God should expect faith from a poore sinner whereas for ought I know and learned men hold that Adam in innocencie had not the faith that we are justified by and for ought I know the Angels in heaven have it not and whence should a poore sinner have it It is God that gives repentance to Israel and God is the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12. And in Philip 1. It is given to you to believe Therefore when I heare of grace and glory and salvation by Jesus Christ I must not consider where I shall have a vessell to carry it home where I shall have faith to receive it but it carries the vessel with it and I goe and take the promise and by the holy Spirit that same Gospel that brought the grace will work faith or else it were as harsh as the Law Therefore never stand off about faith for he that gives grace and solvation will work faith Againe it may be objected by some wee confesse that the Gospel is good newes and blessed be God it is performed also But it seemes that there is in the Gospel or annexed to it a discipline or a government whereby wee shall be ruled thus saith one thus saith another and if we receive the Gospel of Christ we must receive the Government of Christ say the Ministers and wee feare that will be no good newes to our poore soules As for that in few words as I am able I confesse Beloved that in or with the Gospel of Christ there is a Government or there is a discipline that may in a sense be called an externall discipline over the Saints or people of God And it is true that all the governments that have hetherto been in the world since our Lord Christ went to heaven men have called them the Governments of the Gospel and fatherod them upon Christ and the Gospel and truely if they had been so indeed as men pretended that is if those kind of governments that wee have had had been part of the Gospel surely than there had been a great deale of bad newes and heavie tidings in the Gospel of Jesus Christ As for instance There have been but two great governments or disciplines if I may use that word in the world since our Lord went to heaven The one was Papacie The other Episcopacy Wee have been governed either by the Pope that stiled himself the Successor of Peter and the Romish Governour or by Episcopacy in latter yeares in many parts though Papistrie made the greater stirr in the world Now these two differ in degrees otherwise they are of the same kinde And if these were the government of Christ and the discipline of the Gospel we may well say there hath been sad tidings and heavie newes from the Gospel for many yeares Give me leave to instance in a few substantiall things in these two Governments This was one thing that was in both these Governments The Ministers such as they were by what titles soever they were stiled for they had many sorts they took all the power of governing and government wholly and solely into their owne hands they called themselves the Church of God we must looke to the Church that is the Bishops to their lawes c. They called themselves the Clergie that is Gods inheritance as the word in the Originall signifies True it is there is a power a sweet Gospel power in the Ministers that is somewhat peculiar from the people But to take all power into their owne hands and to leave the people and call them the laity the drosse the valgar to leave them as vassalls and slaves and to call themselves the Clergie and the Church and the like If this had been Christs discipline there had been some hard and heavie tidings in the Gospel of Christ Secondly as they took this power into their hands so they used this power as Lords over Gods inheritance contrary to the command of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 5. 4. You shall not Lord it over Gods inheritance Now you know they were Lords that will appeare in two things First they made Lawes upon the consciences of men besides the Lawes that Jesus Christ made you know they had their Synods and their Convocations and their great Councels and the like and there they would have Canons or Lawes every time they met for the consciences of poore Saints This was no good newes And then forcing men to aver those lawes that they had made as they had made a law that people should not goe out of their Parishes they must every one heare his owne Minister though it may be he was an Ignorant drunken dumb prophane wretch and if they did not they were forced and compelled to doe it Beloved this was not according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ for if it had surely it had been no good newes Thirdly in the second Government that we have had hetherto they imposed Ministers and Officers upon the people the people never had yet liberty under these two Governments to choose men according to Gods own heart that would feed them with knowledge and understanding but such as the Bishops sent they must receive whether they were good or bad they must tako them as they found them and those usually were either Ignorant unlearned meu or prophane unsanctified men and these were sent by them as Lords and the people were forced to receive them Then fourthly in this government all the power which they had which they took all to themselves they exercised it onely almost against the Saints and people of God either as Schismaticks