forth himself to be the Son of God even then when in mans sight hee was separated from God banished from the Church so as that al men cried away with him crucifie him and al his own Disciples forsook him and not a soul acknowledged him but one poor theefe upon the crosse with him yet even then was he so gloriously magnified as that well might the Apostle say he triumphed openly upon the crosse having therein made a spoyle of Principallities and Powers Col. 2.15 Now this very estate is the estate of every child of God and so farre as hee hath the Sonne so far doth he expresse this estate in his whole conversation for an estate of humiliation great and many be the afflictions of the righteous Psalm 34.18 19. there is their debasement in the world but the Lord delivereth them out of all there is their exaltation mixed together many wayes humbled and exalted deliverances Psalm 149.4,5 The Lord will beautifie the meeke with salvation that is hee will beautifie them by their manifold deliverances Nay besides deliverances you shall finde this to be the beautifull frame of the spirits of Gods people in their estates Take it in their outward condition in the World an estate of means and affliction if he be a man of a faire outward estate and of good means in the world yet you shall see a marvellous spirit of selfe-deniall in him so as that in the middest of many worldly comforts he fits loose from them and lives besides them these are not the things that he hath set his heart upon as our Savior said to his disciples concerning the stones of the Temple so as that though God had don much for them and given them many comforts yet there is a more hidden matter in their hearts better then these things can reach unto they are not a Christians crowne and glory but he is crucified to them and they unto him Gal. 6.14 And if so be that God give him any great or eminent gifts of Spirituall grace it is strange to see how they are clad in him with a garment of Christ crucified over shadowed in selfe deniall as they said of Paul meane in outward view and speech of little or no value 2 Cor. 13.3 and yet even in this very meanness which any of them labour under in regard of want of outward things and all their meanness and lownesse of carriage and selfe-deniall of all the outward blessings and contentments they have received yet you shall see a mighty power of Christ triumphing in the basenesse and mortifiednesse of a Christian soule so as that the Apostle fitly and sutably expresses their estate Though he was crucified through weaknesse yet he liveth by the power of God for we also are weak in him but we shall also live with him by the power of God So that as it was with Christ in his estate so it is with us in our estate weake in him meaning that as Christ in his outward Man seemed to be weake and contemptible so we as it is in the Originall are weake with him but we shall live with him by the power of God so that suppose Christ be indeed weake in outward view so as he that lookes once would not looke twice at him yet when he seemes to be most weake and base then is he most powerfull and glorious and so the very death of Christ wherein he is most exposed to such infirmities as follow mans nature yet then he performes the greatest worke of our Redemption satisfies the Fathers wrath for us procures us pardon of sinne and redeemes us from the bondage of Hel and purchases for us a spirit of grace and power and truly there is a certaine kinde of conformity even in this very point between the Lord Jesus and every servant of Christ as he is weake so are we as he dyes so doe we as he is in his greatest debasements and advancements so it is with us And hence it is that ye read these Phrases in Scripture We are dead with Christ Col. 2.20 and risen with Christ Col. 3.1 and crucified with Christ Rom. 6.6 Now these be strange Phrases that Christ who is dead one thousand six hundred yeares agoe and risen againe so long since what is this which the Apostle saith we are thus dead and crucified and risen with Christ What is the intendment of his discourse The true meaning is that by the same spirit of Christ which was shed abroad into his heart above measure we are so knit unto Christ as that we are not only of the like nature with him but of like estate with Christ that as he was in this world so are we while we are in the world weake as he yea glorious as he and as he rose againe out of all contempt and reproach and persecution so doe we rise againe out of all our many and great afflictions mightily by the same power of the same Spirit of the Lord Jesus so that this is a point that inwardly flowes from this having of Christ he that hath the Sonne hath the spirit of the Sonne whereby he is made one with Christ in Nature in Offices and in his estate and this is evident in the experience of Gods servants and by testimony of the Holy Ghost in Scripture And therefore examine we our selves in this particular if we have the Son we have the spirit of the Son The second worke of the Spirit is that it is not only a spirit of union but it is also a spirit of liberty The second work of the Spirits liberty for of all the kindes of temper in a Sonne there is nothing more expresses the frame of a Sonne next to his likenesse and union with the Father then liberty doth Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 And if the Sonne have made you free then are you free indeed Joh. 8.36 It is a reall liberty if the Sonne shall give you liberty and he speakes of such a liberty as appertaines to Sons and not to Servants that may be turned out of doores but the Sonne abides in the house for ever And it is a strange kind of liberty which the children of God are advanced to by the spirit of the Son it is a phrase of much importance A spirit of liberty First liberty from the feare of sinne Liberty from feare of sinne and the feare of Hell from feare of the Grave and of all the enemies of our Salvation a freedome from feare of any of them A Servant if he offend is afraid of extremity from his Master but the Sonne walkes with more liberty Rom. 8.15 Wee have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father We looke at God as a Father and we walke before him not in feare but in liberty and therefore we are free from the feare of death to which some are all their life time subject to bondage Heb. 2.14 15. Now this is
