all whatsover you think of your selves as yet you never had the spirit Therefore if you would know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no in you then examine whether there be a through change wrought in you That is whether you do not esteem every sin to be sin but also what spiritual life you finde in you I say you shall know whether the holy spirit be in you by this
if you find your own spirit dead in you and Christs spirit quick and lively in you And this you shall know also by your affections That is if you have other affections both to God and Christ to holiness and to the Saints then you had before it is certain you have the spirit for this is that which followes the spirit for when the sanctifying spirit comes into the heart of a Christian it works another kinde of love in a man then a man naturally hath and again it makes a man live another kind of life then he did before Thus it was with Paul in 2 Gal. 20. I live but not I but Christ in me That is there is a proportion and likeness between the life of a Christian and Christ. That is when the spirit enters into the heart Then it will begin to put off the old man and to put on the new man it will put off their own power and strength to good and put on Christ onely Yet mistake me not I say not the substance of the soul is changed for the soul in substance is the same as it was before But here is the difference when the spirit comes it puts new qualities and habits unto it it alters and changes the disposition of it it gives it that sense which before it felt not and the sight which before it saw not hence it is throughly changed in regard of the qualitie and disposition of what it was and yet in substance remains the same as for example put iron into the fire the iron is the same it was in substance before it came into the fire but now it hath another qualitie it was cold and stiffe and hard and unpliable but now it is hot soft and plyable and this change is throughout in every part of it and yet it is iron still So it is with the spirit when it comes into the heart of a Christian he mingleth and infuseth spiritual life into all the parts of the soul and therefore it is said if the Spirit of Christ be in you the body is dead as touching sin but the Spirit is alive That is he is like a tree that wants both sap and root or as a man that is dead that wants a soul he is now dead whatsoever he was before Therefore examine if this thorow and great change be you see then what death there is in you to sin and what life unto holiness I call it a thorow and great change because a little one will never bring you into such a frame as to be fit for Heaven And again the Apostle cals it a great change in Rom. 12. 2. Be you met amorphosed That is throughly changed new moulded again In the 1 Cor. 3. You are saith the Apostle changed from glory to glory and therefore consider that every change will not serve the turn but it must be a great change the changing of Christs spirit for your own spirit which if you have then shall you come out of every affliction every difficulty like gold out of the furnace like cloth out of the die of Lions you shall be made Lambes of Serpents Doves Therefore see if this change be in you or no. If this change be in you Then when your old guest that is your old lusts shall come and find that their old companions be cast out of doors and that the soul is swept and changed they will not stay but seek abiding elsewhere And on the contrary if your opinions of sin be the same if you have the same lusts reigning in you if you use the same evil company and have the same haunts that ever you had you have not the spirit And so long as you remain thus do you think that Christ will come and sup and dine with you And yet you will not erect a building for him in your hearts Therefore if you would have Christ and the spirit labour to get holiness The fourth sign whereby you may know whether you have the spirit is this If it be but a common spirit you shall find that it will do by you as the Angels do by assumed bodies They take them up for a time and do many things with them to serve their own turns but they do not put life into them So in like manner examine whether the spirit makes you loving men or no. That is when the sanctifying spirit shall joyn with the soul of a man it will make him do sutable things and brings forth sutable actions The body is dead without the soul so the soul hath of it self no spiritual life to good without the spirit Therefore that which Paul speaks of unchaste widowes that they are dead while they live so I may say of every man that hath not the Spirit they are dead men dead to good to grace to holiness I say there is no life without the Spirit Men are not living men because they walk and talk and the like but they are living men that live in the Spirit and by the Spirit And on the contrary there is no true life neither are men to be esteemed living men that want the spirit Now the difference between the assumed bodies and the bodies which have the souls joyned with them are these By the examinnation of which it will appear that the most men which think they have the spirit are deceived with the common spirit That is beause they do the actions of assumed bodies The first property of an assumed body is this we have but an assumed body of grace and holiness when in the practise of life we take unto our selves the things that are evil and leave the things that are truely holy and good I do not say when I hate good but when I prefer evil before good setting it at the higher end of the Table and serving it first and attending on it most That is when holy duties become troublesome and wearisom unto you when it goes against the hair as we say that they crosse our nature and yet you will not crosse it for the love of Christ when it is thus with you whatsoever you think of your selves you have not the sanctifying spirit but a common spirit without life The second propertie of an assumed body of grace is if you have it not in a feeling manner The sanctifying spirit works a spiritual sence and taste in the soul. That is if you have the sanctifying spirit then holy things will have a good taste it will be sweet unto you it will purge out that which is contrary to the growth of the inward man On the contrary the common spirit will never make you to taste grace as it is grace or because it is grace That is grace will not be a daintie thing and it will be without a good savour therefore examine what taste of good you have whether you can relish grace or no if not you have not the sanctifying Spirit but an
assumed body and shew of grace That is a common spirit without the life of grace The third propertie of assumed bodies they are unconstant That is assumed bodies walk for a time but they walk not alwayes even so if you have but a common spirit you will not be constant in good but off and on from the Rule A man that is living in Christ you shall find him living and moving and doing the Actions of the new man A man that hath a common spirit may do some things that are good he may keep and press down sin for a while but not alwayes nor then neither as it is sin but because it crosseth his profit or pleasure or some such thing Again he may have some taste or relish o spiritual things But he is not cleansed or purged by them Again they may walk as a living man walks That is perform holy duties but they are not constant in holy duties neither do they perform them in obedience but out of self love That is they are still ebbing and seldom flowing They omit ostner then they perform Therefore let me exhort you all You that are alive and have been dead be you careful to prize your life And you that have been alive and now are dead That is you that have faln from your holiness and zeal and have lost your first love and strength labour now to renew it again But you that are alive and yet are falling let me exhort you to strengthen the things that are ready to die If there be any here such let them now humble themselves and seek the spirit with earnestness That they may be renewed That they may be strengthned and quickned to good and received to favour again But if you will not but continue in this condition still you have but a name that you are alive but indeed you are dead In Rom. 6. it is said That they that die in Christ shall live in him That is if you once live the life of grace and have received the sanctifying spirit you shall never die but live for ever in Christ. This was the promise that Christ made unto his Disciples and in them unto every Christian. That he would send the spirit and he should abide with them for ever Therefore examine if the Spirit do remain in you and make you constant in good if not it is not the sanfying spirit The fifth sign whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit is this examine whether it be the Spirit of adoption That is if it make you to call God Father Then it is the sanctifying Spirit in Galat. 4. 6. We have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father That is this is the property of the holy man no wicked man can call God Father because he hath not any such relation unto God he neither loves God nor God loves him The Apostle saith unto the Church I do this to prove or know the naturalness of your â—â—ve That is they that have the spirit they have as it were a natural inclination wrought in them to love God again to delight in God and in the Communion of Saints And therefore our Saviour saith in Iohn 4. It is my meat and drink to do the will of my Father That is he that hath God for his Father will serve him willingly without constraint as willingly as a man will eat and drink without wages that is he needs not to have wages to do that so he that hath the spirit he will delight in doing Gods will he will serve God though he should give him nothing And in this that God is our Father it will raise some like affections in us to love God again so likewise in prayer to have God to be our Father it likewise raiseth Son-like affections in us whereby we do not only believe that the things we pray for we shall have but we have also boldness to come unto him as unto a Father which no man can do till he have this spirit of adoption Therefore examine with what confidence and boldness you pray with what reverence you hear with what affection you love That is examine whether you have the spirit that doth make you to call God Father The sixt sign whereby you shall know whether you have the spirit or no is this you shall know it by the manner of working That is if it change you and lie combating in you as in Galat. 5. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh That is if you have the Spirit you will have continual fighting and striving in the soul and this will not be onely against some or more particular lusts but against all that it knowes to be a sin I say not onely that there is a striving or a suppressing but it is by way of lusting Because a natural man that hath not the sanctifying spirit may keep down a lust for â—â—me by-respects but it is not from a 〈◊〉 That is it is not because his heart hates it oâ—â—…sses it by another power then a natuâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love of sin still But the opposing and resisting of sin in the godly is by way of lusting because they hate the sin and they fight against it with courage Therefore examine what lusting there is in you that is what hating of sin and then see with what courage and power you go about the subduing of it It is said that Iohn Baptist came in the spirit of Elias that is he came with that spirit that is full of power I say you will fight faintly against sin except you have the Spirit when the Disciples had received the Spirit in Acts 4. They spake with great boldness That is they had greater power to speak then before Therefore the Lord exhorts all men in Isai. 30. 3. Trust not in them they are men and not Gods As if the very name of men were weakness That is they are men that have no power it is God that hath power and therefore trust not in them but in every thing labour to see the power of God in it and seek for all spiritual power to good by God and examine your selves what power you have when you pray what power have you to go through to the end when you hear what power have you to edification when you see evil what power have you to avoid it when you are offered the pleasures and profits of the world what power have you to forsake them if they may prove hurtful unto the inward man if you have strong lusts in you what power have you to suppresse and lust against them Therefore you shall know by this whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no by the working of it The seventh sign whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no is this you shall know it by your carriage in your words and actions and by your
Christian like walking and holy conversation And this is the same the Apostle speaks of when he would assure them of their resurrection to life in Rom. 6. If you die with Christ you shall also rise with him again That is if your actions be the actions of the spirit proceeding from the inward man and have some resemblance of Christ then you shall rise again and live with him And in Rom. 8. he comes to the works of the spirit So many saith he as are led by the Spirit they are Sons of God That is they are led unto all holy actions and the duties of sons and then he comes in Galat. 5. unto the fruits of the spirit The fruits of the spirit are love joy and peace c. well then examine whether you have the spirit by the actions of the spirit and by the working and fruits of the spirit and by the teaching of the spirit For it is the Spirit which is the doctor of the soul that teacheth it all spiritual and saving knowledge and therefore the Lord saith you shall not need to be taught of any other for you shall be all taught of God that is mens teaching will never be effectual to work grace and holiness in you except God teach by his spirit Now you must know that there is a two fold teaching First there is a teaching of beast by man that they may be serviceable unto men by this to put men in mind of the spiritual teaching God hath put such a power in the creatures that they cannot chuse but they must do it there is a necessitie laid upon them by God in the very instinct of nature So when the spirit comes into the heart of a Christian it openeth another light in the minde and therefore the Apostle saith that you need not teach you to love for you are taught of God to love one another That is there is a necessitie laid upon you and therefore you must needs love I grant that sometimes a thief may be in the high way but it is for a bootie and a holy man may be out of the way That is slipt aside but here is the difference the one sets himself of purpose to do evil and the other is inforced unto evil unwillingly And you shall know the difference between these two in these 2. things If a holy man have gone besides the way as soon as the passion or temptation is overpast he will return again into the right way he will not go forward nor stand still but he will return But the other though in some sence he knowes it and is told he is besides the rule yet he cares not he will go on forward Therefore examine what fruits of the spirit you bring forth and what wayes you delight in Are you in the way of holiness do you delight to pray to hear to receive do you love God and Christ and the Communion of Saints Then it is a sign that you have the Spirit But on the contrary if you follow drunkenness and uncleanness and prophaning of the Sabbath in gaming and in sporting and idleness you never had the Spirit Again consider what are your walkes that is do you follow your old evil haunts now as fast as ever you did it is a sign that you have not the Spirit Again think not that it will excuse you to say that whatsoever your actions be yet you have good hearts for you must know that your hearts are far worse then your actions as I said before for if you had the Spirit it would not be idle in you but as it makes the heart holy so it sends forth holy speeches and actions in the life The working power of the spirit is excellently set forth in that passage between Eliah and Elizeus in the Kings It is said that Eliah cast his mantle about Elizeus presently he cries out let me go first saith he and take leave of my Father and then I will go with thee Eliah might well have reasoned thus with him what have I done unto thee or what have I spoken unto thee that thou shouldest thus reply unto me as if I tied thee unto the contrary Said I any such word unto thee that thou mightest not go But there was a necessitie laid upon Elizeus by the spirit to go with him and therefore he could not chuse but break out into these words That is the spirit now entred into his heart that he was not now his own man he must now go where the spirit would have him and do that which the spirit bid him and so we see in Act. 4. 