my brethren is Christ said to be in the soul of every beleever because the vertue and influence of Christ is working in them as truly as it is in himself onely differing in regard of degrees and perfection Now for the fuller illustration of the Point give me leave in the last place to shew you the means whereby Christ is in all them that are justified They are these two First the grace of Faith For this in-being of Christ in all justified persons is the consequent of their union with him Now by faith they are joyned to Christ and Christ being joyned to them and they to him Christ is in them as well as they in him Therefore in that forenamed place Eph. 3.17 Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by faith Another means is The abiding of Christs word in us John 15.7 If ye abide in me and my words abide in you In the fourth Verse our Saviour had said thus Abide in me and I in you now repeating that again he somewhat altereth it and saith If ye abide in me and my words abide in you I conceive the ground of the alteration is onely this because the abiding of Christs word in people is a means whereby Christ doth abide in them By the words of Christ I take it is meant the Gospel of Christ with all the commandments instructions and promises that are contained in it Now when this Word of Christ doth abide in people which it doth when understood remembred practised and observed by this means Christ is said and made to abide in them The words of Christ are as so many plants which he doth ingraft into a poor soul as we doe ingraft Cions into a stock Therefore the Apostle calls it the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls Jam 1.21 Now look as the stock cometh to have the nature and to bear the fruit of the Cion by having the Cion implanted and ingrafted into it even so by ingrafting the word of Christ into us we come to have the sap and life of the Spirit of Christ and consequently Christ himself to abide in us For the further understanding of the Point you must in the last place know That however the Lord Christ is in all justified persons yet he is not wholly and compleatly in them not so as to exclude sin and Satan out of them Christ is in them and sin and Satan are in them also so that Christs dwelling in them is but imperfect yet notwithstanding it is perfecting and in the end shall be consummate and then Christ shall onely be in them and sin and Satan altogether shut out This serveth my brethren to teach us all which is the readiest and surest way to become justified persons and partakers of Christ and all his priviledges to wit to get Christ to be in us In vain dost thou hope for any Christian priviledge in vain dost thou indeavour after any thing that is necessary to salvation if by faith Christ is not brought to be in thee People doe oft trouble themselves many waies but most are ignorant or negligent of this way whereas our hope of happinesse of the forgivenesse of our sins our labours and endeavours after heaven are all in vain if we doe not labour by beleeving to get the Lord Jesus Christ to be in us Many conceit that Christ will be for them but he will be for none but for them in whom he is I mean not now to dispute whether Christ be for us or in us first but this is sure he will be for none but such as he is in also Therefore saith the Apostle Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of glory The Connexion is to be observed Christ the hope of glory but Christ in you implying that as we must have no hope but Christ and therefore Christ is called our hope so we can never have Christ to be our hope if we have not Christ to be in us Learn this therefore I say above all things to labour to be joyned to Christ by a lively faith that so you may come to have him in you and then he shall be for you and never till then Thus much for the first thing The condition of all such as are justified They have Christ in them Now for the second which is the main thing the Apostle aimeth at the Evidences or Signs whereby it may be known who have Christ in them Yee have them in the next words The body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse Give me leave first to open the words unto you By Sin you know is meant the transgression of Gods law the going beside the rule of Gods Commandment either in neglecting what is enjoyned or in doing what is prohibited this is sin By Righteousness also must be meant the contrary to this For howsoever righteousness is sometime in the Scripture taken strictly for the observation of those duties that concern men which the second Table injoyneth yet sometime it is taken largely for the observation of the whole Law of God and all duties concerning God and us and thus it is usually taken when as it is not joyned with something else that doth restrain it Here it is opposed to sin and therefore as by sin is meant the going beside the Commandment of God so by righteousnesse is meant the observation or doing of the Commandment of God Thus you see what is meant by sin and what by righteousnesse But it is more difficult to know what is meant by the bodie and what by the Spirit The bodie is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse I take it here by the bodie is meant the bodie of corruption the bodie of sin that same Original corruption that is in all of us by nature It cannot be understood of the natural body because of the opposition to spirit for by the spirit here cannot be understood our soul or our spirit for it cannot be said that any mans spirit or soul is life to righteousnesse it may be said that it is enlivened to righteousness but it cannot be said to be life to righteousnesse therefore seeeing by the spirit the soul of a man cannot be meant I thinke it is clear that by the the body the bodie of man cannot be meant But by the body I conceive as I said is meant the body of sin for so Saint Paul calleth it Rom. 6.6 That the bodie of sin might be destroyed Now this Originall corruption is called a bodie in these respects 1. Because that it commeth to us by propagation from the parents of our bodies 2. To expresse the baseness of it for our bodies are but base and vile as Saint Paul calleth them Phil. 3.21 3. To expresse the fadingness of it for that is our comfort as our naturall bodies are mortall so the body of sin originall corruption is also mortall to all the Saints Therefore it is called flesh
of it Again it is constant not onely for a time but for ever Yea and there is a progress in it also sin still groweth weaker and the strength thereof daily more and more abateth But where is not such progress where there is not a continuance in the deaths-wound of sinne there the deaths-wound was never given to sin by the blessed spirit of Christ For howsoever Christ doth not kill the old man presently yet he killeth it cortainly and when once the deaths-wound is given it can never be recovered any more Hereby you may trie whether there be a death of sin in you however you may finde in your selves all the parts and kinds of sin and corruption the severall lusts and inclinations of the flesh rising and bubling up in you however some times particular corruptions may have a very strong hand and put forth abundance of might in you to the mastering and captivating of you so that you are for the present sold under sin as the A postle Paul speaks of himself Rom. 7. yet if there be this lessening and weakning of corruption and that universally and constantly it is most certain there is a death of sin in you Now on the other side let me shew you how you may know the life of righteousness and this will also help you the better to discover the death of sin For as yee have heard both goe together and the one helps to manifest the other Therefore I say in the next place let us consider the severall effects of the life of Righteousnesse which are these First where ever there is a life of righteousnesse there is a seeking after God and after the things of God Righteousnesse is of a divine nature and therefore it alwaies carrieth the soul wherein it is up to God from whence it came As the fire being heavenly doth alwaies move upward so righteousness because it is of God doth alwaies raise up the soul of that person in whom it is toward God Hence it is that the righteous are described to be a generation of them that seek the Lord Psal 24. and Psal 27. 8. the Psalmist professeth that he will seek the face of god People that have no life of righteousness are described Rom. 7 to be such as do not seek after God But whereever there is a life of righteousnesse there is a seeking after God God in himself God for himself God as he is accomplished with his holy excellencies and admirable Attributes and perfections God as he is take him altogether is alwaies the aim and scope end and object of the desire of that soul that is endued with the life of righteousnesse so that when he praies or receives the Sacrament or hears the word or whatsoever he doth he seeks after God in all And as he seeks after God so he seeks after the things of God the favour and mercie of God the presence and fellowship of God those glorious inheritances which are Gods and are called his because they are with him the things of the kingdome of God they are the things he seeks after that hath the life of righteousnesse in him Secondly where the life of righteousnesse is there is a sutableness of the spirit and an agreement of the heart to the whole law of God I beteech you observe this The body of righteousness is nothing else but as it were the stamp of Gods Law there is a proportion and conformitie between the one and the other therefore in whomsoever the life of righteousnesse is in his spirit there is a sutableness of disposition to the whole Law of God so that howsoever there is much antipathie and deformitie and unlikeness and disagreement from the Law of God yet notwithstanding there is something within that soul that is agreeable to the whole Law of God so that there is no particular branch nor part of the Commandment of God but it doth find a principle to which it is suted and agreeable in the heart of all them that have the life of righteousnesse in them And this I take it is the meaning of that of writing the Law of God in their hearts that is the very Law of God in all the parts of it it hath a stamp and impression and a resemblance in the spirit of all them that have the life of righteousnesse This the Apostle largely expresseth in that seventh of the Romans from the 15. Verse and so forward I consent saith he to the Law that it is good and that it is holy and just They that have the life of righteousnesse they doe not onely finde a truth and a justice in Gods Law but they doe finde a goodness a loveliness in Gods Law there is a sutableness and an agreement between their spirit and the whole Law of God not onely in some but in all particulars Those branches of Gods Law which are most contrary to their customes and naturall dispositions and inclinations they see them good they behold them amiable they finde a disposition in their souls suteable and agreeable thereunto And hence is that of David Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments There is the second thing The third Effect of this life of righteousness it is a discerning of the evill of sin The want of the life of righteousnesse is the very cause why people doe not see the evill of sin Many people doe see the evill of the consequences of sin the plagues and judgements that come for sin but they doe not see the evill of sin Take sin in its own nature as it is an unlikeness to the nature of God as it is a transgression and a going beside a swerving from the Commandment of God they doe not see any evill in sin thus But now where ever there is the life of righteousnesse there is an apprehension and feeling of the evill of sin as it is sin it self and the reason of it is cleer because that the life of righteousnesse is nothing but an impression of the Law of God upon a man therefore it must needs cause that soul in which it is to know and apprehend the Evill of the transgression of Gods Law In a word they that have the life of righteousnesse in them they doe in their hearts apprehend sin to be the greatest evill and the most bitter thing that is in the world whether it be a great sin or a small sin in regard of the matter of it whether it be a secret sin or a publike sin in regard of the circumstance however sin may differ yet they apprehend the greatest evill and bitterness to be in all sin thereupon it is that they are as truly though not as strongly shy of the least sin as of the greatest of the secretest sin as of the most publique and scandalous sin You have Saint Paul for this Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the bodie of this death The