or Lollards or Heretiques or Puritans or the like either for doing that that was good or for things that were trifles according to their owne judgment For doing that which was good for fasting and praying for meeting to teach one another and to seek the Lord these were called Conventicles Or for trifles that they in their consciences held indifferent as the wearing of the Surplice and the Crosse in baptisme they themselves said they were indifferent things and trifles and yet men must be silenced and people bannished beyond Sea for these things This government wee have had and there was little good newes and glad tidings to the soules of the poore Saints from all this Fiftly they did restraine the Spirit of God in the Saints both in preaching and praying In preaching the Ministers were tied they must preach such and not such things and they must be in danger to be fined if they did not keep to the houre And for Prayer when it may be the poore Ministers soule was full of groanes and sighs and he would have rejoyced to have poured out his soule to the Lord he was tied to an old Service-Booke and must read that till he grieved the Spirit of God and dried up his owne spirit as a chip that he could not pray if he would and
Gospel quite contrary the proper object of all the good that the Gospel brings it is to a man quatinus as a sinner not as a regenerate man and a righteous man and a humble man but as a sinner And here is the excellency of the Gospel the more sinfull any man is the more sutable this Gospel is to him the more sin abounds grace abounds much more therefore you shall read Rom. 4. they that had the benefit of the Gospel they are called ungodly he that justifieth the ungodly They are called aliens Ephes. 2. they are called strangers and enemies and men without strength Rom. 5. they are called the chiefe of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 9. So to enemies aliens strangers lost people unrighteous ungodly and the like the Gospel brings perfect good newes and glad tidings of life and grace and salvation by Jesus Christ Now this in some measure you know but this that I tell you I feare you doe not know that the Ministery of the Gospel it is only good newes there is not one word of bad newes not one line not one sillable or tittle but only glad tidings sweet and good newes to the heart of the worst of sinners Therefore to shew you this truth a little more fully Before our Lord Christ went to Heaven there was some Gospel but there was much Law and as our Lord Christ was a Minister of the Gospel so he was of the circumcision as the Apostle calls him I mean before his resurrection yet it is said in Luk. 4. he took the booke of Isaiah and some think this was the first Sermon that ever he made and he read this place and opened it to the people The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because hee hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poore he hath sent me to heale the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives to recover sight to the blinde to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord c. Beloved there is nothing in all this but only good newes glad tidings as that the poore should have salvation by Christ that the broken hearted should be healed that the Captives should be delivered that the blinde should receive their sight and that them that are bruised should be set at liberty and them that are slaves should have the yeare of Jubilee the acceptable yeare of the Lord there is not a tittle in all this but only good newes and glad tidings Take another place and that is Heb. 12. 18. there you shall have the difference between the old Testament and the new or between the Law and the Gospel if I may so speak the Law that is the administration of the Gospel in the time of the Law where there was a little good newes but mingled with a world of bad and terrible newes Yee are not come unto the mount that might be touched and that burned with fire nor unto blacknesse and darknesse and tempest and the sound of a Trumpet and the voyce of words which they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more For they could not endure that which was commanded And if so much as a beast touch the mountaine it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart Here is nothing but what is terrible and sad newes as a mountaine that was so terrible that it might not be touched when God did give his Law upon mount Horeb or mount Sinai and that mountaine all burning with fire If we see a house burning with fire it is terrible but to see a mountaine all over burning with fire and with blacknesse and darknesse and tempest too A fire though it be terrible yet there is somewhat comfortable because there is light but that fire was full of blackness and darknesse and darknesse is a sad thing And there was tempest and lightning and thunder and a voyce of words a voyce of terrible words that bid them doe such and such things that they had no power to doe and yet they must doe them or be damned It was terrible in so much that Moses himself that used to see God face to face said I quake exceedingly and if a beast touch the hill he must be stoned to death or thrust through with a dart Here was nothing but terrible objects in the administration of the old Testament in the giving of the Law upon mount Sinai But come to the new Testament of the Gospel as it is set up since Christ went to the holy of holies after his resurrection You are come now to mount Sion and that was a pleasant place if you take it according to the letter it was the pleasantest place about Jerusalem And you are come to the City of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem And what a beautifull thing that is you may read in Revel. 