20. when the Jewes came to Peter and commanded that he should not preach Christ unto them he answereth that he cannot chuse but he must preach Christ And in the beginning of the chapter you shall see the reason of it They had received the holy Ghost and they spake boldly Therefore you see the spirit is not idle but marvellous working and operative Therefore examine what power you have what actions you have and what fruit you bring forth But you may say that sometimes the spirit seems to be dead in the heart therefore it is not alwayes working To this I answer that the propertie of the spirit is alwayes to work and it doth alwayes work but he may sometimes withdraw his actions of growing as when a Temptation comes which before you have resisted but now you are taken with it then the spirit seems to absent himself by withdrawing his power but notwithstanding he works still for in the instant there is lusting and labouring in you against it and afterwards he gives you power to return again Again it is not alwayes thus with you but sometimes onely Thus much for the first use The next use stands thus if the holy ghost doth strengthen us in the inward man then let me above all things exhort you to seek the spirit because it will strengthen you in the inward man For what would a man desire either for the outward or inward man but if he have the spirit he shall obtain it Would a man be enabled to pray would a man be enabled to bear losses and crosses would a man master particular lusts is a man in bondage and would be set at liberty from sin is a man spiritually dead and benummed is a man spiritually affrighted with sin would a man walk as a Christian man ought to walk would a man be enabled to every good work would a man love in a word would a man do any thing that is holy and good Let him get the Spirit and he shall do these and much more Thus much for the general what the spirit can do for a Christian. Now I come unto the particulars what the spirit will do unto them where he comes and those I will reduce in these four particular things The first benefit is this which a Christian gets by enjoying
the spirit That it puts the heart in a good frame of grace I say that the spirit and the spirit onely doth this And I speak of them onely that have the spirit That it sets the heart in a frame of holines and new obedience which nature cannot do because it keepes it in suspense That is the flesh suffereth it not to do what it would as to break the stubbornness of nature the flesh will make you very industrious and painful in evil But the spirit will restrain your libertie in evil That is it will not suffer you to do what you would though the lust and the temptation be violent to carry you away after it the spirit will not suffer you to be carried after that manner so long as the Spirit lives in the heart but if once the Spirit depart out of the heart then he becomes as weak as water Thus it was with Reuben in Gen. 44. Reuben is become as weak as water and he became thus after he had defiled his fathers bed that is when lust and opportunitie met together they took away strength and it weakens us because it drawes away the affections from good But when the spirit comes then it casts us into another frame as appears if we do but compare these two places together that in Iames 4. 5. with that in Act. 20. 22. Saint Iames saith That the Spirit lusteth after envie That is it laboureth to carry us headlong unto the committing of sin and to the doing of that which is evil but then comes the sanctifying Spirit and it stayes us and makes us to lust after God that is it bindes up your spirits suffers us not to do that which other wayes we would do Therefore examine whether you are bound with another Spirit that you cannot do the evil that you would do then it is certain that you have the holy Spirit Therefore Paul in the place forenamed said that he was bound in the Spirit for Ierusalem as if he had said the spirit of God bound up my spirit to go that I cannot otherwise chuse Therefore what do you mean to break mine heart what do you mean to hinder me I tell you there is a necessitie laid upon me by the Spirit that I must go whatsoever death befals me For it is the office of the Spirit to bind up our spirits and therefore in Rev. 1. it is said that Iohn was in the Spirit that is he was compast about with the Spirit he was in the Spirit as a man is in armour It keepes I say our spirits in a spiritual disposition that we cannot do the evil we would The second benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this that it enableth him to see and believe the things that otherwise he would not believe And I gather it from that place of the Prophet Isai. 6. 9. where it said seeing they should see and not perceive and hearing they should hear and not understand That is they see but want another sight which is the sight of the Spirit and therefore he cannot see A man may have a great fight of humane things by learning and Philosophie and the knowledge of Arts and sciences by these he may see both into natural and spiritual things in some measure But I say he cannot see as he should except he have added unto this another sight which is the sight that the spirit brings and therefore it is called the opening of the eyes and the boring of the ears and it is that which Saint Iohn speaks of in Iohn 1. that light shined in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not That is before a man have this sight of the Spirit whatsoever he sees it is with a great deal of darkness but when the spirit comes it drives away darkness by giving us another eye to see withall and the darkness comprehended it not That is the light is so great which the Spirit brings that nothing can eclipse the light of it Now untill a man have the spirit he doth neither see or believe truely you will not believe till you have the spirit but when you have got the Spirit then you will believe in Christ. We Preach Christ unto all and exhort you to believe but what is the reason that some believe and others believe not but because they do not see that is they want the spirit to shew their sin to humble them and to shew them Christ to comfort them and therefore Peter cals them purblind As men that are purblind cannot see things afar off so men without the spirit are purblind men that cannot see Christ grace and salvation a far off as near at hand but if they had the Spirit then they would see them neer hand That is you would see a marvellous beautie in Christ and holiness It is that which the Apostle speaks of in the 1 Cor. 2. 9. The eye hath not seen nor the ear heard nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things that God hath laid up for them that love him That is he saw them before but he saw them not in that manner that he sees them now They are represented unto him in another fashion Again he sees them in another hue that is he sees another beautie in them Thus you see the sanctifying Spirit openeth the eye of the understanding to see more a blind man might see if if he had but the facultie of seeing so spiritually blind persons may see when they have the Spirit The third benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this it breeds heavenly and spiritual effects in the soul as joy and comfort and the like and therefore in Ioh. 14. he is called the Comforter First I say the spirit will bring joy into the soul and therefore in Saint Iohn saith Christ he will lead you speaking of the spirit unto all truth And saith the Apostle The God of peace fill you with all Peace and joy in believing Now I make a difference between joy and comfort thus joy is unto the soul as a wall is unto a City that is as the wall doth compasse the City and so is a defence unto it and keepes out many enemies that other wayes would destroy it so doth joy it walls and fences the soul so as it keepes many dangers out that would ruine it The second effect is comfort and this I call a bulwark because a bulwark is of greater strength to beat off and keep out any that shall besiege it and make the Citizens more secure So comfort is a Bulwark of the soul. That is it strengthens the soul against the greatest temptations and tryals it maketh the soul secure resting upon Christ. The third effect that the spirit begets is boldness there is no true boldness without the spirit let Adam witness it ask him what boldness he had when he hid himself from God and what was the
puts the very first stamp of holiness upon us Secondly The Spirit is a free gift because the Spirit is a free Agent that is it works freely of himself Now reason is the free Agent of the outward man but it is the Spirit that gives reason Therefore the Spirit must be most free Thirdly The Spirit is a free gift by his carriage towards them that he will save he might have chosen the elder and not the younger That is he might have chosen Esau and not Iacob or if he would have chosen the younger Then he might have brought him first out of the womb but he will not because he is most free in his choice he will have Iacob and cast off Esau and so he might have chosen honourable and Noble men to have both preached the Gospel and to be saved by the Gospel he might have chosen them onely for salvation but he will not The poor they shall receive the Gospel That is he will make choice of them for salvation he might as well have chosen Simon Magus as Simon Peter but he will not therefore he is free Fourthly the Spirit is free which appears by the paucitie and fewness that he chuses he is at libertie he might have saved more but this shewes his freedom he is not tied to one more then to another The winde bloweth where it listeth That is he cals when and whom he will Let them come in that my house may be full That is none shall come no more no lesse then I have chosen Fifthly that the Spirit is a free gift appears by the prosecution of his decree both of Election and reprobation nothing more free then the Spirit is he might as I said have chosen Esau and not Iacob for there cannot a reason be given wherefore he should chuse the one and not the other he will chuse the wife and not the husband and he will chuse the husband and not the wise he will chuse the childe and not the father and he will chuse the father and not the childe Again he will chuse this man and that woman and not another man or the other woman and what is the reason of it surely there can be no reason given of it because the Spirit is free to chuse and chuse not Thus briefly I have shewed you that the Spirit is a free gift Is the Spirit then a free gift and doth it work freely Then let them consider this and tremble that are not sanctified by the Spirit For if the Spirit work freely and yet thou hast not sanctification wrought in thee it is a sign that thou doest not belong unto God Again if the winde bloweth where it listeth then it stands you upon to do as Millers and Marriners do to watch the opportunitie and grind when the Spirit bloweth upon you That is if at any time the Spirit doth kindle any spark of grace in you Take heed of neglecting the opportunitie That is do not say in this case unto the Spirit as Festus said unto Paul That you will hear him another time but be sure if the Spirit command do you run or if he cals be sure to answer him left he call you no more I have often told you there is a time when he will call you no more Therefore think with your selves what time of darkness and sorrow it will be to you then when with the five foolish virgins you shall be shut out of heaven and happiness There is a time when he will swear That ye shall not enter into his rest and do not I say onely labour and watch for the opportunity that is take the Spirit when it is offered but labour to get the oportunitie That is use the means whereby you may get him And for your help herein I will lay down some means whereby you may get the Spirit The first means to get the spirit is this you must labour to know the spirit for what is the reason that men do not receive the spirit but because they know him not that is they do not know him in his puritie in his free working in his incomprehensible greatness in his increase in holiness and therefore they put off the working of the spirit when men think now that their sin in this kind is not so great as Simon Magus was It is true say they Simon Magus his sin was a great sin and worthy of punishment because he thought to have bought the spirit with mony But if we will consider mens dealing now with the spirit we shall find that the same sin is committed still I say men think that they do not commit the sin of Simon Magus when indeed you do you know how great the sin was in him and what a judgement was inflicted against him and your sins are as great and the same but you know them not Therefore let us compare them together and you shall see that they are all one and that in these three particulars First Simon Magus thought that the spirit might have been had at any time for he neglected the means and despised it presupposing that at any time with a small reward he might get it of the Apostle what shall I give thee c And so when you put off the Spirit is not your sin the same thinking that you may have him when you will that you can have him at your pleasure to mortifie a strong lust a sin that you would be rid of and for a sin that is pleasing to your nature you can subdue it when you will And is not this a great sin as great as Simon Magus his was but can you do this can you mortifie your lusts have you power over them can you love God and the Saints well if you had never so much time you can never get the Spirit except that God give him Secondly Simon Magus thought that it was in the power of man to give the Spirit Therefore he asked Peter what he should give for the Spirit and is not your sin the same do not many men think that it is in the power of men to give the spirit when all the time of their life they will neglect the calling of the Spirit but in some great affliction that is when they lie upon their death bed then they will send for the Minister but not till then as if it were in his power to give the spirit Oh sir what shall I do to be saved can you tell me of any hope of salvation and the like Thirdly Simon Magus desired the spirit to a wrong end namely for his own advantage that upon whom soever he should lay his hands They might receive the holy Ghost And do not men do the like now They desire to have the spirit and they could wish with all their hearts that they had him but yet not to a right end That is for Gods glory but for some carnal end of their own That you
