children keepe your selves from Idols How doth this depend upon the other Thus will you goe to Idols flocks and stones devises of mens braine for supply of grace and comfort Christ whom God hath sent hee is come into the world He is God and eternall life God hath given eternall life and this life is in his Son therefore why should you goe to Idols What is the ground of Popish Idolatries and abhominations they conceive not aright of the fulnesse of Christ wherefore he was ordained and sent of God for if they did they would not goe to Idols and Saints and leave Christ. Therefore let us make this use of it goe out of Christ for nothing If we want favour goe not to Saints if we want instruction goe not to traditions of men he is a Prophet wise enough and a Priest full enough to make us accepted of God if we want any grace hee is a King able enough rich enough and strong enough to subdue all our rebellions in us and hee will in time by his Spirit overcome all Stronger is he that is in us then he that is in the world The spirit in the world the Divell and divellish minded men they are not so strong as the Spirit of Christ For by little and little the Spirit of Christ will subdue all Christ is a King goe not out of him therefore for any thing Babes keepe your selves from Idols you may well enough you know whom to goe too Therefore let us shame our selves is there such a store-house of comfort and grace every way in Christ Why are wee so weake and comfortlesse Why are we so dejected as if we had not such a rich husband All our husbands riches are ours for our good we receive of it in our measure why doe wee not goe to the Fountaine and make use of it Why in the middest of aboundance are we poore and beggerly Heere we may see the misery of the world Christ is a Prophet to teach us the way to Heaven but how few be there that will be directed by him Christ is a King to subdue all our spirituall and worst enemies to subdue those enemies that Kings tremble at to subdue death to subdue the feare of judgement and the wrath of God and yet how few will come under his government Christ is the light of the world yet how few follow him Christ is the way yet how few tread in his steps Christ is our wisdome and our riches yet how few goe to him to fetch any riches but content themselves with the transitory things of this life Men live as if Christ were nothing or did nothing concerne them as if he were a person abstracted from them as if he were not a Head or Husband as if he had received the Spirit only for himselfe and not for them wheras all that is in Christ is for us I beseech you therefore let us learne to know Christ better and to make use of him Againe if Christ hath the Spirit put upon him for us all then in our daily slips and errors make this use to offer Christ to God with this argument take an argument from God himselfe to binde him God will bee bound with his owne arguments we cannot binde him with ours but let us goe to him and say Lord though I be thus and thus sinnefull yet for Christ Iesus sake thy servant whom thou lovest and hast put thy Spirit upon him to be a Priest and to make intercession for me for his sake pardon for his sake accept Make use of Gods consecration of Christ by the Spirit to God himselfe and binde him with his owne Mediator and with his owne Priest of his owne ordaining thou canst not Lord refuse a Saviour and Mediator of thine owne sanctified by thine own Spirit whom thou hast set apart and ordained and qualified every way for this purpose let us goe to God in the Name of this Mediator Jesus Christ every day and this is to make a good use of this That God hath put his Spirit upon him But to make a use of Tryall how shall wee know that this comfort belongs to us that Christ hath the Spirit put upon him for us or no whether he be ordained a King Priest and Prophet for us That which I said before will give light to this we must partake of the same Spirit that Christ hath or else wee are none of his members as we partake of his name so we must also of his annoynting thereupon we are called Christians because we partake of the annoynting and Spirit of Christ and if we have the Spirit of Christ it will worke the same in us as it did in Christ it will convince us of our owne ill of our rebellions and cursed estate and it will convince us likewise of the good we have in him And then he is a Spirit of union to knit us to Christ and make us one with him and thereupon to quicken us to leade us and guide us and to dwell in us continually to stirre up prayers and supplications in us to make us cry familiarly to God as to a Father to comfort and support us in all our wants and miseries as he did Christ to helpe our infirmities as the Apostle at large in Rom. 8. sets downe the excellent office of the Holy Ghost what he doth in those that are Christs Let us therefore examine our selves what the Spirit doth in us if Christ bee set apart to redeeme us as a Priest Surely all his offices goe together he doth by the same Spirit rule us Rev. 1. He hath washed us in his blood and made us Kings and Priests Whosoever he washeth in his blood he maketh him a King and a Priest he makes him by the power of his Spirit able to rule over his base corruptions we may know then whether we have benefit by Christ by his Spirit not onely by the Spirit witnessing that we are the Sonnes of God but by some arguments whereby the Spirit may witnesse without delusion for though the Spirit of Christ tells us that we are Christs yet the proofe must bee from guiding and leading and comforting and conforming us to Jesus Christ in making us Kings and Prophets enlightning our understandings to know his will and conforming us to be like him The Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of power and strength it will enable us to performe duties above nature to overcome our selves and injuries it vvill make us to vvant and to abound it vvill make us able to live and to dye as it enabled Christ to doe things that another man could not doe So a Christian can doe that and suffer that that another man cannot doe and suffer because he hath the Spirit of Christ. At the least whosoever hath the Spirit of Christ he shall finde that Spirit in him striving against that which is contrary and by little and little getting ground where there is no conflict there is