such terms if you wil not have him unlesse he be thus and thus qualified then let him alone never talke of him rest not in looking after any of his benefits it is a good thing to looke for such benefits as accompany Christ but rest not there content not your selves in such wrastlings never thinke you are of a right spirit and that you have a lively life and such as by which you shall maintaine constant fellowship with God unlesse you finde your hearts longing after Christ My soule is a thirst for the living God Psal 42.1 2. Let your hearts be chiefly set upon him for his owne sake you can tell what it is to set your affections more upon a person then upon their estate and you must know that your affections are more set upon Christ then upon any benefit he hath unlesse you finde Christ more then his gifts you shall finde little peace in your way you must see that all even the worst of his things are beautifull and comly and is more to be desired then Gold is sweeter then the Honey or the Honey-combe he that thus hath the Sonne he hath life the Sonne of God God and Man as he is our Son and our Saviour let the desire of your soule be unto him and your affections run out after him be you for him and then he wil be for you Hos 3.2 3 4. Stand not so much upon this what Christ wil be for you but be sure that you be for him let friends and all goe and be sure you be only for him Though Christ love us first yet he wil make us no assurance of his love to us till he see us love him and if we chuse him first before and above all his benefits then we shall have him make him then your assurance and your Kingdome shall not be shaken thinke not that he wil make you a feoffement before you be married to him but we must be content to come to him and take him as he is and stand upon no conditions with him You must not looke for assurance of Christs benefits till you have himselfe and if you chuse him then you shall have assurance to your soules that he hath chosen you first you cannot aske more then hee wil give but first you must have himselfe he wil give you a kingdome but you must first be a little flocke all is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Thus chuse him above all his benefits and you shall have him and life in him SERMON V. 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life FRom the second part of the words He that hath the Sonne there are three sorts of Heads of notes drawne One is already handled to wit That such as have the Sonne they have not so much nor doe so much stand upon nor so much desire the benefits of the Sonne as the Sonne himselfe This is the Spirituall life of a Christian while some men labour more for Spirituall gifts then for Christ himselfe the true Christian is only for him and let his gifts goe we now come to the second head of notes from the word SONNE A man is said to have the Sonne when he hath the spirit of the Son A man is said to have Christ when he hath the Spirit and therefore you may read 2 Cor. 3.17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and the Lord is that Spirit viz. He had spoken before of a Spirit of righteousnesse and of the Spirit of grace dispensed in the Ministery of the Gospel now the Lord is the Spirit not only so called because he is the Giver of that Spirit and Grace but also as there is a secret fellowship between Christ and the Spirit so that have one and you have both have not the Spirit of Christ and you have none of Christ Rom. 8.9 If a man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And notable to this purpose is that in Gal. 4.6 Because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts and verse â— He redeemed them which were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sonnes Implying that to whomsoever Christ came for into the World to save and redeeme all those have fellowship with the Son and into all their hearts he hath shed abroad the spirit of the Son So that look how Christ is and was in this world so are we in the world hee that hath the Sonne hath the spirit of the Son Now that I may the better open this point unto you because it is of speciall use for our direction in a Christian course There is a Threefold spirit of a Son A threefold spirit dispensing himself three wayes and bestowing a threefold gift upon us which gives us the Lord Jesus Christ to be ours and us to him to be his First A spirit that doth knit us to the Lord Jesus Christ and him to us Secondly A spirit of liberty Thirdly A spirit of prayer These three the Holy Ghost takes special notice of in this case First The spirit of God wheresoever it is shed abroad in any member of Christ it doth make us one with the Lord Jesus it unites us into one fellowship of nature a likenesse in affection and disposition and a likenesse in all the graces of God as John 17.21 our Saviour prayes the Father that all those whom he had given him might bee one with him as thou and I art one thou in me by thy spirit and I in thee by the same spirit and this spirit is such as makes not onely mee one with thee but them also one with mee and they also in like sort one with another it makes us and Christ us it were one Hence it is that as soone as we receive him we of his fullnesse receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 There is a conformity between Christ and us one and the same Image stamped upon us both Rom. 8.29 a like in grace a like in affection and in continuance of affection a like in every thing For a little further clearing of the point The same spirit of Christ being shed abroad into the heart of every one that hath Christ doth worke a threefold conformity or likenesse betweene Christ and us First A threefold conformity between Christ and his A likenesse in Nature Secondly A likenesse in Offices Thirdly In Estate both of humiliation and exaltation And all this is done by the mighty power of the spirit of Christ First For the Nature of Christ by the precious promises of God which are made unto us The first Conformity and which the Holy Ghost doth apply to us We are made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 There is a likenesse and a participation of the divine nature and we are made partakers of the like grace in Christ Jesus and that grace for grace
