doe the worke of tame beasts So Adam's righteousnesse commends not to God we are only accepted in the beloved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or ingratiated through that beloved The divine treasures of righteousnesse are first in Christ and by our union with him wee come to enjoy them by way of participation Fourthly Substantiall and reall holinesse set out to be farre more excellent then all empty formes or mere professions Holinesse is God stamped and printed upon the soule 't is Christ formed in the heart 't is the very image frame and disposition of the holy spirit within us The Philosopher could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God was but an empty name without vertue so are all our professions of Christ without holinesse that being the very marrow and quintessence of all religion Holinesse is something of God in us it proceed from him it lives in him God can no more be separated from it then the beames from the Sunne Holinesse is happinesse and the more of it we have the more wee have of the life and image of God upon us Holinesse is nothing but our conformity to God and our being like him to be as he is Holinesse is the new frame the new creation the workmanship of the Lord in our hearts it is the Lord building and setting up his owne Temple Tabernacle and new Jerusalem within us filling of us with his owne glory writing his name in our fore heads by imprinting his owne divine image upon us Oh what happinesse what sweet delight and harmony of heart what soule-musicke and spirituall joy is there in having our soule wrapt up in the divine life light and beauty of the Lords holinesse Fifthly Thou hast a discovery of the inability of mans carnall principles or reason to judge of spirituall things or the things of God every truth is discovered by principles of light suitable to it selfe Hence it is that the Apostle tels us of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an animate sensual or natural man and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spirituall man one enlightned by the spirit of God Now the naturall man is not able to judge of things above the principles of nature The Apostle tells us no man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of man which is in him 1 Cor. 2. 11. The things of man are all created things man is therefore said to be as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little world or an Epitome or Compendium wherein all created things are described as in a mappe or short abridgement Now the principle of reason in mans heart is able to search out the hidden things of nature But this large principle of man is too narrow to search into the things of the spirit so saith the Apostle The things of God knoweth 1 Cor. 2. 11. 12. 14 15. no man but the spirit of God The spirit searches the deepe things of God And againe he saith The wisdome of the spirit is but foolishnesse to the naturall man And why so because saith hee spirituall things are spiritually discerned That is they are to be understood in a spirituall sense to which mans carnall reason cannot reach But now saith hee the spirituall man discerneth all things so that divine things are only known by the spirit 't is the spirit of all truth that leads into all truth Then 't is not all Maximes and rules 't is not syllogisticall reasonings and disputes 't is not Bookes and Treatises 't is not all Systems and Bodies of Divinity that can reveal the secret mysteries of truth but it is the work of the spirit for the mystery of Christ is not meerly letter and forme without us but a quickning spirit within us Yet Sixthly Wee are taught that there is a most profound spirituall reasoning in godlinesse and that it is the highest act of the minde which is the highest faculty of the soule The mind of a Saint is Gods Throne and the motions of the mind or the reasonings thereof is nothing but Christ swaying the soule according to his good pleasure It 's true that reason as t is in man is a most imperfect and weak light and fals short of the light of God being depraved and mixt with much darknesse and so is unsuitable to judge divine things but reason considered in it's height and excellency is no other then Jesus Christ and the spirit then so much as reason hath of the light of God so much it hath of Jesus Christ Then the most excellent the most supreame and the sublimest reason is in godlinesse because in it is the greatest clearenesse certainety and light The Apostle calls it demonstration now divine reason is demonstration which is an evidencing of things by the clearest surest and most irresistible light that can be Now Christ is this spirituall reason for saith the Apostle that which manifests is light Eph. 5. 13. And what is that light but Christ and his Spirit Thus I have given thee a tast of things to set an edge to thy appetite that thou mayest make a fuller meal of Divine Dainties by reading the ensuing Treatise where thou hast a Table richly spread Now if thou art one of CHRISTS Friends then come and eate of this honey and drinke of this wine yea eate and drinke abundantly O beloved Here thou maist eate and not surfet here thou maist drinke and not be drunken the more thou eatest the stronger will thy appetite be and the more thou drinkest the more thou wilt thirst and yet with the greatest saturation and consent To conclude Thou mayest find much of CHRIST in this Booke but see also whether thou canst finde much of him also in thine owne heart Now that these things which are here written with Paper and Inke may bee written upon the Table of thy soule by the finger of the Spirit is the prayer of him who is Thine in the service of Christ John Robotham Octob. 24. 1650. THE CONTENTS OF THE Former Nine SERMONS Serm. I. Doct. 1. THE peculiar priviledge of the Saints to see God page 3 Severall wayes of seeing God 4 Peculiar sight of God what 8 The manner of the Saints seeing God 15 Use I. To shew the happy estate of saints in this World 17 Use 2. The sight of God should humble Saints 21 Use 3. Highly to prize the Preaching of the Gospell 24 Serm. II. Saving sight of God known first by the apprehensions of God which are First cleare 31 Secondly precious 34 Thirdly joyfull 38 Fourthly perpetuall 40 Secondly the sight of God known by the impressions 41 First they are reall 43 Secondly through 44 Thirdly universall 45 Serm. III. Thirdly the saving sight of God known by the expressions of it 47 First purity of heart 48 Secondly changing us into Gods image 54 Thirdly love to the Brethren 56 Fourthly Fellowshipp with Saints 57 Fifthly desire to bring others to the light 59 Sixthly it enableth to suffering 60 In what order Saints come to see