no Spirit of Christ at all I will not be large in the point onely I speake this by way of tryall to know whether wee have the Spirit of Christ in us or no if not we have nothing to doe with Christ For Christ saves us not as he is out of us onely Christ was to doe something of himselfe that wee have no share in onely the good of it is ours hee was to redeeme us by his blood to bee a Sacrifice the title to Heaven and salvation was wrought by Christ out of us but there is somewhat that he doth not onely for us but hee works in us by his Spirit that is the fitting of us for that he hath given us title too and the applying of that that he hath done for us Whosoever therefore hath any benefit by Christ he hath the Spirit to apply that to himselfe and to fit and qualifie him to be a member of such a Head and an heire of such a Kingdome whosoever Christ works any thing for he doth also worke in them there is a Spirit of application and that spirit of application if it be true it is a Spirit of sanctification and renovation fitting us every way for our condition Let us not abuse our selves as the world commonly doth concerning Christ they thinke God is mercifull and Christ is a Saviour Jt is true but what hath he wrought in thee by his Spirit hast thou the Spirit of Christ or else thou art none of his Romans 8. Where ever Christ is he goes with his Spirit to teach us to apply what Christ hath done for us and to fit us to bee like him Therefore let those that live in any sinnes against conscience thinke it a diabollicall illusion to thinke God and Christ is mercifull I but where is the worke of the Spirit All the hope thou hast is onely that thou art not in Hell as yet for the time to come but for the present I dare not say thou hast any thing to doe with Christ when there is nothing of the Spirit in thee the Spirit of Christ conformes the Spouse to bee like the husband and the members to be like the Head therefore begg of Christ that hee would annoint himselfe King in our hearts and Prophet and Priest in our hearts to doe that that he did to know his will as a Prophet to rule in us as a King and to stirre up prayers in us as a Priest to doe in some proportion that that he doth though it bee in never so little a measure for wee receive it in measure but Christ beyond measure wee must labour for so much as may manifest to us the truth of our estate in Christ that we are not dead but living branches Now Christ gives and conveyes his Spirit especially and most of all since his ascention and sitting at the right hand of God for after his resurrection he declared his victory over all his enemies and therefore was able to give the Spirit without opposition and upon his resurrection death and hell and the anger of God were overcome and our sinnes were satisfied for now Christ was Head indeed having trod all his enemies under his feete now he was enabled to give the Spirit but upon his ascention into Heaven and his sitting there he was more enabled for even as the Sunne being so high above the Earth doth convey his light and heate and influence upon the inferiour bodies So Christ being so highly advanced is fitter to infuse his Spirit and grace heere below since his exaltation therefore the Church is fuller of grace and grace hath beene more spread and diffused since the ascention of Christ then before and the Evangelist gives it as a reason The Spirit was not yet given because Christ was not ascended intimating that after his ascention there was a more full portion of the Spirit given God being fully appeased by the death of Christ and Christ staying the advantage that was fittest to give the Spirit now God the Father gives the Spirit with the Sonne so in both regards there was a greater fullnesse of the Spirit Therefore the Prophets speaking of the times of Christ especially of his exaltation shew that then they should be filled with the Spirit that the Spirit should be povvred out upon all flesh more aboundantly then before And that is the reason that the Apostles so differed from themselves before and after Christs ascention what a wondrous alteration was there Peter before hee flies even at the voice of a maide and they were full of contention and vaine glory but after we see when the Spirit the Holy Ghost came downe after Christs ascention into Heaven how couragious and valarous they were that they accounted it a matter of glory to suffer any thing and indeed we have more or lesse valour and courage the more of lesse Spirit we have now they having received more abundance of Spirit hereupon they were more couragious and undaunted at one time then another and this abundance of the Spirit comes especially since Christs advancement But how or