work of our Spirits are a retrograde motion it makes no way but spends the time is a returning as we go whereas we ought to go straight forward I beseech you Christians consider what ye are doing if ye would prove your selves so indeed I know not how you can evidence it better then by honouring and esteeming his Word and Commandments exceeding large and precious no end of their perfection the word is much undervalued in the opinions of many but it is as little cared for in the practice of most there is certainly little of God there where this is not magnified and honoured There must be darkness in that way where this candle which was a lamp to Davids feet shines not Some promise to us liberty but they themselves are the servants of corruption it is no liberty to be above all law and rule It was innocent Adams liberty to be conformed to a holy and just command nay this was his beauty The Spirit indeed gives liberty where he is but this liberty is from our sins and corruptions not to them it looses the chains of a mans own corrupt lusts off him to walk at freedom in the way of his commandments the Spirit inlargeth the prisoners heart and then he runs but not at random but the way of his commands Psal. 119.32 It was our bondage to be as wilde Asses traversing our wayes to be gadding abroad to change our way Now here is the Spirits liberty to bring us into the way and that way is one Let us then learn this one principle the Word must be the rule of your walking both common and religious Alas it s not spiritual walking to confine Religion to some solemn duties Remember it s a walk a continued thing without interruption therefore your whole conversation ought to be as so many steps progressive to Heaven Your motion should not be to begin only when ye come to pray or read or hear as many men do they are in a quite different way and element when they step out of their civil callings into religious ordinances but Christians your motion should be continued in your eating and drinking and sleeping and acting in your callings that when ye come to pray or read ye may be but stepping forward in the way out of one darker obscurer path into a more beaten way Remember this word can make us perfect to Salvation It is a principle in the hearts of folks which is vented now by many that the Word doth not reach their particular carriages and conversations in civil matters these are apprehended to be without the sphear and compass of the Word while it is commonly cast up to Ministers meddle with the word and spiritual things and not with our matters Truly I think if we separate these from the Word we may quickly separat all Religion from such actions and if such actings and businesses be without the Court of the Word they are also without the Court of Conscience Conscience Religion and the Word being commensurable Therefore I beseech every one of you take the Word for the ruling of your callings and conversations among men extend it to all your actions that in all those ye may act as Christians as well as men It is certainly the licentiousness of the spirits of men that cannot endure the application of the Word unto their particular actions and conversations Now this spiritual walk proceeds from spiritual principles It is certain the Spirit of Jesus Christ is he in whom we live and move and have our being spiritually without him we can do nothing and therefore Christians ought to walk with such a subordination to and dependence on him as if they were meer instruments and patients under his hand though I think in regard of endeavoured activity they should bestir themselves and give all diligence as if they acted independently of the Spirit yet in regard of denial of himself and dependence on the Spirit each one ought to act as if he did not act at all but the Spirit only acted in him This is the Divinity of Paul I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but grace in me I live yet not I but Christ in me O how difficult a thing is it to reconcile these two in the practice of Christians which yet cannot really be except they be together It is certainly one of the great mysteries of Christianity to draw our strength and activity from another to look upon our selves and our actings as these that can do nothing as empty vines and that notwithstanding of all inâ—used and acquired principles Whatever we ought to do in judging and discerning of our condition yet sure I am Christians in the exercise and practice of godliness should look upon themselves void of any principle in themselves either to do or think not that we are sufficient of of our selves The proficient and growing Christian should look no moâ—e on his own inclinations and habits thâ—n if he had none he should consider himself an ungodly man that no fruit can grow upon one that cannot pray as he is in himself Buâ— alace we come to duties in the confidence of qualifications â—or duties acts more confidently in them because accustomed to them and so makes Grace and Religion a kind of Art and Discipline that use and experience makes expert into Learn now this one thing which would be in stead of many rules and doctrines to us to shut out of your eyes the consideration of what ye are by Gifts or Grace or experience Do not consider that but rather fix your eyes on the grace of Jesus Christ and upon the power and vertue of the Holy Spirit which is given by promise that when the way is all the easiest to you both by delight and custom yet ye may find it to your natural principles as insuperable as at the beginning and may still cry Draw me and I will run after thee lead me and I will walk with thee Do not measure thy call into duties by the strength thou finds in thy self but look unto him who strengtheneth us with all might Now the Spirit worketh in us by subordinat spiritual principles as believing in Christ and loving of him as our Lord and Saviour and these two acts drives on a soul sweetly in the way of obedience Fear where not mixt in its actings with faith and love is a spirit of bondage but the Christian ought to walk according to the Spirit of Adoption which cryes Abba Father Yet how many Christians are rather in a servile and slavish manner driven on by terrours and chastisements to their duty then by love There is a piece of liberty in Christian-walking when there is not a restraint upon the spirit by this slavish fear this I say is not beseeming these that are in Christ Jesus ye ought to have the Spirit of your Father for your leader and guide O! how sweet and how certain and necessary also would this walking be
of hâ—s Law surâ—ound when your Conscience accuâ—eth and God condâ—mneth it may be too late and out of date Alas then wâ—at will you do who now put your conscâ—ence by and will not hearken to it or be put in fear by any thâ—ng can be represented to you we do not desiâ—e to put you in feâ—r where nâ—â—ear is but where there is infinit cause of â—ear and when it is possible that fear may introduce faith and be the forerunner oâ— these glad tidings that will compose the soul We desiâ—e only you may know what bondage you are really into whether it be observed or not that you may fear lest you be enthralled in the chains oâ— everlasting daâ—knesse and so may be perswaded to flee from it before it be irrecoverable Wâ—at a vain and empty sound is the Gospel of liberty by a Redeemer to the most paâ—t who do not feel their bondage Who believes its report or care much for it because it is necessity that casts a beauty and lustâ—e upon it or takes the scales off our eyes and opens our closed ears Now for you who either are or have been detained in this bondage under the feaâ—ful apprehension oâ— the wrath of God and the sad remembrance oâ— your sins know that this is not the prime intent and grand businesse to torment you as it were before the time there is some other more beautiful and satisfying structure to be raised out of this â—oundation I would have you improve it thus to commend the necessity the absolute necessity of a Redeemer and to make him beautiful in your eyes Do not dwell upon that as if it were the ultimat or last work but know that you are called in this rational way to come out of your selves into this glorious liberty of the sons of God purchased by Christ anâ— revealed in the Gospel Know you have not received the spirit of bondage only to fear but to drive you to faith in a Saviour and then you ought so to walk as not to return to that â—ormer thraldome oâ— the â—ear of wrath but believe his love SERMON XXXVII Rom. 8.14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God Vers. 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father THE liâ—e oâ— Christianity take it in it self it is the most pleasant and joyful life that can be exempted from these fears and cares these sorrows and anxieties that all other lives are subjâ—ct unto for this of necessity must be the force and efficacy of true Religion iâ— it be indeed true to its name to disburden and ease the heart and fill it with all manner of consolation Certainly it is the most rich Subject and most compleatly â—urnished with all variety of delights to enteâ—tain a soul that can be imagined Yet I must confess while we consult with the experience and practice of Christians this bold assertion seems to be much weakned and too much ground is given to confirm the contrary misappreheâ—sions of the world who take it to be a sullen melancholick and dâ—â—consolat life attended with many â—ears and sorows It is alas too evident that many Christians are kept in bondage almost all their lâ—fe-time through fear oâ— eteâ—nall death how many dismall representations of sin and wrath in the souls of some Christians which keep them in much thraldom at least who is it that is not once and often brought in bondage aâ—ter conversion and made to apprehend feaâ—fully their own estate who hath such constant uninterrupâ—ed peace and joy in the holy Ghost or lyes under such direct beams of divine favour but it is sometimes eclipsed and their souls fillâ—d with the darknes of horrour and terrour and â—ruly the most part taâ—â—e not so much sweetness in Religion as makeâ— them uncessâ—nt and unwearied in the wayes of Godliness yet not withstanding of all this wâ— must vindicat Christianity it self and not impute these things unto it which are the infirmities and faults of the followers of it who do not improve it unto such an use or use it so far as in it self it is capable Indeed it is true that oâ—ten we are brought to fear again yet withall it is certain that our allowance is larger and that we have received the Spirit not to put us in bondage again to fear but rather to seal to our hearts that love of God which may not only expell fear but bring in joy I wish that this were deeply considered by all of us that there is such a life as this attainâ—ble that the word of God doth not deceive us in promiâ—ing fair things which it cannot perform but that there is a certain realiâ—y in the life of Christianity in that peace and joy tranquility and serenity of minâ— that is holden out and that some have â—eally found it and do find it and that the reason why all of us do not find it in expeâ—ience is not because it is not but because we have so little apprehension of it and diligence after it It is strange that all men who have pursued satisfaction in the things of this life being disappointed and one generation witnessing this to another and one person to another that notwithstanding men are this day as fresh in the pursuit of that as big in the expectations as ever and yet in this business of Religion and the happiness to be found in it though the Oracles of God in all ages have testified from Heaven how certain and possible it is though many have found it in experience and left it on record to others yet there is so slender belief of the reality and certainty of it and so slack pursuit of it as if we did not believe it at all Truly my beloved there is a great mistake in this and it s generally too all men apprehend other things more â—easable and attainable then personal holinesse and happinesse in it but truly I conceive there is nothing in the world so practicable as this nothing made so easie so certain to a soul that really minds it Let us take it so then the fault is not Religions that these who professe it are subject to so much fear and care and disquieted with so much sorrow it is rather because Christianity doth not sink into the hearts and souls oâ— men but only puts a tincture on their out-side or because the â—aith of divine truths is so supeâ—ficial and the consideration oâ— them so slight that they cannot have much efficacy and influence on the heart to quiet and compose it Is it any wonder that some souls be subject again to the bondage of fear and terrour when they do not stand in aw to sin Much liberty to sin will certainly embondage the spirit of a Christian to fear Suppose a believer in Jesus Christ be exempted from the hazâ—rd of condemnation yet he