may be reputed thus and thus but not to any other end for know that a man may desire grace but if the aim of his desire be for his own end the desire is sin the same that Simon Magus his was Therefore I beseech you not to defer put not off the opportunitie and remember what the Lord saith in Hebr. 3. To day if you will hear my voice harden not your hearts That is this is the day now have you the opportunitie the candle is in your hands and you may light your souls by it the word is near you well then light your candles by it you may now light them whilst the fire is here but if you will not now how will you do when the fire is out That is when you shall be either taken from the means or the means from you therefore labour to know the spirit and Judge aright of him if you would get him The second means to get the spirit is faith and the best means to get faith is to be conscionable and constant in hearing the word Preached That is the Preaching of the word is a means to get the spirit And therefore the Apostle said Received you the Spirit by the work of the Law or else by Faith Preached Gal. 3. That is you may know whether you have the Spirit or no by this examine whether you have gotten â—aith by the Preaching of the word Our Saviour saith that The Tree is known by his fruit That is the branch cannot bear fruit except it receive vertue and strength from the root so if we get not faith in Christ and be joyned with him we shall never get the spirit Therefore if you would get the spirit you must get faith for faith is the knitting and the drawing grace it will draw the spirit into the soul and it will knit him fast unto the soul that it can never depart from it Faith will recover the spirit if it seem to want his power of working in the soul it will return him if he seem to depart away it will enlarge the heart if the spirit seem to be scanted in it that is it will widen the narrow bottle of our hearts And you know what our Saviour said to men and women in the Gospel be it unto you according to your Faith Therefore if you would get the Spirit you must get faith in your hearts That is if you would get a large measure of the Spirit then get a large measure of faith for what is the reason that men thrive not in the Spirit but because they thrive not in faith The third means to get the Spirit is an earnest desire joyned with prayer that is to desire and pray earnestly for the Spirit is a means to get the spirit An instance of this we find in Elishaes servant he earnestly desires and prayes that the spirit 〈◊〉 Eliah his Master might be doubled upon him Not that he meant that he might have as much more again but that he might have a greater measure of the spirit then other of the Prophets and he did obtain his desire for he was indued with a greater measure of the spirit then other of the Prophets were Even so if you would but desire and pray earnestly for the spirit you might get him Solomon desired wisdom and prayed for it and he had it and that in a larger measure then those that went before him so if you would pray for the spirit you have his promise in Luke 11. 14. That he would give the holy Ghost unto them that ask him and this he doth speak by way of opposition If you that are evil can give good things unto your children then much more will God give you his Spirit That is if a man or woman will be importunate for grace and the spirit as a childe will be unto the father for bread then he cannot deny you But you will say if he were my father and I were his childe then it is true he would give me his spirit But alas he is not for any thing I know neither my father nor I his childe To this I answer suppose thou be not his childe in thy own apprehension yet look back unto the 14. verse and see what importunitie doth Though a man would not open his door and give his neighbour that which he would have yet in regard of the importunitie of him that asketh he will open and give him what he would have this do you though you may have a denial sometimes That is no answer at all or an angry answer yet take no denial and your importunitie will at last prevail with him And to encourage you against former runnings out from God the Apostle saith that he giveth and upbraideth no man That is as no man meriteth at Gods hand so no man shall be upbraided with any railing to shame him he gives unto all men that come unto him that is without exception of persons without any by-respects freely and reproacheth no man That is he will not lay before him either that which might hinder him from coming to him or him from receiving him he might do but he will do neither And you know the promise made to the Disciples They must go to Ierusalem And he will after a certain time send the spirit but they must wait for him And this they did by constant prayer and they had the promise made good unto them for they had the Holy Ghost which came upon every one of them Acts 2. So if ye be constant in prayer what though for the present you get him not yet at last you shall have him thus much for this means If you would have the spirit you must pray and desire him earnestly The fourth means to get the spirit is to obey him and this you may do when you give him good entertainment that is when you indulge him with heavenly thoughts and do what he would have you to do out if you slight him That is set light by him and will not obey and be ruled by him you will never get him And this you do when you resist grieve and quench the spirit you resist that power when you resist the light which the spirit hath wrought in you That is when you fight against it against illuminated reasons and arguments This is a great sin You grieve the spirit when you mingle two contraries together That is when with the profession of Religion you joyn corrupt speeches and actions And you quench the spirit when you neglect the motions of the spirit and the means by which the spirit is got or increased or kept Nâ—w if you do thus you shall never get and retain the spirit But if on the contrary you love cherish and obey the spirit you shall have him and keep him The fifth means to get the spirit is this If you would get the spirit then you must wait upon those means
which are means for the getting of the spirit Neglect none of the means because you know not in which nor when the spirit will come it may be he will come now and not another time it may be he will breath upon you at such a ordinance and not at another In Acts 9. whilest Peter was Preaching unto them The holy Ghost came upon them that heard him So be diligent in waiting upon the means and the holy Ghost at one time or other will come Again he could have sent the spirit to Cornelius without the sending for Peter in Acts 10 But Peter must be sent for and he must Preach unto him and then he shall receive the holy Ghost Thus much for the means and for this time CHRIST the best INHABITANT Text EPHES. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith I Have chosen this Text by reason of this Sacramental occasion which doth represent Christs dwelling in us and it is the second head of Pauls Prayer The first was That they might be strengthened in the inward man This That Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith Having in the former discourse opened the words I shall not need to adde any thing here The point hence arising is That it is a great prerogative of which all the Saints are partakers that they have Christ to dwell in their hearts The Apostle prayeth for it being directed by the spirit of God in his prayer and therefore we should esteem of it as of a great priviledge And as of that of which all the Saints are partakers because it is necessarie to salvation none are saved without it Now for the better understanding of it I will first of all shew you these two things 1. What it is to have Christ dwell in our hearts 2. What benefits we receive by his dwelling in them For the first what it is to have Christ to dwell in our hearts To this I answer That then Christ dwells in our hearts when as he works in them in another manner then he did before he hath other works and we see other effects then formerly First he shewes himself kinde and favourable to us inlightning giving comfort refreshing framing and ruling ouâ— spirits that beâ—ore he did not and he doth not in others he is said to dwell in the Temple because his eyes are upon it his ears are there open to hear the prayers of men his mercy seat is there T is true God fills heaven and earth yet he is said to dwell in the Temple because there he manifesteth his peculiar presence so the phrases of the Scripture are to be understood Go not up for God is not with you That is he will not assist you God dwells where he assists he dwells not where he helpes not That you may understand this consider these four particulars First where a man dwells he must come to the house and abide in it so Christ comes into the hearts of believers in whom he dwells and unites himself to them and their hearts to him And that is done by a double act of the Spirit First he humbleth and convinceth men of sin he makes some alive and us to be dead the way to life is death as the corn dies that it may live And this the spirit of bondage doth by putting an edge to the Law by making men desirous of Christ. Secondly the Spirit of adoption that unites us that perswades us that Christ is ours Love makes the union Faith is the agent in this union but it doth it by love as fire is said to heat though the qualitie doth it immediately when after sound humiliation we believe reconciliation with Christ there is a love to Christ then there is a union That is the first word he unites himself to the heart and it to him Secondly It is not enough for a man to come to the place to be conjoyned to it for a time but he must continue there else he dwells not there but is a stranger a dwell â—r must continue Christ abides with us for ever according to that everlasting Covenant which he hath made with 〈◊〉 Is 55. 3 He hath made an everlasting Covenant with us even the sure mercies of David He never seperates himself from us after he comes he continues for ever But it may be objected though Christ will not depart from us yet we may depart from him To this I answer that he will not suffer us to depart from him Ier. 32. 4. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them That is I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me we are knit together without separation he never departs from us nor we from him The reason why we continue in the state of grace is not because grace is of an unsatiable nature for it is a creature and may vanish as all other creatures do But it never failes because it is in Christ and supported by his arm of omnipotencie The light in the air may quickly perish but if the sun be ever with it it never perisheth â—o the water of a stream may fail but if there be a spring to supply it it never fails grace may perish as it did in Adam but men ingrafted into the second Adam can never fall because Christ is never severed from them we have his word for it he keeps us by his power There is an everlasting Covenant on both sides The Sacrament se ls this unto us That God hath made a Covenant that he will never depart from it and we set our seal by it that we will never depart from him Gal 5. 3. He that is circumcised is bound to keep the whole Law So he that receives the Sacrament is bound he engages himself to keep the Law of faith and he receives that oath when he was baptized Thirdly where a man dwells there he must delight else he is not said properly to dwell there a man that is imprisoned is not said to dwell in the spirit because he delights not in it Now Christ is said to dwell in us because he delights in us Esai 62. 4. Thou shalt no more be called forsaken but Hephsebah because the Lord delighteth in thee presence argues delight God delights in the Saints therefore he dwells in them he works in them that which is pleasing to them Artifex amat opus proprium He loves his own workmanship Thus First God delights in them as in those that are beautiful Cant. 4. 1 2 3. Thou art beautiful my Love thou art fair Thou hast Doves eyes thy teeth are like a flock of sheep which are shorn which came up from washing thy lips are a thread of Scarlet thy Temples like a piece of Pomegranate Secondly as one delights in a garden so God delights in them Cant. 4. 12. because he hath
the budding and putting forth of the spirit therefore all such blossomes are precious and they should be nourished in you you should not let them wither for want of sap and that you may have from Christ for it is he that quickeneth every man by his Spirit That look as the old Adam maketh sin active in every one that is born of him so the second Adam communicateth grace and life to those that are ingrafted into him by faith Therefore he is called a quickening spirit even as a man liveth when the soul is conjoyned to the body so the soul liveth when Christ is conjoyned to it Look upon all the living Saints the reason why they live among such a multitude of dead men is because Christ is in them if you see one more holy then another more active more nimble in the wayes of Gods commandments then another it is because Christ dwelleth more in him then in another if you find your selves more ready and more strong to perform any duty it is because Christ helpeth and quickeneth you for he is your life In a word all the life you have is derived from his inhabitation and dwelling in you And this is the fourth Benefit that we receive from Christ he makes us living men The fifth benefit we have and receive from Christ his dwelling in us is that he consecrateth us and maketh us holy Know ye not saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. 17. That ye are the Temple of God and that the spirit dwelleth in you That is Christs act no man is holy but he whom Christ consecrateth and he consecrateth the soul That is he sanctifieth it sets it apart maketh a temple peculiar to himself for holiness is nothing but an appropriating something to Gods use and sequestring it from common uses Now when Christ works such a work in the spirit of a man he is said to consecrate a man to sanctifie him And that he doth when he revealeth to us the vanitie of earthly things on one side And the excellencie of heavenly things on the other side By this means the heart is weaned from those and is knit and married to these in a conjugal love so that it loveth him and nothing besides and this I say Christ doth by revealing the truth making earthly things to appear vain as they are and God to appear beautiful and excellent as he is For when he appeareth as he is we cannot but love him and that is the reason it is said Sanctifie them with thy truth that is when any man hath the truth revealed unto him he seeth things as they are then his spirit cleaveth unto God loveth God marrieth it self unto God keepeth it self proper unto him weaneth itself and estrangeth it self from all other things That which is called sanctifying in that place you shall find in two places of Scripture exprest in such tearms as express this double act of Christ which I named unto you as in the 2 Tit. verse penult He hath purified to himself a peculiar people that is he hath emptied them of whatsoever may draw them from God and hath sanctified them by his spirit And so again in the 30. Deut. 6. And the Lord God will circumcise the heart that thou mayest love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. That is I will draw you to me your hearts shall cleave to me Now then when these two acts are done the heart circumcised and love put into it that it cleaveth to God without separation This is the sanctifying of the heart this Christ works wheresoever he cometh And my Brethren this is not an easie thing to do and indeed no man can do it but Christ for this holiness of spirit is not onely an abstaining from the things common and unclean from pollution of flesh and spirit it is not an abstaining from them out of judgement onely but then a mans spirit it is holy when he hath an inward propence inclination to that which is good and an aversness to that which is evil When the spirit hath a new quality put into it Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good this is holiness not to abstain from the evil onely but to abhor it not onely to do the good but his spirit cleaveth to the good loveth the good So it is said Lot had his righteous soul vexed with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites that is he had a holy soul and in this his holiness was seen that he vexed c. So Moses his holiness appeared when he wept when he saw the people commit idolatry so Paul his spirit was stirred within him when he saw the idolatry of the people of Athens So when a mans spirit stiâ—reth it self after this manner when from that new quality that is put into it it works out the uncleanness that is in it this is the holiness of the spirit and no man hath it but from Christ. As the needle unless it have it from the Loadstone could not have that property of looking to the North so it is with the spirit of a man before Christ dwelleth in him before he hath put a new quality of holiness he never looks towards God but when it is done once it cannot do otherwise therefore those in whom Christ dwelleth cannot sin that is cannot delight in sin this is a great benefit therefore and this holiness of spirit they have in whom Christ dwelleth To be holy in all manner of conversation to be holy at all times in all places in all that he doth to have a holiness of spirit acting and appearing therein It is a hard thing and therefore the benefit is the greater so now how much unholiness we may find in the spirits of men when the spirit of a man steppeth out and doth what it doth to its own ends and looks not to Christ but to other ends this is unholiness and adultery of the spirit therefore those the trade of whose life is not to look at God in their actions but to themselves to pass from pleasure to pleasure and from sport to sport and all for themselves those also that are so much occupied in worldly businesses that God is forgotten this is exactly contrary to holiness for here the spirit turneth it self from God whereas we should be holy in all manner of conversation holy in every thing holy in eating holy in drinking holy in recreation holy in all our business holy in mirth c. But you will ask how shall that be When you do all these as to God as fitâ—ing you for his service when you put God as the end unto all that you do then is your spirit holy you know that place Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God That is respect God in it make not your selves the utmost end of it for then your heart is unholy for holiness is to keep the