20. and 21. a City with 12 gates and every gate a whole pearle And to innumerable companies of Angels Whether that be meant that now in the times of the Gospel God sends out Angels to minister to the Saints more frequently or diligently than formerly or as most men understand it Ye are now come to a myrd of Angels or to an innumerable company of Angels that is ye are come to an estate by Christ in the Gospel wherein you are at least equall with Angels And you are come to the generall assembly and Church of the first borne as if he should say you are come to a Church where all are Patriarches for the Patriarches were the first borne heretofore Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and they were honourable men Every Saint in the time of the Gospel is in as honourable and glorious a condition as any Patriarch you are not come to a Church of ordinary Saints but to the Church of the first borne whose names are written in heaven And you are come to the judge of all You will say that is a terrible thing No it is a blessed thing to see God in the light of the Gospel to be a judge Therefore in 2 Thes. 1. and divers other places he comforts the Saints in their persecutions and sufferings with this that God will come to judgement God is the Judge of all it is a comfortable thing And then you are come to the spirits of just men made perfect to such an assembly of Saints and Church of the first borne where the spirits of men are made perfect that is beyond my expression and conception there is a perfection of the Saints in their love and in their graces incomparably to that it was before And yee are come to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling You are come to such an estate and to such a Testament where Christ is the Intercessor and his blood speaks not as the blood of Abel it doth not cry for vengance but alway for grace and mercy from his father to
the New Testament wee should labour for a full spirit of adoption What is that that is that there may be nothing in my heart towards God but pure love because in his dealing to me there is not a sillable but love and grace and glad tidings to me and my heart and life should be answerable For the reason of all the horrour that you finde in your hearts and all your feares and troubles that arise there they are from this error in your mindes this opinion that is not quite rooted out that there is in the Gospel administration some ill and bad tidings there is some love and some hatred some mercy and some wrath you think that it may be God is your father and it may be he is your enemie and that because you have sinned he will damne you to hell This is naturall and ordinary Now if you were convinced that there were nothing in the Gospel since our Lord Jesus is gone to heaven and is at the right hand of his Father there is nothing in his dispensation but love and mercy and no wrath hell and damnation and sin c. are all thrown away and if I be perfectly righteous and perfectly justified from all my sins if I have the spirit of Christ given me and am one with God for ever by an everlasting Covenant and shall have life and a Crowne of glory for ever and my sins shall not be laid to my charge O what a cleare and sweet spirit should I have in Gods service and not a muddie and dogged and froward spirit that ariseth from guilt soaking into the soule When I view this truth over and pull it by peice-meale and see that there is no gall nothing in the Gospel first or last but what is amiable and beautifull and blessed newes to sinners then there should follow this consideration why should there be any thing in my heart and spirit towards God but amiable thoughts and love c why should there be any of those coares of unbeliefe and distruct and feare and horrour Those mixtures of adoption and bondage Why should there be hellish feares or guilt in me since there is no wrath not anger at all in God Why should not the carriage of my heart be clear towards him as his is in his Sonne by the administration of the Gospel towards me Labour for a perfect spirit of adoption that you may not have any of those bublings of bondage in your spirits that now over take you and are twisted and woven with that little adoption that you have For who is there among us to this houre but when he comes before the Lord and hath a little smiling in his soule to see his favour and a little joy and delight to come at him and yet there is some feare and trembling as Peter when he was on the waves and what if God will not receive me c. Therefore studie to keep up the spirit of adoption It is a hard thing to keep up the temper of a childe in the soule especially when God lets a man fall into temptations and folly and weaknesse c. But though it be hard labour to keep up that temper at least thus much that thou never come to so low a condition which