by what meanes doth Christ give his Spirit to us This Spirit that is so necessary for us it is given by the ministery of the Gospell which is the ministery of the Spirit received ye the Holy Ghost by the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith preached when the love of God in Christ and the benefits by Christ are layed open in the preaching of the Gospell to us God gives his holy Spirit the Spirit of Christ. Now God in Christ would save us by a triumphant and abundant love and mercy and the Spirit of God never goes but where there is a magnifying of the love and mercy of God in Christ therefore the ministery of the Gospell which onely discovers the amity and love of God to man-kinde being now reconciled in Christ it is accompanyed with the Spirit to assure us of our part and portion in those benefits for the Spirit is the fruit of Gods love as well as Christ Christ is the first gift and the Spirit is the second therefore that part of the word that discovers Gods exceeding love to man-kinde leaving Angells when they were fallen in their cursed estate and yet giving his Sonne to become man and a curse for us the discovery of this love and mercy of God and of his Son Christ to us is joyned with the Spirit for by the Spirit we see our cursed estate without the love and mercy of God in Christ and likewise we are convinced of the love of God in Christ and thereupon we love God againe and trust to his mercy and out of love to him performe all chearfull obedience whatsoever we doe else if it be not stirred by the Spirit apprehending the love of God in Christ it is but morallity A man shall never goe to Heaven but by such a disposition and frame and temper of soule as is wrought by the Holy Ghost
in the spirit of a beleeving man an expression of the Spirit of Christ so that if you would see Christ in his excellencies looke on the spirit of a true Christian there you shall see a resemblance of Christ Jesus not perfectly but in some comfortable measure you shall see the very Image of Christ you shall see how full of love he is how patient in crosses how humble how meeke how obedient to God in all things both in a passive and active obedience This is the stampe of the Spirit when a man beleeves God honours him by setting his Image on him And yet this is not all besides this wee are sealed with the witnesse and comfort of the Spirit as well as with the worke of the Spirit the Spirit of God sweetly witnessing that we are the sons of God and this sweet witnesse of the Spirit especially comes after wee have honoured God by beleeving in temptation when we are able to hold out and say as Iob said Though he kill me yet wil I trust in him so when we can after conflicts of doubting and dispaire say though he kill me yet will I trust in him I will set to my seale that he is true well will you so God to honour such a soule seales him to the day of redemption that is he gives to the soule of such a one a sweet evidence and testimony that hee is the Son of God And this seale of the Spirit is double not only done by the witnesse and worke of the Spirit inwardly which I have shewed but likewise the Spirit doth seale them outwardly inabling them to make an outward confession of Christ and his Truth and therefore in Reve. 14. Christians are said to be Sealed in the forehead that is as they are marked and singled out in ill times to be such as God hath set his speciall favour upon so they are Sealed with a spirit of boldnesse willingly and with forwardnesse to confesse the truth of Christ in ill times Now to apply it to our purpose wouldest thou know whether thou be such a one for the present as for whom Christ is Sealed a Mediator Examine first of all whether thou hast put to thy Seale that God is true by receiving and beleeving Christ and the promise of Salvation through him if thou hast done so then thou wilt finde another Seale from God even the worke of the Spirit in sanctifying of thee and conforming of thee to the Image and likenesse of Christ and thou wilt finde the witnesse and comfortable testimony of the Spirit in telling thee that thou art the Sonne of God and withall thou wilt have a spirit of boldnesse and readinesse and forwardnesse to confesse Christ thou wilt not care for al that the world saith but wilt if neede be stand to the profession of Religion to the death If thou canst finde this in thy selfe undoubtedly thou art not onely such a one as Christ came to Seale but for the present thou mayest be assured that thou hast interest in this Mediator Sealed by God for that purpose Thus you see that here is food that endures to everlasting life which is Christ and the benefits wee have by him you see that that blessed meate is attaineable because he is willing to give it for he is become Man for that purpose he is able to give it for he is God as well as Man and he hath aurhority to give it for God the Father hath Sealed him and fitted him for that office If we receive him he will Seale us with his blessed Spirit that is the same Spirit that furnished Christ with grace that sanctified him in the wombe will sanctifie all those that are his members will worke a likenesse and conformity in them to his blessed Image for the same Spirit that was in the naturall Sonne is in all the adopted Sonnes of God And he will likewise give us the comfortable evidence and assurance that we are the Sons of God furnish us with boldnesse and resolution to professe Christ in all times Let me then I beseech you come againe to re-enforce this exhortation