because through the merit of Christ and the mercie of God it is transitorie to all beleevers 4. Lastly it is called a bodie because as our bodies are made up of many Integrals and consist of several members by which they act and exercise severall functions so also originall corruption is one thing consisting of many particular sins as so many integrall parts or severall members whereby it putteth forth it self in severall operations For these and such like reasons Originall corruption is called a bodie Thus you see what is here meant by bodie And now it is more easie to understand what is meant by the Spirit The Spirit is life because of righteousnesse For if by the body be meant originall corruption then by the Spirit must be meant originall righteousnesse that which is elsewhere in the Scripture called the divine nature or the seed of God or grace or holiness or the like Originall holiness or righteousness is that which I take it is here meant by the Spirit It is so called John 3.6 That which is born of the spirit is spirit and so in many other places Now this same habit of holiness is called the Spirit 1. To shew the excellency of it That as a Spirit is an excellent thing far above all bodily substances so is holiness the excellentest of Gods creatures for grace is also a creature as other things 2. To shew the durableness of it though sin shall die in the Saints and be utterly destroyed yet grace shall never be destroyed stroyed nor cease in the Saints of God 3. It is called the Spirit in regard of the Objects of it for the Objects of this grace are spirituall things 4. In regard of the Author of it It is the holy Spirit of God that begets and works it in people therefore as the child beareth the name of the Father so doth this of the Spirit Thus you see what is meant by sin namely the transgression of Gods Law either in omission or commission What by righteousness The observation of Gods Law in the duties of the first and second Table What by the bodie Originall corruption What by the spirit the habit of holiness or originall righteousnesse Now then the whole amounteth to this That if so bee the Lord Christ be in people then there is a death of sin in them and a life of righteousnesse Thus much is meant by the words let them be taken any way which way soever Expositors can carry them this must be the sence of them and therefore we need not spend further time in the Exposition but will fall directly upon the Doctrine which is this In whomsoever Christ is there is a death of sin and a life of righteousnesse The Point is very evident and expresse in the Text being the main matter scope and drift thereof as well as in other places of Scripture For the proving of it not to trouble you with many other Scriptures you may consider these things First The ends and the offices of Christ which the Apostle Paul expresseth Tit. 2.14 Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquitie and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The main end of Christ is the redemption of a people from all iniquitie which implieth not onely the removal of the guilt of sin but the destroying of the bodie of sin Therefore 1 Joh. 3.8 it is said That for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devill Not onely the guilt of sin but the power and dominion of sin is the work of the Devill now therefore for this purpose saith the Text the Son of God was manifested that he might free us from the guilt yea and from the dominion and life and power of sin There is one end Another end of Christs giving himself was To purifie us therefore he must put sin to death in us for to purifie is nothing else but to purge out corruption as the fire doth work the drosse out that is in the gold Again To purifie us that we might be a peculiar people zealous of good works Where there is a zealousnesse of good works there must be a life of righteousnesse So that by that place you plainly see that the end of Christ is the putting of sin to death and bringing in the life of righteousnesse Moreover Christ was to be the second Adam and he is so called 1 Cor. 15.45 And to speak the truth the first Adam was a Type of Christ as it is Rom. 5.14 Who is the Figure or Type of him that was to come For not onely the Ceremonies amongst the Jewes were Types of Christ but even Adam in his fall in his undoing the world in his overthrowing of mankind was a Type and Figure of Christ also Onely other Types did figure out Christ by way of similitude but Adam by way of dissimilitude and contrarietie For look what Adam did the contrary to that Christ is to doe Now Adam did cause to all in whom he was as the Parent is in the child a death of righteousnesse and a life of sin Therefore the contrary the Lord Jesus Christ must work in all those in whom he is a death of sin and a life of righteousnesse Secondly this Point is also plain from the consideration of those respects in which Christ is said to be in people Those are as you heard before First in regard of his Spirit Secondly in regard of his Vertue influence and sap that is in them Now where ever these are there must be a death of sin and a life of righteousnesse For the former even as fire doth purge away drosse and rust so the holy Ghost works out corruption and puts sin to death where ever he cometh and as light expelleth darkness even so doth he expell unrighteousnesse and sin because he is the holy Spirit Again for the vertue and life of Christ you know it was the life of righteousnesse therefore whereever this is there must be a life of righteousnesse in that man Last of all the truth of this will appear from the consideration of that communion with Christ and conformitie to him that all those must have which are in Christ and Christ in them Wherein they must have a communion with and a conformitie to Christ Saint Paul sheweth Rom. 6. from the third verse to the twelfth In the third Verse he layeth down that Union by Faith which all justified persons have with the Lord Jesus and from this he inferreth a communion with him and a conformitie unto him But in what In his death and in his resurrection If we have been planted together saith he v. 5. in the likenesse of his death mark not in the same death but in the likeness thereof wee shall bee also in the likeness of his resurrection Where the Apostle declareth that like as there was in Christ a bodily death and a bodily resurrection so there is in
shot in the spirit and soul of Christ To be brief this you must know whatsoever beleevers should have suffered for their sins whether it be in the losse of the sense of Gods love or in the sensible feeling of the wrath and divine displeasure of Almightie God all that Christ suffered so far as can be suffered without sin and without the guilt of a defiled conscience Now to all this did Christ give up himself for beleevers to the end that beleevers who have lost the love of God might have it Christ gave up himself in regard of sense for a while to lose all sense of Gods love to the end that beleevers might not feel the insupportable burthen of the infinite wrath of God Christ took it upon him and endured it and all this Christ did willingly and freely and of his own accord therefore the Phrase in the Text is Emphaticall Who gave himself and Christ saith of himself I lay down my life Beleevers did with full consent sin Christ must with full consent suffer or else Christ could not deliver beleevers from the wrath of God This appeareth because that Christ when hee knew that Judas should betray him he goeth to that place where he was wont and knew that Judas would come there After that Judas and the Souldiers come out of seek Christ Christ cometh and offereth himself Whom is it that you seek saith he We seek Jesus of Nazareth I am he saith he he offereth and declareth himself to them putteth himself into their hands and whereas he makes them to let all his Disciples scape yet he suffereth them to take himself Could Christ make them let the Disciples go and could hee not have made them let himself go Again our Saviour did but speak and they went backward and fell to the ground he that could throw them down backward could be not have killed them with his word if he pleased Again when Peter drew out his sword and went about to defend him Peter saith he put up thy sword I can pray to my Father and hee shall presently give me more then twelve Legions of Angels One Angel in one night slew in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand men and what then could twelve Legions of Angels have done This Christ could have had for a word speaking to his Father but he did freely and willingly give up himself to all these torments for beleevers and he did not onely suffer them as a man but as a God For as I told you in his obedience so I tell you in his passion you must not sever the Divinitie of Christ from his humanitie For howsoever the Godhead could not suffer yet notwithstanding the Godhead did these things it was the nature of Christ that suffered Whatsoever a man doth with any part of himself though it be with his bodie the whole man is said to doe it because all actions are attributed to the person it was that nature that subsisted in the Divine Person that endured all these things therefore it is said that God shed his bloud Again the Godhead did withdraw it self and so had a hand in the passion of Christ the Godhead did withdraw it self from the revelation and manifestation of it self to Christ Again the Godhead did suffer it self to be eclipsed to be vail'd to be obscured and so may have a hand in suffering Again the Godhead of Christ did support the humane nature to bear the other wayes insupportable wrath of God But in all these respects the Lord Christ as God as well as man gave up himself to this for beleevers Hence is that Emphaticall speech Zach. 13.7 Awake O sword against my Shepherd and against the man that is my fellow Observe that speech Awake O sword here God speaks to his wrath to his divine vengeance to fall upon the man that is his fellow Christ as Gods fellow did suffer the wrath of God now Christ is not Gods fellow but as Christ is God Christ as Gods fellow suffered the wrath of God therefore Christ as God gave himself up even to suffer for beleevers And observe the Phrase Awake O sword against the man that is my fellow the very justice of God could not tel how to lay stroaks upon this Son of God til God bid it it stood as it were in amazement for to strike the man that was Gods own fellow What for God to strike his fellow that man that was God how could justice doe this Nay justice could not till God bad it Awake O sword Thus you have seen the Doctrine opened to you what the things are to which the Lord Christ freely disposeth and bequeatheth himself for beleevers To Incarnation he that was God became man To the obedience of the Law he that was the Law-giver became the Law-keeper To suffering both in body and in soul both the wrath of man and the wrath of God This is the meaning of these words Hee gave himself for us Now as briefly as I can to make some Use of the Point and so to passe on to somewhat else First of all this Doctrine serveth to shew us the wonderfull love of Christ to beleevers Can there be greater love then for a man to give himself to one We count it the greatest love that can be between creatures that of the man to the wife and the wife to the man and why so because there is a giving themselves one to another which no creature else doth This Christ hath done he hath given himself to beleevers and he cannot shew greater love because he cannot do a greater thing and yet behold a greater than this he hath not only given himself to them but for them and that is a little more You may conceive it by a similitude If a man give himself to a woman to become her husband there is a great-matter in that but if the man shall give himself for the woman when shee is to die to die for her that is more he that giveth himself to her doth yet injoy himself but he that giveth himself for her doth lose himself he that giveth himself to men hath himself but hee that giveth himself for men hath given away himself Oh this this is the love of Christ to all beleevers He hath given himself for us he that was God made himself of no reputation made himself nothing for so the word is in the Originall he that was above the Law he hath put himself under the Law he that was a Soveraign is become a Subject he that was the God of life is become a man under the power of death he that was the Judge standeth as the person guiltie and suffereth the judgement Here is his love you that are beleevers to the end that you might enjoy Gods favour he hath given himself to lose Gods favour for the sense of it to the end that you might never go to hell he hath suffered himself to endure the uttermost
God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not All these places plainly prove That whosoever Christ hath redeemed from under iniquitie he so works with them that they shall never return to iniquitie again for Christ gave himself to free them from it and he will never buy a thing at so costly a rate but it shall be done Not but that they that are redeemed sin but the meaning is They never commit sin with a full consent they never again come under the power and reign of sin sin they doe but it is out of infirmitie it is not with purpose of heart it is not with deliberation it is not with delight when ever they sin they doe that which they hate and they commit that which they hate and they commit that which they are ashamed of This is the meaning of these Scriptures Therefore I say be exhorted seeing Christ hath so dearly bought your redemption from all iniquitie Oh in the name of Christ be exhorted neither for pleasure nor for honour nor for fear neither to please your selves nor the world nor your friends never be brought under any iniquitie for Christ gave himself for this end to redeem us from all iniquitie This is the first exhortation to exhort us to take heed of coming under any iniquitie seeing to redeem us from it Christ gave himself The second Exhortation is to exhort us to labour every day more and more to get from under that iniquitie under which we are The former Exhortation exhorted us to keep our selves from coming under that from which we are gotten this is to exhort us to labour every day more and more to get from under that iniquitie under which we are For did Christ give himself for this end Oh then let us never give over till we are gotten from under all iniquitie What end can we better aim at then Christ aimed at the redeeming us from all iniquitie let us also aim at this to redeem our selves from all iniquitie Indeed it is true in the point of satisfaction and in the point of paying the ransome we can do nothing Christ doth all but yet this I must tell you that in the point of deliverie of our selves from under iniquitie we must doe a great deal Christ giveth us right to come out from under all iniquitie but Christ requireth that we our selves should bring our selves from under iniquitie It is true indeed we cannot doe it but by Christ it is the grace of Christ the power of Christ the spirit of Christ that doth help us to get our selves from under iniquitie yet notwithstanding we must labour to get our selves from under it and Christ will help us For this I might quote many places but for fear of being too long I will content my self with that in 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises doarly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Observe the Phrase the Apostle doth not say be cleansed but let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit But some might say we are cleansed already Christ hath cleansed us Yea saith the Apostle in part but we must perfect this holiness Christ hath brought us from under iniquitie in some measure now Christ expects we should bring our selves from under the remainders of iniquitie It is in this case as it was with the people of Israel it was the Lords power and gift that gave them possession of