heart close to God peculiar to him alone eying God in all things When he turneth from him that is the unholiness of the spirit This benefit we have by Christ dwelling in our hearts our spirits are consecrated unto him all that is in us is turned and looks that way and so much for this fifth Benefit The sixth and last benefit we have by Christ dwelling is defence he defendeth those in whom he dwelleth he covereth them he is a buckler and protector to them he preserveth them from all evil from all crosses or the evil of crosses This is a great benefit For there is this difference between Christ and other Inhabitants other Inhabitants are defended by the house wherein they dwell but here the Inhabitant defendeth the house And the reason is good because though he dwell in our hearts yet he is our habitation as it is in the Psalm that is we dwell in him he covereth us as a house covereth a man and defendeth him from the violence of the weather This you have excellently exprest in the 4. Isaiah the two last verses Upon all their glory shall be a defence that is upon all the people of God which are glorious he calleth them glory in the abstract I will defend them from all evil If you ask what defence it is you shall see a distribution of it in the verses following I will be as a covering in the heat of the day That is one kind and a place of refuge and covert from storm and from rain That is if there be heat I will keep you from that if there be storms and rain I will preserve you from that you shall be as a man within doors Thus Christ defendeth those that belong unto him he is a covering to them he keepeth them safe in the 1 Cor. 3. Him that destroyeth the Temple of God him will the Lord destroy It is his Temple it is the place where he dwelleth and be assured Christ will not have his house pulled down over his head no man will promise his Inheritance to be spoyled Now Gods children are his portion they are his sheep he will not suffer them to be plucked out of his hands Therefore the Prophet Esay compareth his Church to a Tent that though it be made of two or three materials onely cords and stakes yet saith he there shall not a cord be broken nor a stake plucked up My Brethren if you look upon the Church you will wonder that they should not have been swallowed up ere this time but know that God dwelleth in this Tent he keepeth and defendeth them Christ dwelleth thus in every believer in particular he will be a buckler and defence unto him And this benefit you have by Christ dwelling in you And so much for the Benefits you receive by Christs Inhabitation in you We must add something now for the application of this point and first you may make this use of it Learn to judge aright of the works of God in your hearts and remember that it is wrought by Christ himself It is Christ himself that is in you that consulteth with you that acts in you that enliveneth you to every duty he himself is given us of God to be our wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption it is he himself that will come in and sup with us Rev. 3. And therefore if you would have a great measure of grace a great measure of comfort and refreshing if you would feel the life of grace flowing abundantly in your hearts fasten your eyes upon Christ the fountain This is our fault my Brethren that we look upon grace and remission of sins and sanctification separated from Christ we labour not for Christ in the first place we look upon pardon for sin we go unto God for it but we think not upon Christ learn first to get Christ to dwell in your hearts fasten your eyes upon him intreat him to come thither and sup with you and then take from him justification and sanctification the spirit and every grace For so it is as when a wife marrieth a husband she must not think of the titles honours and commodities that he bringeth separately from himself for then it is an adulterous thought she must first take her husband and then those other things come along with him so must we do with Christ fasten our eyes upon Christ himself love him cleave to him labour to have our heartâ— married to him by faith then we have remission of sins then we have adoption then we have reconciliawith God and every particular grace coming along with him Even as if a man would have a treasure that lieth hid in a field he must first have the field it self and then he may take the treasure he must not think of the treasure as of a thing abstracted from the field even so thou must get Christ for in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge and of his fulness we receive grace for grace But this is our hinderance that we look upon these things separately and apart from Christ. But let us remember that it is Christ that dwelleth in our hearts and although indeed it is by his spirit yet it is he himself that is the fountain of all get Christ therefore more and more into your hearts for you must know that there are degrees of dwelling as the Sun dwelleth more in the house at several times so Christ dwelleth more and more plentifully in the hearts of men even as there is a neerer union between us and him and so he dwelleth in us accordingly as there are degrees of familiarity between friends so are there degrees of union and habitation between Christ and us And accordingly are there degrees in all the effects of his habitation labour therefore to get Christ in your hearts But you will say how shall this be done Labour to get a contrite and humble heart there God delighteth to dwell there are but two places in which he delights Isa. 57. In the highest heavens and with him also that is of an humble and contrite spirit look what delight he hath to dwell in the heavens the same delight he takes to dwell in him that is of an humble spirit This is the reason why so many living in the Church have not Christ in them they are not yet humbled they are not yet sensible of their sins they know not as yet that they are children of wrath whereas a man that is humbled and broken with the sense of his sins that hath his heart wounded with them this is one that is a fit habitation for Christ to dwell there Therefore it is that even the Saints themselves when they begin to have their hearts lifted up in them that Christ removeth them far from him and therefore also is it that he humbleth them before he returneth to them again So it was with David and Hezekiah when they were liâ—ted
So that though he durst not justifie himself in his own righteousness and integrity of life yet did not this hinder from the assurance of his salvation before God in Christ for Iob 19. 25. 26. I am sure saith he my redeemer liveth c. whom I my self shall see and mine eyes shall behold and no other for me So that though he stood not upon the righteousness of works for himself yet he was assured in Christ of Eternal Salvation The second example he brings is of David Psalm 26. 1. who saith Iudge me O Lord for I have walked in mine Innocency to show what a holy and righteous man he was and yet saith Bellarmine for all that he doubts of his Salvation as appears Psal. 19. 12. where he saith Lord who can understand his errours cleanse me from secret faults Now if he had secret sins that he feared might hinder him how then could he have assurance We deny that because he that truly believes and repents all his sins both secret and open are pardoned known and unknown he confesses and repents of all and therefore they are forgiven Rom. 8. 1. Labouring to know his sins and forsake them though he cannot know them all yet is he accepted So the not knowing of our sins particularly hinders not our assurance of salvation though David knew them not yet had he assurance of the pardon of his secret sins and faults as well as other in Christ. I but he was afraid he might be blinded in them and so he might doubt saith he We deny not but he might fear for we say none can be assured of Salvation but he that fears to offend As a good child fears to offend his father Now his fear hinders not his fathers love fear of Gods favor indeed may hinder assurance but not fear to offend him Fear of sinning against God keeps him that his assurance is the stronger the child of God that falls into sin when he casts off his fear and trembling least he should offend against God dashes and weakens the strength of his assurance and the more a man fears to sin the more it keeps him in the favour of God 2 Sam. 12. 12. David had assurance from God by the very prophet c. Ps. 32 when he confessed his sinnes he prophesied that God forgave them besides Psalm 73. 25. he testifies to all the world that he had none in heaven but his reconciled God alone all which shewes how strong assurance David had notwithstanding all his fear Again in the third place he brings that of Paul 1 Cor. 4. 4. where he saith though I know nothing by my self yet am I not thereby Iustified Whereby Bellarmine would prove that Paul could not be assured For Answer hereunto we must know that the Apostle there speakes not of the justification of his person but his office and that not before God but men who though he knew he had used all faithfulness in his doctrine yet I stand not upon that saith he for he acknowledged that God might find and see faults enough that way but because Christ had done such things for him c. God had accepted of his sincere obedience in Christ nothing could hinder his assurance of Gods approbation and love to him which he testifies Rom. 8. 34. shewing his assurance that nothing could seperate him from the love of God in Christ so that none of these holy men Iob David nor Paul howsoever they durst not stand upon their works yet in regard of Gods love in Christ they were all assured of their salvation and so may every true beleeving soul. What comfort else could we have at the day of death First Satan who at first was an angel of light yet fell away saith he But to that we answer Satan he had never a covenant made with him in Christ we speak onely of believers Secondly Adam But that is nothing to the purpose likewise because before his fall he was never in this covenant of grace He had ability to stand if he would but he never had that promise before his fall which wee have in Christ As namely that we shall continue and never depart away God putting his spirit in us Thirdly Saul To which we answer that he was never a truly righteous man though he was called to be a king and had a new heart fitted with endowments for his kingly office yet were his graces but common graces nor peculiar and special saving graces Fourthly Salamon Bellarmine holds that he perished yet he saith that he was a man beloved of God 2 Sam. 12 25. Therefore say we he fell not totally and finally he lost not all grace because he had still so much grace as kept him from falling finally as we may see by his book or repentance Fifthly David Bellarmine saith he fell totally But that is not so he lost not all when he fell into sin as appeareth Psalm 51. 12. Though the operation of his faith ceased yet lost he not the substance and habit thereof for there was a spirit of prayer and repentance still left he had a conflict within that made him so earnestly pray restore me to the joy of thy salvation c. where note he prayes not simply for salvation for that he was assured of but for the comfort of it and his prayers we know were the prayers of faith for they brought him joy and comfort So that then he had not lost all his faith Sixtly Peter But he also lost not all which to hold were directly contrary to that of our Saviour Luke 22. 32. where he tels Peter that he had prayed to the Father that his faith might not fail him and it is a priveledge Christ hath purchased for every beleeving soul that howsoever he may be grievously and continually tempted on every side yet shall his faith never utterly fail because Christ hath prayed for it Seventhly He brings Simon Magus But we deny him to be a true believer he was at the best but in the gall of bitterness his heart was stark naught and therefore for him to fall away it is no wonder Lastly Iudas whom we deny to be given to Christs keeping to eternal salvation though he was given him as an Apostle for Christ to prevent all declared plainly that he was the son of perdition from the beginning so that there is indeed no strength in all these to weaken and hinder the assurance of him that truly believes onely the Devil stirs up all his instruments by all means to discourage him if it were possible but he shall never prevail The use of this in the third place is for trial namely that we should examine our selves to finde if we have this insulting and triumphing faith whereby we may be able to look up to God in the day of tryal and hold out If a man have base and counterfeit coyn in his