Take heed you refuse not Christ consider with what authority he comes he is Sealed it is no presumption therefore to receive him though you be never such sinners to receive him I meane not onely to be a Priest to reconcile you to God but to be a King to rule you and a Prophet to instruct you by his Spirit to receive him on this manner is no presumption to receive him indeed as a Saviour but to neglect him as King to refuse to come under his government is great presumption but to receive whole Christ is obedience and faith and no presumption nay if you doe not receive him you sinne damnably you commit the greatest sinne that can be He came to save all that will come under his blessed government that will kisse the Sonne Whosoever will let him come and drinke of the waters of lâ—fe all the good promised by Christ is promised upon our receiving of him upon the obedience of our Faith there is nothing required but a will to imbrace him and to be under his government there is no exception made of sinnes or persons or times At what time soever a sinner repents whatsoever sinner whatsoever time or whatsoever the sinnes bee if he repents Christ is ready to receive him If you pretend your unworthinesse and want of excellencies hee takes away that objection Come unto me all that are weary and heavy laden Come buy without money and here in the text the Sonne of man shall give it and what so free as guift If you pretend you have sinned since your calling and that you have sinned against conscience and knowledge and therefore now you have no further hope of Christ remember that Paul 2. Cor. 5. speakes to the Corinthians that were in the state of grace I beseech you to be reconciled to God and in Ieremy 3. Returne againe you Backesliding Israel and I will heale your Backeslidings and againe will a man receive a wife that hath played the harlot and broken the band of marriage Yet returne O house of Israel and I will receive you Therefore runne not away from God though thou hast sinned after thou art in the state of grace come againe J beseech you still Christ is to be received the doore of grace is alwayes held open and the golden scepter continually held out as long as we live in this world But yet it is not good to neglect the time of grace receive Christ presently deferre not to come under his governement and receive him wholy or else there is no receiving of him at all And to presse this a little further I beseech you consider that if you leave not your sinfull courses and come under the blessed governement of Christ if you receive not this Sealed King this Sealed Priest and Prophet this Sealed Mediator whom God hath Sealed and sent unto you
God gets the victory of whatsoever opposeth him If there be snares offered from the world he withstands them if Satan come with his temptations he resists him he hath a promise for it resist the Divell and hee will flee Let us hold out and we shall get the victory and overcome even God himselfe how much more all other things Therefore when either opposition without or indisposition within sets upon us in the course of Religion and Piety let us thinke here now is time and place for violence I know if I set my selfe about it J shall have the victory and the Crowne A Christian is alway in a hopefull state and condition he hath somewhat to encourage him he hath arguments to prevaile over the state of opposition he knowes he shall winne all at last if he goe on and that makes him couragious in what estate soever he is Let us not be discouraged to heare of opposition And let us be incouraged when we heare of good things when we heare that the Kingdome of Heaven and grace is offered in the preaching of the Gospell Let us attend upon the posts of wisdomes doores and not give over till we come to peaâ—â— of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost If wee heare of comfort in the Word of God against distresse of conscience let us never give over till we finde it If we heare that God is a God hearing Prayer let us never leave knocking at Heaven Gate never leave wrastling till our prayers be heard when we heare what ill is to be avoided and what good is offered let us not cease till we avoid the one and obtaine the other The violent take it by force The last point is the date of time from whence this Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence From the daies of Iohn Baptist untill now Was there not a Kingdome of Heaven that suffered violence before Iohn Baptists time did the Kingdome of God begin then was Christ a King and was Heaven opened onely then I answer no but now the things of God were more gloriously discovered therefore Iohn 1.51 Henceforth you shall see Heaven opened The Kingdome of Heaven was opened now by the preaching of the Gospell more gloriously then before Therefore the state of the Gospell is called the Kingdome of Heaven partly in regard of the times before and partly in regard of the times after The Law was full of servile bondage to Ceremonies it was a heavie darke state they were laden with a multitude of Ceremonies which were but cold things to the spirit of a man that desires peace though they were Ceremonies of Gods appointing yet they were but outward empty things in comparison weake and beggarly elements as the Apostle saith Gal. 4.9 They were costly and painefull and cold things that had not the efficacie of spirit in them And secondly then it was entayled to the Jewes onely Now since Christs time it is enlarged and being more large and free this blessed