shape assume the body of man so he can in shew assimulate the Spirit of God 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God or no. Whence we note 1. That there are spirits which pretend to be of God and are not 2. That such meere pretending spirits may much resemble the true Spirit of God 3. That their resemblance may proceed so farre that professing Christians may be prone to believe they are the very Spirit of God 4. That such spirits may not be believed a discovery of them is to be made by tryall 5. That the tryall to discover spirits to be not of God must be exact and prudent Try the spirits viz. as skilfull Lapidaries do their stones or as wise Goldsmiths do their mettalls by touch and weight as the word imports Now that men may so try as to discern whether upon the Sabbath as at other seasons they are moved by the Spirit of God Be it known that The Spirit which is Swelling Smiting Roving 'T is not â—he Spirit of God Renting Ranting Driving 1. A swelling spirit that puffâ— men up with pride is not the Spirit of God One of the chief lessons taught by Gods holy Spirit is humility of heart And upon this account Gods Spirit suggests to a man His Iniquity and His mortality When mans heart begins to swell the Spirit of God puts in Berna August Serm. 21. Christ was humble yet without sin and shall a sinner be proud What thou proud dust and ashes For pride God plunged Angells out of heaven and will he spare thee a rotten creature a worm that must die tomorrow Swelling in heaven Angells sunk and shalt thou proud upon a dunghill passe unpunished Ambros lib. de viduis As Christ sayes a good Author cured the blindnesse of the man by putting clay upon his eyes so the Spirit of Christ cures the swelling pride of mans heart by putting thoughts into his mind of his mortall and dying condition That while he lives he is but a piece of warme clay That is the Spirit of God which as it enlarges a mans abilities it increases the mans humility As Nazianzene said of Athanasius He was high in worth and humble in heart Of such instances the Holy Scriptures are full But some their soules are swelled with pride as Simon Magus who gave out that himself was some great one Act. 8.9 Such a one was Muncer the Anabaptist in Germany as Sleiden reports his proud pranks and bragging boasts such a one is that man of sin who exalteth himself above all that is called God 2 Thess 2.4 The Spirit of God it is not that moves these men 2. A smiting spirit that makes men clamorous and contentious is not the Spirit of God Chrysost homil ad Pop. Ant. 36. et 51. the Spirit of God it makes men peaceable pittifull To act pitty and shew mercy sayes a good man is a more glorious work then to raise the dead or to build temples for God Yet this lesson men learn through the help of Gods holy Spirit A meek and a quiet spirit Such a spirit acted in Abraham Genes 13.8 And Abraham said to Lot let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee or between my herdmen and thy herd-men for we are Brethren Is not the whole land before thee take either the right hand or the left c. Abraham said though he were the Elder and Superiour Let there be no strife His spirit did so incline to peace that he would not have the least breach I pray thee he begged agreement so greatly did his soul desire it I scorn sayes Luther to the Pastors of Stratsburge that any should be more earnest then I for peace Brotherly peace and bowells of pitty are the fruits of the Spirit Gala. 5.22 Likewise long-suffering gentlenesse meeknesse temperance It is an evill spirit that makes men tumultuous mutinous contentious apt to smite both with hand and tongue 2. Chron. 18.23 And Zedekiah smote Micaiah on the cheek saying Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to thee It was not the Spirit of the Lord but a lying spirit that moved Zedekiah against Micaiah Such a spirit wrought in them against the Prophet Jer 18.18 Come let us smite him with the tongue and let us not give heed to any of his words A false spirit is so all for speaking that it cares not to hear 1 Joh. 4.6 Hereby we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error He that is not of God heareth not us Thus a Manichee furiously contesting with Augustine clamoured and cryed out Hear me hear me To whom the good man modestly answered Neither hear me or I thee but let us both hear the blessed Apostle Some they are all upon speaking wording of it with a full and fierce mouth against others As Samsons foxes that had fire on their tailes and set all the fields on a flame So some have such a fire on their tonges that they set Cities and Countreys in a blaze Those movings such men have are not from the Spirit of God 3. A driving spirit that hurries men to move about matters wherein they do not consider or consult Times or Means Grounds Or ends But on they go this is not the Spirit of God Gods Spirit moving to any great matter does not drive but draw and so leads men as to let them Both consider with themselves And consult with others Whether the time be seasonable Viz. The means approvable The grounds warrantable And the ends comfortable When Gods Spirit is the mover a man so examines the matter about which he is moved that 1. He considers if the time be fit he is moved in He knowes that which is untimely is uncomely things being beautiful in their season Eccl. 3. 2. He considers if the means be right he is moved by and that which he is to make use of For as the least false weight is not allowed for the getting of the largest gain No more is the least evil lawful for the attaining of the greatest good 3. He considers if the grounds be sure he is moved on Not successe in the world But an expresse from the Lord. A warrant from Gods revealed will in his Word for that onely can bear him out in his obedience 4. He considers if the ends be safe and good he is moved to not onely in respect of his purpose and intendment of good therein but in respect of Gods promise and engagement for good thereupon Such a man is certainly moved by the good Spirit of God Yea and in respect of others Counsel He both asks And takes That both from God And men In holy prayer he humbly asks counsel of God When David had lost all by a Troop of the Amalekites horse who had plundred Ziklag his spirit sparkled to be up and after them But David first calls for Abiathar the Priest to bring the
what is said upon the Sabbath concerning things Spiritual and Eternal not barely to hear but to hearken not onely to imploy the ear but to apply the mind to mark things mentioned to consider and ponder what is preached and pressed When our Saviour upon the Sabbath preached the Gospel in the Synagogue of Galilee the people were so moved that they pressed with eagernesse to lesson and learn what he delivered Luk. 5.1 Thus people may possibly under the preaching or the Gospel have their thoughts so helped and their hearts so held as to heed what they hear 2. Gods Spirit may upon the Sabbath so move as that men may discern and see much into the matters of God and according to the Word of God become very knowing Divine things may not onely be opened to their understanding but their understandings open to things Divine Numb 24.4 Heb. 6.4 Through the Spirit their minds may so be enlightened and their eyes so opened that into the good things of the Gospel they may have a great insight Their heads may be gold though their feet be clay Their understandings may have light though their affections no heat Though the tree of life be not yet planted that may bring forth fruit unto God yet they may have a tree of knowledge so full of leaves that therewith they may flourish in the World 3. Gods Spirit may move upon the Sabbath so as men may assent to the truth of Gods revealed will so as to believe the reports God hath made in his Word to be all infallibly true A man may be brought to yield such an allowance and to give that credit to whatever God speaks in Scripture that his soul may secretly say Truth Lord. Though that which most transcends reason as the mysteries of the Gospel yet to each the soul inwardly sayes Truth Lord. Though that which condemns his own course and discovers his own case to be naught yet conscience concludes Truth Lord. That secret way is sinful sayes God and must be broken from Yea sayes the man Lord I believe it That way is holy just and good and must be walked in Lord I believe it That is necessary to be sought and that is worthy to be embraced Lord I believe it Luk. 8.13 Act. 8.13 All which is brought on by the blessed Spirit of God 4. Gods Spirit may so on the Sabbath incite as to set men in admiring at the greatnesse of Gods grace and mercy wondring at Gods works and words Luk. 4.14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee and taught in their Synagogues on the Sabbath day there they admired him and he was glorified of them all After he came to Nazareth and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath-day where preaching upon some part of the Prophet Esay the people before him witnessed and wondred at the gracious words that proceeded out at his mouth Luk. 4.17 18 22. 5. Gods Spirit may be so inciting upon the Sabbath-day as that men may be much moved to affect the good things of God hereby they may be brought To desires of them and To delights in them Spiritual good things men may be desirous of When our Saviour in a Sermon Joh. 6. preached about the Bread which comes down from heaven and giveth life to the World some of his hearers were so stirred that they broke out saying Lord ever give us this Bread Thus when men hear of heavenly things their hearts may spring witn desires and their souls secretly say O Lord ever give us this good Yea with joy may their hearts dance and leap Luk. 8.13 Thus some rejoyced in the Ministery of John the Baptist Joh. 5.35 With gladnesse of heart did Herod hear him Mark 6.20 6. Gods Spirit may on the Sabbath so move as that men may resolve upon obedience to God and his holy Commands Deut. 5.27 Go thou near say the people to Moses and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou to us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it Jer. 42.4 5 6. I will pray sayes the Prophet to the people unto the Lord your God and whatever the Lord shall answer I will declaer to you and keep nothing back Then they said to Jeremiah The Lord be a true and faithfull witnesse between us if we do not according to all things for which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us Whether it be good or evil we will obey the voice of the Lord our God Thus people under the Gospel their hearts may be wrought to a real resolving upon the right way not onely something perswaded but their present purposes pitched to practise and prosecute that which is good These and such like good movings may the Spirit of Grace have upon the hearts of sinful men upon the day of the Sabbath and yet are far from being like Gods Saints in the Spirit upon the Lords day Now between these there is a discernable difference Gods Saints upon the Sabbath are so in the Spirit as no other ever are Those Spiritual motions that are in other hearts may be found defective in a four fold respect Viz. of Depth Breadth Heigth and Length For depth Those Spiritual movings that are in carnal hearts are but superficial and shallow they do not reach down into the inmost parts of the heart in deep humblings and soul-afflictings so as at first to lay the foundation deep A man admires the mercy of God in Christ but does not abhor himself for sin in the dust as that dear Saint of God who when he was affected and wondred at the glory of God he saw he also reflecting upon his own infirmities abhorred himself in dust and ashes Job 42.2 Gods Saints are first moved to deep and bitter self-bemoaning sorrowes Jer. 31.18 and after comes in sweet soul-quickning comforts Matth. 5.4 Others are like that stony ground Matth. 13.20 who when they heard the Word immediately they received it with much joy the seed sprung upward but downward took no deep rooting as in the good ground Luk. 8.13 14 15. When the Spirit moves upon true believers it makes them to bottom well to dig deep and lay the foundation on a rock and then raise their building in holy resolutions and sweet affections with suitable performances but others all the motions they feel puts them upon some fair buildings without any deep bottomings Matth. 7. Luk. 6. For breadth Those Spiritual movings that are in carnal hearts are but straitened and narrow they do not spread out either in respect Of subject Or object They do not reach out into all the powers of the soul so as to take up the whole soul for God Thus does the Spirit move in the Saints of God having a wonderful work in the whole soul so as that they are set about God and good with their whole heart and whole desires 2 Chron. 15.5 All their joyes and desires are in
Philistines make war against me and God is departed from me and answereth mâ— no more neither by Prophets nor by dreames c. He does not say God is departed from his Prophets God is departed from his ordinary waies of answer but God is departed from me c. Persons that do not find profit by the Word should misdoubt their own conditions for Gods Word does good to them that walk uprightly Micah 2.7 Such as say God is gone from publike ordinances it argues their hearts are gone if their bodies be with us they do but learn the Language of such as are gone from us both in body and Heart But God is with us Object None have such comfortable discoveries of God by the the Spirit as some that are departed from publick Assemblies Answ Some that have been damnable seducers have given out that they through the Spirit have had glorious discoveries of God The Spirit of God descending upon our Saviour like a Dove when he had heaven opened and God speaking This is my beloved Son Matth. 