saith Matth. 26.39 He asked that which was a lawfull thing and yet because he would not trench upon that which might crosse the will of his Father he would not put forth any the least affection of his soule to the over-ruling the Counsell of God and therefore he expresseth himselfe thus Neverthelesse not my will but thy will be done So that whensoever we aske any thing that is lawfull it must be with subjection of our owne wils to the will of God But for more full clearing of this point see it thus inlarged First a man is said to pray according to Gods will either partly as his will is expressed in his Word and partly the will of God expressing the worke of the Spirit in the heart of a Childe of God for both these are effectuall in every prayer that is made according to Gods will First according to his will expressed in his Word 1. Aske things lawfull therein God requires that we should pray only for such things as are lawfull and such as therein he hath commanded us to aske that we may doe them Notable is that example in Psal 119.4 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy Commandements diligently and in the next verse see what is his request O that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes looke whatsoever God commands us to doe we have warrant to pray for that we must pray for things lawfull and only for such Secondly 2. Aske in Christs name Whatsoever we pray for we must pray in the name of Christ Iohn 16.22 23. he makes a large promise to such as so aske in his name vers 23 24. Whatsoever you shall aske the Father in my name he will give it you This God requires that we should put up all our petitions in the name of Christ Now to aske in the name of Christ doth require the exercise of two graces First He that shall aske in the name of Christ implyes the asking of it in humility 1 To aske in Christs name requireth humility whatsoever we aske in humility and lowlinesse of spirit that is to aske in the name of Christ and that will evidence and put forth it selfe in three or foure severall acts in every prayer that is made according to Gods will and put up in the name of Christ First act of humility First A prayer made in the name of Christ is made with this humility whereby we acknowledge our selves lesse then the least of all Gods mercies as Iacob doth acknowledge Gen. 32.10 He was lesse then the least of all the mercies he had already received And therefore if God should never grant him more mercy he could not but acknowledge he had done abundantly more for him already then he had deserved he prayes not in his owne name but in the name of another and no man can pray in the name of Christ but he must pray in humility he must have no confidence in his owne worth Act. 2 Secondly he must pray in the sence of his owne insufficiency so much as to thinke a good thought much lesse to make a good prayer 2 Cor. 3.5 Rom. 8.26 This is humility and selfe-deniall when a man comes before God and acknowledgeth his owne unworthinesse to aske any mercy of God and confesseth his owne unablenesse to aske any blessing according to Gods will Act. 3 Thirdly A man askes in humility when he puts up his petitions with submission to Gods will he desires not that God would satisfie him in any lust but only grant him the things that are expedient for him so farre as may stand with the good pleasure of his heavenly Father and no further Matth. 26.39 Act. 4 Fourthly There is another act of humility to bend the heart of a man to make use of no mediation in prayer but only the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ you read of a pretended humility a voluntary humility consisting in the worship of Angels Col. 2.18 They thought themselves not worthy immediatly to rush into Christs presence but rather intreat the Angels to intercede the Father for them but it is counterfeit humility and such men are puffed up with a fleshly minde in their voluntary humility it shewes that it is a vaine pride of heart to expresse more basenesse and meannesse of spirit then God requires and is but a counterfeit humility Now to pray in the name of Christ is not only to pray in humility but also to pray in faith and these acts of faith you have in all the prayers that you put up to God according to his will First Faith directs you to pray only unto him First act of faith in prayer upon whom you have beleeved Rom. 10.14 We only beleeve on God the Father and on his Son Jesus Christ and the blessed Spirit and therefore upon the Lord Faith only directs us to call he teacheth us not to pray to our Mother as the Papists doe nor to our Brethren and Sisters as the Papists doe to the Saints and Angels but only to the Father that is the voyce of faith Gal 4.5 6. Rom. 8.15 The Spirit helps us to cry Abba father Act. 2 Secondly It is the nature and worke of faith in every prayer it doth guide the heart of a man to looke unto God with some kinde of childe-like confidence repairing to him as a Father such as by faith beleeve on the name of the Son of God they come to God in their prayers as to their Father John 20.17 And it is the nature of faith to cry out as Thomas did My Lord and my God John 20.28 So that this is another worke of faith that when ever you come into Gods presence to aske any thing at his hand you come to him as to your Father he knowes what you want better then you can aske and is more willing to grant whatever is meet for you then your selves can desire to come to God as our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ is an act of faith he is so wel acquainted with us in him that himself loves us Joh. 16.26 27. So that to pray in faith is to come to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and through him a Father also to us abundant in goodnesse and in truth a Father that is great in counsell and excellent in worke that hath compassion of his owne Children and wil therefore performe that which seemes good in his sight Act. 3 Thirdly Another act of faith and that is for a man to come truly cleaving to the Lord Jesus Christ not to stand upon demurs and disputes whether we had best cleave to God and whether we had best doe such or such things and so be almost Christians for if we so come we cannot receive any thing at the hands of God Iam. 1.5 6 7 8. A wavering minded man is unstable c. This is one and a principall part of the meaning of it he speakes of such a kinde of wavering faith