those things that now you know not nor cannot know Therfore labour to learne that lesson it is one of the greatest Mysteries in the World and that is the reason that carnall people carp at these things What greater Mysterie then for me being a just and righteous man through Christ yet to be so sinfull that I can say there is none more sinfull and yet I am as righteous as Abraham or Paul in respect of the righteousnesse of Christ I have as large a share as Abraham or Paul and yet I am full of sin A Christian knowes this and he knowes how it is so Well that is one lesson consider of it that you may know where to plant your justification upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ The Lord teach it to you and me Secondly if the righteousnesse of the law be Vse 2. Saints should see their condition in Christ glorious fulfilled in all that are beleivers through Jesus Christ Then all you that are Saints all you that beleive in Jesus Christ labour to see the glorious condition that you are in that you may be able to reflect upon your selves not according to what you are out of Christ but what you are considered to be as Members of Jesus Christ as unyted to Jesus Christ Therfore you shall have Paul and it doth me good to see his spirit he never reckons himselfe as in himselfe but as in Jesus Christ I can doe all things I can want and I can abound I can doe this and that and all in Christ So I To look on our selves as unyted to Christ must never conceive of God out of Christ nor of my selfe out of Christ I must never conceive of my selfe and Christ as two but I should indeavour clearly and constantly that whatsoever good there is in Christ it is myne as if it were in myne owne person And so we should have our spirits raysed above the temptations of the World and above the afflictions of the World and above corruptions It is a pittifull thing to see poore Professors Why many Christians have such low Spirits there is not one of many but they are ordinarily below temptations and they lie under burdens and are below their sins Nay there are many professors that are more sad and drooping then carnall people Surely this was not the way of those Saints that we read of in the New Testament they had glorious spirits how doe you think else they could goe to the stocks and to Prisons and from one Compter to another and have their spirits so raysed and yet sometimes they were to die the next morning for ought they knew Your spirits will never be heightened and raysed to live the life of Paul by beholding any thing that is in you personally in your posession but what you are by relation and marriage to Christ Reckon your selves dead with Christ and so conceive I am a just man I was bound once to the law of God a terrible law and there are thousands in hell paying the debt and cannot pay it and yet I have paid every farthing and the law cannot ask me more I have offered a perfect righteousnesse to God and I am now sitting at Gods right hand in Heaven by my unyon with Jesus Christ This is the life of faith that we may be able to The life of faith tryumph over all these things below from our Justification as Paul doth Rom. 8. It is God that Justifieth and who shall condemne Who shall seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Shall Tribulation or distresse or Famine or nakednesse or perill or Sword Nay in all these things we are more then Conquerors through Christ that loved us Indeed Tribulation and hunger and Famine they are sad things but these are the least troubles of a Christian these outward miseries Over these we are more then Conquerers sayth Paul I can tie my right hand at my back and with my left hand beat all these back I can beat them with a finger Nay I say more Neyther death nor life that is more nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. See there how he dares all the Enemies to come upon the Stage and tramples them under feet As in Malachy it is said that in the time of the Gospell they shall tread their Enemies as ashes under their feet So there is a place also in 1 Cor. 1â— Death is swallowed up in victorie As if he had sayd you that have received Christ Jesus I will tell you news Death is swallowed up in victorie O death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victorie He feares the grave and death and triumphs over them O death where is thy sting thou thoughtest to overcome me but where is thy sting The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be unto God who hath given us Victorie through Jesus Christ our Lord. He doth not say which will give us Victory when we are dead and then we shall be perfect in Heaven It is true then we shall be more perfect but he saith which hath given us Victorie for the present I have already overcome Hell and death and the Devill for all hangs on the law the law is Gods writ and the Devill is Gods Sergeant that executes that writ and Hell is the Prison Therefore if the law be satisfied if the righteousnesse of the law be fulfilled death and Hell and the Devill have nothing to doe with me So in Rom. 4. ult Who was delivered for our offences and was raysed for our justification And then it followes Chap. 5. 1. Beeing Justified by faith we have peace with God See where the Apostle layes justification And we glory in tribulation knowing that it worketh patience c. We rejoyce in tribulation and affliction Why Because we are Justified by Christs death and Resurection O what kind of spirits should we have How full of joy and comfort should we be in the greatest tribulation How should we tread all this World under our feet the evills of this World and the comforts of the World How should we insult and tryumph over the Devill and over death and Hell for all their power as I sayd is from the law and if the righteousnesse of the law be fulfilled then all our Enemies are subdued and all is cleare Heaven is open and God is mine and the favour of God is to me For know this that there is no naturall imbred What hinders the creature from enjoying God hatred in God to his creature there is nothing that keeps the creature from the full injoyment of God but the law not being satisfied God made a law and we made the breach of it and there falls out the distance betweene