3.16 17. in allusion thereto and imitation thereof a grand Impostor having taught a white Pigeon to take pease out of his ear reported to the people that it was the holy Ghost imparting the mind of God to him in most comfortable Mysteries for the which he was much admired of many And our Saviour having promised the sending of the Spirit the Comforter that should make known all things from the Father Alsted Chronolo Haeresium 38. pag. 382. Joh. 14. One impudently affirmed not onely that he had extraordinary Spiritual comforts from God but that he was the very Spirit of God the Comforter and that God had sent him to make known most comfortable messages to the Churches of Christ whereupon he had many favourers and followers Luther cites several sects in his time who though they fled from the Word as Owles from the light yet they pretended to high raptures and ravishments through the Spirit and tâ—us especially the prime leaders with lyes as loadstones drew parties after them c. And there are in our dayes divers whose language it loud of large discoveries they have from and comforts they have in God through the Spirit never so as since they separated from our publick Assemblies before they were full of fears and doubts but now they are in the firmest settlements and fullest assurance free from all sad thoughts filled with the joyes and comforts of the holy Ghost having intimate acquaintance with the mind of God and understanding in the deep Mysteries of Christ This I shall onely say that if it be really so let us see more of it Both in their lives and actions And in their deaths and afflictions In the actings of their lives how little of the power of this appears Either towards God above them Or towards men about them If they say they now see and know so mâ—â—h taste and partake so much trust and confide so much in God let them evidence it by their exact actings and strict livings so as to out strip others in all goodnesse kindnesse meeknesse mercifulnesse c. As the Apostle speaks to the man who boasts of his belief Shew me thy faith by thy works Jam. 2. So may we say to such Let them shew their comforts and confidence in God by their holy working humble walking sin-subduing self-denying loving those that they count their enemies and praying for those they call their persecutors Math. 5.46 47. That saying of our Saviour to the Pharisees may fitly be applyed If ye love them which love you what reward have you Do not even the Publicans the same And if ye salute your brethren onely what do you more then others Do not even Publicans so c Nay instead of doing more then others in their conversations and actions they expresse lesse of the power of godlinesse and practice of holinesse keep lesse to the rules of righteousnesse and in the paths of peaceablenesse then other Christians do and yet they speak of higher raptures greater discoveries sweeter comforts stronger confidence then other Christians have I question whether these be any more then self-deceiving conceits arising from Satans-subtil designs 2. In their deaths and daies of deep distresse how little likewise do they lay forth of that firm confidence and those full comforts they speak of in God It were easy to instance from among the Anabaptists and such other Sects how especially the prime leaders who have spoken of raptures and ravishing revelations by the Spirit yet some of them have died ragingly and in a frenzie others stupidly their heart sinking within them like a stone And have not some been seen who have carried it boldly out while the Sun hath been warm under which they have set and while the Sea hath been calme over which they have sailed but when the winds have been rough and their hopes as ships have been wrackt their vapourings have vanished History reports of a river that at every Mid-Summer swelleth and runneth over the bancks but in Mid-Winter is cleane dried up Thus some while they have had prosperous successe their confidence and comforts have risen high but when they have been down in the depths of their distresse all have been damped and dashed to the dust As Pharaohs Chariots that carried him fast and ran swift upon the Land but when they were in the Sea then they went heavy and their wheeles fell off The Jewes said of our Saviour Let us see him come down from the Crosse we will believe in him But of such we may say Let us see them go up to the Cross let us see how they can look death devill God in the face keeping up the heights of their comforts confidence and then we may the better believe them In the mean while let not Christians believe they may have high comforts heavenly raptures through the Spirit yet neglect holy Ordinances Christian Assemblies the Lords Day and the duties thereof Though some men be in Sabbath-day-duies that are out of the Spirit yet let none think to be in the Spirit that lie out of duties upon the day of the Sabbath As whoever would sail over Sea to a friend in another Land must have both a ship and a wind so whoever would in soul ascend from earth unto God in heaven must have the help Both of Gods holy Ordinances And of Gods holy Spirit The Ordinance as the Ship and The Spirit as the wind As the Ship of an Ordinance cannot move without the wind of the Spirit so the wind of the Spirit will not blow without the Ship of an Ordinance And therefore as a man must desire the wind So he must take care that he be in the Ship else if he goes to Sea his soul will sink and not ascend Some neglect the Ordinances of God and the duties of the Sabbath and therefore are not in the Spirit upon the Lords Day 2. Some others they so
Spirit on the Lords Day p. 293 4. The properties of Gods Spirit towards good men p. 294 5. The properties of good mens spirits towards the Lord. p. 300 6. Unsanctified men cannot be on the Lords Day in the Spirit why p. 309 7. A false spirit moves mightily in them how that is discovered p. 325 8. How far some such men may be moved by the Spirit of God p. 343 9. Objections by and about some in this regard answered p. 357 10. Some of Gods Saints on the Lords Day are not in the Spirit why p. 354 11. Spiritually to spend the Lords Day what it contains p. 380 12. Motives that incite spiritually to spend the Lords Day of two sorts p. 389 13. Duties requisite to a spiritual spending the Lords Day of three sorts p. 433 14. Preparation for the Lords Day wherefore and wherein it is p. 437 15. How the Lords Day is to be begun carried on and ended p. 452 16. What is required after the Lords Day is over p. 468. A short Epistle to the Reader touching the Errata's Courteous Reader THough thou art no fault-finder yet thou mayest find many faults in a few sheets both through the Defects of the Authour and through the Mistakes of the Printer These latter are either lesser or greater Very many words false-spelled * As centre for center survile for servile and such like and mis-printed yet the sense of the place preserved These and such errours being lesse I let passe But many words are printed so much amisse as destroy the very sense of the place And among such errours more grosse Note these In the main Text. Page 33. line 12. for sports read spots p. 34 l. 24. for use r. cause p. 37. l. 25. for breach r. branch p. 54. l. 3. for meal r. wheale p. 96. li. 15. for renounced r. removed p. 107. l 4. for note r. find p. 108. l. 4 for frogs r. fogs p. 121 l 21. for conjunction r. conviction p. 135. l. 14. for Yea r. So. p. 142. l. 27. for in dayes past r. in dayes future p 145. l 6. for but r. yea pa. 153. â— 3. for cause r. case pa. 217. line 10. for Goats r. Groats p. 250. l. 2. for pre r. preserve p. 2â—2 line 12. for whole man r. whole of man p. 353. l. 16. for fixed r. fired p. 372 l. 18. for fixed r. fired p 389 l. 16. for spirituality read spiritual pag. 412. l. 23. for provoke r. promote p. 419. l. 16. for condile r. condole c. Errata in the Mergent Pag. 41. pro sâ—dendum lege ludendum pag. 24. pro ancle leg ante pa. 253. pro sancto leg sancta ibid. pro quiscâ—ns leg quiescens ibâ—d pro Exem leg Erem pag. 322. pro pessima lege pessimi pag. 328. pro August leg August These Good Reader and some other such Bruises the Body of this Book in the Birth hath suffered which yet thou mayest much heal by applying thereunto thy charitable Interpretations which he humbly entreats who heartily desires Gods honour herein and thy Benefit hereby Philip Goodwin THE LORDS DAY Enlivened Revel 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day SAint John among the Apostles is compared to the Eagle among the birds and truly let him be observed but onely as the Text present reports therein he is found to fly exceeding high soaring upward with heavenly wings yea he did as it were pass out of the world into the Spirit to converse with God in sublime mysteries upon the day of the Lord. I was in the Spirit upon the Lords Day Indeed if we reflect upon the foregoing verse we may view him in a very low place and case I John who also am your Brother written to some afflicted Churches of Christ and companion in tribulation c. Other Histories also tell into what troublesome times he was turned how Souldiers having apprehended him in Asia Non multum ante temporis Apocalypsin vidit Joannes Sed pene nostro seculo ad finem Domitiani Imperii Irenaeus li. 5. cont Valent and hurried him to Rome where being brought before Domitian under whom was the second if not the saddest of the ten persecutions this cruell Emperour caused him for the cause of Christ to be cast into a Cauldron of boyling oyl out of which by a strange providence being escaped he was after carried to prison in the Isle Patmos which as Geographers write was a barren beggarly place a little desert Island lying in the Aegean Sea where sure this good man met with misery so much as might have sunk his Soul But though he was world-ward in a woe case all the week yet he was in a high rapture and Heavenly posture when the Lords day came I was in the Spirit upon the Lords Day In the words of the Apostle are observable Somewhat implyed And Somewhat expressed Or his Concession And his Assertion That which he silently grants and secretly yet certainly implyes is That there was then a Lords Day in use and which he himself in his sufferings observed That which he positively expresses and plainly affirms is That upon this Day of the Lord he was in the Spirit I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day As there were two brazen Pillars whereupon the burden of Solomons Porch was placed 1. Kin. 7. So the burthen of following discourse shall all be brought and layd through the Lords help upon two Principall Points 1. Point That even in the times of the Gospel there hath been and is continued a day which is the Lord Christs by a peculiar claim THE LORDS DAY 2. Point that some of the Servants of the Lord have been and others may be in the Spirit on this day of the Lord. The Apostle is plain from his own experience I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day Upon these two bottomes I shall endeavour to raise the Religious observance of the Christian Sabbath and to lift up the Lords Day unto its highest and holiest use And now enter the first That the Lord Christ our dear Saviour hath a day that is peculiarly His THE LORDS DAY All daies indeed are the Lords The Lord Christ in all daies hath an undoubted interest yea and a double power for their dispose Natural and Oeconomicall An originall power and property pertaines to him as he is God coessentiall and coeternall with his Faher A derivative property and power as he is Christ the Mediator For as God the Father hath put all things so all times into his Son Christs hands We find Genesis 1. the whole space of time divided into Dayes and Nights Now there is not a night or day but is the Lords Psalme 74.16 The day is thine the night also is thine Yet there is a day which is THE LORDS by an excellency and in a super-eminent and immediate manner As we see Psalme 50. the Lord sayes that all creatures are his Every beast of the Forrest is mine the
many thousands murthered But O how exceeding sad is this when people may come to the publike in peace pray in peace hear in peace depart in peace from Sabbath after Sabbath yet loiter at home on the Lords Day I wish empty seats make not way for empty pulpits and that quite forgetting Sabbaths be not the event of slighting Sermons To say nothing of such as desert our assemblies upon the groundlesse grounds of Separation what Atheisme begins to grow in the Land who le Parishes live as without God in the world scarce knowing when a Sabbath comes Help Lord. Now amongst such as sin against the Lords Day in respect of works thereupon to be done Divers things are objected Some against the condition of the work in the day And Some against the continuance of the day in the work The condition of this dayes work considered some object Because any thing of the day is required in publick Others Because so many things in the day are required Some say They can read good books and serve God at home when the Sabbath comes Answer 1. They can but 't is a question whether they will or no. Such as in their houses all the whole week do little or nothing in the worship of God are like to do no great matter at home when the Sabbath comes in the service of God As one well observes that commonly they who forget God in the time of their life do forget both God and themselves in the day of their death So they who neglect God in the week-time do ordinarily little regard God or the good of their souls upon the Sabbath-day Secondly The publike preaching of the Word is of more Soul-concernment on the Sabbath then any private reading at home if we consider Either the precept of God Or the Profit of man Both expresse in that of the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.2 As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Sincere milk of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sermon-milk warm milk from the Mothers brest is best to battle the babe Sodden milk hath not so much spirits therein nor the child that refreshing thereby * Revera fratres nubes sunt praedicatores c. August in Psal 35. Sermon-milk is the best food for spiritual growth Agustin compares the preaching of the Word to the raining of the clouds which more refreshes the corn then if pond-water should be poured out in pailes and buckets My doctrine shall drop as the rain and my speech shall distill as the dew Deut. 32.1 2. Slight not such Sabbath-showres nor misse upon the Lords Day the former or the latter rain Object On the Sabbath in publike I shall only hear another at home I my self can speak to God in prayer Answ In publike thou mayest not only hear but also pray even then when not one word thou speakest A man at home may speak many words yet make never a prayer and a Christian in the congregation may pray earnestly though he speaks never a word 'T is not the speaking of the tongue but the working of the heart that makes prayer * Non vocis magnitudine sed cordis magnanimitate clamandum est c. Clamabat populus et non audiebatur tacebat Moses et audiebatur ille Ambros in Psal 119. One observes how the Israelites when the Egyptian army was behind them and the Red-sea before them they lift up their voyces and cryed out to the Lord yet God did not regard this as a prayer Exod. 14.10 Moses he was silent not one word of prayer appears yet the Lord sayes to Moses Wherefore cryest thou unto me ver 15. Though his tongue was still his heart was hot in holy prayer Secondly he that will not upon the Lords Day hear Gods Word his private prayer is but unpleasing to God 'T is a saying of one of the Ancients God oft rejects his prayer in trouble who in the daies of his peace does despise Gods precepts Deus saepe ejus precem in perturbatione deserit qui precepta illius in tranquillitate contemnit Greg. Mor. li. 5. ca. 36. and so God does but abominate his prayer in private who will not hear upon the Sabbath-day Gods holy precepts in publike He that turnes away his ear from hearing the Law his prayer shall be an abomination Prov. 28.9 He must first hear God that will be heard of God Objection On the Sabbath in publike I may be put upon expence in contributing to some or other in want which by being at home I escape Answ 1. Charity to such as are in necessity is alwaies an excellent duty It makes a man to resemble God who hath never need to receive but is ever most free to give Jam. 1.5 2. For the duty of charity the most seasonable day is the Sabbath * Chryso in 1. Cor. 11. Homil. 43. Chrysostenme observes that the Sabbath is the day when God in his best bounty does most appear unto us and therefore for us to expresse our bounty to others the Sabbath is the fittest day 3. Though charitable duties are fit for every Sabbath yet such occasions are not constant Christians indeed upon those Lords Dayes when they are not communicating to they should be commiserating of such as suffer in the World when they are not in their contributions liberall they should be in their compassions lively In their thoughts they should go forth and look upon the burdens of their brethren remembring those that are in bonds as if bound with them Hebr. 13.3 Object Some Sabbath-work I am willing to do but so many works on the Sabbat be burdensome Answer 1. The more work the more wages The more good Sabbath-seed men sowe the more plentifull crops of comfort they shall râ—ap both in earth and heaven God hath more Sabbath-mercies to vouchsafe then we duties to perform 2. As on this day men have much work So they have much help Scriptures Ministers Ordinances yea Angells yea God himself Father Son and Holy Ghost Our Lord is not like Pharaoh who required brick but withheld straw 3. The work indeed on the Lords Day is large but it is all excellent businesse that well becomes Kings yea and pions Princes have accounted it not onely their duty but their dignity not onely to see that others but themselves also in all holy duties do observe the Lords Day Zozom Eccl. hist si 1. ca. 8. History in the praise of Constantine reports much of this And the Scripture prophesies that Princes in Gospell-times should not abate but abound in Sabbath-day-duties And the burnt-offering that the Prince shall offer to the Lord in the Sabbath-day Exek 46.4 shall be six Lambs without blemish and a Ram without blemish This by type did signifie that in succeeding times the Service of God should be plentifully performed even by the highest of the people upon the Lords holy Day 4. Upon the Lords Day though of duties there be