is the gâ—eatest fool in the world that would on that account venture on satisfaction to his lusts for though it be true that he be not in danger of eternal wrath yet he may find so much present wâ—ath in his conscience as may make him think it was a â—oolish bargain he may lose so much of the sweetnesse of the peace and joy of God as all the pleasures oâ— sin cannot compense Theâ—efore to the end that yâ—u whose souls aâ—e once pacified by the blood of Christ and composed by his word of promise may enjoy that constant rest and tranquility as not to be enthralled agâ—â—n to your old fears and terrours I would advise and recommend to you these two things one is that ye would be much in the studie of that allowance which the promises of Christ affords be much in the serious apprehension of the Gospel and certainly your doubts and feares would evainish at one puff of such a rooted and established meditation Think what you are called to not to fear again but to love rather and honour him as a Father and then take heed to walk suitably and preserve your seal of adoption unbâ—otted unrusted you would study so to walk as you may not cast dirt upon it or open any gap in the conscience for the re-entry of these hellish-like fears and dreadâ—ul apprehensions of God Câ—rtainly â—ts impossible to preserve the Spirit in freedom if a man be not watchfull against sin and corruption David prayes re-establish me with thy free Spirit as if his spirit had been abased embondaged and enthraled by the power of that corruption If you would have your spirits kept free from the â—ear of wrath study to keep them free from the power of sin for that is but a fâ—uit of this and it s most suitable that the soul that cares not to be in bondage to sinful lusts should by the righteousnesse of God tempered with love and wisdom be brought under the bondage he would not that is oâ—â—ear and terrour â—or by this means the Lord makes him know how evil the first is by the bitternesse of the second It is usual on such a Scripture as this to propound many questions and debate many practical cases as whether a soul after believing can be under legal bondage and wherein these dâ—ffer the bondage oâ— a soul after believing and in it fiâ—st conversion And how far that bondage oâ— fear is preparatory to faith and many such like but I choose rather to hold forth the simple and naked truth for your edification then put you upon or intertain you in such needlesse janglings and contentions All I desire to say to a soul in bondage is to exhort him to come to the Redeemer and to consider that his case calls and cryes for a delivery Come I say and he shall find rest and liberty to his soul. All I would say to souls delivered from this bondage is to request and beseech them to live in a holy fear of sin and jealousie over themselves that so they may not be readily brought under the bondage of the fear of wrath again Perfect love casts out the fear of hell but perfect love bâ—ings in the fear of sin Ye that love the Lord hate ill and if ye hate it ye will fear it in this state of infirmity and weaknesse wherein we are And if at any time ye through negligence and carelessness of walking lose the comfortable evidence oâ— the Fathers love and be reduced again to your old prison oâ— legal terrour do not despair for that do not think that such a thing could not beâ—all a child of God and from that ground do not raze former foundations for the Scriptures saith not that whosoever believes once in Christ and receives the Spirit of Adoption cannot fear again â—or we see it otherwise in David in Heman in Iob c. all holy Saints but the Scripture saith ye have not received the spirit of bondage for that end to fear again it is not the allowance of your Father your allowance is better and larger if you knew it and did not sit below it Now the great giâ—t and large allowance of our Father is expressed in the next words but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption c. Which Spirit of Adoption is a Spirit of Intercession to make us cry to God as our Father These are two gifts Adoption or the priviledge of Sons and the Spirit of Adoption revealing the love and mercy of God to the heart and framing it to a soul-like disposition compare the two states together and its a marvelous change a Rebel condemned and then pardoned and then adopted to be a Son of God a sinner under bondage a bound slave to sin and Satâ—n not only freed from that intollerable bondage but advanced to this liberty to be made a Son of God this will be the continued wonder of eternity and that whereabout the song oâ— Angels and Saints will be accursed rebels expecting nothing but present death sinners arraigned and sentenced beâ—ore his Tribunal and already tasting Hell in their Consciences and in fear of eternal perishing not only to be delivered from all that but to be dignified with this priviledge to be the Sons of God to be taken from the Gibbit to be Crowned that is the great myâ—tery of wisdom and grace revealed in the Gospel the proclaiming whereof will be the joynt labour of all the innumerable companies above for all eternity Now if you ask how this estâ—te is attainable Himself tells us Iohn 1.12 As many as believed or received him to them he gave the priviledge to be the Sons of God The way is made plain and easie Christ the Son of God the natural and eternal Son of God became the son of man to facilitate this he hath taken on the burden of mans sin the chastisement of our peace and so of the glorious Son of God he became like the wretched and accursed sons of men and thereâ—ore God hath proclaimed in the Gospel not only an immunity and freedom from wrath to all that in the sense of their own misery cordially receive him as he is offered but the unspeakable priviledge of Sonship and Adoption for his sake who became our elder brother Gal. 4.4 5. Men that want children use to supply their want by adopting some beloved friend in the place of a son and this is a kind of supply oâ— nature for the comfort of them that want But it is strange that God having a Son so glorious the very character of his Person and brightnesse of his glory in whom he delighted â—rom eternity strange I say that he should in a manner losse and give away his only begotten Son that he might by his means adopt others poor despicable creatures yea rebellious to be his sons and daughters Certainly this is an act infinitly transcending nature such an act that hath an unsearchable mystery in it into which Angels desire to look
and never cease looking because they never see the bottom oâ— it It was not out of indigency he did it not for any need he had of us or comfort expected â—rom us but absolutely â—or our necessity and consolation that he might have upon whom to pour the riches of his grace SERMON XXXVIII Rom. 8.15 But ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father BEhold what manner of love the Father hath shewed unto us that we should be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3.1 It is a wonderful expression of love to advance his own creatures not only infinitly below himself but far below other creatures to such a dignity Lord what is man that thou so magnifiest him but it surpasses wonder that rebellious creatures his enemies should have not only their rebellions â—reely pardoned but this pâ—iviledge of Son-ship bestowed upon them that he should take enemies and make Sons of them and not only Sons but Heirs Co-heirs with his own only begotten Son And then how he makes them sons is â—s wonderâ—ul as the thing it self that he should make his own Son our Brother bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh and make him spring out as a branch or rod out of the dry stemm of Iesse who himself was the root oâ— all mankind This is the way God sent his Son made of a woman under the Law that we might reâ—eive the adoption of sons Gal. 4.5 The House of Heaven marries with the Earth with them who have their foundation in the dust the chief Heir of that heavenly Family joyneth in kindred with our base and obscure family and by this mâ—ans we are made of kin to God But of him are ye in Christ Iesus 1 Cor. 1.30 It behoved Christ in a manner to lose his own Son-ship as to men to have it so vailed and darkned by the superadded interest in us and his nearnesse to us he was so properly a Son of man subject to all humane infirmities except sin that without eyes of â—aith men could not perceive that he was the Son of God and by this wonderful exchange are we made the sons of God whoever in the apprehension of their own enmity and distance â—rom God receive Christ Jesus offered as the peace the bond of union between the two Families of Heaven and earth that were at an infinit odds and distance whoever I say believes thus in him and flies to him desiring to lay down the weapons of their warfare their peace is not only made by that marriage which Christ made with our nature but they are blessed with this power and priviledge to be the sons and daughters of the Most Hig hand from thence you may conclude that if God be your Father you can want nothing that is good but the determination of what is good for you whether in spiritual enlargments or in the things of this life you must refer to his wisdom for his love indeed is strong as deâ—th nothing can quench it in the point of reality and constancy there is nothing to shadow it out among men the love oâ— women is eaâ—nest and vehement but that is nothing to it Isa. 49.15 For they may forget but he cannot Yet his love is not a â—oolish dotage like men that is often miscarried with fancy and lust but it is a rational and wise affection administred and expressed with infinit reason and wisdom and therefore he chooses rather to profit us then to please us in his dealings and we who are not so fit to judge and discern our own good should commit all to his Fatherly and wise providence Therefore iâ— you be tempted to anxiety and carefulnesse oâ— mind either through the earthlinesse of your dispositions or the present straits of the time you who have resigned your self to Jesus Christ would call to mind that your heavenly Father careth â—or you and and what need you care too why not use your lawful Callings be diligent in them this is not to prejudge that but if you believe in God then you are oblidged by that prosession to abate â—rom the supeâ—fluous tormenting thoughtfulnesse that is good â—or nothing but to make you more miserable then your troubles can make you and to make you miserable before you be miserable to anticipat your sorrows If you say God is your Father you are tyed to devolve your selves over on him and trust in his good will and faithâ—ulnesse and to sit down quietly as children that have parents to provide for them Now the other gift is great too the Spirit of adoptiâ—n and because ye are sons therefore hath he given you the Spirit of his Son saith this Apostle Gal. 4.6 And â—o it is a kind of conâ—ectaâ—y of the great priviledge and blessed estate of adoption They who adopt children use to give them some kind of token to expresse their love to them But as the Lord is higher then all and this priviledge to be His son or child is the greatest dignity imaginable â—o this giâ—t of his Spirit suits the greatnesse and glory and love of our Father It is a Fathers gift indeed a gift suitable to our heavenly Father If a father that is â—ender of the education of his child and would desire nothing so much as that he might be of a vertuous and gracious disposition and good ingine I think if he were to expresse his love in one wish it would be this that he might have such a spirit in him and this he would account better then all that he could leave him But if it were possible to transmit a gracious and well-disposed and understanding spirit from one to another and if men could leave it as they do their inheritance to their children certainly a wise and religious parent would first make over â— disposition of that to his children as Elisha sought a double measure of Elijahs spirit so a â—ather would wish such a measure to his children and if it were possible give it But that may not be all that can be done is to wish well to them and leave them a good example for imitation But in this our heavenly Father transcends all that He can import his own Spirit to his adopted children and this Spirit is in a manner the very essential principle that maketh them children of the Father their natures their dispositions are under his power he can as well reform them as you can change your childrens gâ—rments he can make of us what he will our hearts are in his hand as the water capable oâ— any impression he pleaseth to put on it and this is the impression he putteth on his children he putteth his Spirit in their hearts and writeth his Law in their inward parts a more divine and higher work then all humane perswasion can reach This Spirit they receive as earnest of the inheritance and withall to make them fit for the inheritance oâ— the Saints in light Now the working oâ— this Spirit