Christ come and to enjoy that glory that is to be revealed There are many more expressions there that are the fruits of it as the spirit of supplication Vers 26. And there is also a triumphing over all our spirituall enemies Vers 31. What shall we say then if God be for us who can be against us c. And then there is an absolute dependance upon God for all things He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him give us all things And then there is also a patient suffering of all afflictions Sayth the Apostle Vers 18. I neckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed And then there is lastly an absolute eternal union with Christ Jesus in respect of his love I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor any thing shall ever be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord these are the expressions of the fruits of the spirit of God in the soule when men walk according to the spirit when they walk according to grace Take a man that walks according to the flesh or according to the law you shall find none of these kind of things in his soule So much concerning that Use In the next place as this Doctrine is a Touchstone Vse 3. Tryall of our actions whereby you may trie and judg of mens persons so hereby also you may trie your services and actions I say this is a rule whereby you may come to know what your services are what worth is in them For as they only are Saints who walk according to the spirit let the World judg how they will and those that walk carnally according to the flesh according to the law are not Saints so I say those actions or services of ours that proceed from the spirit of God they are only pleasing to God and those that proceed from the flesh from Old Adam those are not pleasing to him Now I say by this we may trie our services and actions as well as our persons for there is the same reason for both in all my actions all that I expect from them is that they be pleasing to God that is the end of all that we doe for they cannot justifie us that is done already or if it be not they cannot doe it but all is to be pleasing to God Now then the maine rule by which I am to judg of my actions it is this not to judg of them according as they are plausible to men or according as they have affection or enlargment in them as we call it but we are to judg of our actions cheifly if not principally by the principle that they flow from if it be the weakest and meanest action if it be the least sigh or prayer if it proceed from the new Adam the Lord Jesus it is sweet and pleasing to God it is an acceptable Sacrifice But if it be the most glorious thing in the World if it proceed from old Adam not only from sinfull Adam but from naturall Adam as he is called the naturall man 1. Cor. 15. I say that that riseth from naturall wisdome and invention and understanding and memory c. it is but flesh and Whatsoever is borne of flesh is flesh and as we say Pepper is Pepper that is it is deare so flesh is flesh that is it is a filthy abominable thing to God As it is in this Chapter they that walk according to the flesh cannot please God So that that is borne of the flesh that service that ariseth from the flesh that is done from the flesh cannot please God But you will say cannot the actions that proceed Quest from the principles of naturall Adam be pleasing to God Every man knowes that of corrupt Adam cannot but cannot that of naturall Adam as a man may pray meerly by a naturall wit and bravely to please man and to please himself and he may preach by a naturall wit and doe other Excercises and doe them finely cannot they be pleasing to God No this is a certaine rule that there is nothing Answ Nothing that comes from naturall Adam pleaseth God that comes from flesh from a principle of old Adam whither it be naturally good or evill there is nothing whether from pure Adam or corrupt Adam that is pleasing to God The reason is this because as it is Gen. 3. 5. That when Adam sinned against God you know his punishment was that he should die he was not to eat or touch the forbidden fruit least he should die Now when Adam eat of that fruit you know the curse came upon him And in reference to this you shall find those phrases in this Epistle whosoever walks according to the flesh shall die whosoever walks as old Adam is in the State of the old curse he shall die and O miserable man who shall deliver me from this body of death He calls it a body of death alluding to the maine curse of old Adam which was that he should die Now when the Lord sayd that Adam should Adam to dye as a publick person die for sin conceive not that the meaning is only that he should die personally that his person now should be subject to the wrath of God to damnation of soule and body for ever in Hell that is not the only meaning of it it is true he fell under that but the meaning is this also that whole Adam Adam as thou art a publike person thou shalt die that whereas I made and appoynted thee to be the spring and Foundation of all mankind and every man in the World is to have thy Image on him and I have filled thee with righteousnesse and wisdome and good things that may tend much to thy happinesse and thy posteritie that thou mayest derive a principle to them to be like thee in good and to be pleasing to me But when Adam sinned now sayth God thou shalt die I made thee a happie creature and put abundance of excellencies in thee for thy selfe and thy posterity as a publike person but now thou hast sinned and extinguished all that good Now I will blast them all thy wisdome and thy righteousnesse thy soule and thy body thy very being Adam shall die Thy person as thou art a private man and as thou art a publike man soule and body flesh and bone all that is in the and all that comes from thee shall die this is that great curse that God laid on him a curse of a great extent Therefore I say whatsoever now ariseth from All that springs from old Adam condemned the Sons of Adam that springs from old Adam be it good or evill it is condemned to die it must die it cannot please God As Adam when he had eaten the forbidden fruit the Lord set an Angell with a Sword