he had seen very many yet he never saw the like Thus much may evidence that though now the Lord lets alone the most Sabbath-slighting-men yet he does evident execution on some To inform men of himself and To reform men in themselves 1. By this God brings out unto men more of the knowledge of himself Psal 9.16 The Lord is known by the judgement he executeth c. God executing judgement upon such as pollute his holy day is known to be a holy God Some such the Lord lets alone that his patience may be seen and some he proceeds against that his justice may be known August de civit Dei cap. 8. Austin is excellent in this God now punishes some sinners that the Attribute of his present justice may be observed but God he reserves others that the Doctrine of his future Judgement may be believed If God should punish none he would not be known to be just If God should for present punish all the need of a Judgement day to come might be questioned 2. By this God brings on more men to amendment of life at least 't is the Lords end in executing judgement upon some Law-breakers to stop others in the breaking of his Law when God bodily beats any sinner down his aime is to strike thereby upon the hearts Of all sorts of sinners but Especially upon sinners of that sort God in doing visible and terrible execution upon some Sabbath-breakers hereabouts expects that all who break his blessed Sabbath Interim plectuntur quidam quo caeteri corrigantur c. Cypr. de lapsis Serm. should heare and fear repent and amend Cyprian doth sweetly presse the recovery of some relapsed Christians from the dreadful examples of Gods judgements upon some Apostates And this use our Saviour makes of those eighteen whose brains were beaten out by the fall of the Tower of Siloam to provoke others unto speedy repentance Luk. 13.4 5. Except c. Alsted Chronol We read of one Waldus in France who seeing a man suddenly to fall down dead it so struck upon his heart that he went home reformed his family admonished his friends to repent and became famous being the founder of the Waldenses O that the hand of the great God would now reach all your hearts who have seen and heard of what God hath in justice done in the fearful falls of some who defiled his Sabbath For except ye repent Pereunt impii non ut pereant sed ut pereundo alios proficiant Seneca ye shall all likewise perish O repent repent That the Lord may have the praise of his justice And that you may have the profit of his judgements The exhortation followes And in prosecuting this present use attend Both the Matters men are to be exhorted to And the Motives men are to be exhorted by The most material things to which I would incite concerning the Christian Sabbath be To Assent in judgement and To Assist in practice Let all assent that this Sabbath ought to be observed and let each assist in the observation of the Sabbath and let 's seriously see that our Sabbath-assent be Full without doubting in it and Firme without swerving from it With some little varying let me presse in the words of the Apostle 2 Thess 2.1 2 3. Now we beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that ye be not soon shaken in mind neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as if the Lords day should not be at hand and ever in your hearts Let no man deceive you by any means for that day is and must be and will be owned except there come a sad and fearful falling away through the subtilties of that man of sin O let us take and keep such a conjunction upon our consciences concerning this day and duty as may be strong and stable Indeed to be well settled in the point of the Sabbath we have exceeding good cause considering we have Not onely the help of Nature But also the help of Scripture There be some lessons the light of nature leads to viz. That there is a God That this God must be worshipped That there must be a time set to worship him in Than 't is meet for God to appoint his own way and time of worship 'T is true to determine the seventh part of time for the worship of God is above the dictate of Nature hence the Heathen in derision were wont to call a Jew the seventh man because he observed a seventh day wherein to worship God We have not onely principles of nature but expressions of Scripture nor onely consequentiall deductions but also positive assertions to settle our beliefe concerning a holy Sabbath yea we have Not onely the help of the Law But also the help of the Gospel The Gospel guides into most glorious truths viz. That there is a Christ That this Christ is God That therefore he must have Divine worship That for his worship he must have a set seventh day as God had That every first day in the week is the day set for the solemn worship of Christ yea help Not onely of the Gospel of Christ But also of all the Churches of Christ In ages past And present They all with an harmonious consent subcribe this truth and hand over to us this testimony That the Lords day Is the Lords due Yea Not onely the Churches of Christ without us But also the Spirit of Christ within us helps The Spirit of Christ though he savingly converts but few yet he does forcibly convince the most most men amongst us are hereby convinced of this fundamental in Religion viz. That the Lords day ought to be observed Let us not then dimme the light nor drown the voyce within us that cryes Sabbath Sabbath Let us not suffer our minds to be corrupted with any poysonous opinions in this point But Brethren stand fast and hold the institutions of God according as you have been taught Silence all doubts about and disputes against the Lords day and stick close to that truth herein which you have professed and imbraced O let not any of you let in the least thought ever to live Sabbath-free indeed 't is a day all men must alway be free for and free in but not any ever freed from Bulling in Rom 4 et 5. 'T was a good observation of a learned Writer The Sabbath as it came in with the first man so it most not go out but with the last man As it was from the beginning of the World so it must continue till the worlds end And therefore for the Lords sake and your own souls sake suffer none to seduce you as to conceive a Sabbath-cease but keep your Intellectuals sound in Sabbath-Tenents and while you live labour to keep pure your Sabbathp-rinciples And as for practices 2. Let all and every one assist unto the service of the Sabbath day Suitable to the
day and for ever Christ who is The Lord our righteousnesse he is the Lord our Sabbath So chat we shall have a Sabbath last as long as Christ lives A good conscience Sabbatum Dei illud quo exterius â—b opere cessasse dicitur Sacramentum est interioris Sabati ubimens sancto per bonam conscientiam a peccato quiscâ—ns c. Hugo Chrysost Homil. 17. in Genes August Serm. 10. ad fratres in Exem as it is a continual feast so a Sabbath of rest Prov. 15.15 Esay 57.20 The wicked are like the troubled Sea that have no Sabbath of rest Tell me not sayes Chrysostome the man hath a sumptuous Table is cloathed mith silks attended with servants shews me his conscience there is a hurry of lusts a tumult of sins A continual Sabbath-lesse man A good conscience 't is sayes Austin the bed of God the Palace of Christ the Temple of the holy Ghost the Paradise of delights the standing Sabbath of Saints c. Let us be faithful in the Sabbath that may possibly cease and then may we be sure of a never ceasing Sabbath In the saddest most unsetled seasons when customes are changing and Kingdoms are shaking and all Gods Ordinances seem to be taking their leave in a Land yea when all externals in the world are at worst yet there is an internal Sabbath in the heart and an eternal Sabbath in the heavens whereof every Saint may be sure Sabbatum duplex Pectoris et Temporis Aquinas 12ae quest 100. Art 5. Suppose there should be here no more Sabbaths remaining yet there is a remaining Sabbath Heb 4.10 And though the Lords day will end the Lord himself will be a never ending day THE LORDS DAY Enlivened Revel 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day THe holy Apostle in the words present plainly reports The Season upon which he was set and The condition into which he was put The Season which he was on It was the Lords Day The condition which he was in He was in the Spirit I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day The Point we are next to prosecute is That it is sensible to some and possible for all pious men to be in the Spirit on the Lords Day This Doctrine I shall endeavour To clear To prove and To presse For the clearing of truth it is fit to unfold What is the Spirit in which they may be on the Lords Day and What it is for them on the Lords Day to be in the Spirit Spirit This is to be considered both as it relates To God and To Man Omnes Nomenis Jehovae literae sunt spirituales ut denotetur Deum esse Spiritum Alsted Spirit This as unto God does import Either the whole divine Essence Or one personall subsistence The whole Essence of the God-head is Spirit As Christ King Priest and Prophet is one compleat Saviour So God Father Son and holy Ghost is one spirituall being And as in the Spirit they are but one being So in their being they are but one spirit Thus God is a Spirit John 4.24 Thus Spirit is attributed as unto God 1 Tim. 3.16 1. Pet. 3.18 c. 2. The third Person subsisting in the God-head is Spirit As there is God a Spirit So there is the Spirit of God Through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God Rom. 15.19 The things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 c. This is called The Spirit of truth John 14.17 The Spirit of life Rom. 8.2 The Spirit of holinesse Rom. 1.4 The Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 Spirit This as appropriate to man implies Either the whole soul of man Or the superiour facultie of the soul 1. For the soul wholly in the substance thereof As every individuall man hath his soul So the soul of every single man it is his spirit Each man is a compound creature made up of soule and body Hence men are compared to Gideons souldiers Judg. 7.16 Ambros de Spir. Sa. lib. 1. cap. 16. Each having his â—arthen pitcher and Lamp therein when the earthen pitcher of mans body is broken by death the Lamp of his soul abides burning either in heaven or hell Thus Matth 10.28 Mans soule while in his body is called his Spirit Isay 26.9 Ex egests vid. Augustin in locum et Ambros Com. in loc With my soule have I desired thee in the night and with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Luk. 1.46 47. Mary said My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour 2. Spirit That is the soules superiour facultie As the soule it is spirit So there is the spirit of the soule Or The spirit of the mind as the Apostle calls it Rom. 12.2 This is the intellectual or the knowing power of the soule Who knowes the things of man save the spirit of man which is in him 1. Cor 2.11 Thus 1 Thess 5.23 the Apostle mentions body soul and spirit Indeed this is most applicable to man as born of God considered Not onely in his proper constitution But also in his further restitution As the woman in the Gospell who hid her leaven in three measures of meal till the whole lump was leavened Thus the Lord layes his Grace in these three parts body soule and spirit till the whole man is sanctified Now such a man so spirited is fit to be in the spirit on the Lords Day On the Lords Day in the spirit Spirit it is taken as referring both to God and man The Spirit of God and the spirit of man meeting 2. What it is for a godly man on the Lords Day to be in the Spirit In the Spirit This notes Both his soules habitual condition as settled And his soules actuall condition as moved 1. The soul of a sanctified man according to his settled condition considered is in the spirit Being by grace habitually planted and effectually put into God Father Son and Holy Ghost John 17.21 That they sayes Christ to his Father may be one in us In us That they are not in thee onely nor in me alone but in us viz. Father Son and holy Spirit Every gracious soul Rests in God Abides in Christ and Lives in the Spirit Bernard 1. In God there is a resting Psal 37.7 The soule of every true Believer sayes a learned Writer Hath a double Mansion One wherein it rules viz. the body and The other wherein it rests viz. God The soule of every Saint is settled in God as in its centre The force of some temptation may seeme to unsettle his soule and as it were to separate it from God but then as Noah's Dove out of the Ark it finds no rest back again it comes God is its centre and out of God truly it can never be taken maugre all the malice of hell 2. In Christ there is his abyding John 15.7 In the heart of Christ and In the