the land of Canaan it was the Almightie arm of God that did it Yet notwithstanding when they were in the land of Canaan they were fain to fight for it before the Cananites were dispossest that was but a Type of this It is the Lords Almighty power that hath possest us with this libertie and freedome from iniquitie but yet notwihstanding before we can come to inioy a full libertie from all iniquitie we must fight for it and wage the battels of the Lord. And truly my brethren Christians are miserably guiltie of being under the power of iniquitie much more then they might because they are lazie and idle and they doe not labour to deliver themselves from under the remainders of iniquitie but even as it was with the Israelites which were but a type of beleevers in Judg. 2.2 I said unto you you shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land you shall throw down their Altars but you have not obeyed my voice The Lord appointed the people of Israel that they should never leave till they had rooted out the Canaanites but they were lazie and idle and did not drive out so many as they might Even thus it is with most Christians the Lord hath possest us of libertie and yet he requireth that we should work out the remainders of iniquitie wee are generally lazie and we make leagus with sin and we have a secret affection to this lust or to that lust and therefore we doe not bestir our selves laboriously to expell all iniquitie Here is the reason that the end of Christ is no more made good unto us Oh be now exhorted I beseech you to fulfill the desire of Christ it was the very end why he died that thou shouldst be redeemed from all iniquity be thou like Christ doe thou make corruption die that thou mayest redeem thy self from all iniquitie This is the very scope of the Apostle in this Text he had exhorted in the beginning of the Chapter servants to their duties masters to theirs old men and women to theirs all to deny ungodliness and worldy lusts and to live soberly and righteously in this present world Now to perswade them to this he bringeth in this of the Text for saith he Christ gave himself for this end to redeem us from all iniquitie As if he should say will you not make good the end of Christ when Christ had so much desired to redeem you from all iniquitie that to effect it he hath given himself what will you not bestir your selves to make good this end of Christ Oh be exhorted to endeavour the purging away the remainders of iniquitie We have now finished the Uses of Exhortation we are now lastly to come to some Uses of Instruction and so conclude This Doctrine my brethren That Christ gave himself for this end to redeem us from all iniquitie it serveth for a threefold Instruction First of all to teach us that there is no need of any satisfaction on our parts to appease the wrath of God or deliver us from our iniquities for Christ hath given himself to doe it therefore it is but a sillie thing to thinke that wee can come after and doe it The very thing whereby men should satisfie Gods wrath Christ hath given himself to doe it There is but two waies men can satisfie the justice and wrath of God The one is by keeping the Law The other is by suffering
you doe not finde your hearts loving Christ above all things if you cannot say of Christ as the Church in the Canticles Oh thou whom my soul loveth if you cannot say that Christ hath more room in your affection that there is more inlargement of heart toward him then to any thing else in the world then you are not yet in the number of them for whom Christ gave himself to redeem them from all iniquitie Therefore I beseech you quicken up your hearts towards Christ Why doth Iniquitie so abound now and the love of so many waxe cold Surely you have forgotten your selves have not you forgotten what Christ hath done how else could your affections be so little so cold towards him Remember what I have opened now unto you Christ gave himself to be a man to obey the Law to suffer the wrath of God and man and that for this end to redeem you from all iniquitie therefore love you the Lord Jesus according as he doth deserve And thus much shall serve for the first end Why Christ gave himself for beleevers That end which concerns beleevers themselves Viz. That he might redeem them from all iniquitie The Second remaineth and that is that which concernes himself But so much for this Time â‚ THE BLESSED INHABITANT OR The BENEFIT of CHRISTS BEING In BELEEVERS By that Reverend Divine THOMAS HOOKER Late Preacher in New England EPHES. 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith LONDON Printed by G. D. for Francis Eglesfield and are to be sold at the Sign of the Marigold In Pauls Church-yard 1651. The Blessed Inhabitant OR The Benefit of Christs being in Beleevers SERMON II. ROM 8.10 If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse THe Apostle Saint Paul having in the first verse of this present Chapter in the very first words of the Verse set down the blessed Priviledges of all true beleevers such as are regenerated and are in Christ he doth afterwards in many Verses lay down the Signs and Tryals whereby he doth discover who they bee that are in that blessed condition and who they bee that are not And amongst others not to stand upon the Coherence it not being necessary for the understanding of this Verse he doth in the words of the Text lay down certain cleer Signs and Tryals whereby people may know whether they are regenerated by Christ and so justified yea or no And that is the Scope and Sum of this Verse If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse In the Verse then you have these two things considerable First the state and condition of all justified persons Christ is in them in the first words If Christ be in you Secondly the Signs and Evidences whereby it may bee known whether Christ be in people yea or no in the rest of the Verse the bodie is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse I begin with the First The state and condition of all persons that are justified They have Christ in them If Christ be in you saith the Apostle supposing thus much That the Lord Christ is in every justified person in every one that is exempted from condemnation The Point is clear and evident in the words of the Text If Christ be in you The like to this you have John 14.20 I am in my Father saith our Saviour to his Disciples and you in me and I in you They are in him and he in them The like also you have John 17.21 23. There our Saviour prayeth That they may be one in us I in them and thou in mee that they may bee made perfect in one Mark I in them and thou in me Look as God the Father is in Christ so the Lord Christ also is in every beleever To this purpose also is that of the Apostle Col. 1.27 The riches of the glory of this mysterie is Christ in you the hope of glory CHRIST IN YOU You see the Point is clear Christ is in every justified person For the further understanding hereof I will let you know in a word or two for I purpose but to touch it how the Lord Jesus Christ is in all justified persons First he is in them as the Housholder or Master of the Family is in his house Therefore the Apostle saith Eph. 3.17 That he doth dwell in our hearts Look as the Master of the Family dwelleth in his house ruling commanding and ordering all things there even so is Christ in them that are justified persons Again he is in them as the food that we receive is in our stomacks Therefore he is often in the Scripture compared to meat and drink because as meat and drink are in us after we have eaten and drunken so is the Lord Jesus Christ also in all them that are justified for their refreshing nourishing and strengthning and preservation of life in them Last of all He is in them as a mans life is in him I live not saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 but Christ liveth in me Christ is in the soul of a poor sinner that beleeveth as our naturall life is in our bodies as our life doth act and move us being the principle of all those motions that are in us even so is Christ also in all justified persons But you will ask In what respect is it that the Lord Christ is said to be in justified persons I answer Amongst others Christ is said to be in them in these two respects First Because his Spirit is in them By his Spirit I do not mean his humane spirit his soul as he is a man that is proper to himself as every mans soul is but by his Spirit I mean the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost the third Person in Trinitie which is the Spirit of Christ both as he is the second Person in Trinitie so the Holy Ghost proceedeth from him together with the Father and also as he is the Mediatour of his Church so it is his Spirit because he hath merited and as it were purchased it to imploy it and to send it about for the effecting of the salvation of the Elect. Now the Lord Christ is in beleevers by vertue of his spirit because his spirit is in them This the verse before the Text and the verse after plainly prove where the Apostle maketh mention of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in the faithful If the Spirit of God dwell in you v. 9. And If the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you Verse 11. This is the first Reason why Christ is said to be in justified persons his Spirit is in them Another is Because the vertue efficacie life and operation of Christ is in them as the tree or the root may be said to be in the branches because the life and sap of the tree is put forth in the branches So
there no sin can command the whole soul but howsoever it may command part of the man yet there is no part that will be wholly commanded by it This Saint Paul expresly sheweth Rom. 7. from the 15. verse to the end of the Chapter It is true saith he with my flesh that is with my unregenerate part for by flesh there he doth not mean his bodie but the naturall part both of soul and bodie I serve the law of sin but with my minde that is with the regenerate part of soul and bodie I serve the Law of God Whereever there is a death of sin there will be a part in every part of a man that will not be subjected or commanded by any sin This I take to be the meaning of that 1 joh 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and hee cannot sin because he is born of God That is so far as he is born of God that same part in him which is the seed of God the off-spring of God it cannot sin sin cannot command that though it command all the rest Thereupon it is called the divine nature and the spirit because as the Spirit and the divine nature will not be masterd by corruption so the regenerated part of a man will not be commanded by any sin whatsoever Secondly which is indeed a fruit of the former and a further expression of it where there is this death of sin there sin is never committed with full consent delight and purpose of heart They that have sin alive in them drink down iniquitie like water and draw sin unto them as it were with cart-ropes And that I conceive the Psalmist meaneth by departing wickedly from God Psal 18. 21. They that have sin dead in them imperfectly may depart from God but they doe not wickedly depart from him not with full consent content delight and purpose of heart And the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the flesh doe minde the things of the flesh A man that hath sin dead in him may commit sin but hee doth not minde sin We may conceive what this minding is by this similitude When a woman that is with child strongly longs after something she doth minde that thing How her mind is continually upon it her ele her heart her fancis her thoughts her whole self as it were is taken up with it Thus is it with those that have sin alive in them their particular corruptions are minded by them they doe with full gale post after the satisfying their lusts They are said to make provision for the slesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13. 14. But now they that have sin dead in them doe never commit sin with the full bent of their spirit with the full consent and delight of their will but there is ever an antipathy to the sin a with-drawing from the corruption something that doth lust against it as well as something that doth lust after it Thirdly he that hath sin dead in him is freed from many particular sins that he did formerly commit Rom. 7. 5. When we were in the flesh that is when sin was alive in us the mations of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death While sin is alive it is perfectly fruitfull but when it is dead the fruitfulness thereof is much lessened Such saith the Apostle were some of you 1 Cor. 6. 11. implying that now they were not such though formerly they had been There is in the regenerate a ceasing of many though not of all the actions of sin The power of sin in them is weakned therefore the fruitfulness of sin must needs be diminished There is a great alteration wrought in their wills and affections in their thoughts words and actions in their generall and particular calling in their duties towards God and man They do not bring forth so many fruits of sin as they were wont at least they doe now for the ordinary course of their lives refrain from bearing the fruit of such sins as are grosse or scandalous Fourthly the godly in whom sin is dead doe not onely cease bearing the fruits of grosse and scandalous sins but oftentimes though not perpetually are able to deny and forbear the committing of any particular sin even those that are most naturall to them most strong in them that are wont to catch them on a sudden and to prevail over them even those the godly have power oftentimes to resist and overcome A man that is in the flesh that hath sin alive in him is described Ephes 2. 3. to be such a one as doth fulfill the desires of the flesh and therein appeareth the life of sin when the desires of the flesh are alwaies fulfilled But now on the other side the imperfect death of sin appeareth in this that not onely some of the desires of the flesh are never fulfilled but even all the desires of the flesh are alwayes more or lesse crossed and not fulfilled And this I take to be the meaning of that Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot doe the things that you would I suppose that latter clause You cannot doe the things that you would is not onely meant of the Spirit that by the flesh the Spirit is disabled to doe the things that it would but it is also meant of the flesh that by reason of the Spirit the flesh cannot doe the things it would that look as sometimes the remnants of the flesh doe hinder the Spirit that it cannot doe as it would so also the beginnings of the Spirit do hinder the flesh that in nothing it is able to do the things it would This is a fourth Effect whereby the weakning of corruption doth appear That sin is not able to work in us that which it would no not in any particular whatsoever but in those sins that are most naturall many times there is a denying of them and a forbearing to commit them and to fulfill the desires of them Now to these you must in the last place add that which is a propertie accompanying all of them and is the last particular whereby the death of sin appeareth and that is That this same weakning and lessening of corruption discovered in these Effects that I have opened unto you is both universall and also durable and permanent First it is universall there is not onely a weakning and lessening of corruption in some parts but in all And herein it differeth from all counterfeit death of sin in which there may be a weakning of some sins yet not of all but though some happily be weaker then they were others are as strong as ever But where-ever this death of sin is indeed there sin is universally weakned and this also will appear in all the particulars and parts