Old and new the Apostle We know no man after the flesh yea though we have knowne Christ after the flesh yet know we him so no more therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away All the things of the Flesh are old things the things of the Spirit of God are new things Therfore in the Acts the Athenians desired to know that new strange doctrine that Paul brought What was this new doctrine Only the things concerning the Spirit of God the other things are old things Gal. 2. 18. there the things of the flesh are described to be the things That Paul destroyed and built up that Paul destroyed and the things of the Spirit the things that Paul sought to build up 1 Cor. 7. 32 33. The things of the flesh are called the things of the world but the things of the Spirit are called there the things of the Lord The married The things of the world and of the Lord. cares for the things of the world but the unmarried for the things of the Lord. Philip. 2. 20. The things of the flesh are called our owne things and the things of the Spirit are called the things of Jesus Christ Saith the Apostle I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state Mark that expression it is well worth observing in these self-seeking times We may well say so now if Paul said so then I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your estate A man can hardly find a Professor in a multitude that will naturally and freely care for the state of others of the Saints The things that are a mans owne and that are Jesus Christs For saith he All seeke their owne and not the things that are Jesus Christs all seeke their owne things the things that make for old Adam that make for the Flesh and for mans selfe Joh 6. 27. the things of the Flesh are called meat that perisheth and the things of the Spirit meat endureth to everlasting life Luk. 10. 41. they are called many things perishing and induring meat and the things of the spirit are called one thing Martha Martha thou art cumbred about many Many and one thing things for indeed there are many distracting businesses in the things of the world therefore in Mat. 13. when the seed was sowen among thornes it is said the deceitfulnesse of riches and pleasures and the lusts of other things who knowes how many it may be a thousand two thousand other things the things of the flesh are endlesse but the things of the Spirit are called one thing the ruinous building of old Adam is going into a thousand pieces but there is but one Jesus Christ and in Trouble and peace the things of Jesus Christ there is a greater union then in the things of the Flesh and old Adam In Luke 19. they are called the things of trouble and the things of the Spirit the things that belong to our peace O that thou hadst known in this Vaine and excellent thy day the things that belong to thy peace In Jerem. 2. 8. they are called things that doe not profit vaine things and the things of the spirit in Phil. 1. 10. they are called excellent things that ye may be able to know the things that are excellent that is the things of the Spirit of God and to conclude this Philip. 4. 8. speaking of the things of the Spirit saith he whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things of good report these things do These are the things of the Spirit of God Then impure things dishonest things dishonourable things unjust things unlovely things these are the things of the flesh Thus much in generall according to the description The things of the flesh in perticular of the things of the flesh in Scripture But now in perticular I will summe up the things of the Flesh or of old Adam one or other of which Fleshly men doe wholly mind to these three heads The first is to establish their owne righteousnesse 1. To establish mans owne righteousnesse by the law to procure to themselves justification by their works This is the master-peice of old Adam for I told you that man is more prone to this then to sinne though he be prone to that also and old Adam works stronger towards his righteousnesse such as it is in a forbidden way then to sinne Therefore it is said Rom. 10. 3. They being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse went about to establish their owne righteousnesse went about to establish their owne righteousnesse He speaks there of the Jewes The word in the originall is they went to make it stand just as a tottered house that every blast is ready to throw downe and it must be underpropped on this side on that side to keepe it up So every fleshly man in the world this is halfe his worke to make the Babel of his owne righteousnesse to stand he is alway peicing and patching and doing some good worke he is wishing and woulding or in one fashion or other to make up a good estate against the latter day Therefore that was the question Act. 2. and Luke 3. and it is the grand question of all mankind What shall we doe to be saved and we see when they came to Christ it was alway with this Master what shall I doe to be saved As if he had said I know it must be by doing and I am willing to goe about it to frame some kinde of righteousnesse or other Therefore in Joh. 6. say they What shall we doe to work the works of eternall life saith Christ This is the worke of God to believe he takes them off Now this is one thing whereby you may know what it is to be a fleshly man and to minde fleshly things when people mind and cast projects and wayes to procure righteousnesse to themselves or justification to their soules any other way then only by the Lord Jesus Christ Men may be as it were drunke sometimes and mind neither heaven nor hell but there is no fleshly carnall man when he is his owne man but he thinks there is some good worke or other that he must doe either giving or lending or building an Almes-house or giving to the poore or somewhat to get him a righteousnes But remember thou art a carnal man and all thy minding and all thy thoughts this way are but according to the flesh and those that are after the flesh must dye it was the first and the greatest curse that ever was in the world when God said to old Adam he must dye it is a generall rule all old Adam must dye either thou must get that peice of old Adam that is in thee to dye or thou shalt dye with it one of the two Then another thing that is