Gods Saints are best brought together both In Body And Mind Christians being thus gathered upon the Lords Day lie in the readiest way for these high workings of the Spirit Act. 2.1 2. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And suddenly c. Day of Pentecost This fiftieth day so the word imports it was the first day in the week Vid. Cypri de Spir. San 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the best affirm even our Lords Day They were all That is Basil de spi Sancto ca. 27. August de temp Ser. 251. all the eleven Apostles of Christ as is plainly expressed Act. 1.26 In one place In an upper Chamber at Jerusalem they were all Bodily gathered together With one accord Their minds were met as well as their bodies They were all in one house with one Heart waiting for the promises of the Lord. And suddenly there came That is with all speed the Spirit of God came down upon them so as never before for Manner and Measure The manner A sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind all about the house where they were sitting And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and sat upon each of them The measure And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake with other tongues August Ser. 2 ad fratr in eremo as the Spirit gave them utterance The Spirit spake in them and they spake in the Spirit the wonderfull works of God The Spirit was poured in upon them and they poured it out in the Spirit Gods work was wonderfull and thus being upon the Lords Day gathered they found such spiritual fierings and fillings That evil spirit oft assaults the souls of Gods Saints when they are solitary single and severed Matth 4.1 But the good Spirit of God descends upon the soules of his servants met in their solemn assemblies One well observes that the dry bones which the Prophet saw Ezek. 37. the Spirit of God did not enliven them while they lay scattered in the field but when the bones came together bone to his bone then the Spirit of life came into them and they stood up upon their feet vers 7 8 9. Thus Gods servants when together they are upon the Sabbath assembled then these kindlings and comfortable quickenings come Yea though their hearts and thoughts were all the week more scattered about in the world yet they are better gathered in to the Lord upon the Sabbath-day And the souls of Gods people put into such a Sabbath-posture are most prompt and best prepared for comfortable converse with God in the Spirit And in the Spirit on the Lords day some actually are that so they may the better For present receive the mysteries of Faith and For future perform the duties of obedience Faith That the apprehensions of this may hereby be enlarged and man unto the Dimensions hereof may hereby be better enabled By being in the Spirit a Christian is made more able to reach out unto the lengths breadths heights depths of faith and by believing to find out and fetch in the vast Mysteries of God in the Gospel Gospel-truths vailed are hereby clearly revealed and closely received Hence St. John came to receive such close and clear revelations from God which he could never have reached had he not on the Lords day been in the Spirit His whole Book that is so mysterious to others Jerom. epist ad Paulin. things therein were perspicuous to him To him therefore several of the Ancients so apply that Ambros lib. 3. de Spir. Sancto cap. 21. August de civit Dei lib. 20. cap. 17. Revel 22.1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life clear as Crystal proceedinding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Things to him issued from God all pure and clear This made John the Baptist a greater Prophet then Esay or any other before him things intricate to others were explicate to him Now the Apostle could not have been capable of such clear discoveries had he not been first in the Spirit upon the Lords day Upon the Lords day being in the Spirit a Christian rides in the Chariot of faith triumphant from earth yea possibly as out of Hell into Heaven where he sees those glorious mysteries of mercie that concerns his souls comfort yea and what may be of singular concernment for the souls of others Obedience That the several conditions of this may be the better fulfilled Both in service And suffering Gods servants by being in the Spirit are abundantly fitted Both for Affliction And Action Act. 20.22 23 24. And now sayes the Apostle behold I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there save that the holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me But none of these things move me neither count I my life dear to my self so that I may finish my course with joy and the Ministery which I have received of the Lord to testifie the Gospel of the Grace of God O what a fixed frame of heart had the holy Apostle to honour God both By doing And dying He was bound in the Spirit The Spirit that is compared to winde did now upon the Apostle blow with such a full gale that he went as a ship full saile unto the Port God had appointed The spirit of this good man did not hang loose but was girt up to go thorow with the work whatever came The Spirit hemm'd it about loosened him from all that might any way hinder but so gathered up his heart for God and the Gospel as to further him in his way and work One telling a Martyr that it was hard to burn It is indeed said he for him that hath his soul liâ—ked to his body as a Theefs foot in his fetters but for him that hath his soul set above his body it is easie to burn Kindle fire I come Saviour Another having put one foot into the flame steps back saying The flesh shrinks and sayes On earth it is better to burn The Spirit sayes In heaven it is sweet to shine The flesh sayes wilt thou shorten thy life The Spirit sayes It is nothing nothing to life eternal The flesh sayes Wilt thou leave thy friends The Spirit sayes Christ and his Saints society is better c. And so in the power of the Spirit he flings himself into the fiercest flames And the souls of Gods Saints may expect such Spiritual supports in the dayes of their suffering who serving God have been in the Spirit on the Lords day The truth of all which some have sensibly found 2. That others of Gods Saints possibly may find their souls thus in the Spirit on the Lords day This proved By the properties of the Lords Spirit towards them and By the properties of their spirits towards the Lord. As for the Spirit of the
Lord towards them 'T is a Spirit enriching and ruling 'T is a Spirit raising and resting on them 1. The Spirit enriches the people of God by imparting to them What is precious and excellent and What is Plenteous and abundant The riches of grace Ephes 1.7 which is compared to enriching gold Revel 3.18 This in abundance is brought in by the Spirt 2 Cor. 3.18 An evil spirit is reported to have brought to some in league with him Remigi lib. de Daemo pieces in appearance of true gold but they were never the richer for when they went to use them all turned into whithered leaves And so with false gold of seeming grace does Satan deceive the souls of some But the good Spirit of God brings into the souls of Gods Saints such gold of grace as is of real and rare use for their great enriching God-ward Men rich in earthly gold and the ordinary wealth of the world are able to compasse and accomplish those things that others cannot Such as the Spirit of the Lord hath largely enriched with Gospel-gold O what great things are they enabled to do O what fellowships with the Father converses with the Son communion with the holy Ghost are they prepared for And may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords day 2. The Spirit he rules the people of God by exercising over them Both a Negative and A Positive power A power whereby he holds them off from what he dislikes They cannot with others wade into the waies of the world the Spirit will not let them they cannot shift their sails as the wind change in every turn of times And though as Nazianzen said of Athanasius they be as loadstones to draw others in to God yet they are as Adamants that will not warp wind bend or break or shrink from God The Spirit of the Lord will not let them they cannot they care not yea the Spirit may keep them from something which may seeme good to them because of some greater good in the sight of God When Saint Paul was going to preach the Word at Asia the Holy Ghost forbade him and being about to go to Bithynia the Spirit suffered him not Act. 16. And a power the Spirit doth daily exercise over the People of God to lead them on to what the Lord requires Rom. 8.14 Gala. 5.18 Ezechiel the Prophet saw four wheeles which were sometimes carried on upon the earth and sometimes lifted up above the earth according as the spirit of the living creature moved that was in the wheeles Thus the Soules of Gods Saints are set a going sometimes they rise higher and sometimes they run swifter as the Spirit of the living God leads that is in their hearts Good men The Spirit leads them they may not be at a losse yea And when they are at a losse yet the Spirit leads them August de cor et gra Cap 2. Id. de Grat. et lib. Arb. Cap. 1. God led the people of Israel through the wildernesse not onely by a pillar of fire but by a pillar of the cloud Nehem. 9.19 The Spirit leads Gods people through the world as a fire that gives them light that so they may not lose their way sometimes there is such a cloud they cannot see their way yet then the Spirit leads them and when they are at a losse it is that voice behind them saying This is the way walk in it Esay 30.21 Now they that are thus under the daily conduct of the Spirit may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords Day 3. The Spirit raises the people of God lifts up a good man being down through amazing meditations Either of God in the Heights of his Majesty Or of himself in the depths of his Misery When the Prophet was fallen upon his face through affrighting thoughts at the glorious presence of God in a vision Then the Spirit entred into him and set him upon his feet Ezek. 2.2 Ezek. 3.24 The usuall cause of a Christians casting down is the sad apprehensions of his severall sins so that he seemes to himself as if his soul were sinking into the depths of hell then the Spirit helps him up By recalling former mercies and By revealing further Mysteries The Spirit recalls or causes a Christian to remember The promises of mercy the Lord hath made and The experiences of mercy himself hath found John 14.26 The Spirit shall bring all things to your remembrance viz. The gracious sayings and glorious doings of God in dayes past are drawn a fresh into the thoughts of dejected Saints The Spirit reveals or makes such mysteries of mercy manifest as were not before known Eph. 1.17 18. That God the Father of glory may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened ye may know what is the hope of his calling c Thus the Spirit pulls up poore Saints pittifully plunged Being down Either in sins Or in sorrowes The Spirit raises Saints in their sad relapses have sweet illapses the Spirit letting in such light and heat as heaves up their hearts dark down and dead They who in ordinary dayes may have such experiences of Spirit-helps may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords Day 4. The Spirit rests upon the People of God so the Apostle expresses it 1 Pet 4.14 This imports The Spirits Presence Both intimate And pertuate With the people of God They have the friendly and familiar presence of the Spirit in close acquaintance Communions and Communications as is not to any other men They have the presence of the Spirit in his continued workings Without Intermission and Without Termination The Spirit within them does never intermit all his actings Though he is in the soule as the pulse in the arme that does not alway beat with the same sensible strength and evennesse Motions may to a good mans feeling be more weak and low yet even in such distempers he is still stirring As when the body of a man is asleep yet there in the soul is acting So when the soule of a Saint is asleep yet there in the Spirit is working Neither can any period possibly be put to such an operative presence of the Spirit in the People of God The gracious soul is on earth as the Spirits centre the settled presence here of is not in any other soul The Spirit of Noah's Dove hovers over the hearts of earthly men but a holy and humble heart is to the Spirit as Noah's Ark to the Dove there he rests John 14.16 I sayes Chrsst will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter even the Spirit of truth and he shall abide with you for ever Your bodies have had my corporall presence for a time but in your soules the presence of my Spirit shall remain for ever Now they that have in them such a perpetuall presence of the Spirit may not they be in the Spirit upon the
Lords Day 2. We shall consider their spirits towards the Lord For suitablenesse And capablenesse For the pliablenesse and Indefatigableness of them 1. Suitable are the spirits of Saints to the Lord Christ Christ and the things of Christ and the spirit of a Saint so suite That his Spirit hath onely a sympathy with them And they onely can satisfie his Spirit The sympathy of a good mans spirit is with the things of Christ His heart hath a kind of Antipathy to things of an other nature Even the things of the world his Spirit opposes refuses rises if of them any tenders be to take him off from Christ When Valence the Emperour sent to Basil the offer of great preferments the good mans spirit was up in an anger and made this answer Let him offer these ratles to children and not to Christians When some bade stop Luthers mouth with preferments one of his Adversaries answered It is no boot that Germane Beast cares not for gold God himself sayes Luther shall not put me off with these things Hooper when one offered him a pardon for life if he would recant he cryed out If you love my soul away with it For Gods sake away away with it But to such men the things of Christ truths of Christ waies of Christ Words of Christ Commands of Christ do accord And herein also are the Spirits of Gods Saints satisfied How was it with that holy man who replyed to his friend Speak to me while you will no words can satisfie me except you mention Christ Write to me what you please it will not satisfie me unlesse in your letters I may read Christ Give me never so much I cannot be satisfied except you help me to somewhat of Christ Christ and the things of Christ were onely things that satisfied the spirit of this precious man Suitable things are ready to run into one another to mix and hold fast together This made Nebuchadnezzars Image to fall asunder because it was made up of such unsuitable matter things of such a differing nature This makes famous professors to fall and divers to desert Christ because the things of Christ do not suite to their spirits The spirits of sincere Saints are agreeable to gracious objects the very frame of their hearts is fitted to the waies of truth and holinesse Among good things with that which is best their spirits best agree The more holy and pure any person or Ordinance is the better there with their spirits accord The new nature and settled temper of their spirits is most suitable to the Lord himself and may not they be in the Spirit upon the Lords Day 2. Capable are the spirits of Gods servants to take in of the Lord largely Their hearts are compared to Vialls Revel 5.8 A Viall is a vessel narrow beneath and wide above The hearts and spirits of good men are more closed downward and more open upward Of enlarged capacities Christ-ward And though of Christs fulnesse they have already received grace for grace yet there is room to receive more In these two we may comfortably conclude there 's room viz. Gods glorious heaven and Mans gracious heart As God in his heaven hath more room for good men So good men in their hearts have more room for God Holy mens spirits are let out and their hearts made wide By Godly sorrowes for sin and By earnest desires for God By Godly sorrowes Christians cast out sin Beata