his Son to whom this eternall life is communicated and that is to all such as to whom the Son is communicated amplified by the contrary He that hath not the Son hath not life Doctrine According to or upon our having or not having of Christ depends our having or not having of life The note is of speciall weight in our Christian experience and therefore let us take so much the more care in opening of it He that findeth me which is all one with hee that hath me he hath life Prov. 8.34 but he that is estranged from me he loveth death ver 36. So that finde Christ and finde life Finde him not but be estranged from him and finde death So Eph. 2.12 In times past ye were without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world and Eph. 4.18.19 There he speakes of some that were alienated from the life of God but in ver 20. Ye have not so learned Christ if so be you have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus For further clearing of this point let me shew you first the Reasons upon which it depends and then the uses of it Creatures broken Sisterns without Christ Reason 1. For the first The first reason arises from the insufficiency of all the body of the creature to give us life without Christ Heb. 10.1.4 It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should cleanse the conscience from sinne They are not a valuable recompence to God for the transgressions we have done by our transgressions we had deserved death for which the death of the beasts cannot make recompence Men cannot redeem themselves And besides should we dye for our sinnes our selves our death would not free us from the punishment for we are not able to overcome death but should for ever sinke under it If there had been a Law that could have given us life then wee might have lived by it but there is no such Law as can give us spirituall life David speakes in the name of Christ Psal 22.29 It is the speech of our Saviour or of David in his name No Man can keepe alive his owne soule It is beyond the power of the creature to keep alive his own soule no not so much as naturall life Psal 49.7.9 No man can give a ransome for the soule of his brother no man is able to ransome or redeem his owne life or anothers yea which is much Adam in innocency was taught to looke for the preservation of his inocent nature out of himself for to that end did God give him the tree of life Gen. 2.9 the tree of life grows not in Adam but in the Garden Now he that was to eat of the tree called the tree of life he was taught from thence that the maintenance and continuance of that life which he then lived a life of grace and glory was not to be expected from his owne strength but from something without himselfe The tree of life was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ the second person in Trinity 1 Joh. 3.4 Now if Adam could not keep alive his own soule but by that tree how much lesse Adam falne and corrupted being now become unable to keep that Law which in innocency he might have kept But more clearly see the grounds of this insufficiency in the creature to helpe it selfe The first is taken from the preciousnesse of the price of our redemption The costlinesse of it the matter of our justification is the price of our redemption and without justification no spirituall life at all Now the price of our redemption is our justification the forme of that justification is Gods accepting of it and imputing it to us but the matter of it is the price of our redemption and that is the root of all our spirituall life the price of our redemption given to God is accepted of him and by him given to us Psal 49.8 Precious is the redemption of soules it is farre beyond the power of the creature that which may be fit matter to give to God by way of satisfaction for a soule that is very precious and this was onely the obedience of Christ to the death he by suffering death for us and rising from the dead declared himselfe mightily to be the Son of God and he by his obedience to the death offered to God the price of our redemption He gave himselfe a ransome for many And this shews that it had beene impossible for any under the Sonne of God to have given a sufficient price for our redemption neither man nor Angels could doe it but he in giving a sufficient price for us did thereby mightily declare himselfe to be the Sonne of God he onely by his death is the matter of our justification and his rising is our life the Father himselfe it could not stand with his justice to give a price for our redemption he being the person offended but the Sonne taking upon him our nature that nature which had offended God he by this meanes made atonement betweene the Father and us and in making atonement declared himselfe mightily to be the Sonne of God none but he alone was able to tender to God such a recompence as might be a satisfaction for our sins 2. And as this is ground why there is no sufficiency in the creature to give us the life of our justification so it is also taken from the root of our sanctification and consolation for they spring both from one fountaine and that is the Spirit of Gods grace John 16.7 he is the comforter that is our sanctifier and this springs in us to everlasting life Joh. 4.14 Now he that can give a spirit of sanctification and consolation is onely the Lord Jesus Christ unlesse he goe away and send the Comforter to us he never comes If you would know who it is that can give this water of life you shal read Joh. 4.10 that it is only the Lord Jesus he it is only that goes to the Father and sends his Spirit of grace into our hearts unlesse he go to heaven and send it downe from heaven to us it is not given So that he being the root of the Spirit of consolation of sanctification all this life of consolation sanctification springing from the Spirit as from a fountain and Christ being he that sets open this fountain Zac. 1.13 Therefore it is that there is an insufficiency in the creature to shed abroad such a thing as this into our hearts Act. 2 33. when he was to give a reason of the spirit of Tongues he fetches it fom the resurrection of Christ that he by his ascending into heaven did shed abroad this word which you now see and heare so that by his death he gave to God not onely the price of our redemption but prevailed with the Father to bestow upon him the Spirit to