to you whether you doe not feele a strange power in your soules killing and subduing sin that you never imagined before or almost hoped to have There are some Saints that I know that when they came to know a little of Jesus Christ they have found a power to subdue their sins that they did not hope for in their other condition they were so strong it is an emynent power A poore Saint that sees another tugging and striveing and wrastling and bustling with his corruptions he knowes that there is a sweet power in his soule that pulls downe the highest and proudest imaginations As a godly man sayth there is as much difference between a man that walks after the flesh according to the law and he that walks according to the spirit as betweene a man that is in a great Lyter or in a great Boat that is fast upon the sand and there are it may be a dozen or twenty men tugging and striving to get it off and yet it sticks and another man that is in a Boat upon the water and needs onely to hoist sayle and sit downe and it is gone he goes with winde and tide So a man that walks according to grace he can go as a child and speake loving and plaine words to his Father and get power over his sins that all the bowling and roaring and crying of another a whole Yeare together cannot doe It is so and all you that know what grace is know it That is one thing therefore consider this if thou walke according to the spirit thou art dead to sin That is in respect of the condemnation and guilt of it thou hearest that Christ hath fulfilled the law and that sin is done away And secondly in respect of the power of it thou canst looke upon it as a dying gasping thing that must die and thou canst tread on it through the death of Christ. Thirdly thou findest no lust so strong in thy soul but thou canst ordinarily bring it downe thou canst bring it to the obedience of Jesus Christ another man may throw his cap at his sins and be wishing and woulding all the year long but there are strong lusts in his soule that will not out Therefore sayth the Apostle when you walked according to the law the motions of sin brought forth fruit unto death inevitably it will be so Then further you shall finde the fruits of walking Fruits of walking according to the spirit according to the spirit I will but name them to you and wish you to consider of them You have many set downe in this Eighth to the Romanes When a man walks according to the spirit you shall see this is one fruit of it a spirit of adoption whereby we crie abba Father As many as A spirit of adoption are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God for ye have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare but ye have received the spirit of adoption wherby we crie abba Father That is one fruit of it as soone as a man comes to walk according to the spirit he hath not a spirit of bondage any more What is that It is nothing but this a temper of soule like a slave just as you may conceive of a Spirit of bondage what man that is taken Prisoner in Turkie what temper he is of he is glad of a crust of bread and he feares whipping and beating and it may be killing such is the temper of a mans soule in a spirit of bondage when one is in such a temper that he is alway in feare of being whipped and scourged and he hath hard thoughts of God and he feares that he shall proove an hypocrite and the like Now sayth the Apostle we have not that spirit but we have the spirit of adoption whereby we crie abba Father That is there is a sweet temper such as is in a loving Child to his deare Father there is a boldnesse a love and delight and rejoycing and a sweetnesse c. This is one fruit of it therefore as far as thou art under horrour and mopeing and howling and crying thou commest short of walking according to the spirit for thy soule would be alway full of sweetnesse in the greatest affliction if there were a spirit of adoption and under the worst sins thou doest commit though their would be sorrow yet thou wouldest be full of sweetnesse and joy That is one thing Againe another fruit and consequent of it is Raysing up of the spirit that the spirit of God beares witnesse with our spirits that we are the Children of God If thou wilt be lead by the spirit and walk after the spirit the spirit of God will witnesse with thy spirit that thou art the Child of God What is that the meaning of it is this as I understand the spirit of God will rayse up my spirit to be able to see and know that I am the Child of God for the spirit of a man knowes the naturall things of a man and no more But the spirit of God witnesseth with my spirit that I am the Childe of God that is hee rayseth up my spirit whereby I may see and know that I am the Childe of God that as before by my owne spirit I was able to know whether I were poore or rich whether I were sick or well whether I were beloved or hated So now my spirit is raysed by the spirit of God I am able to reflect upon my selfe spiritually and look upon my selfe as beloved and chosen and holy and called and justified and this in a spirituall way Thirdly here is another expression of it and An earnest hope that is an earnest hope or expectation of the glory that is to be revealed I find and observe little of that to be in Professors and I have oft marvailed at it and the reason is because they have not the spirit of adoption and walk not fully according to the spirit therfore they are not filled with those expectations and those earnest desires that the Saints were ordinarily in the primitive times Sayth the Apostle in this Chapter The creature groaneth and desires to be delivered and not only they but we our selves which have the first fruits of the spirit we groane within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodie The meaning is there is no man knowes what that glory is that is to be revealed nor no man what it is to looke for it and expect it The word in the Originall is as one sayth as a woman looks for deliverance when her paines are on her O! she would faine be delivered or as a man in Prison that looks for his freind out of a window he puts out his head and looks but he cannot get out though he faine would Such an earnest hope and expectation and desire there is in the Saints that walke according to the spirit to see Jesus