was the prayer of one that was a good man wherein thou can'st not with a full mouth and with a cleare heart call God father and thee his childe though the unhappiest and unworthiest childe If thou come below this if thou call on God with feare and canst not cry abba abba that is as much as daddie daddie as our babes use to say if thou doe not come so high thou art spoiled and undone desire God to teach you this Lesson also Thirdly if this be so that the Ministery of the Gospel is all glad tidings to the worst of sinners then I appeale to you all and let every man put his hand upon his owne breast and if this be a truth as I hope it hath been cleared you shall all be your own judges how just will the damnation of that sinner be that will not receive the Gospel If there were in the Gospel ridged tidings sad newes as people are apt to fancie to themselves then it were no wonder if one persecuted it and another despised it and another neglected it and another turned it into wantoness But when it comes in such a streame that there is nothing but love and light and salvation and grace and all freely laid down at the feet of a sinner for his receiving nay he shall have power and grace to receive it he shall have salvation and a vessell to carry it in judge how justly thy damnation will be in the last day man or woman whosoever thou art that settest thy selfe against the Gospel and wilt not receive salvation This is the reason why damnation comes out so rife in the new Testament it is scars ever mentioned in the old Testament that I know of damnation is not mentioned in the old Testament nor hell but as it is taken for the grave c. But when grace and the Gospel and life comes damnation comes at the heeles of it How can yee escape the damnation of hell Then comes the worme that never dieth and the fire that never goeth out The reason is because then damnation is proper Then when a man will not receive salvation not because he cannot no man is damned because he cannot receive Christ but because he will not receive this salvation and grace Therefore saith Christ Mat. 28. Goe preach the Gospel he that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned That is saith that godly Dr Preston go tell every wicked man this good newes that Christ hath brought salvation But it may be they will not believe what we say to them there is no more in the long and short but in a word tell them they shall be damned That is the reason in Mat. 22. where the Ministery of the Gospel is compared to a feast of dainties and one slights it and another despiseth it and another rejecteth it and when the Master of the feast came it is said he found one without a wedding garment and that the man was speechlesse he was as a man saith Beza with a halter about his neck faith hee goe Binde him hand and foot and cast him into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth He was speechlesse he had nothing to say and truly I have had more experience lately than ever I had in my life I saw a man that was accounted all his life a professed Athiest and I was with him in the roome when one in the company opened the Gospel from one end to the other as I have endeavoured in my poore abilitie to doe now and all the riches and the salvation of it how free it is how there is no core nor nothing but what is
with the Gospel As to instance in a few many ministers undoe the soules of people I know this by experience that a Gospel-heart that is but weake in Gospel light and grace had rather lie a yeare in close prison than to be a yeare under a ministerie jumbling old and new together the Law and the Gospel for it routs and on sounds a poore soule As to preach terrour and damnation to a sinner qua a sinner properly as a sinner though we be called ministers of the Gospell yet this is a part of the ministerie of the Law for the Law brings curses for a sinner and blessings for him that doth well now when we quatinus as a sinner damme him and curse him we harden him and make him run further from God then before Secondly when men have drawen men to good or driven men from evil with judgments either spirituall or temporall this was the way of the ministery of the old testament When people shall take all the judgments of the old testament and perswade a man to do this or to take heed of that or else thou shalt have judgment fall upon thee and thou wilt bring judgment upon the Land Beloved this was the way of God certainly and the way of the ministery of the old testament but I never knew a saint avoid evil or doe good for feare of such judgments Therfore looke to thy owne experience men may play at dice with the word of God that way if a mans wayes like them not they may say they will bring judgment upon the Land as Independants or as such and such men but these are but bugbeares why because in the Gospel the saints are dilivered from the hands of their enemies that they may serve God with out feare they know that in God there is no cloud God may chasten and correct them out of love but there is no danger otherwise And then againe they are delivered from men they are not the servants of men I doe think for my part constantly that the mayne cause of all the divisions and stirrs and contentions among us is because there 's so much of the old testament in our ministery