incense to God dayly when they offer up their souls desires in simplicity and sincerity Certainly this is a spiritual thing derived only from the fountain of Spirts this grace of pouring out our souls into him and keeping communication with him the variety of words and riches of expression it is but the shell of it the external shadow And all the life consists in the frame of the heart before God And this none can put in frame but he that formed the Spirit of man within him some through custom of hearing and using it attain to a habit of expressing themselves readily in it it may be to the satisfaction of others but alas they may be strangers to the fiâ—st letters and elements of the life and spirit of prayer I would have you who want both look up to heaven for it many of you cannot be induced to pray in your family and I fear little or none in secret which is indeed a more serious work because you have not been used or not learned or such like Alas beloved this cometh not through education or learning it cometh from the Spirit of adoption and if ye cannot pray ye say ye have not the Spirit and if ye have not the Spirit ye are not the Sons of God Know what is in the inevitable sequel of your own confessions But I haste to the qualifications of this divine work fervencie reverence and confidence Fervencie in crying reverence and confidence in crying Abba Father for these two suit well towards our Father the first I fear we must seek it elsewhere then in prayer I find it spent on other things of lesse moment Truly all the Spirit and affection of men runes in another channel in the way of contention and strife in the way of passion and miscalled zeal and because these things whereabout we do thus earnestly contend have some interest or coherance with Religion we not only excuse but approve our vehemency But O! much better were that imployed in supplicationâ— to God that were a divine channel Again the marrow of other mens Spirits is exhausted in the pursuit of things in the world the edge of their desires is turned that way and it must needs be blunted and dulled in spiritual things that it cannot pierce into Heaven and prevail effectually I am sure many of us useth this excuse who are so cold in it that we do not warm our selves and how shall we think to prevail with God our spirits make little noise when we cry all the loudest we can scarce hear any whisper in our hearts and how shall he hear us Certainly it is not the extension of the voice pleaseth Him it is the cry of the heart that is sweet harmony in his ears and you may easily perceive that if you but consider that he is an infinit Spirit that pierceth into all the corners of our hearts and hath all the darknesse of it as light before him how can you think that such a spirit can be pleased with lip-cryes how can he endure such deceit and â—alshood who hath so perfect a contrariety with all false appearances that your heart should lye so dead and flatt before him and the affection of it turned quite another way There were no sacrifices without fire in the Old Testament and that fire was kept-in perpetually and so no prayer now without some inward fire conceived in the desires and blazing up and growing into a flame in the presenting of them to God The incense that was to be offered on the Altar of perfume Exod. 30. it behoved to be beaten and prepared and truly prayer would do well to be made out of a beaten and bruised heart and contrite spirit a spirit truly sensible of its own unworthinesse and wants and that beating and pounding of the heart will yeeld a good fragrant smel as some spices do not till beaten The incense was made of divers spices intimating to us that true prayer is not one grace alone but a compound of graces It is the joynt exercise of all a Christian graces seasoned with all every one of them give some peculiar fragrancy to it as Humility Faith Repentance Love c. The acting of the heart in supplication is a kind of compend and result of all these as one perfume made up of many simples But above all as the incense our prayers must be kindled by fire on the Altar there must be some heat and servour some warmnesse conceived by the holy Spirit in our hearts which may make our spices send forth a pleasant smell as many spices do not till they get heat Let us lay this engagement on our hearts to be more serious in our addresses to God the Father of spirits above all to present our inward soul before him before whom it is naked and open though we do not bring it And certainly frequency in prayer will much help us to fervency and to keep it when we have it SERMON XL. Rom. 8.15 VVhereby we cry Abba Father ALL that know any thing of Religion must needs know and confess that there is no exercise either more suitable to him that prosesseth it or more needful for him then to give himself to the exercise of prayer but that which is confessed by all and as to the outward performance gone about by many I fear it is yet a mystery sealed up fâ—om us as to the true and living nature of it There is much of it expressed here in few words whereby we cry Abba Father The divine constitution and qualification of this divine work is here made up of a temper of fervency reverence and confidence The first I spoke of before but I fear our hearts was not well heated then or may be cooled since It is not the loud noise of words that is best heard in Heaven or that is constructed to be crying to God No this is transacted in the heart more silently to men but it striketh up into the ears of God His ear is sharp and that voice of the souls desires is shrill and though it were out of the depths they will meet together It is true the vehemency of affection will sometimes cause the extension of the voice but yet it may cry as loud to Heaven when it is kept within I do not presse such extraordinary degrees of servour as may effect the body but I would rather wish we accustomed our selves to a solid calm seriousnesse and earnestnesse of spirit which might be more constant then such raptures can be that we might alwayes gather our spirits to what we are about and avocat them from impertinent wanderingâ— and fix them upon the present object of our worship this is to worship him in spirit who is a Spirit The other thing that composes the sweet temper of prayeâ— is reverence and what more suitable whether you consider Him or your selves If I be your Father where is my honour and if I be your Master where is my fear
the power is put in his hand and resigned to him for where he dwells he must rule as good reason is He is about the greatest work that is now to do in the world the repairing and renewing of the ruines and breaches of mans spirit which was the fiâ—st breach in the Creation and the cause of all the rest He is about the cleansing and washing this Temple and we may be perswaded that he who hath begun this good work will perform it untill the day of Christ till we be presented blameless and without spot to our husband Phil. 1.5 6. and this is the grand conâ—olation of believers that they have this presence assured to them by promise that the Spirit is fixed here by an irreovcable and unchangeable Covenant or donation and will not wholly depart from them though he may withdraw and leave you comfortless â—or a season Isa. 59.21 Therefore I would shut up all in a word of exhortation to you that since we have the promise of so noble and happy a guest you would apply your selves to seek him and then keep him to receive him and then retain him It is true that he must first prevent uâ— for as no man can say that Iesus is the Christ but by thâ— Spirit of God so no man can indeed pâ—ay for the Spirit but by the Spirits own intercession within him Where God hath bestowed any thing of this Spirit it is known by the kindly and fervent desires after more of it Now since we have such a laâ—ge and ample promise Ezek. 36.27 Ioel 2.28 of the pouring out of the Spirit and that in as absolute and free a manner as can be imagined and this renewed by Christ and confirmed by his Prayer to the Father for the performance of it Ioh. 14.16 17. and then we have a sweet and affectionat promise propounded in the most moving and loving manner that can be Luk. 11.13 where he encourageth us to pray for the Spirit and that from this ground that our Heavenly Father who placed that natural affection in other fathers towards their children whereby they cannot refuse them bread when they cry for it He who was the Author of all natural affection must certainly transcend them infinitly in his love to his childâ—en as the Psalmist argues Shall not he that planted the ear hear and he that formed the eye see So may a poor soul reason it self to some confidence Shall not He who is the â—ountain of all natural love in men and beasts have much more Himself and if my â—ather will not give me a stone when I seek bread certainly he will far lesse do it Therefore if we being evil know how to give good things to our chilren how much more shall our Heavenly Father give his Spirit to them that ask him Alas that we should want such a gift for not asking it my beloved let us enlarge our desires for this Spirit and seek more earnestly and no doubt affection and importunity will not be sent away empty Is it any wonder we receive not because we ask not or we ask so coldly that we teach him in a manner to deny us qui tiâ—ide rogat I may say frigide docet negare ask frequently and ask confidently and His heart cannot deny O that we could lay this ingâ—gement on our own hearts to be more in Prayer Let 〈◊〉 presse our selves to this and we need not presse Him albeit the first grace be wholly a surprisal yet certainly he keeps this suitable method in the enlargements of grace that when he gives more He enlargeth the heart more after it He openeth the mouth wider to ask and receive and according to that capacity so is His hand opened to fill the heart O why are our hearts shut when his hand is open Again I would exhort you in Jesus Christ to intertain the Spirit suitably and this shall keep Him To this purpose are these exhortations Grieve not the Spirit Eph. 4.30 and quench not the Spirit 1 Thes. 5.19 There is nothing can grieve Him but sin and if you intertain that you cannot retain Him He is a Spiâ—it of holinesse and He is about the making you holy then do not marr him in his work labour to advance this and you do him a pleasure If you make his holy Temple an unclean cage for hateful birds or a Temple for Idols how can it but grieve him and if you grieve the Spirit certainly the Spirit will grieve you will make you repent it at the heart Please him by heaâ—kning to his motions and following his direction and he shall comfort you His office is to be a spring of consolation to you but if you grieve him by walking in the imagination of your hearts and following the suggestions of the Flesh His enemy no doubt that spring will turn its channel another way and dry up for a season toward you It is not every sin or infirmity that grieves Him thus if so be that it grieve thee but the intertaining of any sin and mâ—king peace with any of his enemies that cannot but displease Him and O what losse you have by it You displease your greatest friend to please your greatest enemy you blot and bludder that seal of the Spirit that you shall not be able to read it till it be cleansed and washed again Now if any man have not this Spirit of Christ he is none of his he is not a Christian take this alongs with you who aim at nothing but the external and outward shew or visible standing in the Church if you have not this Spirit and the seal of this Spirit found on you Christ will not know you for his in that day of his appearing SERMON XXVI Rom. 8.10 And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin c. GODS presence is his working his presence in a soul by his Spirit is his working in such a soul in some special manner not common to all men but peculiar to them whom he hath chosen Now his dwelling is nothing else but a continued familiar and endlesse working in a soul till he have conformed all within to the Image of His Son The soul is the office-house or work-house that the Spirit hath taken up to â—rame in it the most curious piece of the whole Creation even to restore and repair that Master-piece which came last from Gods hand ab ultima manu and so was the chiefest I mean the Image of God in righteousness and holinesse Now this is the bond of union between God and us Christ is the bond of union with God but the Spirit is the bond of union with Christ. Christ is the peace between God and us that makes of two one but the Spirit is the link between Christ and us whereby he hath immediat and actual interest in us and we in Him I find the union between Christ and a soul shadowed out in Scripture by the nearest relations among creatures for
shall we be It is high time indeed to pretend to this to be a son or a daughter of God it s a higher word then if a man could deduce his genealogy from an interrupted line of a thousand Kings and Princes there is more honour true honour in it and more profit too that which enriches the poorest and eâ—nobles the basest inconceivably beyond â—ll the imaginary degrees of men Now my beloved this is the great design of the Gospel to bestow this incomparable priviledge upon you to become the Sons of God But it is sad to think how many souls scarce think upon it and how many delude themselves in it but consider that as many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God they have gotten a new leader and guider other then their own fancy or humour which once they followed in the ignorance of their hearts It is lamentable to conceive how the most part of us are acted and driven and carried head-long rather then gently led by our own carnal and corrupt inclinations men pretending to Christianity yet hurried away with every self-pleasing object as if they were not Masters of themselves furiously agitated by violent lusts miscarried continually against the very dictates of their own reason and conscience And I fear there iâ— too much of these even in those who have more reason to assume this honourable title of Son ship I know not how we are exceedingly addicted to self-pleasing in everything whatsoever our â—ancy or inclination suggest to us that we must do without more bands if it be not directly sinful whatsoever we apprehend that we must venâ— and speak it out though to little or no edâ—fication like that oâ— Solomon We deny our hearts nothing they desire except the grossâ—esse of it restrain us Now certainly if we knew what we are called to who are the Sons of God we could not but disingage more with our selves even in lawful things and give over the conduct oâ— our hearts and wayes to the Spirit of our Father whom we may be perswaded of that he will lead us in the wayes of pleasantnesse and peace Now the special and peculiar operations of the Spirit are expressed in the following words There are some workings of the Spirit of God that are but introductory and subservient to more excellent works and therefore they are transient not appointed to continue long for they are not his great intendment of this kind are these terrible representations of sin and wrath of the Justice of God which puts the soul in a fear a trembling fear and while such a soul is kept within the apprehension of sin and judgment it s shut up as it were in bondage Now though it be true that in the