themselves Note this and what a grief it is to them to see this and that duty neglected in the family and they are very free to God But afterwards when they come to be Free men and are for themselves that they may now have as much liberty as they will pray when they will and take what time they will to instruct those that are about them which time they wanted when they were servants and which they then mourned under And yet whereas then they would serve God with much freedome and liberty of spirit were then free from the law of sinne and free for any duty There is now a secret kind of bondage come upon them their hearts is more imbondaged and insnared and imcombred and intangled and so dutyes come not to be performed either with that constancy and care or not with that inlargement of heart as they were when they were servants And therefore that is the reason why the Apostle bids them not bee over-ready to challenge freedom But this shewes you that there is a marvellous liberty even in those that are servants they are free from the service of men in their hearts and consciences and then most at liberty to serve God when they are most bound to serve men yet in their hearts and consciences they are free from their service they are not bound in conscience to doe any thing but what is the will of God and this is a marvellous great freedom that a man is not bound to become a slave to other mens wil and to do as other men do he is not bound to do any thing that is unlawfull and this is a spirit of liberty that makes even a servant to have a spirit of freedome he is a Free-man his heart is free to Gods Service and this is from nothing else but from this spirit of a sonne a spirit of liberty Now on the contrary side as by this spirit of liberty a Childe of God is free from the feare of sinne so he hath a certaine kinde of priviledge of peace in his soule and of freenesse and readinesse to every Christian duty and also he hath a certaine priviledge of dominion over all the Creatures It is the nature and proper definition of liberty Freedome from evil and liberty unto the enjoyment of some good things it sets me free from sinne and gives me liberty and peace of conscience from the same Spirit of the Lord Jesus it sets me at liberty to run the way of Gods Commandements Psal 119.32 And Gods people are a willing people Psal 110.3 This is indeed a spirit of liberty it inlarges me to dominion over men no Creature in heaven or in earth but a Christian is able to rule him to his owne advantage a Christian servant wil turne his Masters government to his advantage and so all his enemies tyranny he will be sure to be better by them all and he wil grow and thrive in his spirit by all the dangers and evils that can befall him in this world I know not in what better to instance then in that of Gen. 25.23 The Oracle of God said to Rebecca the elder shall serve the younger And this is a thing in much dispute among Divines wherein this was ever made good and say That Esau was never a servant to Jacob for you shall finde in the 32. and 33. Chapters of Genesis that Jacob uses this word My Lord Esau and beseeches his Lordship to goe before and his servant would follow after and so it stood in their outward condition And Divines say Though the promise be true of the persons both seperate from the Wombe yet the service was not so But we need not straighten our selves for the explication of it for Esaus Lording and domineering over Jacob was as serviceable to Jacobs spirit as if he had layed aside his state and come and served Jacob and kept his Sheep the bitternesse of Esau against him did him more reall service then all the service of all Iacobs servants could reach him Whence was it that Iacob went a Pilgrimage from his Fathers house and that in a strange Country God so prospered him that whereas he went out but with his staffe in his hand he returned back againe with two bands or two droves And whence was it that Iacob made such a solemne Vow to God and kept it in so much faithfulnesse that if God would keepe him in that journey God should be his God for ever Did not all this come from the rage and wrath of Esau towards him Esau did him that good service and when he came back againe and heard newes that Esau came out with foure hundred men against him and thought to come to spoyle them all what a marvellous service was this to Iacob as you may read Chap. 32. from 9. to the end Esau by this meanes set him on wrastling with God by prayer and therefore wrastles with God all that night and so wrastles that God changes his name upon it Thou shalt not be called Jacob a wrastler but Israel a Prevailer thou hast prevailed with God and thou shalt prevaile with men And now he is past the worst with his Brother and when he meets him expresses much naturall affection and is marvellous glad to see him and offers to help him to drive his flocks to shew you that the very emulation and envie and cruelty and ragings of the enemies of Gods Servants even when they are most incensed against them and most tread them down and insult over them then they doe them the greatest service that is possible to be done through the mighty power of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ that turnes all into contraries that even when men doe most domineere over them then they doe them the best service Looke as it was with the Tyrants of Syria and Aegypt that made waste of Gods people It is a notable speech that in Dan. 11.35 36. It is to purge them and to cleanse them and make them white A Scullion in the Kitchin when he scoures his Pewter when he first takes it in hand you would thinke he would quite spoile it but he but scoures and cleares it up and makes it more bright then it was before the end of all is but to take away the filth and to make it cleare and bright And so an Huswife that takes her linning she Sopes it and bedawbs it and it may be defiles it with dung so as it neither looks nor smels wel and when she hath done she rubs it and buckes it and wrings it and in the end all this is but to make it cleane and white and truly so it is here when as Tyrants most of all insult over Gods people and scoure them and lay them in Lee or Dung so as the very name of them stinks yet what is this but to purge them and to make them white and it is a great service they doe to the people of God in so