some a shorter time if thy soul have drooped been afraid to be utterly cast away if thou hast found thy self in a lost estate then is thy case good for this goes alwayes before that insulting faith that triumphs against all condemnation If thou hast not found this but hast gotten faith without it then dost thou speak peace to thy self before God speakes it and it is all one as if the Israelites should have looked up to the brazen serpent before they had been bitten with the fiery serpent in the wilderness who had been never the better not finding indeed the need thereof as those that are stung and troubled with fin do Many are driven to believe because they are convinced thereof in their judgement and the example of others they think would shame them else But that is not enough thou must find thy self throughly awakened for thy sins and feel thy self lying under the wrath of God and lost as it were in thy self before thou canst truly see the need of a Saviour and look up to him effectually Secondly If thou hast obtained this absolving quitting and triumphing Faith then after this spirit of bondage thou hast found the spirit of Adoption spoken of in the same place Rom. 8. 15. for before thou hast been bitten with thy sins the Devil and thine own conscience thou canst not receive any true comfort But when thou once findest in thee nothing but matter of condemnation art driven quite out of thy self then the spirit with the Gospel opens thy heart and inlargeth it to rejoyce and draw stronger consolation from the Gospel then the law could bring condemnation So that if thou hast found the spirit of grace and comfort calming thy minde and purging thy conscience and so sealing thy heart and giving thee som assurance that thy sins are forgiven thee then is thy estate good assure thy self nothing in the world could do this but the spirit of God Ask therefore thine own soul if thou hast in any small measure in truth found thus then hath God begun this triumphing Faith and set it up in thee Thirdly If thou hast this Faith then art thou united unto Christ and hast fellowship with him thou art then knit to Christ as a man to his wife in a mariage bond for thou must know that Christ is the believer in a spiritual and mystical manner Rom. 8. 1. We first are in Christ that is when we once come to believe and then Christ is in us as it is vers 10. when his death kills the body of sin in us and Iohn 17 21 23. I in them saith Christ and they in me which shew as in divers other places in like manner that there is then an union which is an inâ—allible note that floweth imediately from the grace of faith once begotten wrought in any poor soul 1 Ioh. 1. 3. They have fellowship with Christ and with the father through Christ if thou hast this faith then is there a bond that knits thee to God above all other in the world and without this thou canst challenge no Salvation from Christ. let every one therefore examine if he have such a Faith in him by which he may know whether he finde Christ in him or himself in Christ and so a blessed fellowship between them and this thou mayest know if thou findest not the world and sin working and reigning in thee but the spirit of Christ having the rule and dominion in thee Christ he is the ruler and governour of his Church and children O blessed man that hast this O blessed habitation to dwell in Christ to be ingrasted and have an happy being and fellowship with Christ. This discovers abundance of false faith in most men in the world that dream and think to be saved by Christs death on the Crosse now ascended and being in heaven c. But if this be all the wickedest heart in the world that knows of this may say as much but here is the disfence that cuts the thread the sound believer hath further the spirit of Christ to kill sin in him he hath also Christs blood in him that is the worth and merit thereof taking away the guilt of sin and purifying his conscience which he findes by the peace of it He hath also the virtue of Christs Resurrection in him to raise up his dead heart Paul desired to know nothing but Christ crucified by an inward experimental knowledge and feeling of the power thereof Also as Christ is now in heaven making intercession for him so he hath his spirit in him to teach and assist him to pray for pardon of sin and strength against the world and the Devil and that remnant thereof inbred corruption that still remains in him Try thy self for this and if thou find it in thee go on thy mariage bond here shall be broken and soul and body separated by death yet shall thy blessed union with Christ never be broken but though thy body happen to lie in the dust for a time yet shall it one day be raised up again and united to thy soul and both conjoyned to God to live with him in glory forever Fourthly If thou hast this insulting and triumphing faith then thou art a devoted and consecrated man to God and Christ to serve God in righteousness and true holiness all thy dayes hence all believers are said to be Saints that is sanctified and set apart to God dealing with worldly things not with hearts set upon them but using them as if they used them not even with holy affections and hearts consecrated to God and Christ hence also is it that they are called temples to God set apart to their Redeemer by Baptism and Profession But do those that think they have this faith thus carry themselves this belongs to every man and woman we must not be devoted to the pleasures of this world but keep our hearts as men devoted to God and Christ even in our recreations We must have a special care we destroy not this Temple by prostrating our selves to base lusts try thy self for this and though none can do this as they should yet are all to labour and endeavour it He that hath this assurance to be able to challenge and triumph over his enemies in Christ must be the most fearful man in the world not as doubting of Gods favour but in being afraid to sin against God and to offend any of his Brethren which if thou dost thou shalt be the stronger in this triumphing faith Examples hereof we have throughout the whole Scriptures in all Gods children when they were once effectually called whose carriage I pray mark what it was Luke 19. 8. Zacheus made restitution abundantly when his faith had embraced Jesus Christ again Act. 17. Those that had used unlawful A â—s when faith once entered they burnt their books lest they should draw away their hearts and infect and hurt others they so hated their sin and
the shaddow doth the body Now I say grace is the immediate work of the spirit the very power of the holy Ghost which is able to out-wrestle all difficulties and to help us against all spiritual wickednesses assist us in all holy obedience But it may be objected I but grace though it do strengthen thus yet it is but a creature for though it be a quality that is wrought by the holy Ghost in the heart if it be so yet it is but a creature therefore seeing every creature is subject to weakness how doth grace strengthen a man thus To this I answer First that grace is a quality of that nature that it empties a man of himself it is an emptying quality It is not as other indowments other qualities and other habits put into the soul but it is an emptying quality that takes a man off from his own bottom it cuts him off from his own root and ingrafts him into another it teacheth him to depend upon God For if you look upon faith which is the main grace and gift as it were the root and foundation to all other graces is it not an emptying Grace what is faith but to teach a man to trust in God Now no man trusts in another fully but he distrusts himself fully it makes a man nothing in himself and wholly dependant upon the Lord. Even such is grace it takes a man quite off from any root of his own and makes him as ivie that hangs upon and clasps about the tree receives its being and sustenance from it So grace it annihilates the creature as it were it takes a man off from that sufficiency that every man seeks to have in his own spheare in his own nature it teacheth a man to know that he is not able to think a good thought nor to do a good work of himself Again I answer though it be a quality and that our strength is from God immediately yet God will have us to use means and instruments wherein he himself helps us to do For it is true if any man will trust to this habitual grace which I say is an inherent quality wrought in the heart by the holy Ghost if any man will grow careless in the strength of this grace and say well I am now a man grown strong I have now gotten some good measure of grace therefore now I will venture upon occasions of sin c. Here a man makes flesh his arm though he do trust to grace for he ought not so to do he ought to look up to God for another transient exciting and assisting grace besides this inherent quality which I speak of to have a dependance upon him and yet not altogether to rest in that for then a man should not be bound to increase in grace and to grow in it which every man is bound to do grow in grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ. Therefore there is a use of that you must make account you are so much the stronger by it for no man will labour for a thing but he will know some end of it As we see in other things a man may use the strength of horses and of men he may use means and friends but still it is required that he remember how he useth them that his eye be still upon the Lord as him that giveth the strength It is he that keeps that grace in being it is he that must act it and stir it up to do the works we are to do from time to time The chief use we are now to make of it is to examine and try our selves whether we have grace in our hearts or no by this property and character of grace here set down that it makes a man strong thou my son be strong in the grace c. We must I say examine our selves for there are two special times wherein the Lord himself makes a privy search as it were the one is at the time of the Sacrament the other at the day of death Therefore when men come to the Lords Table the Lord as it were goes down himself and takes a view of the guests and sees whether they be so qualified as men ought to be that come to his Table therefore look to your selves now you are bidden examine your selves In the Law a man might not come to the passeover but he must be circumcised those you know were but legal types and resembled somewhat else You must not come to the Lords Supper but there must be this circumcision made without hands there must be such a fitness in you as you may be accepted therefore you must examine your selves when you come hither Again another time wherein the Lord makes this privy search is at our entrance into the wedding chamber at the day of death When the Bridegroom goes in then the Lord searcheth whether we have oyl in our Lamâ—s or no whether those that offer to enter in have any effects any tincture of his Sons blood upon them The effect of his Sons blood you shall see Heb. 9. 14. It is to purge the conscience from dead works If there be no strikes as it were of his blood if there be no dye of it he gives the destroying Angel power to devour them because there is not that grace that is the effect of the blood of Christ they have no oyl in their Lamps therefore they are shut out Therefore I say when we come to the Lords Table let us consider what we do for you must know that the Lord admits none to his Table but friends such as are of his acquainance those that are strangers to him may not presume If thou come to the Lords Table be a stranger to him that is if thou want grace in thy heart this quality that we now speak of thou hast nothing to do here for you must know that no man must sit at his Table here in earth that is not to sit at his Table in Heaven to sit with Abraham Isaak and Iacob in his Kingdom The Lord will take it for a great presumption therefore take heed of intruding upon this duty When the Ark was brought among the Philistines and the Bethshemites would be so bold as to look into it the Lord smote fifty thousand of them for it What was the reason of this say they who shall stand before this holy Lord God If the Lord were thus ready to revenge himself on them for prophaning of that which was but a type what will he do for prophaning the body and blood of his Son You know that is the comparison Heb. 12. If any man transgressed against the Law of Moses he received a recompence and reward What will he do then to those that contemn the salvation that is brought by his Son So if the Lord would do this for the prophaning of the Ark that was but a type of Christ Jesus but a legal rite that had but
a shew of holinesse what will he do when we shall neglect and abuse and prophane those things that are holy indeed We do not know what danger we incur when we come negligently to the Lords Supper You see in 1 Cor. 11. That their negligent coming to the Lords Supper because they did not discern the Lords Body that is because they did not discern the holinesse the preciousnesse and excellency of his body because they did not consider the holinesse of that duty therefore saith the Text the Lord strook many of them with sicknesse and some with death It was certainly some contagion some sicknesse at that time more then ordinary And if you compare it with that before mentioned of the Bethshemites you may see plainly that it is the Lords ordinary course to inflict a more then ordinary judgement upon those that are prophaners of holy things therefore we may well say among other causes that the unholy coming to the Lords Table is the cause of that great plague that of late hath been in this place But you will say I have received it and it may be negligently but I have felt no such thing as this you speak of Perhaps thou hast not but there is the spiritual plague and judgement which the Lord hath put upon thee as a revenge for thy unworthy receiving of the Sacrament When Iohn Baptist came to preach the Scripture saith he brought the ax with him not that men were to be cut off from their natural life but the meaning is when men abuse these holy Ordinances and will not receive the offer of the Gospel and will not profit by the Gospel When we do but preach the Gospel onely to your ears and no more the Lord commonly smites such souls with spiritual judgements he gives up such souls to hardness of heart therefore when you come hither ask your selves this question what grace have I in my heart have I any life any stomack any taste to feed upon the Lord in the Sacrament have I white raiment to cover my nakedness if not what do I here You shall see in 1 Cor. 10. when men offer to come to this Sacrament without grace what saith the Apostle Do you provoke the Lord to anger are ye stronger then he that is the Lord takes it as a provokation to his face as if ye did despight the very spirit of grace and so afterward saith he â—e cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils ye cannot partake of the Table of the Lord and the Table of devils and therefore for a man to come to this holy Sacrament and not cleanse himself from all pollution and filthiness of flesh and spirit but will be partaker of the Lords Table and join with it filthiness which should be abhorred in so doing he provokes the Lord to anger and what follows that The Lord will put his strength against him to destroy him Are ye stronger then he Therefore if I might but obtain so much let me intreat you to enter into consideration of this To help you to this we will apply the point That the property of grace is to make a man strong Now this power of grace is seen in three things First the power and strength of grace is seen in this That it heals corrupt nature and it elevates and helps us to do more then common nature can reach to for there are two things in every natural man corrupt nature which is contrary to grace and common nature which is beneath grace Now when saving and sanctifying grace is come into the heart it heals corrupt nature and enableth to do more then common nature can do Consider therefore whether this grace cure those hereditary diseases which we have received from Adam those diseases which breed in the heart Take any thing besides grace if the Syre and the Dam trot it is a hard thing to work the contrary in the off-spring but grace is able to heal those diseases that are hereditary If you bring a man to a Physitian and say such a man hath a hereditary disease which he hath received from his parents he will presently give him over as a desperate Patient but grace can cure those natural and hereditary diseases Therefore in Iames 4. 5. saiâ—h he The spirit that is in us lusteth after envy that is there is this natural disease in every man that his spirit is lusting the word there used i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is still boyling or bubbling forth it is still lusting after envy But how shall we do to help it saith he the Scripture offers more grace that is the Scripture gives grace that can do more then nature can do it is able to heal that very lâ—â—ing whatsoever it be That is you must not think when a man hath a strong natural infirmity hanging upon him that all the vows and resolulutions and purposes in the world can help him it is beyond natural help but it is not past the help of grace When Naaman the Assyrian could not be healed he inquired what he should do and when he came to the Prophet there he was healed so when the Disciples could not cast the Devil out of the man they went to Christ and he was able to do it When thou goest about to cast out any natural infirmity or to heal any of thy hereditary diseases think with thy self though by nature I cannot do it yet let me go to Christ let me go to grace that is able to do it though it be past the cure of nature it is not past Christs cure it is not past the help of grace When Christ was upon the earth they brought to him those that had old festred diseases those that were born blind and deaf and dumb and he healed them The same Christ doth now to the souls of men in the world and that by the vertue and power of grace here spoken of Therefore consider with your selves what natural infirmities you have what hereditary diseases you have if you find that they are not healed in you that those bloody issues run as fresh as ever they did you have not this grace for it is able to heal nature and to cure it wheresoever it comes But you will say Is there any man that hath these natural infirmities so wholly healed and cured I answer No I say not that they are altogether healed but they are cured by grace that is grace so far heals them that it gets the Mastery over them there is the power of grace seen therefore it is called a Kingdom The Kingdom of God is in power that is it is such a Kingdom that gets the Mastery wheresoever it is it hath the dominion over the disease and as we say the power of any object it stands in this that it subdues the faculty so herein the power of grace is manifested in that it overcomes those corruptions that are most