read one single Scripture it may be I have a book that will point out halfe a dozen Scriptures to open one Scripture by And it may be I have some books that take 3. To presse Scriptures on the soule some Scripture and presse it upon my soule as Doctor Prestons and other godly books But to take books and say Jerome thinks this and Austin that and fill our heads with notions they blind us that we cannot see the will of God Therefore in reading of Scriptures there should Difference in the learning of Christians and others be this difference from our reading of other Books I meane in respect of age When we are Children and young we use not Spectacles it may be at twenty or thirty or fourty yeares old we can read without Spectacles but when we come to fifty or sixty then we can see nothing but through Spectacles It should be just contrary with us when we are Christians When we are young we usually never read the Word of God but through the Spectacles of mens glosses but when we are older Christians and stronger Saints we should learne to read better without Spectacles wee should daily make lesse use of Mens Books and more of Gods Book That whereas before a man turned over twenty Authors upon a point Now he can goe humbly to God with his Bible and without Spectacles he can see what the will of God is Therefore lay aside Spectacles sometimes and onely take the spirit of God and compare Scipture with Scripture that you may come to know the mind of Christ Shall I name one thing more If you would 5. To be borne againe come to be spirituall Gospel-Saints you must be borne againe you must be borne from above A Gospell-profession is Jerusalem from above and there are none that can come into Jerusalem that is from above but those that are borne from above Therefore marke our Saviours reasoning John 3. Nicodemus asks Christ which was the way to Heaven And he tells him Verily thou must be borne againe or thou must be borne from above or else thou canst not see it Nichodemus wonders why hee must be borne from above saith he Shall I goe into my Mothers belly c. Saith Christ marvell not wonder not why should he not wonder at such a strange speech Here is the reason That which is borne of flesh is flesh therefore think it not strange that I say thou must be borne againe So I say whatsoever you do by the power of nature by your owne wisedome by your owne righteousnesse or your owne strength all comes but to this but to flesh and whatsoever comes of flesh is flesh Flesh cannot bring out the spirit no more then a thorne can bring out Grapes as Christ speak Therefore wonder not that thou must be borne from above that is thou must have the Lord from above to beget thee againe You have every one been borne once you must be borne once more you must have a new creation in you the Lord must create new strange properties and dispositions that no flesh and blood is able to comprehend Lastly take the councell of the Holy Ghost 6. To pray for the spirit of wisedome and revelation and that is in Ephes 1. 16 As Paul prayed for them so doe thou pray for thy selfe and there is all the reason in the World that thou shouldest I cease not sayth he to give thanks for you making mention of you in my Prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory would give to you the spirit of wisedome and revelation in the knowledge of him Pray for the spirit of wisedome and revelation in the knowledge of Christ Sleight not these words because some wicked men abuse them and others reproach them but because Paul saith so pray that the Lord would give thee the spirit of wisedome and revelation So much concerning the directions I had to give you There is one word of Information and with Vse 6. The true ground of persecutions and divisions that I will conclude From what I have said before concerning the flesh and the spirit learne this instruction more hence to see what is the true ground of all persecution nay even of all the divisions that are among us Men may pretend what they will and deceive themselves but all the strife and persecution in the World is meerly between the flesh and the spirit between the old and the new Adam There are two Princes in this World and these are contrary the one to the other The flesh lusteth against the spirit Old Adam seeks to get up and the new Adam will have him downe Therefore you shall have these two in every Towne in one Church in one Family in one soule and wheresoever they are the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary Are contrary what is that That is there is no true contrariety between any things in the World but between the old Adam and the new between the flesh and the spirit Now by Flesh I meane not onely corruption but whole flesh fleshly wisedome The wisedome of old Adam is enmity against the wisedome of the new the righteousnesse of old Adam is quite contrary to the righteousnesse of the new this is the cause of persecution Let people pretend what they will you shall see godly men persecuted you may see Christ in their soules as clearly as the Sun and people keep a coile about Independency and Presbytery but the truth is it is old Adam in those that persecute and the new Adam in the other a man with one eye may see it There are many pretences but all the strife is between the old Adam and the new For to give a little illustration take Gospell godly Saints that have the spirit of God in them they agree well enough they will not strive sometimes they may differ a little but for the generality they live well enough together nay take some Gospell Saints that are filled with the spirit of God and the knowledge of Jesus Christ in these times and in this City which is the center of all division and they cannot attest divisions they cannot make a partie and give rayling for rayling and strife for strife they cannot but love their enemies and bless them that blaspheme them As James sayth Whence come all wars You think they come from your zeale for your way and yours for your way but it is from your lusts The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh It is from old Adam And I was going to say but I will but name it Cause of Saints weakness This is the cause also of the weaknesse generally that is among you It is not wickednesse that troubles a Saint but weaknesse it is not positive ills but weaknesse And whence is this weaknesse Because he walks after the flesh The spirit is powerfull but the