conversion of a sinner there is alwayes something of this in more or lesse degrees yet because this is not the gâ—eat design of the Gospel to put men in fear but rather to give them confidence nor the great intendment of God in the dispensation of the Law To bring a soul in bondage under terror but rather by the Gospel to free them from that bondage therefore he hath reason to expresse it thus ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear c. But there are other operations of the Spirit which are chiefly intended and principally bestowed as the great gift of our Father to expresse his bounty and goodnesse towards us and from these he is called the Spirit of Adoption and the Spirit of Intercession The Spirit of Adoption not only in regard of that witness-bearing and testification to our consciences of Gods love and â—avour and our interest in it as in the next vers but also in regard of that child-like disposition of reverence and love and respect that he begets in our hearts towards God as our Father and â—rom both these flowes this next working â—rying Abba Father aiding and assisting us in presenâ—ing our necessities to our Father making this the continued vent of the heart in all extremitieâ— to pour out all that burthens us in our Fathers bosom and this giveâ— marvelous ease to the heart and releases it from the bondage of carefulnâ—sse and anxiety which it may be subject to after the soul is delivered from the â—ear and bondage of wrath Let us speak then to these in order the first working of the spiritâ— to put a mâ—n in feâ—r of himself and such a fear as mightily straitenâ— and embondages the soul of man and this though in it self it be neither so pleasant nor excellent as to make it come under the notion of any gift from God it having rather the nature of a torment and punishment and being some sparkle of Hell already kindled in the Conscience yet hath made it beautiful and seasonable in its use and end because he makes it to usher-in the pleasant and refreshing sight of a Saviour and the report of Gods love to the World in Him It is true all men are in bondage to sin and Satan and shut up in the darknesse of ignorance and unbelief and bound in the setters of their own lusts which are as the chains that are put about malefactors before they go to prison He that commits sin is a servant of sin Joh. 8.34 And to be a servant of sin is slavery under the most cruel tyrant all these things are yet how few souls do apprehend it seriously or are weary of their prison how few groan to be delivered nay the most part account it only liberty To hate true delivery as bondage But some there are whose eyes the Spirit of God openâ— and lets them see their bondage and slavery and how they are concluded under the most heavy and weighty sentence that ever was pronounced The curse and wrath of the everliving God that there is no way to flie from it or escape it for any thing they can do or know Now indeed this serious discovery cannot choose but make the heart of a man to tremble as David my heart trembles because of thy Iudgments and I am afraid of thee Pâ—al 119.120 Such a serious representation will make the sâ—outest and proudest heart to fall down and â—aint for â—ear of that infinit intollerable weight of deserved wrath and then the soul is in a sensible bondage that before was in a real but insensible bondage then it s invironed about with bitter accusations with dreadful challenges then the Law of God arrests and confines the soul within the bounds of its own accusing Conscience and thiâ— is some previous â—epresâ—ntation â—f that eternal â—mpâ—isonment and banishment â—â—om the pressence oâ— God albeâ—â—t many of you are free from this â—ear and enjoy a kind oâ— liberty to â—erve your own lusts and are not sensiâ—le oâ— any thraldom oâ— your spirits yet certainly the Lord will sometime arrest you anâ— bâ—ing you to this spiritual bondage when he shall make the inâ—qâ—â—ties oâ— your heels encompasse you about and the curâ—es
of Adoption I conceive to be threefold beside that of Intercession expressed in the vers The first work of the Spirit of Adoption that wherein a Fathers affection seems to break first from under ground is â—he revealing to the heart the love and mercy of God to sinners I do not say to such a soul in particular for that application is neither first nor universal But herein the Spirit of Adoption first appears from under the cloud of â—ear and this is the first opening oâ— the prison of bondage wherein a soul was shut when the plain way of reconciliation to God in Christ and delivery from the bondage of sin and wrath is holden out when such a word as this comes into the soul and is received with some gladnesse God so loved the world that he gave his Son c. This is a true and faithful saying c. Come ye that labour and weary and I will give rest to your souls When a soul is made to hear the gâ—ad tidings of liberty preached to captives of lighâ— to the blind of joy to the heavy in spirit of life to the dead though he cannot come that length as to see his own pâ—â—ticular interest yet the very receiving affectionatly and greedily such a general report as good and true gives some ease and relaxation to the heart To see delivery possible is some door of hope to a desperat sinner but to see it and espy more then a possibility even great probability though he cannot reach a certainty â—hat will be as the breaking open of a window of light in a dark dungeon it will be as the taking off oâ— some of the hardest fetters and the worst chains which makes a man almost to think himself at liberty Now this is the great office of the Spirit of the Father to beget in us good thoughts of Him to incline us to charitable and favourable construction of Him and make us ready to think well of Him to beget a good understanding between us and Him and correct our jealous misapprehensions of Him for certainly we are naturally suspitious of God that he deals not in sad earnest with us when ever we see the hight of our provocation and weight of deserved indignation we think him like our selves and can hardly receive without suspition the Gospel that layes open his love in Christ to the world Now this is the Spirits woâ—k to make us entertain that hoâ—ourable thought of God that he is most inclinable to pardon sinners and that his mercy is infinitly above mans sin and that it is no prejudice to His Holiness or Justice and to apprehend seriously a constant reality and solid truth in the promises of the Gospel and so to convince a soul of righteousnesse Joh. 18. that there is a way of justifying a sinner and ungodly person without wrong to Gods righteousnesse and this being well pondered in the heart and received in love the great businesse is done after that particular application is more easie of which I shall not speak now because occasion will be given in the next vers about the Spirits witnessing with our spirits which is another of the Spirits workings only I say this that which makes this so difficult is a defect in the fiâ—st but the common principles of the Gospel are not really and so seriously apprehended because many souls do not put to their seal to witnesse to the promises and truth oâ— it therefore the Lord often denies this seal anâ— witnesse to our comfort It is certainly a preposterous way Sâ—tan puts souls upon first to get such a testimony from the Spirit before they labour to get such a testimony to Christ and eccho or answer in their hearts to his word this way it seems shortest for it would leap into the greater liberty at the first hand but certainly its farthest about because its impossible for souls to leap immediatly out of bondage to assurance without some middle step they cannot passe thus from extreams to extreams without going through the middle stâ—te of receiving Christ and laying his word up in the heart and therefore it proves the way furthest about because when souls have long wearied themselves they must at length turn in hither But there is another working of the Spirit I wish you were acquaint with as the first work is to beget a suitable apprehension of Gods mind and heart towards sinners so the next is to beget a suitable disposition in our hearts towards God as a Father The first apprehends his love the next reflects it back again with the heart of a sinner to Him The Spirit first brings the report of the love and grace of God to us and then he carries the love and respect of the heart up to God You know how God complains in Mâ—lachi If I be a Father where is my fear and honour â—or these are the only fitting qualifications of Children such a reverent respective observance of our Heavenly Father such affectionat and humble carriage towards him as becometh both His Majesty and His Love as these are tempered one with another in Him his Love not abasing his Majesty and his Majesty not diminishing his Love So we ought to carry as reverence and confidence fear and love may be contempered one with another so as we may neither forget his infinit greatnesse nor doubt of his unspeakable love and this inward disposition ingraven on the heart will be the principle of willing and ready obedience it will in some measure be our meat and drink to do our Fathers will for Christ gave us an example how we should carry towards him How humble and obedient was he though his only begotten Son SERMON XXXIX Rom. 8.15 Whereby we cry Abba Father AS there is a light of grace in bestowing such incomparably high dignities and excellent gifts on poor sinneâ—s such as to make them the sons of God who were the children of the Devil and heirs of a kingdom who were heirs of wrath so there is a depth of wisdom in the Lords allowance and manner of dispensing his love and grace in this life for though the love be wonderful that we should be called the sons of God yet as that Apostle speaks It doth not yet so clearly appear what we shall be by what we are 1 Joh. 3.1 Our present condition is so unlike such a state and dignity and our enjoyments so unsuitable to our rights and pâ—iviledges that it would not appear by the mean low and indigent state we are now into that we have so great and glorious a Father How many infiâ—mities are we compassed about with How many wants are we pressed withall our necessitiâ—s aâ—e infinit and our enjoyments no wayes proportioned to our necessities Notwithstanding even in this the love and wisdom oâ— our Heavenly Father shews it self and oftentimes more gloriously in the theatre of mens weaknesse infirmities and wants then they could appear in the absolute and total exemption
There is no toleration of sin within this City and Kingdom sinners are indeed pardoned yea received and accepted drunkards unclean persons c. are not excluded from entering here but they must renounce these lusts if they would stay here Christ will not keep both he must either cast out the sin or the sinner with it if he will not part with it I beseech you know what ye walk after the flesh is your leader and whither will it lead you O! its sad to think on it to perdition vers 8. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die Ye think flesh your great friend ye do all ye can to satifie and please it and O how pleasant is the satisfaction of your flesh to you Ye think it liberty to follow it and counts it bonds and cords to be restrained But Oh! know and consider that flesh will lead you by the Kingdom that guide of your way to which ye committed your self will lead you by Heaven Gal. 5.21 It s a blind guide corruption and humour and will have no eyes no discerning of that pit of eternal misery they choose the way that is best pathed and troden that is easiest and most walk into and this certainly will lead you straight into this pit of darkness Be called off this way from following your blind lusts and rather suffer them to be crucified be avenged on them for your two eyes that they have put out and their treacherous dealing to you in leading you to destruction the high way Come in to Christ Jesus and ye shall get a new guide of the way the Spirit that shall lead you in all truth unto the blessed and eternal life Christ is the way ye must walk in and the life that we must go in to at the end of our way and the truth according to which we must walk now he hath given his Spirit the Comforter to be our leader in this way according to this rule and pattern unto that life In a word the Spirit shall lead you the straight way unto Christ you shall begin in him and end in him he shall lead you from grace to glory the Spirit that came down from Heaven shall lead you back to Heaven All your walk is within the compass of Christ out of him is no way to Heaven But we must not take this so grosly as if no other thing were a walking after the flesh but the gross abominations among men though even these will scrape a great number from being in Christ Jesus but it must be further enlarged to the motions affections of the unrenewed spirit and the common principles according to which men walk And therefore the Apostle Col. 3 and Gal. 5. nameth many things among the works of the flesh and members of the old man which I doubt many will account so of Some natural passions that we account nothing of because common as anger wrath covetousness what man is there amongst us in whom some of these mentioned stirs not Many of your hearts and eyes are given to covetousness your souls bow downward as your bodies do and many times before your bodies Is not the heart of men upon this world and cannot rise above to a treasure in Heaven and therefore your Callings otherwayes lawful and all your pains and endeavours in them hath this seal of the flesh stamped on them and passeth no otherwayes with God We see how rank the corruptions of men are anger domineering in them and leading them often captive and this is