anima quae est instardomus Jacobi in qua nulla simulaâ—hra nulla effigies vanitatis Amb. de fuga secuâ— cap. 5. and so make more room for Christ in their hearts Hence the heart of a holy man is made as the house of Jacob in which is no place allowed for the least representation of vanity the very images of evil thoughts are thrown out and the whole house is set apart for the precious things of God and the more plenty of these appearing the more he labours heart-enlargement As the rich man Luk. 12. when he saw plenty of Corn upon the ground he pulls down his barns and builds greater that he may have more room to receive in such fruits Thus a Godly man by repentance pulls down his heart he sees it is too narrow for the vast things of God and thereupon labours to make his heart as capacious as possible And by every penitential breaking builds it better By earnest desires also after God he brings his heart into a better and bigger capacity O whom Lord have I in heaven but thee and who on earth do I desire besides thee Psal 73. Yea for Sabbath-enjoyments of God the Spirit of a pious man pants Psal 42.1 2. He even faints for more full fellowships and fruitions of God As against sin he thinks his heart can never be close enough shut So for God he thinks his heart can never be wide enough open Of sin he would fain have lesse when he hath least and when he hath most of God he yet desires more And by such wayes the soul of a Saint is set wider for God and thus the spirits of Christians become more capable to take in more largely the things of the Lord and may not they then be in the Spirit on the Lords day 3. Plyable are the spirits of Gods people for the Lord to let out themselves freely Their hearts towards the Lord are waxy and willing in all wayes of well-pleasing Judg. 5.9 Psal 110.3 Being oyled with an holy Unction And wheeled with holy affections The oyl of grace is poured upon the hidden man of the heart which makes all the spiritual members of the new man to be agil and nimble for God As it is said to Christ Heb. 1.9 God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnesse above thy fellowes So may we say to the soul of a Saint God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of grace and goodnesse above thy fellowes The heart it is first and most sanctified and therefore may well be most free and forward for God In man no marvel the sensitive powers and corporal parts are lesse plyable As the oyntment was first and most poured upon the head of Aaron and from thence drops went down to his beard and skirts of his garments Thus the oyl of grace is primarily and principally upon the heart of a Christian and from thence it descends into all the powers parts of the man so that this hath cause to come in first and come off freest for God as indeed it daily does When other parts rest the heart runs Yea the heart of a holy man is set upon such wheeles as make it move quick for Christ Judgement cleared affections fired 1 Chron. 29.3 I have sayes David set my affection to the house of my God and hence he was so lively and liberal labouring to lift up the honour of God in preparing for him a house The dispositions and affections in the soul of a Saint
are such as that his heart is prompt prepared for every precept purpose and providence O God my heart is prepared my heart is prepared sayes David One observes how he doubles the expression to imply he was willing to a differing condition Paratum cor meum ad prospera paratum ad adversa paratum ad sublimia paratum ad humilia paratum ad universa quae preceperis c. Bern. Ser. 2. de quadrages If God would have him high or low rich or poor a shepherd again or a Prince still His heart was prepared prepared Thus is it with a pious man his heart is prepared to put on after God in any condition his Spirit is upon such wheels of love to the Lord that he is oft carried out beyond and before he is aware Cant. 6.12 Or ever I was aware my soul made me as the Chariots of Amminadib The spirit of the Spouse did unexpectedly rise and run out after Christ as a Chariot upon the wheeles And are the spirits of Gods Saints set into such a frame for the Lord and may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords day 4. Indefatigable are the spirits of Gods people in following the Lord. In Gods worship their spirits are unwearied when their bodies are weakened Their spirits may be weary in but are never weary of any worship of God or any work for God in his worship their hearts and minds Being pitched down And girt up for God The heart of a holy man is pitched down and firmly resolved for God his mind does not fluctuate hover and waver in unsettled uncertainties he is not upon demurs and disputes confers not with flesh and blood Baron An. 261. num 30. Cyprian that blessed Martyr when the Governour bad him advise with himself answered Sir do your office in a righteous cause I am not now to resolve A man of a wavering spirit is soon wearied out and wrought off from God A good man indeed his heart is fixed for God though he be not fixed firmely in the wayes of God yet for the wayes of God he is firmely fixed Though he hath some doubtings in his way yet he hath not doubtings of his way and so walks on unweariedly His heart will not be tyred or turned out Yea the heart of a holy man is girt up and closely united to God his mind is not divided between the Lord and the world Frederick the Elector of Saxony who was a prisoner to Charles the fifth being offered liberty and dignity if he would come to Masse answered I have but one Master one soul and one Saviour I dare not serve two A man of a double heart that halts between God and Baal God and Mammon never holds out He may seem for a while to out-run many but he will be weary A gracious man his spirit is not onely for God gathered in one but it is so knit up as to be one with God 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit and hence he holds out to the end never weary And they who in the wayes of the Lord are of such unwearied spirits may not they be in the Spirit on the Lords day There is none of Gods Servants but possibly now may be as some of the servants of God cettainly have been upon the Lords day in the Spirit I was in the Spirit upon the Lords day The USE IS Of Information Of Exhortation 1. This may clearly declare the ill case of two kinds of men neither of which are in the Spirit on the Lords day Some that are not nor possibly can Some that pâ—ssibly may yet are not 1. 'T is the sad case of all unsanctified men they neither are nor possibly can be upon the Lords day in the Spirit This will plainly appear considering Both what they be And what they do Men remaining in a sinful estate we may observe what they be Both privatively And positively Privatively They cannot be in the Spirit on the Lords day because They be without the Spirit of the Lord And towards the Lord they be without spirit 1. As men in natures estate are without God and without Christ Ephes 2.12 so they are without the holy Spirit Rom. 8.9 Jude 19. As when man was to be created the three Persons they all concur Let us make man Gen. 1.26 And no sooner is man corrupted but they all conclude with a Let us leave man So that every sinful man is forsaken of God the Father Son and holy Ghost Such men be without Gods holy and blessed Spirit whether we consider Some more prophane Others more refined Men that expresse nothing but vice and vanity sons of Belial chief servants to the Divel such as do that for the Divel as he cannot do for himself Satan himself because of spiritual being cannot commit many sins But men that herein they may fulfil his will they run into drunkennesse and all kind of corporal uncleannesse they swear and curse steale and commit adultery and wallow in all worldly filthinesse and have they the Spirit of holinesse Men whose mouthes are as that Gate of Jerusalem out at which was carried forth all the filth of the City Their throats are as open Sepulchres their tongues are set on fire of hell and have they the holy Spirit of God in their hearts Other men there are who professe better They speak high but live low Their voice is Jacobs but their hands are Esaus Like Peters fish that had silver in the mouth but none in the belly Nothing of the spirit appears in their waies yet much of the Spirit may be heard in their words As if the Dove were in their Arks onely and none had the Spirit of God but they Thus Muncer the Anabaptist while he called Luther a spiritlesse man a silly soule one without the Spirit of God he pretended himself to be all full of the Spirit c. Men may think they have the Spirit yet not have the Spirit which they think And indeed whatever any unregenerate man think they all are without the good Spirit of God They cannot have the Spirit who are not born of the Spirit and they who never yet all their daies were born of the spirit they cannot be in the Spirit on the Lords Day On the Lords Day a man may not be in the Spirit that yet every day dwells the Spirit in him And can they be on the Lords Day in the Spirit of God who to this day have not Gods in-dwelling Spirit in them 2. Such men God-ward are without spirit As Absalom stole away the peoples hearts from David So sin and Satan hath enticed and taken away all these mens hearts from God Hose 4.11 Or else the world hath so won upon them that their hearts and spirits are gone God-ward The Queen of Sheba when she was at King Solomons Court and saw the house he had built and the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants
them suffer yet their hearts stick to God All this is com upon us yet our heart is not turned back though thou hast sore broken us c. Psal 44.17 yea when Satan makes them sin yet their hearts hold to God 'T is said of Peter his heart did not forsake Christ when his tongue denied him Corde tenuit illum quem voce negavit Greg. But these men when they do not outwardly sin yet in heart they go away from God They do not onely in heart fall back but they draw back their hearts from God Heb. 10.38 Now they that thus daily draw back their spirits from God they cannot be in the Spirit on the Lords day 2. Against the Lord they turn their spirits The spirits of all unconverted are turned against God Both by Original corruption And by actual rebellion Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God 'T is more then if he had said The carnal man is an enemy to God The mind the best part of corrupt man is enmity which notes monstrous malevolence The Greek word is in the plural Enmities To import multiplyed perversnesse As there are many excellencies in God for man so there are many enmities in man against God Enmities against all the Attributes of God Enmities against all the Ordinances of God Enmities against all the actings of God in the world The spirit of man from his birth is bitterly bent and utterly turned against God But further every man does act up his spirit in rebellion against God blessed for ever Turns his spirit against God This Eliphas does falsly charge upon that good man Job 15.13 But this charge may truly be drawn up against every evil man he turns his spirit makes his mind to swell against God The least risings of spirit against God a good man groans under and grieves for Hieron epest 32. ad Abiga There is nothing once said a precious man that I have all my life more laboured against then a swelling mind a stiffe neck and a stubborn heart A wicked man he hardens his heart stiffens his neck and turns his spirit against God He heightens his inward corruption and becomes a hearty enemy against God by thoughts words and deeds Col 1.21 Or if there be outward restraints from evil works yet his spirit is turned against God The impenitent theefe when his body was nailed to the Crosse yet his spirit was turned against Christ A mans body may be bound from sin and yet his heart bent against God The bow of the bad heart may be bent up though no arrowes of evil works or words be shot out Peter Martyr in Genes A Learned Writer makes the Rain-bow in the heavens an admirable Embleme of peace For though sayes he we see a bow yet we see no string or arrow An unregenerate mans heart is a bow that hath both strings and arrows The strings of the bow are the corruptions and ill dispositions of the heart and the arrows are the evil cogitations and thoughts thereof A multitude of these arrows a man le ts fly in the face of God which argues the acted enmity of his heart against God he is at heartwarre with his spirit is bent against the Lord such cannot be in the Spirit on the Lords day Lastly on the Lords day these cannot be in the Spirit For The gifts of the Spirit they abuse and The grace of the Spirit they oppose 1. The Spirit of God in the gifts thereof they pervert The Holy Ghost helps them to knowledge remembrance utterance c. These they take and turn them to a wrong use As the Israleites who took their ear-rings jewells and bracelets of gold and therewith made an Idol As the Divell he hath large knowledge and great abilities but of all he makes an ill use so it is his design upon sinfull men that whatever good things God gives them for his praise and their profit may be imployed to their harme and Gods dishonour As Eve whom God gave to Adam for his meetest help was made the Engine of his greatest hurt Of this rib sayes one the divell made a dart and wounded man to death with that should have sweetened his life Basil Divers act the Divells part they take things given them for their chiefest good and turn them to the greatest evil CoÌ„rruptio optimi pessimi As the divells could never have been such vile and venemous spirits as they are had they not once had excellencies above other creatures And so there are several that could never have been so transcendently sinfull in prodigious opinions and practices as now they be had they not had rare parts and admirable abilities above their Brethren And can we think that they who thus abuse the gifts of the Spirit should be in the Spirit on the Lords Day 2. The Spirit of God in the graces thereof they resist Act. 7.51 Ye stifnecked and uncircumcised in heart and cares ye do alwaies resist the Hâ—ly Ghost viz. in all his gracious workings Men who make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof they make opposition against the Spirit and withstand the works thereof And though as with bellowes they blow up the Divells fire yet as with buckets of filth they quench out the sparks of the Spirit As when the Angells were entred into Lots house the men of Sodom from every quarter compassed the house by force and fury to fetch them forth Genes 19.3 Thus when any good motions enter into the hearts and minds of some men they are up in arms and out of quiet till they can crush them and cast them forth How oft do they in effect say to the Spirit as Pharaoh to Moses Get thee from me see my face no more till at length the Spirit replyes to them as Moses to Pharaoh Be it as thou-hast said Lo I will see thy face no more for ever Exodus 10.28.29 Some when they are in soule affrighted they would have the peace of the Spirit to calme them but though they are in sin polluted they will not have the grace of the Spirit to cleanse them And because they regard not the grace of the Spirit they resist the Spirit of grace And can such be in the Spirit upon the Lords Day Indeed the Lords Day is the main time they thus gainsay the Spirit of God upon the Sabbath-day they most beat back Gods blessed Spirit and can they this day be in the Spirit Object Upon the day of the Sabbath sure some sinfull men meet with Spirituall movings and therefore they may this day be in the Spirit Answer By way of concession By way of distinction Upon the Lords day as at other times men may by a false spirit be forcibly moved have stronge impulses strange raptures and revelations from a lying spirit As the Divell can transform himself into an Angell of Light so he can conforme himself to the Spirit of Light And as Satan can in