with the punishment of sinne such of you as doe desire as truly to be rid of sinne it selse as to escape damnation for sinne in a word such of you as are sensible of the corruption of your nature and groan under it as under the greatest misery you can possibly lie under such of you as maintain an invincible opposition against the sinnes of your nature and make them your daily conflict you are Gods people and to you I speak at this time Here my brethren is comfort for you sinne may be in thee it may foile thee it may have sometime a great power over thee yet notwithstanding be of good comfort sinne shall never have dominion over thee it shall never make thee his subject it shall never damne thee I pray take notice of the speech of God to Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12. 8 9. The Apostle was troubled with his corruptions and he prayed thrice to be rid of it here is a signe of Gods childe though he have corruptions in him yet he is restlesse under them and he never giveth over praying till God deliver him from them Paul prayed thrice that is often he could not be quiet till he were free from it it was as a thorn in his foot what answer doth God give My grace is sufficient for thee As if he should say Paul be of good comfort art thou annoyed with corruption yet notwithstanding My grace is sufficient for thee thy corruption shall never have dominion over thee well may it dwell in thee never shall it reign over thee well may it foile thee never shall it conquer thee thou shalt never come to be overcome with thy corruptions so as to give up thy selfe with full consent of will to obey thy sinnes My grace is sufficient to keep thy corruption from reigning over thee though I will not keep it from dwelling in thee My grace is sufficient to keep sinne from damning of thee though I will not yet keep it from molesting of thee Here is comfort for thy poor soule therefore that art burthened and grieved with the sense of thy corruptions As the Lord resolved that he would not for a time drive out the Canaanites from among the people of Israel but yet they should be Tributaries to them and acknowledge them for their Soveraigne so the Lord hath resolved that sinne shall dwell in thee but yet it shall be a Tributary it shall never sway the Scepter it shall never weare the Crown it shall never set on the Throne of thy soule and not prevailing to reign over thee it shall never prevaile to damne thee Be of good comfort therefore God will deliver thee from all dominion of sinne yea he hath done it already Oh how did Saint Paul crie out Rom. 7. 24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Here is a true signe of Gods childe they that have not this are none of Gods by reason of the remainders of corruption which is as death in him therefore the Apostle here calleth it the body of this death he meaneth originall corruption but calleth it a body of death because it is a death to him and he had rather suffer death then have it in him by reason of this he counteth himselfe miserable and wretched Oh miserable and wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death he would give all the world if he had it but to be delivered from the presence of sinne this is the state of Gods children nothing in the world burtheneth them so much as the presence of their corruptions they are not pleased when they break Gods Commands they doe not make it their trade to commit sinne it is the greatest griefe and shame and wound their soule hath Well how doth Saint Paul comfort himselfe against the remainders of corruption in him I thank God saith he through jesus Christ our Lord As if he should say why doe I thus dismay my selfe sinne is in me but yet notwithstanding sinne shall not have dominion over me by Christ I am delivered from the reign of sinne Oh thanks be to God through jesus Christ Here is consolation take it and incourage your selves by it against the remainders of corruption that are in you God hath left sinne in you but why It is but to serve you as the Canaanites that were left in Canaan they shall not reign over you saith God they shall be Tributaries to you to draw water and to hew wood for the service of the Sanctuary to helpe you in offering up Sacrifices they shall be your servants I speak this to your comforts onely that are the Lords sinne is left in you not to reign over you but to serve you You are Priests to God the Father and you must have Sacrifices to offer up unto God of old God made his people offer up costly Sacrifices Oxen and Sheep and Calves but now sinne serveth the turne the sinne that is in thee serveth thee for Sacrifice every sinne that thou mortifie it is as pleasing a Sacrifice to God as if thou offerest up an O xe or a Sheep thus they are thy servants and they save thee cost they serve in stead of Sacrifices they serve to draw water and cut wood thy sinnes they doe more further thygrace then any thing else they helpe thee to draw the water of godly sorrow of true repentance they helpe thee to prize the mercies of the Lord Jesus Christ they helpe thee to humility to meeknesse to a spirit of compassion to others in a word nothing doth thee so much service as the sinne that is in thee Be of good comfort therefore if thy sinnes be grieved for striven against laboured against they further thy reward for all eternity Here is the second Use The last Use is for Exhortation in as much as you that are Gods people see that sinve shall never have dominion over you be exhorted therefore to fight against your sinnes you have a good cause you are sure of victory oh then play the men Souldiers that have a good cause and have good hope of victory how manfully doe they fight and yet they are not sure of victory neither But thou that art one of Christs what cause can here be better then thine the cause of Christ against the Devill what greater assurance can there be of obtaining the victory seeing God himselfe is ingaged in the quarrell the word is gone cut of his mouth he hath said it Sinne shall not have dominion over you Oh then stand it out against sinne never yeeld the bucklers to thy corruptions that make hard upon thee make the battell fresh and strong against thy lusts though thou art foyled again and again never give over conflicting for God hath said it and his words shall never fall to the ground that sinne shall not have dominion over thee he hath engaged himselfe in the cause and if God be true and able
remember their sins no more The Propertie of grace it is to pardon failings to cover imperfections to accept of a desire and of an endeavour and of a weak performance This is the first propertie of grace that this is so you may see it in Noh 13.22 Remember me O my God and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercie That is remember my good deeds and spare my imperfections and passe by my weaknesses Neheminh could not have prayed it if God had not promised it So also that in Mal. 3.17 They shall be mine saith the Lord and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him How doth a man spare a son If a servant serve a man he makes him doe the uttermost he will be content with nothing but perfect obedience but if a son come to serve the father the futher will winke at many failings will take well an imperfect service so the son desireth and endeavoureth to doe better so saith the Lord I will spare them as a father spareth his son that serveth him It is said of the Lord-Christ in Ma◠12.20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoking 〈◊〉 shall he not quench till he send forth judgement unto victory There is more promised in the words than is exprest A bruised reed shall he not break but he shall strengthen it A smoking flax shall he not quench but he shall increase it that is the meaning of it he shall be so far from slighting desires and endeavours and imperfect obedience that he shall accept them and strengthen them as appeareth in the next words till he hath brought forth judgement unto victory The work of sanctification is victorie Christ will strengthen imperfect obedience till he hath made holinesse and obedience victorious over all corruption This is the first propertie of Grace to pardon sin to accept imperfect obedience to cover frailties The second Propertie of Grace is that it giveth strength and power to doe whatsoever it commandeth this is that point we spake of before In that forenamed place 2 Cor. 3.6 there the Covenant of grace is called the Spirit not of the Letter saith the Apostle but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit that is the Covenant of grace giveth life Grace whatsoever it commandeth giveth power to doe it so farre as shall be sufficient for Gods acceptance The third property of grace is this that grace delivereth us from under the curse it fetcheth us out of condemnation This is that which is exprest in Gal. 4.5 To redeem them that were under the Law and so under the curse that we might receive the adoption of sons and so the blessing of sons therefore is that in Rom. 6.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus c. Fourthly and lasty The last property of grace is this That grace it doth hinder corruption from multiplying from bringing forth fruit grace doth destroy the Law in regard of any power to multiply sinne and corruption in us as it did before grace doth subdue our iniquities Micah 7.19 grace doth write the Law of God in our hearts grace doth give us dispositions inward answerable to the outward commands of the Law of God So that by grace when as the Law of God commeth with a command to doe this grace makes us able to doe it in some measure when the command of God commeth with a prohibition not to doe this grace makes us able to abstaine from it in some measure Thus now grace destroying corruption and making us able in some measure to obey the commands it doth destroy that accidentall property of the Law where by it doth multiply and streng then corruption in us And thus Grace is directly contrary to the Law The Law came by Moses but Grace and Truth through Jesus Christ Now then to be under grace is no more but to be in that condition wherein we injoy this fourfould happy blessing 1. To be in a condition wherein all our sinnes are pardoned our imperfect obedience accepted our frailties covered 2. To be in a condition wherein no more shall be commanded then strength given to obey 3. To be in a condition wherein we are fetched from under the curse and condemnation of the Law and brought under the justification of children 4. To be in a condition wherein we receive so much grace as that we are able in some measure to obey the commands of the Law and that the Law cannot bring forth sinne in us as it hath before By this you see now what they that are in Christ doe injoy they are not under the Law but under Grace I will briefly in three or four words conclude all with some Use of this Doctrine And first of all this serveth for great comfort to all those that are in Christ for indeed this whole Text is full of unspeakable consolation to every poor soule that hath any true evidence of his being in Christ their condition in which they stand is wonderfull sweet they are not under the Law but under Grace Here is then a fountain opened of singular consolation for all such They are not in that state wherein exact obedience shall be required and all infirmities charged upon them but they are in that state wherein their desires and indeavours and beginings shall be accepted and perfected Thou that art in Christ thou art not in that condition wherein thou art devoid of all strength to obey the Commandements of God but thou art in such a state wherein there is life and power given thee to doe what is commanded by God Thou art not under the curse and condemnation of the Law but under the blessing and justification of children Let the people of God but run over these particulars here laid down and view all the severall comforts that are in that condition wherein they are and there is a fountain and spring of comfort for them The Second Use is for a sharp reprehension to all such as are the people of God and are his children that finde themselves to be so by a testimonie from their own spirits and from Gods spirit and yet notwithstanding lead lives uncomfortable and lumpish This Doctrine my brethren affordeth you a sharp reprehension Thou art in Christ and yet art thou discouraged or disheartned either with corruption or with guilt How unworthy doest thou walk of that condition wherein thou art Thou art not under the Law but under grace why then is it that thou art as much dejected and discouraged as if thou wert under the Law and not under grace What is it that makes thee disconsolate and discouraged but the condition wherein thou art may administer to thee much more comfort Art thou full of sin yet notwithstanding thou art in a condition wherein all sin shall be pardoned Is thy obedience very imperfect yet thou art in a condition wherein imperfect obedience shall be accepted and frailties covered Doest