counted a light matter but it is not so in Scripture How often is it branded with folly by the wise man and this folly is even the natural fleshly corruption that men are born with and in how many doth it rise up to the elevation of malice and hatred of others and then it carries the image of the devil rather then of humane infirmity And if we suppose a man not much given to any of these yet what a spirt of pride and self-love is in every man even these that carry the lowest sail and the meanest port among men these that are affable and courteous and these that seem most condescending to inferiours and equals yet alas this evil is more deeply engraven on the spirt If a man could but watch over his heart and observe all the secret reflections of it all the comparisons it makes all the desires of applause and favour among men all the surmises and stirrings of spirit upon any affront O how would they discover diabolick pride This sin is the more natural inbred for that it is our mother-sin that brought us down from our excellency this weed grows upon a glass-window and upon a dunghill it lodges in Palaces and Cottages nay it will spring and grow out of a pretended humility and low carriage In a word the ambitious designs of men the large appetite of earthly things the over-weaning conceit of our selves love to our selves the flirring of our affections without observing a rule upon unlawful objects or in an unlawful manner all these are common to men and men walk after them Every man hath some predominant or idol that takes him most up some are finer and subtiler than others some their pleasures and gains without others their own gifts and parts within but both are alike odious before God and both gross flesh and corruption before him There are two errours among men concerning this spiritual walking the one is the Doctrine of some in these dayes the other is the practical error of many of us Many pretending to some near and high discoveries as to Christ and the Spirit have fallen upon the most refined and spiritualized flesh instead of the Spirit indeed they separate the Spirit from the Word and reckons the Word and Law of God which was a Lamp to Davids feet among the fleshly rudiments of the world But if they speak not according to the Law and Testimony saith Isaiah it is because there is no light in them Thus their new light is but an old darkness that could not endure even the darker light of the Prophets If they speak not according to the Word it is because there is no spirit in them It is not the Spirit the Comforter which Christ promised to send to the Apostles and all that should believe in his Name through their word for that Spirit was a Spirit of truth that should lead into all truth and lest men should father their own fancies and imaginations on the Spirit of God Christ adds he shall bring all things to your remembrance These things that Christ hath spoken and we have here written The holy Apostle to the Col. 3. when he reproves the works of the flesh and declares they had put them off he commends unto them in opposition to these Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly in all wisdom teaching one another in Psalms and spiritual songs with grace in your hearts to the Lord
its impossible that he should do nothing else but pray in an express formal way but the souls walking with God between times of Prayer should compense that and thus Prayer is continued though not in it self yet in meditation on God which hath in it the seed of all worship and is virtually Prayer and Thanksgiving and all duties Let us then consider If our bodies be not more exercised in Religion then our souls yea if they be not the chief agents how many impertinencies and roveries and wandrings are throughout the day the most part of our conversation if it be not profane yet it is vain that is unprofitable in the World it neither advantageth us spiritually nor glorifies God it is almost to no purpose and this is enough to make it all flesh And for our thoughts how do they go unlimited and unrestrained like a wilde Ass traversing her wayes and gadding about fixed on nothing at least not on God nay fixed on any thing but God If it be spiritual service should it not carry the seal of our spirit and affection on it We are as so many shadows walking as pictures and statues of Christians without the soul and life which consists in the temper and disposition of the spirit and soul towards God SERMON V. Vers. 1. That walk not after the flesh but after the spirit IT is no wonder that we cannot speak any thing to purpose of this Subject and that ye do not hear with fruit because it is indeed a mystery to our judgements and a great stranger to our practice There is so litle of the Spirit both in Teachers and those that come to be taught that we can but speak of it as an unknown thing and cannot make you to conceive it in the living notion of it as it is Only we may say in general It is certainly a divine thing and another thing then our common or religious walk is It is little experience so we can know the less of it but this much we should know it is another thing then we have attained it s above us and yet such a thing as we are called to aspire unto How should it stir up in our spirits a holy fire of ambition to be at such a thing when we hear it is a thing attainable nay when Christ calls us unto himself that we may thus walk with him I would have Christians men of great and big projects and resolutions of high and illimited desires not satisfied with their attainments but still aspiring unto more of God more conformity to his will more walking after the Spirit more separation from the course of the World and this is indeed to be of a divine spirit The divine Nature is here as it were in a state of violence out of its own element Now it s known by this iâ— it be still moving upwards taking no rest in this place and these measures and degrees but upon a continual motion towards the proper center of it God his holiness and Spirit We desire to speak a word of these three 1. The nature of this spiritual walking Next Its connexion and union with that blessed state of non-condemnation And then of the order of this how it flows from a mans being implanted in Christ Jesus Which three are considerable in the words This spiritual walking is according to a spiritual rule from spiritual principles for spiritual ends These three being established aright the walk is even the motion of a Christian within the compass of these it is according to the word as the holy rule it s from the faith love of Jesus Christ as the predominant principleâ— Nay from the Spirit of Jesus living in the heart by faith and dwelling in it by love as the first wheel of this motion the Primum Mobile and as it begins in the Spirit so it ends there in the glory of Jesus Christ and our heavenly Father Consider this then it is not a lawless walking and irregular walk it is according to the rule and the rule is perfect and it is a motion to perfection not a rest in what is now attained to The course of this world is the way and rule of the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 There is a spirit indeed that works in them and a rule it works by the spirit is that evil spirit contrary to the holy Spirit of God you may know what spirit it is that works by the way it leads men unto a broad way path'd and troden in by many travellers it s the Kings high street the common way that most part walkes into according as their neighbours do as the most do But â—hat King is the Prince of this World satan who blinds the eyes of many that they may not see that pit of misery before them which their way leads them to A Christian must have a kind of singularity not in opinion but in practice rather to be more holy and walk more abstracted from the dregs of the worlds pollution this were a divine singularity Indeed men may suspect themselves that separats from the godly in opinion they have reason to be more jealous of themselves when they offend against the generation of the just but if this were the contention and design of men to be very unlike the multitude of men nay to be very unlike the multitude of Professors in the affection and practice of holiness humility and spiritual walking I think this were an allowed way though a singular way Men may aspire to as great a difference as may be from the conversations and practice of others if there be a tending to more conformity to the Word the rule of all practice The Law is spiritual and holy saith Paul but I am carnal this therefore were spiritual walking to set that excellent spiritual rule before our eyes that we who are carnal may be transformed and changed into more likeness to that holy and spiritual Law If a man had not an imperfect rule of his own fancy and imagination before his eyes he could not be satisfied with his attainments but with Paul would forget them in a manner not know them but reach forward still to what is before because so much length would be before us as would swallow up all our progress this would keep the motion on foot and make it constant A man should never say Master let us make tabernacles its good to be here no indeed the dwelling place and resting would be seen to be above As long as a man had so much of his journey to accomplish he would not sit down on in his advancement he would not compare with others and exalt himself above others Why because there is still a far greater distance between him and his rule then between the slowest walker and him This made Paul more sensible of a body of death Rom. 7 then readily lower Christians are Reflections on our attainments and comparisons with others which are so often the
what hopes are there then of delivery when the prisoner accounts his bondage liberty and his prison a palace what expectation of freedom when all that is within us conspires to the upholding that tyrranous dominion of sin against all that would cast it out of its usurpation as if they were mortal enemies Yet there is a delivery possible but such as would not have entered in the heart of man to imagine and it is here expressed the Law of the Spirit of Life c. this declares how and by what means we may be made free Not indeed by any power within us not by any created power without us sin is stronger then all these because its imperial seat is within far without the reach of all created power there may be some means used by men to beat it out of the out-works of the outward man to chase it out of the external members some means to restrain it from such gross out-breakingâ— but therâ— is none can lay â—iedge to the soul wiâ—hin or sâ—orm the undeâ—standing and will where it hath its pâ—incipal residence its inaccessible and impregnable by any humane power no intreaties or perswasions no terrors or threatnings can prevail it can neither be stormed by violence nor undermined by skill because it is within the spirit of the mind Untill at length some other spirit stronger then our spirit come till the Spirit of life which is in Christ come and bind the strong man and so make the poor soul free You heard that we were under a law of death and under the power of sin now there is another Law answering this law and a power to overcome this power You may indeed ask by what law of authority can a sinner that is bound over by Gods Justice unto death and condemnation be released Is there any law above Gods Law and the sentence of his Justice The Apostle answers that there is a Law above it a Law after it the Law of the Spirit of Life Jesus Christ opposes Law unto law the Law of life unto the law of death the Gospel unto the Law the second Covenant unto the first Thus it is then Iesus Christ the eternal Son of God full of grace and truth did come in mans stead when the law and sentence of death was past upon all mankind and there was no expectation from the terms of the first Covenant that there should be any dispensation or mitigation of the rigour of it he obtains this that so many as God had chosen unto life their sins and their punishment might be laid on him and so he took part of our flesh for this end that he might be made a curse for us and so redeem us from the curse Thus having satisfied Justice and fulfilled the sentence of death by suffering death him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Saviour and the head of all things In compensation of this great and weighty work given him by his Father all judgment is committed to him and so he sends out and proclaims another Law in Sion another sentence even of life and absolution unto all and upon all them that shall believe in his Name Thus you see the law of death abrogated by a new Law of life because our Lord and Saviour was made under the law of death and suffered under it and satisfied it that all his seed might be freed from it and might come under a life-giving law so that it appears to be true that was said at first there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ there is no Law no Justice against them But then another difficulty as great as the former is in the way though such a law and sentence of life and absolution be pronounced in the Gospel in Christs Name yet we are dead in sins and trespasses we neither know nor feel our misery nor can we come to a Redeemer as there was a law of death above our head so there is a law of sin within our hearts which rules and commands us and there is neither will nor ability to escape from under it It is true life and freedom is preached in Christ to all that come to him for life to all that renounce sins dominion is remission of sin preached But here is the greatest difficulty how can a dead soul stir rise and walk how can a slave to sin and a willing captive renounce it when he hath neither to will nor to do Indeed if all had been purchased for us if