Ephod and enquired of the Lord saying Shall I pursue after this Troop and shall I overtake them 1 Sam. 30. Thus Jehoshaphat before he would march with Ahab to Ramoth-Gilead he desires all the Prophets of God and God by the Prophet Micaiah might be consulted with Ahab transported with a false spirit presses onely Horse and away Let Micaiah say what he will To Ramoth-Gilead he must 2 Chron. 18. Whereas counsel given a good man takes and turnes his designes So David when he was with his men upon the march against the house of Nabal Abigail meets him and he stops upon her advice blessing God that he shed no blood 1 Sam. 25. Now an evil spirit having sprung a design at least seemingly good yet violently provokes and impetuously presses to prosecute men not considering or consulting except with such as are on the same mind No seeking to God except some prayer as a colour They first resolve their businesse and then go to prayer then ask counsel but if contrary come they cast off all Yea this spirit it drives and will rarely leave or let them have time to take advice Satan that evil spirit in the Serpent having upon Eves sight of the pleasant fruit begun to move gave her no time to seek God confer with her husband or consider the sad events onely eat she must So Judas the Divel suggesting a Booty to betray his Master he immediately goes out Joh. 13. rises from Supper even when the best dish was to come as the Learned conceive he never stayes to speak a word but away about his work He considers not what guilt of blood he should bring Matth. 27.3 Then Judas which betrayed him when he saw what was done he repented himself c. It seems he thought things would never have come to that That spirit which thus drives men in considerately precipitately c. 't is not the Spirit of God 4. A roving spirit that wheeles and whurries men obout is not the Spirit of God Men rove Psal 78.8 Esay 19.14 Jam. 1.6 7 8. Observe From what and In what There is a spirit that in moving makes men to rove viz. Ordinarily from the rules of Scripture And often from the rules of Reason Scripture-rules men rove from They will make Scripture go with them as far as ever they can and being they must go further they leave it They wrest and rack Scripture and stretch it as far as for their own advantage Thus that wicked spirit did with our dear Lord Matth. 4. Thus doe such unstable spirits in these last dayes 2 Pet. 3.16 They make holy Scriptures as their hired servants who when they will no further serve their design they turn them off Every good man moved and managed by Gods good Spirit sayes to Scripture as Ruth to Naomi Where thou goest I will go where thou stayest I will stay thy God shall be my God and thy people my people nothing but death shall part thee and me Sozomen reports of Constantine that whatever was pressed he would say Bring me the Book of God when things were disputed and various wayes urged he used still to stand up and call for Gods Book commanding all should there settle and none from thence swerve That spirit which in moving men makes them swerve and rove from Gods good Word is not the Spirit of God Yea beyond the rules of reason as well as Scripture men are made to rove through an ill-moving spirit Hence they roll and rove Both from using reason And from reason used They do not use that reason which might stay themselves From men of no reason the Apostle prays he may be delivered That we may be delivered from unreasonable men 2 Thess 3.2 Neither can that reason which others use stay them As they have not reason to rule themselves no more will they be ruled by reason Grounds of reason and strength of arguments will no more bound nor bind them then green wit hs could Samson The things in which an evil spirit moving makes men to rove are Both inward And outward Viz. In their opinions And affections In their discourses And courses Men of rolling spirits who hold many things yet hold to nothing Like those Arrians of whom Athanasius reports now they held one thing and anon another and never were at any certain stay Socrat. Scho. lib. 1. cap. 25. wandring Stars fixed to no Orb Meteors carried about with every gust as children tossed to and fro with every wind Ephes 4.14 They like and dislike cry up and cry down hot and cold ramble and rest at no point unstable in all their wayes Constantly inconstant men given to change See Seneca lib. de tranq and that love to wander as unsetled as the waves of the Sea Such Christians even Heathens condemn Such motions are not from the Spirit of God 5. A renting spirit that moves men to make divisions and fractions is not the Spirit of God The Spirit of God 't is All is uniting The Spirit of faith The Spirit of love The Spirit of patience By faith the Spirit unites and knits us up to God and by love the Spirit unites and knits us one unto another and by patience the Spirit unites and knits each one within himself And for want of the Spirit of God in these graces there are a multitude of sad severings For want of faith a man breaks and falls off from God For want of love a man breaks and falls off from his Brethren And for want of patience a man breaks in pieces and falls asunder within himself All evidences an evil spirit present and prevalent Mark 9. There is a man possessed with a spirit that did oft-times cast him into the water and into the fire and wheresoever it did take him it did tear him that he gnashed his teeth and foamed at the mouth O what a spirit does possesse such men as does cast them into that water whereby their love is quenched and into that fire whereby their wrath is kindled and so takes them as it tears them with impatiency infidelity and separation from Christian-society Sure such have not the Spirit of God Jude 19. These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit 'T is not the Spirit of God that hath moved some to separate themselves from our publick Assemblies Vid. Cameron de Eccles tract de Schism They having no good cause for it and There being many bad effects upon it No cause good If we in our assemblies are not separated from God they have no cause to separate from us Are we separate from God Is not the drift of our daily endeavours to draw men to God Is not this the bent of our businesse to bring men into obedience to God communions with God to set up God in hearts and houses Is it not the enjoyments of God after which we seek Is it not worshippings of God in Spirit truth after which we presse
and after God Whom have I in heaven but thee and who on earth do I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 Others they desire God but there is somewhat besides their soul is set upon In their affections or resolutions God he hath not the whole heart or whole soul and spirit Neither do those good motions they have reach out to all the precious things of God Something of God they would have but not whole God O how are they delighted to hear of the loving kindnesse patience pity mercy of God But the omniscience omnipresence purity holinesse of God they are not so taken with or stirred at pleased with The Death of Christ for their salvation Not the life of Christ for their imitation Fain have that of Christ which justifies But care not for that of Christ which sanctifies A Saint of God spiritually moved desires to know nothing but Christ and him crucified And God forbid sayes the Apostle I should glory in any thing save in the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ Gala. 5.14 Moses can prize the reproaches of Christ Heb. 11.26 Others onely regard somewhat of Christ the honours of Christ the happinesse of Christ the comforts of Christ but to bear the Crosse of Christ and to possesse the Grace of Christ and to stoop to the yoak of Christ this is grievous For height Those spirituall movings that are in carnal hearts cause them Heaven-ward to make some assayes but up to heaven they do not in soule ascend as Gods Saints who mount up and have communion with Christ 1 John 1.3 and have their conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 sitting down in heavenly places with Christ Eph. 2.6 Upon some movings of the Spirit others hearts and minds like Grashoppers leap up but fly not far Or as a vapour that ascends out of the earth into the lower regions of the air but never rises to get up into the highest region but when the heat or force is a little over as a heavy body it falls back again and that which was like to be fire proves but water When the minds of carnall men are most mounted and their hearts most heightened yet they do not come to that pitch of pious affections and positive resolutions as whereunto Gods people are raised They do not so highly admire nor so highly desire nor so highly esteem the holy things of God as do the dear Saints of God in their heavenly converses with God when God by his Spirit carries them as upon Eagles wings For length Those Spiritual movings that are in carnal hearts are for the most part sudden and short as sparks of fire that are soon quenched out Esay 50.11 Or as morning dewes that are soon dried up Hose 6.4 Through the workings of the holy Spirit O in what a hopeful way for heaven are the hearts of men sometimes set but things do not abyde all being by and by beate down This made Chrysostom observe a sad difference between the work of the Minister in his calling and the work of other men in their earthly trades and ordinary imployments Men commonly as they leave their work so they find it But the Ministers work who is a Co-worker with God for peoples spirituall good it is one day set forward and another backward Upon some Sabbath O how mighty are men moved how sweetly are their soules disposed how are their affections fixed and their resolutions raised as if the new building would pass on apace but by that time a Minister comes again to his work all is dashed down so broken as not a stone is left upon a stone The work is new to begin yea the case perhaps worse then it was before As water once warmed being ward cold some say is afterward the more hardly heated Those holy heatings warmings workings movings meltings mountings and meetings of God which good men have through the help of Gods holy Spirit are more remaining and better abyding such good things are stablished and nourished in them that are vanishing and perishing in others Luk. 8.13 John 6.67 60. Gala. 4.15 16. The Spirit does so act and stir in the hearts of holy men and their soules upon the Sabbath may so act and stir in the Spirit as is not possible for any other persons The peculiar priviledge of pious men to be in the Spirit on the Lords Day 2. We yet grant there be severall of Gods Saints who though they possibly may yet upon the Lords day in the Spirit they actually are not Because Either they go from Ordinances Or they rest in Ordinances Some upon the Sabbath forsake Gods publike Ordinances and for that cause they are not in the Spirit The wise God will so honour his own holy appointments that such as sinfully desert them shall not comfortably possesse him But they shall comfortably enjoy him who carefully attend them O how much of Gods good Spirit have good men met when they have been on the Sabbath assembled in the use of Ordinances John 20.19 upon the first day in the week when the Apostles were gathered together The Greek word does signifie such a gathering as in Church-Assembly it being a word of Ecclesiasticall use and so applyed in severall texts Act. 4.31.11.26.13.44.14.27.20.8 1 Cor. 5.4 Then the Lord breathed on them and they received the Holy Ghost When Peter was preaching the Gospel the holy Ghost fell upon all them that heard the Word Act. 10.44 It is in the use of Ordinances Christ hath promised his Spirituall presence Matth. 28.19 20. As the presence of Christ in body is not enjoyed but in the heavenly Jerusalem Grego Moral lib. 18. et cap. 15. the generall Assembly the Church of the first-born where are gathered an innumerable company of Angells and the spirits of just men made perfect Hebr. 11.22 23 24. So the presence of Christ in Spirit is not to be expected but in the holy Assemblies of Gods Militant Saints met to honour God gathered to glorifie God in the way of his Ordinances Word and Sacraments c. It is true divers of Gods dear Saints can by experience speak that they have met with much of Christ in Spirit and much of the Spirit of Christ in private duties as Meditation and Prayer c. But then this comfortable experience hath been to Christians Either while publick Ordinances also were attended Or when Ordinances in publick could not be enjoyed 1. Christians while they remain upon the Lords day diligent in publick duties may in duties private meet with much of Gods Spirit Christians may even in the week-time have sweet incomes of Spirit in their private Closets the better to prepare them for encourage them to and carry them through the publick service of the Sabbath when the Lord with enlarged measures of refreshing mercies may more fully flow in upon them 2. The souls of sincere Christians may have in the private exercises of religion large enjoyments of God through the Spirit being deprived of publick Ordinances