us strength when we have not that we give over The power of grace therefore is alwayes seen in that it enableth us to go through the work to perform it Therefore the world is exceedingly deceived in the misapplication of that distinction the Lord accepts the will for the deed I say the misapplication of that is the cause why there is so much laziness and dulness in men that they do not set themselves to go through with holy duties for say they we have a desire and a purpose and the Lord accepts the will for the deed You are exceedingly deceived the Lord indeed will accept the will for the deed when there is such an impediment as that you cannot proceed for what is the occasion of that speech of the Apostle to the Corinthians when they had liberal minds to supply the necessities of the Churches and yet they wanted money in this case saith the Apostle the Lord accepts the will for the deed Wilt thou say now therefore because thou hast a good desire to serve God to pray to keep to Gods truth to keep thy heart close to him and thou hopest the Lord will take the desire for the deed and yet thou wilt be negligent in them what impediment hast thou If thou wouldest bestow time in prayer if thou wouldest bestow time in working on thy heart to warm it and to quicken it to duty thou shouldest have the deed as well as the will what hinders thee then where therefore there is no impediment the Lord will not accept the will for the deed Look how much will there is so much deed there will be when the will is wrought by the spirit of God the deed will follow I am able saith Saint Paul not onely to purpose and intend but to do all things If thou hast the power of grace in thee as he here exhorts Timothy to be strong thou wilt go through with the work I say if thou hast the power and strength of grace in thee thou hast strength and ability to do all these things Again as the power of grace is seen in enabling thee to do so further it is seen in this that when thou hast begun to do it keeps thee from fainting in well-doing Another man will have some fits in well-doing but he is uneven he is unlike himself Now herein the power of grace is seen that though a man be sometimes transported through the violence of corruption and passion and the like yet grace brings him back again that is he is not quite carried away with temptations as the chaff with the wind but he is held with a strong anchor that though he float up and down and be off and on in degrees yet he is not carried clean away Therefore you shall see 2 Pet. 3. ult take heed saith he that you be not drawn away from your stedfastness but grow in grace c. As if he should say this is the power of grace that it will keep a man that though he do sin and forget God and have some such falls as David had yet herein is the power of it that it never lets a man go quite but still it brings him back again This is much for the comfort of those that are upright hearted for some man might say alas though I do purpose and have performed and kept on in a good course yet I am apt to fail back again to my old sins and am ready to return to my old courses It is true thou mayst do so but yet herein be assured that the strength of grace will be manifested in thy heart to kâ—â—p tâ—…e from falling from thy steadfastness it will keep thee along it will not suffer thee to go quite away thou wilt not depart from the Lord Ier. 32 40 I will plant my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me As for example take Saul and David Saul was in a good course a great while and he made many turnings aside yet the Lord kept him by the common assistance of his spirit yet at length he went quite away from the Lord. But now David how many turnings aside had he how many great infirmities had he yet he had the sure mercies of David the strength of grace kept him along that he never departed from the living God he never went aside so as he returned no more Therefore if thou find this that though thou fall yet thou art returning again that thy heart is never at rest till thou hast gotten the Lord again it is a sign that thou hast the true touch of the spirit As the needle we know that is touched with the load-stone it never is at quiet till it find the north point again Lastly As the strength of grace is seen in enabling us to do and in keeping us from fainting so it is seen in the particular things we do in those good duties that we perform the hearing of the word communicating the partaking of all the holy ordinances in all the duties belonging to Gods Worship herein I say the power of grace is seen For as everything is in its being so it is in its working look what being and essence it hath such is the work of it Now take those that are common and counterfeit graces which are not sound and right they are able to reach the form of good duties but not the substance but where there is true lively grace there a man is able to do the thing indeed that is he can do holy duties as he ought to do them This is the property of grace that it enableth you to do the things you do with a pure heart for my brethren it is grace that purifieth the heart it is that which makes the inside clean other things may cleanse the hands and the head Philosophy education and parts of morality but the power of grace is such as that when you come to do duties it purifies the heart because grace makes a man wise Now a wise man will be sure to look to the foundation that is to look to the heart wherewith he performs every duty the foundation is all in-all a wise man will see with what heart he performs every duty the outward performance is but as the top of the building the foundation is the principal Besides grace puts a treasure into a mans heart and makes him prize that treasure and where a mans treasure is there his eye will be he will look therefore to his heart in the performance of duties Besides it teacheth a man to exalt God as God in his heart and when he is so exalted he is more to him then a thousand witnesses It enableth him to seek praise with God and not with men Again it gives a man light whereby he can discern of the secret failings of his heart Another man that hath not light he cannot see them he can see grosse enormities but it is grace onely that makes us to see
so readily there is an impediment in it so it is with the mind when it is not accustomed Every action you do helps to mould the soul more and makes it a vessel fit for the Lord and for every good work Besides this as there must be a moulding of the heart and fitting it for exercise so there must be a removing of impediments that hinder Therefore we see in that place 2 Tim. 2. 21. If any man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared to every good work There is a certain rustiness that cleaves to the wheels of the soul that it moves not nimbly and readily in the doing the works we are called to do this rust must be rubbed off There be impediments of divers sorts worldly-mindedness is a great impediment and hindrance And so cares and pleasures and lusts those that are called thorns that hinder growth all these impediments this uncircumcision of heart these hinder from working and these must be removed before we can be ready to do it We see in Psal. 51. saith David there Lord deliver me from blood guiltiness this sin that I have committed and my tongue shall sing joyfully of thy righteousness open my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise The meaning is this David found that that was the sin wherewith his soul was hindred that it made him unfit so that though there were a fountain of grace in his heart yet it was not able to flow forth but was stopped up as it were therefore he prayes to God to open his mouth How should it be opened by removing that sin by taken away that indisposition which that sin had brought on his mind As we see a fountain may be stopped up with mud or dirt or stones or any thing remove these and the fountain is open and when it is open it is ready to flow out So then there must be a removing the impediments let every man see what it is that hinders him when there is a fountain of grace when it flows not out readily If a man be not ready to good works there is some impediment that must be removed But that is not enough to use our selves and fashion our hearts to them and to remove the impediments But thirdly there is a work of the Holy Ghost he must act and stir us up there is a certain work of the Spirit that must help us upon all occasions For even as you see in Trees there may be sap enough in a Tree yet till the Spring-time come till the heat of the Sun come till moysture come that sap is not drawn up to the branches and so long it brings not forth fruit nor leaves So a man may have much grace in his heart much habitual grace but unless this be brought forth more immediately to act there is no fruit brought forth Now what is it that brings it near the branches Why that which makes the spring-time of good actions and fills a man with the fruits of righteousness it is the holy Ghost that is the moysture and the Sun and the rain that moystens and quickens us There must be a certain action of the spirit I say to help us to do every good work we must seek to the Lord for this Lord I have such a business to do I confess I am unapt and indisposed to it I beseech thee help to quicken me by thy spirit But further there are certain duties that more immediately fit and prepare us that is the communion of Saints that whets and warms us and stirs up the grace of God in us So likewise prayer be much in prayer and in the communion of Saints and that will make a man strong it will make him ready to use his strength and the grace he hath But I hasten The main thing that I have to commend to you to stir you up to use your strength to do the Lords work and to use the grace you have upon all occasions for his advantage it is this consideration to deny your selves and to seek the things of Jesus Christ that is the last thing I will pitch on for that is all in all What is the reason that a man useth not the strength he hath because he seeks his own things and not the things of Jesus Christ. If the heart were brought to this to deny it self and to neglect its own things and to seek the things that are Jesus Christs he would be ready then to stir up his stength he would be ready then to run and to go to do any service to the Lord. You have that in Phillip 2. I have no man like minded that will faithfully care for your things for every man seeks his own and not the things that are Iesus Christs Now to heal that disease in your selves to bring your hearts to a quite contrary temper not to seek your own things but the things that are Christs labor to have this wrought on your hearts and that is it that will most immediately prepare you and inable you to use your strength for the Lord upon all occasions You will say how shall we do this Consider that there is a necessity lies upon you to do it And if there did not a necessity lie on you yet it were best for you to do it And if it were not best for thee yet Christ hath deserved it at thy hands he is worthy of it that thou shouldest not seek thy own things but the things of Jesus Christ. These things we will a little inlarge and so end First I say there is a necessity lies on thee to do it It is true if thou wert thy own master if a man were sui juris he might do with himself what he would he might seek his own things but if thou be none of thine own if thou have hired thy self to Christ if thou have sold thy self to him thou art his and if thou be his there is a necessity lies on thee now to seek his things and not thine own A woman while shee is a maid or a widow shee may dispose of her self as shee will shee may seek her own things and stand upon her own bottom but when she is married once she must please her husband and be obedient to him I say when thou art Christs once for I speak to those that profess themselves to be his those that have strength and need nothing but to stir it up other men may do what they will as it is said when there was no King in Israel every man did what was good in his own eyes But when thou hast put thy self under his yoak and accepted him for thy King thou must live by the laws of his Kingdom and be subject to thy Prince When thou hast taken Christ for thy King as every man hath that is once entred into Covenant with him
