some others if they have been faire and ingenuous if you have beene of sweet natures and tractable dispositions you have cause to blesse God in some respects so much the more for the change hee hath wrought in them for his mercie towards you that you did not rest in those naturall excellencies and mistake them for saving graces as many doe with much danger to their soules and when you see the base corrupt spirits of other men as those who have any thing to doe in the world shall meet with exceeding vile corrupt spirits not onely in the worst sort of men but in those who seeme to be faire in whom a man would never have thought to have met with such base workings of spirit that would make a man wonder Oh Lord what are the spirits of men Then I say when you see this blesse the Lord let your spirits and all that is within them blesse his name who hath put such difference betweene your spirits and theirs as you cannot but acknowledge except you should be exceedingly injurious to the grace of God in you Cap. IX Communion and converse with men of such excellent spirits is a most blessed thing IF the godly be of such excellent spirits then converse and communion with them is a most blessed thing no greater heaven upon earth than this for here you may see the beauty and lustre of Gods graces shining the brightnesse of which darkens all the beauty and glory of the world to a spirituall eye Seneca saw so much excellency that Moralitie put upon a man that hee sayes that the very looke of a good man delights one The very sight of such servants of God who walke close with God who are carefull to keep their spirits clear and shining truly it is very delightfull it hath much quickening in it the uprightnesse holines spirituall enlightnings that their soules have will guide them to advise for God in safe and good wayes The advise of godly men in things concerning God is much to be prized It was a good speech of Shechaniah to Ezra Chap. 10. 3. Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God c. according to the counsell of the Lord and of those that feare the Commandement of our GOD. It was good to follow their counsell The spirits of these are favory in their discourse in their duties in all their carriage their example exceeding powerfull and profitable The blessing of Abigail upon David was The Lord binde up his soule in the bundle of life Enjoyment of communion with Gods people is the binding up of our soules in the bundle of life for every one of them hath life in him Doctor Taylor the Martyr rejoyced that ever he came into prison because he came there to have acquaintance with that Angel of God Iohn Bradford as he cals him If the society of one sweet heavenly spirited man bee enough to make a prison chearfull what a blessing then is the enjoyment of cōmunion with many All my delight saith David is in the Saints in them that excell in the earth It is the blessing of the Gospell to come to the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12. 23. when we are amongst them we may in the beholding the worke of their spirits come to see many failings in our own that we saw not before and so be humbled for them and be put on to seeke helpe We may see the same graces shining in them that we feele in our owne hearts and so be strengthened and encouraged in them and stirred up to blesse God for them and the sutablenesse betweene their spirits and ours if ours be right will cause such a closing and mingling as from thence there will arise an unspeakable delight and incomparable sweetnesse No society under heaven hath that pleasantnesse sweetnesse in it as the society of the Saints no mens spirits close so fully one with another as theirs no mens spirits bound so firmly by such indissoluble bonds together as theirs they know the excellency of one anothers spirits so as they can freely open themselves unbosome their hearts one to another and venture their lives one upon another and it is the most honourable society in the world for it is the association of the most excellent and glorious creatures God himself delights to joyne himselfe with them to be amongst them as 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell among them saith the Lord and walke there and I will be their God and they shall be my people But the words are more significant in the Originall they expresse Gods delight not onely to dwell among them and walke with them but to dwell in them and walke in them And hence that expression of Tertullian that wee made use of before in another case is very pertinent for our purpose here likewise When good men meet sayes hee when godly men are gathered together this is not to bee called a faction but a Court What place is accounted so honourable and excels in more delights than the Courts of Princes The society of Gods Saints communion with Gods people hath more honour is filled with more delights than any Court in the world where this is wanting the society of the wicked that is unsavory and tedious because their spirits are so vile and corrupt like the slime and filth there is congealed when many Toades and venomous filthy creatures doe joyne together How abominable is their breathings together to a gracious spirit how loathsome is the mixture of their spirits Zach. 13. 2. we have a promise that God will in his due time take away the uncleane spirit out of the Land and oh what a blessed time will that bee How happy would Gods servants thinke themselves if they might bee delivered from the noysomnes of corrupt unclean spirits Let us keep our selves what we can now from mingling with them wee shall within a while be for ever delivered from them CAP. X. That all those whose spirits God hath thus differenced should improve this Mercy by walking not as other men IF God hath beene mercifull to you in giving you another spirit improve this mercy shew in all your wayes that you are acted by another spirit let the renewed spirit guide you let the beauty and excellency of it appeare If wee live in the spirit let us walke in the spirit sayes the Apostle Gal. 5. 25. The works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5. 19. Why should not the works of the spirit be so too God hath beautified your spirits with his owne Image in this hee hath honoured you that you might honour him in holding forth the beauty and excellency of his Image he hath made you a peculiar people to that end that you might shew forth the vertues of him who hath called you out of darknes into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. It is a dishonor to a parent or any special friend to hang his picture in some