especially and our profession must be accordingly for our strength will be according to our meat And truly a man may be a Godly man and yet may be a minister of the old testament and if you take a man let him be a Godly man if his grace be bred in him by the ministery of the old testament and nourished in him by that and take another saint that hath grace planted and bred by the ministery of the Gospel and nourished by that the former man though he be godly must of necesity persecute the latter I pitty them when ministers rale against this man and against that and they know not why yet they may be Godly men Ishmael might be a Godly man for ought I know he was a type not of wicked men but of men under the old Covenant If ever you will have peace and comfort in the Land beg of God to remove an old testament spirit from our preachers from our prayers and our principals and to set up the new testament Jesus Christ in the Gospel and then certainly the promise shall be fulfilled we shall be all of one heart and one way and one mind but it will never be otherwise as long as some reach to the ministery of the new testament and others goe in the old as Ishmael and Isaak could not be reconciled no more will these I will conclude all only with this last word seeing it is cleare out of the word and so truly I hope you apprehend it through Gods grace that the whole Gospel is Good it is nothing but sweet and glad tidings to the worst of sinners much more to saints then I exhort you in the name of Jesus Christ that you receive this Gospel O there is no reason why thou shouldest be so shie of Christ when we speake faire and offer faire to your soules and beseech you earnestly and give you reasons why you should receive Christ you harken but a little and you goe away so shy there are some sinners still beloved there is no reason for it God deals plainly there is no tittle in the Gospel but it is really good and glad tidings to the worst of sinners therefore receive it What is that Indeavour to beleive it for the Lord Jesus that is the faithfull witnesse hath sayd it and children heretofore used to say it is as true as Gospel and though it be Gospel and truth yet you will not beleive it Then indeavour to imbrace it with joy and affection as in 1. Thess. 1. see how they received the Gospel in joy with much affliction What if it bring a little affliction with it that thou be jeared receive it with joy it is joyfull and glad tidings And then resigne thy self give thy self wholy up to walk according to this blessed Gospel and not to turne it into wantonnes or abuse it but that thou maiest give thy self bodie and soule as a living sacrifice to Jesus Christ that since he died for thee and hath given thee aboundant righteousnes and everlasting salvation and all blessed and glad tidings in it that thou maiest give thy self and all that thou hast and art freely to live to that Jesus Christ and to obey his blessed commands These are the uses that you and I should indeavour to make that this truth may remaine and abide with us that there is nothing in the whole ministery of the new testament but good tydings and glad newes to the worst of sinners FINIS An alphabeticall Table of the principall Heads contained in the foregoing SERMONS A ABuse see Liberty Accident Part. Page How men come to doe good by accident 1. 148 Adoption Spirit of adoption to be laboured for 2. 40 Full spirit of adoption wha 2. 41 Affliction see moderated Age Decency in regard of age 1. 82 All All what meant by it 1. 4 Angels Angels waite on the Saints 2. 18 Ascended Christ ascended into heaven 2. 16 B Backsliders Backsliders their course 1. 156 Baptisme Baptisme how appointed 1. 16 Baptisme the substance of it only set downe 1. 23 Baptisme the way to peace about it 1. 100 Manner of baptisme determined by the Magistrate 1. 108 Baptisme doubted of by some 1. 141. Believed Believing Believing in Christ what 1. 36 Gospel to be believed 2. 54 Binde Not to binde others where Christ hath not bound them 1. 59 Bishops Bishops their practice 1. 48 Bondage Spirit of bondage whence 1. 52 Brethren Expedient actions bring good to our brethren 1. 70 Burthen Religion presented by some as a burthen 1. 145 C Scripture not all delivered in Canons 1. 167 Carnall see outward Freedome from Ceremonies 1. 14 Why men run from Christ 1. 26 See sinners Spouse minde Christian see spirituall Question excellent The Church may
therefor though I see no good in me at all whereby I might receive good newes from the Law and though I doe not see that I am a humbled sinner as such a Preacher teacheth or a believing sinner or a broken hearted sinner as another Preacher saith yet I say I am a sinner and a sinner quasi a sinner is the proper object of the Gospel You will be off and on and never be knit to Christ but will be as a bone in and out till you come to that for if you goe and lay hold on Christ any other way in any other consideration that you are humbled sinners or broken hearted sinners or mortified sinners as soone as ever temptation tells you that you are not humbled enough you will be gone againe the bone will be out of joynt againe and so you will be as a reed tossed of the winde you will never be fastened to Christ whosoever holds Christ upon any qualifications on his side must let him goe one time