eternal life and forgiveness of sins had been brought near us and all the business done to our conâ—ent and that only wanting if these had been the terms I have purchased life now rise and embrace it of your selves truly it had been an unsuccessful buâ—ineâ—â— Christ had lost all that was given him if the moment and weight of our salvation had been hung upon oâ—r acceptation Tâ—erefore it is well provided foâ— this alâ—o that there should be a power to overcome this power a spirit of life in Christ to quicken dead sinnerâ— and â—aise them â—p and draw them to him And so the second Adamâ—ath â—ath this prerogative beyond the fiâ—st that he is only a living soul in himself but a quickening spirit to all that aâ—e given him of the Father 1 Cor. 15.45 So then as Christ Jesus hath law and right on his side to free us from death so he hath vertue and power in him to accomplish our delivery from sin as he hath fair law to loose the chains of condemnation and to repeal the sentence past against us without prejudice to Gods justice he having fully satisfied the same in our name so he hath sufficient power given him to loose the fetters oâ— sin from off us When he hath pay'd the price and satisfied the Father so that justice can crave nothing Yet he hath one adversary to deal with Satan hath sinners bound with the cords of their own lusts in a prison of darkness and unbelief Jesus Christ therefore comes out to conquer this enemy and to redeem his elect Ones from that unjust usurpation of sin to bring them out of the prison by the strong hand and therefore he is one mighty and able to save to the uttermost he hath might to do it as well as right to it Consider then my beloved these two things which are the breasts of our consolation and the foundation of our hope we are once lost and utterly undone both in regard of Gods justice and our own utter inability to help our selves which is strengthned by our unwillingness and thus made a more desperat busineâ—s now God hath provided a suitable remedy he hath laid help on one that is mighty indeed who hath almighty power and by his power he fiâ—st conflicted with the punishment of our sins and with his Fathers wrath and hath overcome discharged and satisfied that and so hath purchased a right unto us to give salvation to whom he will be conquered
be born of the Spirit O that Christians would mind their original and wonder at it and study to be like it If you believe and consider that your descent is from that uncreated Spirit how powerful might that be to conform you more and more to him and to transform more and more of your flesh into spirit There is nothing will raise up the spirits of the children of Princes more then to know their royal birth and dignity how should the consideration of this make your spirits suitable to your state or fortunes as we use to say You would labour to raise them up to that hight of your original and to walk worthy of that high calling O that we could learn that instruction from it which Paul gives 1 Cor. 1.30 31 But of him are ye in Christ therefore let him that glorieth glory in the Lord Truly a soul possessed with the meditation of this royal descent from God could not possibly glory in these inglorious baser things in which men glory and could not contain or restrain gloâ—iation and boasting in him The glory of many is their shame because it s their sin of which they should be ashamed but suppose that in which men glory be not shame in it self as the lawful things of this present world yet certainly it is a great shame for a Christian to glory in them or esteem the better of himself for them If this were minded alwayes that we are of God born of God what power do ye think temptations or solistations to sin would have over us he that is born of God sinneth not he keepeth himself and the wicked one toucheth him not 1 Ioh. 5.18 19. Truly this consideration imprinted in the heart would elevate us above all these baser perswasions of the flesh this would make sin loathsome and despicable as the greatest indignity we could do to our own natures The strength and advantage of sin is to make us forget what we are whom we have relation unto to drink us drunk with the puddle of the world or then with our own jealousies and suspitions that we may forget our birth and state and so be enticed to anything If you would have wherewith to beat back all the fiery darts of the devil take the shield of this faith and perswasion how would it silence temptations Shall I who am a Ruler flee saith Nehemiah Shall I who am born of the Spirit shall I who am of God in Christ abase my self to such unworthy and base things Shall I dishonour my father and disgrace my self Then Christianity its chief residence its royal sent is in the spirit of a man and so he he is one after the Spirit Be ye renewed in the spirit of your minds Eph. 4.23 As it is of a high descent so it must have the highest and most honourable lodging in all the Creation that is the spirit of a man without this there is no room else fit for it and suitable to it in this lower world My son give me thine heart saith wisdom Pro. 23.26 It cares for nothing besides if it get not the heart the inmost Cabinet of the imperial City of this Isle of Man for out of it are the issues of life that flow into all the members Do not think that grace will lodge one night in your outward man that you can put on Christianity upon your countenance or conversation without except you admit it into your souls it can have no suitable intertaiâ—ment there alone it s of a spiritual nature and it must have a spirit to abide in Every thing is best preserved and entertained by things suitable to its nature such do incorporat together and inbosome one with another whereas things keep a greater distance with things different in nature a â—â—ame will die out among cold stones without oylie matter This heavenly fire that is descended into the world can have nothing earthly to feed upon it must die out except it get into the immortal spirit and then furnish to speak so perpetual nourishment to it till at length all the spirit be set on flame and changed as it were into that heavenly substance to mount up above from whence it came Do not think my beloved to superinduce true Religion upon your out-side and within to be as rotten sepulâ—â—â—es You must either open your hearts to Christ or else he will â—ot abide with you such a noble guest will not stay in the suburbs of the City if you take him not into the Palace and truly the palace of our hearts is too unworthy for such a worthy guest it hath been so defiled by sin how vile is it but if you would let him â—â—ter he would wash it and cleanse it for himself Will you know then the character of a Christian he is one much within he hath retired into his own spirit to know how it goes with it and he finds all so disordered and confused all so unsetled that he gets so much buâ—iness to do at home as he gets no leasure to come much abroad again It is the misery of men that they are wholly without carried into external things only and this is the very character of a beast that it cannot reflect inwardly upon it self but is wholly spent on things that are presented to the outward senses There is nothing in which mâ—n are more assimilated to beasts then this that we do not speak in our selves or return in to our own bosoms but are wholly occupyed about the things that are without us and thus it fares with us as with the man that is busie in all other mens matters and never thinks of his own his estate must needs ruin all his affairs must be out of course Truly while we are immersed and drowned in external things our souls are perishing our inward estate is washing away all our own affairs that can only and properly be called ours are disordered and jumbled Therefore Christianity doth first of all recall the wandering and vain spririt of man in to it self as that exhortation is Psal. 4.9 to commune with his own heart to make a diligent search of his own affairs and O! how doth he find all out of course as a garden neglected all overgrowen as a house not inhabited all dropping through in a word wholly ruinous through intolerable negligence It was the first turn of the Prodigal to return to himself he came to himself Luke 15.17 Truly sin is not only an aversion from God but it is an estrangement from our selves from our souls from our own happiness it s â— madness that takes away the use of reason and consideration of our own selves But grace is a conversion not only to God but to our selves it bringeth a man home to his heart maketh him sober again who was beside himself Hence that phrase 1 King 8.47 When they shall turn to their own hearts and return It is the most laborious vanity or the vainest labour to compass
God shall dwell in sinful men by his Spirit but in order of nature it hath some influence upon the other without which God could not have dwelt in us There is so much distance and disproportion between his Majesty and us that we could not be well united but by this interveening God coming down fâ—â—st a step into the holy nature of the Man Christ that from thence he might go into the sinâ—ul nature of other men Our sinâ—ul and rebellious nature behoved to be first sanctified this way by the persâ—nal in-dwelling of God in our flesh and this had made an easie passage into sinful Us for His Spirit to dwell into us powerfully and graciously therefore the Spirit of Christ is said to dwell in us Christs Spirit not only because proceeding from Him as from the Father but particularly because the inhabitation or operation of the Spirit in us is the proper result and fruit of that glorious union of our nature with him He took our flesh that he might send us His Spirit And O what a blessed exchange was this He came and dâ—elt in our nature that so He might dwell in us He took up a Shop as it were in our flesh that He might work in us and make us again conformed to God We shall not cut this asunder into many parts you see the words contain plainly The very essential definition of a spiritual man and of a Christian. You find a spiritiual man and a Christian equivalent in this ver that is to say they are taken for one and the self same thing and so they are reciprocal of equal extent and restraint every Christian is one aâ—ter the Spirit and whosoever is after the Spirit is a Christian one of Christs and one aâ—ter the Spirit is one thing Now the definition of the Christian is taken from that which really and essentially constitutes him such He is one in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells that makes him one after the Spirit that makes him one of Christs because it is the Spirit of Christ. As if you define what a man is you could not do it better then thus he is one endowed with a reasonable soul So the Apostle gives you the very soul and form of a Christian which differenceth from all others As the soul is to the body to make up a man so the Spirit of Christ is to the soul and spirit of a man to make up a Christian as the absence or presence of the soul makes or unmakes a man so the absence or presence of this Spirit makes or unmakes a Christian for you see he makes it reciprocal If you be Christianâ— the Spirit dwells in you but if the Spirit dwell not in you you are not Christians A word then to the first of these that a Christian and a spiritual man are commensurable one to another It is true there are Iews who are not Iews inwardly but only according to the letter Rom. 2.28 29. And so there are Christians so called who are but so outwardly and in the letter who have no more of it but the name and viâ—ible standing in the Church but we are speaking of that which is truly that which it is called whose praise is not of men but of God The name of â— man may be extended to a Picture or Image for some outward resemblance it hath of him but it is not a proper speech no more is it proper to extend the Name of Christians unto the Pictures or Images of Christians such as are destitute of this inward life You may be properly according to Scripture-phrase members of the visible body but you cannot have that real and blessed relation to Jesus Christ the Head which shall be the source of happinesse to all the living members I wish you would take it so and flatter your selves no more with Church-titles as iâ— these were sufficient evidences for your salvation You would all be called Christians but it fears me you know not many of you the true meaning and signification of that word the most comfortable sense of it is hid from you The meaning of it is That a man is renewed by Christ in the spirit of his mind As Christ and the Spirit are inseparable so a Christian and a spiritual â—ature are not to be â—ound severed Certainly the very sound of the name whereby you are called imports another nature and conversation then is to be â—ound in many You cannot say that you have a shadow of spirituality either in your affections or actions or that you have any real design and study that way but only to please your flesh and satisfie the customs of the world why do you then usurpe the name of Christianity this is a common sacriledge to give that which is holy unto dogs Others give it to you and you take it to your selves But know that though you please your selves and others in this yet without such a renovation of your natures and such a sincere study to be inwardly and outwardly conformed to the profession and name of Christianity you have not your praise of God and him whom God praises and allows not he cannot blesse for ever I am perswaded there are some who are not only in the letter but in the Spirit whose greatest desire and design is To be indeed what they professe and such their praise is of God and if God praise them now they shall be made to praise him for ever hereafâ—er such are allowed to take the name and honourable style of Christianity unto them You are Christs nearly interessed in him and if you be Christs own he cannot be happy without you for such was his love that he would not be happy alone in Heaven but come down to be miserable with us and now that he is again happy in Heaven certainly he cannot enjoy it long alone but he must draw up his members unto the fellowship of that glory Now the other thing that which gives even beeing to a Christian is The Spirit of Christ dwelling in him Of this inhabitation we shall not say so much as the comparison being strained will yeeld neither expatiat into many notions about it I wish rather we went home with some desires kindled in us after such a noble guest as the Holy Spirit is and that we were begun once to weary of â—he base and unclean guests that we lodge within us to our own destruction That which I said that the Spirit is to a Christian what the soul is to a man if well considered might present the absolute necessity and the excellency of this unto your eyes Consider what a thing the body is without the soul how defiled and deformed a piece of dust it is void of all sense and life loathsome to look upon Truly the soul of man by nature is in no better case till this Spirit enter it hath no light in it no life in it it is a dark dungeon such as is described Ephes. 4.18