estate is called a Kingdome Iohn Baptist now opening Christ clearely and a better state then the Church had yet enjoyed when people saw an end of the Ceremonies and the beginning of the glorious liberty in Christ this made them violently set on them Againe Iohn Baptist made way for Christ levelling the soules of men by his powerfull preaching and his holy life he taught them in what need they stood of Christ hee was the messenger sent before Christ for that end he was as the morning Starre to the Sun hee was powerfull in his preaching and holy in his life he told every man his owne he told the Pharisees that they were a generation of vipers he shewed men their state by nature and told them of a better state that the Kingdome of Heaven was at hand and although he wrought no miracles yet himselfe was a miracle to teach such holy doctrine and to live an austere holy life in those evill daies it was no lesse then a miracle therefore this violence to the Kingdome of Heaven it hath the date from Iohn Baptists time from his preaching not from his birth he being so excellent a preacher no wonder there should be violence This shewes the reason why the Gospell in later times was imbraced so greedily when Luther began to preach alas people had beene in a worse condition then Jewish in respect of Ceremonies and otherwise foolish idle men they will set God to schole they will have some fooleries alway that they will make as much of as of the worship of God and so it had beene in the times before Luther In Saint Austins time he was pestered with many vaine ceremonies and good man he yeelded to the streame and custome in many things though he could hardly indure the slavery of those things Now when the times grew better it was no wonder that the world imbraced the Gospell with violence as in Luthers time when there was a freedome proclaimed from those beggarly rudiments and traditions Antichrist had hampered the consciences of men with an intollerable masse of foolish groundlesse ceremonies making them equall with the Word of God as wee see in the Counsell of Trent and this vexed the consciences of people like scorpions as it is Rev. 9.5 they oppressed the people with a multitude of weights and burthens which when people could not assent unto it stung their consciences No wonder then if people thronged after Luther when he opened the doctrine of free justification by faith that the consciences of men were not to be hampered with these things He taught that Gods people were only to have a few ceremonies for present order but for the rest to trouble mens consciences and to make them of equall valew with the Word of God he shewed it was an abhominable doctrine and wrote against it learnedly and sweetly and therefore it is no marvell though the truths he taught were soone and chearefully by multitudes embraced And the reason why now the Gospell begins to be so little imbraced and esteemed is because by reason of the long continuance of it we are weary of this heavenly Manna As the people in Saint Iohn Baptists time as eager as they were after Iohns preaching yet it was but for a time that they rejoyced in his light they grew weary of him we never felt the burthen of those Romish Ceremonies and therefore now grow weary of our liberty whereas in the beginning of Luthers time because they were eased from many beggarly and which is worse tyrannicall ceremonies of Rome therefore with much joy and eagernesse they embraced the truth when it came to be preached amongst them Therefore we are to praise God for the liberty of the Church at this time that we have the Word of God to rule our consciences and that other matters are not pressed on us but as matters of decencie and order Alas if wee were in bondage to those proud Popish
pretend we desire Christ to Come and yet notwith standing we are carelesse of getting knowledge and of purging our soules of growing in grace carelesse of being such as Christ may delight to come unto This carelessenesse of fitting and preparing our selves shewes that wee doe but in hypocrisie speake the words when we have no such thing in our hearts Those that desire the Kingdome of Christ and the happy condition of Christians in another world they desire the way of it here that is by fitting and preparing themselves for that estate and indeed it will worke those effects as it is Tit. 2. and other places what is the motive there to live a holy and righteous and sober life Looking and waiting for the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. There he inserts a holy life betweene the two commings of Christ shewing that the beleeving the end of both will worke this effect in the change of our lives To be sober to our selves and just to others and holy to God The grace of God hath appeared that is in the first comming of Christ teaching us to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts c. and then looking forward still for the second comming of Christ. So that he beleeves that the grace of God hath appeared in saving our soules by the death of Christ in his first comming and hee that beleeves that hee will come to be glorious after in his second comming certainely he will live justly and soberly and righteously in this present world he will fit himselfe for that estate that hee professeth to desire Let us trie our selves by these evidences in some measure and not thinke our state good till wee can say from our hearts Come But are Christians alwayes in this state of soule that they can say Come I answere they are