are upon in this Discourse and therefore to proceed to the next part of the point those that have Christ for a Saviour they have him aso for a Prince Act. 5.31 God hath appointed him for a Prince Christ saveth as a Prince and a Saviour If you wil have him for a Saviour you must have him for a Prince resigne up your selves you and yours to be guided and governed by the Lord Jesus though you have never so many strong oppositions yet it must be so Isa 9.6 Vnto us a Childe is given unto us a Sonne is borne How shall I know that Christ is borne for me and this Son is given to me Why by this The government shall be upon his shoulders if the Sonne be given thee then thou art wholly governed by him and if thou beest so then he is borne and given to thee and thou shalt call his name Wonderfull If you can behold a wonderfull glorious Majesty in Christ and he to whom he is given they shall acknowledge him their Counsellour the Prince of their peace and to whom soever he is given the government of him is upon their shoulders know therefore whether he be your governour or no. Christ our Prince in two things And two things there be in having Christ for our Prince to open them plainly to you First when you resign up your selves to be wholly ruled by him in all your paths so as that you leane not to your selves not so much as in one thought but all your thoughts stand in subjection to his will 2 Cor. 10.4 5. The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe every high imagination and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ God leaves us not one thought free nor are we willing to have our thoughts free Prov. 12.15 The thoughts of the righteous are right that is they come from a right rule the Word of God and aime at a right end the glory of God not a man that hath his part in the Lord Jesus but his thoughts are right Object You say But who hath his thoughts so rectified and set upon the Lord Jesus but he hath many vaine and covetous and proud and stubborne thoughts Who can say I have kept my heart cleane who can say that every thought in him is subdued to the obedience of Christ Answ It is true that you object for Jer. 4.14 It is a complaint and an earnest speech O Ierusalem wash thy heart from thy wickednesse that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee So that you see a man that would have salvation by Christ he must be content to subject all his thoughts to Christ and not leave one vaine thought to lodge within him It is true Sathan may cause them to flutter in his mind Simile but he must give them no entertainment it is one thing to have a sturdy Begger that comes to the doore to rush into my house before I be aware and enforce and another thing to bid him welcome and to bid him stay and lodge there all night and to make provision for him so it may be there is many a proud rebellious thought rushes in and cals for this and that and wil be served in this and that and every faculty and part Rebellious thoughts and member must bestirre it selfe to satisfie such a thought and all must be as this thought will and sometimes scars all the house puts the whole man to agitation to consider what to doe to give it content yet they who have Christ for their Saviour they will looke to him for salvation from such sturdy thoughts as these be they will not suffer them to lodge there but get them out againe and are not at quiet but the whole man is disturbed till they be dislodged and cast out againe so they who have the Lord Jesus for their Saviour they must not give lodging to a vaine thought much lesse to a malicious and proud and desolate thought or any other wicked thought whatsoever It is true indeed there is no Christian man but he wil have vaine thoughts come in upon him but you shall observe this difference First a man that hath not Christ for his Prince Christians differenced by their thoughts he hath not one good thought comes in his minde or if it doe he doth not give it lodging there all or every imagination of his heart is evil and that continually the Originall is Omne figmentum the whole frame of a mans heart the bent and scope of his thoughts the whole suggestion of them first and last not a good thought comes in him Many a man wil say it is very fitting and meet it should be so that one day wee should turne home to God but not to give entertainment to him at this time but let him come another time and then he shall have lodging and so we deale with all good thoughts that God suggests into our hearts we like good thoughts well and sometimes we are loath to give them offence but yet are not willing to give them entertainment but are more willing to be shut of them and to turn them out of doores but a godly man if a good motion come into him it is most welcome to his soule and he entertaines it with the gladnesse of his spirit he sees it is of God his heavenly Father and he lodges it in his heart and conscience and affection and rejoyces in it and desires after it and cherisheth it and is loath to part with such thoughts when he is gotten into such a good frame Now I say therefore this is a difference a carnall man never gives entertainment to a good thought nor doe his thoughts ever aime at good ends they never goe higher then himselfe and therefore never could good thought finde lodging in him out againe it is thrust sometimes somewhat courteously sometimes discourteously but however there it must not lodge there is a world of matter to quench and damp it and to use meanes to be shut of it but it is not so with a true Christian he entertaines Christ as his Prince and he wil have every thought in him to be set upon him if a wicked thought come into a carnall mans heart it is naturall to him it takes place and is suffered to lodge there anger rests with him all night and he suffers the Sunne to goe downe upon his wrath Ephesians 4.26 27. The Devill lodges there and there hee may rest and he never takes paines to be cleansed of those evill thoughts and he cares not how long they are there But if a godly man have a wicked thought come upon him he stirres up all the faculties of his soule and the graces of the Spirit against it and doth what he can to expell and banish it and if he cannot prevaile then he wil call for aide from his Prince from