but are not towards God burning in affections they keep dayes and carry on duties in a spiritlesse way And for lack of such sparklings and springings of soul they are not in the Spirit on the Lords day 3. Pious men may possibly passe Sabbaths resting in Gods Ordinance without enjoying Gods presence God having made those heavenly creatures Sun Moon and Stars yet rested not till he had created man so man having used holy duties Word Sacraments and Prayer yet therein should not rest till he can attain God When the Jewes were gone out of Egypt and were in their way to Canaan God told them they should have his Angel to go before them but himself would not go with them which when they heard they all mourned and none would put on his Ornaments Exod. 33.2 3.4 Gods servants in Sabbaths should not be satisfied though they had the Ministery of Angels except God himself be present When Rebecca was in her journey to Abrahams house with his servants she rode on the Camel but she did not rest on the Camel when she saw Isaac who was to be her husband she lighted down and modestly met him Gen. 24.63 64. Jacob rejoyced to see the wagons his son Joseph had sent yet was not the seeing of them nor being in them that satisfied Jacob but thereby to go into Egypt and see and enjoy Joseph himself It becomes Christians to rejoyce when God gives them Ordinances to use yet is not the highest Ordinances they can have upon this holy day wherein they should rest contented except thereby they can come to some communion with God It is reported of Master Bradford the Martyr that he would never leave off in holy duties till he found therein somewhat of God as in prayer he would not give over till he had some intimation from God of his love in meditation till he had some manifestation of Gods presence quickening and quieting his heart Gods servants even upon Sabbath dayes when duties are most solemn and settled should not rest satisfied except God shewes upon them some token for good and seals upon their souls some impression of his presence which they may carry with them all the week The Church Cant. 3. being at a losse for her beloved she goes to the watchmen and enquires of them And 't was but a little said she tâ— at I passed from them but I found him whom my soul loveth We are not so far to passe Instruments and Ordinances as not to make use of them or attend in them but we are to passe them a little in respect of any relyance on them or resting in them As evil things unrepented of carry us from God so good things rested in keep us from God It is for Pharisees and Papists to rest in good works done Christians should rise higher and reach at a GOD in every good work at Christ a Saviour in every service of the Sabbath When Samuel was to anoint one of the family of Jesse to be King over Israel Jesse made seven of his sons to passe before the Prophet and as they passed one after another the Prophets word was This is not he Neither this he c. Then sayes Samuel Is there not yet another And Jesse said There remains yet the youngest and behold he keeps the sheep And Samuel said Send and fetch him for we will not sit down till he come hither And Jesse sent and brought in David Then sayes the Prophet This is he and he anointed him 1 Sam. 16. Thus upon a Sabbath when Instruments Ordinances Ministers Scriptures Prayers Sermons Sacraments and all passe one after another the souls of Gods Saints should secretly say Is there not yet another The Lord our righteousnesse we cannot sit down till he comes hither And when the Lord himself appears in an Ordinance each soul should say This this is he Some they sit down in Ordinances though no Christ comes in little or nothing of the Lord himself is seen and so their hearts rise not The Virgin Mary comming into the house where Elizabeth was she being with child the babe leaped in her womb and she was filled with the holy Ghost and said with a loud voice Whence is this that the mother of my Lord should come to me Luk 1. Now it was not so much the Mother of the Lord as the Lord in his Mother that made the child in Elizabeth leap 'T is not the Ministers of Christ nor the Ordinances of Christ but Christ in his Ministers and Christ in his Ordinances that makes the hearts of holy men to leap upon the Lords day Thus they are filled with the holy Ghost and fixed with the Spirit of God Now because Christians do not rise to a high minding the presence of Christ but rest in a low using the Ordinances of Christ they are not in the Spirit on the Lords day Use Exhortion Let this incite all Gods Saints to such a spiritual spending of the Gospel-Sabbath that upon this day they may be in the Spirit Two things 't is here meet to mark Viz. The matter whereof this is comprised and The motives whereby this is enforced Spiritually to spend the Lords day does comprise principally these two things viz. The influence of Gods Spirit with us and The concurrence of our spirits with God 1. The inflowings of Gods Spirit so as to work in a double way viz. Of Resistance And Assistance There being mighty oppositions against us we need the Spirit of God for their resisting and There being many imperfections about us we need the same Spirit for our assisting 1. The blessed Spirit upon the Sabbath to resist Satan and what he secretly suggests to damp the duties of the day Indeed the Divels design is not onely to dull us in but if possibly to drive us from this day in all the duties thereof And when he cannot keep off our bodies to carry away our hearts he comes oft like a flood a flood of water to hinder a flame of zeal Revel 12.15 And the Serpent cast out of â—is mouth water as a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood When Satan sees that upon the Sabbath we will go out to the Ordinances of God to quench and carry away our hearts he then causes temptations to come as a flood viz. Both in abundance And with violence Against this the best helper is Gods holy Spirit Esay 59.19 VVhen the enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him Thus ate the billowes beat back and the floods dryed up and Satans designs dashed and our souls upon the Sabbath set in a more hopeful way for Spiritual work 2. The Spirit of God upon the Sabbath to assist and help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 Our infirmities likewise the Spirit helpeth for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self makes intercession for us with groanes that cannot
be uttered 'T is not prayer nor any other part of Gods service upon the Sabbath that we can spiritualy perform except the Spirit assist The Spirit helpeth Or claspeth in with us together as the Greek word notes As when a businesse is too big a work too weighty for one others put to their helping hands lifting and labouring together The work of the Sabbath especially to be spirituall therein is above our abilities except the Spirit closes in and sets to his assisting hand service will be sleepy and souls will be dead As 't is said that the whole soul is in the whole body and the whole soul in every part of the body to animate and actuate all Thus the holy Spirit must be wholly in the whole body of Sabbath-businesse and whole in every particular duty that all may be active heavenly and lively Upon the Lords day Gods people need the help of Gods holy Spirit Both to transport them And to support them 1. The Spirit upon the Lords day to transport and carry them out in holy duties beyond ordinary formalities and their own abilities though in the week their wings have been wetted in the world yet upon the Sabbath they are made fit to fly and soar up to God Though upon this day Christ rose from the dead yet it was fourty dayes after he ascended into heaven But to a Christian through the Spirit as it is his resurrection day so it is his Ascension day As on this day he comes up from the dead So on this day he goes up unto God 2. The Spirit upon the Lords day to support and keep them up in holy and heavenly frames of heart That in Gods service they sink not Either through sinful inclinations Or through Satans temptations Good mens hearts are as Moses hands when they are lifted up they must be born up Ever since Adams fall mans natural motion is downward The soul that ascends will soon descend if Gods blessed Spirit does not bear it up This made David pray when he saw the people for the service of the Temple with their hands liberal and their hearts lively O Lord God sayes he keep this up for ever in the thoughts of the hearts of thy people c. And Satan he sets in to sink the soul down when it is highest in holy movings and heavenly mountings Matth. 4. we find when our Saviour was taken up into the holy City and sâ—t upon a pinacle of the Temple then Satan solicits him that if he were the Son of God he might cast himself down Such is Satans design when he sees Gods Saints taken up in holy service and set upon the pinacle in the practical part of holy Sabbaths then he privily puts in presently to pull them down but the Spirit helps and holds them up 2. There must be the close concurrings of our spirits with God or the Lords day cannot be spiritually spent Not our bodies barely but our very souls must so set in with God in Sabbath-service as Freely to stirre and Firmely to stand 1. To stirre freely with readinesse and willingnesse of mind moving about the businesse of Gods blessed day Though there seems difficulty in work and Though there is diversity of work Although some of the service of the Sabbath may seem difficult yet with a prompt and ready mind to move thereto and with all agility apt to act therein As some of the men that Mosâ—s sent to search Canaan they came back and their hearts sunk O say they The Cities aâ—e walled and the people are strong and we can never do the work But Caleb who had another spirit and was of a ready and resolute mind Come sayes he let us go up and take it at once Num. 13.30 Some are as awke to enter upon holy Sabbaths as upon walled Cities their hears shrink back and they say The service is too great they cannot do it whereas Christians of another spirit whose minds are bent upon Sabbath-businesse they say Come let us go up through God we shall do great things this day Yea to have a heart free and fit to move although the duties of the Lords day be divers viz. Works of piety works of charity Works together works asunder Sometimes lowly abasing our selves for sins committed Sometimes highly advancing God for good vouchsafed c. As a well-tuned instrument the strings are ready to stir upon a light touch to divers lessons which the Musician may play as he please one after another Thus to have a well-framed heart apt upon the Lords day to its divers duties prompt to pray swift to hear ready to distribute prepared to every good work 1 Tim. 2.21 Tit. 3.1 Yea to have a heart freely moving not onely about divers Ordinancts but about the same Ordinance To set in a way of work severall graces and To set the same grace several wayes a work As in prayer in hearing the Word in receiving the Sacrament in any one such service of the Sabbath to act up in the soul several graces Faith Hope Love Sincerity Humility Fervency c. To have the heart in a ready exercise of all these at the use of any Ordinance Yea such an Ordinance one of these is wherein the soul of a Christian is to exercise the same grace several wayes As in receiving the Supper of the Lord there is a manifold use of faith Faith here it is as an eye to see as a hand to take as a tongue to taste as a mouth to feed as the stomach to digest retein c. Thus when Gods Saints upon the Sabbath do not onely use sacred Ordinances but therein also exercise several and suitable graces yea and are active in their exercise so that their spirits are quick in co-working with the good Spirit of God then indeed do they Spiritually spend this holy day 2. To stand firmely when the Saints of God upon the Lords day as they labour to get their hearts up so they are loath to let them down all the day long Whereupon they strongly strive Rising to stand fast they may not fall and Falling to rise they may the faster stand 1. That rising their hearts may stand fast and not fall in holy duties while the day lasts As when General Joshua was in the heat of battel against the enemies of Israel having his spirit fixed he looks up to the firmiament saying Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and the Sun stood still and hasted not to go down about a whole day So a Saint of God when he is in the heat of Sabbath-service his affections all on a flame he looks in and says to his soul O my soul now stand thou still Hold here and so the heart holds up and the soul stands still all the Lords day 2. That falling their hearts may rise again to a more fixed affectionate performance of all holy duties Prov. 24.16 The righteous falleth seven times a â—â—y and risâ—th again Seven times even upon
the seventh day the Sabbath day the hearts and souls of Gods Saints are subâ—ect to fall from those heatings and heightenings they then have in duties holy But then they struggle in holy heats of heart to rise higher and to fix faster Psal 108.1 O God my heart is fixed my heart is fixed Fixed and loosened and fixed again Warmed and cooled and kindled again so as that the fire is greater and flame hotter More abounding and abyding through the businesse of Gods blessed day Thus when Gods Spirit flowes in upon us and our spirits fall in with God so as with agility to act and with stability to be set in all sweet wayes of Sabbath-works This is Spiritually to spend the Lords day 2. The Motives that may incite all Gods Saints to such a Spiritual spending the Gospel-Sabbath may arise from things of two sorts observable viz. Some more antecedential and Some more consequential Arguments from things antecedent which may set all the servants of God upon a Spiritual passing this present day may be to consider Sabbath-ward these four things all which we find to be spiritually viz. The Ordainer of it The Ordinances in it The ends for it and The opposits against it 1. The Ordainer of this day the Lord Christ the things Spiritual concerning him we may discern by considering of him Both as he once was And as he now is 1. Christ the Lord of the Sabbath was Spiritual In his Conception and Birth In his Conversation and life In his Passion and death In his Resurrection from the dead And in his Ascension to heaven 1. Christ in his Conception and Birth was spiritual he being conceived of the holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin â—nd the Angel said unto her The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Luk. 1.35 36. 2. Christ in his Conversation and life was Spiritual Lo the heavens were opened uâ—to him and the Spirit of God descending like a Dove lighted upon him Matth. 3.16 Joh. 1.32 His joyes were Spiritual Luk. 10 21. His words were Spiritual Joh. 6.63 All his wayes in the world both towards God and men were Spiritual Heb. 7.26 3. Christ in his Passion and death was Spiritual He through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God Heb. 9.14 Even when he was condemned in the world he was justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 4. Christ in his Resurrection from the dead was Spiritual Rom. 1.4 He was declared to be the Son of God by the Spirit of holinesse in his resurrection from the dead Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus dwell in you c. Christ put to death in the flesh but quickened in the Spirit 1 Pet. 3.18 5. Christ in his Ascension to heaven was Spirituall As he went up to God by a Spiritual assistance so upon a Spiritual design viz. to send down the holy Spirit of promiâ—e Joh. 16.7 It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter the Spirit of truth will not come unto you but if I depaâ—t I will send him unto you which we find fulfilled Act. 1. Act. 2. 