alway in some degree fitting themselves for Christ but notwithstanding they are not alway so exact and watchfull that they could wish that he should come at this time Take the comparison from a wife a spouse she heartily desires the comming home of her husband yet perhaps sometimes things may not be in so good order as to wish that he were here now nay I have not yet prepared This is the state of careles Christians that have soundnesse of grace and yet are carelesse they desire the comming of Christ and they love the glory of the life to come and indeavour weakely for it yet they are so carelesse some corruption hanges on them that they have not so mortified and subdued as they should doe they are not yet so fitted as they should be Therefore God often rouseth such by afflictions and other courses in this world to weane them more from the love of the world and to prepare us because we are sloathfull and carelesse to prepare our selves So I say that somtimes the best Christians sometimes may be more indisposed then at others by reason of security growing on our soules so weake are we and beset with temptations therefore let none be over-much discouraged with that but let us strive as the Church here to be in such an estate as we may alway say Come Well upon tryall if wee find our selves not so disposed as we should how shall wee carry our selves that we may say Come Let us labour to purge our selves by mortification more more he that hath this hope purgeth himselfe And let us endure Gods purging of us and justifie Gods purging of us by afflictions and thinke that God hath this ayme certainely this is to make me more heavenly minded to rayse my affections up I will therefore beare the anger of God I have deserved it and he hath holy ends in it to make me partaker of his righteousnesse Let us purge our selves by grace and endure the course that God takes to purge us by daily crosses for God aymes by it to weane us more and more from the world And let us labour daily more and more to unloose our hearts from the things below Those that would remoove a Tree they loosen it from the roote of it so our affections are rooted to earthly things therefore wee should labour to loose them daily more and more by the consideration of the uncertainety and vanity of all things they are not that that will sticke to us and give us content when wee shall stand in most need of them here we must leave the things of the world as wee find them here we must part with them Therefore wee should labour to unloose our hearts and to plant and set and pitch them where they may be safe and swallowed up in better things And to this end often meditate of the excellency that shall be in the second comming of Christ oh the glorious time then See the meanes how the Church comes to be stirred up here to say Come Christ saith before that he was the Roote of David the bright morning Starre he sets out himselfe gloriously and the gloriousnesse of that time then the Church hearing what the excellency of that state will â—e then and the excellency of Christ the Church hath desires sutable to those manifestations Therefore let us meditate of the state of the Church what it will be and of the excellâ—â—cy and glory of Christ when heâ— shall comâ— to be glorious in his Saints what a happy condition it will be and to feed our meditations let us be oft in hearing and reading of these things If wee hope for any thing to come in this world as if a young heirâ— that shall have great possessions the more he growes towards yeeres the more hee thinks I shall have this mannor and that hee thinkes of the possessions hee hath so a Christian the nearer hee growes to heaven the more hee thinkes upon and talkes and is willing to heare of that condition that hee shall have The more we are in meditation and to helpe meditation the more we are in thinking and speaking and conferring of these things what will befall us ere long if we be Gods the more our affections will be raised up as we see in the Spouse here upon the manifestation of thâ— excellency of Christ comes this desire after the comming of Christ. This is one reason of the deadnesse of our hearts wee doe not awaken them with such holy thoughts as we should and wee are not under those meanes as wee might oft times There cannot be any thing more â—weet and powerfull to drawe up our soules then meditation in this kind Againe that we may be able to say come let us labour to be more and more spirituall that the holy Spirit may rule our spirits then the spirit is alwayes for Come Nature saith not come because it is above nature I meane nature not corrupt â—aith not Come It is a hidden secret to nature nature saith slay still it hath no desire to it the flesh is contrary altogether but the