as whereby a man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a heart and an heart he hath a minde to draw near to Christ and to become a servant of Christ and yet withal a mind to be hankering after some sinfull lust or other which takes up his minde and which his soule lusteth after and therefore he is unstable in all his wayes sometimes he is for God and sometimes for himselfe ever halting between God and the World but let such men thinke they shall not receive any thing at the hands of God this should have been in the second place Act. 4 Fourthly Faith hath respect unto this to beleeve that what we have asked according to Gods will he will undoubtedly give it us Mark 11.24 Beleeve that you shall receive and you shall receive it meaning so farre as you have commended your Petitions to God in the name of Christ with subjection to the will of your heavenly Father beleeve it that God hath respect to your poore estate and he will doe for you what you desire yea even in those things wherein he seemes to delay an answer but in the meane time for your part make account your prayers are heard in that very blessing you desire for God doth wisely ponder not onely the hearts of the sons of men but all the words of their lips and he knowes the meaning of the spirit in the hearts of his children And though wee must expresse our selves in words in our desire of this and that blessing yet God lookes principally at the grounds of our desires and wherefore we desire to obtain the blessing What it is that moves us to have a desire after such and such a mercy and observing well the byas of our hearts in such requests he doth in this respect constantly hearken to his servants and failes not to grant us the things we aske even when he seems to deny us Heb. 5.7 he speakes of the prayer of Christ he was heard in what he desired What was hee heard in why hee prayed that if it were possible the cup might passe from him And was he heard in this did not he drink it to the very dregs did he not taste of Gods deepest displeasure and how is he then said to be heard why the Father did consider what it was that his Sonne did desire which was principally that Gods will might be done and not his own And Gods will being done Christs desire being that Gods will might be done he was heard in the thing he desired And againe he was heard in the thing so far as it concerned himselfe as to be saved from that which hee feared that though he did drink of the cup yet he should be saved from being overwhelmed by those feares which his soule trembled at and groaned under and prest him heavily even unto the very death though not from tasting of them yet from being overwhelmed of them and he was supported in them so that Christs main end being the doing of his fathers wil and the redemption of mankind in these things he was graciously heard And so Moses he prayed that if it might be Gods will he might goe over Jordan and see that good land his end was to see that good land Well God said in displeasure he should not go over and yet in mercy he answers his request for his desire was to see that good land Now God could make him see that good land never carry him over Jordan and he shewes him all the land of Canaan all the coasts of Israel from the one end thereof to another God so strengthened his sight this way as one would not have thought it credible but that God was able to grant him his desire and strengthened him beyond what he desired so shall you observe Gods manner of dealing with his servants if we be content to pray according to the will of God and bow our spirits to aske nothing but what is lawfull and with submission to Gods will and run to God as our heavenly father in the name of Jesus Christ and look at him as one more ready to give then we to aske then make account God will ponder all the petitions of your soules and weigh well what you have said and he knowes what you aime at in asking this and that blessing and though he may seeme to deferre it he better knowes your need of it then your selves doe and when he seemes most to crosse it then doth he most abundantly answer it Moses said the Lord was angry with him and would not heare him and yet he did heare him he limited God to a means to shew him that good land but he need not appoint God a course Moses knew hot how he should see it unlesse he went over but God knew how he should see it So that even those prayers with which God seems to be angry in regard of some infirmity that God may see in our prayers yet this we are to make account of that even then when God is displeased with our poor petitions even then doth he answer them most graciously Deut. 3.23 25 26. God was wroth with me and would not heare me And he said speake no more to me of that matter It was a marvellous strange kind of expression of Gods fatherly counsell to Moses that when he is angry with some weaknesse in our prayers and some unworthinesse in us to desire or have this or that see his carriage Moses his words provoked God and therefore because he desires to go over Iordan to see that good land God was wroth and God would not have him goe and yet he should see it he should have as much as he desired but into the Land he should not goe so that come with that confidence in prayer that though our prayers be such as for which God may be angry with us yet many times God heares those prayers and answers them in mercy farre beyond what we could have thought for Moses saw as much of it as could be seene and he could not have seene so much of it if he had gone over Iordan as he did then see Consider therefore God markes the very bent of my soule and desire in every petition I put up and therefore observing what I desire he will accordingly grant either the thing I desire according to my desire or that which I ayme at in my desire and this is a glory to the name of Christ whatsoever we should aske in our owne names would be thrust out of heaven yet this magnifies the name of Christ that a Christian soule beleeving on his name and laying hold upon him and cleaving to him and shall come to God as beleeving that God is more ready and able and willing to grant then we to aske and that he will grant us the very petition that we desire this doth magnifie the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and this is to pray according to Gods will as expressed in his Word But now