hearken to any perswasions to the contrary though they be backed with never so many shews of Religion or learning But a question here may be demanded shall not a man be willing to heare better counsell happily then his own Must he heare nothing at all against such an opinion or practise as he conceives to be grounded upon divine truth and which he hath been taught by those teachers he hath depended upon Who knoweth not that a man may easily be deceived and mistake the sense of Gods Spirit in the word so as to imbrace errour instead of truth My brethren by the cunning subtilty of the enemy this conceit hath crept into the mind of all Heretiques that look what they once drink in they must ever retain it as a principle and never think of removing or unsetling from it This is an hook whereby the Devill holdeth multitudes of men in falsehood and errour and in wicked courses They will heare nothing against that which formerly they have imbraced and been perswaded unto by those they depend upon This policie the Devill useth in Popery and amongst the Familists and Anabaptists teaching them to resolve to hold whatsoever they have received either from themselves or others And here I say it is sinfull for a man to resolve to heare no counsell at all against his opinion But neverthelesse this I say When a man is perswaded that the opinion or course he takes up is such as God himselfe hath been pleased to make known unto him out of his Word he is to receive nothing against this but meerly out of the Word let nothing unsettle our judgement in a plain and revealed truth but onely hold to that As I have been settled by the truth so if ever I change my opinion the truth is that which shall reform me all the counsell I take up and all the opinions I hold shall be such as the Word of God shall reveal to mee And because my minde may be weak and my understanding frail and not able to see the sense of the spirit therefore I will hear nothing against a good course but onely out of the Word If my opinion and my course be such as I am perswaded is the truth revealed out of the word howsoever I may be deluded yet this I will attribute to the Word of God no opinion no authoritie of any other shall carry the truth from me but the word shall reform me as the word hath perswadad me and as the word hath revealed to me This you shall observe to be the counsell of God in severall places of Scripture Mark what the Apostle saith to the Philippians Phil. 1.27 he desireth this at their hands that they would stand fast in one spirit with one minde in the truth revealed and to the Colossians Col. 1.23 Continue saith he in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you have heard and which was preached unto you As if he should say If you have received that satisfaction from the word of God that you are convinced that it is the word of God and that the course you take is grounded upon it be not moved but stand fast in that truth received This is the second thing The third and last thing which concerneth the manner of our hearkning to the voice of Christ is this When thus the soul is perswaded of the will of God revealed and when the heart setleth it self upon it and hears nothing against the good pleasure of the Lord thus manifested then in the last place the soul must yeeld obedience therunto not alone in doing the thing God commandeth but in doing the will of God in so doing Mark not alone I say performing what God requireth of us but to be carried to the performance of the dutie meerly because God requireth it For these you must observe are two distinct things and of great difference A man may doe the thing which God commandeth and yet notwithstanding never doe Gods will but his own Many a man cometh to Church and there hears and understands and remembers and doth the things that God would have him doe and yet in the mean time doth not at all the will of God for he doth not therefore go to Church because God requireth it but partly either because custome or shame or the Law or somewhat else forceth him to it Here therefore is the main pitch of our obedience not alone to perform what is the good pleasure of God but to let the will of God be the first mover of our souls in the discharging of that service he calleth for at our hands to doe what we doe because it is the will of God we should doe it to perform what he requires in obedience to him because he requires it Our Saviour Christ putteth these together in his prayer to his Father Luke 22.42 If thou be willing saith he remove this Cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done He saith not that he will do the thing that God requireth but he will doe the will of God in it the will of God should be the carrier and mover of him to take upon him the great work of redemption So should it be with us in every thing we doe It is not my will that moveth me but the will of God it is not my pleasure that provokes me to this service but the pleasure of God This is the third thing requisite in our manner of hearkning to the voice of Christ And this may be sufficient for the explication of the point Onely let me adde one thing more Hence it followeth clearly That he that doth the will of God because God requireth it will obey all the good pleasure of the Lord Hee will obey him in every thing as well as in one thing in the hardest command as well as in that which is more easie in that which most crosseth his nature as well as in that which is more suteable thereunto This indeed is that which makes a Christian constant in his walking with God notwithstanding all those difficulties and discouragements he meets withall when as others are fain to baulk many things which are required of them to perform For my brethren if a man onely take up the practise of such matters in Religion as sute with his own humour or ease or profit or the like when those fail his performance of the 〈◊〉 faileth also if there be no other motive to carrie him along in the service of God but these outward and carnall considerations when they are gone his service of God is gone also And therefore we find by experience that many men can be content to give us the hearing they will come to Church and attend to the word of God but they will take up no more they will be tyed to the performance of no dutie further then it standeth with their own occasions and suteth with their own sinfull dispositions But
now hee that is carried along in all his services by the will of God if that be the principall mover of him in all his performances then when ever that will is revealed let it bee what it will bee let it crosse him never so much or be never so contrary to his disposition yet he is the same in every thing that he is in one thing This is that which is said Acts 3.22 For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me him shall you hear in all things whatsoever hee shall say unto you Mark him shall you hear in all things that is Whatsoever he shall make known unto you to bee the will of God to that you shall yeeld obedience And this is a necessary consequent of the former For if the will of God be the first mover of the soul to every performance then being at any time revealed it casteth the ballance and commands the soul willingly to yeeld to what God requireth in every thing Thus much shall serve for the clearing of the Point The substance of all that I have said is thus much namely That the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ must be so alone hearkned to and obeyed that first of all we must seek to him and depend onely and wholly upon him for direction Secondly that we must settle our hearts and judgements upon that truth that is by him revealed unto us And lastly that wee must be moved to the performance of every dutie because God requires it and consequently that our obedience bee universall that we hear him in all things Now a Question may be here propounded How shall a man hear the voice of Christ Indeed happily may a carnall man say if the Lord Christ would reveal himself to us immediately and his word were made known to us by himself we would presently yeeld obedience thereunto without any contradiction How shall a man therefore know when the voice of Christ is made known I answer briefly the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ is made known to us two waies First the word of God in the Scripture ever hath the voice of Christ in it Whatsoever the word speaks the Lord himself speaks The Apostle Rom. 3.2 saith that unto the Jewes were committed the Oracles of God What were those Oracles of God Nothing but the Scriptures So that this everlasting truth this word of God rightly understood and truly conceived alwaies carrieth the voice of Jesus Christ with it And therefore Saint Peter speaking of the Scriptures in generall 2 Pet. 1.21 saith that those holy men of God that were the Penmen thereof spake as they were moved or inspired by the Holy Ghost thereby intimating unto us that the Scriptures are the very inspirations of God the very breath as one may say of the the Holy Ghost So that look whatsoever it is that the Scriptures make known to us God from heaven hath spoken it even as truly and as really as though he had spoken it immediately What the word saith God himself saith Secondly Whatsoever any faithfull Minister shall speak out of the Word that is also the voice of Christ The Texts are many that are to this purpose Give me leave to touch but one or two of them 2 Cor. 1â— 3 Ye seek a proof saith the Apostle of Christ speaking in me which to you-wards is not weak but is mightie in you Implying that whatsoever is spoken out of the word of God what truth soever is delivered to us by the mouth of his Ministers agreeable to the word Christ himself speaks in them Therefore our Saviour is plain Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me That which the Ministers of God speak the God of Heaven himselfe speakes and they that despise their ministry the God of Heaven will require it even as if he himselfe should speak from Heaven and men should reject his words The Apostle Peter saith that the Lord Jesus by the power of his Spirit went and preached in the time of Noah to the Spirits that are now in Hell 1 Pet. 3.29 to those people that were disobedient before the floud to whom Noah preached partly by his practise and partly by his directions Christ himselfe spake even by that Spirit whereby he quickneth all things So then the point is evident But what reason is there that a man should stoop to the voyce and command of Christ In a word first He that alone hath command over us and right to require service at our hands him onely we ought to obey Now Christ alone is our Lord and we are his servants Eli joyneth these together in his direction to Samuel 1 Sam. 3 9. Thou shalt say saith he Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth If Christ alone therefore be our Lord whom else should we hear unto whom else should we attend and yeeld obedience Secondly The direction of Christ is the surest and safest look what counsell the Lord Jesus giveth we may build upon it As for others some are ignorant and know not how to teach some negligent and idle and will not teach some corrupt in their judgement and may infect us But Christ being Knowledge it selfe and Truth it selfe neither can nor will deceive us Therefore whatsoever the Lord Christ shall make known we may rest upon it and whatsoever course we take up upon his directions we may undoubtedly perswade our selvts that it shall goe well with us in the issue Our Saviour joyneth the same reason to his exhortation Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart What then And yee shall find rest unto your soules as if he should say The counsels and directions that men give they doe not they will not they cannot give a man any rest but the counsell that I give and those directions that I reveale unto you out of my word what ever soule imbraceth them what ever heart entertaineth them shall find rest and comfort to it selfe for ever Let us perswade our selves that whatsoever the Lord speakes will not saile us there is none that trusts upon him that even shall be ashamed his counsell is seasonable and will be profitable to us if it be blessed of God Thirdly Christ onely is able to teach us Man may teach the care but the Lord onely can frame the soule and bring the heart to obedience That place Luke 24.32.45 is worth the remembring Verse 32. it is said that the Lord opened to the Disciples the Scriptures and Verse 45. that he opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures Men can onely reveale truths to us but never a man in the world is able to perswade our hearts and put understanding into our mindes but the Lord not onely openeth the sense and meaning of the Scriptures but he giveth us mindes to know and hearts to imbrace