and in his own person he submitted to be tempted to sin though it had been evil for us he had been overcome by it yet this brings him a step lower and nearer us and maketh the union more hopeful But since he can come no lower and can be made no liker us in the case we are in then certainly if the match hold We must become liker him and raised up out of our miserable estate to some suitableness to his holy Nature and therefore the love and wisdom of God to fill up the distance compleatly and effectuat this happy conjunction that the creation seemeth to groan for for vers 22. the whole creation is pained till it be accomplished he hath sent his blessed Spirit to dwell in Vs and to transform our natures and make them partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 as Christ was partaker of humane nature and thus the distance shall be removed when a blessed Spirit is made flesh and a fleshly man made spirit then they are near the day of espousals and this indwelling of the spirit is the last link of the chain that fastens us to Christ and maketh our flesh in some measure like His holy flesh By taking on our flesh Christ became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh But the union becometh mutual when we receive the spirit we become bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh as it is expressed Eph. 5.30 In allusion to the creation of Eve and her marriage to Adam the ground of the marriage is That near bond of union because she was taken out of man and therefore because of his flesh and bone she was made one flesh with him even â—o the sinner must be partaker of the Spirit of Christ as Christ is partaker of the flesh of sinners and these two concurring these two knots interchanging and woven thorow other we become one flâ—sh with him And this is a great mystery indeed to bring two who were so far assunder so near other Yea it is nearer then that too for we are said not only to be one flesh with Christ but one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit because he is animated and quickned by one Spirit that same Spirit of Christ and indeed spirits are more capable of union and more fit to embosome one with another then bodies therefore the nearest union conceivable is the union of spirits by affection this maketh two souls one for it transports their spirit out of the body where it lives and setleth it there where it loveth Now my beloved you see what way this great marriage that heaven and earth are in a longing expectation after shall be brought about Christ he did forsake his Fathers house when he lest that holy habitation his Fathers bosome a place of marvellous delight Prov. 8.30 And descended into the lowest parts of the earth Eph. 4.9 And He came out from the Father into the world John 16.28 This was a great journey to meet with poor sinners But that there may be a full and intire meeting you must leave and forsake your fathers house too and forget your own people Psal. 45.10 You must give an intire renounce to all former lovers if you would be His all former bonds and engagments must be broken that this may be tyed the faster And to hold to the subject in hand you must forsake and forget the flesh and be possessed of his holy Spirit as he came down to our flesh you must rise up to meet him in the Spirit the Spirit of Christ must indeed prevent you and take you out of that natural posture you are born into and bring you a great journey from your selves that you may be joyned unto Him This Spirit of Christ is his messenger and ambassadour sent before-hand to fit you and suit you for the day of Espousals and therefore he must have a dwelling and constant abode in you This indwelling imports A special familiar operation and the perpetuity or continuance of it The Spirit is every where in his being and he worketh every where too but here he hath a special and peculiar work in commission To reveal the love of God in Christ to engage the soul to love him again to prepare all within for the great day of Espousals to purifie and purge the heart from all that is displeasing to Christ to correspond between Christ and his Spouse between Heaven and Earth by making intercession for her when she cannot pray for her self as you find here vers 26. and so sending up the news of the souls panting and breathing after Christ sending up her love groans and sighs to her beloved giving intelligence of all her necessities to Him who is above in the place of an Advocat and Interceeder and then bringing back from Heaven light and life direction from her Head for the Spirit must lead in all truth and consolation for Christ hath appointed the spirit to supply his absence and to comfort the soul in the mean time till he come again you have this mutual and reciprocal knot in 1 Ioh. 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us by the spirit that he hath given It is much nearness to dwell one with another but much greater to dwell one in another and its reciprocal such a wonderful interchange in it we in him and he in us for the Spirit carries the soul to Heaven and brings Christ as it were down to the earth He is the Messenger that carries Letters between both our prayers to Him and His prayers for us and love-tokens to us the anointing that teacheth us all things from our husband 1 Ioh. 2.27 and revealing to us the things of God 1 Cor. 2.12 giving us the fiâ—st fruits of that happy and glorious communion we must have with Christ in Heaven as you see ver 23. of this chap. and sealing us to the day of redemption Eph 1.13 and 4.30 Supplying us with divine power against our spiritual enemies fetching alongs from Heaven that strength whereby our Lord and Saviour overcame all Eph. 3.16 Gal. 5.17 This is a presence that few have such a familiar and love-abode But certainly all that are Christs must have it in some measure Now whosoever hath it its perpetual the Spirit dwells in them It s not a sojourning for a season not a lodging for a night as some have fits and starts of seeking God and some transient motions of conviction or joy but return again to the puddle these go through them as lightning and do nâ—t warm them or change them but this is a constant residence where the Spirit takes up house he will dwell he dwelleth with you and shall be in you and abide for ever Joh. 14.16 17. If the Son abide in the house for ever Joh. 8.35 much more the master of the house must abide Now the Spirit where he dwells hath gotten the command of that house all
who only think it easie because they have never tryed it It is a Circumcision of the foreskin of the heart and you know how it disabled a whole City Gen. 34. and how it enraged the heart of a tender mother Exod. 4 26. It is the incision or cutting off a member and these the most dear and precious be it the right hand or right foot which is a living death as it were even to kill a man while he is alive It is a new birth and the pains and throws of the birth are known Regeneration certainly hath a travelling pain within it in so much that Paul travelled in pain till it were accomplished in these Galat. 4.19 Though men conceive sin in pleasure yet they cannot be rid of that deadly burden without throws and pain and to half this work or to be remiss and negligent in it is â—s foolish and unwise as for a child to stay long in the place of breaking forth as the Lord complains of Ephraim Hos. 13.13 He is an unwise son for he should not stay long in the place of breaking forth of children It is one of the greatest follies not to labour by all means to be rid of the inâ—umbrances of sin Much violence offered to it and a total resignation of our selves to God may be great pain but it is short pain then the pleasure is greater and continues But now Christians lengthen their pain and draw out their crosse and vexation to a great extent because they deal negligently in the businesse they suffer the Canaanites to live and these are thorns and briers in their sides continually Then this businesse is called Mortification as the word is here and Col. 3.5 which imports a higher degree of pain for the agonies of death are terrible and to hold it out yet more the most painful and lingering kind of death is chosen to expresse it Crucifiction Gal. 5.24 Now indeed that which makes the forsaking of sin so grievous to flesh and blood is the engagements of the soul to it the onenesse that is between it and our natures as they are now fallen for you know pain ariseth upon the dissolution or division of any thing that is continued or united and these things that are so nearly conjoyned it is hard to separat them without much violence And truly as the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence so we must offer violence to our selves to our lusts and inclinations who are almost our selves And if ye would be truly Christians this must be your businesse and imployment to cut off these things that are dearest unto you to cast out the very idols your hearts sacrifice unto and if there be any thing more one with you than another to endeavour to break the bond with that and to be at the furthest distance with it It is easie to perswade men to forsake some sins and courses that they are not much inâ—lined to and find not much pleasure or profit by them You may do that and be but dead in sins but if you aim at true mortification indeed you would consider what are the chief idols and predominant inclinations of your heart and as to set your self impartially against all known sin so particularly against the most beloved sin because it interrupts most the communion of God and separates from youâ— Beloved and the dearer it be the more dangerous certainly it is But to encourage and hearten you to this I would have you look back to that former victory that Christ hath gained in our name and look about you to the assistance you have for the present the Spirit to help you Truly my beloved this will be a dead businesse if you be not animated and quickned by these considerations that Christ died to sin and lived to God and that in this He was a publick person representing you that so you may conclude with Paul I am crucified with Christ Gal. 2.20 We are buried with him by baptism into his death Rom. 6.4 Consider that mystical union with Christ crucified and life shall spring out of his crosse out of his grave to kill sin in you That the great businesse is done already and victory gained in our head this is our victory even faith Believe and then you have overcome before you overcome and this will help you to overcome in your own persons And then conâ—ider and look round about to the strong helper you have the Spirit If ye through the Spirit mortifie c. Stronger is he that is in you then he that is in the world though he doth not vent all his power to you yet you may believe that there is a secret latent vertue in the seed of grace that it cannot be wholly overcome or conquered and there is one engaged in the warfare with us who will never leave us nor forsake us who of set purpose withdraweth his help now and then to discover our weaknesse to us that we may cleave the faster to Him who never letteth sin get any power or gather any strength but out of wisdom to make the final victory the more glorious in a word he leads us through weaknesses infirmities faintingâ— wrestlings that his strength may be perfected in weaknesse that when we are weak then we may be strongest in Him 2 Cor. 12 9. Our duty then is to follow this Spirit wheresoever he leadeth us Christ the Captain of our Salvation when he went to Heaven he sent the Spirit to be our guider to lead us thither where he is and therefore we should resign and give up our selves to His guidance and direction The nâ—ture of a creature is dependence so the very essence of a Christian consists in dependence and subordination to the Spirit of God Nature it self would teach them that want wisdom to commit themselves to these that have it and not to carry the reins of their own life themselves Truly not only the sense of our own imperfection of our folly and ignorance in these things that belong to life should make us willing to yeeld ourselves over to the Spirit of God as blind men to their leader as children to their nurses as orphans to their Tutors but also because the Spirit is made our Tutor and leader Christ our Father hath left us to the Spirit in his latter-will and therefore as we have absolute necessity so he hath both willingnesse and ability because it is his office O Lord I know saith Jeremiah the way of man is not in himself it is not in him that walketh to direct his steps Jer. 10.23 O! it were a great point of wisdom thus to know our ignorance and folly and this is the great qualification of Christs Disciples simple as children as little children as void of conceit of their own wisdom Mark 10.15 And this alone capacitats the soul to receive the impressions of wisdom as an empty table is fittest to write upon so a soul emptied of it self whereas self-conceit draweth a number of