hold on to the end The reason that Philosophers give why the heavens are incorruptible is because the forme of them is so excellent as it wholly fils up the utmost capacity of the matter so the reason of the holding on of the upright heart is the full satisfaction of it the filling up the full capacity of it with contentment and delight in Gods ways Thus you have heard what it is to follow God fully CAP. II. The excellency of this frame of spirit in foure things THe second thing propounded in the point was to shew wherein the excellency of such a kind of frame of spirit lies take it in these foure things First this is truly to honour God as a God except God be honoured as infinite hee is not honoured as God now it is the full following him that onely honours him as infinite where God is followed and not thus hee is followed no otherwise than a creature may bee followed this is not therefore to honour him as a God but rather it is a dishonor to that infinite excellency blessednesse of his whereby he is infinitely above all that creatures are or that they are any way capable of The great thing that God aimed at in the creating of the heavens and earth was that he might by Angels and men bee honoured as a GOD and therefore that which gives him this hath true and much excellency in it Secondly this full following of God doth much honour the work of Grace and the profession of godlinesse it shewes a realitie power excellency and beauty in it it shewes that it proceeds out of the fulnesse of Jesus Christ such as hath high and heavenly principles when there is power proportion and constancy in a mans wayes there must needs bee much beauty in them there is a forcing of conviction from the consciences of evill men by them this takes away all pretences from men that they know not how to speak evill of the wayes of godlinesse they know not how to oppose and persecute them when they can see no flaw when though they watch what they can yet they can see nothing unsutable to their principles The principles of godlinesse for the most part are acknowledged by the consciences of the worst who have any light in them therefore when all a mans wayes are sutable to these it puts wicked mē to a stand they know not what to say against such men nor against their way but their owne thoughts tell them that surely there is something in these men that hath realitie and power and divine excellency in it that is from none other but from God himselfe Thirdly this hath such excellency in it as that God himselfe boasts of such as these are as they glory in the Lord and blesse themselves in the Lord so the Lord seemes to glory in them and to account his name blessed by them as you may see how God rejoyces in and makes his boast of Iob Chap. 1. vers 8. Hast thou considered my servant Iob that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man And so of David I have found a man after mine own heart which shall fulfill all my will So of those wee read of in Revel 14. These are they which were not defiled and againe These are they which follow the Lambe whithersoever he goeth and again in the same verse These were redeemed from among men being the first fruits unto God and to the Lambe and in their mouth was found no guile Fourthly this following of the Lord fully doth ever attaine its end it prospers in that it workes for in whatsoever thing any soule followes the Lord fully it shall be sure to accomplish that it aymes at and to be satisfied in that it would have As Hos 6. 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord Thus David in Psal 63. where his soule thirsted after God his flesh longed for him his soule followed hard after him he saith himselfe in the same Psalme that Gods right hand did now uphold him and that his soule should be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and his mouth should praise the Lord with joyfull lips and the King shall rejoyce in God CAP. III. Rebuke to divers sorts whose spirits are not full in following after the Lord. IF thus to follow the Lord fully bee so excellent if this fulnesse of spirit bee such an honour unto Gods people then justly are those rebuked whose spirits are not full in following the Lord who acknowledge the Lord worthy to be followed but their spirits are slight and vaine their hearts are straitned in the wayes of the Lord they doe not fill up this blessed work of following after the Lord their hearts doe most basely fall and most miserably vanish in it As first some are convinced their judgements and consciences are for God but their lusts carry them violently another way Oh the miserable torment of these mens spirits while their consciences draw one way and their lusts another it is not so great an evill to have wilde Horses tyed to the members of ones body tearing of them by drawing contrary wayes Secondly others rest in their good inclinations their good desires they say they would faine doe better and they hope God will accept the will for the deed they like of Gods wayes and speake well of good men and therefore they thinke their hearts are for God but these desires and good motions are but as little buds and sprigs that come out of the roots of trees or from the middle of their body which come to nothing they never grow up to beare any fruit these are yet farre from following the Lord fully and savingly for 1 Their judgements are not yet inlightned not throughly convinced of the poyson and infinite evill there is in sinne of that absolute infinite necessitie there is in the holy wayes of God they see not the dreadfull Authority of God in every truth they think it were well if things were amended it were good if more were done than this God helpe us we have all our infirmities and though they doe not as others doe yet they hope their hearts are good towards God were it not for some inconveniences they are like to meet withall they could be content to doe more than they doe But what is this to that mighty work of God upon this spirit convincing of the infinite necessity equity beauty of his blessed wayes What is this to that sight of Gods infinite dreadfull authority Those whose hearts the Lord takes off from other things to work fully after himselfe he begins thus with them in the powerfull enlightning and convincing of their judgements 2 These never were made sensible of their inabilitie to have holy desires after God so as to see any need of any speciall worke of the Holy Ghost to raise such desires in their hearts Those who are