or other As for instance if he thinke the Gospel be directed to broken heartednes and he can weep at a sermon to morrow his heart may be hard and then bee thinks he is a devill that was but now a Saint Therefore many Christians after many yeares Profession of Religion never felt their souls knit till God rightly and truly taught them this lesson but then they were knit to Christ and their soules were never in and out they were never loose more because they were able in all temptacions to retreat to this truth as a refuge For let the devil tell a man he is no Saint the soule can say I am a sinner if the devill say thou art an hypocrite I but an hypocrite is but a sinner I am a sinner still though I be not a broken hearted sinner so let the devill and hell say what they will they shall never beat him from that refuge And saith the soul being a sinner I am the proper object of grace and life and salvation in the Gospel and though I have no comfort as a Saint that I am in the Kingdome of Heaven yet at least I have comfort that I am a sinner and I may be there though I have no comfort that I am in yet I have comfort that I am neare and the doore is open though I be not a Siant I am a sinner and if I have no reall interest in Christ as a Saint yet I have interest in the promises of Christ as a sinner and though I can not serve God chearfully as a Saint yet I will serve God as comfortably as I can as one that may be a Saint In Matth. 13. It is said of the Merchant man he found the feild wherein was the treasure he rejoiced I remember a worthy man of this countrie he faith hee rejoyced not that he had found the pearle the treasure but he rejoyced that he was come neare a good bargaine he was come to the feild where it was so though I be not assured that I am a Saint yet a sinner may rightly receive this truth with joy as a sinner because he is neare a good bargaine This is the reason that you have many Professors that mislearne the first principles of religion of which this is the greatest they will never doe any thing for God but when they are assured of their salvation if there be the least doubt that the work of grace is not right they mope and will doe nothing for God but vex and fret and tug and when their qualifications are gone that they builded on then they think they are hypocrites and damned creatures and God shall have no service from them when other people that it may be have not fully assurance they are Saints not one day of three in the whole yeare yet there is a current and streame of obedience and love and delight in God in some measure and they goe on constantly though not so strongly doing and suffering his holy will Why because they have learned the Gospel aright they obey God in the notion of sinners saith the soule I see a great deale of love in God to poore sinners and the Gospel containes nothing but glad tidings to sinners and though I have nothing in me that may make me the childe of Christ yet the way is open therefore I will goe on with the work let him doe what he will Thus the soule is knit to Christ that come what will it will never be beaten off from Christ I never knew my owne soule knit to Christ till God had taught me this but it was off and on as a bone in and out a Saint to day and an Hypocrite to morrow to call God Father to day and Enemy tomorrow The Gospel is directed to a sinner quasi a sinner not as this or that sinner but as a sinnner there is the object of salvation This makes a Saint I say go with constancie if I cannot goe to Christ as a Saint yet I can as a sinner so he hath something that k epes him that he is not as many Professors that are ready to kill and hang and drowne themselves because they see the Gospel is made to Saints and they see they are not Saints then they are in a worse condition than sinners Learne this you that are Professors of Religion that are in and out that have spent ten or twentie or thirtie yeares and your soules are not knit to Christ begg of the Lord to teach you this lesson The next Lesson that I would teach you from the Lord is that this being so that in the administration of the New Testament or the Ministery of the Gospel there is nothing but glad tidings no object but what is amiable and good then all you that have received Jesus Christ let me exhort you to this labour to get up in you a perfect spirit of adoption my meaning is this you know there is a spirit of adoption and a spirit of bondage the spirit of adoption is a frame of heart a temper of spirit like that of a childe to his father And you know it is ordinary with the Saints that they have a little adoption they can cry Abba father a little and low and at sometimes but there is a great deale of the spirit of bondage mingled with it there are sometimes feares secret whisperings in the heart no thou art not right Christ is not in thee if he were it is impossible thou shouldest be so weak and so easily overcome and there will be some flaw in the heart and soakings in of guilt that will eat out a mans peace that sometimes he shall call God father and another while he will look strangely upon God and be afraid to come to God and be loath to goe upon his knees before him and be glad when he is got out of his presence there is a spirit of bondage mingled with the spirit of adoption Now in