So the reasonings of the soule are the chiefest weapons of the minde because I told you that these they doe come immediately from it The third thing was that the reasoning is the chief character of a man as reason in a man considered in a naturall way is the most proper way of distinguishing of him from other things because it is most essentiall to him for you cannot distinguish a man so properly from a horse because he hath two leggs and that a horse hath foure but by his essence he is a rationall creature and therefore I told you a man may know good excellently a man may love good and godlines and a man may do good and suffer for good and yet be an hypocrite yet be a carnall man Why Because he may doe good and love good and suffer for good and all out of carnall reasoning he may love the good because of some fine circumstantiall things And therefore I concluded last day with two words of use but I must endeavor to make good my promise Now the last thing is how it comes to passe for I have as in reference to the Doctrine you heard That spirituall men are swayed 3. How it comes that Saints are guided by spirituall reason with spirituall reasons How comes it to passe that they are enabled so to reason and to be so guided by such Reasons Beloved in generall certainly it is only by the same spirit of God for I must advance the spirit still Not in opposition to the Scriptures mistake me not for the spirit takes of the things of By the spirit Christ and in the Scriptures sheweth you them but it is the Spirits teaching you And therefore it is said they are after the spirit that doe mind spirituall things because it is the spirit that doth worke them to mind spirituall things yee would never mind spirituall things else All the Learning in the World and all the wit in the World will never teach a man to make one sincere argument to doe good or draw him from evill But you will say how doth the Spirit doe this Beloved I told you heretofore that I doe not approove of those that doe endeavour to shew you too particularly and disbiastly how the spirit of God works in the soule as many men have done and many a godly man but they have lost much time and have puzelled the soules of poore people for thou knowest not how a Child is formed in the VVombe how his eye is made and how his Nose is made And how are we able to discover how the Spirit of God works grace in the soule which ordinarily is done that he doth this first and then that and will not doe this untill he hath done that which hath brought forth a deale of curiositie and needlesse distinctions troubling the People of God But I will give you some particulars how he doth it The wayes whereby he doth it without curiositie not saying he doth this first or that first He doth it by a Creation by spirituall Creation 1. By a creation he doth make a Caeation in the soule which is called the new man Thou that art there now sitting in the Pew that creature that old creature cannot reach the spirit of God It cannot be mended for we have hearts of stone that will not be cobled nor mended but taken out wholly our natures are so naught that they cannot be mended but God comes and by his Holy spirit makes a new Creature in the soule As man is said to be a man and hath not his denomination from the grosser part as his Legs or the like but from the more noble part his soule and his mind for where as in one place it is said What will it availe a man to get the World and loose his soule in another it is loose himselfe So as my soule is my selfe So there is an old man not according to outward age but according to the inward Now he makes thee a new creature not New legs and hands but new mind new affections and new powers in thy soule Now most people say that the Lord doth infuse new qualities into the soule that whereas thou hast an under standing and it is rotten and all is full of bad qualities thou shalt have new qualities thou shalt have an under standing that will mind More then new qualities in Saints Heavenly things Beloved that is true but I very much doubt whiter there be not something more because the Lord calls it a man and we never Reade in the Scripture where he will worke new qualities but a new man We are created a new Creature Now that is the way and therefore if ever thou wilt be a spirituall man thou must have the Lord to make thee a new creature Now the Saints heretofore pray understand me did not looke upon things as we doe we have had so many false distinctions and subdistinctions we have not the same notions and distinctions they had They alwayes looked upon rhe inward man or the new craature Now we looke without saith Paul my inward man gaineth dayly If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Beloved that ye may understand this beare with me a little I doe find in the Scripture that a man is made a Saint made spirituall and holy two wayes One is by renewing a man to that which he was in Old Adam Secondly by creating things in him that were never there before And we have these two expressions A Saint made spirituall how in Scripture Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and created unto good works So that a Saint he is made up unto that condition two wayes Either God hath renewed in him those things he had in Adam Or else God hath created in him that which was never there before As for instance God revealeth in him Sobrietie and continuance and the like These things were in Adam and now when a man is made a Saint they are renewed only upon a new Foundation And withall the Lord creates some things that were never in Adam as for instance he creates faith there that is the the faith of the Gospell There was a faith in Adam without doubt but that faith of the Gospell to beleive in another to renounce his owne righteousnesse this was not in Adam because it was point-blanke contrary to his owne condition for he was to have righteousnesse in himselfe and to renounce it was contrary to his condition Now God Creates such a faith in us And Beloved there is another thing and it may be there are many things more I have had many thoughts of it with submission to the godly and wise I thinke that Gospell-goodnesse is a peice of the new man which was not in Adam Some thing in Saints that was not in Adam as to doe good to Enemies to love them that hate us to give drinke to a thirstie Enemy When one is wicked and