he will say whether he will speak comfort to his soul or no and then away with carnall reason and delusions of Satan My brethren yee should in the first place go to God and advise with him and hear what his good pleasure is toward you and never inquire of your own carnall reason Again there is oft another great fault in the people of God that as they go not to Christ in the first place for advice and counsell so in the second place when they have it they rest not upon it Many a one there is who after he hath been convinced evidently and clearly by the power of the word rightly and strongly applyed that his estate is good before God and that his conscience is sincere his heart upright and that the spirit of God hath begun an everlasting work of grace in him yet notwithstanding oftentimes relinquisheth that ground that God hath given him to stand upon and letteth go that hold that hath been reached out from heaven for him to sustain himself by and returning home again to a view of his own weaknesses and infirmities he forsaketh his own mercies and groweth forgetfull of his former comforts the consolations of the Almightie seem small unto him hee will not quiet himself in that truth which God hath made known nor rest upon his word as he requireth Yea but the soul replieth alas should a man content himself with a blind perswasion that his estate is good and not try his title to heaven or search whether his interest in Christ be such as will not deceive him at the last I say Yes a man should look into himself and examine himself whether he be in the faith or no but alwaies let the Lord be Judge let his word onely passe sentence upon thee Never Judge thy self barely by what either Satan seems to suggest or thy own sinfull weakness would perswade thee unto but when the Word of God is revealed and his truth manifested unto thee when the Minister out of the Seripture hath setled thy conscience and declared thy case good by such assured Evidences as thou maist safely build upon then hold there and beleeve nothing to the contrary search your selves but still doe it by the word of God If this course were taken and well observed where there are thousands of complaints among Christians there would be scarce one For my brethren the ground of all our feebleness and distrust and distemper lieth especially in this that we neglect our grounds and doe not fix upon those truths which God hath revealed and made known unto us either publikely or privately Hold this therefore for ever as the best direction I can give thee If my soul shall be condemned the word of God shall condemn it If I must judge my self to have no grace the Word of God shall say it If I must conclude salvation as yet belongeth not unto me it shall be because the Word saith so and not because Satan or my own imagination saith so This carrieth thousands of poor souls into manifold distempers because they settle not themselves upon the truth of God which alwaies standeth as mount Zion unmoveable and would make them rest in abundance of peace in the midst of all those disquiets that are raised by Satan and our own distrustfull hearts Lastly in a word doth the Lord himself call for and require this at our hands the Lord I say who onely hath right and authority to command us Doth he injoyn us when he speaks to hear and obey Oh now therefore though an unworthy Minister cannot perswade you to yeeld up your selves to the practice of this duty yet let the Lord himself prevail with you and woe to that soul that will not bee perswaded by the Lord himself Take notice of that place before alledged Acts 3.23 Every soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Let every one therefore now in the fear of God observe that which Christ himself injoyneth and so often calleth for in the second and and third Chapters of the Revelation He that hath an ear to hear let him hear The Lord saith the same now to every soul in this place Let every soul that hath an ear to hear hear what the Lord saith unto him not onely now but hereafter whensoever God shall be pleased to reveal any of his counsell to him for his direction Labour to bring your hearts to that temper we read to have been in Cornelius and those that he had gathered together to be partakers of Saint Peters Ministerie Acts 10.33 When the Apostle was come mark what Cornelus saith to him We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God My brethren the same frame of spirit ought we to have whatsoever it is that the Lord shall speak unto us wee must hear him in all things as I told you before not onely in some easie kind of dutie such as every man is willing to imbrace but in every thing be it never so crosse to carnall reason and corrupt nature when the Lord teacheth we must bring docile hearts hearts inlarged to hear and entertain his doctrine hearts willing to be moulded into that good word of God that he shall reveal to us neither must we thinke this dutie tedious we should never be weary of it Observe what Christ saith Luke 10.24 Many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which yee see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them What things Even those that are preached unto you and made known from day to day the great things of the Gospel which are now published in open view great men of great place and eminencie have desired to see and hear them The holy Patriarchs and Prophets whose spirits are now in heaven looked long for Christs day Abraham saw it afar off his eies dazeled in beholding of it If they rejoyced and delighted in these things should not we much more Nay the blessed Angels come down and delight to pore into these sacred mysteries that are now revealed to the people of God Which things saith the Apostle the Angels desire to prie into 1 Pet. 1.12 Those blessed spirits that are the subjects of joy and happiness are so ravished with those glorious mysteries that they are contented to come to our Congregations not a step or two as we doe who assoon almost as we are out of our doors are in the Church but a great journey even from heaven and with a great deal of liking and complacencie they behold the services of Gods people and are glad to see a poor soul converted and report it again in heaven rejoycing there together that a sinner is turned unto God My brethren thinke of it Shall we now that have most reason to attend these things they being that upon which our everlasting salvation depends be utterly careless of them Alas the
Abraham That man that not onely enjoyeth the Priviledges of the Church but yeeldeth the obedience of faith according to the Word of God revealed and walketh in obedience that man alone shall be blessed with faithfull Abraham Two points may be hence raised but I shall hardly handle them both therefore I will passe over the first onely with a touch and that lieth closely couched in the Text That Faith causeth fruitfulness in the hearts and lives of those in whom it is Mark what I say A faithfull man is a fruitfull man Faith inableth a man to be doing Ask the Question By what power was it whereby Abraham was inabled to yeeld obedience to the Lord The Text answereth you They that walke in the footsteps not of Abraham but in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham A man would have thought the Text should have run thus They that walk in the footsteps of Abraham that is true too but the Apostle had another end therefore he saith They that walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham implying that it was the grace of faith that God bestowed on Abraham that quickned and inabled him to every duty that God required of him and called him to the performance of So that I say the Question being Whence came it that Abraham was so fruitfull a Christian what inabled him to do and to suffer what he did Surely it was faith that was the cause that produced such Effects that helped him to perform such actions The Point then you see is evident Faith is it that causoth fruit Hence it is that of almost all the actions that a Christian haah to doe faith is still said to be the worker If a man pray as he should it is the prayer of faith Jam. 5.15 If a man obey as he should it is the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 If a man war in the Church militant it is the fight of faith 1 Tim. 6.12 2 Tim. 4.7 If a man live as a Christian and holy man he liveth by fasth Gal. 2.20 Nay shall I say yet more if he die as he ought he dieth by faith Heb. 11.13 These all died in faith What is that by the power of faith that directed and ordered them in the course of their death furnished them with grounds and principles of aflurance of the love of God made them carry themselves patiently in death I can say no more but with the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether yee bee in the faith Why doth not the Apostle say Examine whether faith be in you but whether yee bee in the faith His meaning is that as a man is said to be in drinke or to be in love or to bee in passion that is under the command of drinke or love or passion so the whole man must be under the command of faith as you shall see more afterwards If he pray faith must indite his prayer If he obey faith must work If hee live it is faith that must quicken him and if he die it is faith that must order him in death And wheresoever faith is it will doe wonders in the soul of that man where it is it cannot be idle it will have footsteps it sets the whole man on work it moveth feet and hands and cies and all parts of the bodie Mark how the Apostle disputeth 2 Cor 4.13 We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeved and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak The faith of the Apostle which he had in his heart set his tongue a going If a man have faith within it will break forth at his mouth This shall suffice for the proof of the point I thought to have pressed it further but if I should I see the time would prevent me The Use therefore in a word is this If this be so then it falleth soul and is a heavie Bill of Indictment against many that live in the bosome of the Church Go thy wayes home and read but this Text and consider seriously but this one thing in it That whosoever is the son of Abraham hath faith and whosoever hath faith is a walker is a worker by the footsteps of faith you may see where faith hath been Will not this then I say fall marvellous heavie upon many souls that live in the bosome of the Church who are confident and put it out of all Question that they are true beleevers and make no doubt but that they have faith But look to it wheresoever faith is it is fruitfull If thou art fruitlesse say what thou wilt thou hast no faith at all Alas these idle Drones these idle Christians the Church is too too full of them Men are continually hearing and yet remain fruitless and unprofitable whereas if there were more faith in the world we should have more work done in the world faith would set feet and hands and eies and all on work Men go under the name of professors but alas they are but Pictures they stir not a whit Mark Where you found them in the beginning of the yeer there you shall find them in the end of the yeer as profane as worldly as loose in their conversations as formall in dutie as ever And is this faith Oh faith would work other matters and provoke a soul to other passages then these But you wil say May not a man have faith and not that fruit you speak of May not a man have a good heart to God-ward although he cannot find that abilitie in matter of fruitfulnesse My brethren be not deceived Such an opinion is a meer delusion of Satan whereever faith is it bringeth Christ into the soul Mark that Whosoever beleeveth Christ dwelleth in his heart by faith Eph. 3.17 And If Christ be in you saith the Apostle the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you that is Whosoever beleeveth in the Lord Jesus Christ dwels in such a man by faith now if Christ be in the soul the bodie cannot be dead but a man is alive and quick and active to holy duties ready and willing and cheerfull in the performance of whatsoever God requireth Christ is not a dead Saviour nor the Spirit a dead Spirit The second Adam is made a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 And wherever the Spirit is it works Effects suteable to it The Spirit is a Spirit of puritie a spirit of zeal c. and where it is it maketh pure and zealous c. When a man will say he hath faith and in the mean time can be content to be idle and unfruitfull in the work of the Lord can bee content to be a dead Christian let him know that his case is marvellously fearfull For if faith were in him indeed it would appear yee cannot keep your good hearts to your selves where ever fire is it will burn and where ever faith is it cannot be
Israel And It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs Mark how she replyed Truth Lord I confesse all that yet notwithstanding the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters table O the excellency and strength and work of her faith Shee comes to Christ for mercy he repelleth her reproacheth her tells her shee is a dog she confesseth her basenes yet is not discouraged for all that but still resteth upon the goodness and mercie of Christ and is mightily resolved to have mercie whatsoever befalleth her Truth Lord I confesse I am as bad as thou canst term me yet I confesse too that there is no comfort but from thee and though I am a dog yet I would have crumbes Still she laboureth to catch after mercy and to lean and bear her selfe upon the favour of Christ for the bestowing thereof upon her So it must be with every faithfull Christian in this particular he must roll himself upon the power and faithfulness and truth of God and wait for his mercy I will joyn them both together for brevities sake though this latter bee a fourth step and degree of faith I say he must not onely depend upon God but he must wait upon the holy one of Israel The Text saith of Abraham Heb. 6.15 That after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise he received the performance after he had a little waited for it So the Prophet David Psal 101.2 I will walke in the uprightnesse of my heart till the Lord come to me As if he should say If the Lord will absent himself from me and not reveal himself to me yet wait I will and desire I will and still I will be hoping for the mercie of the Lord till he come to me So it was said of Simeon that good old man That he waited for the consolation of Israel Luke 2.25 Mine eies saith David Psal 119.123 grow dim for the looking for thy salvation He that belceveth makes not haste Isai 28.16 he makes hast to obey but makes not hast to bring mercie from God The fifth step of Abraham's faith appeared in this Hee counted nothing too dear for the Lord he was content to break through all impediments to passe through all difficulties whatsoever God would have he had of him This is the next step that Abraham went and this you shall finde Gen. 22. when God put him upon the tryall The Text saith there That God did tempt Abraham did try what he would doe for him and he bade him Go take thy son thy onely son Isaac whom thou lovest and stay him And straight Abraham went and laid his son upon an Altar and took a knife to cut the throat of his son So that Abraham did not spare his Isaac he did not spare for any cost he did not dodge with God in this case if God would have any thing hee should have it whatsoever it were though it were his own life for no question Isaac was dearer to him then his own life And this was not his case alone but the faithfull people of God have ever walked the same course The Apostle Paul was of the same spirit Acts 20.22 24. I know not saith he the things that shall befall me save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every Citie saying That bonds and afflictions abide me but none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministerie which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God Oh blessed spirit here is the work of faith Alas when we come to part with any thing for the cause of God how hardly comes it from us But I saith he passe not no nor is my life dear unto me Here I say is the work of faith indeed when a man is content to doe any thing for God and to say If imprisonment losse of estate libertie life come I passe not it moveth me nothing so I may finish my course with comfort Hence it was that the Saints of God in those Primitive times Heb. 10.34 took joyfully the spoyling of their goods Me thinks I see the Saints there reaching after Christ with the arms of faith and how when any thing lay in their way they were content to lose all to part with all to have Christ Therefore saith Saint Paul Acts 21.13 I am rerdy not to be bound onely but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Mark rather then he would leave his Saviour he would leave his life and though men would have hindred him yet was resolved to have Christ howsoever though he lost his life for him Oh let me have my Saviour and take my life The last step of all is this When the soul is thus resolved not to dodge with God but to part with any thing for him then in the last place there followeth a readinesse of heart to addresse a mans self to the performance of whatsoever dutie God requireth at his hands I say this is the last step when without consulting with flesh and blood without hammering upon it as it were without aukwardnesse of heart there followeth a prestness to obey God the soul is at hand When Abraham was called Behold saith he here I am Gen. 22.1 And so Samuel Speak Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam. 3.9 and so Ananias Behold I am here Lord Acts 9.10 The faithfull soul is not to seek as an evill servant that is gone a roving after his companions that is out of the way when his master should use him but is like a trusty servant that waiteth upon his master and is ever at hand to doe his pleasure So you shall see it was with Abraham Heb. 11. 