David Gideon Barak others who through faith subdued Kingdomes Hebr. 11. 32 33. That is basenesse of spirit and want of valour that makes a man a slave to sin and the Devill so a slave as he hath no heart to any worthy service to free himselfe from it but lies down under it and carries the fetters and yoake of his bondage about with him withersoever he goes That is cowardly basenesse that brings conscience into a servile subjection that cowardly basenesse that will suffer the cause of God to be betrayed rather than venture any thing for it what greater argument that men want true spirit than this Godlinesse puts a spirit of fortitude into men that will not suffer them to bee thus debased and where appeares the like courage in any as in these when they are called to stand for the truth Though all the Tiles of the houses in the City of Wormes were Devils yet thither would I goe to testifie to the truth saith Luther Againe it is not a turbulent spirit for turbulency of spirit makes men cruell and malicious this spirit causes men to love their enemies to do all the good they can to them turbulent spirits seeke onely their own ends they care not what becomes of others so it bee that they may but warme themselves they care not what house bee on fire They are boysterous in things that concerne themselves But the Saints of God in whom this other spirit rules they are meeke and gentle and yeeldable in their owne cause ready to put up wrong in all quietnesse take them in things that onely concerne themselves and you shall find none so readily so freely so chearfully denying themselves as they And againe turbulent spirits doe not love to examine things by rule to call things to account but follow their owne fiery humour and set upon their own will with violence but godlinesse takes off men from this ruggednesse and turbulency of spirit makes them gentle and peaceable let them bee never so active never so forward never so zealous in any thing yet if you wil call them to examine things by rule they will meekly and patiently heare you yea a childe shall leade them Esay 11. 6. And yet further turbulēt they are not for none more obedient to authoritie than they none see that Majestie of God in Autority as they doe none obey Authority out of conscience so as they doe If the will of men in authority rather than authority shall require any thing that the authority of Heaven forbids that they do not because they cannot obey for conscience sake And so sacred do they account Authority that they would have no obedience performed to it but obedience for conscience sake Blind obediēce the Church of God hath long agoe exploded as too servile for Christian spirits this were more servile than selling mens bodies in the Market for slaves which Christianity abhors It were too uncharitable a conceit of Christian Magistrates to thinke that they should require of or expect from any other obedience than in and for the Lord and in this obedience those who are godly are so forward as they are judged turbulent for being over-forward to maintaine the honor of Authority as some think when according to their places they promote the execution of laws made by authority and that of those lawes which are of the highest consequence for the furtherance of Piety and Peace Againe factious spirits they are not because they seeke above all things to keep to the maintenance of obedience to the Primitive truth that is faction that sides against that Tertullian hath a notable expression in his Apology for the Christians against the Gentiles to cleare Gods people from being men of factious spirits it seemes that aspersion was cast upon them then which was about 1400 yeares agoe his expression was this When good men when honest men meet together when godly men are gathered together it is not to bee called a faction but a Court and on the contrary the name of faction sayes hee is to bee applyed to them who conspire to the hatred of good and honest men And thus much of the first branch of the Vse which was the reprehension of the vile cōceits that men had of this other spirit Now the second followes which is the rebuking of the men of the world for the ill use they give to men who are of such excellent spirits The excellencies of the spirits of the godly do challenge all the good use that can bee but it is little they meet withall they are for the most part abused by the men of this vile world as if they were the vilest scurfe and filth of the earth yea so indeed they account them so saith S. Paul 1. Cor. 4. 13. We are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day Why what was S. Paul and what were those that were with him who was so accounted of were they not men of most excellent and admirable spirits S. Paul was one of the most excellent spirited men that ever lived upon the earth and did as much service for God as ever any meere man did since the beginning of the world and yet how vilie was he thought of how contemptibly was hee used put into stocks and whipped wanted cloathes and victuals And for the others that were with S. Paul they were men of whom the Holy Ghost gives this witnesse that they were the very glory of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23. Oh unworthy world that ever they should have such men live amongst them Those who are the delight of Angels yea of God himselfe how are they abused in this wicked world as if they were dogges or the basest scumme and filth of the earth What scorne and contempt is cast upon them the most abject of men think themselves good enough to reproach and abuse them Were it not a grievous sight to see some base drudge to have power over the body of some noble Prince to abuse it by stripes or any other contumelious sordid manner but a more grievous thing it is to see the vile and base spirits of the world who are nothing but sinks of filth themselves to abuse men of such noble and excellent spirits as if they were more vile than dirt It was the bitter complaint of Ieremy Lament 4. 2. that the pretious sonnes of Sion comparable to fine gold were esteemed as earthen pitchers Such as blessed spirits would honour if they had them with them yet here they are cast out as filth What griefe sufficent to lament the seeing of such filthy swine to trample under their feet such pretious pearles in all ages thus it hath beene Those who were indeed the true honourable upon the earth such pretious and excellent spirited men as of whom the world was not worthy and yet they have beene most vilely abused and are so still by this wretched world