2. Christ the Lord of the Sabbath he is Spiritual Both in his positive condition And in his Relative transactions Considered in himself according to his glorified estate he is all Spiritual His blessed body is now brought beyond all humane infirmities filled with beauty clarity agility impassibility immortality through the eternal Spirit In his humbled estate he was endowed and adorned with the Spirit what then in his honoured estate God gave him then the Spirit not by measure Joh. 3.34 O what immense and immeasurable fillings of the Spirit were in a crucified much more in a glorified Christ Such an infinite fulnesse of the Spirit is fixed in Christ whereby he is compleately fitted to the perfect performance of all his excellent offices Yea and Christ in his actings is now every way Spirituall Both in what he does with God for men And in what he does with men for God With God for men Christ hath his Spiritual exercise Christs acting as an Advocate with the Father 1 Job 2. His appearing and pleading our cause in the presence of God Heb. 9.24 His making Intercession at the right hand of God Rom. 8.33 As this is founded in the sufficiency of his Merit So it is performed by the efficiency of his Spirit As a meer man Christ does not manage his Mediatorship with God but Christ in Spirit presents unto God the Father for his members His deserts and His desires Both what for his people he hath purchased and what to his people God hath promised that they may perfectly possesse Joh. 17.21 23 24. And with men for God Christ acts all Spiritually As Christ executes his Priestly office in heaven So he fulfils his Prophetical and Regal office on earth in a way of Spirituâ—l working As with Ordinances by the Spirit does Christ teach So by the Spirit with officers does Christ govern As his Kingdom is Spiritual which he governs So his government is spiritual of his Kingdome It is through the Spirit that Christ does such great things in our dayes as it was through the Spirit that Christ did so many good things in the dayes of his flesh Being anointed with the holy Ghost he went about dâ—ing good Act. 10.38 He now sits on his throne in heaven yet by the holy Ghost he transacts manifold and marvellous things on earth By the Spirit he writes his Law in the hearts of his people and rules his people by the Law in their hearts Leads his flock in the way they should walk and Feeds his flock as they walk in the way c. Thus Christ the Lord of the Sabbath is Spiritual And shall not we be Spiritual in the Sabbath of the Lord 2. The Ordinances in the Lords day are Spiritual likewise Go through all the appointments of God that are for this dayes exercise Are they not Spiritual If we seriously consider things that concern The Word Prayer Sacraments Singing of Psalmes Collections for the poor c. Are they nor all duties to be spiritually done Doth not Both the precepts of God binde us hereto And the practise of the binde us hereto Godly 1. For the Word As it is of a Spiritual nature So it is in a Spiritual manner to be managed Both on the Ministers and On the peoples part Every part of Gods precious Word is Spiritual The Law is Spiritual Rom. 7.14 The Gospel that is Spiritual Rom. 1.11 Yea because the Law in Spirituality comes short of the Gospel the Gospel in glory out-goes the Law As it is excellently opened 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8. They that preach the glorious Gospel that is so surpassingly Spiritual must endeavour to do it in the evidences and efficacies of the Spirit
1 Cor. 2.4 My preaching sayes the Apostle was not with enticing words of mans wisdome but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power When the poewr of the Spirit is so upon the Preacher as to put warmth into the heart words into the mouth and is to his soul as wind to the saile so that he is carried out in clear and close discoveries of the Counsel of God Act. 18.25 And Apollos being mighty in the Scripture and fervent in the Spirit he spake diligently the things of the Lord. Beza when he was a Preacher to the Protestant forces in France he was so mighty in his Miâ—istery that to some his Sermons were more encouraging and quickening then the sound of Drums and Trumphts though others Popishly disposed were offended and said his Doctrine was made up of nothing bur fire and brimstone all combustible and terrihle To preach in the power of the Spirit neither carnal men nor Divels can endure but is most pleasing to God and men spiritually good being that which does mighty things 2 Cor. 10 4. The weâ—pons of our warrefare are not carnal but Spiritual mighty through God Spirituall weapons spiritually wileded work wonders The Word of God which is the sword of the Spirit it must be spiritually handled And as they that preach the Gospel must spiritually preach it so they that hear the Gospel must hear it spiritually This is more then barely with the bodily ear to hear the voice of man it is therein with the ear of the soul through the assistance of the Spirit to hear the voice of Christ Joh. 10.27 My sheep hear my voice I know them and they follow me Cant. 5.2 It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh saying Open to me my sister my love my Dove my undefiled c. 1 Thess 1.5 Our Gospel came not unto you in word onely but also in power and in the holy Ghost 1 Thess 2.13 For this cause we thank God for when ye heard the word ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh in you that believe Christians are not so to hear as onely to take in words at the ear but so as to take in warmth at the heart Often sayes Jerom when I read the Apostle in his Epistles I seem not to hear words but me thinks I hear the noise of Thunder and as it were feel the force of lightning that sets all on a fire so that I am made to shake to shine to burn Did not our hearts burn within us while he opened unto us the Scriptures Luk 24.32 Such Spiritual hearing God expects of his people every Lords Day 2. For Prayer This must be spiritually pour'd out in the presence of God Gods servants As the Spirit is to be praying in them So they are to be praying in the Spirit Jude 20. But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy saith praying in the holy Spirit Both in the Spirit of love and unity And in the Spirit of life and fervency Not clashing but with close agreements of soul carrying out the same suit Symphonical in prayer Matth 18.19 If two of you shall agree on earth touching any thing they should ask it shall be done It notes such a symphony and agreement of the soules of Gods Saints in prayer as Musicians who with several Instruments play the same tune Not cooling but with kindled enlargements to be affectionate in prayer fired with the Spirit 'T is sayes Luther for want of the fire of the Spirit in Preaching that Sermons prevail so little with men and 't is for want of the fire of the Spirit in praying that petitions are no more prevailing with God As in confessions of sin our hearts must be wounded with bitter sorrowes So in petitions for Grace our hearts must be warmed with burning Desires Gods people are to be together praying with their Hearts as Bells raised and to ring such a loud peal of prayer as may be heard into heaven Such spiritual praying is expected of God as duly as the Lords Day comes 3. For the Sacraments Viz Both Baptisme and The Lords Supper As they are spiritual for the Principal of them So the Practice of them must be spiritual The Principal of each Sacrament is the spiritual part thereof The outward Element is but as the transient shadow The spiritual and enduring substance is Christ himself with his Crosse with his Grace with his Merits Mercies Excellencies and Al-sufficiencies 1 Cor. 10.3 4. They viz. our fathers of old did all eat the same spiritual Meat and did all drink the same spiritual Drink for they drank of the Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ As when our Saviour rode in Triumph to Jerusalem Luk. 19. the company that went before and they which followed after All cry'd Hosanna Thus the Sacraments of the Old Testament that went before and the Sacraments of the New Testament that follow after all say to Christ Hosanna All point at Christ saying Behold the Lamb of God The Practice or transactions of the Sacraments must be spiritual Both on Gods part And on our part In Baptisme all depends upon the powerful presence of the Spirit At the Beginning when tâ—e Spirit moved upon the waters then were the creatures made And so when the Spirit moveth upon the waters of Baptisme then is Gods work done And our work therein after is all to be done through the Spirit In the first receiving of Baptisme we were totally passive but for the further improving of Baptisme we ought to be spiritually active A spiritual Use we are bound to make of Baptisme Both to keep us off from evil And to keep us on in all good Luther reports of a pious Maid who by her Baptisme bore up against the several assaults of Satan If Satan sought to draw her to sin Her reply was I dare not do it I have been Baptized If to draw her from Duties her reply was I dare not but do it I have been Baptized We should observe that to fly sin and follow God we are Baptisme-bound But for want of this how does Baptisme lye like a Dead Ordinance What multitudes are there who making no Spiritual Improvements of it they make many Carnal Arguments against it Because they never knew how to work it up they easily learn how to cry it down They say the Truth and life of Baptisme lyes in their deep Dippings and Water-Buryings But sure a little water and much fire Baptismus flaminis et flaminis makes the best Baptisme I indeed sayes John baptize you with water but he that comes after me is mightier then I he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Matth. 3. Against their Water-works we may see God angry in our want of water In the Lords Supper All the great works which both God and we are to do be spiritual What God is to do
on the Sabbath a gracious soul sighs up into heaven Lord I would better break out but my sins beset me I would faster run on but my own heart hampers me Lord I would otherwise serve thee but my thoughs hinder me fears and cares encompasse me help Lord. Unite Not onely the will but the whole soul yâ—â— the whole man and the whole might is knit and bound up for God in every good work body and soul must not lie severed nor any heart in it self scattered 'T was a sad sin in him who upon the Sabbath-day gathered up sticks that lay scattered on the ground Num. 15.32 But it is our duty on the day of the Sabbath to gather up together our hearts and thoughts that are scattered upon the earth and wandring about in the world We should say as the Prophet Blesse the Lord O my soul and all that is within me O my soul and all that is within me pray O my soul and all that is within me hearken c. Vnite my heart sayes David that I may fear thy Name So let each soul say Lord unite my heart that I may hear thy Word Unite my heart that I may hold fast thy truth keep holy thy day Fervent The zeal of Gods house and zeal of the Lords day should even eat us up Our hearts should burn within us like fire See what God by Moses sayes to the Jewes Exod. 35.3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your houses upon the Sabbath-day But upon the day of the Sabbath our duty is to kindle a fire throughout all our hearts The fire of zeal fits the service of God On the Sabbath we should go up to God in a Chariot of this fire The force of this fire would carry us into the highest heaven from the lowest earth And from earth to heaven is a good Sabbath-dayes-journey Yea such a burning fire of zeal on the Sabbath would bring heaven as it were down to the earth God into our hearts Exod. 3. we read how the presence of God appeared in a burning Bush In burning hearts in burning prayers appears much of the presence of God 'T was the praise of holy Hezekiah he appointed burnt-offerings for the Sabbath dayes 2 Chron. 31.3 Burning sacrifices for blessed Sabbaths Cheerfull Several of the Ancients much insist upon that care and course which becomes Christians in carrying on the Sabbath more strictly then the Jewes were wont August Enar. in Psal 32. Tom. 8. part Pag. 242. Aug. Tract 3. in Joan. 1. Tom. 9. Ignat. Epist ad Magnes Pag. 57. Hilar. prolog in Psal oper p. 335. Whereas they kept the Sabbath carnally in feasting dancing and sensual delights We Christians must Sabbatize or keep the Sabbath spiritually in holy joyes heavenly contents and religious delights we must feast and dance too but our feasting must be conversing with God our meat and drink to do the will of God Our dancing must be the leaping of soul to see the face of the Lord in the glasse of the Gospel And though on the Lords day we be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse yet we must be filled with the Spirit The comforts of the Spirit are sweeter and better then all the wine in the world and of this we should take our Lords day draughts Cant. 5.3 On this day we should drink wine with our milk eat our hony-comb with our hony be in the Garden and gather Myrrhe with our Spice This is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad therein Psal 118.24 Psal 42. sayes David Why art thou cast down O my soul why art thou disquieted within me Himself gives the cause His banishment that he could not now go with the multitude to the house of God with the voyce of joy and praise among them that keep holy day Such as can come to God's house upon his holy day should not come with dejected souls but with the voyce of joy and praise triumphing in God Watchful For our Sabbath day watch observe What we are to watch against and What we are to watch for 1. Against the incursions of the Divel we are to watch all the Lords day long That God who will Revel 20. bind up Satan for a thousand years can easily bind him for Sabbath-dayes But yet even upon such dayes Satan is much let loose Job 1.6 There was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them The Sons of God on that day came before God for good but Satan had ill designs to hinder them that would honour God VVhen Joshua the high Priest stood before the Angel of the Lord Satan stood at his right hand to resist him Zech. 3.2 'T was the policy of Pompey Vespasian Titus and other enemies of the Jewes soreliest to assault the City Jerusalem on the Sabbath dayes when they refused to defend themselves Upon Sabbath dayes are the Divels most desperate designs He is ever bad but worst upon the best dayes O watch watch A harming Divel on a helping day 2. For the incommings of the Spirit of Christ let us watch upon the Lords day As when the Dove sate upon the Ark Noah put forth his hand took her in When the Spirit of the Lord begins to light upon our hearts we should presently hand it in Embrace his first motions open and give him entrance otherwise Ordinances will do us little good Gen. 1. We find a dark lump of earth and water but if the Spirit of the Lord had not moved upon the face of the water the world had never been made nor living creatures brought forth 'T is the Spirit upon the Word that causes a new creation living Christians O then when we are under the Word and in the midst of the waters of Ordinances waite and watch for the good Spirit of God Other birds drive away but bid the Dove welcome 3. At the end of the Lords day let us see to our duty lest we begin in the Spitit and end in the flesh Nebuchadnezzars Image the head and upper part was gold but the feet and lower part Iron and Clay In the morning and beginning of the Lords day our hearts have heavenly heat and at evening the end of the Sabbath all is Iron and Clay Hearts hard and cold 't is ill when a Christians affections are as the grasse the Prophet speaks of Psal 90.6 In the morning it flourisheth and in the evening it is cut down dryed up and withered Plutarch reports of a River that runneth sweet in the morning but bitter in the evening 'T is the property of some sinful men if they have done somewhat on the Sabbath in the service of God they are the more bold to sin even before the day is gone like the Harlot Prov. 7.14 18. I have peace-offerings with me this day I have payed my vowes come let us take our fill of love till the morning That very day