a spirit of liberty to have the heart set free from all feares it is the summe of all security he hath redeemed us That we might serve him without feare all the dayes of our lives Luk. 1.74 75.78 We are free from feare of Death and Hell and of the World and we doe not feare what flesh can doe unto us Psal 3.5 6. his meaning is That the feares of men should not breake his sleep but he would walke in a child-like confidence before God and man and he would lye him downe quietly and sleepe securely though ten thousand had compassed him round about and the like you read Psal 56.3 What time I am afraid I will trust in thee And vers 11. In God will I put my trust I will not be afraid what man can doe unto me It is an usuall phrase with David and the usuall frame of the spirits of Gods people and this kinde of holy tranquillity of heart and liberty to walk with even nesse and comfort of soule against all the feares of this and another world this kinde of inward liberty from all feare Naturall property of a son is the naturall property of a Sonne a sonne never greatly feares ill measures from his Father all his care is to approve himselfe to his Fathers will and then he knowes his Fathers care is more for his owne provision and protection then his owne can be and if at any time he fall short of doing his Fathers will he makes his peace with his father upon as good termes as he can and there he rests but this is his fathers will and you need not possesse him of that and if he be a sonne he will looke for protection from his father A childe of God knowes his heavenly Father will support him and he feares not what sinne and Hell and the Grave and Death can doe unto him he feares not persecution nor sword nor famine the Lord is with him and he feares none of them I am perswaded saith Paul that in all these we are more then conquerours Rom. 8.37 38. this is the liberty of the spirit of a sonne Now as there is by the Spirit in the heart of the Childe of God liberty from all feare of sinne Liberty from power of sin so he hath liberty from all the power and dominion of sinne he is not subject to the dominion and bondage of sinne sinne hath not that power over him as to carry him captive to it but he walkes at liberty Psal 119. and therefore at liberty because he is not under the law but under grace Rom. 6.14 And notable is that speech in Chap. 8.2 The law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the law of sinne and of death The spirit of life viz. That spirit of life which hath a legall power in it a power like a law and hath a ruling power over me as the law hath and in both these respects called A Law of God A kinde of spirituall life because there is a lively spirit in him And this law of the Spirituall life of Grace hath freed me set me at liberty from the law and trade of sinne and of death sinne and death set him a course and trade which this Law of the Spirit of life hath set him free from so as that he is but a bungler in sin now not now learned in the law of sinne as sometimes he hath been but the Law of the Spirit of life hath freed him from the skill of sinne and from the command of sinne the law of sinne hath had a soveraigne power over him but now he is freed from the act and trade of sinne and now he walkes at liberty even from the dominion and usurpation of sinne time hath been when nothing would withhold him and he could have followed evil company and unlawfull games they were as lawfull to him as to any and he had no power to resist them but now the Law of the Spirit of life hath helped him against them all this is another part of the spirit of liberty a liberty from the bondage and dominion of sinne and it is a marvellous comfortable liberty indeed many a vallourous spirited man hath so little feare of death that he rushes upon the Pikes as the Horse into the Battell as if it were their meat and drinke but yet he wants this liberty he is not at liberty from feare of danger by the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ but as Aristotle saith valiant because ignorant of the danger And besides such a naturall man though he be of a magnanimous spirit in respect of fear of danger yet such a man is often captivated of many base lusts and sinfull courses and is not able to resist ill counsell nor ill company whereas a godly man is free from all these free from the bondage and dominion of sinne and all the law of sinne he looks at it as a cobweb-law which hee may easily breake through and accordingly doth so and overcomes all his former sinfull lusts Freedome from sins Service Thirdly There is another frame of this spirit of liberty as it is the Spirit of the Sonne it frees us from the service of men 1 Cor. 7.23 Not that it forbids civill subjection not so to make men free but if God have called you a servant live as a servant 1 Cor. 7.12 to 20. but use your liberty the rather if you can but if you must needs be a servant then know that he that is a servant is the Lords free man but be not ye the servants of men that is though you owe and doe your bodily service to men yet towards God walk at liberty and if thy labour be great and thy reward little yet doe thy service and looke for more wages at the hand of Christ Col. 3.23 then from men in serving men serve Christ and therefore goe about your Masters service not with eye service but in singlenesse of heart serving the Lord and not men in serving of men they do faithfull and diligent service to the Lord and therefore they do it willingly and not grudgingly but in much quietnesse of spirit and are more free for Christian duties and have more quiet time for seeking God then ever after 1 Cor. 7.22 He that is married careth for the things of the world And it is true he that is most free is but a servant to Christ but a free servant though But he that is a servant is the Lords free-man the meaning is not only to doe the worke of his owne service with a free spirit but he is not onely a free man when he is most bound but then hee goes about the service of God with much more liberty of spirit then when he is his own man It is oft times wonder to see servants being called what care they will have of Christian dutyes what time they will steal to call upon God and to examin