8. When the Lord commanded him to goe out of his country He obeyed and went out not knowing whither he went he went chearfully and readily though he knew not whither as who should say if the Lord call I will not question if he command I will performe what ever it be So it must be with every faithfull soule we must blind the eye of carnall reason resolve to obey though heaven and earth seem to meet together in a contradiction care not what man or what devill saith in this case but what God will have done doe it This is the courage and obedience of faith See how Saint Paul in the place before named Acts 21.12 13. flung his ancient friends from him when they came to crosse him in the work of his ministry They all came about him and because they thought they should see his face no more they besought him not to goe up to Jerusalem Then Paul answered What mean yee to weep and to break my heart as who should say it is a greif and vexation to my soule that yee would hinder me that I cannot goe with readinesse to performe the service that God requireth at
Judas may thus farre have his understanding inlightned concerning all the truths of life and salvation that are either discovered or made known out of the Book of God as to perceive the sense of the words that are set down and understandingly to discourse of the meaning of the Scripture and reason of the points therein contained and that more freely and abundantly in outward appearance then many of the deare Saints and Servants of God are able to doe and yet all this is but that which the Apostle Paul cals a form of knowledge Rom. 2.20 Such an one hath onely got religion by rote as we use to say like a child that happily may be taught a sillogisme or some forme of an argument he may say it without book but understands it not so hypocrites may have a form and as it were an outside of knowledge but there is something in the bottome concerning the savingnesse and holinesse of knowledge which they can never attain unto For certain it is there is never a carnall person under heaven howsoever he can talk of God and of Christ and of Faith that either knoweth God in the works of his wayes toward him or hmselfe in the works of his duty toward God That is a strange passage concerning Hazael 2 Kings 8 When the Prophet Elisha setled his countenance upon him and wept Hazael said Why weepeth my Lord And he answered Because I know the evill that thou wilt doe unto the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire and their young men wilt thou stay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with childe And Hazael said But what is thy servant a dog that he should doe this great thing He thought that there was no such matter in himselfe he perceived not the corruption of his nature And truth it is that as it was with Hazael so it is with every wicked man under heaven further then God is pleased to awaken him he neither knowes what he is himselfe nor what God is talk of it he may but cannot apprehend it in truth in the the generall he may speak of it but in his own particular he cannot 2. For the further proof of this point That there is a main difference between a child of God and an hypocrite in their very knowledge though I know it is the judgement of many and those holy and godly too that wicked men in matters of knowledge may go as far as any Saint under heaven yet I take it they are deceived for no sanctifying work of the holy spirit of God is common to those that are wicked and reprobates but the work of saving understanding and illumination is a work of sanctification and to prove that goe no further but to the naked consideration of a mans bare understanding When the Lord is pleased to work effectually upon the soule there is a sanctifying work on the understanding as well as on the will Now that work which is upon the understanding of a servant of God as truly differs from the inlightning of a carnall hypocrite as the heart of a Saint from the heart of a man not sanctified As the Spirit of God I say hath a proper and peculiar work of sanctification upon the will of Gods children so also hath he upon their mind and understanding therefore of necessity wicked men having no work of sanctification the children of God must needs differ from them in this particular of knowledge Again the Apostle is clear enough 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Before a man can discern spirituall objects he must have spirituall light therefore wicked men being as all hypocrites are but bare nature and wanting spirituall light are not able to perceive and discern the things of God So you see there is a plain and broad difference between the Saints of God and carnall hypocrites in the point of knowledge and understanding Now then for the point it selfe That there is such a knowledge as is peculiar to the Saints take it my brethren thus The godly doe not onely apprehend the meaning of the words in the Scripture and are able to discourse of the reasons therein contained but they discern also the spiritualnesse of the work of grace that is discovered in the same Observe it There being first the Word of God set down in his book and then reasons that goe along with it and lastly a spirituall work of grace that God hath made known in those reasons the Saints of God alone see the spiritualnesse of the work that is manifested and communicated in that reason there set down The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Psal 25.14 wicked men may know repentance but there is a secret of repentance which the godly onely have Wicked men may pray but there is an inward spiritualnesse and closing with the Lord a secret humbling of the soule before the Lord which the godly onely have wicked men I say can pray and hear and discourse of repentance and of faith and the like but there is a secret in all these and a spirituall work derived into the soule thorough the knowledge of all these which the Saints onely apprehend and understand Take but an Apple there is never a man under heaven can tell what tast it is of whether sweet or soure untill he have tasted of it he seeth the colour and the quantity of it but knoweth not the tast so there is no man under heaven discerneth more of grace then he findeth in himselfe A carnall man may talk of repentance and faith and obedience yet notwithstanding there is a sappinesse which I call the spiritualnesse in these blessed works that no man can tell and understand but onely those that indeed have found by experience the work in themselves We use to say and we say truly that no woman knoweth the nature of a mother before she hath been a mother So it is here first a man must have the work of grace in himselfe before he can rightly understand the nature of it No man knoweth what it is to be the child of God or what it is to have a child-like affection toward God but so farre forth as he findeth and feeleth this in some measure wrought in himselfe by the operation of the Spirit I will not dispute that text Rev. 2.17 I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it but I take this to be the main thing intended there which makes for my present purpose Name there signifies Adoption and the white stone Absolution the Lord will absolve and acquit him of all those sinnes that he is guilty of and withall he will give him the name of a sonne The Lord sealeth to the soule of a Christian man that he is God
temper he should find this that I say to bee too too true What is the reason else you will not suffer a good Minister to follow you home to search your soules but take pet at such a man presently what is the cause of this Surely your wayes are naught your mindes are blinded your hearts are hardned under the means Men are loth to let others see what they are because they are not as they should be they are like dull-headed Schollars to whom it is death to be posed But I say observe therefore the mervailous deadnesse and weaknesse the strange besotted dulnesse of our natures to good that when we have all the incouragements and meanes that may be yet we get no benefit we reap no profit by them If a man should have a tree in his garden that all the dunging and pruning and dressing that he can use will doe no good of nor make it bring forth any fruit certainly he would think that tree to be of a strange temper so here let us see and wonder when we see that the Lord hath bestowed so much cost upon us made his judgements come home even to our very doores powred his mercies on us in abundance yet we are not provoked nor quickned nor inlarged in the wayes of life that though wind and tide be both with us yet we make no progress in goodness but he that was ignorant is ignorant still and he that was filthy is filthy still That we may therefore shame our selves humble our soules and bemoan our estates before the Lord consider I pray you but these two things The variety of helps that God vouchsafeth us and the success those helps find in our hearts When all the fire in the town cannot warm a man how cold is he When all the perswasions under heaven cannot work upon a man oh how flinty is he How graciously my brethren hath the Lord dealt with you that live in this place How many helps hath he put into your hands you have prayers and sermons and exhortations and instructions and admonitions and comforts forts and all things that are available to bring a man to life and happiness Now he that groweth not under this means he that thriveth not with this food he that is not heated by this fire he that is not quickned by this dew of heaven let him take notice of the strange distemper of his own heart and the deadnesse of his spirit I know not what to say to you Certainly had the Devill himselfe but any hope of receiving mercy the sermons that are made in this City were able even to melt his heart as it were and to bring him to consider and repent of the sinnes he hath committed against Almighty God but because he hath no hope of mercy he remaineth in a forlorne and desperate condition Yet the Apostle saith Jam. 2.19 The Devils also beleeve and tremble that is they know all things contained in Gods Word are true they beleeve them and assent to them and are perswaded that God will one day make all his threatnings good upon them and upon the hearts of all the damned for ever and that they together shall be wholly deprived of all those mercies that God hath propounded in his Word and they tremble at it Look now into your own hearts and see what kind of temper they are of when notwithstanding the many judgements that have been threatned the many woes that have been denounced yet most either turn their back upon the Church or turn a deaf eare to what they hear and cast the Commandements of God behind them and rather fleer in the face of the Minister and contemn what he saith then be any wayes humbled for their sinnes or tremble at the Word of God and the threatnings denounced out of it My brethren think of it for the Lords sake reason a little with your selves and consider and say Lord what a wicked heart and what a wretched disposition have I the Sea is troubled the Mountains quake and the earth sinketh when the Lord speaks and uttereth his voice nay the Divels beleeve and tremble but oh what terrors and woes have I heard out of the Word against my pride my covetousness my swearing my drunkenness my profaning of the Sabbath yet none of them stirre me one jot I have had the fire full in my face yet remain as ycie and cold and frozen as ever I have had many a heavenly dew upon me many a silver drop yet continue a dry and barren Wilderness Oh what a heart have I Surely my brethren such a case as this is very desperate and deplorable think of it betime in vain it will be for you to put it off You dream and have conceits of knowledge and imagine that you have faith and repentance whereas alas you have little or none of these graces I pray therefore consider it now and now hear and tremble least you tremble afterwards when you are sunk down in the pit for ever When you are in hell you shall feel another manner of trembling then now is expected from you for it shall be farre greater and altogether without hope of remedy Where now are all those professed enemies and rebels against God where is Nimrod where is Pharaoh where is Sennacherib are they not in hell and there left to perish for ever Reason the case therefore seriously with your selves to the end that now you may be humbled and brought to tremble at the Word of God least hereafter you tremble when all hope is past To move you the more consider how graciously the Lord hath been pleased to work upon others They have heard the Word and have lived under the light of the Gospel and they have received benefit by it they have attained to good measures of saving knowledge Are there not some that live neer thee of whom thou mayest say such a man I know and I thought my selfe once to have had as much understanding in religion as he I made account I had as much ability to doe God service as ever he had But now the case is altered he is able to discourse savourly and feelingly of the things of God to pray sensibly and spiritually to reason of the matters of salvation profitably farre beyond that which I can doe and yet I have had as many helpes I have heard as much and understood as much as he O Lord what a case is my soule in what a sinfull creature am I Here is a drunkard converted there is a profane swearer and a Sabbath-breaker wrought upon my next neighbour that happily was as bad as I hath his soule humbled many a gain-sayer of the Gospel the Lord hath made him come crying to him for the forgivenesse of his sinnes begging pardon for such and such rebellions especially for his refusing of the offers of mercy made in Jesus Christ and all this while I stand it out What a strange heart have I That drunkard that profane