of his children from necessities strength perfected in weaknesse grace sufficient in infirmities hath some greater glory then strength and grace alone Thereâ—ore he hath chosen this way as most fit for the advancing his glory and moâ—t suitable for our comfort and edification to give us but little in hand and environ us with a crowd of continued necessities and wants within and without that we may learn to cry to him as our Father and seek our supplies â—rom him and withall he hath not been sparing but liberal in promises of hearing our cryes and supplying our wants â—o that this way of narrow and hard dispensation that at first seems contrary to the love and bounty and riches of our Father in the perfect view of it appears to be the only way to perpetuat our communion with Him and often to renew the sense of His love and grace that would grow slack in our hearts if our needs did not every day stir-up fresh longings and his returns by this means are so much the more refreshing There is a time of childrens minority when they stand in need of continual supplies from their Parents or Tutors because they are not entered in possession of their inheritance and while they are in this state there is nothing more beseeming them then in all their wants to addresse to their Father and represent them to Him and it is fit they should be from hand to mouth as you say that they may know and acknowledge their dependance on their Father Tâ—uly this is our minority our presence in the body which because of sin that dwells in it and its own natural weaknesse and incapacity keeps us at much distance with the Lord that we cannot be intimatly present with him Now in this condition the most natural the most comely and becoming exercise of children is to cry to our Father to present all our grievances and thus to intertain some holy correspondence with our absent Father by the messenger of prayer and supplication which cannot return empty if it be not sent away too full of self-conceit This is the most natural breathing of a child of God in this world it is the most proper acting of his new life and the most suitable exspiration of that Spirit of Adoption that is inspired into him since there is so much life as to know what we want and our wants are infinite therefore that life cannot but beat this way in holy desires after God whose fulnesse can supplie all wants this is the Pulse of a Christian that goeth continually and there is much advantage to the continuity and interruptednesse of the motion from the infinitenesse and inexhaustednesse of our needs in this life and the continual assaults that are made by necessity and temptation on the heart But ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry c. He puts in his own Name in the latter parr though theirs was in the former part When he speaks of a donation or priviledge he applies to the meanest to shew that the lowest and most despised creature is not in any incapacity to receive the greatest gifts of God and then when he mentions the working of that Spirit in way of intercession because it imports necessity and want he cares not to commit some incongruity in the Language by changing the Person that he may teach us that weaknesse infirmities and wants are common to thebest and chiefest among Christians That the most eminent have continual need to cry and the lowest and obscurest believers have as good ground to believe the hearing and acceptance of their cryes that the highest are not above the weakest and lowest ordinanceâ— and that the lowest are not below the comfort of help and acceptation in him Nay the growth and increase of grace is so far from exempting men from or setting them above this duty of constant supplication that by the contrary this is the just measure of their growth and altitude in grace as the degrees of the hight of the Water of Nilus in its overflowing are a sure sign of the fertility or barrennesse of that year so the overflowings of the spirit of Prayer in one gives a present account how the heart is whether barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ or fruitful and lively and vigorous in it It is certain that contraries do discover one another and the more the one be increased that is not only the more incompatible and inconsistent with the other but gives the most perfect discerning of it When grace is but as twi-light in the soul and as the dawning of the day only grosse darknesse and uncleanesse is seen but the more it grow to the perfect day the more sin is sin and the more its hated wants are discovered that did not appear and therefore it exerciseth its self the more in opposition to sin and supplication to God To speak the truth our growth here is but an advancement in the knowledge and sense of our own indigencey It s but a further entry into the idolatrous Temple of the heart which makes a man see daily new abominations worse then the former and therefore you may easily know that such repeated sights and discoveries will but presse out more earnest and frequent cryes from the heart and such a growth in humility and faith in Gods fulnesse will be but as oyl to feed the flame of supplication For what is Prayer indeed but the ardency of the affection after God flaming up to him in cryes and requests To speak of this exercise of an holy heart it would require more of the spirit of it then we have but truly this is to be lamented that though there be nothing more common among Christians in the outward practice of it yet that there is nothing more extraordinary and rare even among many that use it then to be acquainted with the inward nature of it Truly the most ordinary things in Religion are the greatest mysteries as to the true life of them we are strangers to the soul and life of these things which consists in the holy behavior and deportment of our Spirits before the Father of Spirits These words give some ground to speak of some special qualifications of prayer and the chief principle of it The chief principle and original of prayer is the Spirit of adoption received into the heart It is a businesse of a higher nature then can be taught by precepts or learned by custome and educationâ— there is a general mistake among men that the gift of prayer is attained by learning and that it consists in the freedom and plenty of expression But O! how many Doctors and disputers of the world that can defend all the articles of faith against the opposers of them Yet how unaquainted are they with this exercise that the poor and unlearned and nothings in the world who cannot dispute for Religion yet they send up a more â—avory and acceptable sacrifice and sweet
Mal. 1.6 While we call him Father or Lord we proclaim this much that we ought to know our distance from him and his superiority to us and if worship in prayer carry not this character and expresse not this honourable and glorious Lord whom we serve it wantes that congruity and suitableness to him that is the beauty of it Is there any thing more uncomly then for children to behave themselves irreverently and irrespectively towards their Fathers to whom they owe themselves It is a monstruous thing even innature and to natures light O how much more abominable must it be to draw near to the Father of spirits who made us and not we our selves in whose hand our breath is and whose are all our wayes in a word to whom we owe not only this dust but the living spirit that animats it that was breathed from Heaven and finally in whom we live and move and have our being and well-being to worship such an one and yet to behave our selves so unseemly and irreverently in his presence our hearts not stricken with the apprehension of his glory but lying flatt and dead before him having scarcely him in our thoughts whom we speak to and finally our deportments in his sight are such as could not be admitted in the presence of any person a little above our selves to be about to speak to them and yet to turn aside continually to every one that cometh by and entertain communication with every base creature this I say in the presence of a King or Nobleman would be accounted such an absurd incivility as could be committed and yet we behave our selves just so with the Father of spirits O the wandrings of the hearts of men in divine worship while we are in communication with our Father and Loâ—d in prayer whose heart is fixed to a constant attendance and presence by the impression of his glorious holinesse whose spirit doth not continually gadd abroad and take a word of every thing that occurrs and so marrs that soul-coâ—â—espondance O that this word Psal. 89.7 were written with great letters on our hearts God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him that one word God speaketh all Either we must convert Him in an idol which is nothing or if we apprehend Him to be God we must apprehend our infinit distance from Him and his unspeakable inaccessible glory above us He is greatly feaâ—ed and reverenced in the Assemblies that are above in the upper Courts of Angels those glorious Spiâ—its who must cover the feet from us because we cannot see their gloâ—y they must cover their faces from Him because they cannot behold his glory Isa. 6. what a glorious train hath he and yet how reverend are they they wait round about the Throne above and about it as Courtierâ— upon their King for they are all ministâ—ing spirits and they rest not day and night to adore and admire that holy one crying holy holy holy the whole earth is full of his glory Now how much more then should he be greatly feared and had in reverence in the assembly of his Saints of poor mortal men whose foundation is in the dust and dwell in clay and besides drink in iniquity like water there is two points of difference and distance from us He is nearer Angels for Angels are pure spirits but we have flesh which is furthest removed from his nature And then Angels are holy and clean yet that is but spotted to his unspotted holinesse but we are defiled with sin which putteth us farthest off from him and which his holinesse hath greatest antipathy at Let us consider this my beloved that we may carry the impression of the glorious holinesse and Majesty of God on our hearts when ever we appear before him that so we may serve and rejoice with trembling and pray with reverence and godly fear if we apprehend indeed our own quality and condition how low how base it is how we cannot endure the very clear aspect of our own consciences we cannot look on our selves stedfastly without shame and confusion of face at the deâ—ormed spectacle we behold much lesse would we endure to have our souls opened and presented to the view of other men even the basest of men we would be overwhelmed with shame if they could see into our hearts Now then apprehend seriously what He is how glorious in holinesse how infinit in wisdom how the secrets of your souls are plain and open in his sight and I am perswaded you will be composed to a reverend humble and trembling behaviour in his sight But withall I must add this that because he is your Father you may intermingle confidence nay you are commanded so to do and this honours him as much as reverence for confidence in God as our Father is the best acknowledgment of the greatnesse and goodnesse of God it declareth how able he is to save us and how willing and so ratifieth all the promises of God made to us and setteth to a seal to his â—aithâ—ulness there is nothing he accounts himself more honoured by then a souls full resigning it self to him and relying upon his power and good-will in all necessities casting its care upon Him as a loving Father who careth for us And truly there is much beauty and harmony in the juncture of these two reioycing with trembling confidence with reverence to ask nothing doubting and yet sensible of our infinit distance from him and the disproportion of our requests to his Highnesse A child-like disposition is composed thus as also the temper and carriage of a Courtier hath these ingredients in it The love of his Father and the â—avour of his Prince maketh him take liberty and assume boldnesse and withall he is not unmindful of his own distance from his Father or Master Let us draw near with full assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 There is much in the Scripture both exhorted commanded and commended of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that liberty and boldnesse of pouring out our requests to God as one that certainly will hear us and grant that which is good Vnbelief spoileth all it s a wretched and base-spirited thing that can conceive no honourable thoughts of God but only like it self but faith which is the well-pleasing ingredient of prayer the lower thoughts a man have of himself it maketh him conceive the higher and more honourable of God My wayes are not as your wayes nor my thoughts as your thoughts but as far above as the Heaven above the Earth Isa. 55.8 This is the rule of a believing souls conceiving of God and expecting from him and when a soul is thus placed on God by trusting and believing in him it is fixed My heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal. 112.7 O how wavering and inconstant is a soul till it fix at this Anchor upon the ground of his immutable promises It is tossed