we look for the Saviour who shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body according to his mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe So you see the blessed Apostle led with the same spirit as the man of God here he considers not what men do he fetcheth not the rules of his life from the example of the great ones of the world or from multitude these are false deceiving rules but he fetcheth the rule of his life from the experimentall goodnesse he had found by a contrary course to the world Let the world take what course they will it is good for me to draw neare to God I might adde a little further that The course and corrupt principles of the world are so far from shaking a child of God that they settle him They stir up his zeale the more As we say there is an antiperistasis an increasing of contraries by contraries as we see in winter the body is warmer by reason that the heat is kept in springs are warmer in winter because the heat is kept in So the spirit of God in the hearts of his children works boyles when it is invironed with contraries it gathers strength and breaks out with more zeale as David Psal. 119. when he see men did not keep Gods law we see how he complaines to God It is time Lord for thee to work Indeed it is the nature of opposition to increase the contrary those that have the spirit and grace of God in truth they gather strength by opposition Therefore the use we are to make of it is to discerne of our selves of what spirit wee are what principles we lead our lives by whether by examples of greatnesse or multitude or such like it is an argument wee are led by the spirit of the world and not by the spirit of God Gods children as they are severed from the world in condition they are men of another world so they are severed from the world in disposition in their course and conversation therefore from these grounds their course is contrary to the world But it is good for me But is not in the originall it is And it is good for me but the other is aimed at the sense is But it is good for me to draw neere to God and so it is in the last translation Thus you see what way we have made to the words I do but touch these things and it was necessary to say something of them because the words are a triumphant Conclusion upon the former premises And in the words in generall observe this first of all that God by his spirit inableth his children to justifie wisdome by their owne experience To make it good by their owne experience It is good for me to draw neere to God And this is one reason why God suffers them to be shaken and then in conflict to recover that after recovery they may justifie the truth nihil tam certum c. nothing is so certaine as that that is certaine after doubting nothing is so fixed as that that is fixed after it hath been shaken as the trees have the strongest roots because they are most shaken with winds and tempests Now God suffers the understanding that is the inward man of the best men to bee shaken and after settles them that so they may even from experience justifie all truths that they may say it is naught it is a bitter thing to sinne Sathan hath abused mee and my owne lust abused me and intised mee away from God but I see no such good thing in sinne as nature perswaded me before As travellers will tell men you live poorely here in such a country you may do wondrous well there you shall have plenty and respect and when they come there and are pinched with hunger and disrespect they come home with shame enough to themselves that they were so beguiled So it is with Gods children sometimes he suffers them to bee foyled and lets them have the reines of their lusts awhile to taste a little of the forbidden tree that after they may say with experience it is a bitter thing to forsake God it is better go to my former husband as the Church saith in Hosea when God took her in hand a little sinne will be bitter at the last So the prodigall he was suffered to range till he was whipped awhile and then he could confesse it was better to bee in his fathers house God suffers his children to fall into some course of sinne that afterward by experience they may justifie good things and be able to say that God is good And the judgement of such is more firme and doth more good than those that have beene kept from sincking at all God in his wise providence suffers this We should labour therefore to justifie in our owne experience all that is good What is the reason that men are ashamed of good courses so soon It may be they are perswaded a little to pray and to sanctifie the Lords day to retire themselves from vanity and such like I but if their judgements be not setled out of the book of God and if they have not some experience they will not maintaine this therefore they are driven off Now a Christian should be able to justifie against all gainsayers whatsoever can bee said by his owne experience That to read the book of God and to heare holy truths opened by men led with the spirit of God it is a good thing I find Gods spirit sanctifie me by it To sanctifie the Lords day I find good by it by experience That where there is the communion of Saints holy conference c. I can justifie it if there were no Scripture for it I find it by experience to bee a blessed way to bring me to a heavenly temper to fit mee for heaven So there is no good course but Gods children should be able both by Scripture and likewise by their owne experience to answer all gainsayers when either their owne hearts or others shall oppose it he may bee able to say with the holy man here it is no matter what you say It is good for me to draw neere to God So much for the generall To come more particularly to the words It is good for me to draw neare to God HEre you have the justification of piety of holy courses which is set downe by drawing neare to God And the Argument whereby it is justified It is good This glosse put upon any thing commends it to man for naturally since the fall there is so much left in man that hee drawes to that which is good but when he comes to particulars there is the errour hee seekes heaven in the way of hell he seekes happinesse in the way of misery he seekes light in the way of darknesse and life in the way and path of death his lusts so hurry him