your hearts are estranged from God how much you have forgotten God He is your Lord your Master you must be his servants therefore renew it now and bring your hearts back again This is indeed the very renewing of the Covenant and a drawing near to God and it giveth strength unto you and makes the union more firm that is the more that we are perswaded that he is our Husband and that we have married our selves to him the greater is the strength of affection And you shall find it by experience every grace is strengthened and enlarged by this and every sin is abated and mortified and subdued This is done in the eating of his flesh and the drinking of his blood So that every Sacrament day a man renews his assurance he reneweth his union with God in Christ this is properly feeding upon Christ you are strengthened by it your hearts are more established in well doing there is more joy and more peace your faith is increased which encreaseth every grace you are more weaned from the world As when the heart of the wife draweth near to the Husband it is more weaned and alienated from strangers This I say is to eat the flesh of Christ and to drink his blood when withal you add a right application of all that Christ hath done for the enabling of you to the duties of godliness A FORM of GODLINESS NO GODLINESS VVithout the POWER 2 Tim. 3. 5. Having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away YOu know the point that we delivered to you in the morning out of these words That It is Godliness that is required of every man that is only acceptable to the Lord. We gave you the reasons of it and made some Use of it And before we come to the other point or to some further Use that we should make of this we will add a word or two to that which we prest in the morning that we should not content our selves with any thing but godliness For we are apt to be deceived in this case to mistake and to think that our common care of serving God and that moral vertues and civility are godliness But it is enough for you to know that the Lord accepts nothing but that which is more then nature that which himself hath wrought in us by his holy Spirit Aristotle himself though a Heathen man was able to say that natural vertues are very like the true they come so near it that there is nothing more like As natural meekness will do as much as the best moral meekness nay as much as any spiritual meekness stupidity will do as much as Christian courage and natural temperance and ability in a man to rule and govern himself There are many of these natural vertues which for the outside for I speak of that and for the shew for some kind of performance may go as far as those that are spiritual But there is a great difference between them because the one sort proceed but from nature and they look but to a mans self And you shall find they alway have this property they are done without difficulty without resistance without any reluctancy therefore they are not praise-worthy there is no thanks for any man to do such an action Indeed they are beautiful things as I told you then the flowers of the grasse the flower of the flesh is beautiful they are the works of Gods own hand for he hath wrought them in us but he himself must have the glory and not we That which we must look for is spiritual vertues spiritual graces which the Apostle exhorts us unto Add to your patience vertue to vertue temperance and brotherly kindness and then to all add godliness Godliness which makes a man look to God it hath alway the flesh to resist it it doth what it doth with some difficulty and reluctancy For the stream of nature is still running a contrary way This is that you must labour for therefore remember this rule that godliness is something alwayes above nature If therefore there be no more in you then what you have by nature or by education or practice be assured it is not right As you see it in the earth the earth is able to bring forth grass and some kind of flowers of it self but if you will have it bear corn and wine things of a more pretious nature there must be plowing and sowing and planting there must be some other seed cast into it then is found in the earth there must be some work of man upon it So it is with our hearts by reason of those engravings of the moral Law and the work of nature in us we are able to do much we are able to bring forth many excellent flowers we are able to do many things that are very good and beautiful though they be not spiritually so But that which is godliness that is it which must be wrought by a supernatural power there must to follow the metaphor be plowing and sowing that is no man living hath this thing which we call godliness in him but it must be wrought after this manner First there must be a plowing of the heart he must be humbled he must be taught to know that he is a child of wrath a man that never hath had any of this plowing that hath never been thus humbled in the sence of sin and the apprehension of Gods wrath he may be assured that he hath nothing in him but nature he hath nothing in him that is of a supernatural work that is the work of the sanctifying Spirit he hath nothing of that yet wrought in him for that is never done without plowing Again this is not all for a man may be plowed he may have quick and sharp terrors of conscience and yet have no feed sown there may be harrowing you know where there is no fowing It was the case of Iudas and Achitophel and so it is the case of divers others and therefore we must go further there must be seed thown into the heart by the hand of God by the sanctifying spirit that is after a manâ— heart hath been thus hurried he must come home to God by Christ and have his heart calmed by the assurance of Gods love When he is thus united to Christ by faith after he hath been humbled then the Lord soweth seed what seed The immortal seed of his Word which by the operation of the sanctifying Spirit of God works that in the heart which is above all natural principles Now when this is done there is a crop which God is delighted in a crop pleasing and acceptable to him For we shall never bring forth fruit to the spirit till the same spirit hath sown our hearts with these spiritual and supernatural graces This onely I add that when I have exhorted you not to content your selves with moral vertues that you may know in a word what this
For in many things we sin all but the course of life contrary to the profession as some flashes of goodness make not a good man so some slips make not an evil man therefore in thus speaking they speak against Christians It is not to be expected that Religion should be spoken against under the name of Religion For if the Devil could speak against it he would not speak against it under the name of Religion but Hypocrisie when therefore these words are so general and he that speakes them knowes they will not be so taken it is a sign that Religigion is spoken against under the name of hypocrisie and religious men under the name of Hâ—pocrites They say they speak against the shewes cannot men be religious say they in secret but they must hang out flags of it and be so much in appearing Where the truth of Religion is there will be showes painted Religion and painted fire cannot heat break â—orth or ascend but if it be true fire or true Religion it will break forth and shew it self as they say in the Spanish proverb three things cannot be kept in fire love and a mans cough so I may add grace as a fourth As there cannot be a candle in a Lanthorn but it may be seen through the horn so there cannot be true grace but there will be shewes so that shewes cannot be separated from Religion which is true no more then light from the Sun or heat from the fire Shews are commanded as well as substance for as the Glory of a King is in the multitude of his Souldiers so the Glory of Christ is in them that profess his Name we are commanded as well to confess in mouth as to believe in heart What need speaking against shewes in these blasting times which have nipt them in the head when all that can be said is not enough to keep men from denying of Christ. They say although they know not what to call it yet they love religion and religious men therefore they mean not them and they think it much uncharitableness to be so judged of Many while they thus speak that they conceive it not to be religion that they speak against I may say of them as Peter said of them that crucified Christ they did it of ignorance for had they known that they would not have crucified the Lord of life so if they knew it were religion they spake against they would not speak thus But it is their misery that they know it not and it is but a little excuse to say I was a blasphemer saith Paul but I did it out of Ignorance and zeal so Christ saith the Jews knew not what they did and yet his blood shall be required of them Yea it is upon them as we see at this day and Iude saith they spake evil of the things they knew not and yet their sentence is they shall be reserved to the blackness of darkness So though they know not that it is religion that they speak against yet they are persecutors and God accounts them so Saul heard a voice saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me when he himself thought he had done well And if they say Lord we know it not I will answer them that in as much as they did it to these they did it to me In other cases there is a difference and some plead for ignorance as if a man kill another man in stead of a stag he is no murtherer but if a man strike at Religion with his tongue though he knew it not he is a blasphemer because he is bound to know for if a man be brought up among hereticks he is an heretick because he is bound to the contrary Let these therefore that have used these speeches kick no more against pricks least they bring that curse on them which was on them that brought an ill report upon the holy-land viz. that they should not enter into it The second use is for hearers that they have a part in this exhortation as well as Ministers as they must deliver nothing but that which is wholesome so they must receive none else and there are two duties for them First As the Minister must not mingle any thing in his preaching but that which is sound so hearers must be careful not onely that they do not here gross points of heresie but if there be any tincture of error in the points they hear they must not maintain them As one that hath an Antipathy with a thing as with a serpent will not onely be affraid of it whilest it is alive but he is loth to handle the skin of it though it be stuft with hay So hearers should be afraid of the tincture of the skin of heresie A man cannot be too curicus of infectious things for as he will not come into the house where they are so he will not touch the cloth of those that have them For we ought to hate the garment spotted with the flesh First Hearers must be rightly disposed to receive that which is wholesome and therefore three duties in scripture are commanded to hearers 1. To be able to discern that which is wholesome that which is not 1 Thes. 5. 21. prove all things 1 Ioh. 4. 1. try the spirits that is get spiritual tasts whereby you may judge of it for as the pallat or the taste diserns corporal food so there is a faculty in every regenerate soul for this end that it may discern betwixt that meat which is wholesome and that which is not As a natural mans taste is a signe of natural life so a spiritual taste is a signe of a spiritual life and it is certain that they whose pallats are not vitiated with corrupt humors can judge of their meat Rom. 12. 2 be transformed in the renewing of your mindes to try as a Toutch-stone doth the silver what is the acceptable will of God from that which is not And they that finde not this taste in them either they have no spiritual life or else their pallats are vitiated with corrupt humors If therefore we want this discerning taste we must labour to get it if we be sick and our pallats do corrupt we must labour convalescere to wax whole that so we may judge a right For as the best hearers love the purest word so the hearers whose hearts are full of corruption love the froth of eloquence Secondly To desire that which is good 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word As if he should have said there are no babes but they will desire the dugge Perhaps you may keep them quiet with apples a while but they will cry for it at length And if you have once tasted of the sweetness of the Word you will desire it when you have found out what meat is nourishing then desire it that is chuse the savourest meat read the books that are must
those that are bruised reeds who complain with Paul that they cannot do as they would they are unable to pray and perform good duties as they would they find themselves still weak they are able to grapple with an easy lust but a strong one is too hard for them they are able to creep but not to run the way of Gods commandments Go to the word be conversant there and it will strengthen thee though insensibly as daily sucking makes a child battle though they see it not so if one be conversant in the word he will grow stronger by it and will make himself as a grey-hound comely to run and run apace not onely in plain wayes and like a child that cannot get up a pair of stairs but it will make him climb the craggiest rocks and will make him a victorious King able to overcome strong temptations as St. Paul said to the people when they asked him how they should do when he was gone he said I will commit you to God and his word of grace intimating that if they had that it were no matter whether they had him or no. Therefore if one have lost his first love his first beauty and colour let him go to the word and it will bring it again because it takes away the sickness that takes away the colour onely some cautions must be observed First It must be constantly read it is not enough when we are hindred of other businesses then to take a boâ—k in our hands by accident but it must be read constantly his is commanded the King who hath the greatest buâ—…s Deut. 17. 18 Ios. 1. 10. The word is commanded to be read day and night if we must read it day and â—ight the least that we can do is to read some part of it evâ—ry day The best way therefore is to bind our sâ—lvâ—s 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 privâ—te prayer so to reading for it is a part of the â—…rifice this is eviâ—â—nt in David that did edeeâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his appointed food he had rather miss his meat thâ—n this Word he had rather keep a constant course in reading the word then in his appointed food Secondly It must be read with delight and meditation Psal. 1. 2 The blessed man delights in Gods Law and meditates in it day and night viz. he reads and doth delight in that he reads and meditates in it for both go together and therefore he is like the tree planted by the waters side that brings forth his fruit in due season but he that reads it without delight is as a dry tree that sucks no sap from the root and hence it is that meditating is put for reading Ios. 1. 8. Thou shalt meditate in it day and night and so I take all places to be meant where meditation is commended for want whereof a man is confused in those things that he most delights in and will be excellent in therefore the word must be read with delight Thirdly It must be read with prayer if we receive not our ordinary food without prayer much less spiritual why then should we read the word without it the means indeed hath a nourishing faculty inherent in it but yet we must pray or else it will not put forth his force the word bath a nourishing facultie going along with it whereby it nourishes but the holy Ghost must work and cooperate and unless he do so it cannot profit and this is the reason why many hear and profit nothing because the holy spirit works not with it and it works not because they pray not for it that so they may have it Luke 11. 13. God will give his holy spirit to them that ask him had we not need then to pray as David did Psal. 119. Lord teach me thy statutes and open mine eyes to see the wonders of thy Law he reads it but he knowes that prayer will fetch down the spirit pray then for it for that puts a nourishing faculty into the Word and the word nourisheth not without it If we do thus it will strengthen us if we be weak and heal us if we fall into a consumption of grace Fourthly It must be read or heard in faith that was the reason that it nourished not and why it did not strengthen because it wanted faith look what seed is thrown into baren ground it takes no root downward nor brings no fruit upward such is the word to an unfaithful heart but look what seed is sown in good soil and that is fruitful so is it with the word being heard with faith 1 Thes. 1 2. 13. It wrought in all those that believed as if he should have said it is believing of the word that makes it effectual otherwise it is as the shining of the Sun to blind eyes and falling of rain upon rocks Though they of themselves do lighten and be enough of themselves to lighten and make them fruitful yet the fault is not in the Sun nor the rain The word is a sword but faith sets an edge on it to divide between the marrow and the bones that makes it lively without which it is a dead word there is no life at all in it See it in particulars the word saith Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain did you believe this and seriously consider this that it is Gods commandement it would be effectual unto you to make you beware were that in Rom. 7. duly considered that the least sinne keeps on in the state of damnation it would make them look about them and try whether they were in the faith or no. If that in Gal. 5. were seriously considered that whosoever is in Christ hath crucified the flesh and the affections of it that if any lust be alive in us we are not Christians Were this well weighed it would make natural men know that they were in a damnable estate It is profitable therefore in reading of the word to joyn with it such disjunctions as these which follow either it is the word or it is not if it be then it is true or not true If true then infallible for so it is if it be the Word of God and thus ought we to build on it and guide our course of life by it Prov. 12. 13. if that were considered viz. That none should be established by wickedness then men would not get goods by inordinately and by unlawful means nor in an indirect manner if that 1 Cor. 6. 9. were considered that no fornicators nor adulterers shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven if this I say were believed and applyed in particular men would not continue in it nor rest tell they were washed and sanctified if threatnings in the word were throughly believed they would make us fear if the promises were believed they would make us rejoyce if the commandements were believed they would make us obey Concerning outward things if one bring another newes of any true good if he