ungodly and doth deale despightfully with us as Christ saith then to doe him good and blesse when he curseth and pray for him that injureth us Beloved this is Gospell goodnesse I have had many thoughts of it had I time to proove that this Gospell goodnesse is a peice of the new Creature that was not in old Adam There was goodnesse in Adam but not this as for instance there are diverse things we find among Professors that in the last day will be found to be nothing but the Old Adam but Ishmaells that are humbled to the height and ye shall see in them a great deale of diligence in Gods service but where will you finde a Professor one of 500. and I speake with the least that you may clearly reade Gospell goodnesse in him that you may say younder is a man that if you curse him he will love you and if you doe him hurt and that despitefully he will pray for you It is an easie thing to kindle a brand that hath been once lighted to doe that which Adam did but to doe this is a higher matter As man was created after the Image of God so the Creatures in a sort were created after the Image of man Now as in Creatures in a Dogg there is love and the like But where is there a Creature that if you doe him mischiefe will not endeavour to doe you the like againe or at least wise runne away But where is a piece in the Old creation that doth lâ—ve his enemies And whereas it is said Adam was created after the image of God and God loves his enmies I answer God then in that Covenant was not in a disposition to love his enemies but to hate his enemies and sinners and curse them and damne them but now in Jesus Christ he loves his Enemies and therefore according to his minde he revealed to Adam it was not so and many other reasons I had but this I present to you with submission I doe not speake curiosities but I finde and see very little of this scarcely any there was a candid goodnesse in the primitive Church which is not now to be which is not now to be found now nothing but biting and teareing and devouring one another well there is one word he doth it by a spirituall Creation 2. By spirituall illumination Then Secondly he brings the soule to this way of spirituall reasoning by spirituall illumination he created faculties before and now he casteth in light as he did in the old creation you know he made Heaven and Earth in the lumpe and then said let there be light Now that is the reason when the Gospell is Preched and there is the spirit of God going with the Word and thou are darke and canst not receive this light the new creature is not framed in thee if thou hast no eyes thou canst not see and if a man have eyes he cannot see in a darke roome Now when the new man is made then the Lord sends in light and it is not every light for there are many lights a blind man as it were hath an Hypocrite hath them but it is a powerfull light that God Saints have a powerfull light puts in for we doe finde that there is a kinde of light in Hypocrites but yet there is not power in them there is not light to bring them to such kinde of reasoning as will bring them to any good or from any evill they will talke of drunknesse and Whoredome and the like but have not power to bring them off from any of these things Indeed a Saint may be overcome of his lusts that warre in his Members but there is a law in his mindâ— that is there is a light that is like unto a Law that hath power in it that he seeth Christ doing them away I am sorry I have not time to open this unto you farther but remember it Thirdly the Lord will doe it by suggestion that is the spirit of God puts light into the soule he puts a measure of light to dwell in every new creature and that powerfully But because the way of of the Saints are so darke in this World and thorow so much difficulty the spirit of God prompts a Saint allwayes when he is at a loss As among Schollers we shall see somtimes a man is almost borne downe and then another giveth him an Argument or distinction to helpe him and then he carries it and so the flesh hath reasons and arguments as we are going along and now though there be a measure of light a stock of light dwelling in us yet we are nonplussed by the flesh and then the spirit of God suggesteth somwhat to us and we are carried thorow as you have it in Mat. 20. When you are brought before Governours it is not you that speake but the spirit of God that prompteth you Fourthly the spirit doth it by Conviction that 4. By conviction is another way we have it Joh. 16. Saith Christ when I goe I will send my spirit and my spirit shall convince the World of sin reproove you have it he shall convince the World of sin of righteousnesse judgement The word signifies when he saith the spirit will convince that is by way of Argument the meaning is that in every carnall mans heart there are arguments against faith and for his owne destruction and strong ones too And when we Preach to you ye bring reason against reason and so goe away unconvinced unconverted but the spirit will ronvince you that is he will bring such strong arguments as Doctor PRESTON saith from Heaven that will convince you As when a stronger man commeth he disarmeth the other as before we thought godlinesse nothing but Heresie and Puritansme and the like but now the spirit convinceth you you see this is the only way and out of this way I shall never see God and the like Another way I find the spirit doth it by is by 5. By commemoration commemoration by minding us of what we have heard or somthing we have knowne before it is our remembrance Therefore saith Christ I will send my spirit and he shall bring to your remembrance what you have heard not that you shall remember a whole Sermon and Repeate it every word but thus it is he will either suggest thoughts Nenever had before or bring to our remembrance a word we have heard of such a Preacher in such a place or Read in such a place or thought in such a walke or the like and so setteth on and carrieth on the worke And he doth it by consolation he is the Comforter 6. By consolation the consolation of the spirit Beloved this is certaine that ye know trouble of mind exceedingly hinders the acts of reason That 's the reason men are madd because some fumes rise up in the braine and trouble the mind that they cannot reason but are madd Beloved our troubles of mind and soule