spirits now in prison What spirits were these which once were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah Those spirits and damned souls those damned Ghosts now in hell the spirits of wicked men now in hell what were they they were those that were disobedient in the dayes of Noah Noah a preacher of righteousnesse whose life was a continuall preaching who daily called upon them and was earnest with them to repent and there was much long-suffering and patience afforded them God waited long for their amendment yet those souls were then rebellious under such great meanes and they are now cooped up in Hell A man would thinke it strange when he shall read the storie of Cain that he notwithstanding God himself came from heaven to teach him should yet remain obstinate and stout-hearted and yet you know the storie Gen. 4. you see it was so Cain began to be dismaid and his countenance fell because God regarded not his sacrifice Well God came from heaven and takes Cain to taske Cain what meaneth all this stir Why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest ill sin lieth at the door and unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him A man I say would thinke that one should be instructed when God himself teacheth yet notwithstanding after all this Instruction of God himself whith in reason would be thought as effectuall as could be Cain forsakes God and flyeth off from the commandement of God stoopeth not nor yeeldeth obedience thereunto This is that which the Prophet I saiah hath Chap. 26. 10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked yet he will not learn righteousnesse in the land of uprightnesse will he deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Though there be many helps afforded to him though he be planted in the Church of God where all things call and cry to him for amendment of life though the holinesse and mercy and goodnesse of God compasse him about though he have holy and religious neighbours about him though he have a good Minister in the Parish where he is yet he will not learn righteousnesse but will deal unjustly notwithstanding all the washing he will remain black still notwithstanding all the means that God vouchsafeth for his good yet he will be naught still One example you shall see of this in a passage of a Parable Mark 12. which makes good the Point in hand A certain man saith the Text planted a vineyard and set a hedge about it and digged a place for the wine fat and built a Tower here was much pains and a great deal of cost bestowed Well he let out this vineyard to husbandmen and went into a far countrey and at the season he sent to the husbandmen that he might receive of the fruit of the Vineyard Did he receive any fruit No they beat one and stoned another and killed another and all the messengers they sent away emptie At last he sent his son his welbeloved but they took him and killed him and cast him out of the Vineyard In a word The Vineyard is the Church of God and the Husbandmen were the Scribes and Pharisees they were those to whom God as it were had let out his Church He sendeth his messengers his servants the Prophets rising early and sending them his Apostles and Disciples to call for fruit for the fruits of holiness of faith and obedience but they abused his servants they made him no return of fruit but when he looked for grapes behold they brought forth wild grapes At last the Lord sent his Son the Lord Jesus Christ he came amongst them he that spake as never man did speak so that even all the world wondred at the gracious words which did proceed out of his mouth certainly saith God they will reverence my Son they will hear him they will be governed by his directions they will stoop at his command No they were then most outragious and malicious against him they all banded themselves together Come say they let us slay him they joyned heart and hand and all for his ruine I will not dwell longer upon the proof of it See it in nature The Physitian observeth it of the stomack that is naught that the best meat that a man giveth it the more cordials the better diet the worse are the humors that are bred by it Even so it is with a naughtie heart and it is an argument of a most wretched disposition when the best Physick the best Remedies the best diet as I may say that God can afford a man for his spirituall cure shall make the heart the worse And truly when the heart is naught it groweth stark naught under the best means No men are so bad as they that live where are the best helps for amendment The thing you see is evident in the proof of it we will a little further discover the nature of such men as live under the means and yet harden their necks and how that corruption that is in the heart doth discover it self most where the best means are And you shall see it made good in these two particulars That wicked men corrupt hearts are the worst under the best meanes though they have admonition after admonition though they are often reproved First of all The hearts of those men grow usually most rebellious against the Lord and against that truth that cometh with greatest power upon them either discoveriing sin to them or working effectually upon the soul and conscience The disposition of men usually that are naught is so that they manifest a marvailous fiercenesse of soul whereby they carry themselves violently against the blessed truth and Word of God and the more because it is the more powerfull we have a rule in reason that contraries when they meet the more violent one is the more the other will work against it as we may see it in fire and water So it is here the greater violence and Spirit and power the Word hath in any place the more violent the heart will shew it self in gainsaying the Ministry thereof The more home the Word cometh to the conscience and the more powerfully it is applied either in the convincing of sin or perswasion to holiness of life the greater risings and stirrings of heart there is against it You shall observe this in a passage of the story of the men of Sodom Gen. 19.9 When the cursed Sodomites came about the house and would have taken the Angels that came to Lot Lot he came out to them and spake very lovingly to them but because that which he said tended to crosse them in their wicked and unnaturall courses mark how they answered him Stand back say they This one fellow came in to sojourn and he will needs be a Judge now will we deal worse with thee than with them and they pressed sore
upon the man even Lot and came neer to break the door And why was all this because his arguments were good and seasonable by which he advised them against their wicked purpose because he opposed them in that wicked course of theirs therefore they could not now hold themselves but burst out into a strange distemper of spirit We will now say they deal worse with thee than with them And so in Acts 7. It is a very observable place vers 56. When Stephen had made a long relation to the Jews of the rebellion and stubbornness of their Fathers they heard him all along without manifesting any virulencie of spirit but at last when he came out with that Yee stiffenecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears you doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so doe you then when they heard these things when Stephen made a powerfull application of what he had said to them in particular and told them that they had been the betrayers and murtherers of that just One of whose coming the Prophets before had shewed they were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth and they cryed out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord These were the workings of their corrupt hearts the more forcible Stephen was in the power of the word the more violent they were in gainsaying that Word I need say no more onely that is observable in Rom. 7. The Text saith there That sin becommeth out of measure sinfull because of the Commandment How is that It is as if he had said Sin is the greater and the more notorious doth it manifest it self by how much the more the Commandment of God is the more openly published sin becommeth out of measure sinfull because that God in the Commandment gainsayeth it and the more the Commandement is pressed the more sin opposeth it and gainsaies it and becometh the more violent and so grows out of measure sinfull Briefly look as it is with a stream and current or Rivolet set but a little dam there and it will run over it easily of it selfe but if the dam be strong and high the River grows deep and cometh to be great and large Why so because it is stopped So it is here the Commandment of God is the dam as I may say every naturall man hath a stream of corruption that is alwaies issuing forth in a continued current if it be so now that the Word of God stoppeth him at every turn in every ungodly practise admitteth of no vent giveth no way to any sinfull course gainsays him in every carnal and sensuall delight barrs him of the sinfull enjoyment of pleasures and worldly lusts then the heart of a sinner beginneth to rise up against God and against his word and Commandment and that onely because the Word of God crosseth him and gainsayes him And therefore observe it if there be but a sleepie-headed Magistrate or a carelesse Minister in a Congregation that will lot a great deal of the water go give leave for the stream and current of corruption to passe let men have a vent for their lusts all will be at great peace and the stream will run as calme as can be that Magistrate shall never have an ill word that Minister that any way permits a vent to corruption he and his Parish shall agree as quietly as may be but if a man be stout and couragious either Magistrate or Minister hee shall finde violent opposition and marvailous strivings and workings of heart against him and that word which he delivers and the means of grace which God vouchsafeth to a people Again as this corruption discovers it self in opposing the good word of God so in the second place observe another passage wherein the wickednesse and rebellion of mens hearts appeareth notwithstanding God affordeth them the most excellent means of salvation They cleave the closer and cling the more eagerly to their corruptions and sins because they seem to be crossed in the eager and violent pursuit of them As you know it is the nature of stubborn spirits the more they are forbidden a thing the more resolved they are to doe it I have my self observed it in some stubborn servants that have answered their masters Why if you had not said any thing I would never have done it but because you keep such adoe I will doe it the more You shall see a proof of it Jer. 18.12 God there had sent his Prophet early and late to that people to shew them the good and ancient waies how they should walk with God and so prevent those Judgements that were threatned and hung over their heads But mark the Spirit of this people the more earnest and violent the Prophet was out of tender compassion to their poor souls to win them to God the more desperately did they resolve upon a course of sin we will walk say they after our own devices and we will every one doe the imagination of his evill heart As if they should have said say what you will we are resolved what to doe we will have our sin we will not forsake our corruptions nay wee will rather cleave the closer to them because you labour to pluck us from them This is the nature of every man in the world I appeal to your own consciences is it not so Is it not in every son of Adam more or lesse in wicked men wholly in the Saints partly observe it in your own experience when that happily the truths of God come and lay siege close to your consciences that you cannot finde a way and vent for your base and sinfull practises but the Word of God crosseth you how doe your hearts swell and repine at the Word How weary are you of your Minister How doe your spirits vex at him And so sometime at the Magistrate if he be more zealous to reform abuses amongst men then ordinary There is I say a secret indignation of soul that every man may finde in himself against the word of God and the reproofs thereof Let us come now to see the reason why men should be so sencelesse and unreasonable to grow the worse because God is the better to them What ground is there for this Great ground my brethren The Reasons are double and both most evident and plain The first is taken from that inward and intimate love the soul of a wicked man hath to his sin This is an everlasting rule there is never a naturall man in the world but he loveth his sin as he loveth his soule Nay he makes his sin his God And my brethren the case is evident we need no proof of it take a tryall of it in your own experience Let the command of God be revealed let the word of God be never so clearly made manifest to the hearts of men let it shine never so bright even in their very faces and let there be a beloved