that all things shall work for good we are commanded to give thanks in all things Ephes. 5. 25. There is great reason to thank God for all things since a part and portion of our comfort and happiness is in all things in Iohn 16. Christ useth these words he tells them that they should mourn and the world should rejoyce but their sorrow should be turned into joy Now I conceive the meaning of those words not onely to be this that they should have an exchange in time their sorrow and mourning should not last alway with them but they should have a condition of comfort But this I take it is further implyed that that joy and those comforts that succeeded their sorrow that happiness should be answerable in the degree and quantity to that sorrow and sufferings they had For you know when one thing is turned into another the more of the substance there is of that from which the conversion and change is made so much accrews to that in which the change is made As for example in Iohn 2. we read of a change of water into wine There were six water pots full Now so much water as there was so much wine when the miracle was wrought If there had been twelve pots more if they had been all full there had been so much wine as there was water So brethren the more sorrow and trouble and affliction any man undergoes here when a change comes when the Lord comes about to us and turns all comfort comes in more abundance it comes in more plenty This I take to be the meaning of David Psal. 30. 11. he useth the same word that Christ doth to his disciples thou hast turned my heaviness into joy and the latter part of the verse seems to favour this interpretation thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness implying that as Davids sorrow was large enough to make a garment of sackcloth so his joy was large enough to make him a vesture of gladness So we have this assurance that all shall work for the best whatsoever God hath in hand to do with us and however he deal by us we shall see it to be best in the latter end For God can draw light out of darkness take that rule that is the purest comfort and light that is drawn out of darkness I say God will do it thoughâ—â— be hard he will set his mighty hand to do it In Iudges 14. Sampson slew a Lion that came roaring upon him put the case that six Lions had come upon him roaring if Sampson had been sure of the victory and to have slain them as fast as they came on him it had been no matter how many he had meet with especially considering that within a few dayes after as we see in the story he came and in the carkase of the Lion he found honey This Lion resembles the troubles and afflictions of this world that come roaring upon us and threaten a deluge and confusion but we have the promise of God that cannot deceive us God will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able but with the temptation will give an issue Now what if they come never so thick and roar never so loud what if the waves threaten to overwhelm us as David saith we are sure of the victory before hand As Samson found honey in the carkase so when we look back upon affliction conquered and subdued we shall find honey in the carkase that is abundance of comfort and experience of the love of God helping us to go through them and overcoming them But you will say it is true it may be God will give an issue but it may be a great while first alas what shall we do in the mean time If we had any thing to support and sustain our selves this were something we should be able to endure while Gods rod rested on us but this fills our spirits full of bitterness this is that which is gall and wormwood To this I answer there is none of us that love our outward estate that love our Children and houses better then a usurer loves his money yet we see he usually takes this course he puts it out of his hand a long time upon security knowing that being abroad it works for him all the while and will come home with advantage Why then should Christians make more adoe and trouble themselves more about this if at any time God borrow these things at their hands their life or credit or outward man God takes them for a time that he may restore them again more rich and plentiful then he took them But you will say how shall we do in the mean time yet we are not satisfied alas if God should strip us of all comfort we do not know where to betake our selves what will become of us we shall go out of home and harbor userers though they do so and so with their money yet they keep so much by them that they may live upon and they are rich men c. To this in a few words I answer many times men that love money we see what hard shift they make to live though their money increase we see they pinch and pine so what if a Christian have nothing else to find himself with the comfort and contentment of his being what if he have nothing to live by but faith and a joyful expectation of deliverance that he sees comming though afar off Such a mans case is not much to be pitied Heb. 11. 35. there is a notable place It is said they are racked not accepting deliverance they made not reckoning of deliverance that is they did not care for it they did not desire it What was the reason It is said that they might obtain a better resurrection So they might have it at that day at the great day they cared not for the present what pain they did undergoe You know it is a usual thing with men if there be any great sum or payment of money comes to them they say they desire rather to have the whole sum together though they stay longer then to have it by small parcels it doth them little good So if we were able to see and conceive it were better for us to have it at the day of the resurection it were better then to have our comfort to have that reward together as it were that the Lord hath provided and laid up for us You see the Lord himself that is wise for his glory and more provident then we can be for our happiness and comfort he hath taken this course to make one notible day of the world for his glory You see in the mean time how he suffers himself to be contemned and suffers an eclipse of his glory he suffers men to live in rebellion and opposition against him he suffers men to swear and blaspheme his name Now it is in
4. 6. 1 Cor. 3. Use 1. Rev. 3. Simile Simile Quest. Answ. what holiness of Spirit is Isay 57. Ia I◠〈◊〉 3. Use. 2. Exod. 33. 1. 2. 3. 4â— 1 Reason 2. Reason 3 Reason 4 Reason Use 1. Quest. Answ. Use 2. Object Answs Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Use. 3. 2. 3. 4. 2. 2. 3 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 1. 2. 3. 4 5. Psal 119. Luke 10. 23. Mat. 3. Luke 9. 1. 1. 2. Vide Joh. 14. Joh. 1. 3 23. 3. 〈◊〉 5. 〈◊〉 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 2. 3. Object Answ. 4. 5. 6. 7. Object Answ. 8. 9. Doct. 1. It is the property of grace to make us strong Grace What A quality Rom. 6. 14. Rom. 3. Heb. 12. â—2 Supernatural 3. Peculiar 4. Wrought by the holy ghost 5. Whereby we are enabled to please God 6. In all things Grace maketh strong Reas. 1. Grace changeth mans nature Reas. 2. Grace is the efficacy of the spirit Isa. 21. 3. Object Answ. Grace an emptying quality We must use meanes of strength Use. To examine if we have grace Heb. 9. 14. Heb. 12. 1 Cor. 11. Object Answ. Strength of grace in three things 1. It cures corrupt nature Quest. Answ. Rom. 1. Simile Jam. 1. Grace raiseth common nature 2. Grace enables to 〈◊〉 of nâ—w obedience and to be constant in them 2 Pet. 3. ult Jer. 32. 40. Doct. All grace is received from Christ. Joh. 1. Quest. Answ. How to draw near to Christ. 1. To see Christs willingnâ—… to match wâ—… uâ— 2. To be divorced from all other Husbands Quest. Answ. When love to outward things is inordinate 3. See our need of Christ and his excellency Object Answ. 2 Cor. 3. ult John 6. Doct. We must not onely get strength but use it Quest. Answ. Upon what â—…ons especially to stir up our strength In times of speciall employment Jos. 1. 6. Jer. 26. Luther Ephes. 6. 2. In change of a mans estate Phil. 4. 3. In the seasons of using several graces 2 Pet. 1. 5. Use. To put forth the strength we have Actions of men of two sorts Jude 20. Helps to exercise spiritual strength 1. Exercise 2 Tim. 2 21. 2. Removing of impediments Psal. 51. 3. To beg the Holy Ghost to help us Simile 4. Prayer and communion of Saints 5. To seek the things that are Jesus Christs Phillip 2. Quest. Answ. 1. There is a necessity so to do 3. Christ hath deserved it 1 Cor. 1. 2. Cor. 8. Gal. 2. 20 Rev. 2. Mat. 10. 33. Doct. Godliness only required and accepted of God 1. Nature is not enough 2. Nor moral vertues 3. Not actions of outward worship Godliness what To exalt God what Reas. 1. Godliness only is like to God Simile Reas. 3. It gives God glory 1 Cor. 11. Ver. 3. Use. To content your selves with nothing but godliness 2. Pet. 1. Object Answ. Simile Application to the Sacrament Mark 16. Natural vertues like true vertues Simile Godliness how wrought Use 2. To excel God for God Quest. Answ. Rom. 3. 10. 1. To look for all from God Collos. 3. Heb. 4 Use. To exalt in godliness Doct. 2. Most men have but a form of godlinesse Reas. 1. To satisfie conscience Rom. 2. 16 Reas. 2. A form is easie Reas. 3. Satan and the World resist not a form Reas. 4. It agrees with the common light of nature Use. To examine whether we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two things hinder this examination Fire differences between the power form of godliness 1. It is true Quest. Answ. 2. It is powerful 1 Thes. 1. 5. Acts 10. 38. Quest. Answ. 3. It is substantial Quest. Answ. 4. It goes through with the work 5. It is universal Dan. 3. 19. Math. 5. 13. Object Answ. Reas. 1. Iohn 21. 16. Quest. Answ. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Object Answ. Reas. 4. Object Answ. Use. 1. 2. Pet. 3. 16. Quest. Answ. 〈◊〉 2. 3 Obj. 3. Answ. 〈◊〉 3. 4. Obj. Answ. Use. 2. Luke 2 51 Iohn 14 25. 2. 3. 〈◊〉 Use. 3. 2. 3 4. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Use 4. The fourth Corollarie Quest. Answ. Advert Tim. 2. 15. Object Answ. Adver 2. Adver 3. 2 Cor. 2. 16. Object Answ. Advert 4. Adver 5. 1. 1. Ground 2. Ground 3 Ground 1. 2. 4. Ground 1. 2. 5. Ground 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 6. Ground Obj. Answ. Obj. Answ. 4. 5 8. 9. Object Answ 2. Object Answ. Object Answ. 2. 3. Object 2. Object Answ. Object Answ. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2 1. 2. 3. 3. 4. 〈◊〉 1. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doct. Our hearts should be stablished in the day of fear Means to keep the heart from fear 1. To divert the thoughts another way Heb. 10. 2. Get a clear light by us Mark 6. 49. 3. Not to promise our selves much from the world 4. Get a humble heart Isay 49. 5. To be strong in Gods strength Ephes. 6. 10. Two helps to it 〈◊〉 To consider what God hath done for others Psalm 22. Psalm 119. 53. â—2 What he hath done for us Luke 9. 44. Isay 50. 9. Simile Psalm 9. 6. Means To consider all shall work together for the best Rom 8. 28. Ephes 5. 25. Iohn 16. Iohn 2. Psalm 30. 11. Iudges 14. Object Answ. To wait Gods time Object Answ. Heb. 11 35. Simile Inward comforts supply outward 2 Cor. 5. 16. 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. 2 Cor. 11 Psal. 94. 14. Gen. 18. 6. Dan. 3. Luke 23. 43. Iohn 16. Means 7. Prayer Phil. 4. 6. Quest. Answ. Iohn 14. 27. Object Answ. Iudg. 16. Object 〈◊〉 Answ. 1. Gen. 12. Gen 22. 2. Great afflictions may be born with more patience then less Simile ‖ Novem. 5. Doct. There is a law of sin in everymans nature enclining him to that which is evil What this inclination is 〈◊〉 It is a Law 2. A law in the members Simile Simile 3 It is a warring Law Simile How it warreth 1. They stop the passages 2 Provokes to ill 3. It is watchful Simile 4. It useth stratagems 4. It leads us captive 1 Tim. 6. Doct. The Law of the 〈◊〉 in the regenerate carrieth them to â—hat which is good 2. Why called the Law of the mind Ier. 32. 40. 3. It makes resistance Object Rom. 2. 15. Answ. Differences between natural conscience and the Law of the mind in the regenerate 1. In the combatants Eccles. 9. 2. In the manner of the fight Simile 3. 3. In the object of this fight 4. In the success Obiect Answ. 5. In the continuance Use. Bewail our condition under this law in our members Corruption of nature hateful to God Simile Simile Quest. Answ. Object Answ. How to know the law of natural conscience from the law of the mind in the regenerate God judgeth men by their constant course Simile Simile Simile Simile Doct. Doct. It is the duty of every man to seek the things of Jesus Christ. Reas. 1. From our selves Deut. 10. 13. 2. In respect of Christ. Use. 1 Chron 29. Gen. 27. 1. Quest. Answ. Things of Jesus Christ what Heb. 10. 34. Psalm 31. 13 1 Cor. 9. To seek what 2 Cor. 8. 10. Tit. 2. vlt. Rom. 12. 11. 2 Cor. 11. 18. Judges 6. Rom. 15. 12. 1 Chron. 29. 14 2 Diligence Rom. 12. 11. Quest. Answ. Simile Constancy Heb. 3. 3. Faithfully Simile Quest. Answ. How to know we do the things of Christ faithfully Simile Object Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. To give our selves to Christ what â—2 It must be done with all in ention 1 Chron. 29. Simile 3. It must be done by faith 1. In Gods promises Math. 6. 2. In Gods providence 2 Tim. 〈◊〉 4. By love 〈◊〉 Cor. 13. 2 Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 Use. To esteem our prayers Object Answ. God is not changed by our prayers but our selves Simile Object Answ. Mercies bestowed without prayer are not blessings Simile What prayer obtaines blessings Hypocrisie what Obser We ought to observe Gods answer to our prayers Simile Jam. 4. Simile * After the great plague 1625. Doct. When we pray to God he is ready to hear 2 Cor. 12. A sign asked on a double ground Obser. The Lord tenders a weak faith Doct. The Lord looks for thankfulness answerable to his mercies Thankfulness a free duty Psal. 33. 1. 4 Conditions in thankfulness 1. It must be done of necessity 2. Proportionable to mercies received 3. According to the greatness of mercies 4. Presently 〈◊〉 4. In what cases God expects extraordinary thanks Levit. 26. Ier. 34. 2 Chron. 7 14. Quest. Wherein true thankfulness consists Answ. Psal. 107. Exaltation of the mind double 2 Chron. 26. 16. Deut. 26. 11. 12. Psal. 33. Psal. 107. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Object Answ. Object 2. Answ. Objection 2. Answ. Objection 4. Answ. Object 5. Answer Object 6. Answ. Ier. 31. 33. Ezekiel 36. Object 7. Answ. Use 1. 1 Pet. 1. 19. Vse 〈◊〉 Question